Book Reviews – Show us Your Books link up April

Linking up today, as always, with Steph and Jana for Show us Your Books!! Head over to their posts to see what everyone else has been reading lately. This has been such a rewarding reading year so far but I’ve mostly been reading new releases and advanced copies. I might need to prioritize at least one “older book” a month from now on. Oh well – I’m loving what I’ve been reading, so no complaints!! Fair warning, this post is really long but I’ll add some shorter notes at the end!!

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I haven’t read a book by TJR yet that I didn’t really love, so I’m not surprised that this was so good. The format made it so easy to read and I really loved hearing everyone’s point of view. This is not a subject I would normally be interested in but the characters were incredible and the story was so raw and fascinating. Highly recommend this one – the hype is real! I’ve heard the full-cast audio version is wonderful too but I haven’t listened to it myself.

A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SO glad I gave this another chance – the audiobook really worked well for me. Charlotte was such a fun character and I really enjoyed this Sherlock Holmes retelling with female Sherlock + Watson. SO fun and looking forward to continuing the series 🙂 Thank you to Netgalley for the copy of this book a couple of years ago in exchange for an honest review.

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Katherine Center’s books have become some of my favourites over the past few years, and I had been anticipating reading this for quite some time. I held off on reading the ARC for a few months because I wanted to be able to share my review closer to its publication date (August 2019), but eventually, I could not resist it on my kindle queue and dove in and finished it in one sitting. I loved this book, as I expected to. It was so interesting to read about the firehouse setting. Cassie was such a great character and I enjoyed the nod to her role in How to Walk Away. I’ve found myself thinking of it almost every day since finishing, and I re-read parts of it that I really loved. To me, this is the sign of a 5-star book for me. This will be a perfect late summer read to enjoy, laugh with, and relate to the lovely characters. I can’t wait to see the success that I’m certain this book will experience.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this wonderful book by a favourite author.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This story was unique and interesting – great for middle-grade. The ending kind of wrapped up faster than I expected after a bit of a long slog in the middle of the book.

The Editor by Steven Rowley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was so interesting! I’ll admit that I didn’t know very much about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis before reading this, and this is a work of fiction, but it was so interesting to read about her as a potential character. I really enjoyed this story and the way it was told. Thank you to Edelweiss and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. It released last week!!

Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Decided to start this after Kristen raved about them and they are all on Hoopla. Got completely sucked in and realized I was already done this first volume in less than half an hour. LOVED the pictures. I love the concept. I love the narration (Hazel’s side comments). Will definitely be continuing this asap. This is only my third graphic novel experience and it was good!!! (The other two were Anne of Green Gables and Book Love). FYI – This is definitely intended for an adult audience.

A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have adored the books in this trilogy and I am sad to see them come to an end – although I still have to read the novellas. They take place in such fun and interesting settings and the characters are so wonderful. This book was no exception and I really liked Nya as a person and her strength in facing some very difficult blows during the recent months leading up to the timeline in this book. I was disappointed that this book didn’t include a bit more detail about the wedding but it didn’t matter – it was still good. Now I need to go and read all of Alyssa Cole’s other books 🙂 Thank you to Edelweiss and Avon Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I didn’t mind this, but I certainly didn’t feel the profound love for it that I felt like I was hearing about all the time when it first came out. I likely would not have finished it if I wasn’t listening to the audiobook. I guess I just felt like not too much happened and the paranormal aspect didn’t really work for me (even though it works for me in other novels, so I’m not sure about that).

A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It took me a little while to get into this, but it was such an interesting storyline that I felt compelled to keep reading to find out how it all ended up. Maurice Swift is one of the most unlikable characters I’ve ever read about, so I am basing the 4 stars solely on the interesting and compelling plot. John Boyne has quite a way with words. The format and how this book jumped around also took a bit to get used to, but it was a bit similar to The Heart’s Invisible Furies in that way (though the similarities mostly end there). I definitely recommend this – I typically don’t enjoy unlikable characters but this one was worth the read. In many ways, it is easier to read than The Heart’s Invisible Furies, so if you didn’t love that or couldn’t get through it, this one might be more up your alley. Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC of this book.

The Time of Our Lives by Portia MacIntosh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There were a few aspects of this book that I found a bit over the top to read, and it is definitely pretty fluffy chick lit but I laughed so hard at times that I actually had tears in my eyes, so that was pretty enjoyable. I really liked the characters and the concept of them all living together at university and reuniting at a wedding. The back-and-forth aspect worked well for me too. It was very easy to read and relate to. If you’re looking for a good palate cleanser or summer read that will make you laugh out loud, this might be for you 🙂 Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for the ARC of this book.

In Want of a Wife by Noelle Adams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I adored this story which was a super quick read. I am no stranger to Pride and Prejudice adaptations and this one was one of my favourites yet. I loved the idea of Pemberley House. The characters were fun and multi-faceted. I cannot wait to read the next books in this series asap. Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the ARC of this book.

Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fredrik Backman can do no wrong in my eyes, and this book was so fun to read. I highlighted large parts of it and laughed out loud many times. His approach to talking about early parenthood is nothing short of hilarious and heartwarming. So grateful to have read this and looking forward to sharing it with many parents in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for the advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had never heard of this author (though I will absolutely pursue more of her books asap), but this book sounded really interesting. I’m sooo glad I picked it up because I absolutely loved this! Annika was such a great character and it was impossible not to root for her and even relate to her in some ways. Jonathan was such a great guy too and their reunion was far from easy but so wonderful. I find it both endlessly fascinating and so important to read accurate accounts of characters on the spectrum and Annika was so well done, in my opinion (not being an expert). I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of my favourite books of all time and Rachel McAdams’ narration is absolutely fantastic. I loved this SO much. Perfect way to start spring. Now I want to devour the rest of the series, or at least until Anne and Gilbert move forward even more ❤

I also read Devil’s Daughter by Lisa Kleypas (loved that, and love that whole series so much), Pretty Face and Making Up by Lucy Parker (these books are SOOOO good), My Ex-Best Friend’s Wedding by Wendy Wax via First to Read (3 stars – not bad but not a new fave by any means), First Earl I See Tonight by Anna Bennett which was quick and cute but didn’t stick long-term (thank you Netgalley!) and G’Morning, GNight by Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame – this was a 30 minute read and very uplifting. I will be referring back to it when I need a little hug from a book. I am also partway through and loving Chanel Cleeton’s Wild Aces series (thanks again Kristen :D) which are typical contemporary romance but with an interesting set of characters who are fighter pilots – i.e. top gun in fiction, kind of 🙂 love them!

TL;DR – I wholeheartedly recommend: the Anne of Green Gables audiobook narrated by Rachel McAdams, The Girl He Used to Know, Things you Save in a Fire (comes out in August), Daisy Jones, The Editor, and A Ladder to the Sky depending on your tastes. For romance fans, Lucy Parker’s series is fantastic and I have enjoyed it immensely. Lisa Kleypas’s Ravenels series is great. AND – whether you are a parent or know a parent or soon-to-be-parent or even if not, Fredrik Backman’s book is funny and touching and would be a great gift particularly for any new dads out there. If you have 30 minutes and Hoopla, Saga is unlike anything I’ve ever read.

Currently reading:

On the Come Up (audio), The Bride Test (ARC), Tuesdays in the Castle (read-aloud with Molly), and Chanel Cleeton’s Wild Aces trilogy. Coming up is The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren – cannot wait!! I’m also savoring The Read-Aloud Family which is AMAZING.

Phew – sorry for the length of this post, I just had so much to say!!!!! Next time I will try to spread these thoughts out over the month. Lol.

What have you been reading lately?!?!

14 Audiobooks on my To-Be-Read list

Phew!! I am happy that it’s the weekend today. This week has felt busy (it hasn’t been, really). I think I’ve just felt a bit lazy and scatterbrained after last weekend. I need to get my act together and do some cleaning and meal planning/prep this weekend. Can’t wait. 🙂 I plan to have a girl’s night tonight by myself (haha) and I’m taking Molly to a movie tomorrow that I won advanced tickets to see! It will be fun. Sunday we are planning to purge things in the basement which is kind of fun in its own way 😉

I intended to post this last week but here it is now. Here are 14 books I can’t wait to listen to (hopefully this year!)

1) Britt Marie was Here by Fredrik Backman – this is the last of his books left for me to read until the new Beartown book comes out (no info on that yet). I already know about Britt Marie from the grandmother book, but I need to prioritize this asap!

2) The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker – I have this ARC from Netgalley (they “granted my wish” a month or two after the book came out) but I think audio will be my way to consume this one.

3) The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller – After I loved Circe on audio, I can’t wait to listen to this one too. My library doesn’t have it and isn’t getting it though, so I need to find another way to get it 🙂

4) 11/22/63 by Stephen King – I have read exactly 0 Stephen King books. His books are NOT my preferred genre but I’ve heard this one isn’t too scary so I have it in my Audible library to get to at some point. It’s super long though!!

5) Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy – I have this on my kindle and I just can’t quite seem to push through so I’m waiting for it from the library to listen to. We’ll see. It is definitely really good, I just don’t pick it up for some reason.

6) Becoming by Michelle Obama – I’ve heard this audiobook is fantastic and the best way to “read” this book – narrated by the author!

7) On the Come Up by Angie Thomas – I love Bahni Turpin as a narrator and I loved the audiobook for The Hate U Give. I have this from the library right now so I will start it asap.

8) Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin – Intending to listen to this asap too – I have read all of her books and enjoy them immensely.

9) I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes – this has been on my TBR for far too long. I hear the audiobook is fantastic.

10) Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend – After loving Nevermoor, I can’t wait to listen to this one when it’s my turn from the library. I have it on my kindle too.

11) Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery – after absolutely devouring Anne of Green Gables narrated by Rachel McAdams, I am dying to re-read the whole series. LOVE these books sooo much.

12) Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor – I also plan to listen to the first in her first series, Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

13) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy – this has been on my TBR for a million years and the Maggie Gyllenhaal version is apparently fantastic. I just need to start it.

14) Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke – another book that has been on my radar for ages because it is marketed as an adult Harry Potter (LOVE). I’m next in line for this one at the library so hopefully it’ll be soon!! 🙂

So, are any of these on your list?! What do you think??

Tips for Listening to Audiobooks (Top Ten Tuesday on a Wednesday)

I have not felt like blogging AT ALL lately. My mind is feeling busy juggling a lot of small family things, reading (which makes me happy), decluttering/spring cleaning, and daydreaming about the summer. I am also in the middle of a big EXCITING project that I will talk about more sometime soon. Anyway, the blog has fallen by the wayside and I’m okay with that.

That being said – I couldn’t resist this week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt from That Artsy Reader Girl. Audio freebie! In the past year or two, I have REALLY gotten into audiobooks. I would say I am probably listening to one at all times – at least every day whenever I can. Here are 10 tips I have for trying out audiobooks if you think it’s something you want to incorporate in your life, but you haven’t had success with yet.

1) Use Bluetooth headphones. I have these ones, but there are hundreds out there now. I know a lot of people who use iPhones like Airpods, but I have never tried them. I can walk around the house cleaning and still be listening to my book at all times. I can listen to my book when I’m shoveling snow or mowing the lawn or out for a run or walk. These are an awesome investment.

2) Speed up the book. I am a fast reader so listening to audiobooks at 1x speed feels like molasses to me. I usually start a book off at 1.75 speed to get a feel for the narrator and then speed it up to 2x or 2.25. My family thinks this sounds like gibberish, but you get used to it pretty fast and it makes a 10-hour audiobook go by in 5 hours.

3) Be picky about the narrator. You can listen to a sample of most audiobooks, and some narrators just don’t work for me so I know I’ll be turning to those books in print instead.

4) Use Libby and Hoopla!! I rarely pay for audiobooks. I have had audible in the past but I always felt like I had to pick an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING book to use a credit on and they just kept piling up. Most books I wanted to listen to on Audible were available at my library with a waitlist, so I never felt like I should spend a credit on them. When my library finally got Hoopla about a year ago, my audiobook consumption went up even more because you can get a book instantly (up to 5 a month, in my case). I always have a few books on hold in overdrive/libby via my library and usually have one or two selected from Hoopla too.

5) Listen to audiobooks when you are busy doing a mindless task. I always joke that audiobooks have made my chores so much more enjoyable. Washing dishes several times a day? Not my favourite thing to do. Listening to books? One of my favourite things to do….so if I listen to my book while I’m washing dishes and cleaning up after supper, I barely even notice that I’m cleaning. The same thing goes for driving. I am fortunate to not have to spend TONS of time commuting in the car but I’d say I do have about an hour or two a week in the car to listen to a book and it makes the time pass much faster.

6) Listen to audiobooks in genres that you want to listen to but have a hard time holding your attention. When I first started listening to audiobooks, I listened almost exclusively to non-fiction and the classics. I still find that I prefer the classics in audio format and I wish so much that I had listened to audio versions of some of these books when I was in university instead of falling asleep while trying to read Shakespeare. Overall, I find most non-fiction more interesting as an audiobook and I love that many of the classics are now available performed by famous (and talented) actors! I am currently listening to Anne of Green Gables narrated by Rachel McAdams and it is absolutely wonderful.

7) Don’t hesitate to check out other free audiobook sources. I know I just mentioned sticking to Hoopla and Libby, but I have also listened to a couple of books via YouTube (these are books in the public domain, mostly). I just make sure to do that at home and not while I’m on the go since they can’t be downloaded but have to be streamed over the internet. This has worked great for kid’s books too. Librivox is another great resource for audiobooks in the public domain.

8) Sign up for a one-month trial to get a free audiobook you really want to listen to. I’ve done this before with Audible, but some other options for audiobook listening are Scribd, Playster, Audiobooks.com, Rakuten Kobo, Audiobooks Now, and Libro.fm is 0.99 for the first month but it also allows you to give back to your community, which is great.

9) Watch for Audible’s sales and daily deals. Also, if you own a kindle version of a book (or if you have Kindle unlimited and you’ve borrowed that book), the audio version is often significantly discounted so keep an eye out for that. I love reading a book and listening simultaneously – I get through books pretty quickly that way. Nadine also shared a great site called Chirp that I was really excited about following (audiobook deals) but it only allows you access if you’re American – which I was SO disappointed about.

10) Share audiobooks! You can always send someone their first audible book (from your library) for free. Here’s a tutorial for how to do it. I’ve done this with a few friends who really wanted to listen to a particular book.

Bonus: I’ve mentioned a lot of these before, but here are some audiobooks I’ve loved in the past few years:

The Martian
The Shadow of the Wind
Harry Potter series
A Man Called Ove
Children of Blood and Bone
The Hate U Give
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Talking as Fast as I Can
Year of Yes
Daring Greatly
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride
Born a Crime
Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series (note: the original narrator died after book 10 so there is a new one who I also really like)
When Breath Becomes Air

Audiobooks I’ve heard are excellent but I read and have not yet listened to:

Daisy Jones & The Six (full cast)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (also full cast)
Big Little Lies

I’ll share 14 audiobooks on my TBR on Friday!!!

Short Book Reviews (March Show us Your Books link up!)

It’s Show us Your Books Day again aka one of my favourite days of the month. I love seeing what other book friends have been reading and adding to my TBR. I also love sharing some thoughts on what I’ve been reading lately!! I read some good books this month so I’m curious if anyone agrees with my opinions on them! 🙂 Check out Steph & Jana’s blogs today to see what everyone else has read lately.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This book took me forever to read and it wasn’t always constantly absorbing but I absolutely loved it. The prose is beautiful, the characters are more interesting than I expected, and it reads a little bit like a long book of short stories in some ways. I found myself telling my husband and kids about some of the plot points in the hotel that I really enjoyed. I studied quite a bit of Russian history around this time period in high school so it was interesting to read about some aspects of it here from a very unique perspective. I highly recommend this but it’s definitely a commitment and if you fall on the side of needing fast-paced plots as opposed to a lengthy character study, it might not be for you. In some ways, it reminded me a bit of The Heart’s Invisible Furies (following one man through a lifetime in an ever-changing country) but not in plot and this was not as emotionally fraught as that book.

The Lost Man by Jane Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read and enjoyed Jane Harper’s previous two books but this one might be my favourite of hers. It was very riveting and I thought I had a few things figured out which I was quite wrong about. It came together so interestingly at the end. The characters were hard to figure out and it was easy to feel for them for their own reasons. I was baffled that a book with so few characters could actually leave me totally uncertain as to who did what – but that was absolutely the case here.

This book also definitely served as a reminder that I am a city girl – haha – the remoteness of the setting was giving me a bit of anxiety and unlike other books I’ve read, I don’t have a strong desire to visit that area of Australia…lol 🙂

Lies, Love, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Julie Wright
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars This was such a fun book to read and I gobbled it up mostly in one sitting. I loved reading more about what a career might be like as a film editor. LOVED the characters and the Hollywood-ness of it all. It was SO FUN!!! Shadow Mountain’s books have yet to let me down – I really enjoy their books and they fall much more on the sweet side than some romances.

I was provided with an advanced review copy of this novel from Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think this is my favourite so far in this series – loved the audiobook version immensely. These books are a bit longer and more fleshed out than your typical crime type novel, but they are still very interesting and the character development is spot on. I will absolutely continue with the series when the next one comes out, especially after enjoying this one more than the previous few. Strike is just such a fun character to read about and his dynamic with Robin works well for the storylines.

Watch Me by Jody Gehrman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book CREEPED ME OUT!!! I couldn’t put it down though — it was fast-paced and definitely very readable. I wish some of the characters had been a bit more fleshed out but wow, this author definitely writes the stalker character well!!

I enjoyed the setting and career choices – it was fun to read about that literary world. I enjoyed Zoe. I felt rage at some of Kate’s choices at times but also understood her motivation. So many elements of this book just fit together nicely and it was definitely quite thrilling to get to the ending. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced review copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. It came out in 2018.

No Other Duke But You by Valerie Bowman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was cute and if you’re a fan of this genre you might like it too. Loved Thomas and Delilah. Definitely stood on its own despite many references to past couples in the series (did not realize there were so many books in this series before this one!)

I love women characters set in this time period who stand up for themselves and I’m glad that Delilah was that type of character particularly near the end of the book. Her family life was tragic and I’m so glad for her wonderful friends, which really made the book for me. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced review copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. It came out in 2018.

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think I liked this better than One of Us Is Lying. It was a great YA mystery with fun characters (I LOVE twins) and an interesting setting. Did not figure out the ending, so that always makes a book a bit more interesting too 🙂 Very YA but probably not super recommendable under the age of 14ish.

Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So far, maybe my favourite in the series although I loved Marrying Winterborne and Hello Stranger too. The heroine in this book makes board games! SO fun.

As you can see above, I plowed through a bunch of The Ravenels series by Lisa Kleypas this month (I just started the 5th this morning – I LOVE these books so much), I read a less-than stellar Pride & Prejudice retelling via Netgalley, and read a bunch more Lauren Layne books. I am loving Lauren Layne’s Oxford Series and the last book in her 21 Wall Street trilogy was wonderful too. I share everything I read over on Goodreads!!

Currently reading:

Daisy Jones & the Six (almost done – obviously I am loving it)
A Study in Scarlet Women (audio) – I had this from Netgalley ages ago so now I’m trying it in a different format after a few friends highly recommended it.
The Devil’s Daughter – just started this one & of course I love it already.

14 Books I’ve Read that could become classics

Happy Friday!!! This was a good week with just enough downtime (but not enough keeping up with chores – oops) and some fun moments too. I’m looking forward to the weekend even though we don’t have too many plans. I’m back for 15 Things Friday today, and I think this is a fun one!! You’ll have to share your thoughts with me 🙂

I am not a huge HUGE reader of the classics – I’ve read all of Jane Austen’s books (although I think I listened to at least half of them). I’ve read some Charles Dickens, some philosophy works, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, etc. I’ve read Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, Charlotte’s Web, Sherlock Holmes, The Great Gatsby and so on. Not all of these have been favourites, I’ll be honest. I’ve read quite a bit of Shakespeare and some other plays. I read a lot of these for school. From time to time, I wonder about which books from our current time (in the past 20-50 years or so) will last and remain classics in 200 years. Likely, the books that receive awards will be in the running. Here are 14 books I’ve read that I think will stand the tests of time and potentially become “classics” someday 🙂 Obviously, this list is just my own opinion but these books are quite popular for the most part – so that tells me something!

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles – As I mentioned on Instagram (and plan to discuss more next week for Show Us Your Books), I just finished this book. Overall, I loved it. It reminded me of the classics because the writing was sooo lovely and the prose was very metaphorical and literary. Rules of Civility will probably also stand the test of time with its Gatsby-ish feel.

Harry Potter series – come on guys, you know I am obsessed with these books. There’s not way people will not still be talking about this series in 200 years.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – I will never, ever forget the experience I had reading this book. It was mind-blowing. I’m sure some of Jodi Picoult’s books might also fit in a classics category of “moral dilemmas in books” but I haven’t read any Picoult yet.

His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman – I have not read these books in years, and I really need to read them to my children sometime soon.

Virgil Wander by Leif Enger – I think Enger’s other book probably falls into this modern classic type category too, but I haven’t read that yet. This book that seems to be about not much, really won me over by the end of it.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – this book gave me chills; the writing and the plot were so thick and emotionally charged.

The Dry by Jane Harper – I’ve never experienced as profound a sense of setting as in Jane Harper’s books. I’m reading The Lost Man right now and so far the description of the isolated setting is unparalleled.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman – I will never ever encounter another character like Ove.

Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series – these are so much more than just murder mysteries. Three Pines is a character all on its own.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch – This was mind-boggling in a way so few books are these days. Can’t wait to read his newest one this month.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman – Sorry to include two books by the same author but they are so different. Beartown was one of the books that shocked me so much when I was reading it that I didn’t know what to do with myself. I cannot get over the way Backman wrote this book, even years later. It will probably always be one of the best books I’ve ever read.

The Martian by Andy Weir – I hope people are still loving this book years in the future when travel to Mars might actually be a reality.

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne – This book is sure to be one that stays with people.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – This book is so wonderful and I think it should be required reading for everyone ages 14ish and up.

Can you think of any to add? There are sure to be many – like I said, this is just my own opinion!! 🙂

Happy Friday!

Show us Your Books February 2019

First and foremost, I want to wish my favourite book bestie KRISTEN a VERY VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY today!! My reading life would be pretty lonely without having this wonderful person to chat with about books everyday. Make sure you wish her a happy day today if you get the chance!! How lucky is she to have SUYB on her birthday? (It fell on my birthday last year and that was great!!)

Anyway, I’m here to chat books with Steph and Jana and the internet’s best book bloggers today for Show us Your Books!! I’ve had a great start to 2019 in my reading life – no complaints whatsoever!!! I have historically read a lot in January over the past few years and this was no exception – the combination of going out less and colder days/nights really lends itself well to a reading hobby in the winter in Canada 🙂 I also made a big dent in some ARCs from Netgalley such that I have less than 20 books on my Netgalley shelf for the first time in YEARS! Some of those are still outdated so I need to get to them asap, but I’m feeling like it is manageable!!

Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, how I loved this book. I savoured the first 60% of it and then plowed through the rest in one sitting. This book was magical, emotional, thought-provoking, whimsical, and lyrical. I loved all of it. This book is reminiscent of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and A Man Called Ove, but so very much its own book too. What books are to AJ Fikry is what trees are to Harry Crane in this novel – though books and fairytales play very much a part in this captivating story as well. There is also a wonderful little girl in this story for whom it is impossible not to root for. The small-town setting and quirky characters and magical realism component (but not fantasy in any way) really tipped this one into my favourites pile. I can’t recommend it enough – it feels a bit slow paced at the beginning, but stay with it – for me it was worth it!!

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book and these characters stirred so many feelings about race, culture, and family. The audio narration was fantastic and I really felt drawn to the story. I had previously tried this and lost interest but once I got to a certain point, I didn’t want to put these characters down. Such a powerful story about the little things that really change a family. This was an eye-opener for me about a Muslim family and the stark differences to my own family upbringing. I highly recommend it – and stay with it, the second half in particular was profoundly wonderful to me.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After immensely enjoying The Kite Runner a few years, I intended to read everything else Khaled Hosseini had written but I never quite got around to it. This book was so well done – of course I expected no less, but it was so different from The Kite Runner too and it felt much more conflicted and heart-wrenching. I loved this and all of the emotions that it stirred. So well written and so intense and such a harsh look into this period of time.

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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 in unexpected ways. An easy and suspenseful read that left me feeling intense fear for near the end, especially…wow. I need to pick up their first book now! Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press for the advanced readers copy of this book.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am uncertain of my feelings about this book. It was unlike anything I’ve read lately, and it was very interesting. It was also supremely confusing and I was both listening to it AND reading it in print/re-referencing parts of it. Maybe this was more me than the book – I read it during a busy week, but wow, I had to read a very detailed summary after I read it to make sure I got it all. (You can find that here, in case you’re interested in doing the same…lol). There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and the magical parts went a bit over my head at times but it was still good – I just don’t think I had the profound love for it that others experienced.
I will pick up the other two in the trilogy because I’ve heard they get even better, which I’m sure is true. This was a great winter book though – I’ll give it that. Their weather was cold and so was mine, so I felt some camaraderie there. Haha.

I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 3ish of 5 stars

At first, I was not sure if I was going to like this book – I’d heard mixed things and a few of the characters drove me a bit crazy for the majority of the book but I was surprisingly still invested in the family business and the allure of the IOU note. I have to say that it definitely improved a bit and I read this in a day because I do enjoy character development. There were parts of this that I didn’t agree with and didn’t love, but the ending tied it together for me a bit.
Nothing earth-shattering here but this was overall a nice way to pass a cold winter’s day/night – though I’m still not the hugest Kinsella fan and I can’t unequivocally recommend this one. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House/The Dial Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O’Connell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book had been on TBR for awhile but something about the setting/time period didn’t have me reaching for it in earnest. I really, really enjoyed this though!! Parts of it were SO hard to read – there were a lot of family issues which were likely quite accurate for the time but SO difficult to read about. Some of the characters were TOTAL jerks, but that was what made the story redemptive and interesting too. I loved the main characters and their gumption and their love story. There were also some wonderful events that happened in the book that were so fun to read about – such as the horse race – I LOVED that. I highly recommend if you like historical fiction – this was a slight departure from my preferred regency-era historical fiction, but it was a nice change!!!

The Forgotten Room by Karen White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I put off reading this book for WAY too long (seriously, Netgalley gave me this book as an ARC in 2015), for no real reason!! This was pretty fascinating though I did find myself a bit confused at times trying to keep the stories/women straight, especially because they were all in historical times (typically I’ve read books set in two time periods in which one is modern and one is historical). I liked this book a lot and was quite invested trying to figure out how all the pieces fit together – which was quite satisfying at the end. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group/Berkley for allowing me to access this book as an advanced readers copy THREE YEARS AGO (sorry!!!!)

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I feel like everyone online has been talking about this book for months and I had never even heard of it, nor did it seem like my preferred genre. Eventually, I couldn’t resist picking it up, and I’m glad I did. This wasn’t easy to read, and a friend described it to me as “lonely”, which I absolutely agree with – there is a lot of sadness and loneliness and hardship in these pages. As it picked up, I definitely flipped the pages quite quickly but I did find it a bit hard to get going with it. Fortunately, I had the benefit of a 7 day loan to push me into picking this up quickly and sticking with it until it got really really good near the end.

Kya’s character and the entire wonderful setting of this book were unbelievable and I enjoyed the cast of (likeable) supporting characters too. Parts of this were overly scientific, unsurprisingly due to the author’s background, but the writing was gorgeous and the plot thickened near the end and really left me with a lot to think about. I definitely recommend checking this one out – it falls in the literary fiction genre IMHO and is so worth your time overall.

Virgil Wander by Leif Enger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Even though this book took me 4ish months to read, I really did love it. I felt like I hovered around 20% for a month or so and then once I got to about 50% it was much smoother sailing overall. The prose in this book is meant to be savoured though. The language is absolutely beautiful. The characters took a bit to keep track of, but they were so lovely and heartwarming. In some ways, it felt like this book wasn’t *about* very much, because it is very character-development heavy, but I loved it that way. It worked. Thank you to Grove Atlantic and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Verity by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Based on a few friends’ reviews of this book, I expected it to be difficult to put down, and that was true. However, this book didn’t make me feel quite as on-edge as I was expecting (a classic problem of book hype for me). It was very captivating, and very intense and I definitely had no idea who to trust or what was going on midway through the book. The end also caused me to drop my jaw. It was emotional throughout and also an interesting set-up. I highly recommend this if you’re looking for something fast-paced that leaves you unsure of what to think throughout and even afterwards.

Hate Notes by Vi Keeland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book surprised me in the best possible way. It was funny, the characters were awesome, there was a bit of a twist that I didn’t expect, and it had a happy ending overall. What more can you ask for in a contemporary romance?? It was so much better than I thought it would be an it’s on Kindle Unlimited so head over there if you like this genre.

Aside from these books, I also did a deep dive into Lauren Layne’s books this month thanks to KU and Hoopla as well as reading a few other romances from Netgalley that I won’t be reviewing in any detail (one was 2 stars). I re-read Siblings without Rivalry, which is well worth your time if you have more than one child. I am working through Lisa Kleypas’ Ravenels series and will report back on that one next month!! (Loving it so far though). I read the final book in J.T. Geissinger’s Slow Burn trilogy, Ache for You, and I really enjoyed it although it was totally different from the others and there was A LOT going on in the plot.

TL;DR (unsurprisingly, there is a lot here): Please consider reading Harry’s Trees, A Place for Us, and Where the Crawdads Sing. I highly recommend Verity for a book that is impossible to put down. I loved Virgil Wander when I finished it but it took me a long time to get into, so there is that to consider 🙂

What have you been reading lately? My TBR is already pretty long but I am always happy to add to it!!! 🙂 Head on over to the link up to check out some other posts too!! PLUS, check out this readathon this weekend!! It’s a long weekend here, so I will for sure be participating in this and I’m going to set up my stack of books by Thursday!!

14 Great Valentine’s Day novels

It’s no secret that I like to read romance books – particularly romantic comedies. These books are relaxing and fun to read (for me), and I have a few to recommend in case you’re in the mood for a book like this during this “month of love” (my 7 year old’s words, not mine ;)) Here are 14 books to check out if you want to add a bit of romantic fiction into your February line up!!!

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
I loved this book so much and the epilogue for this story is in Sally’s newest book, 99 Percent Mine. Such fun characters and fun banter. Most people I know who don’t like romance have enjoyed this one too – I like her second book almost as much even though it is totally different. She is also a super sweet person – I’m in her facebook group and she chats with her fans A LOT so I love that.

Anything You Can Do by R.S. Grey
this one is my favourite of hers – I’m a bit over her more recent books but this one was hilarious to me. Two doctors – old rivals – the ending melted my heart a little bit…I’m probably due for a re-read 🙂

Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

I recommend this book constantly, and I loved it so much. I really liked her 2018 book, How to Walk Away, too, and I’ve heard great things about her upcoming Things You Save in a Fire (I am waiting another month or two to read the ARC). Happiness for Beginners is a bit of “Wild” mixed with younger brother’s best friend and WOW, it is a great book about character development and the setting and characters are incredibly fun. To illustrate how much I love this book I’ll just tell you that I bought 4 copies of it on BookDepot and currently I have none of them in my home – I gave three away and lent the other one (which I need to get back soon because I miss it!!!)

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

In the past 12 months, I have devoured almost all of Christina Lauren’s recent standalone novels and I can’t quite pick a favourite (if I had to, I might say that I found My Favorite Half-Night Stand to be the funniest), but this one is emotional and so good. Josh and Hazel and Roomies are great too. They can do no wrong, in my mind.

Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

I loved this entire series, but this one is probably my favourite. If you like historical romance, I highly recommend the whole series. They don’t really have to be read in order, but they probably should be read in order up until this one at least.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I will admit that I’ve only made it to book 4 in this series, but for a time, it kept my interest and I loved the time-travel component. It’s hugely popular for a reason, I’d say.

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

I loved this book and read it in a day and a half. It reminded me a lot of Jane Austen’s novels. It was very funny in parts and actually even a bit more approachable than some of the “classics” although I have a feeling that’s because it was written in 2012 and not in the 1800s 😉 I loved the Regency setting. It was a beautiful story. Though I’m in the minority, I also really enjoyed her second book, Blackmoore.

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

I loved this book. It was hilarious. Sophy’s character is quite unique compared to other women in this time period, and I thought that was great. She really seemed to help people enjoy their lives more, and you can’t help but love someone like that, right??

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Like maybe half of the Austenites on the planet, my favourite of hers is Pride & Prejudice (it’s just THAT good!) but this is probably my second. I loved this book so much and I think about it often. I’m re-reading it very slowly at the moment, actually, with a more critical eye. I mean…does English literature get any more romantic than this quote:

I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in

F. W.

I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your father’s house this evening or never.

The Knitting in the City series by Penny Reid

Penny Reid’s books are VERY funny. I adored this whole series but my favourites were probably the last couple – as usual in most series 🙂

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I love everything TJR has written, but this one about marriage was interesting and tugged at the heart-strings. It was SO highly readable.

Hate Notes by Vi Keeland

This book surprised me in the best possible way. It was funny and fun to read. And on Kindle Unlimited!!

A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole

I think I liked this one a bit more even than the first in this series, but they are all good. The third comes out this year!!

The Governess Game (Girl Meets Duke, #2)

The Governess Game by Tessa Dare

This was such a great historical romance. This whole series is adorable.

See anything here worth adding to your TBR? Any thoughts on any of these books? Happy Friday!! I started Verity last night so I know what I’m doing this afternoon and this evening!!!

Show us Your Books – First 2019 book post!!!

I hardly get ANY reading done (usually) during Christmas holidays because my brain is total mush at the end of each day and I just want to scroll through social media for a few minutes and fall asleep. However, I did read a lot of books before Christmas so I have some to share today!! 🙂 A few of these made it on to my top books of 2018 post!!

Linking up with Steph and Jana today to share the books I’ve read lately! At least half of these are audiobooks, which is the only way I get things done anymore – by promising myself that I can listen to a book while I clean or run or whatever. Haha. See the end for the biggest recommendations 🙂

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this more than I expected to – the ending really tied it all together for me 🙂 I think this is my first David Baldacci book, and I don’t think this is his typical book so maybe not the best place to start but I wanted a not super sappy Christmas book and this fit that bill.

Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories by L.M. Montgomery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a lovely collection of Avonlea Christmas short stories and it was delightful on audio 🙂 I hadn’t heard many of the stories which I assume are from some of my unread Montgomery books. Of course, the story of the dress with puffed sleeves is a favourite 🙂

Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a great last (easy to read!) contemplative book for the end of the year. I listened to it and then instantly got it out in print from the library so I could make some notes and be inspired 🙂

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow. Why did I wait so long to listen to this one? It was so good!! A perfect read for the beginning of the year. So much of what Shonda talks about in this book (I loved the audiobook narrated by her!) is so logical and straightforward but the way she presents it is so entertaining and wonderful. Loved this and will likely think of it often.

From Doon With Death by Ruth Rendell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was one of the shortest mysteries I’ve read and felt on par in some ways with Agatha Christie though not as complex a story as hers. I did like it and read it in two sittings and will likely continue with the series at some point in the future.

Luna and the Lie by Mariana Zapata
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn’t love this book as much as some of her others, but I still liked it more than some romances I’ve read this year. So 3.5/5 stars. I had a hard time relating to the characters in this book and I didn’t quite buy into their story but overall the fact that I love MZ and I finished this in a day during a very busy week tells me that this was still good if you like this genre 🙂

A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My favourite of the series so far! The mystery in this book was SO good, and I have come to absolutely adore the characters. I wrote Deanna Raybourn and told her how much I loved this and she wrote me back, which was fun too! 🙂 I cannot recommend this series enough – it is unlike anything I’ve ever read. I think it best falls under historical mystery and is so so well done. This one comes out this month but I was lucky to receive an ARC through FirstToRead (thank you!)

Melt for You by J.T. Geissinger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was SO, so good. I also enjoyed the first book in the series (totally unrelated to this one – they are standalones), Burn for You. I have yet to get to the third but I am hoping it will be good too. On KU and such a strong story about a woman really coming into her own. These characters were so loveable.

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book sucked me right in and though I put it down for a little bit over the Christmas holidays (I started it on audio but that expired and I have a used paperback version so I didn’t worry about it too much), I still really, REALLY liked it. Wonderful characters, super interesting story, emotional but not over the top (at least for me) like some other WWII books. Based on a true story – so fascinating. Dual timelines/alternating characters but I didn’t find it hard to follow along at all because the alternating characters are travelling together, so it’s more like throwbacks to the past. Definitely recommend.

I have to make another dent in my Netgalley books this month and I am also dying to read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire so I will probably do that and just plow through the rest of the series. I also have a bunch of library holds coming in soon (can’t complain about that!!) I also have 3 books in progress that I need to get back from the library so I can clear them from my Goodreads currently reading shelf…lol. #bookwormproblems

TL;DR – I highly, highly recommend the Veronica Speedwell series – the first one is A Curious Beginning. Wonderful series that gets better and better in my opinion. I also recommend Year of Yes and The Alice Network. If you like romance, I cannot recommend Melt for You enough.

What have you been reading lately?! Anything good that I should add to my 2019 TBR?!?!

Best Books of 2018

I love to share all my favourite books of the year with some of my favourite bloggers 🙂 Check out Steph and Jana’s best of 2018 books link up for others’ lists!!!

Just today, I finished 200 books read this year in various formats: e-books, audiobooks, 4 children’s read-alouds that I counted in this total, and hardcover/physical books. I know not everyone counts audiobooks, but I totally think they count and I listened to a lot of them this year – more than ever before, honestly.

Here are my favourites!!! I also included my favourite romances in a separate section because probably half of the books I read this year were romance and that’s not everyone’s genre…but if it is, check that out too 🙂 I hope to post about my reading stats sometime, but I already know that I read mostly female authors, many books from 2017 and 2018 and very little non-fiction.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah – this was wonderful fiction; hard to read at times but her writing is exceptional.
Educated by Tara Westover – this book was highly recommended by a friend and on Netgalley and it was popular everywhere this year for good reason. I read it very quickly and was blown away by it.
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend – this book is possibly the only middle grade book I’ve come to enjoy nearly as much (but never close enough) to Harry Potter.
Circe by Madeline Miller – this is a book I’d recommend for everyone – the audio was great…and I did not really think I loved this world, but I do, apparently.
Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny – one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did NOT let me down. It was even more wonderful meeting her again and hearing her talk about the book in Halifax in December 🙂
How to Walk Away by Katherine Center – Close to Happiness for Beginners for me and so impressed with her success this summer. I can’t wait to read her newest one in January (comes out next August)
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee– this book had been on my hold list for at least a year and I just kept suspending it until one day I realized I needed to just give it a try. It was tedious at times but also fascinating (and emotional) to follow one family throughout so many years an
A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn – I love love love love love this series about Veronica Speedwell and this one was the best so far. Historical (kind of cozy?!) mystery is an interesting genre.
Take Me With You by Catherine Ryan Hyde – wow this book was everything everyone says it is and more. I loved it.
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi – I loved this on audio and it surprised me how much I got into it. Dying to read the next one now.
I’d Rather be Reading by Anne Bogel – intended to read this slowly and savour the essays, but ended up gobbling it up in one sitting and relating to it so much.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy – my favourite might be the second but I liked them all and the movie on Netflix was SO GOOD. Very YA though 🙂
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne – Oh Cyril, what a character to follow throughout life. This was so thought-provoking and good.
Harry Potter 1-3 I can’t stop talking about how much fun I had reading the first three HP books to my family. Aside from my daughter loving the HP world, my husband (who is not a reader and had previously only seen the movie) also loved them (#winning)
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White – I’m not crying, you’re crying. I had forgotten how absolutely incredible this book is, and discovering it with Molly and crying together over a spider was a special experience (she would NOT stop crying and it was a new feeling for her to cry over a book).
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman – the second book in the Beartown trilogy and I possibly (maybe) liked it even more. Fredrik Backman certainly knows how to write.
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones – this book was so different than what I expected and a true glimpse into these strong character’s lives
Graceling by Kristen Cashore – this was a world unlike any I’ve ever read about and I still intend to continue the series at some point. YA fantasy, I’d say?
Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb – unbelievable epistolary tale set in WWI times in Europe – loved this book so much and it isn’t Christmassy though winter feels like a good time to read it.
Greenglass House by Kate Milford – this was a good middle grade mystery type book that I couldn’t quite figure out for awhile and really soaked up last winter.
Ignore It!: How Selectively Looking the Other Way Can Decrease Behavioral Problems and Increase Parenting Satisfaction – I loved this so much I bought it for myself for Christmas. The parenting theories in this book really align with how I want to raise my daughters.
Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden – I don’t really read graphic novels but this one was perfect.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon – this was a chilling novel that I never would have gotten through in print but is all about books, which I loved.

Romance Favourites
99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne (ARC) – comes out January 29 – this wasn’t quite The Hating Game, but I haven’t read it 5 times yet either. I loved it.
All of Christina Lauren’s standalone books: Roomies, Dating You/Hating You, Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, Love & Other Words, and My Favorite Half-Night Stand <–possibly my favourite of them all.
Tessa Dare’s Duchess Deal and Governess Game – great historical fiction
Penny Reid’s Knitting in the City and Winston Brothers series – these were all SO good and I can’t wait for the conclusion to the Winston Brothers series as well as Penny Reid’s Austen retellings coming in the new year/next few years.
Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews – I liked this infinitely more than I expected to. So well done.
Beauty and the Clockwork Beast and The Kiss of the Spindle by Nancy Campbell Allen – super interesting genre that I have not read in the past (steampunk)
Bridesmaids Behaving Badly trilogy by Jenny Holiday
Fatal Affair by Marie Force – looking forward to continuing this series in the new year.
Mister Romance and Professor Feelgood by Leisa Reyvan – these books were not at all what I expected.
Alyssa’s Cole Reluctant Royals series – can’t wait for the third this year.
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang – this one has been really popular this year and it was a fun read.
Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata – I also enjoyed Kulti, Lukov, and Wait for It in 2018. Her newest wasn’t my favourite but I still read it at breakneck speed…
Leaving Everest by Megan Westfield – I loved her first book and loved this one too, if not a bit more. YA
Burn for You & Melt for You by J.T. Geissinger – just read these books this week and LOVED them, especially the second one, which was one of my favourites this year.

Show us your books December!

Happy December Reading Day!!! I read a wide variety of books this month and I can’t wait to chat about them!! Also looking forward to sharing my top books of the year later this month on Boxing day DEC 26 🙂 Check out the link up with Steph and Jana today and see what everyone’s been reading this month – you might even get some great gift ideas or something to curl up with over the holidays 🙂

Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I loved this, and it is a solid 4.5 stars for me. I didn’t love it QUITE as much as her previous two books, but I think I am just generally a bit more distracted in my reading life at this time of year (mid-December) and it felt easy to put this down at times, which is rare for me when I’m reading this series. That being said, I still really loved this. The world she has built and the characters are phenomenal. The characters absolutely made me laugh out loud several times while reading. The mystery here was interesting as was the leftover stuff from Glass Houses. I NEED the next book now, which is killing me because I am sure it will be at least a year from now…

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In so many ways, this might be my favourite of the series. It’s serious, but it’s not as intense as the last four (I also adore Goblet of Fire until the end…)
Reading this aloud to my family was such a joy though. I forgot how GOOD this one is. My daughter was dying wanting to know who sent Harry the Firebolt and trying to figure out what was going on with Crookshanks and who the black dog was…her mind was blown at the end and it was difficult to answer some of her questions about the last couple of chapters.
I’d forgotten how great the quidditch is in this book too – the matches were so good and interesting and awesome! I forgot about some of the best characters too who really play big parts in this book.
Reading these first three books this fall to my family has been incredible but I’m resolute in waiting a few years until my 7 year old can handle the last 4 books in the series which are much darker and more complicated.
PS: I read the last 8 chapters of this book in one day and nearly lost my voice. I forgot how intense the ending is – and I totally remember now why I sat in a corner finishing this book in the hours before Y2K at a party with my family instead of “partying” (age 14 ;)).

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book has a lot of fun Harry Potter moments – finding out about Parseltongue, Ginny as a character, the Polyjuice potion, and of course, quidditch and all the interesting classes. Though this has never been my favourite in the series, talking it over with my daughter definitely led me to realize a lot of the foreshadowing that happens in this book for later in the series, and I appreciated that about it! The illustrated copy is gorgeous, of course.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this – I’ve loved all of Moriarty’s books. This one doesn’t take the place of my top book by her (What Alice Forgot) or my most intense reading experience ever, also by her (Big Little Lies)…but it was still very good. I really enjoyed all of the characters and their humanity. It was an interesting premise and quite well written. Definitely a page-turner in a non-traditional way.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was really intense and creepy and so well done on audio. I definitely had no idea how it would all play out until the end. It was also super weird to be simultaneously listening to this and reading Nine Perfect Strangers at the same time – they are sort of similar in that they both have groups of people thrust together and no one knows what exactly is going on, though one book is a bit more fatal than the other…

The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars – I really loved this book. It was almost as good as the first…might even have been better. The narrator, in particular, was fantastic. Ada is such a wonderful character and this was so well written and lovely. (middle grade historical fiction)

Take Me with You by Catherine Ryan Hyde
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve heard this book raved about by a few different people and it never seemed like the right time for me to try it, but I don’t know why I felt that way. This is truly a book for everyone. It was so good. Heartfelt, interesting, and appealing in a way I didn’t expect. It actually did remind me a bit of Pay it Forward (I haven’t read the book yet but the movie, at least). There is some definite sadness and emotion here, but SO much hope.

Fatal Affair by Marie Force
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow, this was a fun start to a very long series. This reminds me a bit of James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club series and a touch of Sandra Brown (without the OMG twist component). Looking forward to continuing with this – if you enjoy police procedural type books with some romance thrown in, this might be a fun one to try.

Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Once I got into this book, it began to drive me crazy because it reminded me so much of another book or movie or TV show – I still can’t quite place it, but it was a weird experience! I liked this enough and tore through it pretty quickly – I will for sure continue with the series after the cliff-hanger ending in this first book. (This for sure does not have to be read in the winter unlike her “Winter” quartet which feels more Christmassy and wintery)

Kiss Me at Christmas by Valerie Bowman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a cute historical romance and I look forward to continuing with some others in the series. It was definitely quite Christmassy at times which was nice too 🙂 Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I listened to this in one day. I really enjoyed a lot of Elizabeth Gilbert’s anecdotes and I found this book inspirational though it might not change my entire life. It definitely inspires me to just give things in my creative life a shot even if I’m not sure how important they will be or how much I’ll “change the world”. I especially loved her story about her Amazon story and Ann Patchett – super fascinating!!! There is a lot here if you have any dreams to be a writer, but I think this could really apply to anyone with some desire to “create” in any way. I find her life generally interesting even though I’ve never read Eat, Pray, Love. 🙂

A few other books I read or am reading this month: Professor Feelgood (loved this one, maybe even more than the first), A Gentleman in Moscow (almost halfway through this), Crenshaw with the kiddos, and Lauren Layne’s books 🙂

TL;DR – I will always and forever recommend Louise Penny’s series – they start to really pick up around A Reason for Murder, imho, but they are best read in order. I know people have started at book 4, fallen in love, and then later gone back – so that’s an option too! 😉 The last 5 or so have been unbelievable. Of course, I recommend Harry Potter especially as a family read-aloud 😉 but for other less obvious choices, I recommend Take Me With You, Nine Perfect Strangers, And Then There were None, and Fatal Affair.

What have you been reading lately?! How are you doing with your 2018 reading goals? I am 11 books away from my goodreads goal of 200 books!!