Summer is winding down. The kids are back in school and I’m living in anticipation of cooler days very soon! In the meantime, I’m staying in the air conditioning and reading as much as possible, you feel me?
I’m also cranking out words as quickly as I can on my next novel, so that’s taking up a lot of brain space. But reading good books is essential for learning to be a better writer, right? So I’m definitely still making time for that even while I write like a mad woman to meet the imaginary deadline that I set for myself and no one else is holding me accountable for. That’s totally normal, yes?
Keep scrolling to see what I’ve been reading lately.
Just Finished:
This is the best Michael Crichton book I’ve read in a while! Set fifty years after the events of The Andromeda Strain, it follows a team of scientists who are trying to identify what they call an ‘anomaly’, the only reasonable word for the huge black thing that has sprouted up in the middle of the Brazillian rainforest. Its signature appears to match the original Andromeda strains, but it’s not behaving in quite the same way. Will they be able to get to the bottom of it before it destroys life as we know it on Earth? The stakes are high and the action is fast-paced in this exciting addition to Crichton’s sci-fi cannon.
That Time I Kissed My Brother’s Best Friend
This one was okay. It didn’t quite land for me and I think it’s because the main character, Kasey, kind of got on my nerves. Even though I understood why she wasn’t thrilled to spend time with her brother or Beau, I found her to be a little immature in her reactions. Nevertheless, it did have some funny moments and I enjoyed the big, chaotic family celebrating Christmas in July and relating to each other the way many families do.
In Progress:
The fourth book in a series of time travel novels, this one has been waiting (ha!) on my Kindle for quite some time and I finally was in the mood to pick it up. Dawson finds himself caught up in an intrigue he doesn’t quite understand. Before his sister died, she claimed to have found a vial of holy water that could cure him of the blindness and other injuries he sustained during a tour of duty. Now he’s not sure what to make of the men who seem to be watching him or the stories he’s heard from others who claim to have used the holy water. Could her assertion be true? There’s only one way to find out.
Oh, the drama and magic in this YA fantasy. Kamran thinks Alizeh betrayed him, Cyrus has stolen her away to make her his queen, and now the two kingdoms are on the brink of war. Intrigue abounds as each person must determine who they can trust as they each pursue their own agendas in this epic tale based on Persian mythology.
Up Next:
I vowed to be a Leah Brunner completist this year and this is my last book to accomplish that goal. I love her witty banter and realistic characters so I can’t wait to dive into this enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy about two people who ended up sharing a tent in Machu Picchu because of a bet.
When my sister texted me to ask if I’d read this book yet I took a look at the description and gorgeous cover and said, “No, but I just borrowed it from Libby.” Thus, a buddy read was born. This book sounds like a delightfully dark fantasy with a morally grey love interest and an intriguing magical world.
I think I’m finally ready to continue on with this super popular series. I’m very curious to see where it goes after what happened in the last one. This is a high fantasy novel with lots of war/fight scenes and a medium amount of romance. It’s got great world-building and a fast-paced plot that keeps you reading. I recommend starting with the first book, though, to understand what’s happening (An Ember in the Ashes).
Don’t forget to see what other authors are reading in the comment section of Anne Bogel’s monthly quick lit on her Modern Mrs. Darcy blog.