Show us Your Books September Book Reviews

Phew! I finished this post just in the nick of time after losing power for 48 hours after Hurricane Dorian swept through the Maritimes. Fortunately, there were no major injuries in this area and we personally did not have any major damage done to our home or neighbourhood. Others were less lucky and I am keeping them in my thoughts this week.

Anyway, time for another book review link-up for Show us Your Books with Steph & Jana!! I felt like I barely read at all in August – I had no energy to do so after chasing the girls around for 18 days straight. Haha. I definitely get more reading done when we are more in our “fall/winter/spring” routine aka the kids are in school 🙂 That being said, I did read a few books!! I’m back on my reading game the last week or so too and looking forward to some great fall reading.

A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas

This series is so excellent. I love Charlotte Holmes’ character and the parallels to the deductive mind of Sherlock Holmes. SO fun. It is excellent feminist fiction for the time period and so well written and interesting. Definitely reminds me a lot of Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series, which is one of my favourites ever. Definitely start with the first book.

The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas

This third book in the series completely blew me away. I could NOT stop listening to it. Not only is the audiobook narration absolutely fantastic, but the plot was also thick in this novel and the character development was spot-on. I loved it. 4.5 stars but rounding up to 5 because it was just so highly readable (listenable?!). Cannot wait to continue the series ASAP and see what the future holds for this wonderful cast of interesting characters. There is plenty of feminism, friendship, a hint of love, intrigue, mystery, and humor in this series and I am here for it 100%.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

Oh, wow. This book. I loved (most of) the characters in this book. I loved the setting. I loved the characters’ resilience and determination to better their lives. I loved the tension created near the ending. This book was so wonderfully written with such an interesting plot and storyline that was well-paced and so enticing to read. I can’t recommend this historical fiction about traveling librarians enough.

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

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

As far as Christina Lauren books go, this one was more along the lines of Love and Other Words than similar to Josh & Hazel or My Favorite Half-Night Stand. It’s not a funny book, but it was well-written and I gobbled it all up in one sitting and loved the characters so it was still wonderful in that sense. I could have easily read another 50 pages ish about the whole plot and especially towards the end, I felt like it wrapped up a bit earlier than I wanted it to – but that’s life!! I definitely liked it a lot and I will probably eventually read everything they’ve ever written.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Aussie Next Door by Stefanie London

This book was super cute and absorbing, but it wasn’t my favourite in this genre. I did love the characters, especially Jace and his career, but I found parts of it a little bit too disjointed. Overall, still a cute little book about an American in Australia with some fun side characters and a HEA ending.

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

The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata

I tried to hold off on reading this one for a little bit, but I couldn’t, and I’m glad I didn’t. This book is definitely maybe one of my favourites from Mariana Zapata and it was so good. It was EXTREMELY readable and even though her books are always quite long, I had no trouble at all finishing this in a day. I loved Lenny and Grandpa Gus, and Jonah and everyone. It was cute, it made me laugh, and it brought a tear to my eye as well. Highly recommend if you like contemporary romance or her other books.

The Love Solution by Ashley Croft

This book made me laugh out loud at times. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the sisters and certain moments definitely pulled at the heartstrings. I much preferred one of the love stories to the other, which is often the case. Overall, it wasn’t a hit-out-of-the park romance for me but it was cute at times and easy to read. The Britishness always bumps it up just a touch for me, too.

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

Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days by Chris Guillebeau

This book was good, and I liked the audio version. It was motivating and there were some great ideas. It wasn’t EXACTLY what I was expecting/hoping for, but it is certainly a worthwhile read if you are trying to figure out some plans to grow your income on the side.

READ ALOUD RECOMMENDATION:

The Secret World of Og by Pierre Berton

It was a total delight to read this book aloud to my children this summer. My grade 3 teacher read it aloud to us and it has stayed with me for years. The illustrations in this edition are wonderful and the story kept both my girls quite captivated.

Currently reading: The Dreamers (but I’m getting closed to DNFing it) and The Art of Theft, which is the 4th in the Sherry Thomas series I am hooked on. Also started A Heart So Fierce and Broken!!

What have you read lately? Any good recommendations for me? It’s been a while since I’ve read a good contemporary-ish mystery/thriller….

Recently Read: Show us Your Books August 2019

Happy August!! Another summer month gone by and some more books to chat about. I’ve read a LOT of 2.5-3.5 star books lately and it’s a bit of a bummer. That being said, I need to stop seeking out ARCs unless I really know the author or have heard amazing things. I did have a few great reads this month and I haven’t included everything here either but you can always follow along on Goodreads to see everything I read!! 🙂 Linking up today with Steph and Jana!!

Anyway, here’s what I’ve been reading lately!!

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

I really liked parts of this book very much. It was humorous at times, interesting to read, and easy to follow along with the characters. Parts of it were glamourous and scintillating and so different from my own life that it felt like very much of an escape. I will admit that I think I much preferred the VERY well done audiobook although I switched between the audio and the e-book throughout.

One strange thing is that this entire book is written as a letter to someone, but you kind of forget that through the book because it is really more like Vivian’s memoir. We don’t get to the subject of the letter until the last 20% maybe. This was a bit different than I was expecting when I began the book but it wasn’t a total deal-breaker – I just found the ending really interesting and kind of wanted more of all of that! Thank you to Edelweiss and Riverhead for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

I was extremely wary of this book for months. I slowly saw friend after online friend rave about how wonderful it was, but I don’t typically enjoy M/M in my romance books, so I kept this one off my TBR list. Eventually, I sought out a couple of opinions about the steam level in the book and decided to give it a try. Umm, I was immediately hooked. These characters are some of my favourites ever and I was sad to say goodbye to them at the end of the book.

This book IS a romance between a fictional British prince and a fictional son of the First Lady of the US. But it is SO much more than that. There are other exceptional characters. The two main men are hilarious, witty, sarcastic, and there is a touch of enemies-to-lovers that is really well executed. The political part was interesting since this was set (fictionally, again) after the Obamas’ stay in the White House. In short…this whole book was SO.MUCH.FUN and I completely gobbled it up.

I will admit that I still don’t intend to necessarily seek out M/M romance because it just isn’t my preference (I am SO glad it is out there and I truly believe it can be well done – it just isn’t my personal preference if it’s steamy). However, I am so glad I read this book because I would have missed out on exceptional writing and great characters.

Nothing to Fear by Juno Rushdan

This book was fast paced and I loved the storyline – maybe even more so than the first in this series, which I also flew through. Gideon and Willow were exciting to read about. Overall, I hope this series continues because it makes for intense romantic suspense!! The characters are all great and the plot keeps thickening! (Though this ended on less of a cliffhanger than the first, so it might be done – not sure!!!) DEFINITELY read the first book first in this series – Every Last Breath – I also read it this month and enjoyed it immensely.
Thank you to Netgalley, Edelweiss, and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery

I hadn’t read this since I was 12ish so this was a pleasant re-read that gave me all.the.feelings especially after seeing the Anne and Gilbert musical last summer. OMG I love this book so much and it might be ONE of my favourites of the series (which I am loving re-discovering these days). The side characters here are all excellent, it takes place in a fictional HALIFAX (where I live), and everyone is growing up – including Anne (at least by the end). Loved this on audio and also went through and highlighted a bunch of my favourite lines in my copy of the book 🙂

Well Met by Jen DeLuca
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Honestly, this book started off a bit slow for me and I wasn’t feeling compelled to pick it up but around 40% it really got better and I was sucked in all the way to the end. It was so cute. The setting and plot surrounding the renaissance faire was super cute and very different and this was a pleasant fluffy summer read for me.
Thank you to Edelweiss and First to Read for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

This book was very well done on audio and I did enjoy the plot and the characters. I found it lagged a bit towards the end, but I did really enjoy the ending so that made up for it. The first half was a bit more exciting and captivating with regards to the characters.
Looking forward to checking out some of this author’s other books, which I’ve heard are excellent and more readable than this one. Read for Erin’s book challenge.

Say You Still Love Me by K.A. Tucker

I really liked the characters in this book and Piper’s work and leadership role in her father’s company. The flashbacks to the characters in their teen years were fun to read. The chemistry between the two main characters seemed a bit inst-lovey to me but was still definitely good. Overall, this book held my interest and I enjoyed it. Great summer read since half of it takes place at a summer camp for children 🙂 I had a few ups and downs with the plot in this book but many people likely will not feel that way. I will definitely pursue other books by this author in the future. Thank you to Netgalley & Atria/Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

This book was extremely well written, very interesting, and the characters were so fascinating. I really enjoyed learning about this aspect of history that I knew nothing about. I both read and listened to this and the narration was excellent.

My heart went out to Young-sook and her family and Mi-ja and all of the hardships they experienced throughout the years spanned in this book. Lisa See’s writing is quite lovely and I cannot wait to read her other books in the future. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Playing House by Ruby Lang

This book was cute and I felt like I finished in about 5 minutes. No joke, it was pretty short (novella length), but I knew that going into it. I was interested in the two character’s past encounters in their friend group as well as their chosen career (urban planners). The scenes in which they pretended to be together in order to view apartments were fun. I am undecided whether I’ll continue the series or not, but this certainly passed the time okay. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret of the India Orchid by Nancy Campbell Allen

This was a fun book to read – I alternated between the audio and the ebook and enjoyed both. I really liked the characters but I was sad not to have some background of the time when Anthony and Sophia met – I love those early “meet cute”/courtship days in historical romances. The actual plot moved along quickly and all of the side characters were interesting. I enjoyed the setting and, of course, there were some wonderful swoon-worthy moments, including the ending 🙂 Read for Erin’s challenge.

That’s about it! Yesterday I did an in-depth review of a reading app called Scribd. Go check it out here! Tomorrow is my birthday and I am antsy to get some extra reading time in, but let’s be honest, since I’m home with the kids it will mostly be a beach day, I think 🙂 (NO complaints here ;))

Currently reading: Mariana Zapata’s newest book which came out August 7 (so far SO good!!), The Dreamers, and Side Hustle.

A review of my new favourite book app: SCRIBD!!

For those who haven’t heard of it, Scribd is a subscription-based e-book and audiobook website (similar to Netflix, but for books). I recently tried it on a 60-day free trial basis, and I’m excited to share my thoughts on it today!! 

I had been antsy for months to try out Scribd to listen to a few audiobooks that my library either didn’t have or for which there was a long waitlist. I rely heavily on audiobooks to get through my to-be-read (TBR) list, and sometimes it takes a while to get a new release from the library. I had kept the idea of trying a Scribd trial in the back of my mind until I knew there were a few audiobooks I really wanted to prioritize. It’s easy to sign up for the free trial; here’s a link to try it free for 60 days (affiliate link). If you’re a pretty serious reader or you have a certain book in mind that you want to read or listen to, you can check if Scribd has that book first before doing the trial. They do have A LOT of books and audiobooks, including brand-new releases, but they don’t have every book like Kindle or Audible does. 

I immediately logged into the website and downloaded the Scribd app to my phone. I found the app to be very user-friendly but I preferred to do my browsing on the website. It’s easy to search for books and browse through popular titles. You can stream the ebooks or audiobooks or download them to your device to listen to offline. It seems like they have more popular audiobooks than e-books, for instance, if you are looking for a new release, it seems to me that Scribd is more likely to have it in audiobook format than e-book format which is something to consider if you don’t prefer audiobooks. In my trial, I used Scribd almost exclusively to consume audiobooks, so this worked great for me, but I also read about 5 e-books and I found the formatting just fine on those.

How does Scribd compare to other audiobook/e-book apps? 

I subscribed to Audible for a couple of years, and I liked it overall. What really bothered me about Audible (and this is totally a “me” thing and would not apply to everyone) is that I felt extremely pressured and stressed to spend my monthly credit on a book that I could not get elsewhere. For instance, if there was an audiobook I really wanted to listen to, but it was available at my library within a month or two, I did not feel like I could spend $15 on it just so that I could own it without even knowing yet if I liked the book. This resulted in me piling up credits and then spending them on children’s books or classics that were well performed because I knew I might re-listen to those or at least share them with my family. It was actually stressful for me because I don’t typically spend money on books unless I know I love them and need to own them to either share with other people or re-read myself. Many others have no problem spending $15/month on an audiobook and that is totally fair. Audible is superior in that it has almost every audiobook ever made, and various versions of the audiobooks as well. Plus, with Audible, you do get to keep your book forever, and that isn’t the case with Scribd unless you keep your subscription forever. That’s just something to consider. If you prefer, like me, to get the majority of your audiobooks from the library, then I think Scribd is a great addition to library borrowing. It is less expensive per month than Audible (8.99 vs. 14.99) and you can get theoretically listen to/read more than one audiobook/e-book over that period of that time, so the price per book actually goes down even more. 

One downside to Scribd that I had heard about in a few online groups and experienced myself during my trial period is that it isn’t TRULY unlimited. If you are a voracious reader or listener, you will find your availability limited after several audiobooks per month. This can be extremely frustrating because it doesn’t quite seem easy to tell when the books are going to be “waitlisted” for you. Basically, you can read or listen to several “new release” audiobooks or e-books but if you go through too many in about a week or two, all of a sudden a note will appear in the app that those books aren’t available to you until your next billing cycle. This has something to do with licensing and it can be super frustrating if you are in the middle of a book that you then can’t finish for another few weeks. This likely won’t happen to you if you only get through 1-2 audiobooks or 1-2 e-books per month – the website states that it only happens if you are a “voracious” reader. The unexpected element of it could drive people crazy though, I get that.
Also, when the books you’ve saved “disappear” and aren’t available until the next month, there are still LOTS of backlist titles you can read. Personally, I think I got through 5 audiobooks the first month before anything became limited and 6 audiobooks and 2 e-books the next month. I don’t see this being an issue if you really prioritize the books you desperately want to read/listen to first and the rest are just gravy on top of that. It’s definitely good to know up-front though and I know that I relied on the library waitlist for a couple of books instead of listening through Scribd just so I could guarantee I’d have access to the Scribd books not available at my library if that makes sense.   I’ve made a little chart here that compares Scribd to other e-book/audiobook apps and maybe it lays it out in a more clear way:
Anyway…for $8.99 a month, unless you like to re-read audiobooks or buy books for your shelf, I think Scribd can really easily supplement your access to audiobooks and e-books. The major downside is that it doesn’t have every book and it IS limited after about 5-6 books (this seems to be less so for children’s books, from what I’ve noticed). I definitely personally find it to be a better deal than Audible. I enjoy using my library for almost everything but I like having Scribd for those books that my library doesn’t get and for instant access to new releases. I will definitely pay for this in the future. If this sounds like something you want to try, you should take advantage of this link I have for a 60-day free trial!! I got through about 10-15 books during my 60-day trial so it was definitely worth it to me!!
Here are over 25 titles on Scribd to get you started!!!  City of Girls by Elizabeth GilbertBecoming by Michelle ObamaDaisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (plus all of her other books too) The Island of Sea Women by Lisa SeeRed, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuistonThree Women by Lisa TaddeoThe Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather MorrisThe Hating Game & 99 Percent Mine by Sally ThorneI Miss you When I Blink by Mary Laura PhilpottSarah J Maas’ books (e-books and audiobooks) which always have a long hold line at my library Peace like a River by Leif EngerLand of Stories by Chris ColferThe Book Scavenger series by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman (excellent on audio) JoJo Moyes’ books (all of them from what I can see) The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson which was cute Outer Order, Inner Calm & Gretchen Rubin’s other books (I still need to read Happier at Home!!) Atomic Habits by James Clear which I rave about hereThe Nickel Boys by Colson WhiteheadAll the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr which was fantastic on audio Louise Penny’s last few books which I obviously adore beyond measure The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda HolmesThe Book Thief by Markus Zusak– also excellent on audio Brene Brown’s booksOur Stop by Laura Jane Williams which I am so excited to read!  A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles which is always super popular at my library too (Rules of Civility is on there too) The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker Christina Lauren’s books (most of them) How to Walk Away by Katherine Center Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller which I am hoping to try again someday Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia OwensTo All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han (trilogy) Ask Again Yes by Mary Beth KeaneThe Red Rising Saga by Pierce Brown on audio (on my tbr still! I’ve only read the first one!) Some of Fredrik Backman’s excellent books All of Riley Sager’s books which might not be for me…lol  Let me know if you decide to try this website! I’d be super curious to hear others’ experiences with it!!!   I’ll be back tomorrow for Show Us Your Books with Steph and Jana 🙂   

What I’ve Been Reading Lately – July Reviews

Happy Show us Your Books Day!!! Linking up with Steph and Jana today to share some recent reads. Hope you are all enjoying this summer reading season. I know I am! The only problem is that summer is soooo busy that there are nights when I sit down to read and I do not even have the energy to look at the words on a page. This happens every year and I just have to embrace it 😉 The warm weather and socializing make up for it, of course!!! I am mostly reading ARCs and library books these days, and I’m ok with that. I have to keep up with those ARCs so I can keep being approved for them, after all!

That being said, it took me a lot longer to get through some of the books I read this month than it normally would – but here are the books I’m dying to talk about:

Here are a few books I loved:
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

I absolutely loved and devoured this book. As in, tried to ignore almost everything in my life for 3 days to finish it. It was SO good. Mind you, this book probably isn’t for everyone – it’s a retelling of Beauty & the Beast with very loose ties to the original. It’s not high fantasy though, it’s pretty readable and it was definitely very compelling to follow along with. I can’t WAIT to read my ARC of the second one asap because this one leaves you hanging just a little bit!!

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

I absolutely loved this. So relatable and applicable and motivating. I don’t always find non-fiction/self-help type books to be easy to read or pay attention to, but this one is definitely one with a lot of little tidbits that I HOPE will lead to lasting change in some areas of my life. His website and newsletter are also excellent. (I listened to this via Scribd).

Becoming by Michelle Obama

I think it is almost impossible not to enjoy this book. I really enjoyed the inside peek into the White House life, but I also LOVED hearing about her early life, how she met Barack, her family and education, and the initiatives she took on as the first lady. So good. Her narration was also excellent and I highly recommend the audiobook – it is not a short book, but it held my interest throughout.

Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews

I LOVED the first three books in the Hidden Legacy series so I was highly anticipating this one. I knew it was about a different main character, Nevada’s sister, Catalina, and I grew to really love her too by the end of this book. I am simply DYING to read the next in the series now though and I can’t, for years to come!! UGH!!! Catalina’s magical abilities are SO cool and interesting. She is a strong character and she has definite similar tendencies to Nevada. I love their family loyalties and willingness to help others even if it maybe isn’t in their best interests.
Anyway, like I said, I loved almost everything about this book except for one little thing which I am happy to talk about if you’ve already read it too. This whole world is very fascinating to me. Thank you to Avon and Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Recursion by Blake Crouch

I really liked this, and it was exactly what I expected from Blake Crouch after enjoying Dark Matter. However, I found parts of it suuuuper confusing and had to re-read sections. This was probably more me than the book and I shouldn’t have chosen to read it during such a busy season in my personal life. I loved Barry and Helena. The last half was really intense and heartfelt and I loved the ending. Highly recommend this book – I can’t say I will read everything he ever writes because I still feel like too much of a wimp to try Pines but I do love this writing. Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC of this book which published June 11.

Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

Oh, I really loved this book. It was charming and hilarious and adorable. It was also long – but it flew by, for me. I love how British it is. It reminds me of a better Sophie Kinsella book – the main character is perceived as a bit of a hot mess, but she isn’t as much of one as the Kinsella books I’ve read. Haha. I would re-read this in a heartbeat and I did re-read several pages immediately after finishing. This is perfect chick lit/women’s fiction for the summer time. It’s romantic but not really a romance book. Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Collins for the ARC of this book!

The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare

This series continues to be so fun to read. I loved Penny and Gabe and being “reunited” with the other characters from the previous books. I absolutely feel the need to read all of Tessa Dare’s books at some point in this lifetime. If you like cute and funny historical romance, try this series! Start with the first one, The Duchess Deal though 🙂 There will be one more to come and I cannot WAIT for that!!! Thank you to Edelweiss and Avon for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Lady in the Coppergate Tower by Nancy Campbell Allen

This was a solid addition to the series and I loved Hazel and Sam and their adventure in this book. Now I want to re-read the other two books. I get the feeling there will be a fourth…fingers crossed?!

Thank you to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the ARC of this proper romance book – it comes out Aug 6!

Other books I liked enough:

The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai

I definitely liked this – the characters were mostly great, I found the CTE in football aspect extremely interesting, I liked the whole dating app competitors thing and the set up of the main love interest. It didn’t hold my interest quite as much as I was expecting though, and I’m not sure why. I also found Annabelle hard to get on board with even though I know she was intended to be that way. I will definitely read more from this author in the future. Thank you Avon & Edelweiss for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Don’t Ever Tell by Lucy Dawson

This started out feeling pretty creepy to the extent that I didn’t feel like reading it before bed (but I’m a bit wimpy these days)…however, ultimately, it fell a little bit flat. I guessed most of the twists except one and that maybe didn’t help. Interesting concept and definitely had me hooked to the page and not super long so would make a good beach read. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory

I liked this book enough and read it in mostly one sitting. The characters were fun, cute, and loveable. It was especially fun to re-connect with characters from the first two books in this series although it took me a few minutes to sort out the timeline and I’ll admit that I didn’t remember Theo particularly well from The Wedding Date. I just didn’t love it as much as the first two in this series…and that happens sometimes!
Thank you to Berkley and Edelweiss for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor

I flew through this book pretty quickly and I liked the concept of it, despite it not really being about Grace Kelly aside from her being a peripheral character. I enjoyed the dual perspectives. I really liked the characters overall and the setting. The plot moved quickly and it was fun to read. I had some issues with some things that happened near the end though, and I can’t rate it higher because of that…don’t want to spoil anything but it just didn’t quite end up the way I expected overall. I will still pursue other works by these authors as I enjoy their style though!! And that cover…WOW!!! Thank you to Edelweiss and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Hattie’s Home for Broken Hearts by Tilly Tennant
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was cute and I liked the plot, the setting, and the characters. The writing wasn’t my favourite of all time, and I think it is a bit forgettable overall but it was still a good enough read at the time. I will admit that I picked this up solely based on the main character’s name which is the same as my niece, and the cover – which satisfied a category in Erin’s book challenge. 🙂
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

And that’s about it! What have you been reading lately?

Currently reading: Soulless by Gail Carriger (so good) and Washington Black by Edi Edugyan

14 Audiobooks to listen to on a Road Trip

Happy Friday, and happy long weekend to my fellow Canadians!!! HAPPY CANADA DAY!!! This is my favourite holiday of the year (probably tied with Christmas though) and I can’t wait to celebrate our beautiful country by camping in a national park in the rain this weekend. LOL. (Cross your fingers for us that it will not rain!)

Today I’m happy to share the second post in a blog collaboration with Gina, Anne, Rachelle, and Kristen!! Here you’ll find 14 audiobook suggestions for a road trip (or for whenever really – I love listening to audiobooks all the time). Guys – you know I am hooked on audiobooks. I loved them as a kid, and I wish I had thought to use them more in university (especially for my Shakespeare course). I rely on them heavily these days to get through my TBR. The first audiobook I got on a free audible trial and listened to and got SUPER HOOKED in the past 5 years was The Martian – I still highly recommend that one but most people I know have read it.

A bunch of these are on Hoopla and if you haven’t tried out that app yet via your library, I can’t recommend it enough (mostly for audiobooks – I don’t love their interface for e-books). You get the book instantly and get it for 3 weeks! I get 5 books a month via my library and usually use up all of those “credits”.

Circe by Madeline Miller

I absolutely loved this book. I am familiar with The Odyssey and studied it briefly but have not read it so I wouldn’t say you need to know any of that to enjoy this. This was so fascinating, so captivating, and so much more likable than I ever could have expected. It could definitely be family friendly with older teenagers too, based on what I remember.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

This book was absolutely gripping and so heart-wrenching. The stories that Paul shares are inspiring. His views on life and death are so interesting and this book really made me think. The epilogue led to tears streaming down my face while driving. It was an incredible read and I would highly, highly recommend it. Just maybe not when driving through the city when you need to be able to see through your tears. 😉

Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge

This audiobook is on hoopla and the narrator is FANTASTIC. I loved it. The two main characters are American and French, and the French parts were so well done (it all was, but that in particular). It’s also pretty short. I hesitate to say much about this book because the ending was spoiled for me and I’d hate for that to happen to others…although there are some trigger warnings, in my opinion.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

I enjoyed the full-cast performance of this audiobook immensely. The story itself was also very good and I liked it a lot. Katsa and Po were great characters, and the whole Graceling realm is very interesting. I would absolutely consider this to be an “approachable” fantasy book if that’s something you’re interested in. It is also on Hoopla and would be family friendly for older kids, I think – it’s YA but there is some romance too.

A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie

I keep meaning to continue this series past the second one because it’s really good on audio and also (again) on Hoopla. This was a mystery that I couldn’t quite figure out. LOVED the characters though and the British setting (always a plus for me in my reading life – give me a book set in Britain and I’ll usually be a bit drawn to it for some reason).

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

I adored every little bit of this book, especially on audio. I do have a slight thought though that maybe this is a good book to listen to in the summer. I sent it to both of my grandmothers after reading it, thinking they would also love it, and one of them did adore it – the other found it too depressing for the winter months when she is living alone. There are some sad aspects to this book, but it is ultimately hopeful, funny, and thought-provoking, in MY opinion. And again, it’s on Hoopla, so what are you waiting for?!

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

This super fun Sherlock retelling with Sherlock as a woman was so fun to listen to, and it’s the first in a series!! It reminds me a little bit of the Veronica Speedwell books, which I adore. It’s on Hoopla too 🙂

Still Life by Louise Penny

It’s pretty much impossible for me not to mention this Canadian gem of a series – one of my most beloved series of all time!! The narrator for the first 11 books of the Chief Inspector Gamache series is quite wonderful. This first book seems to be on hoopla. I really believe this series needs to be read in order but the books get infinitely better around book 4. Most Louise Penny fans would agree with this statement. I have listened to bits and pieces of all of the books via the library but mostly read them in print. Still, I can vouch for the audio and I know a lot of fans who prefer the books this way! Her writing is quite lyrical so it lends itself well to audiobook format. The first in the series (this one) is on Hoopla 🙂

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

This audiobook, narrated by the author, is so well told and beyond interesting. Trevor Noah makes his childhood humorous, and I would highly recommend this book if you are looking to just get a different point of view on what it might have been like to grow up in a country very different from any in the western world.

A few books for the whole family (all ages):

The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson

We listened to a bunch of these books on summer road trips when I was a kid and years later, the narration is still JUST as enjoyable. So funny and fun to listen to, even as an adult.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

I listened to this as a kid and listened again on a recent road trip with my kids and we all loved it.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

So here’s a little story. I read this as a kid, loved the movie, and then went to read it to my daughter a couple of years ago and found the language REALLY HARD TO READ. It is wacky!!! The audiobook is the way to go with this one. I’ve previewed the Kate Winslet version and that one is on our list for this summer. I expect it to be wonderful and then we will watch the movie as a family 🙂

For the whole family maybe ages 8+

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

This is one of my favourite books of all time and Rachel McAdams’ narration is absolutely fantastic. I absolutely adored this on audio. It is appropriate for any age but the ending (no spoilers) might be a bit hard for anyone younger than about 6-7-8 and the language is that of a classic, so maybe best suited for not the earliest listeners.

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

The concept of this book is wonderful – it is basically about a game that involves geocaching using books. It sounds super fun. The setting and characters in this book are great and although the mystery part of it might be a bit scary for younger readers (I was definitely a little surprised at how intense things got towards the end), it all works out. I intend to continue the series!!

Any audiobooks to add?!? Do you like reading with your ears, or are they just not for you? I just finished listening to Becoming, which is narrated by Michelle Obama, and it was incredible if you’re looking for a HUGE bestseller to try on audio 🙂

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

14 Page-Turner books to read this summer!

I’m delighted today to be participating in this mini blog collaboration with Gina, Rachelle, Anne, and Kristen!! Today we’re all sharing some pageturners to read this summer due to the fact that many of us voracious readers get asked for book recommendations around this time of the year. We’ll all have another post up next Friday, so watch for that one too!! Definitely check out their posts linked below for more summer reading recommendations. I’m going to share 14 books for 14 Things Friday 🙂

For me, a pageturner doesn’t have to be a thriller, even though that’s the first genre that comes to mind when I think of that word. I’ve tried to include a mix of genres in my list today and some older books too that might be easy to pick up on sale on Amazon or without waiting too long in the holds line at the library.

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This was my first Taylor Jenkins Reid book and stillllll might maybe be my favourite?! I’m not sure. I listened to this book and I could NOT listen fast enough. The basic premise here is that a woman’s husband is presumed missing, so after a few years, she eventually moves on, but then when she is engaged, her husband re-surfaces. I could not IMAGINE what it would be like to be in this situation. This is a perfect, perfect summer beach read that you should definitely pick up if you haven’t already. Taylor Jenkins Reid can really do no wrong, in my mind, and I’ve found all of her books highly readable.

Lies by T.M. Logan

I’d never read anything by this author but this book was quite an intense “ahhh what the heck is going on here?” type of book that I know many of us like to turn to in the summer. I truly felt for the main character here who was quite naïve but that seemed to suit him well. This was fast-paced and though it wouldn’t be SUPER hard to figure out the ending, I didn’t. Bonus: He has a new book coming out this fall!!

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

For a turn in the complete opposite direction, this is a fairytale retelling of Beauty and the Beast and I devoured this in 3 days despite my real life being insanely busy and this book being 470 pages long. This was highly readable and so interesting – AND it’s the first in a series (but the second one isn’t out yet, so don’t get TOO excited).

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

I loved this book and I still think about it all the time even though I read it 4 years ago!!! I need to re-read it sometime. This is a slow-burn story with some cringe-worthy moments but it has such a unique storyline and it was impossible to put down, in my experience.

Normal People by Sally Rooney

This is one of the only books I’ve ever read that I put down after finishing it and thought, Hmm. Did I love that or hate it?! I couldn’t put my thoughts on it together. Now that it’s been a month or two since I’ve read it, I have thought about it off and on and although I didn’t LOVE the characters here, I did like this book a lot. It was a fast read and I couldn’t put it down, even though I also can’t say that the plot is really fast-paced. It’s hard to describe, but just know that it might hook you in quickly and you might just want to follow the two main characters over the course of several years of ups and downs. You might even be unsure whether you like it or hate it, like me.

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

This is an overly emotional contemporary romance that just came out recently and I had been eagerly anticipating it for months. It did not fall too short of my expectations, I have to say. I couldn’t flip these pages fast enough. This is THE book to read this summer if this is a genre you enjoy. It is not as light-hearted as it might seem, however!!

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks

This was quite the thrilling ride!! I felt for the main character throughout this book and I really felt like the plot moved quickly and there were some twists. I still haven’t picked up their first book, but I will someday!

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

After starting this, I was entirely unable to put it down until I found out what happened. The characters were interesting and I really liked the way it was told in multiple POVs. Highly recommend if you are looking for a YA thriller. I think I maybe preferred her second book, which just came out this year, but might be harder to get at the library 🙂 They are standalone books though!

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms

This book came recommended on a podcast that I love, and then the cover won me over. It was SO good!! There were some VERY funny moments. It was definitely slightly predictable at times but not too much, in my opinion. I couldn’t stop reading it – Amy’s adventures in the city were so fun. I loved all of the side characters like her friends and her children, too. This is my desired type of summer read, not TOO fluffy, but not hard to read either.

The Other Girl by Erica Spindler

This book definitely held my interest and is mostly what I want out of the suspense genre. It was fast-paced and I did not figure it out. 2 years later though, it’s pretty forgettable, unfortuantely… so it might not be my # 1 recommendation although it is on hoopla!

Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

Anyone who knows me knows that I love this book. At one point I owned 5 copies of it and I gave four of them away to people who I felt needed to read it. I re-read this book just last month and it was every bit as good as I remembered. It takes place in the summertime, so it feels like a perfect summer read. It has undertones of finding yourself, living your best life, rebuilding yourself after your life doesn’t go the way you’d hoped, and there is a lot of friendship, family talk, and a smidge of swoon-worthy romance (though it is not a steamy book). I love it SO much and cannot ever recommend it enough.

The Huntress by Kate Quinn

I listened to this and found it quite captivating and a bit creepy. It was well-done historical fiction and I think I liked it better than The Alice Network, though I did really enjoy that too.

Fatal Affair by Marie Force

Wow, this was a fun start to a very long series. This romantic suspense book reminds me a bit of Julie James’ FBI/US Attorney series or Sandra Brown’s books or maybe even a bit of James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club series. If you like any of those (or if you haven’t read them, I recommend them too!), this would be a good one to pick up! It was definitely suspenseful but not scary and the romance was gooood. This entire series is on hoopla, so very easily accessible.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

I read this book as an ARC with no expectations and I still recommend it at least once a month to someone, somewhere. I have never read a book that gave me the reading experience that this one did. It was incredible and if you haven’t read it yet, PLEASE do!!! It is unlike anything else I’ve read, even by this author. The sequel was also incredible, in my opinion. This is not a light-hearted read either, however, and a friend of mine in real life actually had to put it down because it was too intense. It might not be a beach read, but maybe it’s a beer on a rainy day read? Or something? To each his own, but I wish everyone I know would read this.

Honourable mentions: If you (for some reason) have not yet picked up Big Little Lies or What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty do yourself a favour and read those IMMEDIATELY. I also found The Husband’s Secret particularly unputdownable.

Do you have any good books to add to this list??? I could use a couple of good pageturners to read this summer – couldn’t we all??

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

June Book Reviews

It’s time for another link up with Steph and Jana for Show us Your Books! When I went to write this post and remind myself of what I’ve read lately on Goodreads, it seems like a lot of time has passed since the last link up…and there is always a book or two that I’ve forgotten that I read. Happy summer reading, friends!! I love it!! Can’t wait to browse all the posts and add to my summer/fall TBR list.

Here are the books I really loved and recommend this month:

A Better Man by Louise Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Obviously, I loved this, because I adore this series. I can’t recommend this one without telling you to start at the beginning and unfortunately, expect the books to get INFINITELY better around book 4. I squealed with delight when I got an ARC of this much-anticipated book because there were no arcs for her last book!! This book felt more like “coming home” to Three Pines than others, and I was so pleased with that. I won’t say much more about it, since it’s hard to recommend book #14 in a series, but trust me, these books are amazing. I will say that Louise Penny’s writing in this novel felt like I was sitting down among friends. The main character, Gamache, is at his best in so many ways here and such a character to look up to in times of uncertainty. I don’t know how she does it, but I’m so grateful that she does. Fans of the series will love this new addition.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Edelweiss and St Martins Press/Minotaur for the ARC of this book (comes out August 27).

Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I described this to a friend as a less-sad read-alike to Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I. The characters in this book are wonderful, and there were many lines that I re-read because it was beautifully written. The love story is war-based and lovely and it was all just so highly readable. It’s the first in a series, so I can’t wait to get to the rest sometime.

Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This book seemed to be extremely widely recommended by some of my online friends about 2 years ago and my library did not acquire it so I purchased it and then it sat on my shelf for 2 years. I did have the ending spoiled for me, so that made me a bit more reluctant to pick it up, I think. However, after finally deciding to check out the very short and extremely beautiful narrated version on Hoopla, I can see the hype around this book. It is so wonderful and these characters will stay with me for a long time. I loved so much about this. I don’t want to say much more about it but trust me when I say it is worth the time. Also, if you happen to speak a little French, you will enjoy that part of this book – one of the main characters is Parisian and the other is American, so it is funny reading them (or listening to them, in my case!) chat. Don’t let that hold you back though if you know NO French. Just an aside 🙂

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book came recommended on a podcast that I love, and then the cover won me over, and Netgalley was kind enough to provide me with a free review copy so I was excited to read it. It was SO good!! There were some VERY funny moments. It was definitely slightly predictable at times but not too much, in my opinion. I definitely did not know how it would all end up.

The basic premise of the story is that Amy Byler, SAHM turned private school librarian, who was left unexpectedly by her husband for three years, runs into said husband at the supermarket and he wants to be back in his teenage children’s lives. As a do-it-all amazing mom forced reluctantly into single motherhood overnight, Amy is hesitant and angry at her (still) husband and wants to refuse him. Then, she searches for library conferences to attend and finds one nearby in NYC and decides to go on her own for the week.

Her children are fabulously wonderful and so fun to read about and she is exactly the kind of mom (in many ways!) that I would love to be, so I saw myself in Amy in many ways. Her daughter writes her letters in a journal throughout their time apart and those lines were some of my favourites in the book. Can’t recommend this book enough for a lighthearted and enjoyable summer read with a splash of romance, some great friendships, and some fun family moments. Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union publishing for the complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. And thank you Kaytee, for recommending this on Currently Reading!!!!

The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I saw this book on a summer reading list, instantly put it on hold at the library and then promptly forgot completely what it was about until I picked it up a week or two later. Since I’d forgotten why I requested it, I sat down to read the first page and basically read the rest of the book in one or two sittings after that. It was SO much fun to read. Note: this book was basically tailor-made for me to love because the main character is intensely obsessed with Harry Potter and Jane Austen and can basically become my best friend anytime now.

The premise here is a bit cheesy, and this book is a bit shorter than I may have liked, but it was just so fun and cute and humorous and did I mention fun??? One twin is a beauty queen and she develops a severe and acute allergy so since her twin sister is staying with her, she asks her to step in and compete in her place – just for the preliminaries. This leads to hilarity and some awkwardness and some self-realization along the way.

“Passed the Time Just Fine”

The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not quite as good as the first, still, but better than the second. I would say I feel similarly about this series as I do with the Me Before You trilogy (though they are absolutely nothing alike). I loved the first book and it was mind-bogglingly unique/interesting to me – I didn’t mind but wasn’t as in love with the second books, and the third books brought things around and tied it up nicely. ANYWAY, more about this book – I loved watching Don and Rosie as parents. I laughed out loud at some of Don’s thoughts and things he said, as before. He really is such a fun character to read. His and Rosie’s son, Hudson, was great too as were the parents they interact with and Don’s friends from the previous books. This one was set back in Australia, so that was fun too. Most of the plot focuses on parenting Hudson and is he like Don and how can Don work on the Hudson Project? It has a heartwarming ending and a lot of great moments. It took me awhile to get into and continue, but I did still really enjoy it.

Thank you to Text Publishing and Edelweiss for the ARC of this book.

View all my reviews Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had high hopes for this book, and while a lot of it was definitely interesting, some of it was a bit too much common-knowledge for me. Then again, I have two degrees in psychology, so it might not be common knowledge for everyone? I’d recommend listening to this podcast episode if you are interested in this instead of investing in the whole book. I did really enjoy the format and the anecdotes and it was very interesting, but it just didn’t change my life quite the same way others said it did for them. Maybe I’m not burned out enough:)

Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had heard amazing things about this book and it was definitely fascinating – more so than I expected it to be. I listened to it and it is read by the author – it was quite quick and thought-provoking but not earth-shatteringly good, in my opinion.

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It took me a little while to get into this book, partially because of the characters, and partly because of the pacing. However, once I got mid-way into it, I had no issues with it sustaining my interest. I actually found it easier to enjoy this once I removed the P&P comparisons from my mind because it is far from a direct retelling. There are certain minor similarities, but not throughout, and I got myself a bit confused trying to figure out who each character was supposed to be from P&P.

Overall, this story was interesting and absolutely opened my eyes to one perspective of the Muslim community in Toronto (fictionally, of course). I liked the ending, enjoyed some of the minor characters, and hated the ones you’re not supposed to like..it just wasn’t my favourite. Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book took me a while to get into, and I didn’t love parts of it, but it won me over by the end. I’m no stranger to bookshops as settings in books these days; it is a very popular theme lately. While this one wasn’t my favourite of these types of books, I did begin to really feel for the characters and root for their success by the end of the book. I just didn’t emotionally connect with the characters as I maybe thought I could have.

Thank you kindly to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley and Edelweiss for the ARC of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Romance Reads:

Just One of the Groomsmen by Cindi Madsen

This is an adorable best-friends-fall-in-love contemporary romance that I highly recommend!! It was funny and fun to read, and the first in a series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled for the ARC of this cute romantic comedy in exchange for an honest review.

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I first read the concept behind this book, I laughed and thought it was awesome. A men’s book club that reads romance to understand women better – I mean, it is very funny! A bit unrealistic, maybe, but that’s what fiction is all about 🙂 I was right with my initial feelings; there are some very funny moments in this book.

Parts of this were highly relatable, and it was so refreshing to read a book about a married couple working on some real issues. It didn’t feel overly angsty, the issues felt real, and it was interesting to have some insight into how someone’s “backstory” and the road to marriage can impact the relationship down the road.

Thank you to First to Read and Edelweiss for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I also read Meet Cute and Unexpected, neither of which I am able to truly recommend though if you were to choose one, I would recommend Unexpected over Meet Cute. Helena Hunting’s writing just might not be for me.

14 Elements in a book that will always pique my interest

Since defining myself as an avid or voracious reader over the past 5 years or so (but really, lifelong with less reading in my 20s), I’ve put a lot of thought into what makes a book “good” for me. I read primarily for enjoyment, meaning I’m not necessarily a person who reads to “learn more”. I do LEARN a lot from fiction, but I’m not a non-fiction junkie. Anyway, today I decided to chat a bit about some things that will usually make me pick up a book in any given genre (based on reviews too, of course). These might be a bit obvious…but maybe not.

By the way, happy FRIDAY!!! Us Haligonians are looking towards 5 days of NOT rain, so I can’t wait!! This past week was a total blurry mess so I am so looking forward to the weekend and our anniversary on Sunday! 🙂

Things I love in books:

1) Strong female friendships I love it when the main character in a book has at least one awesome friend. These aren’t exclusive to women, but I do like those. I especially like books if one woman is the main character and then her friend is the main character in the next book…etc. SO fun.

2) A touch of good romance Aside from romance being one of my favourite genres, I even like it if it’s just a subplot in a totally different genre like a thriller or fantasy etc.

3) Writing that makes me laugh or smile even if the book itself isn’t funny even if it’s just a line or two

4) At least one character I can root for I am a character-driven reader. I can also devour a book if the plot is fast paced enough, but I really, really want to connect with characters on the page.

5) An amazing setting such as Three Pines in Louise Penny’s series, or New York (I know, it’s so cliche, but I LOVE it), or a totally unknown setting to me like Jane Harper’s version of Australia

6) “Life lessons” that aren’t preachy I love it when a book can make me think about things in a different way

7) Canadianisms I looove books set in Canada or if a book includes a nice Canadian or mentions Canada ❤

8) Austen retellings I’d even go so far as to include a lot of fairy tale retellings etc in this category

9) A character who is a diehard Harry Potter fan two books that did this well that come to mind are The Accidental Beauty Queen and My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry. The extreme HP love in these two books probably bumped them up at least a star for me.

10) An incredible narrator (for the audiobook) I found a new favourite narrator this week that I’ll chat about next week for SUYB

11) An epilogue I love finishing a book, flipping the page, and finding out there’s a bit more 🙂

12) A bookish character Are there any bookworms out there that DON’T love books about people who love books?!

13) Short chapters These work so well in thrillers, for me. James Patterson is kind of a master at this but I think Dan Brown’s books do it well too. LOTS of action.

14) A plot that is so intense that I can’t turn the pages fast enough I love that feeling. Don’t we all?!

14 “Older” books for your summer reading

I’ve been busy with mom life and getting stuff sorted out for our summer and doing my own thing, so the blog has taken a spot on the back burner again but it’s pretty much summer reading time!! I love seeing a million “books to read this summer” lists pop up at this time of the year, and I have my own list of ARCs and new releases to pick up which I will share in the future. Today, however, I wanted to dive into books that have already been published and might be somewhere lower down on your TBR that you’ve forgotten about them. I love rediscovering books that I REALLY wanted to read at one point and then just digging in!!

So, here are 14 backlist titles perfect for the summer!! Of course, these are all based on my own opinion, but I loved all of these books and a few of them might be a bit more on the “obscure” or lesser-known side. They might be easier to pick up at the library without waiting forever on a holds list too!! Let me know if you share my love for these selections!!!

Take Me with You by Catherine Ryan Hyde

This book takes place in the summer, and it would be a great one to read during these months. I loved this a million times more than I expected to based on the synopsis. Contemporary fiction

Lessons in Gravity by Megan Westfield

This was such a fun read. I loved the wilderness setting & the backdrop of filming some dangerous rock climbing. The setting seemed beautiful and it made me want to visit Yosemite someday. I loved the couple and the emotions behind their relationship. This is a great debut novel and I enjoyed her second book, Leaving Everest, quite a bit too. New Adult fiction with some romance.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Wow, this book was so powerful and thought-provoking. The tension and plot-building in this story reminded me of Beartown although that book is completely different. This book has been a bestseller for awhile now, but if you haven’t read it yet, do yourself a favour and pick it up!! Historical fiction that really reads like contemporary fiction.

Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

If you’ve heard me talk about books at all, you know that I absolutely love this book SO much. I also really enjoyed The Lost Husband (which is becoming a movie with Josh Duhamel!!), How to Walk Away, and her upcoming August release, Things you Save in a Fire. Happiness for Beginners will probably always be my favourite of hers though. This is another book that is such a good summer read – there is so much in this even though it’s a bit chick-lit-ish too. It’s not really a romance, but there is some romance in it. It’s about finding yourself and learning more about who you are regardless of other people. It is SO readable. I love a post that Hannah did about this book too which made me want to go and highlight my entire copy. Contemporary fiction.

Forget Me Not by Kierney Scott

I read the first 50ish pages of this while waiting in a line and then kind of forgot about it for a little bit before picking it up again and finishing the rest in one night. It definitely held my interest and was SO.MESSED.UP. the way that serial killer books should be. I liked Jess Bishop and her background was pretty cool (her childhood though- whoa). Police procedural / thriller with some twists – first in a series and I need to pick up the other 2!

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

The hype for this book is definitely well-deserved. I was unable to put it down until I found out what happened. The characters were interesting and I really liked the way it was told in multiple POVs. It definitely kept me guessing. YA mystery/thriller

Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson

I actually just finished this book in the past couple of weeks. It was so readable. I feel like this was a less sad version of Last Christmas in Paris, which I also loved. I know lots of people don’t really like to read “heavier” books in the summer, understandably, but this one was surprisingly light for the content. WWI fiction/romance.

Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Every once in awhile, I feel like I’m getting to the point of being able to see Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s name without crying (don’t follow that link with her NYT letter if you don’t want to tear up), but then I realize that nope, I’m not there yet. Her death is still so sad to me. I love her children’s books, and I love this memoir written about all the little things that make the world what it is. This is such an easy book to read with profound tidbits of ordinary wisdom. If you did follow that link to her article, I also highly recommend her husband’s response. Their whole story is so moving and heartwrenching and beautiful. Highly readable memoir

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

I’ve said once or twice that books about bookstores/bookshop owners are all the rage right now, and I really can’t quite get enough of them. This one might just always be my favourite of them all though. I adore this book and can’t wait to re-read it sometime later this year on audio! Contemporary fiction.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

My favourite by Liane Moriarty and a book I think of often. This one is so fun to read. Contemporary fiction. If I might help to convince you, here’s a lovely quote from it:

“Each memory, good and bad, was another invisible thread that bound them together…It was as simple and complicated as that. Love after children, after you’ve hurt each other and forgiven each other, bored each other and surprised each other after you’ve seen the worst and the best…-well, that sort of love is ineffable. It deserves its own word.”

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I’ve never read a series like this one and I doubt there will ever be anything that emulates it. This is the fantastic start to a series of wonderful fairy-tale-retellings in such an imaginative setting. YA fantasy

The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin

This book is a good one to read in the summer in order to increase motivation in the fall. I’ve read a bunch of these self-help-make-your-life-better type books that contain tons of “common sense” type pieces of advice, but I love the way this one is laid out so that you could really do your own happiness project using some of her structure and advice. I need to do my own. non-fiction, self help

The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas

I love Veronica Mars so much and I can’t wait to watch the new series that comes out this summer. The newest season (YEARS after it was cancelled) loosely follows this book and the one after it as well as the movie. You could read this book easily without knowing the characters though and it is a pretty solid mystery. #marshmallowforlife Adult mystery

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

This series is so intense and even though it’s been years since I’ve read them, I know they are still pretty popular. Pretty gruesome though! Adult mystery/thriller

Have you read any of these? Are you interested in any of them?!

Honourable mentions: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (the third in this series comes out next week and it is GOOD!), One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Women’s Murder Club series by James Patterson

In the summer, I always get the urge to read thrillers and romance books (let’s be honest, I love romance anyway though). But thrillers feel like summer to me. Any good ones to recommend? I have quite a few on my TBR but not sure where to start. I’m thinking Lisa Jewell, for one.

Happy long weekend, American friends!! And happy almost-end-of-May to everyone else!!!

Show us Your Books – short reviews for May!

Hard to believe another month has passed since the last SUYB link up! I read some phenomenal books this month and I can’t wait to share them here!!! Linking up with Steph and Jana today – check out their blogs for others’ posts about books too!!

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.
The writing in this novel is so quirky, so fun to read, and there were so many lines that I just read over again because the turn of phrase that Waxman used was just SO good. If you live a bookish life at all, you might be predisposed to like this one more than others but I think this book will resonate with a lot of readers who can relate to balancing time alone and time with friends, friends as family, and being yourself in spite of others’ expectations. Thank you to Edelweiss, Berkley, and the author for the ARC of this wonderful book. It comes out July 9. This is a perfect one to add to your summer reading list!

Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I bought this book the day it came out and waited a few months to read it. I don’t know why!!! I loved Nevermoor and this one picked up right where that left off. I ended up listening to half of this and reading half of it. The audio version was fantastic. This world is so much fun to read about and I cannot wait to share it with my children in a few years. I can tell that Jessica Townsend is building up to quite the series here and this one was no exception – sometimes I don’t love a sequel as much as the first in a series but that was not the case here. This sequel dove into more about what it is like to be in the Wundrous Society and we learn more about Morrigan’s unit and candidates. Some new characters are introduced in the form of educators and conductors of the unit. We also meet Hawthorne’s family in this book.

There are still many themes of good vs evil, friendship, family, loyalty, and of course, magical abilities and power throughout this book and I absolutely adored it. Cannot wait to continue the series ASAP!!

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez
My rating: 4.5/5 stars

I saw someone post about this book in probably January 2019 and say that it was one of the best books they’d read this year so I went to check it out and could not WAIT to read it. I was delighted to be approved for an ARC from Netgalley and Forever earlier this week and couldn’t resist diving into the book right away despite being in the middle of a few other books. This book certainly did not disappoint. It packed WAY more of an emotional punch than I was expecting based on the synopsis and the cover, especially in the latter chapters. I loved the dual perspectives, and fully appreciated Josh’s perspective in particular. Not every female author nails the male POV the way that Abby does in this book. Of course, it helps that the main characters are all extremely lovable (including Stuntman Mike, Kristen’s adorable dog!). By the time I finished this, I felt like I had been put through the emotional wringer but it was still ultimately a satisfying ending. These two characters and their path to one another isn’t easy and there are some very, very real issues that go on in this book. It was such a great read and I highly recommend if this is your genre of choice (and if you read it, PLEASE talk to me about it, PLEASE!!!)

Thank you to Forever Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of this book which comes out June 11!

The Huntress by Kate Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a riveting novel and I was captivated throughout. I quite enjoyed it as an audiobook. Sometimes the whole “the reader knows everything but the characters don’t” thing doesn’t work for me, but it was well done here.

The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this especially the dual perspectives and the extremely wonderful characters. I would highly recommend this if you want to read a historical fiction book that is NOT about a world war. This was fascinating but not devastatingly sad like some other books. There was a “mystery” (who is this person?!) element to it that was really fun.

Daisies and Devotion by Josi S. Kilpack
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh, I loved this book so much. What a sweet little love story. Can’t wait to continue this fun series of proper romances – this one reminded me a lot of one of my favourites of all time, Edenbrooke!!
Thank you to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the ARC of this book. It is a standalone novel but I enjoyed the first in the series too!

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book took me a little while to get into but the characters were lovely, the concept was refreshing, and I love reading books set in London (or Britain in general). There was definitely more to this than meets the eye, and it held my interest and kept me turning pages quickly. A lot of cute references to other literary works. Tiffy’s job sounds like a blast and the supporting characters were all really fun. Definitely recommend this if you’re looking for some well-written summer chick lit with some more serious topics woven through. Thank you so much to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC of this book!! This comes out May 28.

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This was adorable and might be one of my new favourites from this hilarious duo. Whenever I get a new Christina Lauren book I cannot wait to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea (or wine) and just jump in and laugh and grin and feel light emotions for a few hours. Their books are a great pass-the-time-happily experience for me and I often get exactly what I expect, but funnier. Their writing is so fun and their characters and the situations they find themselves in are unique and interesting. This one about two “sworn enemies” – siblings of a bride and groom – who are the only two people at a wedding that don’t end up with horrifying food poisoning – is pure gold. The two “enemies” go on the honeymoon for the couple and encounter some people from their past and future while they are pretending to be the newlyweds. The whole setting and trip sounded like a blast and of course, there are some bumps along the way. Highly recommend this one for another perfect beach read this summer. Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC of this book which is on shelves today!!

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really, really liked this and found it to be very fast paced and easy to read. The characters were all well developed and I loved Khai and his family, particularly his brother, Quan. I loved the glimpses we see of Michael and Stella from The Kiss Quotient. Helen Hoang’s writing is spot-on and she portrays these characters wonderfully. Of course, the ending was swoon-worthy too, and I expected no less. Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the ARC of this book. PS: This book is on Hoopla (audio) if you’re having a hard time getting it at the library!!!

The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh, I love this series. It is set in such a different world than most contemporary romance novels and it is SO fun to be continually learning more about the London theater scene. Of course, the Austen themes in this one were especially appealing to me. I will absolutely write whatever Lucy Parker writes in the future because her books are so well done!! I think there are plans for a 5th in this series (can’t wait).
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this 4th book in the London Celebrities series which is out now!!

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’d file this book under “books I would have loved with all my heart at the age of 11-12 but I still like quite a bit at the age of 33”. Is that a category? 🙂 This book introduced me to such a unique concept and the plot involved children on a fun (but dangerous! jeepers!) literary adventure through San Francisco. Emily’s family and her new friend were wonderful supporting characters and can I just say PLEASE can book scavenger be a thing in the real world now?!?! I want to play it so badly!! (Basically, geocaching with books). Can’t wait to read the rest of the series as it comes out.

Enjoyable but don’t rush out right away:

Normal People by Sally Rooney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Usually, after I finish a book, I obviously know whether I liked it or not. With this one, I just could NOT get my thoughts together. If someone else read this and said to me, “wow, I loved that!” I would completely understand why. Likewise, if someone said they hated it, I could relate to that too. LOL. However, this book was not what I expected and I read it in two very busy days, so I absolutely enjoyed the experience. I also can’t believe the author is only 28 years old. These words are so well done. I didn’t completely love either of the main characters, but the plot and the way it followed the characters over time with some ups and downs in both of their lives was just so good. I hesitate to recommend this wholeheartedly without any reservations, but I know it will be sought out widely this summer and I can understand why.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sadly, I did not love this as much as many other readers, nor did I love it as much as The Hate U Give, but it was still wonderfully narrated by Bahni Turpin and provided me with a perspective that I am not usually exposed to. Overall, Brie just didn’t tug at my heartstrings the way other characters do and I think that was my disconnect from the story in general. The plot definitely held my attention though and I quite enjoyed the ending.

Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was cute and felt very much like watching one of those mid-2000s romantic comedy movies with quirky side characters and a happy ending. Some parts of it were quite funny but it was overall pretty fluffy and there were some issues here and there. I do look forward to the sequel with some interesting characters introduced in this book. If you’re looking for one good summer read, however, I’d recommend one of the others mentioned in this post. Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If I Loved You Less by Noelle Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After absolutely adoring the first book in this series, which was loosely based on Pride and Prejudice, I was quite antsy to dive into this one, which is loosely based on Emma. It was cute and fun – I enjoyed revisiting all of the characters from the first novella in the series and I really enjoyed Ward and Em as characters. I liked the way this was updated and modernized as an adaptation. Ultimately, it didn’t quite live up to my love of the first, but I do prefer P&P to Emma quite a bit too so that’s partly on me. If you are a fan of Austen retellings, these are some of the better ones I’ve read – I cannot WAIT for the Persuasion retelling which is next and comes out in June.

Only Ever Her by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was my first book by this author and it felt quite hard to get through despite being not very long. I think it just wasn’t quite what I was expecting. The mystery aspect definitely kept me entertained but I couldn’t find myself caring as much about the characters as I usually do when reading these types of books. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book which came out May 7.

I also re-read and adored Anne of Avonlea 🙂

TL;DR – please add The Bookish Life of Nina Hill to your summer TBR if you like contemporary fiction about a girl who loves books 😉 If you’re into romance I cannot recommend Lucy Parker’s books enough and I also recommend The Flatshare, The Unhoneymooners, and The Friend Zone 100%. If you are into Middle grade fiction in any capacity, The Nevermoor series and Book Scavenger were both excellent. Or The Gown if you are looking for a historical fiction book that is not about the war in any way!

Currently reading: too many to list here, LOL, but I post pretty regularly over on Goodreads! 🙂

What are you reading lately? Is anyone else super excited for summer reading season!? So many good books on the horizon!!!