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!

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.

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!!

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!!

Wow, so exciting to be celebrating 4 years of Show us Your Books this month!! Though I cannot say I have been here since the beginning, I think it’s been 3 years for me (ish!) I love this link up and this community of readers. Thank you so much for running the link up every month, Steph & Jana!! 🙂

My reading was a bit all-over-the-place this month. A few duds and a few wonderful reads and a few DNFs (which I don’t even bother mentioning really). Here are a few books I read:

Amazing books I am happy to chat about forever:

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am not at all surprised that I loved this book – I adore The Hating Game and I had been anticipating this one for quite some time. I was overjoyed to receive an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you SO much!!!) and I read it the same day it came in on my kindle app. The characters were so well done, the story was fun and so readable, and I know I will re-read parts of it for years to come much like I’ve done with The Hating Game.
I particularly really liked Darcy and her personality and loved that she had a twin brother – it was so fun to read about even though they had their ups and downs. If this is your genre of choice, definitely add this to your TBR – comes out Jan 2019 🙂

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

I had seen this book compared to Harry Potter by several friends, and I thought for many years that nothing could compare – and truly it can’t, but this is the closest I’ve seen!!! I am so excited about this series. It has some similar characteristics to HP – somewhat neglected 11 year old protagonist, magical worlds, loveable mentor, funny best friend, interesting setting, etc. but it is so different too. I absolutely loved it and cannot WAIT for the second one which comes out this fall!! 🙂 If you are a HP fan, please consider checking this out! If you aren’t, you might not love this as much but maybe someone else in your life will!! 🙂

My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn’t want to race through this book in one sitting, but that’s what happened. These characters were SO much fun to read about. I loved the online dating component – that’s how I met my husband though it wasn’t Tinder and it was maybe a bit more like the app in this book. I struggled a bit at times with the female character not being able to express herself, but I understand why she was like that and it was very realistic for her life events. Her group of friends and her career and all of it – just so fun. I love these authors – I haven’t read a book of theirs yet that I did not completely love. I also want to mention that this book was SOOO hilarious at times too and it’s been awhile since a book made me laugh so much. Thank you Netgalley for “granting my wish” with this one!! 

I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the perfect book for book lovers. I intended to savour this, and I will, the next time I  read it, but instead I read it in one sitting. This type of book is not typically my favourite format, but I found myself nodding my head and feeling so well understood throughout all of these essays. SO good. Whether you are a MMD fan or not, this is still very fun to read if you love books. 



Mister Romance by Leisa Rayven
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I saw this recommended in a Facebook group and was honestly not expecting TOO much from it but thought it would pass my time nicely – I ended up loving it. This was a great romantic comedy. I am dying to get my hands on the second in the series and I think I will end up buying it eventually because it’s about her sister and I really enjoyed this author.

Very well done books: 

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I highly doubt that I would have enjoyed this book half as much or I might have DNFed it if I didn’t listen to it on audio. The audiobook was a great companion though – I really enjoyed following this epic family story over the course of decades. It was so sad at times and so hopeful at times too. I knew nothing about this time period in Korea/Japan, so that was very interesting too.

Ghosted by Rosie Walsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book reminds me of something else but I can’t quite place it – there is an element to it that is familiar but not quite. Anyway, enough about that – I couldn’t really put this book down. I found it fast-paced and was very curious to see how it would all work out. It’s not really a thriller, and not suspenseful or scary but there is a WTF element so I guess I would maybe classify it a bit as a psychological romance?! I really enjoy books set in Britain and I liked this reading experience quite a bit even if parts of it seemed a bit unbelievable/coincidental.

Less by Andrew Sean Greer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5/5 stars but I would have likely never finished it in print – the audio was quite well done. Not sure that I am the target audience for this book although I did find parts of it absolutely hilarious and other parts very thought-provoking. Certainly well written. The ending definitely redeemed other parts of the story. Reminded me a tiny bit of Ove but on a road trip.

Promises and Primroses by Josi S. Kilpack
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can’t wait to continue with this series. I loved these characters and this book was so fun to read. I have enjoyed most of the books I’ve read from this publisher, so I was happy to discover a new author via Netgalley.

This book kind of has two separate generational stories going on, and they were both great but I preferred the younger generation. Looking forward to more in this Mayfield series. Thank you Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Press!

 Books I did not 100% fall in love with but you might:

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 – I wish I liked this series more. I want to like them because I love J.K. Rowling…..they just take me so long to get through and my attention wanes. This one was certainly better than book 2 which I DNF and now I can read the 4th, which I might try on audio to change it up a bit. Part of what I struggle with while reading these books is the length & detail – just too long for this genre.

Mirage by Somaiya Daud
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It took me a lot longer than I expected to get through this book, but I still enjoyed it overall. I think it was just at slightly the wrong time (busy busy time of year). Interesting concept, great world building and I will likely continue with the series to see how it all goes. I did enjoy the character development too. If you enjoy YA fantasy, this is a tiny bit similar to Cinder (minus the fairy tale retelling).

Undue Influence: A Persuasion Retelling by Jenny Holiday
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love Persuasion, so the elements of this that were similar to that made my heart swell. The characters were great. This is not my typical type of romance, but I enjoyed it more than I expected to and I am anxious to read everything she has written now.

I also read TJR’s Evidence of the Affair (not my favourite – I generally hate reading about affairs), America’s Sweethearts (not bad but forgettable overall), and Savor You, which was the conclusion to a contemporary romance that I really really liked.

Currently reading: Stretched Too Thin on audio, The Dream Daughter via Netgalley and Virgil Wander (that one is going to take me awhile…haha).

Linking up with Steph and Jana today for Show us Your Books!! My reading was alllll over the place this month. I am not a person who does a lot of reading on vacation (when I am on a vacation with my children, at least) because I am 100% exhausted all the time and cannot keep my eyes on a page. So that was August in a nutshell, but I got back into it after we got home and here are a few of the books I liked this past month!! 🙂

Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was exactly what I’ve come to expect from Christina Lauren and it was hilarious, charming, and fun to read. I love their writing and characters 🙂 Hazel was so much fun and I think all of us might wish we could be as much ourselves as she is.

The Secret, Book and Scone Society by Ellery Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a fun cozy mystery and the first in a new series although Adams has written tons of other books too. I really liked the friendships that developed in this book and the setting as well as ALL the bookishness! The mystery itself didn’t captivate me as much because I’m more used to fast-paced thriller mysteries, but I still enjoyed this one. All the talk of scones also made me just a little bit hungry…haha.

Lies by T.M. Logan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had expected this to be quite an intense and wild ride based on the synopsis and I was not wrong. This reminded me a bit of the “ahhh what the heck is going on here?” seen in novels like Gone Girl though it’s completely and totally different. I truly felt for the main character here who was quite naïve but that seemed to suit him well. Highly recommend if you are looking for a fast paced unputdownable psychological book.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley or the ARC of this book which is being published today.

A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think I liked this one a bit more even than the first in this series, partially because I listened to half of it and the audiobook narrator did fantastic accents which made this sooo loveable! I really enjoyed the development of Portia’s character although the ending felt a bit rushed (i.e. with her sister etc). I can’t wait to continue this series because it has been so much fun so far. Plus…helloooo gorgeous covers!!!

The Governess Game by Tessa Dare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a great historical romance, so I need to go back into Tessa Dare’s other works and devour them sometimes. I really liked the first in this series and this one was wonderful too (although I do feel that they sort of stand alone too). I loved the children in this book and the way that Amelia could relate to them. I loved them as a couple. I enjoyed the setting and the glimpses of the other friends from The Duchess Deal. This passed the time very pleasantly overall 🙂

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

Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kristen has consistently professed her undying love for this author and this series in particular, but it had been on my back burner for awhile this year. Finally I couldn’t resist it any long and I’ve definitely drank the kool aid now. I will absolutely be making my way through the rest of this series asap. The world building is fascinating here, not too intense or difficult to understand, but SO interesting. The characters are SO well done, and I love Nevada as a strong female lead and her family standing behind her. This book really reminds me of something else that I haven’t quite been able to put my finger on yet, but I really, REALLY liked it. This cover basically does nothing to describe the book either, FYI. Alexandra, you will like this series too so get to it!! 🙂

 This Is Day One: A Practical Guide to Leadership That Matters by Drew Dudley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This wasn’t my first time reading about leadership – but it was certainly the most interesting time. I took entire courses on training and leadership during my Master’s degree, but this whole system is revolutionary, approachable, and applicable to anyone – NOT just CEOs or managers.

Drew Dudley’s fun and conversational tone in this book and his ability to share personal anecdotes and other stories definitely illustrated his message in a unique and highly readable way.

I don’t always turn to non-fiction in my reading life, but I am so happy that I picked this up and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for some extra motivation to start your own day one and live life to the fullest, regardless of who you are or where you hope to go.

Drew Dudley’s Ted Talk is also excellent and a good place to start if you are wondering if this book is for you. https://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley…

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Books for the ARC of this book. This book first came onto my radar because he is a friend of a friend – I am so pleased he is getting the recognition he deserves in this field!!!

Tiffany Blues by M.J. Rose
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book sat on my kindle for quite awhile before I got to it. I’m still not really sure what genre to classify it into – I guess historical fiction overall, but not a time period I often read about. It reminded me a bit of Rules of Civility and The Great Gatsby which makes sense because it is set in that time period in New York area. Overall, I really liked this even though it fell a bit flat in some parts. I would recommend it – the whole background of the Tiffanys was very cool and the mystery part was interesting too. 3.5/5 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After watching To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before on Netflix, I devoured this final book in the trilogy. To me, it wasn’t quite as good as the first two just because it had a different tone, but I understand why and I still loved it. Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky are some of my favourite characters of all time.

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was decidedly less funny than Christina Lauren’s others books I’ve read so far, but I loved it nonetheless. I did have a few minor issues with it, but I loved the closeness of their friendship and the ending completely wrecked me. This was book was intense emotionally but I liked the writing a lot.

Ignore It!: How Selectively Looking the Other Way Can Decrease Behavioral Problems and Increase Parenting Satisfaction by Catherine Pearlman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book came highly recommended from two parents I admire and it has absolutely changed the way I think about parenting. We haven’t succeeded 100% with implementing the ideas presented here yet, but we are working on it. I think it will be a great fit for our family.

This month, I also read Kiss the Girl and I hate you, I Love You which I had received on Netgalley and I didn’t enjoy them enough to write more about them. 

TL;DR: I recommend Lies, Josh & Hazel, the entire Lara Jean trilogy, Burn for Me (if that genre is your thing), Ignore it! if you are looking for some parenting advice, and This is Day One if you like non-fiction with great anecdotes. 

Currently reading: a few books from Netgalley (still working my through a backlog there) including Girls Night Out, Undue Influence, and The Proposal.