Hello, my friends! Another month has come and gone since my last books in progress post and today I have (mostly) new list of books to share with you. I say mostly because there is one repeat from last month that got pushed out because of a library book that unexpectedly became a slow but steady read that I am STILL working on.
I’m not opposed to the idea of slow but steady books (a book that takes you a long time to read due to length and/or content). But since I am accustomed to reading a lot of books pretty quickly, having a slow but steady read in progress kind of throws off my rhythm. I contemplated quitting this book, but ultimately decided that I really did want to finish reading it and just needed to stop being lazy. I’ll share which book I’m talking about and what strategies I’m using to get through it faster in just a minute, so stay tuned.
The other thing that has thrown off my reading lately is the library. I had my TBR arranged with books that I wanted to read or had committed to review, and then I went to the stinkin’ library and brought home a whole pile of books I wasn’t looking for. I get that there is no rule that you must read a library book once borrowed, but I feel an internal obligation to read them all. Does anyone else feel that way, or am I the only weirdo here?
Anyway, the bottom line is that I have lots of books to share with you today (and I do mean A LOT) so let’s get started.
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Just Finished:
Yes, I know I’m one of the last 10% of the world’s population to read this book and I’m appropriately regretful of that fact because it was fantastic. I laughed, I cried, it moved me. Seriously, I was rooting for Mark Watney from the very beginning and thought he was such a funny, likable character. It’s a wonderful story of survival and stubborn hopefulness filled with interesting sciency stuff. I especially don’t want to go to space now, but other than that I liked it and can’t wait to watch the movie.
This dystopian middle grade novel is a great example of why I need to start writing down where recommendations come from because I honestly can’t remember. As with many novels for this age group, it starts off heartbreakingly sad (think Old Yeller/Bridge to Terabithia level sadness. Why do we do this to our children?) with Devin burying his grandfather before starting off on a journey to find someone, anyone to help him run the farm. He soon encounters other orphans who dream of a place they’ve only heard of where there is plenty to eat and you are always safe. A strange turn of events finds Devin and a friend taken to the Gabriel Penn Home, where their initial joy turns to discomfort and then fear as they quickly realize that things are not as they seem. Some of the children exhibit a strange trance-like sickness that seems to worsen when ‘visitors’ are around. Will Devin and his friends be able to figure out what’s going on before any more kids are harmed? This book has a fascinating story and some interesting details, like the fact that Devin has chromesthesia, which is just one of the reasons why he has a unique perspective from the other kids.
I picked this book up at the library because the pretty cover caught my eye as I walked by. Purple is my favorite and I haven’t read much Agatha Christie but enjoyed what I have read, so I grabbed it. I did enjoy the story of a recent widow whose husband might actually still be alive, but I thought the ending was a little weird. If you read this book skip the last 3 pages or so and you will be much happier.
Do you like fairy tale retellings? I do! This one is more of a continuation, exploring what could have happened after Wendy, John and Michael decided to leave Neverland. Years later, Peter Pan is trapped in London, having lost his ability to fly or return to Neverland. Claire Kenton has been living with an undiagnosable flaking skin disease her whole life, a condition that has only worsened in the days since her brother Connor went missing. After years of searching, new evidence suggests that Connor might have been kidnapped and taken to London. When Claire crosses paths with Peter she doesn’t immediately know who he is, but he knows who she is and what she can do, and he also knows that he must convince her to help him or Neverland might be lost forever, destroyed by an unexpected enemy.
This book sucked me in with an intriguing mystery and a flawed but likable heroine. Anna Hart is a missing persons detective who finds herself drawn into the case of a missing girl when she visits her hometown to process her grief over a recent personal tragedy. This book is pretty dark in some places, so if child abuse/neglect is triggering for you then I’d probably skip it. But if that’s not a deal breaker for you then I highly recommend this book.
Pancakes, Bacon, & A Side of Murder
This sounds like the title to an episode of Psych to me, and it has similar vibes with quirky characters working together to solve a cozy mystery. When bakery owner Aubrey finds her rival dead, she is initially Sheriff Blaze Martin’s prime suspect. Intent on clearing her name, she enlists the help of her friends to investigate, but it soon becomes clear that Aubrey is being targeted by the killer now too. With some romance on the side and lots of witty banter among the friends, this is a delightful mystery with a surprising ending.
In Progress:
This is my slow but steady, you guys. It’s over 700 pages and filled with the politics, policies, and campaigns that led to Obama’s election to president in 2008, as well as an account of what happened after he took office. It really is interesting and he has a talent for beautiful, descriptive writing, but I get bogged down sometimes with all the details. I started out reading the hardback I got at the library but have just switched to the audiobook (read by the author) and now I’m making serious progress. Sometimes switching up the format helps a lot!
This is a #kayteemademedoit book. I heard Kaytee from the Currently Reading podcast gush about this book a few weeks ago and immediately put it on my Libby wishlist. Then when I needed something to listen to a few days ago I downloaded the audiobook and was hooked right away. Billy is just your average bartender, until someone leaves a note on his windshield telling him he must choose – if he takes the note to the police, the writer will kill an elderly woman who does charity work, and if he doesn’t then a lovely young schoolteacher will die instead. Billy takes the note to his off-duty cop friend who agrees that it’s horrible joke, until a teacher is found dead the next day. As you can imagine, the story takes off from there and it’s a wild ride. I’m pretty sure I know who the killer is at this point, but I keep being surprised by different twists and turns, so who knows!
I’ve only just started this one so I don’t have a lot of comments yet, but I can tell you that the premise sounded just right for me. What’s not to love about a packhorse librarian who finds love and an unexpected friend along the trail? Hopefully it lives up to my expectations!
Up Next:
This is the book I carried over from last month’s list. If you’ve been around her before you probably know that I adore Denise Hunter, and so this story about a pregnant woman who gets a second chance at love with a childhood friend is definitely still on my list! I love the cover, love the story idea, and love the author, so what could go wrong?
This book should have been in the finished list, but my daughter stole it out of my pile and hasn’t given it back yet. But it’s ok, I’m not bitter or resentful at all, just waiting and getting more and more gray hairs. It’s fine, I’m fine. This is a middle grade mystery about smart kids working together to figure out a code and solve a mystery in a haunted house. I feel like it has a lot of potential and I can’t wait for my turn to read it!
I read one other book by Tana French a couple of years ago called The Witch Elm, and I didn’t love it. But since then I’ve heard several French fans say that wasn’t their favorite of hers either, and they In the Woods is the place to start if you want to give her a try. So I picked it up at the library and plan to read it soon to see if it lives up to the hype. All I know about the story is that three children go missing in the woods and only one is found, later becoming a cop and investigating a similar disappearance that brings up the ghosts of his past.
Love Finds You in Deadwood, South Dakota
I don’t think I can do better than the Amazon description for this one, so read on and see why I grabbed this book off the library shelf: Jane Albright is newly widowed, with one child to care for and another on the way. When she learns that she is at risk of losing the family home and freighting business to greedy moneylender Franklin Lloyd, she has no choice but to brandish a bullwhip and haul freight all the way to Deadwood, South Dakota. Franklin agrees to give Jane six months to pay the note, and it’ll take every ounce of grit she has to secure her children’s future. Franklin admires the strong and beautiful woman – but how can he help her when he is her greatest enemy? Sounds great, right? I love historical romances!
I have heard many, many people from many, many different places recommend this book as a must-read for writers of all genres so I’m going to give it a try. Hopefully I’ll glean tips and inspiration that will make me a best-seller sooner rather than later. I’ll keep you updated on that 😉
If that wasn’t enough book recommendations for you, you can go check out Anne Bogel’s monthly quick lit link up also!
I loved The Martian and also the movie. I’m hesitant to read Hail Mary by Weir, but everyone seems to be raving about it.