This month ran the gamut of genres. From classics to sci-fi to thrillers. I did pretty well. 8 books at 2,758 pages. So here we go!
Middlemarch by George Eliot (890 pages). I went for another classic, one considered to be one of the greatest novels in the English language. So big promises of greatness to be met. This novel was about the town of Middlemarch and its inhabitants. Dramas abound (of course) but much different dramas that you would see in a modern novel! Of course, as in any Victorian novel, there is a scandal that shocks the town. I did enjoy it. But not as much as I’d hoped. I blame myself for reading too much modern literature, so that my love and enjoyment of the classics is fading. I finished in 15 days.
It’s Always the Husband by Michele Campbell (327 pages). Kate (the beautiful and damaged rich girl), Jenny (the local girl made good), and Aubrey (the poor girl) are freshmen roommates at idyllic Carlisle College. And think they are going to be best friends for life. Until something happens during their freshman year that causes a rift and their lives go in different directions. But twenty years later, their past comes back to haunt them. And one of them ends up dead. But who killed her? I literally had no idea through the whole thing! It’s always great when an ending can surprise you. I finished in 3 days.
A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena (305 pages). Karen and Tom Krupp have a picture perfect marriage. But one night, Tom comes home from work to find his wife gone and dinner half-made. Then he gets a call from the police that his wife has been in a serious accident on the wrong side of town. She had gotten a phone call and gone to meet someone. And then fled the scene. But she can’t remember any of the events of the evening. And when the police find a dead body, all signs point to Karen. But Karen’s been hiding some secrets. Including the fact that SOMEONE has been in their home, moving things, touching things. And suddenly, no one feels safe. Another one with a great surprise ending!! I finished in 2 days.
Paris for One and Other Stories by Jojo Moyes (274 pages). A great collection of several short stories. Paris for One was really more of a short novel, while the others were all truly short stories. But I enjoyed each of them so much, especially the title story. Nell is a super by the books, never adventurous girl. She plans a weekend away in Paris, but her very flaky boyfriend blows it off. Resulting in Nell doing something impulsive and outrageous for the first time in her life. It legit made me want to just up and go to Paris for a min break! I finished in 2 days.
The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger (234 pages). We’ve all seen the movie (if not, what is wrong with you?). But who all has read the book it was based on? This girl has! Yes, there was a little more fisherman’s terminology and weather information than I would’ve preferred. But it had nothing on Moby Dick! I actually found it much more fascinating than I thought I might. The author interviewed the family members of the fishermen on the Andrea Gail and other fishermen who had survived brutal storms. I finished in 4 days.
Jane Eyre Laid Bare by Charlotte Bronte and Eve Sinclair (322 pages). One of the last mashups I had on my shelves. Imagine Fifty Shades, but not quite so raunchy and much better written! It only covers Jane’s time at Thornfield, leading up to her fleeing upon learning of Antoinetta’s existence (after reading Wide Sargasso Sea, I can think of her no other way). I finished in 3 days.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (216 pages). I’ve been trying to finish this book for years now. For a book that is consistently on the “best books of all time” lists, I didn’t enjoy it. Sci-fi isn’t really my jam. But I was determined to finally finish it. It’s about Earthling Arthur Dent who is saved from the destruction of the world by space hitchhiker extraordinaire Ford Prefect. They find themselves in all sorts of adventures. I finished in 1 day
Manuscript Found in Accra by Paulo Coelho (190 pages). Very seldom do I find myself underlining sentences in books. But when I do, it’s usually in books by Coelho. He’s my go to for my weekly quote board. And this one did not disappoint. The story is simple- the night before an attack on Jerusalem in 1099, the people of the city ask the Copt (a wise man) for advice. Each chapter is advice about a different subject. It was simple and beautiful. I finished in 4 days (because that’s how many days were left in the month!). But I could have easily finished it in a day!
This month’s favorite was ...... A Stranger in the House. The ending was such a twist!
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