Another month, another current reads list. But do I get tired of it? No, I do not. How can a person get tired of talking about books?
Contrary to the experience of many people, summer is not the time of year I get the most reading done. The kids are home and there are so many summery activities to enjoy that reading gets pushed aside a little. Don’t get me wrong, I still read as much as I can. But our schedule in the summer just doesn’t lend itself to hours of reading time.
Nevertheless, I have several books worth sharing with you today. Keep scrolling to see them!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I might make some extra coffee money at no extra expense to you if you buy something through one of my links. Read more about that here.
Just Finished:
Emma St. Clair is a master at sweet rom-coms that strike the perfect balance with humor, not too much spice, and lovable characters. Chevy has been attracted to Val for a while but never acted on it because his sister threatened mutilation if he hurt her best friend. Val has had a crush on Chevy since they were kids, but knows he thinks of her like another little sister. But when Val needs a place to crash and Chevy offers his guest room, things start to get a little more complicated. This was a five star read for me and I highly recommend it, along with all the other books in this series that are all set in the same small town of Sheet Cake, TX.
You gotta love a good backlist gem, which is exactly what this book was for me since I’m a few years late for the hype. In this YA fantasy, the world is divided between Silvers and Reds. Silvers have silver blood and amazing abilities, which enables them to rule over the impoverished Reds who are forced to serve them. Mare Barrow is just another Red — until she very publicly discovers that she has an ability like a Silver. In order to maintain control of the situation, the royal family takes her into the palace and forces her into a cover story, including betrothal to their younger son, Prince Maven. I couldn’t put this one down and can’t wait to start the next one! And for those of you who have already read this one I ask, were you Team Maven or Team Cal? If you know, you know 🙂
If you are squeamish or have any kind of bug phobia, skip this one. If you like scientific thrillers about genetically modified ants, this book is for you! Hannah Stander is a consultant for the FBI who is called upon to help investigate a gruesome death. Is it murder or something else entirely? The investigation leads her down a dangerous path and she must call upon all the skills she learned from her survivalist parents to make it out alive. This story has some strong apocalyptic vibes, especially towards the end, but I was here for it. I gave it a solid four stars.
I rarely find a book that I truly dislike, but this one was NOT for me. It’s billed as a magical competition wherein six very talented young magicians are narrowed down to five in the famed Library of Alexandria. It’s no secret from the beginning that one of them isn’t going to make it. I went in with expectations of excitement and cool world-building. What I got instead was a slow, dramatic narrative filled with unlikable characters engaging in gratuitous sex and conversations that were meant to be deep and thought-provoking but came across as contrived. I saw the twist coming and thought the ending was very un-satisfying. I only gave this one two and half stars, which is really low for me. I tend to be pretty generous with stars because I know how much work goes into writing a book.
In Progress:
Set in Ireland, this story is about Brianna Kelly, an orphaned young woman forced to serve a cruel mistress at a girls school. When young gentleman Michael Wray comes to visit his cousin at the school he is intrigued by the beautiful Brianna and outraged by her treatment. He’s also puzzled by how familiar she looks to him. As the two get to know each other and also investigate the origins of a piece of silver Brianna finds on the school’s grounds, it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems. I’m about 60% into this book and while I’m very sure I already know what the big twist is, I am interested enough in the characters to keep reading and see how it plays out.
This book is the true story of husband and wife zookeepers in Warsaw who helped hide away over three hundred refugees during WWII. It includes quotes from the diary of Antonina Zabinski and paints a terribly realistic picture of what it was like to live in Poland during the war. The zoo and it’s inhabitants played a big role in Antonina’s life and that definitely comes out in the telling of her story.
Up Next:
The Premonition at Withers Farm
I will always read anything that Jaime Jo Wright writes and next up on my list is a copy of The Premonition at Withers Farm that I bought myself for my birthday. This slightly spooky dual-timeline novel was actually on my list last month, but I had a library book situation that caused me to defer this one. But this month I’m definitely picking it up!
Prince Phillip has a limited amount of time to find a suitable wife. After conducting an analysis, he travels to meet the woman who best meets all his qualifications, only to find that she’s not interested. But Phillip only becomes more interested in Alessia as he gets to know her, finding to his dismay that he has actual feelings for her beyond the practical ones that brought him here. Please see The Pocket Pair above for more about how much I love Emma St. Clair and her books.
I read the first book in this dystopian YA series a few months ago and now I’m excited to read the second one and find out what happens next. Will Cassia be able to find Ky? Will Xander, the third person in this love triangle, give up on her this easily? Will there be a revolution? So many questions to answer!
If this wasn’t enough book talk for you, I highly recommend checking out Anne Bogel’s monthly quick lit post on her Modern Mrs. Darcy blog. Don’s skip the comments! That’s where you’ll find links and discussion from lots of other book bloggers too.
The Zookeeper’s Wife has been on my shelf for a long time and I still haven’t read it. There is also a movie based on this book which I won’t watch until I read the book. Thanks for the reminder to read it.
Zookeeper’s looks intriguing, Jordan …