It’s Show Us Your Books day! I didn’t have a huge reading month – just three books! They were all fantastic, however. I’ve still got a big library stack I’m working my way through.

Nevermoor series (#1 & #2) by Jessica Townsend – 5 stars

It would be hard for me to love these books more. It’s definitely reminiscent of Harry Potter, but it felt like a new world of its own. They’re magical, funny, and warm. I devoured both and wish I could get more.

 

 

 

 

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson – 5 stars

You can’t go wrong with a Brandon Sanderson book, and I wasn’t disappointed. There’s a huge mystery that had me guessing till the end (I’m terrible at guessing, so others may figure it out faster). The characters had a sense of humor and the main character was a badass. There’s room for the next in the series, which comes out at the end of the year. The ending was satisfying on its own, however.

 

 

 

Currently Reading:

Circe by Madeline Miller

I’m towards the end of this, so I can already say READ THIS. I’ll hold off any further details until next time!

I’m linking up with Steph & Jana today for Show Us Your Books. Join in and share what you’ve been reading!

It’s been literally almost a year since my last post. The beauty of the blog is that I have no boss here, so I can do what I want. Like show up a year later, drink in hand, saying, “Hey.” With no explanation. Just kidding – I’ve got a great explanation, which is I like sleeping and watching TV or reading in all time not spent with the small, wild creature roaming my house.

Anyway, on to the books! I obviously missed a lot of posts in between, so I’m posting some of my recent favorites.

Engrossing Reads:

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton – 5 stars

Dinosaurs. Island. Snarky professor. What more need I say? There’s a RAPTOR IN THE KITCHEN.

I also enjoyed the follow-up to this, The Lost World, but it wasn’t as pee-your-pants, nerve-wracking, unputdownable as Jurassic Park.

Fun fact: Michael Crichton was 6’9″.

 

 

 

An incredibly tall Michael Crichton.

Saga Vol’s 1-6 by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples – 5 stars

These books are sweet, violent, and weird, and it was hard to stop reading once I got going. The only thing that stopped me was that I ran out of borrows on Hoopla, so now that a new month started and my borrow limit reset, I’m finally onto number 7.

 

 

 

 

 

Wool (Silo #1) by Hugh Howey – 4 stars

I read this book a long time ago, when it was first released in individual volumes. Really enjoyed it the second time around, as well. It’s a sci-fi, dystopic story about a group of people who live in an underground silo. I highly recommend it if that sounds like your jam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Found You by Lisa Jewell – 4 stars

Solid thriller, way more engrossing and heartfelt than I would expect in this genre. I saw this plot coming a mile away, but I really loved the story, anyway. Loved Alice. She would be a hot mess in real life and was definitely flawed. The story switches between characters’ points of view and timelines, which is usually a huge no from me. It was totally fine this time. The only time I had a problem was towards the end, when I desperately wanted to know the ending to one of those timelines.

 

 

 

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware – 4 stars

I have the unpopular opinion that I like Ruth Ware books. Her writing works for me, but I know it may not work for everybody. I don’t go in expecting anything too serious, just a fun ride which doesn’t have to be totally believable. This did that. I especially love a mystery on an isolated setting, like a boat, island, or hotel.

 

 

 

 

 

Currently reading:

I’m re-reading book 1 while I watch season 8. I’ll see you in 12 years.

I’m linking up with Steph and Jana today for Show Us Your Books – you should join them, too. Or not – live your life, I won’t tell you what to do! Except read more books. Mostly I need to tell myself to do that.

It’s been a while since I’ve done of these, so I had to check back to what the last book I read was. I keep trying to pop in more often, but you know… life! I’m sure I’ll get it together one day. I’m a routine kind of person, and I haven’t figured out one of those for blogging. Toddler-saurus wakes up at the crack of dawn, and I go to bed by 9 pm. We run on old people/little kid time in our house.

I recently switched to WordPress, after the comments issue with Blogger. I haven’t finnagled with it too much yet, but let me know if you notice anything not working! I’ve thought about moving to WordPress many times and the Blogger comments thing was enough for me to finally make the switch.

Engrossing Reads

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel – 5 stars

This has been on my to read list for a LONG time, and I am so glad I read it. I could not put it down for unexpected reasons. It was a slow burn and entrancing. All the characters’ lives are intertwined and I loved every time two of those stories came together.

 

 

 

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Books Worth Reading

Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1) and Caliban’s War (The Expanse #2) by James S.A. Corey – 4 stars

If you like The Expanse tv show, you’ll also like the books, because the show follows them closely. It’s a space thriller/adventure about a close set of characters who get involved in something they didn’t mean to but now ride around like space cowboys trying to undo the weird shit going on. I don’t want to mention any specific plot points, to keep it spoiler-free. Watching the show added a lot to the books for me; usually I read the books first, but I happened to do it the other way this time around, and it worked fine. Amos and Miller are two star characters for me – I love watching or reading about them. You may especially enjoy watching Amos, and that’s all I’ve got to say about that.

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn – 4 stars

This thriller has an interesting premise: the main character has agoraphobia and cannot leave her house, and she witnesses something through her window she shouldn’t have seen. I think it developed well and it took me a long time to figure out some bits. It did get really dark at one point. So, fair warning, there’s a dark plot point, but you can probably see it coming by the time it’s revealed.

 

 

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena – 3.5 stars

This book had me turning the pages, but by the end of it, I didn’t care about any of the characters and they seemed extreme and unrealistic. The story pulled me in, though, and I probably would have sat down and read most of this in an afternoon if I had the chance.

 

 

 

Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent – 3.5 stars

This story is told from multiple viewpoints, which I usually avoid, but Oliver is a jerk (spoiler alert?? I don’t think so – it starts off with him beating his wife and the reader discovers bit by bit why he became so suddenly violent), so I’d probably have thrown this out the window had it been from his viewpoint the entire time. There’s a mystery to piece together, and it wraps up nicely.

 

 

 

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Meh

One of Us Is Lying by Karen McManus – 3 stars

I think I read too much hype about this one, because my expectations were quite high and the reality just didn’t match for me. It was good read but more YA than I was in the mood for.

 

 

 

Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy #1) by Ilona Andrews – 3 stars

I was into this book for the first half, but somewhere along the way, my interest tapered off and I got fed up with the Rogan character.

 

 

 

 

Currently Reading:

The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1) by Stephen King

I have not read this book in probably over 10 years, and I have had this itch to reread it ever since I heard rumors of the movie (which I will probably not watch due to the reviews). And I decided I couldn’t read it on my Kindle; it needed to be in book form, so I’ve been trying to find a copy in the secondhand book store, but no luck. Long story short, I finally borrowed my mom’s copy, and I need to order myself a used set on Amazon or elsewhere! I am 1/4 way through and I remember NOTHING about this so far, besides there being a desert. Everything else is all new in my mind.

I’m linking up with Steph & Jana today for Show Us Your Books. Have you read any of these books? Can’t wait to see what everyone else has been reading.

I’m linking up with Steph & Jana for Show Us Your Books. It’s been a long time, so I’m going to do my best in recounting these books!

The characters and story were right up my alley. I love a fairytale, especially one I have not heard before, and characters with a mythological feel. I could describe it as a little bit of Neil Gaiman and foreign fairytale.

Slade House by David Mitchell – 4 stars

Ghost story told in multiple, short parts over many years. If you enjoy haunted house stories, you would probably like it. No gore or terrifying bits, just some good, old-fashioned creepiness.

As Old As Time by Liz Braswell – 2.5 stars

I knew this would be stepping out of my normal zone a little, and it wasn’t for me. I wasn’t a big fan of the characters or the new story. To be fair, I also watched Beauty and the Beast (animated) again a couple years ago, and it was hard for me to enjoy it like I did as a kid. Belle used to be my favorite Disney princess, but I think looking through adult eyes, I can’t set aside my adult brain and make it stop complaining.

The Silver Linings Playbook – 4 stars

I loved the movie and I am glad I read the book. I also love that this was set in Philadelphia, because it’s somewhere we used to frequent. The book focuses on Pat as he is dealing with mental illness. If you’re into modern stories about mental illness and family, I recommend it.

I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll – 3.5 stars

A good-enough thriller – a woman on a train watches two girls being flirted with by two young men. The next day, one of the girls has disappeared. The woman feels guilty and also starts receiving threatening letters. Honestly, I read this book several months ago, and sometimes thrillers don’t stick with me. This one was good while I was reading it, but didn’t have me hanging on the edge of my seat the entire time.

Morning Star (Red Rising Saga #3) by Pierce Brown – 4 stars

This is a fantastic series. I always almost give these 5 stars, but it has its lulls and peaks. Also, super violent. I highly recommend if you are into space and Hunger Games style battles.

The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle #1) by Patrick Rothfuss – 5 stars

This is a reread for me – it had been several years since the first time I read it. I still loved it, although I was a little more annoyed by the male perspective and how he views Denna as incredibly perfect and spends way too much time describing her face. Despite that, I love the story, I love Kvothe, and Patrick Rothfuss is a wonderful writer.

The Wise Man’s Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicle #2) by Patrick Rothfuss – 4.5 stars

We learn more about Kvothe! This would probably also be 5 stars, but he spent FOREVER with Felurian. This story traveled outside of the school setting, where the first book was set, and it was nice to read about some new places, new trouble he runs into. I recommend if you love adventure and romance! I hope that one day he will finish the series.

The Silent Sister (Riley MacPherson #1) by Diane Chamberlain – 3.5 stars

Predictable plot, but I was hooked anyway. I like the aspect of uncovering family secrets from the past.

I’m in a thriller mood, lately, but I find all kinds of books I want to read on Show Us Your Books day. Can’t wait to see what everyone has been reading!

I really love Show Us Your Books time. It’s the one of the only times I post, recently! I’ll check back in with regular stuff sometime – long story short, Ellie started daycare this week (help us all, I am so worried!) and Greg is starting work next week. We have lots of changes happening and we are going to have to settle into an all new routine. She also recently turned 10 months old – holy moly, almost a year.

I read some great books this month, which all happen to be part of my choices for Erin’s book challenge.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – 4.5 stars

Loved this book. I liked that the author was able to present so many different viewpoints but with no doubt about how she felt. The main plot point happens early on and the rest is about the events that happen afterward. I think that the author said things well and it was heartfelt.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman – 4.5 stars

This was my first book by Fredrik Backman and I loved it. It’s about a small hockey town and the people who live in it. I loved the characters, especially Benji and Peter. I pictured Peter as Peter from Parenthood, another character I love. Side note, I enjoy watching hockey in person but have no particular passion for hockey and the hockey bits were not so important in the story.

Watership Down by Richard Adams – 5 stars

I’m not sure how to describe this one because it’s always been a favorite of mine. I love that the rabbits are so rabbit-like but also have human characteristics. I like the slight mystical element and the language invented for their kind. There is a new movie being made for Netflix that I am excited about, starring James McAvoy , John Boyega, Nicholas Hoult, and other fabulous people. I don’t remember seeing the older film but it’s known for being quite violent, which I did not find the book to be. It seemed more an adventure book with sweet characters to me.

I highly recommend all of the books this month. I’m linking up with Steph and Jana for Show Us Your Books.

My book list is much shorter this month – I didn’t read as crazy many books as I have been because I started work a few weeks ago. I picked my books for my book challenge by Erin, and have started reading one of them so far. I’m excited for all of the books on the list and have also read a few good books, lately.

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti – 4 stars

I loved the flashbacks to Samuel Hawley’s life leading us up to his current life with his daughter. I almost wished the whole book had been about that, but I understand why both view points were there. I raced through those parts and slowed down during his daughter’s story.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell – 4 stars

Rainbow Rowell is an author I’ve had my ups and downs with. I loved Attachments but didn’t enjoy Fangirl nearly as much. This one was right under Attachments for me. It took some time to grow on me, but the characters were endearing, especially Eleanor. I was expecting a fluffier story – I’m glad it actually had a little harder edge.

Boston Girl by Anita Diamant – 3.5 stars

This story was easy and enjoyable although it meandered a bit. I’m not sure I will pick up other books by this author because it didn’t leave a strong lasting impression. I enjoyed the school bits in the beginning because I love a school setting and after that it wandered.

Have you read any of these books? I’m linking up with Steph and Jana today for Show Us Your Books. I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone else has been reading. If you haven’t done so already, you can always find me on Goodreads here.