I don’t know what your February has been like, but so far mine has been categorized by a hectic schedule and bipolar weather. This has translated to a haphazard reading experience with most of the books I’ve finished so far being read in little 5-10 minute chunks.
What that means practically is that I haven’t had many chances to really sink into a book the last few weeks. The result is that now I’m in this weird mindset where I have several books that I’m really excited to read, but I’m kind of holding back because I don’t want a disjointed reading experience when I get to pick them up. Is this at all relatable?
But even though my reading isn’t exactly how I would like it to be at the moment, I’ve still been able to get through several great books recently. So let’s talk about them!
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Just Finished:
We’ll get started with this non-fiction title about how the rise of the internet, smartphones, and social media has impacted our society, specifically, our kids. The points he makes and the research he presents in this book are not really that surprising if you’ve ever stopped to think about it, but they are sobering nonetheless. I think this is a book all parents should read, whether their kids are toddlers or teenagers. I love that the author does a great job of laying out what parts of the internet/devices are actually harmful to kids (because the internet isn’t all bad, of course!) and empowering parents to make choices that will help their kids thrive in a hyper-connected world.
Love me some Laura Frantz, y’all! I preordered this book months ago, and it was worth the wait. It’s a beautiful historical romance set in 1774 about a plantation heiress and a Scottish tobacco lord whose unconventional courtship progresses to a marriage of convenience. It takes place partly in colonial Virginia and partly in Scotland. I loved the historical details and the journey that Juliey and Leith go on both individually and together as they make the most of their relationship and grow to love each other. And there’s a twist in the last twenty percent that I didn’t see coming but that made perfect sense—the best kind of twist. Highly recommend!
In Progress:
You want a laugh-out-loud rom-com with lovable, relatable characters? Malanie Jacobson is your girl! This is the third book in her Betting on Love series (but you definitely don’t have to read them in order) and so far it’s been a very fun ride. This is a modern marriage of convenience story in which Madison needs to get married to access her inheritance and Oliver offers to be her groom in exchange for an investment into his tech company. It’s supposed to be a business arrangement, but of course, the more time they spend together, the more they discover a chemistry they didn’t expect. Sign me up!
Samantha Knox is back and she’s worked her way into another archaeological expedition, and like in the previous book, there’s an ancient magic lurking. If this one is like the other one, there should be lots of adventure, code-breaking, and danger, along with a helping of romance. I’m looking forward to getting deeper into the audiobook this weekend!
Up Next:
A romantic fantasy with a purple cover, gorgeous inside maps, and great Amazon reviews? Um, yes, please. All I know about this story is that there is a girl who has some kind of magical ability and a prince who needs her help to save his kingdom. I’m planning to start this one this weekend!
I love a good memoir and I think this one is going to be a page-turner (except I have it on audio, so whatever the listening equivalent is). I heard about this book through a podcast interview with the author and immediately placed a hold on it. Here’s the description:
“In the early 2000s, after years of hard work and determination to break through as an actor, Bethany Joy Lenz was finally cast as one of the leads on the hit drama One Tree Hill. Her acting career was set to soar, but her personal life was beginning to unravel in ways her fans could never imagine. Unknown to the millions of viewers and even her costars, Lenz led a secret double life within a cult.”
Juniper Bean Resorts to Murder
I’ll be honest, I didn’t even read the description of this before I downloaded it because I just like this author’s other books that I’ve read so much. But then I read what it was about and it immediately shot to the top of my list. The brief version is that Juniper Bean is a novelist researching murder—until she discovers an actual real-life dead body and becomes embroiled in the mystery surrounding it. Tres intriguing, no? Gracie Ruth Mitchell writes hilariously swoony rom-coms and I’m dying (see what I did there?) to see how she works murder into the mix.
Don’t forget to check out what other people are reading over at Anne Bogel’s monthly quick lit roundup.
Good morning from Anne’s, Jordan! The Anxious Generation has been on my TBR list for far too long. Thanks for bringing it front and center to me. I hear such positive things about it.