Show Us Your Books - August 2020

 

When it rains it pours! Yes, we are having precipitation here, but I'm referring more to LIFE! 

I meant to set up most of this post over the weekend, knowing that Tuesday would sneak up on my after the holiday weekend. Yeah - the whole weekend snuck away from me! Hahaha.... So here I am, trying to supervise the first day of 'remote instruction' for my 3rd grader and 8th grader, and put together this post of the books I read in August. What an adventure! Luckily my 8th grader is very smart and very independent. I assume she's still in her room-turned-office doing her thing. The whole elementary school, on the other hand, is struggling. Lots of families are having issues with the technology that was issued (i.e. laptops aren't accessing the sites we need). It does indeed take a village this year, and our village is apparently really fast typists on Facebook. Once one person (granted, usually the same person) finds their way through, the rest of us are quick to try and duplicate their results. So far, so good? Only got to tears (my student, not me...yet) once so far, thinking he was missing a class. Finally made it, and he's headed into his next class now. Wish us luck!

I'm linking up with Life According to Steph and Jana Says for the Show Us Your Books link up again this month. My book titles link to Goodreads, and all of my full reviews are posted on either my blog (SweetlyBSquared.com) or Books I Think You Should Read. Thanks to the publishers and/or Netgalley for any books I received for free - this never influences my reviews.

Finished Reading:

My One True North by Milly Johnson - Laurie and Peter end up in a loosely structured grief group together. They immediately 'click' and feel comfortable with each other, until they start learning more about each others' background. The story is really about their lives mostly after their losses (with a little more info as they learn some intresting details about the loved ones they lost). It was beautifully told and touching, and I gave it 5/5 stars in my full review on Books I Think You Should Read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A House is a Body by Shruti Swamy - This collection of short stories was great! The author's colorful descriptions brought her Indian heritage and her time in India to life. I gave it 4/5 stars in my full review here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Journalist: Life and Loss in America's Secret War by Lucy Rose Fischer, Jerry A. Rose - I really enjoyed this non-fiction account of Jerry Rose's six years in and around Viet Nam as a teacher and then reporter. His sister did a wonderful job writing the book after researching through his correspondence and interviewing those who knew him during this time. The book reads as an exciting story and an important retelling of a period of history I haven't read much about before. This was definitely a book deserving of my 4/5 star review here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Crave (Crave #1) by Tracy Wolff - Vampires, and dragons, and witches - oh, my! While this one was originally discusses as being sort of a similar knock-off to a very popular vampire series, I enjoyed it. I was especially amused when one of the main characters presented another main character with a copy of the book it may bear some similarity to. Anyway, this story is about a girl whose parents die and she goes to an Alaskan boarding school run by her uncle to live there and room with her cousin. She starts figuring out quickly that there may be something a little different about the teen residents. This was a fun YA read and I gave it 3.5/5 stars in my full review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Station Eleven by Emily S. John Mandel - I finally borrowed this one from my local library, as I'd heard it mentioned and figured I needed to read it - I love speculative fiction. This book checks in on a few groups of people and how they're existing after a plague wipes out most of the population of the U.S. Most of the story takes place 20 years after the plague, and most of it is in/around what is currently Michigan. Check out my full 4/5 star review on my blog here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Jackal (Black Daggar Brotherhood: Prison Camp #1; Black Daggar Legacy #5) by J.R. Ward - Nyx breaks into the famous glymera's prison (after accidentally getting a clue to its secret location) with the intention of finally breaking her sister out, after 50 years. She stumbles into The Jackal almost immediately on her arrival. He's been imprisoned for more than a century. Oh, yeah - they're all vampires, which gives them really long life spans, and some teleporting abilities, but no other powers that are displayed in this book. I was worried about this one both because it's number 5 in one series (but the first in another) and because it opened with a pretty sizable glossary. Luckily all the characters were well-introduced, and the words in the glossary weren't really used. I enjoyed this book and gave it 4/5 stars in my full review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters - Violet and James are a love match early in the first season in which she is presented. But a drama we don't initially know about leaves them not speaking to each other for years, starting shortly after they're married. When he has an accident, she is angy to have gotten halfway to his side before finding out he's fine. She decides to fake her own health crises to inspire his devotion again. I gave it 3/5 stars when I reviewed it for Books I Think You Should Read. ⭐⭐⭐

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick - When Anna moves to Herron Mills to be a nanny for the summer, she soon hears about her resemblance to a missing girl, Zoe Spanos. She also gets waves of familiarity from the shops and quaint town of Herron Mills. None of this makes sense, as her mother and best friend both deny ever having been there, which means she couldn't have gone there herself either. I personally enjoy mysteries with unreliable narrators, and Anna was definitely unreliable. She was trying to put her drinking and drug-using past behind her, and become an excellent nanny. But doubting her own recollections from her life made that pretty difficult. I gave this book 4/5 stars. It was a great YA mystery, as I stated in my full review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis - Emmie Blue was such an endearing character. She thinks the only solid connection she has in her life is her best friend from when she was 16-yeasr-old. Lucas found her balloon that was released with a note during a horribly tumultous time in her life, when nearly everyone else turned their backs on her. Now 14-years-later, Emmie and Lucas are turning 30, and he's said he has an important question to ask her. Is this it? Are they getting married and she's moving forward with her life plan? Unfortunately, no. But she may have been ignoring all the other people she's important to for too long. I gave this one 4.5/5 stars in my full review here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When I Was You by Amber Garza - Since I've already mentioned this month how much I like an unreliable narrator, it will come as no surprise that I really liked this book. Without giving you the spoiler, I especially loved the very end of it. This is the story of two Kelly Medinas. The older Kelly is practically living alone while her husband spends weeks away from home at his college job and her son has left for college. The younger Kelly just moved to town (though she doesn't really say why) with her new baby and no support. The older Kelly is thrilled to have a new purpose - helping her new friend get comfortable in her new community and teaching her to be a better mom. But older Kelly's husband and best friend are warning her to keep her grip on reality, and making the warning sound based on past events. I loved this book (did I mention especially the ending?!?) and gave it 5/5 stars on my blog. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie - After losing her father, Afi and her mother don't have an easy life. When the benevolent Aunty of their community suggests an arranged marriage between her son and Afi, it sounds almost too good to be true. Unfortunately, Afi's new groom, Eli, is in love with another woman. The marriage to Afi was arranged in order to 'lure' him away from the relationship he's already in. And while it is still seen in their culture in Ghana, Afi does not want to be a multiple wife. This story of her adjusting to life in the city on her own, and learning who she is and what she wants, is touching and enjoyable to read. I gave this one 3.5/5 stars in my review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Currently Reading:

I just got Happy Ever After Playlist from the library late last night and couldn't wait to dive in! I also just finished The White Coat Diaries and need to get my review written today. Last but not least, I'm slowly starting Tommy Wallach's Strange Fire since it's a print copy I need to read and review. 

Reading Next:

Feeling a bit overwhelmed to keep planning, but let's pencil in The Forgotten Kingdom by Signe Pike (apparently the second book in a trilogy? Fingers crossed I can get into it without knowing anything about the first book), Interference by Brad Parks, and A Forgotten Murder by Jude Deveraux for the next couple weeks, shall we?

I love your comments! Thanks so much for both taking a look at what I'm reading, and sharing what you'd recommend as well :)

Station Eleven - Book Review

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Publication date: September 9, 2014

Pages: 333 pages

Genre: Speculative fiction

Rating: 4/5 stars ☆☆☆☆

Strengths: Plot, characters, language

Weaknesses: Loose ends

Speculative fiction is really one of my favorite genres to read, and I waited quite a while to borrow this book from the library to read on my kindle. The wait was worth it!

The book is mostly about the Traveling Symphony, a group of actors and musicians who travel around what used to be Michigan 20 years after 99.96% of the population of the world is destroyed by the Georgia Flu and its aftereffects. How does the world look without electricity, running water, or any consistently organized civilization? A few of the older members of the group remember and reminisce from time to time.

This story alternates with the stories of a few characters at the beginning of the flu pandemic. The start of the pandemic in North America is told from the perspective of a paramedic-in-training who attempts to save the life of an actor who has a heart attack and dies on stage. In a six-degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon sort of way, many of the story's characters have a link with Arthur Leander, the actor who dies before anyone knows the flu is going to decimate the population. 

I really enjoyed the characters and their links to Arthur and the theater group he was performing King Lear with on that fateful night. It was easy to empahize with Kirsten (a young performer that night, and then a member of the long-running Traveling Symphony), Clark (one of Arthur's friends from his early college years, who ends up stranded with Arthur's second wife and son for years), and Jeevan (the audience member who performed CPR on Arthur until a doctor took over). 

The other commonality that tied them all together was the source of the title of the book. Station Eleven was a comic book written by Arthur's first wife, then shared with his son, and young Kirsten from the play's cast. Station Eleven was a space station with inhabitants surviving without all the conveniences they were used to from earth. In their post-apocalyptic travels, anyone with memories from before is missing what they were used to from earth.

Overall, I'm so glad I finally got a chance to read this book. The language flowed so beautifully and the stories from each of the characters were touching and believeable. I'd give this 4 out of  5 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys speculative/dystopian fiction.

Show Us Your Books - June 2020

Thanks again to Jana Says and Life According to Steph for hosting the Show Us Your Books link-up and holding me accountable for tracking my reading.

June was a month of ups and downs! I celebrated my birthday, but the day before that, my computer ended up with a virus. Hubs didn't hear me say to save anything with 'book' in the title of the folder, so I lost all of my book reviews (although they're published on either my site or the site I write for), and even more unfortunately, I lost my whole spreadsheet of books I have for review in the next few months. I chose to recreate that on Google Docs so it's in the cloud now. And I'm so thankful for the woman I work with for sharing her records of what I had coming. Between that and emails, we're back up and running. But I really never want to repeat that whole experience.

My drama isn't what you're here for - let's get to the books!

Finished Reading:

Daring to Live: How the Power of Sisterhood and Taking Risks Can Jump-Start Your Joy by Sheri Hunter - When Sheri Hunter's husband died unexpectedly, she was blessed to have a group of strong and supportive friends. They helped Sheri pull through the devestation and depression after her loss and were with her while Sheri learned to enjoy life again. Thank you to the publisher for my copy of the book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my opinions. My full 3/5 star review is at Books I Think You Should Read. ⭐⭐⭐

A Royal Kiss and Tell (A Royal Wedding #2) by Julia London - I enjoyed this amusing historial romance. Lady Caroline is sassy and expects most of the men in a room she occupies to be susceptible to her charms. Prince Leopold seems to be the exception, and she can't figure out why. Over time, we can guess how it all will end, but there's also an extra mystery they're solving to save poor young women from a neighboring country. I was happy to receive this book from the publisher and Netgalley, but it didn't influence my 4/5 star review (here). ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #3) by Jenny Han - The books and Netflix movies in this series are all so much fun! Since they have all been about Lara Jean Covey's romantic and high school life, I'm thinking this is the end of the road. She graduates in this, the third book in the series. Or will we meet again when she's in college? I borrowed this book from the library and gave it 4/5 stars in my full review here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Electric Heir (Feverwake #2) by Victoria Lee - This is the second book in the duology, and I'd definitely recommend reading them both in order. This dystopian fiction examines the leader of a soceity that has been devestated by a virus that kills most adolescents, and leaves those who survive with unique powers. I was excited to receive this one from the publisher to review after reviewing the first book when it was released last year (free books don't influence my reviews). Together they are one of my favorite dystopian series. My full 4.5/5 star review for the second book is here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Conference of the Birds (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #5) by Ransom Riggs - I really, really love the premise of this story, and the movie based on the first book. Unfortunately, this book feels like it's running out of unique plot. We've got a new peculiar child, Noor, who is introduced to loop life, while all the kids work to find her role in it all, and keep them all safe. I'll keep reading and always need to know what comes next, but this book just warranted a 3/5 stars for me. I borrowed the book from the library and shared my full review here. ⭐⭐⭐

Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Díaz - This powerful memoir told the sometimes painful story of a poor, abused teenager growing up in Miami. But the author's tone was never 'poor me.' She acknowledged that while some of her choices weren't the best, they often were the least-worst given the circumstances she found herself in. I respected her story and what she's made of herself since. While I received the book from the publisher and Netgalley, this didn't influence my 3/5 star review, shared here. I'd recommend this book for those who enjoy memoirs. ⭐⭐⭐

Final Judgment (Samantha Brinkman #4) by Marcia Clark - Other reviewers have said that this series is going downhill. If that's true, I've got some back-tracking to do. I enjoyed this, the fourth book. Sam Brinkman is a sassy and smart defense attorney who enjoys a great rapport with the two friends who work in her office. In this book, her boyfriend is the prime suspect in the murder of an investment manager who lost a lot of people a lot of money. While investigating that, she also finds out about the rape of a 15-year-old girl who doesn't want to go public. Thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my 3.5/5 star review (read my review here). ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards - Genevieve Dumont is an international star, welcome to perform anywhere in 1944. She is the Nazi's darling, only because they don't know she's working with a network of spies. What a great cover! I enjoyed this historical fiction and reviewed it here. Receiving the book from the publisher and Netgalley did not influence my review. I gave it 3/5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐

Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein - This was a quick read that could have been fluff, but instead chose to mention the mostly retired gymnast and her student dealing with the gymnastic community's response to a scandal of a doctor abusing his high-level gymnast patients. Sounds a bit familiar, and infuriating every time. I liked the gymnast-turned-coach story, and the character's (and author's) use of their platform to share real-life problems. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of the book. Receiving it for free did not influence my 3.5/5 star review - read it in full here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Last Sword Maker (The Course of Empire #1) by Brian Nelson - What a page-turner! What could have been a complicated story of science and international intrigue was exceptionally well-written. I found it easy to understand and very engaging. It's a race for the top science minds in the U.S. and China to reach replication and weaponize their science first. Whoever wins will have the most power in the world. I'm excited to read the next book in this dystopian series. Thanks to the publisher for my copy, although receiving it for free did not influence my review. I gave it 4/5 stars here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Prairie Fever by Michael Parker - Getting to know Lorena, Elise and Gus was an interesting process. They each had a unique narrating voice about their life and experiences on the prairie. While I enjoyed it, reading about each incident they chose to reflect on from each perspective was a bit tedious. The language was beautiful and descriptive, but sometimes redundant. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy, the receipt of which did not influence my review. Read my full review here, where I gave it 3/5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐

Of Bears and Ballots: An Alaskan Adventure in Small-Town Politics by Heather Lende - The author's take on life in her small town in Alaska is amusing. She's actually written a few books. This one is about the time she ran for, and served on, the town assembly. I always find it interesting to hear what other people think is important. This sums up several observiations made by the author as an assembly person. She wants what's best for the town, but she's also friends with most of the residents, and doesn't want to risk those relationships either. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of the book. I would recommend it to those interested in life in Alaska, or small town politics. My unbiased 3/5 star review is here. ⭐⭐⭐

No One Will Hear Your Screams by Thomas O'Callaghan - This book had great build-up. And I'll admit I love a little bit of religious ritual with serial killings. With an initial rage from his Catholic school upbringing and abuse, this killer goes to the extreme with his killings, and the presentations of his victims. Unfortunately, as I thought back on the story, there were several loose ends that I wish I knew more about. Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my opinions. My 3/5 star review is available here. ⭐⭐⭐

The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi Eisele - While dystopian or speculative fiction is usually one of my favorite genres, this book was unique within that. I really liked it a lot, but it was a more hopeful vibe than I usually feel from this type of book. The U.S. has been ravaged by a flu before the whole infrastructure shuts down. Carson is trying to make his way across the country to his girlfriend, Beatrix. Beatrix is trying to create a new community and hope within the ravaged neighborhood where she lived with two roommates, until they left for a commune further north. They both provided an interesting view of all the conveniences we take for granted. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of the book. This did not influence my review. Read my full 4/5 star review here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

In the Neighborhood of True by Susan Kaplan Carlton - I settled quickly into this book, as my daughter and I had just enjoyed watching Hidden Figures. While the details were quite different, the book and the movie were set in a similar time and location. The book was a unique view that I hadn't seen discussed before. Ruth Robb has moved with her family from New York to Atlanta. While being Jewish in New York was pretty common, in Atlanta her grandparents send her to a private Methodist school, and she hears of KKK actions agains negroes and Jews in Atlanta and surrounding communities. She decides to not discuss being Jewish with her school friends, and only go to synagogue when her mother insists. It all seems to be working out for her til the temple is bombed and her two worlds collide. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my free copy of the book. This did not influence my 4/5 star review, which can be read in its entirety here (there's also a giveaway that ends 7/16/20). ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Falling Woman by Richard Farrell - While the premise of this story (a woman falls from an exploding aircraft and survives) sounds farfetched, the cases cited within the book are true. People have survived miraculous falls from planes that scientifically don't sound possible. In the story, Charlie Radford is a NTSB investigator who starts out identifying bodies from the crash, but he then goes on to be in charge of finding the one missing body - perhaps an unlikely survivor? Erin is the woman he finds, but he initially doesn't believe her story. He's not sure where she came from, but it couldn't have been that plane, right? The best part of this book was the examination by Charlie and Erin of their own conscience, motivation, and how to do the right thing, as much as they can. I received this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my unbiased review. Read my full 4/5 star review here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Currently Reading:

The computer snafu has gotten a lot of things sideways for me. I keep finding books with promised review dates that have already passed - whoops. Right now I'm reading Fire and Vengeance by Robert McCaw (thanks to the publisher), Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld (thanks to the library), and I just finished Mayhem by Estelle Laure (thanks to the publisher and Netgalley).

Planning to Read:

Later today I'll start No One Saw by Beverly Long (excited for this, the second in a series I've received from the publisher and Netgalley), and then The Woman Before Wallis by Bryn Turnbull and The Lives of Edie Pritchard by Larry Watson (thank you to the publishers and/or Netgalley).

The Lightest Object in the Universe - Book Review

The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi Eisele
Publication date: July 9, 2009
Pages: 325 pages
Genre: Speculative/post-apocalyptic fiction
Rating: 4/5 stars ✰✰✰✰
Strengths: Characters
Weaknesses: Could have been deeper, but then wouldn't have been as hopeful ;)


After the flu has ravaged the nation and everything has given up, the power goes out once and for all. No phones, no internet, no lights, no video games. Just dark, oh, and radio!

Carson finds himself in New York with no reason to stay there, and Beatrix makes her way home to the west coast where she's presuaded to be an advocate and community builder with her neighbors. We learn about their lives through several perspectives.

Carson starts making his way west to find Beatrix. He meets good people and bad people, and overall does pretty well without the comforts of home. Beatrix works with her neighbors to farm a little bit, garden, and use everyone's strengths for the benefit and safety of their community. Also in Beatrix's community are 15-year-old Rosie and her abuela, who arrived shortly before Beatrix returned home.

I was pulling for all the good guys, and reassured by how many people showed goodness. This was a great book of human resilience, good hearts, and recognizing when something may be too good to be true. The love and the loss are powerful. I'd give this book 4/5 stars and recommend it for those who enjoy a more promising version of dystopian fiction - how people keep going, instead of just watching it all fall apart.


Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my e-copy of this book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my opinions.

Show Us Your Books - May 2020

Welcome to my May version of Show Us Your Books, hosted by Jana Says and Life According to Steph. I've been joining in with these book bloggers this year to try and keep myself accountable for reading, and tracking what I've read.

Blogging and reading blogs has also been my most consistent social contact since lockdown started. Here in Michigan, we haven't had school since March 12, and stay home~stay safe has just been extended to the end of May (28th? 29th?). And I feel like the virus is similar to a toxic spill - I won't be the first one out there to test the air! Hahaha....

Made any fun purchases since you've been locked down? I got a pair of pj pants back around Easter, a new t-shirt celebrating my June birthday, and this excellent hoodie. Hopefully the weather will warm up soon and I won't be bundled in hoodies every day, but until then, I needed more to get by.

And now onto the ten books I read following last month's Show Us Your Books.

Finished Reading:

Act of Murder by John Bishop MD: An interesting medical thriller tying some seemingly unrelated deaths together. I reviewed it as 3.5/5 stars here. Thank you to the publisher for my copy of the book. Receiving the book for free did not influence my review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Gotham High by Melissa de la Cruz: This graphic novel was published in early April to some pretty mixed reviews so far. It looks like diehard comic fans question some of the characterizations. While I"m admittedly not a big comic fan, I enjoyed this book (and so did my 12-year-old daughter). I gave it 3.5/5 stars in my full review here. Thanks to the publisher for our copy of the book, but as usual receiving it for free did not influence my review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kill Code by Clive Fleury: I loved this fast-moving dystopian story of a man's fight first for a more rewarding live, but what quickly turns to a fight for his very survival. I gave it 4/5 stars in my full review here. While it didn't influence my review, I did receive this book for free from the publisher. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Love, Life, and Lucille by Judy Gaman: Lucille was impossible not to love. Her enthusiasm with her life and any new experiences was so charming and uplifting to read. While we knew it was coming, losing Lucille kind of ruined the end of the book for me. Unreasonable, I know. I gave it 3/5 stars in my full review on Books I Think You Should Read. Thanks to the publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. ⭐⭐⭐

Rage and Ruin by Jennifer Armentrout: I was so excited to find out about this second book in the Harbinger Series. I reviewed the first one (Storm and Fury) almost a year ago, and was thrilled to get an advance copy of book number two from Edelweiss+ in exchange for my honest review. The characters in both books were unique and quite engaging for me. I'm a sucker for a well-imagined fantasy world. Wardens and demons and angels, oh my! My complete 4/5 star review is on my blog here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Secrets of Love Story Bridge by Phaedra Patrick: I enjoyed this heartwarming story of love and changing attitudes. Mitchell starts out as a grouch who hates all the locks left on the bridges in his town as tokens of love. The story of him getting back into life after the loss of his fiance is hopeful and cozy. Check out my full 3.5/5 star review here. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my advance copy of the book. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Heirloom Garden by Viola Shipman: One of the reasons I wanted to review this book was its setting in western Michigan. Iris is an old woman who no one has seen in years lives behind high walls at her lakefront house with beautiful gardens. She also owns and rents out the house next door, on the condition that they don't try to talk to her. But when Abby and Cory move into the rental along with their young daughter Lily, the rules start to change. I reviewed this one on my blog and gave it 3.5/5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for my unbiased review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez: I requested this one from the library when I started seeing reviews of the follow-up book, Happy Every After Playlist. I enjoy spending more book time with charming characters I already know. The Friend Zone was a fun read with a few plot twists for me. Check out my full 4/5 star review here. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The American Crusade by Mark Spivak: This political thriller rings familiar with both events and characters, but it really is fiction. Some character attributes are definitely drawn from real politicians, and the suicide bombing of the Mall of America and other noticeable landmarks are inspired by the events of 9/11. For someone really into politics, this book was probably more entertaining. I reviewed it for Books I Think You Should Read and gave it 3/5 stars (by the way - there's a giveaway there through 5/12). Thank you to the publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. ⭐⭐⭐

Ten Days Gone by Beverly Long: A woman is being killed every ten days, and as the fourth body is found, they have ten days left to find a killer and save the next life. This was a suspenseful read that I gave 3/5 stars to in my full review. I'd love to work with these detectives again in a subsequent book. Thanks to Netgalley for sharing a copy of the book with me in exchange for my honest review. ⭐⭐⭐

Currently Reading:

With the new month, I've got a few promised dates for reviews coming up, so I've already cranked a few more books out. I finished My Kind of People yesterday (full review and giveaway here), and just got done with This is How I Lied today (review later this week). I'm starting Glorious Boy tonight, but I'm a little concerned with reading a pdf on my kindle. Last time I couldn't adjust the font size, so it was too small to read long comfortably. Wish me luck!

Planning to Read:

It looks like library holds will be bringing Always and Forever Lara Jean and The Conference of the Birds (the fifth book in the Miss Peregrine series) my way soon. I also requested Rodham from Edelweiss+ (fingers crossed!). Already on my shelf and moving up quickly are Breath Like Water and I'm excited to finally read The Electric Heir (follow up to The Fever King from last year).

What were some of your best reads from April?

In the Afterlight (The Darkest Minds #3) - Book Review

In the Afterlight (The Darkest Minds #3) by Alexandra Bracken
Publication date: October 28, 2014
Pages: 535 pages
Genre: Dystopian fiction, YA
Rating: 4/5 stars ✰✰✰✰
Strengths: Great characters, detailed plot
Weaknesses: Definitely best read as the whole trilogy

I had to wait a while to borrow this one from the library. But the characters vividly came right back to life as soon as I started reading. Accept. Adapt. Act. Ruby keeps telling herself this important op quote as she faces new surprising obstacles while trying to protect and save herself and the other children she feels responsible for.

One of the biggest questions this book in the series focuses on is whether or not the kids want to be 'cured' of IAAN, which killed many kids, but gave those who survived their unique powers. Are the powers inherently evil, or is it just determined by how and in which situations the kids choose to use them? The answer seems to be always changing. And if they can't agree on the nature of their powers, can they agree on what action to take regarding the powers and the kids who possess them?

It's definitely an intricate plot, with twists and turns I didn't see coming (granted, I read for enjoyment and seldom try to unravel the plot until the details are presented to me). I enjoyed debating the moral dilemmas right along with Ruby, Liam, Chubs, Vida, Cole, and even Clancy. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Darkest Minds series to anyone who enjoys YA dystopian books. I gave this one 4/5 stars, and hope the second and third books are eventually made into movies, as the first one was (The Darkest Minds).

Show Us Your Books - January 2020

Welcome to Show Us Your Books for January - find other participating blogs at Life According to Steph and Jana Says.
Even more importantly, visit Steph's or Jana's site for info on the readathon this Saturday - and there are prizes! Who doesn't love another excuse to spend the day reading, right?

Going back to work after the holidays is really cutting into my reading time (and my blogging time, and my sleeping time...). I've finished five book so far in January (okay, one was actually a picture book, but it was for review, and it's adorable!). I'm partway into one of the books for my daughter's middle school battle of the books, and I'm hoping to finish that one plus at least five more from my TBR/review list. Here's the deets:


Finished reading:

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

I'm so glad this was my first finished book for 2020. It was fabulous, and I loved every minute of it. 5 out of 5 stars from me. The sequel to this one is Practical Magic, and I immensely enjoy both the book and the movie.

I borrowed this one from the library for my kindle, so it was just the wait list that had me waiting so long to finally read it.

Fly, Fly Again by Katie Jaffe & Jennifer Lawson

This is an absolutely adorable picture book. I received a pdf copy of it and read it to review for Books I Think You Should Read. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars. If you have little people in your life, click through before January 18 and enter to win your own copy of this great book.

Never Fade (The Darkest Minds #2) by Alexandra Bracken

The first book already has a movie, and I hope this one gets one too! I borrowed this book from the library for my kindle. I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars.








A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen

I received a copy of this one from NetGalley to review. While I felt engaged and enjoyed the characters, the story felt a bit loose in places. Check out my full 3.5 out of 5 stars review here.

The God Game by Danny Tobey

I finished this one on Sunday. It was definitely a page-turner, and I was eager to find out how it would all end! I gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars. My full review will be published soon.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley to review it.



Currently Reading:

I'm currently partway into Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer. I expected to enjoy it, as it is the first of what I've heard as a popular series, and it's soon to be a major motion picture from Disney (I do love book/movie pairings). So far, so good. I was a little worried as some of our team members have struggled to get into it. Luckily it seems up my alley.

Planning to Read:

Next up I have a few more NetGalley reads.
The Wicked Redhead by Beatriz Williams
The Girls with No Names by Serena Burdick
All the Ways We Said Goodbye by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, & Karen White
18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics by Bruce Goldfarb
Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith


If these go quickly, I'd love to try and squeeze in another YA from the battle of the books list.

A Beginning at the End - Book Review

A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen
Publication date: January 14, 2020
Pages: 400
Genre: Dystopian
Rating: 3.5/5 stars ☆☆☆☆
Strengths: Believable and diverse characters, nice location details
Weaknesses: Plot details and backstories

At the beginning of this book, the four main characters are just casual acquaintances at best (well, except the father and daughter). They're all living in the San Francisco Metro after a widespread pandemic forced them into quarantine and then out into the world to start over with essentially nothing. Most of the population suffers from PASD (Post-apocalyptic Stress Disorder) and many people avoid interaction with others. Those are just the facts.

Our involvement with the story starts when the wedding planner (Krista) leaves her client (Moira) and ends up stuck in the elevator with Rob (one of Moira's co-workers, and Sunny's dad) during a power outage. Their familiarity with each other is now established, and the plot can proceed.  They all become closer with each other over time (a few weeks, maybe?) until everything escalates at once. They work together through an unexpected crisis during another possible pandemic outbreak to try and achieve the happily-ever-after we all want.

I enjoyed the characters a lot, and they are why the overall rating made it to 3.5/5 stars. I did wonder form time to time at the lack of impact on their lives from the first pandemic. Yeah. the quarantine and starting over changed all their lives greatly, but despite somewhere in the book giving a fatality rate of a lot from the illness, only one character talks about an actual interaction with someone sick. I'd say it was still mostly believable, but I'm just surprised that an illness causing the 'end of the world,' isn't more noticeable.

I'd still recommend this book for fans of dystopia. Also, there is only super-minimal romance, so that may be a plus or a minus, depending on your tastes.




Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read in advance of its January 14, 2020 publication. The opinions expressed in this review are not influenced by having received the book for free.

2020 Dystopia Reading Challenge

So I was gonna slow down and keep better control of these challenges, but I can't resist the 2020 Dystopia Reading Challenge from Hope, Faith & Books.

She's got it set up with four different goal levels, and quarterly posts with books read. I'm going straight for the top group - Leader - with 16+ dystopian novels read in 2020. I figure if I stay on track with reading almost 90 books, the odds are in my favor to have more than 16 of them be dystopian since it's my favorite.

Wish me luck!!