Sometimes I hear people say that they are too busy to read. This always puzzles me because I am the opposite. The busier and more stressed I am, the more I tend to want to escape into a good book in order to relax.
So, if you are looking for a barometer of my stress level, taking a look at how many books I’m reading at any given moment is going to be pretty accurate. I’m in the middle of five books right now, not including my year long devotional, if that tells you anything (normally I’ll be reading 2-3 at a time).
Even if I wasn’t so busy I think my reading would be picking up anyway, since, like many people, I adore the whole idea of ‘summer reading’. To that end, I have soooo many books lined up for review in June because this is a very popular time of year for new releases and I’m not at all sad about it.
Last year I put together a summer reading bingo game as a fun way to guide readers through a season of reading great books. While I didn’t do a new one this year, I do think that list of prompts is evergreen and could totally be used again this year, even if you did it last year! I encourage you to check it out and see if you want to join the fun. Maybe you’ll even be able to use some of the books in this post to fill in some squares!
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Just Finished:
I recently reviewed this travel memoir, so you can go read that for more detailed information, but I enjoyed Pedalling to Kailash even though it’s outside my wheelhouse. It’s funny and has a great sense of place as the author describes the different location that he and the others in his group biked through on their long journey through Asia in 1998. There was a little more history than I wanted, but that was easy to skim over to get back to the trip, which is the part I was really interested in.
Bigfoot, anyone? This book is about a tiny mountainside community that becomes isolated from the outside world after a volcanic eruption. They are initially optimistic despite their dire circumstances, but it soon becomes clear that an unfamiliar creature lurks in the forest around them. This story is frightening, propulsive, and unlike any other book I’ve ever read. It is a little gory and there is most definitely cursing, so be prepared for that if you decide to pick it up.
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore
What a delightful book! I’ve had this one on my list for a long time and I’m glad I finally got around to reading it. It starts out with the suggestion of some magical realism, but ultimately it is firmly rooted in the real world. This book is about Clay, who takes a night job at a bookstore. It quickly becomes apparent to him that this is no ordinary bookstore, and he enlists his artistic roommate, wealthy entrepreneur best friend, and tech savvy girlfriend to help him solve the mystery of Mr. Penumbra and his eccentric patrons.
In Progress:
This one is romantic suspense following a former CIA sniper as she tries to help a scientist whose life is in jeopardy because of his research. There is a love story, some bio-medical elements, and lots of danger/action to keep you turning the pages. I’m really enjoying this one and flying through it very quickly despite all the other books I’ve been reading simultaneously.
Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories, Volume I
I’ve loved Sherlock Holmes since I was a kid. Every time I come back for a re-read I think this is the time I will be disappointed, that it can’t possibly be as good as I remember. Thankfully, I’m always wrong! I will forever be a fan of the observant and acerbically witted Sherlock and his steady trusted companion Dr. Watson.
Touted by many as a must-read memoir, Educated has been on my radar for a while but I just recently picked it up. I am only about 15% into it at the time of this writing, but so far I think it is beautifully written and reads like fiction. It’s very engaging and makes me want to keep picking it up to hear the rest of her story.
Kristy Cambron is a master of writer multiple timelines and she does it again with this story revolving around the Ringling Brothers circus. It follows Mable, a small-town Kentucky girl with big dreams, and Rosamund, a true English lady, as they spread their wings and find themselves in the context of the circus in turn-of-the-century America. It’s nuanced, romantic, interesting, and so good! I’m listening to this one on audio.
This is the third and final installment in the Cursebreaker Series by Brigid Kemmerer. It’s a YA series set in the fictional world of Emberfall and it’s full of magic, action, royalty, and romance. In this book, we see the growth of the characters as they approach the culmination of the story that has been building from the first book. Rhen is striving to finally free himself from the enchantress’s influence and bring peace to his kingdom while Harper fights to forgive and support him. Grey struggles to gain the trust of Lia Mara’s people while she tries to establish herself as queen. I’m so hopeful for a happy ending where they are no longer at odds! I will say, this is probably a situation where you’ll want to start at the beginning and not jump into the third book.
Up Next:
The tagline for this book describes it as, ‘A young love story about breaking painful legacies’. I can’t wait to dig into this new YA novel, which happens to have a reeeeally gorgeous cover. I’m a sucker for this bright purple!
I waited sooooo long for my hold to come up on this book. I was hoping to read it before I read the book that comes after it (Winning the Gentleman) but I didn’t get my turn in time. Nevertheless, I’m excited to jump into this Regency romance since I always enjoy Kristi’s signature wit and humor.
I’m super excited to dive into this ode to books and reading. She discusses the many benefits of reading and talks about how she became a reader and her history with books. This sounds like a great read, especially if you like books about books!
For more book recommendations, check out Modern Mrs. Darcy’s quick lit post and don’t forget to scroll down to the comments to see what other book bloggers are reading!
I love the variety on your list and definitely am right there with you for stress reading – it’s such an easy escape for me and I mentally use it when life is alot.
Devolution never drew me in from the cover, but your review makes me intrigued. I’ve had A Curse so Dark and Lonely sitting on my shelf forever – summer seems like a good time to get sucked up in a new series.
Here’s my quick lit for the month (and my family’s reads are in there too) with a wide range of genres – https://www.everyoneslibrarian.com/blog/quick-lit-may-2021
I wouldn’t have picked up Devolution from the cover either! I heard about it on a podcast and that’s what made me want to read it.
I put Educated out of my mind after encountering a string of negative reviews. But you may have persuaded me to give it a try.
I really couldn’t put it down. It reads like an unbelievable novel — one of the those ‘truth is stranger than fiction’ things.
Book Girl was so fun. My TBR grew a mile after reading! Educated was a hard but powerful read. So many crazy things happened to her and yet she persevered.
Linking my recent reads, if interested!
I actually ended up DNFing Book Girl which really disappointed me! I found it to be really slow and kind of boring. I think my personal tastes lean away from excessive introspection, which probably says more about me than about the book.