Another month, another unending list of books screaming from my TBR. Do you feel that? This is a #bookwormproblem all the time, but it seems like it’s even more of a problem this month than normal. I use the word ‘problem’ loosely, of course, because it’s always good to have more great books in your orbit than you can ever read. How sad would it be to have a limited number to choose from?
But I digress. This month I’m bringing you several books from my Middle Grade March list, as well as the typical mix of romcoms and fantasy with a sprinkle of nonfiction.
Let’s get to it!
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Just Finished:
My daughter received this book for Christmas and as soon as she finished it, she asked me to read it too. So I did, and it was a beautiful book about belonging and how knowing where you came from matters. It’s about a young girl named Crow who washed up on an island as a newborn and has been lovingly cared for by a hermit ever since. But now she’s asking questions and a bit of adventure ensues as she investigates her origins. This is a very atmospheric story with the island acting almost as a character itself, and has strong themes of found family.
I was so excited to pick up this new historical romance. It follows a female race car driver and her mechanic, a man who vowed never to work on cars again, as they participate in the 1905 Glidden Tour. As they work together on this ten-day race through New England, they must each confront their own pasts and address the trauma that is keeping them from being able to act on their attraction to each other. There is plenty of internal and external friction as they alternate between bickering and defending each other in a race that takes a dangerous turn. This book is so well-researched and I felt the same way reading it that I did when I watched Ford vs Ferrari — I don’t care about cars at all but I want to see what happens to these characters.
I wrote a full review of this one recently, but suffice it to say that I enjoyed this fast-paced romantic comedy. It was a fun, unique storyline and I loved the witty banter between the characters as a hypnotist follows around her (very attractive) high school nemesis after a session goes wrong.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work in the funeral industry? This memoir of a young woman’s time working in a crematory in California is equal parts hilarious and touching, not to mention informative and thought-provoking. She handles the topic of death and what happens to the deceased with humor and grace, while also bringing in history and cultural information that have really changed the way I look at death now. Such a good book!
In Progress:
This story immediately grabbed my attention. This one is about a group of children who escape the poor conditions of an orphanage and head out to find a new life. I’m only about 15% in but I think it’s going to be both hopeful and heartbreaking as the kids rely on each other to heal and find their way in the wild and wonderful world of a circus that hires three of the four children. Lucy doesn’t speak anymore, but will she be able to find her voice in time to avoid being left behind?
This book is hysterical. Finn Masters is a screenwriter who lands a dream job writing for a hit TV show. The only catch is that the star of the show is Lavendar Rhodes, an actress with whom he has a long and thorny history. The thing is, she doesn’t even realize how many times she’s almost ruined his life — or that he’s plotting payback. I can’t stop laughing at Finn’s internal narration of events. His dry, sarcastic humor is very relatable to me!
The final installment in this beloved children’s series, The Vanderbeekers Ever After delivers all the laughter and tears I’ve come to expect from these books. The family faces their most difficult challenge yet and pulls together with humor and heart. It feels like such a real family and I’m reading this one aloud with my girls, like the previous books in the series.
Up Next:
I know, I’m a million years behind the times on this one. I’ve had this book on my physical shelf for probably six or seven years now and I actually tried to read it right after I got it, but for some reason it didn’t work for me at the time. Now I feel ready and excited to give this critically acclaimed WWII story another try.
If you’re into romcoms at all, I’m sure you’ve probably seen this book at least a time or two. I’m ready to jump on the bandwagon with the next book in the Appies hocky series and enjoy a nice marriage of convenience story. Emma St. Clair has always been a hit for me and I don’t have any reason to expect that this book will be any different.
So far I’ve enjoyed every Adrienne Young book I’ve ever read (you simply must check out The Unmaking of June Farrow; it’s everything I could want in a book) so when I saw this one at my local library I snatched it right up. It’s a YA fantasy about 18-year-old Bryn discovering some dark family secrets. I saw keywords like ‘forbidden romance’ and ‘dirty business’ that made me think it sounds like a winner.
All I know about this book is that it’s about a girl who lives in the woods and connects with a wolf who turns out to be a shifter named Sam. I put a Libby hold on it this week because I was in a very specific mood for a shifter story and hopefully I’ll still be in the same frame of mine when my turn comes in a week or two. I’ve read one other book by this author that I thought was really interesting and creative, so I’m excited for this one.
As always, if you want more book talk and recommendations, Modern Mrs. Darcy’s monthly quick lit round up is the place to go!
I found Smoke Gets in Your Eyes so interesting. I’ve told many about it. I recently read the first Vanderbeekers so I’m anxious to read them all!