what i've been reading
This post is long overdue (I’m sure there’s a library pun in there somewhere, but don’t get me started on me the local library not giving me a card because I live in “THAT part of town”) & therefore, I’m missing a lot of books I’ve read this last year, I’m sure. I also found a draft of book reviews I wrote a few years ago & included those here.
What’s funny about this list is that I only picked out only two for myself, while my MIL gave me four of these books, my aunt gave me two. I guess when you’re a working mom you don’t get much time to book shop & you rely on those around you to give you something you might like. Edit: Since starting this post, my husband suggested we take a family outing to Barnes & Noble. It ended in a busted & extremely bloody nose in the kid’s corner. We survived.
THRILLER/ADVENTURE
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, Stuart Turton // This. Book. It jumped to my all-time favorites list so quickly, & I’m not alone when I compared the writing to Agatha Christie. I’m not sure where I first saw it, but this book showed up under the Christmas tree & I devoured it. As I got towards the end, I was dreading finishing it. Surely, it would disappoint me in one way or another. But no, I was surprised. The main character, who can’t remember anything, wakes up to find himself in a body that’s not his own, & he’s pretty certain he just witnessed a murder, but no one believes him. He’s finally visited by the Plague Doctor who explains the rules: Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered at 11:00 p.m. There are eight days, & eight witnesses for you to inhabit. We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer. Understood? Then let's begin...
The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins // I read the book before seeing the movie [as one should]. But, when my sister saw me reading this, she started talking about the movie. She complained about how everyone cast looked very similar [they did] & she found it confusing. My brain immediately took off with that little snippet of info & started coming up with my own conclusions for whodunnit & why. As it turns out, I was going down the completely wrong train of thought (pun!) but that it made it all the more fun. There are 5 main characters: two married couples, & the girl on the train who has made up a fantasy world where she knows everything about one of the couples she can see from her window on the train to & from work every day. One day Rachel learns that "Jess", one of the wives, has gone missing & she's determined to figure out how & why, even if it ruins any reputation she has left. Paula does an excellent job of keeping you guessing & an even better job of making you hate-with-a-passion certain characters.
The Wolves of Winter, Tyrell Johnson // I borrowed this from my aunt & was surprised that I liked it. I thought it was a bit short, but then again, did I really want the author to explain IN MORE DETAIL how lonesome this little family was living secluded in Alaska? Disease has spread like wildfire & sent every one fleeing from towns & cities. They heard the colder it was, the less likely disease will spread, so to Alaska they went. For years it was just their small group with no news from the outside world, & they were mostly ok with that, until a stranger appeared whose presence forced them to do something. (I feel like there should be a sequel to this book, but as far as I know there’s not. Maybe it’s coming?)
FANTASY
Stardust, Neil Gaiman // My husband & I visited Portland, Oregon, in November, & we discovered a book store there that we did not know existed: Powell’s City of Books. We felt silly having never heard of this MASSIVE bookstore (if you can call it that, it’s really a small city hiding within a city.) We kept finding ourselves wandering back there almost every day & finally we purchased a few things. This was my purchase. Stardust has been one of my favorite movies ever since I first saw it in college, but I did not know it was a book & quickly snatched it up. While I enjoyed reading it, I admit I was a little disappointed in how short it was. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ve read the book. Dare I say I like the movie more than the book?? I was happy though that the movie captured the fancifulness & enchantment of story well. I will probably read this again if I ever read a horrible book & need a pick me up.
WWII
The Secret Keeper, Kate Morton // The first of several WWII books on this list, this ending may not be what you expect. It’s 2011, Dorothy is turning 90, & her daughter Laurel is determined to finally solve the mystery of the crime she witnessed her mom committed when Laurel was a young girl.
The Alice Network, Kate Quinn // Jumping between two generations, you follow the story of Charlie, pregnant & desperate to find her cousin in the aftermath of the war, & Eve who has unexplained gnarled hands & a gun she’s not afraid to use. This story was a bit more lighthearted than the next book on this list, but still had plenty of heartbreak & agony.
The Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly // I read this right after The Alice Network & I think I need to take a small break from WWII books. Anything that has to do with concentration camps is so hard to read & I know it will never get easy. This book follows three women from vastly different parts of the world who are all affected by WWII. One in New York, one in Poland, & one in Germany. Reading about a concentration camp from one of the worker’s perspectives…I don’t even know how to describe it. I think there’s a prequel? or a sequel?
EPIC ADVENTURE/ROMANCE
A Breath of Snow & Ashes, Diana Gabaldon // The sixth installment of the Outlander series. Just as good as the others! This one had so many scandals & kidnappings it was hard to put down. The ending was a bit of a shocker & I'm super curious to know how the next book goes. Edit: I’m actually on book 8 currently. My review will remain the same for each book. They’re all good!
CHRISTIAN FICTION
Her Mother's Hope, Francine Rivers // I was honestly disappointed in this book, which made me sad because I love Francine's books. When I got to the end & realized Francine drew from her mother & grandmother's lives for inspiration, a few things made sense. However, I got hung up on the writing style. I guess I've just gotten used to reading books like Outlander where each sentence was overly descriptive & a paragraph could describe only one second of passing time. While I don't expect (or want) all books to be that detailed (not all authors can do that well), this one just skimmed over so many details with short choppy sentences that I felt like I was reading the telegram version. This story spanned two generations, following one character from Switzerland across Europe, to Canada, & finally California, then picks up with her eldest daughter's journey through life. Since it covered to so much time & geography, I would have been happy to find that this book was split into two or three. There is a sequel, but I don't think I'll read it unless it falls into my hands.
YOUNG ADULT/SCI-FI
Scarlet, Marissa Meyers // This is the second installment of the young adult sci-fi Lunar series. Like the first novel Cinder, it's rather predictable but I didn't care. It's one of those books that I'm just slightly embarrassed to be reading in public, but I enjoy any re-telling of fairytales, & if young teens are hopelessly in love, it's fair game for me. This novel focuses on Scarlet, a young girl whose grannie (grand-mère! it is in France after all) has disappeared without a trace. She begrudgingly befriends a loner named Wolf (gasp!) & they traipse off in search of her.
OTHERS
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern // This book had been on my list for a long time. I saw it everywhere I went, & each time my expectations grew. When I finally read it, I was a little disappointed. It was just ok. Thankfully it wasn’t super long, so I didn’t waste too much time. I did, however, REALLY like the extremely subtle detail thrown in at the very last second. The circus was in town, but not just any circus. It was only open at night. Half black. Half white. Everything was magical & couldn’t possibly be real.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Gail Honeyman // I have never felt so awkward reading a book before, which is so hard to explain, so I’ll just tell you to go read it. This story turned out to be way more interesting than I expected. Eleanor has her simple & routine life, until a man in a tomato red sweater forces her out of her bubble.
Leaving Time, Jodi Picoult // If you don’t like elephants, you probably won’t like this book. I found myself wanting to reread this book as soon as I finished it for reasons I won’t share. Jenna is a young girl desperate to unravel the mystery of what happened to her mom, the elephant scientist, who disappeared ten years earlier. To aid in her quest, she enlists the help of a psychic & a jaded private detective.