Something has happened that has revolutionized my reading life. You are all going to laugh at me because you’ve probably all already discovered this but…I got a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
I know, I know. This is not a new product. In fact, I actually tried it out once before a few years ago, and at the time I just couldn’t find that many books by really good authors that I actually wanted to read. That is no longer the case! The selection has gotten much broader and now I’m stressing out (in the best possible way, of course) about having to choose which books out of the many available titles to read next.
All that to say, if you need to revitalize your reading life, consider subscribing to Kindle Unlimited. If you are already a subscriber, tell me what books I must download and simply can’t miss. Several of the books on my list today are available through KU, so definitely make sure not to miss those!
Also, one of the books on my list today is also on the 5 Spooky Books to Read Before Halloween list I posted earlier this week. That list is for people who want to read creepy but not too scary books this time of year (like I do!). If that sounds like your cup of tea, then I’ve got you, boo.
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Just Finished:
The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus
This book was on the spooky list (see above) and it was perhaps my favorite off the whole list. Actually, it’s my favorite of Jaime Jo Wright’s books and I’ve read and enjoyed all of them. It’s a dual-timeline mystery/romance about two young women and their encounters past and present with a serial killer who terrorized Bonaventure circus in the 1920s. I couldn’t put it down and didn’t see the twist at the end coming.
Provenance is a heartwarming story with a sweet romance. When home designer and former foster kid Kendall inherits a set of historic homes from the grandmother she never knew, she travels to the small town of Jasper Lake, Colorado where they are located and sets out on a journey to discover more about the houses and her own past. Young new mayor Gabe has several motivations for helping Kendall on her quest, not the least of which is his plan to stop development on a resort and preserve the small town feel the citizens of Jasper Lake love. That they are both attracted to each other is neither here nor there. I loved this story of finding your place in the world and understanding who and what truly matters.
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
The only nonfiction title on my list this month, Burnout is coauthored by two sisters who share science and wisdom they have acquired about how stress impacts our minds and bodies and what we can do to fight back. While I did gain a few useful tips from this book, I wasn’t as wowed as I expected to be based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews I’ve heard. I felt like the first few chapters were the most useful and after about the halfway point it started to go off topic a little bit and leaned more towards a commentary on feminism than a book about stress.
In Progress:
This YA fantasy novel is unputdownable. I’m about 50% through and I just want to do nothing but read this book. The world-building is excellent, the characters and story are intriguing, it’s great. It’s about a young woman who discovers quite by accident that she possesses magical abilities and is thrust into a world that she is woefully unprepared for as the Darkling trains her to use her ability. Since I’m loving it so much I looked to see if the next book was available at my library and it appears that some irresponsible patron LOST the second book…ugh.
Anyone up for a historical version of The Bachlorette? Willow has only six months to choose a husband from a pool of 30 eligible men in order to be allowed to take over her father’s company at his retirement. I’m totally in love with premise and can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Up Next:
Two words: food trucks. Rory doesn’t know how to cook, but she believes winning a competition with the food truck she inherited from her aunt is the only way to make ends meet and keep up with her obligations. Jude wants to win the contest too, but he’s surprised to find that his biggest competition is also the woman he’s been talking to anonymously on an online dating site. What could possibly go wrong? I read The Key to Love by Betsy St. Amant earlier this year and loved it so I can’t wait to start this one soon.
The only things I know about this book are that its a YA fantasy, it has 4.6 stars on Amazon out of over 18k reviews, and Kendra Adachi, AKA The Lazy Genius, recommended it as big time favorite of hers. The description gives off some magical Hunger Games vibes and I can’t wait to dig in!
Apparently I was in the mood for dark YA fantasy last time I went to the library. This book is about a girl whose family is haunted by bad luck, and it turns out that might be related to the terrifying novels her grandmother wrote, and the Hazel Wood where her stories began. I’ve heard it recommended a few times, so hopefully I’ll enjoy it!
Last year I went on a pandemic reading kick where I read enough books about contagious diseases to put together a list and Richard Preston’s The Hot Zone was one that really made an impression on me (ebola is scary, y’all). So, when I was looking for a Michael Crichton book at my library and saw this one by both of them, it pretty much jumped off the shelf into my waiting arms. The Amazon description says, “In the vein of Jurassic Park, this high concept thriller follows a group of graduate students lured to Hawaii to work for a mysterious biotech company—only to find themselves cast out into the rainforest, with nothing but their scientific expertise and wits to protect them.” I can’t wait!!
First of all, what a gorgeous cover. This book has been all over the place and so far I haven’t heard any negative comments about this story of a bubbly young woman who volunteers at a transitional program for aged-out foster kids to pad her resume and ends up learning some lessons about true service.
As always, you can find even more fantastic recommendation from other book bloggers by going to Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Quick Lit post and checking out the comments sections.