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.

I have been in a reading hiatus for a week or two because some weeks I just want to watch Big Little Lies, Westworld, AND American Gods. I’m caught up on all of them. Those are the only shows I’ve watched, lately. Also, I just started a new job this week, so bye bye TV time. I did a lot of reading before my reading break.

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris – 3.5 stars

This was a decent thriller featuring a fairly messed up character. I liked it, although sometimes I get tired of crazy husbands/stalkers/male characters. I think I’ve read enough ‘woman must get away from bad guy’ books for now and need a break ’cause it makes me want to berate everyone in the book.

Mean Streak by Sandra Brown – 3.5 stars

I have never read a book by Sandra Brown and I was surprised by how much romance there was right in the middle of the mystery. I did enjoy it and it was a good mystery/thriller.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys – 4 stars

I liked the format of this book; it skipped between characters but you never got too far into one character that you felt tugged away from them when it switched to another, and they were bound together in the same scenario. There was one character which obviously I did not enjoy reading as much – if you’ve read it, you’ll know which one.

I had never read about this tragedy before and it’s shocking. The author did a good job describing it in a fictional story. It made me feel upset and horrified and it’s an indescribably sad event. The characters were very easy to want to follow along with and I was hoping the whole way that things would somehow go well for them. I will not spoil whether they did or not.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskins – 2 stars

I’d always wanted to read this and thought I would like it, but it wasn’t for me. There were red herrings and lots of characters. I couldn’t keep up with who was who and didn’t get attached to any of them. I used to love Agatha Christie when I was in school but this style of mystery didn’t grab me.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente – 4 stars

This was a fun traipse around Fairyland. Every part was imaginative, and the ending was perfect. It was a little slow for me in the beginning, but I got into it in the second half and the ending sealed it. There’s another book or two after this I would not mind checking out.

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah – 4 stars

I didn’t know much about Trevor Noah going into this (apart from that he hosts The Daily Show), and it was a fascinating read for me. There are lots of stories about apartheid, his mother, and growing up – almost nothing about his career, and the stories are entertaining and heartbreaking. I recommend it even if you don’t know much about him, yet.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon – 4 stars

This was an easy read – it read a little like a YA Me Before You style book, but I enjoyed it more. I’m not sure if I felt that one part of it was totally necessary – I can accept it since it wasn’t really a heavy read before getting to that part, which made it a little more twisty. The drawings and things in between were cute, although a little distracting. Overall, it didn’t make me feel all fangirly over it, which is okay, because I’m not exactly the target audience.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin – 4 stars

A book for book lovers – reminds me of everything I love about reading. It also has a great story and sweet characters and was easy to pick up even when I was sort of in a book funk.

I’m linking up with Steph and Jana today for Show Us Your Books. You can find me right here on Goodreads.

I have been enjoying some other life stuff instead of blogging, but I started writing my book post early because priorities, you know. Apparently, what I’ve been enjoying besides blogging is reading lots and lots of books.

Here is what I read last month in no order other than when I read them.

Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit – 3 stars

This is a collection of essays focusing on feminism and I really wanted to like it more than I did – it was actually kind of depressing. The stats mentioned in one of the early articles really hit me hard. It carries a punch, and it’s not lighthearted at all like I thought it would be going into it. The essays are also written in a very essay-like format – not colloquial writing.

I don’t NOT recommend it but if you want to get into some information about women’s rights around the world, it’s a hard but good read. I still think about some of the things I read in it.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch – 5 billion stars

5 billion stars is definitely an exaggeration but I loved this book that much. Blake Crouch is becoming one of my favorite authors. Science + thriller was basically crack to me – I couldn’t put it down. I had read some reviews that mentioned the science bits were hard to get through but I found the whole thing fascinating. I did have trouble with that in The Martian, but it wasn’t a problem here. I also love the endings of his books.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – 5 stars

I kept putting off reading this book, because I thought The Husband’s Secret was just okay. I am so glad I finally read it because it was a completely different read for me. Also, I’ve said before, but Erin sent me this in an awesome package all the way from Australia, and I hope I can pass it on to another reader sometime.

I started off the book thinking that I didn’t care about the drama surrounding a kindergarten class, but somewhere along the way, I got immersed in the characters’ lives, and they were each fascinating. I think the characters were way more likable and intriguing here than in The Husband’s Secret, and I will give her other books a chance. I haven’t seen the TV show but I couldn’t help but imagine some of the characters as their counterparts on the show.

Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson – 3.5 stars

I enjoyed parts of this book, and other parts I felt were repetitive. Also, there were many chapters told from a creepy perspective, similar to You, so if you’re into that you may like it. I wasn’t a huge fan of You for similar reasons – I find it creepy but not more interesting to read from the stalker/lurker’s viewpoint.

You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero – 3 stars

There were lots of good ideas in this book, and others that had me thinking, “Whaaaaaaaatt.” There was too much universal energy talk for me, but it did have some good points.

Perfect Little Town by Blake Crouch – 3.5 stars

I read this in about a day. It’s a quick read and is very reminiscent of the Pines trilogy. If you like horror novellas, you would probably like this one.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson – 3.5 stars

Clearly, I am not meant to be reading a lot of self help guru style books, because I have not been incredibly amazed by any, yet. BUT this was more straightforward and had zero fluffy energy stuff. My number one read for self-help-but-not-really-self-help has been Year of Yes – still my favorite so I hold it way above all others, even though it’s not even self help. It’s more biography, but I still compare all others to it.

I enjoyed the personal story parts of this, and felt like skipping through the relationship advice since I didn’t really relate to the problems he had. I’m not convinced on reading any more self help since it’s not my favorite genre, but he did have a ton of great points.

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh – 3 stars

The first half of this book was slow-paced, and then it picked up. I felt a bit frustrated with the characters, although I know all of this could happen in real life. I think I had different expectations going into it, and I ended up being distracted by my frustration with the characters, so it was hard for me to get into the twists. I sometimes wanted to intervene and tell a character to get their butt in gear and do something else, but obviously I can’t control the story and things like this do happen in real life (minus the twists) so I feel a bit conflicted.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers – 4 stars

There were many elements in this story that reminded me of Firefly and Doctor Who, and it was kind of a combination of both but also created its own identity – there was nothing repetitive about it. It was not fast paced at all but the worlds were so intricate and the characters so loving that it was a fascinating read.

Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton – 4 stars

Funny comics about history. A few I didn’t get because I don’t know history well, lots made me laugh out loud. I highly recommend if you like making fun of history.

I’m linking up with Steph & Jana today for Show Us Your Books. Have you read any of these? If you’re going to read any this month, I recommend Dark Matter and Big Little Lies.

Quick updates: We moved! We’re getting settled! I have kept up with blogging not at all! I keep my eyeballs on Instagram sometimes to see updates. Sometimes not. I can never decide what should take the front seat – Ellie obviously, and then I have a thousand things I want to do in the little spare moments I get. And sleep – I pretty much always choose sleep about an hour after she goes to bed.

I missed last month’s linkup, so I have a bunch of really good books to share. I haven’t read a ton but I have hit some fantastic ones, lately, and a couple just alright.

Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham – 5 stars
I loooooove Gilmore Girls, so it’s no surprise I loved this book. It was a nice surprise that Lauren Graham seems as down to earth and funny as you would think she’d be. There were so many good stories about Gilmore Girls and her life before, and she has a great sense of humor.

The Lauras by Sara Taylor – 3 stars
via NetGalley
This was a coming of age type story about a character named Alex, and it is not clear if the character is a male or female. It was definitely intentional and an interesting take. I didn’t identify very much with the character although he or she was in a tough situation – the story follows Alex and the mother moving around the country and explaining the mother’s backstory. I recommend if you like stories about disconnected families getting to know each other.

Double Dutch by Laura Trunkey – 3 stars
via NetGalley
I usually enjoy short stories – I think I prefer a certain genre of short stories. I was expecting more magical realism, which is probably my favorite, and this had more realism than magic. Some of them were unexpectedly sad (elephant!), others were interesting, and overall it was not bad but didn’t hook me.

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes – 5 stars
I knew nothing about Shonda Rhimes before starting this book and didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. I was thinking it would be more of a self-help style book, so I wasn’t that quick to take it off my to-read shelf, but it’s a personal story/biography that’s funny and a fascinating look at how one person changed.

Also, I was mildly interested in Grey’s Anatomy before, and now I really want to see it. I’ve never actually seen more than the pilot. If I ever get TV time, I’m going to jump into it. The book feels especially relevant to me right now since she talks about motherhood and I agree with lots of her viewpoints, but I feel like it would be massively spot on even if you are not a mother.

Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Iron Carmon and Shana Knizhnik – 4 stars
RBG is another lady I knew very little about before getting into the book, aside from what I’d seen Kate McKinnon portray on SNL (“you just got Ginsburnnnned!”). I knew I would be a big fan already, and it was interesting reading about her. This is the kind of book that makes you want to get up and become an activist or judge and feel both outraged by our nation and satisfied by RBG’s wins or dissents. I loved reading about her personal life, especially the relationship between her and her husband. They seem like two people who were just perfect for each other.

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison – 5 stars
This was something completely different and disturbing. In the beginning, it’s hard to get a read on the storyteller, but by the end you fully understand her and it comes to a well-worth-it conclusion. This was strange, graphic without being descriptive, and unsettling. I could not wait to get back to it to find out what happened next when I stepped away.

I have realized that I read more non-fiction when I have real life stuff to focus on – anybody else do that? Somehow it’s easier for me to jump in and out of non-fiction and it holds my interest.

I’m linking up with Steph and Jana today for Show Us Your Books.