Book Recommendations During Quarantine

I’ve been thinking about writing this post for weeks, but my own reading life has taken a bit of a dive off the deep end since we’ve been staying at home more. You’d think I’d have *more* time to read, but I feel like I actually have less because the days are very busy and the evenings are tiring. I’ve lost my 90 minute (total) commute 4 days a week which I always devoted to reading, too. I’m slowly turning a bit of a corner though, I think, and I still want to share some books I’ve read over the past few years that might really hold your attention during these tough days!!!

In no particular order, here are some book recommendations for quarantine times, mostly light-hearted or very captivating:

The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman
I loved this book that really resonates well in the springtime and might inspire you to start or continue your own gardening hobby!

Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You by Lin-Manuel Miranda
This short book is such a fantastic read to take in over a period of time. I’d say we could all use a little pep talk these days, right?!

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
This plot is the EXACT kind of adventure you might need to follow along with while you can’t leave your house. It is a perfect read-aloud book if you have middle grade (or slightly older, even teenage) children. It’s on our TBR as a read-aloud book this year.

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
This adorable British book is so fun because the two main characters don’t meet until VERY late in the book even though they technically share an apartment (flat). Talk about perfect physical distancing! 😉 This book falls into one of my favourite genres: not-too-fluffy women’s fiction. Cannot wait to read this author’s second book <a href=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45134200-the-switch which came out in the UK already and comes out in the US/Canada in June!

The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson
This book is ideal for fun summer reading. If you are a big Harry Potter or Jane Austen fan like me (and this book’s main character), even better! This is a bit like Ms. Congeniality meets…The Parent Trap? But for adults? Super fun.

Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center
Haha, for a minute I bet you thought I was sharing a list of books without including this one on it…but I’m not!! Gotcha!! 🙂 This is one of my favourite books of all time, it is perfect to read around this time of year because it is set in the spring/summer but I’d also recommend it not because it might make you appreciate aspects of your day that you aren’t otherwise. It is also a *bit* of a precursor to her new book coming out this summer!!

Every Last Breath by Juno Rushdan
If you are looking for a fast paced suspense with a hint of romance, don’t look any further! This is on Hoopla too so it’s easy to access during these days when the libraries are closed!

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

I adored this book and I hope to re-read it soon. It’s a charming read about a bookstore owner and the events that take place over decades of his life. Bonus – there are tons of book recommendations IN this book!! 🙂

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

I’ve thought of this book countless times since reading it almost 5 years ago. I also can’t stop recommending it 🙂

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
I read this entire book, pretty much, with a smile plastered on my face. Nina is such a fun character – she lives for books, she is excellent at trivia, she is a good friend, but she is also rigid, organized, and likes her alone time. It’s easy to relate to her and respect her. It was fun to watch her grow and accept changes in her well-planned-out life throughout this book.

What I’ve Read During the Weirdest Month of my Life

I know everyone knows this, but man, this last month has been weird. To go from feeling very busy/very overscheduled to INCREDIBLY “LESS BUSY” and told to stay at home constantly but to still have a busy mind and become a full-time WFH employee, parent, and homeschool teacher basically overnight? PHEW. I know you all know. We are all in this together. It is hard, but at moments it is easy. It feels natural and SO unnatural. My feelings ebb and flow. Sunday I cried off and on all day missing my family at Easter. Monday, I was mostly happy and all good. Ups and downs!!!

Anyway, it makes me feel very much like I’m living my normal life when I link up with Steph and Jana for Show Us Your Books, so that’s what’s happening today! Yay!! I’ve seen with most of the bookworms I know that some people have THRIVED during quarantine and others have not. I feel like I fall a bit into that second camp because my brain is having a hard time focusing on books right now. Anyway, here are the books I’ve read and listened to in the past month!! Not a bad mix but not what I was expecting to have read in March/April either.

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because this was such an original concept. At first, I was a bit confused and not sure if I liked this book, but overall I think it could be a realistic portrayal of a relationship in which the parents and in-laws are difficult and things maybe move a bit too fast without both sides being on the same page. I loved how the tables turned mid-way and things got hilarious and fun. I read this in almost one sitting and it held my attention and made me chuckle more than many books I’ve read in the past month or so. If you enjoy enemies to lovers as a concept, this might be fun for you 🙂 I LOVED the idea that the house could heal their relationship and of course, I adored the ending and the last few chapters. It was super fun overall.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was really hard to get through for me, partially just because of the timing when I was reading it and partly just because I felt like not much happened. I did push through to the end and I know some people will end up loving it but it just wasn’t for me. I did really like some of the characters overall, like Vincent, but not enough to bump it up past 3 stars.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One of Us Is Next (One of Us Is Lying, #2)

One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Despite not remembering One of us is Lying *super* well except the ending, I had no difficulty picking up with the characters in this book and getting myself immersed in their (rather intense) teenage/young adult lives and mysterious drama. This definitely held my attention without any difficulty, particularly on audio, though I read half of it too. Figured it all out a little bit before the end but it didn’t change my enjoyment at all. Highly recommend and could be read as a standalone but would spoil the first in the series.

Lakeshire Park by Megan Walker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First of all, this book completely drew me in with its comparison to one of my favourites, Edenbrooke. There was an adorable meet-cute. There were fun and interesting and a couple of less lovable misunderstood characters. There was some adorable romantic tension and swoony moments.
I adored Amelia and her love for her younger sister. I felt for her situation. I REALLY adored Peter and how sweet he was despite not seeming that way at the beginning.

This group of proper romance regency novels rarely lets me down and this book was no exception. Plus…have you seen a cover this gorgeous around anywhere else lately?

Thank you to Shadow Mountain and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book comes out today!! I was overjoyed to be chosen in Abby’s reader group to read a paperback ARC that had travelled around the country. This book was a bit lighter overall than its predecessor so I enjoyed that about it. I really, really liked this. I would have gobbled it up in one sitting if my attention span lasted longer than 5 minutes these days. It was fun to read about Kristen and Josh (from The Friend Zone) again but also to read about Sloan and Jason AND Tucker. If you enjoy contemporary romance, loved The Friend Zone, or enjoy humorous love stories, this one is a good one.

Beach Read by Emily Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’d read a few reviews around of people who absolutely loved this book and I kind of thought I’d probably like it too, but I actually really enjoyed it SO MUCH MORE than I expected to. Basically, I ignored my entire family for about 24 hours (don’t worry, not actually, I still did some parenting) to finish this. These characters, this setting, and the entire plot were just so fun and good to read. Two authors who knew each other in college (and had a bit of a love-hate but mostly hate relationship) end up living next door to each other in the middle of nowhere and slowly decide to try to write in the other’s genre. SO fun right!?!? This isn’t a light and fluffy book, there is some serious subject matter in it and some family drama/past history that lingers throughout but I did find it compulsively readable and probably one of the closest books I’ve found to compare to my beloved The Hating Game.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 – I really liked these characters, especially Maisie and Simon and all their friends. I just found the pacing a bit off and hard to follow. I will for sure continue the series especially since the audiobooks are all on Hoopla and I’ve read much worse characters than Maisie between the wars!

Lost Hills by Lee Goldberg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was exactly what I needed at the time I read and listened to it – fast-paced, excellent and exciting police procedural with high stakes. It was a bit more gory and gruesome than I might prefer, but I adored Eve Ronin and I will probably pick up the next in the series sometime. The ending was also very exciting and nerve-wracking and my interest was held throughout. This short book is worth a try for sure if you enjoy this genre!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was excellent. I half read/half listened to it via Kindle Unlimited and it held me so captivated trying to piece together their family history and all of its sadness, resolution, and reunion. So good and cannot wait to check out other books by this author.

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

This book was really interesting because it was so unique. It was a short, quick, read and the audiobook was well done. The children were loveable and the entire plot was really very sweet especially at the end. It was missing just a tiny little something to make me love it more but overall I don’t regret reading it at all.

I also finished reading Wonder to the kids (they both absolutely loved it, even my 6 year old), a wonderful book about bees and growth mindset called Lucy the Bee and the Healing Honey (honestly, the main bee was named Lucy and her best bee friend was named Molly, can you say perfect for our family?! Thank you Netgalley!) and now we are almost finished up with Harriet the Spy.

Read a few other romances including the first in Maya Rodale’s Gilded Age series (really enjoyed it). Grateful for audiobooks while I am taking so many walks around my neighbourhood these days.

Just last night, I started All the Devils are Here, Louise Penny’s September 2020 release which was downloadable for me a couple of weeks ago and MADE ME SO HAPPY. Also working on the first in the Kate Daniels series.

What are you reading? Are you having any trouble engaging in books? As I said, I think it’s because reading really gives me a break from my over-socialized busy “normal life” but now this is my normal life so I want to socialize whatever way I can, which is via the internet, constantly. LOL. Surprisingly, my 8 1/2-year-old even felt like she “just didn’t want to read” about a week ago but I think we’ve all settled back into our regular reading routine now.

What I’ve Been Reading Lately

Today I’m sharing some short reviews of a few REALLY excellent books I’ve read in the past month! I have actually been completely floored by the books I’ve read lately – almost all of them have moved me to tears or made me grin like a crazy bookworm or cause me to gush about them to everyone I see, whether they care or not. I can’t believe how many great books I’m including in this post – I hope one or two of them make it on to your list too! Linking up today with Steph & Jana for Show us Your Books.

Lovely War by Julie Berry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book SOOOOOOO much. This book has probably/almost/maybe claimed a spot on my list of favourite books of all time. The audiobook was absolutely incredible with a full-cast narration. The premise of this book doesn’t necessarily sell it at all, but this is a story of two different couples during World War I as told by Aphrodite, the goddess of love when defending herself and her to her husband, Hephaestus, the god of fire. Throughout the story, I sometimes forgot a bit about the gods as narrators but there are other perspectives too: Hades, the god of the underworld, Apollo, the god of music and dance, Ares, the god of war, and others. It sounds a bit strange and fantasy-based but I assure you it works better than I could have imagined and I am blown away by the uniqueness and intimacy of this storytelling. I cannot recommend this book enough and I don’t intend to stop raving about how excellent it is anytime soon, so beware of that 🙂

What You Wish For by Katherine Center
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think I’d been waiting not-very-patiently for this book for at least a year and a half when I saw on Katherine Center’s instagram that she was in Galveston doing research for a book starring Duncan from Happiness for Beginners. I already knew right then and there that I would love this book no matter what, but in many ways, reading it still surprised me and surpassed my expectations in ways I was not expecting. I originally expected lightheartedness and silly jokes throughout but there were some highly serious issues tackled in this book in a very realistic and universal way.

Needless to say, I really had no idea what this was about (aside from Duncan) until a few weeks ago when I read the synopsis here on Goodreads and I was quite surprised that Duncan might not be the incredibly easygoing and carefree character that I’d grown to adore in Happiness for Beginners. Why? How? Ahhh!! I knew there’d be a reason for it, and I knew I’d love it anyway, so when I got the ARC in an e-mail from St. Martin’s Press I dropped everything and started it that same day.

This book has some amazing underlying themes of seeking joy instead of sorrow, embracing friendships and relationships and friends becoming your family. There are several health issues that are touched on. I knew (hoped!!!) there would be a tiny mention of Helen and Jake from Happiness for Beginners, and that surpassed all my wildest expectations. I adored the setting including the incredible-sounding school environment. I choked up during several lines of this book and also grinned wider than ever other times. The side characters including all of the other teachers at the school (especially Alice with her math t-shirts!!) and a delightfully inquisitive 3rd grader named Clay were fun and multi-faceted.

Fans of Katherine Center’s books will adore this one, I’m sure. I really, really enjoyed the ending, and of course, the epilogue, but there are lines throughout this that I want to underline and remind myself of daily. Steam-wise and romance wise, this falls closer in line with Happiness for Beginners than Things you Save in a Fire in case anyone is curious about that. This book was inspiring, hopeful, funny, realistic, heart-wrenching, beautiful, and so special. I can’t recommend it enough. 🙂

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was exceptionally difficult to absorb, as it is meant to be, but also exceptionally well written and the narration by the author was wonderfully done. I know it’s been said before about this book, but I truly feel like the eye-opening stories and accounts of Bryan Stevenson’s work and experiences detailed here should be required reading for absolutely everyone.

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was utterly fantastic. I’d seen it described as a read-alike to The Snow Child and Harry’s Trees, both of which I really enjoyed, and while I see the comparisons, this book is extremely unique as well. I really enjoyed the characters, my jaw dropped a bit when everything kind of came together and the story was revealed a bit more, and the ending was so nice. This book is full of a myriad of raw emotions and I would also say that there are some trigger warnings which I can mention in a private message to avoid spoilers here. Overall though, well worth the read if you enjoy contemporary fiction that takes awhile to figure out and has lovely imagery and fantastic characters as well as an interesting setting & premise.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was fascinating from the point of view of how and why we develop habits. It is *not* as much a manual for developing better habits and if that is what you are seeking, I would recommend Atomic Habits for a more how-to guide. However, I found the science included in this book super fascinating!!! Keep in mind that my background is in psychology, so I am fascinated in the way the brain works and how people behave, but this was written in a really interesting way with a lot of anecdotes and cases discussed to illustrate particular points. I highly recommend this one on audio but just know that while it is motivating, it is more about the background and effect of habits on lives.

The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Wow! I really loved this. It took me a little longer to get into than The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, which I loved instantaneously last year, but by the end of this, I was still in love with Abbi Waxman’s writing and characters. This book has some very sad moments due to the main character being a sudden widow as well as a mother of young girls (close in age to mine so I related well to some of her thoughts on these pages). The gardening aspects felt very appropriate to read in spring and some of those chapter snippets were really funny! Overall, Abbi Waxman’s writing is some of the best I’ve enjoyed lately in women’s fiction and I can’t wait to read her other books as well.

Photos of You by Tammy Robinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was hesitant to pick this book up despite being sent the ARC in an e-mail because I was worried it would be just a bit too sad and I figured I needed to be in the right headspace to read it. I was right – it is incredibly sad, but it is also immensely hopeful, completely beautiful, and so worth the time. We learn in the first few pages that our beloved main character, 28-yr-old Ava, has been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer after being in remission for several years. She has a couple of unbelievably close, fantastic girlfriends and two adoring parents. Many of her short years on earth earth were affected by her cancer. She decides to have a “wedding” in which she is the bride but there is no groom as a bit of a celebration of life and the story takes off from there. These pages are full of love, hopeful message, and poignant thoughts and observations about life. Ava is brave, but she is also sad and bitter about her situation at times. The ending of this book was lovely despite its sadness and I adored every moment with these interesting and fun characters. The setting of the book is also gorgeous and important at times – the descriptions of some of the locations were breathtaking and made me feel like hopping on a plane to New Zealand tomorrow. Fans of Me Before You will love this book. Thank you to Forever and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow – this is a book you should read if you or anyone you know has experienced depression. It is not a self-help book but more of a memoir that will likely cause you to feel so seen if you’ve had periods of depression in your life. Matt Haig’s experience that he details and shares in these pages is raw, intense, and so well described compared to all other books I’ve read about depression. Of course, not everyone will feel the same in any way, but I think this book includes enough broad strokes of experience to resonate with anyone, honestly.

I especially loved the parts about how books helped to save him, as well as writing, yoga, running, and his family and partner. So many quotable lines.

This will probably be an emotional book to read if you are in the thick of depression or anxiety at the present, but it might also just be the healing solidarity you need.

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A few bookworm friends that I really trust mentioned that this book was fantastic so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I was also warned that they cried and that it was emotional and after devouring this, I can see how it would move someone to those emotions. I felt it myself.

The premise of this book is quite interesting. At the beginning of this relatively short novel, our main character Dannie, who is a major type-A lawyer in Manhattan with her entire life planned to the month, has a strange dream-like experience in which she wakes up leading a very different life than she could ever imagine five years in the future. We go back to the present day and skip around a little bit but it became obvious that something was going to happen to make this book UNABLE to put down and indeed that did happen.

I felt profoundly connected to these characters even though I couldn’t personally relate to them in the same way I often do with characters. I loved the NYC setting. I felt the pain that these fictional characters were going through as well as the decisions they were faced with and the consequences of those decisions. This story included a lot of friendship, love, sadness, joy, hope, unexpected turns, and everything in between. It was an extremely quick read that I did not want to put down.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I first started this book, I thought I was going to have to put it down. I felt absolutely heartbroken about the beginning and so frustrated for Laurie but I knew Mhairi McFarlane would make it all okay and I was along for the ride. I’m so glad I stuck with this book because I TOTALLY LOVED IT. I loved the character development, I loved the introduction of new characters and their depths, I was absolutely in love with how British everything was (it’s just so fun!!!). And of course, overall, I loved the ending too and the way things all played out. Was it predictable? Yes…of course…in some ways. Did I still feel very happy and enjoy every word? Yep.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

New Kid by Jerry Craft
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After my beloved favourite book-recommender Janssen from Everyday Reading recommended this on Instagram or in a blog post (I can’t remember which!), I knew that I had to get my hands on this graphic novel immediately. Then it won the Newbery and I was beyond antsy to read it. This book did not disappoint and graphic-novel lovers should pick this up ASAP. I loved Jordan’s very profound and mature observations of his new school. His parents were wonderful and so human. This book really represents how many of us feel in middle school, but even more so starting at a new private school and starting to fit in and find one’s place. Jordan’s friends were so fun and there were a lot of very humorous and unexpected plot twists in this book.

Themes of embracing diversity and reducing prejudice abound in this book but it is subtle enough to be totally approachable to middle-grade readers. My 8 year old also loved it though I imagine some of it went over her head.

I also read the sixth book in the Ravenels series, Chasing Cassandra (it was SO good and potentially my new favourite), Get a Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert, The BFG with the kiddos, Lauren Layne’s newest, Yours in Scandal, which comes out today, and a few other books for Erin’s challenge. I’m currently reading The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel, When we Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal, and still slowly making my way through The Poisonwood Bible.

TL;DR: Add Lovely War, What You Wish For (out July 14!), Where the Forest Meets the Stars (on Kindle Unlmited!), and Just Mercy to your list ASAP!!

Why I Love to Read

Although I remember myself as being an avid reader as a child, particularly during the summer months, I think reading took a bit of a backseat in my life for many years in high school and university. After the birth of my second child, and subsequent return to full-time work, I found myself following book bloggers, seeking recommendations, pursuing popular highly-rated books and becoming a bit more active on Goodreads. All of a sudden, I was placing holds at the library all the time. I was being intentional about my reading. Eventually, I signed up for Netgalley and started posting reviews of books and joining blog link-ups. Now, 5 years later, books are one of the top 5 “most important” things in my life. I don’t typically ever go a day without reading. I never stop thinking about what I’m going to read next or how I feel about what I’m currently reading. It has become my favourite hobby ever.

I’ve taken some time to think about why I love reading so much:

When I’m reading, I am able to get my mind off whatever is going on in my own life and escape to other character’s lives. It is truly the greatest form of relaxation for me and since it takes up all of my attention, it is a true “escape”.

I love to learn more about different cultures, people, relationships, careers, families, and situations that I may never find myself in.

Reading allows me to truly focus something outside myself

Reading and talking about books has led me to some of my strongest friendships ever and it has also strengthened my relationships with friends and family both through insights I’ve gained while reading or by sharing love for books

I’ve always been fascinated by language and reading allows me to enjoy the beauty of the English language and truly appreciate and savour the way some authors are able to weave words together in amazing ways

Reading allows me to live many lives aside from my own and see things from perspectives I might not otherwise consider

Reading makes me feel less alone. It is a magnificent thing to see a potential situation I’ve been in reflected in someone’s book and to open my eyes to how I could approach similar situations in my own life.

Why do you love reading? Do you share any of these thoughts?

Short Book Reviews (Show us Your Books February 2020)

Happy February!! Linking up today with Steph and Jana and my favourite online bookworms for Show Us Your Books. My reading life has been incredible in the past few weeks. I feel like I have read a lot of books that have helped me forget, for a few minutes, that it is a cold, grey, gross, wintery time of year. Haha. I’ve leaned VERY heavily on audiobooks in the first month of this year due to currently having Scribd and also just because I have a lot of organizing to do around the house and audiobooks help me get through that.

Long Bright River by Liz Moore

4.5 rounded up to 5. This book appeared to be very daunting when I first picked it up on the holds shelf (it is almost 500 pages!) and I debated whether I’d have time to get through it in my 3 week loan period, but it completely flew by in a few days. I could NOT put this story of two sisters down. I enjoyed the Then/Now timelines and how they provided us with so much family history and reasoning behind the very very different lives these two women were leading. I don’t want to say too much about the plot, because there were a few things that I really did NOT see coming and this delighted me, but the connection between these two sisters despite their slight estrangement really developed as we were fed different pieces of information in this story.

This book doesn’t *really* fall in the suspense/thriller genre exclusively though there is a very intense mystery storyline and I absolutely found it captivated me in ways I did not expect. Not an easy read by any means – this book is saturated with vivid and real descriptions of the lives of those suffering from intense addiction -but it was so, so good.

A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn

So, overall, I loved this book. I anticipated it for a year. I love the characters and the setting and the era. I knew this book would tread into some new territory for Stoker and Veronica and that was super fun to read. For me, the actual mystery/plot of this story read a bit slower than A Dangerous Collaboration but I still flipped the pages pretty quickly near the end. The new (main) character introduced in this novel as well as the re-appearance of some past characters all just added to the appeal. Of course, the ending was perfectly satisfying and I would read books about Veronica and Stoker happily for the rest of my life.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This series is one of my favourites ever.

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain

3.5 stars. I liked this book, but I never felt SUPER into it like I probably should have. The mystery component was interesting and I was definitely curious about what happened to Anna Dale in the historical perspective and how that related to Morgan in the present day. I did truly feel like the dual-timeline/dual-character perspective worked well in this book and that isn’t always the case for me. Overall, I just didn’t connect with the characters in a way I would’ve hoped to. There were themes of racism and discrimination, sexism and legal injustice, mental illness, and poverty in this book and parts of it were hard to read but they really made the story stand out among other similar novels. The ending was also a bit far-fetched but also surprising and well done. Thank you to St Martins Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

I’d heard about this book years ago and many people recommended the audiobook with music in it. I agree with them all – this book was fantastic on audio. This took me a little while to get into because there are three unique stories about seemingly unrelated children and my least favourite of the stories was the first one, but I enjoyed the second two and how they all came together. This is definitely an excellent middle-grade war-era book and I really enjoyed the ending and the message of hope presented through music.

Gratitude Daily: 21 Days to More Joy and Less Stress by Nataly Kogan

I absolutely loved this and found all of her little tips and tidbits really specific and inspiring. I can’t wait to go through it all again over the course of 21 days. Highly recommend if you want some actionable tips for making a gratitude practice a daily habit in your life.

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

I’d seen this book mentioned many times over the past year and I can’t remember whose review finally convinced me that I needed to try it, but boy am I glad I did. I really loved this!! I know there are some mixed reviews, but I found this overall to be light, VERY funny, and heartwarming. The plot had some predictable parts but it also included some unexpected/unique elements such as a very close male/female platonic relationship and some mixed feelings as a young widow, which I found really interesting. There were some FANTASTIC banter dialogues in this book and I really enjoyed the writing. It is not often that a book catches me off guard and makes me laugh out loud and that definitely happened here, even in public, on the bus. Haha. Well worth it in my mind. 🙂

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

This book did not disappoint and all of the hype over it is completely deserved. It had a quick pace and I instantly felt very connected to the characters and sympathized with them. The multiple perspective shifts were interesting but I found myself not really relating to the antagonist. The ending blew me away a little bit despite “figuring out” a bit of the story prior to that. I don’t want to say much more but definitely add this one to the list if you have enjoyed her other books! The audio narration was spot-on too and it’s on Hoopla 🙂 There was one line in the middle that I wrote down because I absolutely loved it – I will not share it here because #possiblespoilers but it was about marriage.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Overall, I found this to be a captivating and interesting book. Emira and Briar were probably my favourite characters. Alix drove me bananas throughout the book but I was definitely still intrigued by her. It was just hard to relate to her as a person but I understand that she was written that way for a reason. Parts of this towards the end really made me gasp/cringe/panic so there is definitely something to look forward to from a “wow, where is this going?” point of view. This would make a great book club book because I truly feel like there is a lot to discuss here – prejudice, holding grudges, misperceptions, racial perceptions, social class, expectations, violation of privacy…all of it. Phew. Ultimately, I really enjoyed the ending and I can definitely say that once I got into this it held my interest and became quite the contemporary fiction page-turner. Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and Edelweiss for the copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson

This was a great conclusion to the trilogy and it didn’t quite go where I expected it to, which was nice. Ultimately, I found these three books to be fast-paced and unlike most other books I’ve read, but there was a little something that I didn’t 100% love about them. Maybe the mystery was just a bit too stretched out over 3 books, but I might feel that way less if I was able to binge all three at once. Enjoyed both the audio and print versions of these. Great cast of interesting characters, unique and fun setting, and highly recommend for YA and up.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

I did not realize until I finished this book that this is often considered to be one of Christie’s best books. It was not my favourite of the 4ish I’ve read, but I can see the appeal. The ending was definitely NOT what I saw coming, but the entire plot leading up to it just didn’t quite captivate me the way some of her other books did. Part of that could have been me and my January attention span though. 🙂

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover

As was the case with the other Colleen Hoover books I’ve read (and from what I understand, most of her books in general), this book made me feel ALL OF THE EMOTIONS. It was extremely readable but I didn’t *completely* love aspects of the plot because I felt some immense rage. It was such an interesting take on how characters might react to this type of situation though, and I appreciated that aspect a lot. In a way, it was strange because there were a lot of relationships to sort through/root for in this book (don’t want to spoil anything) but I was ultimately content with the ending even though it isn’t a perfectly tidy one – which I think is fair enough given the entire plot. Anyway, I think less is more when it comes to reviewing one of these books so you can discover it for yourself, but I plowed through this in about a day and could scarcely think of anything else while I was reading it so that speaks for itself, in my mind.

Mermaid Inn by Jenny Holiday

Aside from Jenny Holiday being Canadian and setting her books in Ontario and including bookworms (and a librarian!) in her books, I love her smart writing, great friendships, and upstanding male lead characters too. This book was so fun to read and second chance isn’t always my favourite, but I loved these characters and this town and everyone in it. Very Gilmore-Girls ish in some ways (with the Inn thing) and if you are a fan of the Little Mermaid, this might just end up being your favourite book ever with all of the references. 🙂 The writing is on the wall here for a few other couples in this series and I CANNOT WAIT for that too. Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi

I will once again state that Bahni Turpin can do no wrong and I would have not enjoyed this at all without her magnificent narration. That being said, this book was definitely a letdown compared to the first. I did enjoy some of the magical development and the spotlight on a few minor characters, but a lot of this was repetitive and went in a circle that just seemed long-winded and unnecessary. The ending definitely set me up to want to read the third book though, despite all of this. And definitely on audio.

CURRENTLY reading:

The Poisonwood Bible, The Worst Best Man, Where Dreams Begin, and reading The BFG to my kiddos!

Show us Your Books – Book Reviews for January 2020

Hello there! Back for the first Show us Your Books post of 2020! Here I am including some brief thoughts on the books I’ve read since the last link-up in mid-December. There are some good books here if you need to expand on your 2020 TBR list!! 🙂 Check out Steph and Jana’s blogs for even more book review posts today too 🙂

The Place on Dalhousie by Melina Marchetta

Note: There are two books by Melina Marchetta that would be best read before this one: Saving Francesca and The Piper’s Son. It’s not necessary to read the other books first, and honestly I didn’t remember them extremely well having read them years ago but I don’t think I would have felt HALF the feelings I felt reading this book if I hadn’t familiarized myself with some of those characters earlier. This book absolutely surpassed my expectations and I had gone through the past few years never hoping or feeling the need for a sequel to those other two books but this was wonderful, lovely, emotional, and so good. Marchetta’s writing is excellent and her way of weaving a story together is just so good. I can’t recommend this one enough: it’s not too long but it has a lot of substance, it is very Australian which is super fun, it is both a coming of age and an aging gracefully story. Go get it now!! (It’s on KU too!)

Headliners by Lucy Parker

I absolutely loved so much about this book. I have come to adore the entire series, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this and read about Nick and Sabrina. The story itself exceeded my expectations and was just so.much.fun. to read during the holiday season this year. It takes place leading up to Christmas, so I loved that about it as the plot followed a bit of an “advent calendar” timeline. The work setting and supporting characters were beyond fun as were all of the mishaps that these two found themselves in. Despite all of this, the book had a level of depth that I really appreciated and I enjoyed every single second of it. If you are looking for an excellent contemporary romance, look no further. This is the 5th in a series but I’d say it stands alone – EXCEPT for quite a few events in the 4th book that would be necessary to understand in relation to the characters in this book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

PS – isn’t this cover just perfect!?!?

The Princess Plan by Julia London

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, much more than I expected to. The set-up was a bit unique, the characters were really fun, and the romance was totally swoon-worthy. I enjoyed the inter-cultural component of it which made it feel a bit different from other historical romances. Will definitely continue with the series and am dying to read the next already.Thank you to Edelweiss, Netgalley, and Harlequin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

What can I say about this book that hasn’t already been said? It’s one of the best books ever written, period, end of story. 🙂 (I know this is still my opinion but it is just sooo good). This Audible narration is exceptional too and this was just such a gift to have this story in my ears during a busy season of the year. It felt like a hug from a good and familiar friend 🙂

You Are Awesome: How to Navigate Change, Wrestle with Failure, and Live an Intentional Life by Neil Pasricha

I have followed this author’s blog for years (I’m sure most people have heard of him) but I think this is the first full book of his I’ve read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In some ways, there’s nothing TOO new here if you read a lot of inspirational/self help type books but I love reading these types of books in the new year to just build myself up and keep working on a more positive and uplifting mindset. This is perfect for that. Some really great points here about reframing your story, self talk, shame, gratitude, and all of that. Highly recommend.

The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren

It took me a little while to find my footing with these characters because there were certainly some very unlikeable/awkward/cringe-worthy moments, especially at the start but also throughout. The format of dual perspectives and interview components also took a second to get into. HOWEVER, by the end of this book I was pretty much definitely on board with the characters I loved and the ending pushed this into 4 star territory for me. James and Carey were so fun and I LOVED that they wrote a character with a movement disorder – I see patients with these in my work life so I just found that part really well handled and interesting. Loved the chemistry and steam between the characters too. All in all, I was not disappointed by this upcoming release but it didn’t make me laugh QUITE as hard as My Favorite Half-Night Stand 🙂 Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I read this for Erin’s challenge 12.0.

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

This audiobook was so well narrated and I could not listen fast enough to find out how everything worked out for this family and what actually happened. It isn’t 100% thriller-paced but it is definitely compelling. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and the past/present switch. Ultimately, my heart broke for the difficult relationships in this family but the story itself was utterly addictive to listen to. Looking forward to reading some of her other books!! Trigger warning: infertility I read this for Erin’s challenge 12.0.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

I’d read this years ago but it is a bit more meaningful after seeing the Fantastic Beasts movies. The kindle motion version of this book is SO wonderful and beautiful and I adored it immensely!!! It’s on Kindle Unlimited so it’s worth a browse just to see all the animals move, if you’re interested in magical creatures from the HP world 🙂

Stay by Catherine Ryan Hyde

This was an emotional but unputdownable read. I resonated so much with Lucas and his worry for others around him. I was saddened by the difficult events and relationships in this book, but ultimately hopeful. In some ways, probably because of the era, this reminded me a tiny smidge of one of my most beloved books, The Wednesday Wars – but it is more intense than that and not written for middle grade. I really need to read more of her backlist because this writing is incredible. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Currently reading: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell, Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain (comes out today!) and Mermaid Inn by Jenny Holiday

My Best Books Read in 2019

Belated Merry Christmas wishes and a very happy 2020!! We had a wonderful Christmas Day and we are off work til January 6 so the celebrations with everyone in our lives are still continuing daily.

I plan to share some of my actual reading stats from 2019 in another post next week but here’s a quick glance at it today:

I read 68046 pages across 208 books

As you can imagine, it was difficult to narrow done my “best books” from 208 books so far. My best ones were, in many ways, the few books I re-read. I included those at the bottom of this post. Linking up with Steph and Jana today!!!

Here are the best books I personally read in 2019, in no very particular order:

1) The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman – you should read this if you like books about bookworms, a little touch of romance and some self-development. It was a fun contemporary fiction book with a great cast of characters and TONS of quotable lines. I absolutely loved this and my love for it was heightened by reading it along with Kristen and swooning every few pages together. 🙂 Buddy reads are so fun!!!

2) Sherry Thomas’ Lady Sherlock series – I love these books and I am so glad I gave them a chance. They are so well done and interesting and I especially loved them on audio. So far, The Hollow of Fear was my favourite of the 4 I’ve read. They are historical mysteries based on Sherlock Holmes reimagined as a female. Can’t wait to read the next in the series.

3) Truly Devious & The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson – every time I think of this series I burst with anticipation at reading the final book and conclusion to the series in January. IT CANNOT COME SOON ENOUGH. These are YA mysteries with dual timelines and extremely good but they end on massive cliffhangers so I’d wait and binge read them all at once if you can.

4) Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen – This book moved me in a way I might never forget. I still really need to read his other well-loved book, The Man in the Window.

5) The London Celebrities series– I made my way through the last 4 of the 5 books in this contemporary romance series this year and although I really enjoyed them all (and their unique “theatre setting” in London), my favourites were Pretty Face and Headliners (which comes out in Jan 2020).

6) The Friend Zone by Abby Jiminez – this book completely rocked me in a way I did not expect AT ALL. I won’t say much more about it but holy smokes. The sequel comes out in April and I am dying to read it.

7) Becoming by Michelle Obama – I listened to this on audio and I could not put it down. It was so wonderful to hear about her experiences.

8) Atomic Habits by James Clear – another audiobook that I couldn’t stop listening to and basically told everyone I know about it. I actually need to re-read it sometime soon I think – it would be a perfect New Years read.

9) Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend (Nevermoor series book 2) – this second book in the Morrigan Crow/Nevermoor series did not disappoint at all. This series is fantastic.

10) Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman – I keep intending to continue this series but this middle grade book was one of the best I read in that category this year. It was just SO fun!

11) A Better Man by Louise Penny – is it even a “best of” book post from me without a Louise Penny book on there? This 2019 publication was perfect, as usual.

12) A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh – this was a recent edition to this list because I just read it in December but I was blown away by it overall.

13) Every Last Breath and Nothing to Fear by Juno Rushdan – these were HIGHLY readable romantic suspense books. Very fast-paced and different from others in this genre.

14) A Curse so Dark and Lonely and a Heart so Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer – I cannot thank the ladies on Currently Reading podcast enough for their praise of this book and then its sequel which led to me also loving it. This Beauty & the Beast retelling was so captivating.

15) The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary – a contemporary fiction/light romance with some deeper moments interspersed. Super cute and such fun characters.

16) Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – this book has been popular with lots of people this year and it was quite a profound reading experience but I definitely enjoyed it.

17) Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane – this book was another one that was completely unputdownable for me even though this isn’t always the kind of book I love. It was highly intense!!! If you ever decide to read this with a book club, I did a whole guide on it 🙂

18) The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller – I cannot, CANNOT wait to read more from this author. This historical fiction/romance with a hint of the paranormal and mystery blew me away.

19) Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston– I love royal romances but this one didn’t sound too appealing to me with all of the political agenda. However, I could NOT stop reading positive reviews of it so I finally gave it a chance and it definitely didn’t disappoint. LOVED these characters and the whole plot.

20) Lethal White by Robert Galbraith – I have mixed feelings about this series as a whole but this one on audio was definitely very well done and I look forward to the next installment sometime.

21) Things you Save in a Fire by Katherine Center – I love all of her books and this one was no exception for me though it didn’t quite top Happiness for Beginners.

22) The Lost Man by Jane Harper – utterly chilling but SO good

23) The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan – this somewhat romantic family drama Christmas book was everything I needed in December

24) Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge– this book was all the rage in one of my online book groups a few years ago and I put it off until this year. It was soooo powerfully written and sucked me right in and I adored the audiobook which is on Hoopla. Short but packs quite a punch.

25) A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles – it took me a bunch of library renewals on audio, e-book, and print to get through this but eventually I did and I have no regrets. It is KIND of a very long book with minimal fast-moving plot though, so there’s that to consider if that isn’t your thing

Honourable mentions: The Ravenels series by Lisa Kleypas, Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore, Don’t You Forget about Me by Mhairi MacFarlane, The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes, Hate Notes by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Britt Marie was Here and Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman, The Prenup by Lauren Layne, Wild Aces trilogy by Chanel Cleeton, In Want of a Wife by Noelle Adams (novella), and The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves, The Huntress by Kate Quinn (on audio).

Best Re-Reads of 2019:

Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center – if possible, I loved this even more than the first two times I read it. SO good.

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne – this was great on audio EXCEPT for the super steamy bits haha

The Winston Brothers by Penny Reid in anticipation of the final 2 books in the series. Duane and Beau for life!!!

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson – this was gorgeous on audio and I love this couple so much

Pride & Prejudice – literally listened to this in the last 24 hours thanks to my new headphones 🙂

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE illustrated edition with my family (this was the best!!!)

The Secret World of Og by Pierre Berton

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe with my kids

Anne of Green Gables (Rachel McAdams audio version), Anne of Avonlea, and Anne of the Island (swooooon!)

Books I’ve Read Lately

Back for the final “official” show us your books link up for the year!!! WOW!!! I’ll also share my top reads of the year later in December and I look forward to that, but here’s what I’ve read since the last link up. Check out Steph and Jana’s blogs for other book posts, especially if you need any ideas for Christmas gifts!! 🙂

Books I’ve read lately in no particular order:

Beard with Me by Penny Reid

This book was emotional – I knew it would be but goodness gracious Scarlet and Billy had difficult times in their youth! I felt heartbroken, tense, mushy, and all over the place while reading this but ultimately I am glad I read it to understand a bit more of their youth that we read so much about in later books. It was cute too. Not a happy ending though- as expected!

Beard Necessities by Penny Reid

I had over the top Everest-level expectations for this book after dying to find out what happened to Billy and Claire in the end after so many hints in past books. In many ways, this satisfied my hopes for them as characters and it was extremely fun to read about all the Winstons’ shenanigans in Italy too. It didn’t have quite as much emotion/angst as I was expecting but there were a few heart wrenching moments to read about. Loved the preview for the new spin off series with Cletus and Jenn 🙂 Thankful that Penny Reid wrote about all these amazing and complex characters and their lives in this series. The epilogue was wonderful.

Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters

There is quite a lovable (and also a few irritating!) cast of characters to enjoy in this book. I am predisposed to love British holiday-time books and this one was no exception. It was adorable that way. It was a bit predictable, but I didn’t mind that. It read a bit like a Sophie Kinsella/Mhairi McFarlane book with a character who needed to have more confidence in herself and then grew that way throughout the book. It also reminded me a bit of Waiting for Tom Hanks with all of the romcom mentions and the film world setting. It took me a while to get used to some of the formatting in this book when she was acting out meet-cute scenes and writing about them. Still though, this passed the time nicely and the supporting characters were really fun so I don’t hesitate to recommend it. I definitely laughed out loud more than once and that doesn’t always happen so that counts for something 🙂 Thank you to Edelweiss and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

This was a fun, quick, fall book with beautiful illustrations. Definitely YA but I really liked the characters and the tour around the pumpkin patch 🙂

Let it Snow by John Green

This book had some cute moments but the problem with short stories is that I almost always want a little bit more 🙂 The stories also made me feel cold since there was SO MUCH SNOW, haha. Cute little characters and now I can watch the movie on Netflix though!!!

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

I was feeling a strong urge to re-read this book so I did so on audio and it was so lovely, as before. A few irritating FIGURE IT OUT ALREADY moments but love these characters and so many quotable lines in this book. I really wish she’d write another someday!!!

What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

I’d say that I enjoyed the second book in this trilogy about as much as the first. It was generally a fun way to pass the time and made me want to go to this island and have all the adventures like this family. LOL. The diary entries were an interesting addition to the plotline and I will definitely end up having to read the third in the series to see how all of this family drama/small mystery type situation wraps up.

A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh

This book was soooo creepy and good and compelling and not easy to put down. The culture and community and characters were so well written and interesting. The mystery aspect itself was not easy to figure out and I was mostly guessing till the last page. Really enjoyed this and would recommend for fans of authors like Lisa Jewell and Jane Harper. Now I need to give Nalini Singh’s more dominant genre (Paranormal) a try!!! Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Trigger warning: domestic abuse.

The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan

Loved this Christmas book SO much!! The ending made me tear up. This is aprt family drama with a little bit of relationship drama and a cozy and fun setting. There are three very different sisters who are altogether not as close as they could be but they find they have more in common than they thought. I’d say this is one of the least sappy/Hallmark romance type Christmas books I’ve read that still really makes you feel the spirit but not in a super cheesy way. Highly recommend. The book itself is absolutely gorgeous too if you end up with the metallic/glittery paperback like I did from the library. So special.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

I have had this book on my list of books to read for YEARS but I was always a bit scared that I wouldn’t like it. One day, I just decided to go for it when I saw it was available on audio from the library and I really, REALLY enjoyed it. Unfortunately, this means that my book bestie has basically disowned me, haha, but I’m still going to stick with my opinion 🙂 I am excited now too because I have an ARC of her new 2020 book that I am looking forward to reading!!
It I can 100% see how this book isn’t for everyone, and I think I truly just happened to pick it up at the right time. I might not even have enjoyed it as much in paper format because the narrator was really excellent. There is a lot of jumping around in this book between time periods and groups of people and that can be a bit confusing or seem pointless but I loved it. It was extremely interesting to come full circle with who ended up owning the Station Eleven comics years later. I really enjoyed that parts of this book took place in Canada and I love that St. John Mandel is another Canadian author for me to appreciate.

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

With this book, I’ve officially read every book Fredrik Backman has written…so now he’s due to write me another one 🙂 I knew Britt-Marie (and Kent) from My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises and I’m glad I read that one first. This audiobook, as all of his books, was wonderfully well done and an excellent way to take in his words. Britt-Marie is a lovable and interesting character and my heart goes right out to her. I loved reading her flourish in this book. It was excellent if you have enjoyed his other works though I know this type of fiction is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

This was extremely readable, super cute, and really fun. Loved these characters and the entire plot. It was definitely YA fluffiness but it was adorable and too much fun and gave my brain a much needed little break so no complaints here!!! 🙂 Enjoyed the dual perspectives too. Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Secrets and Suitors by Joanna Barker

This book was adorable and I wasn’t quite sure where I wanted it to go – which is always fun. Really liked Nora and was glad to see her grow and stand up for herself. A sweet and fun little proper romance book – highly recommend if you enjoy this genre. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

TL;DR – I highly recommend Station Eleven (if you’re not one of the people who hate it LOL), The Christmas Sisters, A Madness of Sunshine, and Penny Reid’s Winston brothers series if you like contemporary romance.

Currently reading: Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris and Stay by Catherine Ryan Hyde. 🙂

Recent Reads and Reviews

Happy Show us Your Books day for November!!! I haven’t been reading quite as much as I’d like lately – I still read some really great books in October, but it was SUCH a busy month. We somehow have all of our weeknights stacked with children’s activities and I find once I get them to bed at 7 or 7:30ish, all I really want to do is stare at the wall. LOL. That being said…we have had some lower-key weekends and more to come heading into winter, I think, and I just want to be cozy and relax as a family and get some work done inside our home.

Here are a few of the books I read in the last month or so! Linking up today with Steph and Jana, as always. Check out the link up to see some other great, quick book reviews!!!

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has been on my TBR for a super long time. It was quite long, and strange in the sense that it was a thriller but a LONG one. It was captivating though, and the audiobook held my interest the entire time. This is quite a saga that goes back and forth in time a little bit and it is easy to forget that it is fiction. At times, I really wanted it to go just a bit faster to find out how it all worked out but the journey to that final destination was definitely interesting. Some of the characters were very easy to follow along with even though I wouldn’t call it a character-driven novel.
This definitely wouldn’t fall in the category of a quick thriller/mystery but if you have the time and want to commit to the story, I found it absolutely worth it and wish I had picked it up sooner. HIGHLY recommend the audiobook – the narrator was fantastic.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Reading this aloud to my daughter was so wonderful. I love the illustrated books. This has usually been my favourite in the series though I go back and forth a little bit. I just love the whole Triwizard Tournament aspect and the growth in everyone’s relationships and transition to maturing etc. I was a bit concerned about my 8 year old’s reaction to the ending and the darkness to come, but I think we will be able to talk about it for years to come and we’ll hold off on Order of the Phoenix for a couple more years. (Not me though – I am going to re-read that one myself asap).

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

Jacqueline Woodson is such a phenomenal writer and this story was so well told. It wasn’t long, nor was it easy to read. It was a beautiful story of family and it stayed with me long after I finished it.

Not the Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This wasn’t quite as good as I was expecting. It definitely had some cute moments and also definitely did remind me a bit of How to Lose A Guy in 10 days but the writing just wasn’t my favourite ever. The cover and description sucked me in but it just didn’t deliver for me personally.

The Winston Brothers series by Penny Reid

Did a re-read with Kristen of the first 4 Winston Brother books in less than a week – this is such a loveable family and these books were exactly what my tired and grumpy brain needed in the week after daylight savings time. LOL. Now I’ll re-read the 5th one ASAP and get to the two NEW BOOKS including the conclusion to the series. Penny Reid writes complex and smart characters in a contemporary romance genre and I love her books. My favourites so far are Truth or Beard and Beard in Mind but I’m sure I will love the final book.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow, this book completely held my attention and I was super absorbed in all of the events unfolding at Ellingham. I’d say this reads like a slightly creepier and older The Mysterious Benedict Society, kind of?! It jumps from past to present and I didn’t mind that. I loved the present-day characters and the mystery component was SO good. I knew this one ended on a cliffhanger so I knew I had to start the second book right away but I was NOT expecting the cliffhanger to feel like the author actually just stopped writing mid-sentence (the sentence was complete but UGH!!!). So just be warned, you will need to have the next book right next to you to start right away. I alternated between audio & ebook and enjoyed the audio narration very much. FANTASTICALLY creepy but not too scary fall read. (YA)

The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The only thing I didn’t like about this book is that its sequel IS NOT OUT YET.

Seriously though, I loved all the extra information we got here and even though many of the relationships had more tension here than in the first book, I still enjoyed the plot and characters immensely. Ellingham continues to be a creepy setting and you still don’t QUITE know who you can trust. The ending of this one was yet another cliffhanger that left me dying to read the third and final book in this series, so if you can wait until all 3 books are out, you might be a happier reader. LOL. (the third book comes out January 2020).

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In some ways, this book was completely different in tone (and definitely setting) than A Curse so Dark and Lonely. I think I loved it equally as much once I adjusted to that though. Grey is one of my favourite characters maybe ever. He is complex but he is so kind, he is strong but he is also human. I really, really enjoyed the whole journey-adventure-being on the road plotline in this book. I definitely felt extreme tension near the end and was utterly shocked at the conclusion of the story. Yet another series with a cliffhanger and a third installment that doesn’t come out for months (in this case, years, ahhhhhh). Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I think that’s about all I’ve read lately!!! Currently reading: Still Life (Three Pines Re-read) but slowly!!!, Would Like to Meet, and hoping to plow through some more ARCs before the end of 2019!!! What have you read lately?! Anything I really need to check out asap?!

Recent Reads (October show us your books!!)

Happy 5th Anniversary to Steph and Jana and Show us Your Books!! Wow!! Thank you for the time and effort you both put into this link up. Show us Your Books day is always one of my favourites in the month and I love reading everyone’s reviews of the books they’ve been reading lately. Long live SUYB!! 🙂

Fall reading is in full swing over here (I LOVE reading in the fall, lol, well, actually any season, but my attention span gets longer in the fall as opposed to the summer). I’ve read some great books lately and cannot wait to chat about them today!!

SERIOUSLY wonderful books

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

I absolutely devoured this book. I can’t even explain what it is that I liked about it so much, but the characters and the plot were so compelling and the writing was incredible. The audiobook was especially well done. I cannot rave about this book enough and I highly recommend it. I don’t want to say too much about the plot here because I really think this is best gone into without much idea of what happens, but there are a few content warnings to heed if there are themes that you’re sensitive about. This is one of those books that I’d recommend to (almost) everyone though – it’s just so well done and so much to think about/discuss.

View all my reviews The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

I had heard a lot of positive praise for this book, so I had high expectations when I started it despite not being very clear on the genre or plot. I am pleased to report that I absolutely LOVED this book. It took me a chapter or two to get into, but then I was completely engrossed. This book actually crosses genres a little bit, but at its heart, it is a historical mystery/historical romance, in my opinion. There is a slight supernatural element as well. I adored these characters and the main male character, Sam, reminded me a little bit of Newt Scamander from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (the movie). He definitely had that mad scientist thing going on and it was soooo fun to read about. His family, on the other hand, reminded me of my beloved Bridgertons though there are fewer of them here. They were absolutely heartwarming and just the kind of beloved family that you want to read about. There were humorous moments, suspenseful moments, steamy moments, swoon-worthy lines, and moments of relief and joy in this book. The writing was superb and I cannot wait to follow this wonderful author’s career in the future. Thank you to Edelweiss, Netgalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is a perfect fall read if any of this sounds wonderful to you too.

The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas

I am completely hooked on this series about Charlotte Holmes and this addition to the series was wonderful and enticing to read. These characters are lovely and the introduction of several new characters including the Maharani of India and Lord Ingram’s friend
Lieutenant Atwood. I loved the touch of romance in the third book and that tension was still present in this book though I am dying for things to move forward a bit in that regard 😉 It was interesting to have Livia and Stephen Marbleton play a more critical role as characters in this book and for the development of the series’ plot with Moriarty too. All in all, I adore this series and I now intend to seek out all of Sherry Thomas’ other works although I don’t expect them to be similar to this. Highly recommend starting this series at the beginning and savouring it all. Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend reading this series in order!!!

The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction by Meghan Cox Gurdon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was so thought-provoking and inspiring. This book definitely makes an extremely strong case for the power of reading aloud to children AND to adults and highlights the human connection we are able to embrace when reading together. I loved it.

BOOKS I LIKED

We Met in December by Rosie Curtis
3.5 stars – I really liked this and read it quickly and loved the characters. The plot felt a bit off and on at times. This is definitely not a Christmassy book in any way – and it reminded me a lot of One Day in December which I had similar feelings for last year 🙂 Thank you to Edelweiss and William Morrow paperbacks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

This was hilarious, read by the author. I liked it a lot. I’m probably one of the last people around to read this so not much more I can say about it but if you are a fan of hers at all, you will like this!

Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie

These books definitely pass the time nicely and are interesting enough for the mystery aspects but not ground-breakingly incredible for me either. I do really like the characters but I didn’t enjoy some of the interpersonal issues in this book – although I’m sure it moves forward in a better way than this book.

Twenty-one Truths About Love by Matthew Dicks

The format of this book was a bit difficult because I tend to (unfortunately) be a bit of a skim reader and I found it difficult to focus my attention on the lists. I also found it difficult that we rarely got other character’s perspectives. However, the lists were heartwarming and the way the story was told was pretty funny at times. It was also a bit “out there” in my opinion, but the ending was cute. It reminded me a little bit of The Rosie Project. Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Currently reading: A Heart so Fierce and Broken, Mourn Not Your Dead, Bringing Down the Duke, and Finnikin of the Rock. About to start a re-read of Louise Penny’s series and anxiously anticipating our arrival of the new Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire illustrated edition to read to Molly this fall!! (It comes out today!!!)

Happy reading, everyone!! If you’ve read any of these books or you want to, please tell me what you think!!!