The year is done. My reading was great!

 I finished out the year pretty strong. This month, I completed my 100 book challenge with Goodreads (and managed to read 5 additional books, just for fun!). But this month, I read 9 books, a total of 2,760 pages. Which is an average of 89 pages per day. Bringing my yearly reading total to 105 books. 37,010 pages. An average of 101 pages a day. 

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron (327 pages). I’ve had this book for quite a while but wanted to wait until close to Christmas to read it!  Jane Austen- world famous novelist. And sleuth?  During the Twelve Days of Christmas, Jane and her family (mother, sister, brother, sister-in-law, nephew and niece) find themselves guests of the Chute family at their home. A snowstorm means that the guests find themselves snowbound at The Vyne for far longer than anticipated. On the third day, one of their party is found dead. While every else assumes it is a tragic accident, Jane and Mr Raphael West have other ideas- that someone at The Vyne killed him.  But for what gain?  And which of the other guests is a murderer? I finished in 4 days. 

Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson (337 pages). Amy Whey loves everything about her life- her professor husband, her teenaged stepdaughter, her new baby boy, her best friend, her job as a dive instructor, her neighborhood. But when new neighbor Roux shows up to book club and high jacks it with a game, Amy’s world is turned upside down. Because Roux’s game is all about the worst thing you’ve ever done. And Amy has never shared that with anyone. But if the truth comes out, it could wreck Amy’s perfect world. It’s a game Roux excels at. And a game that Amy can’t let her win. I finished in 6 days. 

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan (315 pages). This was my 100th book of the year!  Lucie Churchill is a 19 year old college student when she is invited to get former babysitter/adopted big sister’s wedding in Capri. From the parties to the fashion to the location, Lucie feels like she’s dropped into a fairytale. Especially when she meets 20 year old George Zao and they share one passionate, scandalous moment. Five years later, their paths intertwine again.  Only this time, Lucie is newly engaged to Cecil Pike.  Cecil is everything Lucie has ever wanted in a husband. But there’s something about George that makes him irresistible to Lucie. Still. Even 5 years later. I finished in 5 days. 

Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce (334 pages). This was my Once Upon a Book Club book box. So again, you know the drill- pics of the gifts are on social. Margery Benson fell in love with beetles as a child. Her dream?  Finding the never before found golden beetle of New Caledonia. But life took her in another direction after multiple disappointments. But in 1950, Margery has had enough- England is still reeling from WWII and she is unhappy with her job. So she makes a decision to go to New Caledonia. She advertises for an assistant and that’s when Enid Pretty enters her life. Nothing about Enid seems ready for the wilderness of a beetle-finding expedition. But the women make their way across the world and into the wilds. Along the way, they become the best of friends, each of them offering the other what they’ve always needed to become their best selves.  I finished in 2 days. 

Secrets of the Chocolate House by Paula Brackston (308 pages). The second book in the Found Things series. Xanthe Westlake has spent several weeks trying to get the seventeenth century and Samuel Appleby out of her mind. Until she finds a new object that sings to her, this time a chocolate pot. The pot takes her back in time. To just a few short months after she left Samuel behind. Last time, a young servant girl was in trouble. This time it’s Samuel himself. And Xanthe will stop at nothing to make sure that the man she loves is safe. But unfortunately for Xanthe, this time around she is facing a truly difficult foe- another time Spinner like her.  I finished in 5 days. 

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren (304 pages). This was the Christmas special edition box from Once Upon a Book Club, so gift photos on social. Maelyn Jones is 26 years old, single, living back at home and working a job she hates. But she’s at her favorite place during her favorite time of year- a cabin in Utah with her divorced parents and younger brother, and all of her parents’ best friends and kids (including brothers Andrew and Theo- her crush and her best buddy, respectively). But after a night of too much eggnog results in a drunken misjudgment and the gut wrenching news that the cabin is being sold, Mae is distraught as they drive to the airport. The next thing she knows, she’s waking up, not from a car crash, but on an airplane that’s headed to Utah to start family Christmas. She keeps reliving the same holiday week over and over. Until she figures out what it will take to stop the time loop from restarting by figuring out what the universe wants her to learn. Literally Christmas chick lit!  I loved it!  I finished in 1 day. 

12 Days of Book-Club-Mas by assorted authors (234 pages).  This was a special edition box from Once Upon a Book Club- 12 “read one a day” short stories with accompanying gifts (see social media for those). The stories were wonderful- totally diverse. And the gifts were perfection!  I finished in 7 days (because it arrived late and I ending up reading 5 stories on day one so I could end on time!)

The Garden of Promises and Lies by Paula Brackston (309 pages). The third and final book in the Found Things series. Xanthe is back in her own time, but this time Benedict Fairfax has followed her. When Xanthe realizes that this evil Spinner is truly dangerous, she follows another object, this time a wedding dress, back to the 1800’s to deal with him once and for all. But this time around, Xanthe finally shares her Spinner secret with her mother and would-be beau.  Because she’s going to need all the help she can get.  I finished in 6 days.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (292 pages). It’s May of 1977 and the body of 16 year old Lydia Lee was just found in the lake near her house. But Lydia hated the water. And her mom Marilyn is convinced this wasn’t a suicide. The novel delves into family history- how James (an American born Chinese man) and Marilyn (a blonde haired, blue eyed white woman) met and married, the three children in the family, all of their relationships to each other and, to be honest, their relationships with the world). I finished in 2 days. 

This month’s favorite was..... a tie between Never Have I Ever and In a Holidaze. Totally different genres. 

Almost a No Read November (as far as I’m concerned)

 November wasn’t my best month. I mean, I still kept my average daily pages pretty high. But I’ve had way better months of reading. I read only 6 books. A total of 2,264 pages. Which is an average of 75 pages a day. I’ve got to read more books next month so I can finish the year out strong! 

Dracul by Dacre Stoker and JD Barker (493 pages). First of all, this one of the gifts that came in one of my book club boxes. So yes please. And second, one of the authors is, in fact, the great grandnephew of Bram Stoker. So that right there was enough to have me intrigued. It’s the origin story of Dracula. Told through the journals of Bram and his brother, letters from his sister, and Bram’s current state, we learn about Bram’s early childhood illness and the nanny Ellen who was by his side. Until she disappeared. 14 years later, she begins to reappear to the Stokers, having not aged a day. But is Ellen truly the enemy?  It definitely reminded me of Dracula. To the point that I thought I was reading the same book, only with different characters. I assume the idea is to make you think that Bram’s own personal experiences led him to write Dracula, rather than it being a work of fiction.  Well it worked! I finished in 5 days. 

The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate (381 pages). The Southwestern Christian Advocate was a newspaper in the late 1800’s that was published and sent to preachers in the lower Southern states. Included in the newspaper was a Lost Friends column. This column was for people to find friends and family who had been lost to them during antebellum slavery. In 1875, Hannie Gossett is a free woman (well, girl) living as a sharecropper on her old owner’s plantation of Goswood Grove in Louisiana.  She is the only member of her family who wasn’t sold away. When she learns about the Lost Friends column, she makes it her mission to find her family. And help as many other black people find their families as possible.  In 1987, Benny Silva has arrived in Augustine, Louisiana, as the new high school English teacher.  Her students have little to no interest in literature. But in a town full of both black and white Gossetts, Benny finally gets their attention when she introduces a Tales from the Underground project. The family connects made between the two stories were just amazing. I finished in 5 days. 

Providence by Caroline Kepnes (363 pages). This is a weird one to describe. Jon and Chloe are best friends, with a very deep connection. But when they are in middle school, Jon is kidnapped. Four years later, Jon shows back up. But it’s not the same Jon who was kidnapped. This Jon is bigger, stronger, and has a weird power that he can’t control. So he leaves his hometown to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone he loves. Six years later, Detective Charles “Eggs” DeBeneditcus feels that there’s more to the random heart attacks that are happening around Providence, Rhodes Island. But he can’t figure out the connection between the victims. Until the stories finally converge- Chloe, an artist still haunted by the loss of her best friend; Eggs, still hunting for answers; and Jon, a confused loner who still wonders what happened to him so many years ago. I  finished in 5 days. 

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (336 pages). Elena Richardson lives a perfect life, with her perfect husband and home and children (well, 3 of the 4 are perfect). But appearances can be deceiving. And when Mia Warren and her daughter Pearl enter their lives, Elena realizes that there is much more wrong with her world than she knew. She goes on a quest to learn everything she can about the family who is upending her world. I’ve now started watching to series on Hulu. I finished in 4 days. 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (288 pages). This was my Once Upon a Book Club book. And omg- it was amazing!  Nora’s life isn’t at all what she imagined. So she decides she doesn’t want to live one more day and a few minutes before midnight, she kills herself. Instead of waking up in heaven or hell, she wakes up in a library. This library is full of books that allow her to go into the different lives that could have been, if only different choices had been made.  As Nora opens different books and different lives, she starts to wonder if there really is such a thing as the perfect life. I finished in 2 days. 

The Bargaining by Carly Anne West (403 pages). Penny is used to her parents trying to pawn her off on the other parent rather than deal with her. But when her mom ships her off to live with her father, stepmother and stepbrother, Penny is none to thrilled. Especially when her stepmother April tells her they are moving to a small town in Washington State for the summer to fix up an old house April  has bought. While Penny has her own ghosts from issues, this house also has ghosts. And a chilling story to go along with it. Honestly, it was a really hard book to get into (despite sounding like an interesting story). Which is why it took me so long to read a relatively short book. I finished in 9 days. 

This month’s favorite was.....The Midnight Library. No contest. 

FALLing into some good books last month

I stayed right at my average for this month- 9 books, 3422 pages, so an average of 110 pages per day. 4 of the books ended up being supernatural, so that worked out well for the month of October!  Let’s get down to it, shall we?

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer (658 pages). Judge all you want. But as bad as they were, I love me some Twilight. When the original draft for one chapter from this book leaked years ago, I read it. So of course I had to see what the finished product was!  The Twi-hard in me loved every chapter. It was interesting to read it from Edward’s perspective- why he did what he did, his confusion with his inability to hear Bella’s thoughts, his interactions with his family. Was it great writing?  No. Was it enjoyable?  Quite.  I finished in 5 days. 

The Book of V. by Anna Solomon (300 pages). The stories of three women- modern day Lily in Brooklyn, 1970’s Vee in DC, and 480’s BC Esther in Persia. I enjoyed the stories of Lily and Vee. Lily is a second wife (an Esther if you will), struggling with motherhood, sacrificed dreams and her mother‘s cancer. Vee is a first wife (a Vashti if you will), who eventually finds herself after her husband asks a degrading favor from her. I did not enjoy the bastardization of the story of Esther. At all. Names were changed, characters added, magic added (huh, what?), and Esther did not save her people in the way the Bible states. So those chapters were awful. The only redeeming factor of the Esther chapters was that we learn what happened to Vashti. I finished in 4 days. 

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy (371 pages).  So I read the second book in this series first (accidentally). But I had already seen the Netflix Dumplin’ movie (which I loved).  Willowdean Dickson is, in her own words, fat. But she’s also quite confident. She has a best friend. And they share an undying love of Dolly Parton. But Willowdean’s mom runs the local beauty pageant. And Willowdean decides to enter. Joining her are some of the other outcasts at their high school. Along the way, Willowdean finds love and acceptance. And discovers that her own confidence could use some work. It’s a great book about self-acceptance and friendship. I finished in 4 days. 

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult (413 pages). This was my Once Upon a Book Club book. So in addition to gifties, which I LOVE, this is also one of my favorite authors!  Exciting times two!  In ancient Egypt, the Book of Two Ways was a text that would help the dead navigate one of two paths through the underworld- the path of water or the path of land. Dawn Edelstein is a former Egyptology doctoral candidate turned death doula. When she miraculously survives a plane crash, she is faced with her own two ways to continue her life- return to Egypt and the work (and man) she left behind 15 years ago OR continue home to Boston where her husband and daughter wait for her. The novel explores both paths. Typical Picoult- excellently researched, thoroughly engrossing. I could not stop reading. There could have been no gifts and I still wouldn’t have been able to put this book down. I just had to get to the end and find out which path was taken!  I finished in 2 days. 

A Tale of Witchcraft by Chris Colfer (432 pages). Bristol Evergreen is now firmly in place as the Fairy Godmother. Magical creatures are beloved now. At least by most people. Unfortunately the Righteous Brotherhood (a secret society who was responsible for outlawing magic 600 years ago) is back and ready to destroy every magical creature alive. Meanwhile, Mistress Mara has begun the Ravencrest School of Witchcraft. Which presents Bristol with a whole new set of magical people to deal with. These books are so cute and just fun reading. I finished in 4 days. 

Gatsby Girls by F. Scott Fitzgerald (284 pages). This was a collection of 8 short stories that Fitzgerald wrote for the Saturday Evening Post.  The stories are fun and flapper-filled. As F Scott once said, he married the heroine of his stories. I could see Zelda in all of them. I was 100% positive that I’d only ever read one work of F Scott’s, The Great Gatsby. Turns out, I’d actually read two of these short stories before. And I liked them just as much the second time around. I finished in 4 days. 

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth (340 pages). Lucy loves her life, for the most part. Her husband is great, her children are wonderful. Her mother-in-law, on the other hand, has always been a bit difficult. Diana is cold and distant from Lucy, not at all what she wanted in a mother-in-law. But when Lucy and Ollie open the door to two policemen who are there to tell them that Diana has committed suicide, they are shocked. Her suicide note says that it’s due to the cancer that is slowly destroying her. But the autopsy shows no signs of cancer. So what actually happened?  And why did Diana change her will to exclude her children shortly before her death?  I finished in 4 days. 

The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates (329 pages). This was the Spooky Halloween special edition box from Once Upon a Book Club. So the gifts are on social media. Omg- sooooo creepy!  Adrienne learns that she has inherited a house in a small town from a great aunt Edith she didn’t even know existed. It seems a gift- she and her cat are basically homeless after her mother’s death. But strange things happen at Ashburn House. And if the local tales are to be believe, the grisly murder of Edith’s family left ghosts behind. But Addy doesn’t believe in ghost stories. Until she realizes she’s living in one. Honestly, this book would make an awesome scary movie!  I finished in 2 days. 

15 Minutes of Flame by Christin Brecher (295 pages). This was the Sweet Halloween special edition box from Once Upon a Book Club. Again, the gifts are on social media. While helping to set up for a Halloween fundraiser, Stella Wright comes across an actual skeleton of a blood soaked Quaker woman hidden in the walls. Stella is convinced that the woman was murdered and sets about on her own investigation to uncover the truth behind Nantucket’s most infamous love triangle. But when a person is killed during the course of the investigation, Stella begins to realize there’s more to the 100 year old story than she thought. And it’s up to her to uncover the truth. I finished in 2 days. 

This month’s favorite was.....The Book of Two Ways. But The Haunting of Ashburn House came in a very close second 

Bye bye summer, reading was fun!

 So this month I only read 8 books, but it was a total of 3,107 pages.  That averages 103 1/2 pages per day.  So that's pretty good!  Let's get into the books, shall we?

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin (465 pages, which included 2 very helpful reference appendices).  This was sci-fi, which is not my favorite genre.  In the very distant future, earth has been wracked by occasional fifth seasons.  These seasons are extended winters triggered by some sort of environmental disaster.  Some towns and people survive, most do not.  The book follows three women at the possible onset of a new fifth season.  Damaya is a young girl who has just become aware that she is an orogene (a person with the ability to manipulate earth and stone).  Her parents send her off to the Fulcrum, where she can train and learn to control her orogency.  Syenite is a star orogene at the Fulcrum.  She is paired with Alabaster, the most powerful known orogene, in hopes that they will produce a child.  While on a mission, Syen encounters a strange obelisk that offers her unusual powers.  But when the power is more than she can handle, she and Alabaster find themselves on a hidden island with a new community.  A community led by an untrained orogene.  Essun is a middle aged orogene who is searching for the daughter her husband absconded with after he killed their son.  During her travels, she befriends Hoa, a young stone eater, and Tonkee, a woman with no town and no family.  Eventually, all of the stories converge as we learn the disaster that is threatening the next fifth season.  I actually liked this more than I thought I would, but not so much that I would recommend it to anyone other than a sci-fi fan.  I finished in 3 days.

The Secrets We Left Behind by Susan Elliot Wright (374 pages).  Jo has the life she's always dreamed of- perfect house, perfect husband, perfect mother-in-law, perfect daughter and son-in-law, perfect brand new grandson.  But one day, she gets a call and a voice from her past promised the upheaval of her perfect world.  All of a sudden, memories that were better left in the past make their way to Jo's present and threaten her future.  I seriously couldn't stop reading.  I read the majority of it in one day and wasn't even poolside!  I finished in 3 days.

Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique (392 pages).  My sophomore year at Davidson, I took a Caribbean literature class that I absolutely loved.  This book wouldn't fit in perfectly.  In 1917, the Danish West Indies became the US Virgin Islands.  The Bradshaw family had long made the island of St. Thomas their home.  But when Captain Bradshaw's ship wrecks and Mrs. Bradshaw dies shortly thereafter, their two daughters are left to make their own way in the world.  Both are beautiful.  And both contain their own special magic.  It's a story of love and curses, of family history and suffering.  It was a great mixture of Caribbean literature and magical realism.  I finished in 2 days.  

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (727 pages).  So Once Upon a Bookclub does occasional special edition boxes that are not part of the regular monthly subscription.  This was one of those. I'd never read this classic before, although it IS the book that Melanie Wilkes is reading in Gone with the Wind when the women are waiting for the men to return from raiding Shantytown.  I enjoyed it more than I expected to.  David Copperfield is more 6 months after his father's death.  After a briefly happy few years of early childhood, his mother remarried a wretched man and David's idyllic existence is no more.  His mother dies shortly after her remarriage and David is left alone, with only his faithful nurse Peggotty as his family.  Along the way, he makes friends and foes, falls in love, and experiences triumphs and heartbreaks.  The gifts were great (and on my social media).  I did find myself wondering if LM Montgomery named the twins Davy and Dora after Copperfield and his wife (it can always come back to Anne of Green Gables for me).  I finished in 10 days.

The Daughters of Foxcote Manor by Eve Chase (352 pages).  This was my regular Once Upon a Bookclub box.  And it was a good one!  Tragedies strike the Harrington family in 1979, causing mother Jeannie, children Hera and Teddy, and nanny Rita to leave London for their country house, Foxcote Manor, for the summer.  When Hera finds a baby abandoned in the woods, everything is turned on it's head.  Decades later, Sylvie is trying to piece together her own family history while going through family tragedies of her own- her mother was in a horrible accident and now lies in a coma, her teen aged daughter finds herself pregnant.  Slowly, she starts to put together the truth behind her adoption.  This book had me like WHOA, way too many times.  And I loved it!  The gifts were spot on too (and posted on social media).  I finished in 3 days.

Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly (427 pages).  This was a prequel, of sorts, to Lilac Girls.  In that, the American heroine was Caroline Ferriday.  This book is about her mother, Eliza, who is actually the only historical person included in the book's main characters.  The world is on the brink of World War I.  Eliza had become dear friends with Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanovs.  After Sofya gave birth to her son, she hired Vanika, a local girl and daughter of a fortuneteller, to be his nanny.  When the Revolution strikes the Russian aristocracy, the so-called "White Russians," Eliza fears the worst has happened to the Streshnayva family and does everything she can to help her friend.  Along the way, she ends up helping many, many others by establishing the American Central Committee for Russian Relief.  I finished in 5 days.

Charm by Sarah Pinborough (189 pages).  The second in a series of wickedly re-imagined fairy tales.  This one is Cinderella.  Cinder's backstory is a little different (perhaps the wicked stepmother and ugly stepsisters weren't so awful).  And the magic she used on the Prince is a little more lustful desire than love.  And maybe the fairy tale isn't a fairy tale after all.  But I do love a re-imagined fairy tale!  I finished in 2 days.

Beauty by Sarah Pinborough (181 pages).  The third in the series- Sleeping Beauty.  A Prince out on an adventure with a huntsman finds a sleeping kingdom.  When the sleeping queen, Beauty, is awakened, he soon learns that beauty can often be deceptive.  And boy, was Beauty's beauty a HUGE deception!  Several other fairy tale characters make appearances in this story.  I finished in 2 days.

This month's favorite was.....Lost Roses.  Y'all know I love historical fiction!

An AUGUST showing of readings this month

This month, I finished 11 books.  A total of 3,691 pages.  An average of 119 pages a day.  I have a feeling I’m going to crush my Goodreads challenge.  I might even need to up it.  But we'll see.  But let’s get on to what I read.

 Don’t Get Arrested in South Carolina by J.B. Simms (250 pages).  Popsicle handed this book off to me after he finished it.  He said I’d find it interesting because I would know most of the players involved (which I did).  He also said it was one of the most poorly written books he’d ever read (again, he was correct).  In 2000, Dr Harry Sunshine, a pediatric dentist in Columbia, was killed by a hit and run driver while he was riding his bicycle very early one morning.  JB Simms was the private investigator for the defense.  Or rather, for one of the defendants.  And what he found was a little frightening- that the couple charged with the crime were innocent and had been set up to take the fall for the real criminals.  The facts are pretty strong for his case.  If that’s true, then shame on everyone involved.  Because that means innocent people went to jail.  If it’s not true, it’s quite a conspiracy theory.  I finished in 4 days.

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert (671 pages).  So I accidently purchased the large print addition.  While my eyes appreciated it (ugh, I’m getting old), it made for a LONG book.  But it was a great book!  In 1940, 19 year old Vivian Morris arrives in New York City.  She’s been expelled from Vassar, so her parents send her to live with her aunt.  But her Aunt Peg is eccentric and fun.  She owns a slightly rundown theatre with a slightly motley crew.  And Vivian’s world gets turned upside down.  Showgirls, playboys and bad decisions fill her life.  Until one huge scandal almost destroys it.  When Vivian finally figures out the life that she wants rather than the life that she’s been told she should have, she finally achieves success and satisfaction.  And finds the love of her life.  The novel is a letter from Vivian at age 89, reflecting on her life and her choices.  I finished in 3 days.

Invitation to the Classics edited by Louise Cowan and Os Guinness (365 days).  Popsicle got me this book as well.  The contributors are all Christians (many of them professors at Dad’s alma mater of Wheaton College) and they examine classics (over 50 of them discussed) with an eye to who the author is, why it is considered a classic and what can be taken away from a reading.  Many of them I’d read, a few of them I’d never heard of.  Certainly not a page turner (2-3 columns per page makes for a tough read), but a very good reference point for classic literature.  I finished in 7 days.

The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence by Alyssa Palombo (296 pages).  Yes, historical fiction!  Simonetta Cattaneo was 16 years old when she married Marco Vespucci (cousin to Amerigo) and moved with him to Florence.  Florence of 1469 was a Renaissance city- full of art and music and poetry, thanks to the patronage of the infamous Medicis.  Marco is close to the Medicis and Simonetta, with her beauty and love of the arts, is immediately swept into their inner circle.  But of all the politicians and artists she meets, the one who intrigues her the most is Sandro Botticelli.  Simonetta quickly becomes his muse (and allegedly the inspiration and model for one of his most famous works, The Birth of Venus).  While Simonetta only lives to 22, succumbing to tuberculosis, her beauty lives on.  I finished in a day.

The Last Piece by Imogen Clark (305 pages).  This was my Book Club Box book.  One Monday morning, 66 year old Cecily, matriarch of the Nightingale family, up and goes to a Greek island.  With no explanation to anyone but her husband.  Daughters Felicity, Lily and Julia are completely at a loss.  Felicity relies on Cecily for childcare for her one child; Lily relies on Cecily to keep her sane as she cares for her own brood of 5 sons; and Julia, well Julia is unfulfilled with her life.  But Cecily got an invitation to go to Greece.  And she will return with the culmination of a story 50 years in the making.  It was a great chick lit book.  And the gifts were perfect.  The only thing I found a little weird was that the Greek portion took place at Hotel Aphrodite, which just made me picture Mamma Mia.  I finished in a day.

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon (306 pages).  Madeline Whittier is 17 years old.  And has never been out of her house.  She has Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease, which means she is allergic to literally everything.  But when new neighbors move in next door, Maddy’s world is completely rocked by the appearance of Olly, the teenaged son.  And Maddy begins to wonder if life is worth living if you aren’t really living.  The chapters were short and easy to read.  And the story was sweet.  I finished in 3 days.

The Little Shop of Found Things by Paula Brackston (386 pages).  From a young age, Xanthe Westlake has found that antiques speak to her- literally, they sing to her until she learns their story.  When Xanthe and her mother leave London and purchase a small antique shop in a small town, Xanthe finds herself drawn to a Victorian chatelaine.  And the chatelaine itself draws her back in time to the seventeenth century.  She quickly learns she must correct an injustice or else the spirit inhabiting the antique shop will harm her mother.  While back in the 1600’s, Xanthe must rely on a new acquaintance, an acquaintance who makes her question returning to her own time.  I really liked this one and immediately put the other books in the series on my list.  I finished in a day.

Tru  & Nelle by G. Neri (323 pages).  This was more of a children’s book.  But enjoyable nonetheless.  Truman Capote and Nelle Harper Lee became best friends when he moved in with his family right next door to her.  As children, they had adventures and stories galore.  This was loosely based on some of those adventures and woven into one great story.  Tru and Nelle’s friendship has always intrigued me- two phenomenal writers growing up next to each other in a very small town in Alabama?  What are the odds?  This book was very sweet and wholesome.  I finished in a day.

The Engineer’s Wife by Tracey Emerson Wood (335 pages).  Historical fiction again.  Y’all know it’s my jam!  Emily Warren met Washington Roebling when he was her brother’s aide de camp during the Civil War.  A whirlwind romance quickly led to marriage.  Emily learned that Wash’s family business was building bridges.  And he and his father have the ultimate goal- the Brooklyn Bridge.  When Emily and Wash moved to Brooklyn to begin the project, Emily filled her days with caring for their son, befriending PT Barnum, marching as a suffragette, and helping out in her husband’s office.  But when Wash develops an extreme case of caisson disease and is unable to complete the project, Emily must step up and become the lead engineer on the project.  It wasn’t easy for her- she was a woman in a man’s world and didn’t have the necessary qualifications (although she certainly had the on the job training).  After complete of the bridge, Emily went on to law school (unheard of at that time) and continued her suffragette work.  I’ve never one given any thought to who designed and built the Brooklyn Bridge.  But never would I have imagined how large a role a woman would have had in its completion.  Fortunately, Emily’s name is listed with her husband and father-in-law’s on the plaque on the bridge.  I finished in  6 days.

 The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vasquez (298 pages).  When Pablo Escobar was killed in 1993, he left behind a legacy of unrest in his native Colombia.  He also left behind 4 hippopotamuses, among other animals.  Those hippos eventually escaped his derelict zoo and began procreating.  This novel begins with lawyer Antonio Yammara reading about the death of one of those hippos.  And the memories that it brings up.  Namely, the death of his friend Ricardo Laverde.  Antonio wants to learn why his friend was killed and so begins a journey to learn the truth about his friend.  I didn’t enjoy this book too much.  I finished in 5 days.

The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald (198 pages).  In 1959, widowed Florence Green decides to invest her inheritance in something she feels her little town needs- a bookshop.  But after she buys the Old House and converts it to a little bookshop/lending library, she soon learns that just because YOU want a bookshop doesn’t mean your town does.  This book was turned into a movie, which I haven’t seen.  If the movie is as unenjoyable as the book, that would explain why I’ve never even heard of it.  I finished in 2 days.

This month’s favorite was……The Engineer’s Wife.  Historical fiction for the win darn near every time.  City of Girls came in a very close second though.

July- I did NOT average 132 pages a day, did I?

I got a lot of reading done this month. I’m doing a Goodreads challenge to read 100 books this year. And I am 6 books ahead so far this year. But for this month, I read 10 books. A total of 4,096 pages. An average of 132 pages per day. So let’s get to it!

America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie (587 pages). Historical fiction again!  This was the story of Martha (Patsy) Jefferson Randolph, Thomas Jefferson’s daughter. When Patsy was 10 years old, her mother died not long after giving birth. Patsy devoted herself to her father, stepping into the role of mother to her two young sisters and of helpmate/protector to her father. Her story spans from Monticello to Paris (when Jefferson was ambassador) to the White House. She married a fellow Virginian and they had 12 children. Patsy was the only one of Jefferson’s children with his wife Martha who survived passed age 30. His children with Sally Hemings, however, survived far into adulthood. This novel explored the idea that Patsy knew of her father’s relationship with Sally. And her own relationship with William Short. The novel focused on letters, with each chapter starting with a few sentences from correspondence saved by the Jefferson family. When Jefferson died, he wanted only three things on his tombstone. Author of the American Declaration of Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia. Not President, not Ambassador to France. Just those three things and not a word more. So Patsy is left, at his death, to determine which of his words she should burn and which she should leave for the world to learn. I finished in 6 days. 

How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior (329 pages). My book club box book, so gifties are on Facebook and Insta. Wealthy and nearly 86 years old,  Veronica McCreedy lives a rather lonely life in Scotland. She lived through the War and giving up her son for adoption. But as she gets older, she becomes more reflective. She manages to track down a grandson, Patrick, who she never knew existed. And one night, while watching a documentary, she comes to a big decision. She is going to meet the penguins of Locket Island, Antarctica. And there’s nothing anyone, even the scientists studying them, can say to stop her. After adopting an orphaned penguin (totally against policy), Veronica, Patrick and even the scientists begin to realize what family is all about. I finished in 3 days. 

Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad (230 pages). Technically a 28 day challenge to face personal white supremacy/privilege and to embrace anti racism. I found it rather eye opening. While I don’t think of myself as a racist person, I know that I, like most people, have both unconscious and subconscious racist thoughts and/or tendencies. This book brought them to my attention.  Until I (or anyone) am aware of them, I cannot make a conscious effort to correct them. I finished in 5 days. 

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (481 pages). I think I’d read one book by Allende years ago, but don’t remember it. I decided that I needed to add this, her debut and best known novel to my list. I knew (from Jane the Virgin) that Allende is the queen of the magical realism. But I didn’t really understand what that meant until I read this book. It follows several generations of the del Valle/Trueba families. Beginning with the del Valles’ and two of their daughters, Rosa the Beautiful and Clara the Clairvoyant, and stretching to their great granddaughter, Alba, the novel sweeps from city to hacienda, from wealthy to peasants, from Capitalists to Socialists, from anger to reconciliation. The mystical abilities of Clara are interwoven into the normalcy of familial struggle. I finished in 4 days. 

The Divorce Papers by Susan Rieger (461 pages). This was one of the most inventive novels I’ve read in quite some time. Sophie Diehl is a criminal law associate at a prestigious New England law firm in a fictional state. She is the only associate available when Mia Meiklejohn Durkheim schedules an appointment to discuss her upcoming divorce. Mia ends up insisting that Sophie take the case, despite her lack of experience. Turns out Sophie, for all her lack of experience, is the exact right lawyer to deal with this divorce. But the novel itself is basically all the correspondence that exists during a divorce proceeding- letters, emails, personal notes, court proceedings, etc- rather than an actual story. It was super creative!  I finished in 2 days. 

The Wardrobe Mistress by Meghan Masterson (303 pages). Back to my old favorite- historical fiction. This one was about one of Marie Antoinette’s dressers as the Revolution was happening (yes, it was not lost on me that I started it on Bastille Day!). Giselle is just 16 years old when she begins working at Versailles in 1789. While she agrees with the revolutionaries, she also feels great affection for the queen. Her loyalties are tested by her uncle (a former spy for the old kind who asks her to spy on the royals) and her fiancé (who is a young revolutionary himself). But as history unfolds before her, she realizes she has a front row seat to a new world.  By 1793, when she is forced to watch her beloved queen die by guillotine, she and her now husband realize that the future they want in no longer in Paris. I finished in 3 days. 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (517 pages). It’s the eve of the 10th Hunger Games. 18 year old Coriolanus Snow (yes, the future President Snow of The Hunger Games trilogy), his grandmother and his cousin Tigris are the last members of the illustrious Snow family, who’s fortunes were decimated with the destruction of District 13. This year, it had been decided that students will be assigned to mentor the tributes. And Coriolanus has been assigned to the female tribute from District 12 (the irony was not lost on me, as Katniss was District 12). Lucy Gray Baird is a member of the Covey, a gypsy like group of traveling musicians who got stuck in District 12 after the war. Lucy Gray immediately becomes the most popular tribute, with her beautiful singing voice and sassy attitude. She also quickly wins the heart of Coriolanus, who vows to do everything in his power to help her win. Even cheat if need be. But is he truly willing to risk everything for the love of a District girl?  To realize that Coriolanus had once been a passionate and loving young man was heartbreaking when you realize what a horrendous man he was by the 74th Hunger Gomes. I finished in 4 days. 

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware (336 pages). A little Turn of the Screw. And a lot freaky. Rowan lands a job nannying the four Elincourt daughters in Scotland. It seems like a dream job- high paying, the girls are sweet and the house is a smart house. But as soon as she starts the job, the parents are off on a work trip. And Rowan begins to realize that the job is more of a nightmare. When one of the daughters is found dead, Rowan is charged with her murder. The novel is actually a letter to a solicitor who she is begging to take the case. Because Rowan knows that, for all her mistakes, she did not kill a child. I finished in 3 days. 

The Playground by Jane Shemilt (365 pages). Three London families’ lives intersect when their children join a tutoring group. Eve and Eric have three children (Poppy, Sorrel and Ash) and a seemingly perfect life (Eve comes from money so life is not a struggle). Grace and Martin have two children (Blake and Charley) and life is tough (Grace is an immigrant from Zimbabwe and they are struggling to make ends meet while Martin works on his next novel). Melissa and Paul have one child (Izzy) and a nightmare of a marriage (Melissa has to hide her bruises and Paul attempts to keep her from having any relationship with Izzy). But as the families become closer, the parents spend more time focused on each other and let the kids run free. Which is a big mistake. Because sometimes the games children play can lead to tragedies. I finished in 3 days. 

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (487 pages). It’s 1945 when 10 year old Daniel Sempere discovers a book by forgotten author Julian Carax. As he grows up and begins to work with his father in the family bookshop, he tries to find more of the works of this elusive author. He makes it his mission to learn everything he can about author and why there is a mysterious man burning every remaining copy of Carax’s works. Turns out there is so much more to Carax’s and Daniel’s stories- love, hatred, murder, deception, revenge. I finished in 6 days. 

This month’s favorite was...The Turn of the Key. I think. I had like 7 favorites this month!

June, glorious June

So this month finally found me spending some time by the pool.  As a result, I got 12 books read.  A total of 3,953 pages read.  That's an average of 132 pages per day, y'all!  So without further ado, let's get to it!

All for One by Melissa de la Cruz (386 pages).  The final book in the Alex & Eliza trilogy.  And my least favorite.  While I get that liberties are taken with historical fiction and that usually does not bother me, this particular one did.  Which is why I did not like it as much as the others- the timeline was altered way too much.  This novel covered several things, none of which remotely happened at the same time.  In the novel, Eliza is pregnant with their first child (that happened almost immediately after their marriage, rather than several years later), Alex is simply an attorney in New York and his interaction with Maria Reynolds is a one time sexual encounter.  While Eliza WAS pregnant during the Reynolds affair, ti was not their first child, Alex was already Secretary of the Treasury in Philadelphia and the Reynolds affair lasted for nearly a year.  But Eliza did eventually forgive Alex for his transgressions, that much is true.  I finished in 4 days.

Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon (340 pages).  This was my book club box book, so photos of the gifts are on Facebook and Instagram.  The year is 1853.  Naomi May is 20 years old and newly widowed.  Her family (father, mother and 5 brothers) and her in-laws all decide to head west.  One member of their wagon train is John Lowry, a half white, half Pawnee man who is a mule breeder.  John has always straddled two worlds but never fit in to either.  From the first moment they meet, something draws Naomi and John to each other.  But when tragedy strikes during their trip, they must figure out what they truly mean to each other.  And where they can find a place to be together.  I LOVED it!  Except for one minor thing- the prologue gave away the tragedy that didn't actually occur until over halfway through the book.  So I just kept waiting for it.  And was horrified with what I knew was coming literally within the opening lines of the book.  I was, however, an amazing story of cultures meeting, clashing and growing together.  I finished in 2 days.

Where Courage Calls by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan (329 pages).  The first of a trilogy.  One of our family Sunday night things is watching When Calls the Heart, which is VERY loosely based on a Janette Oke series (like it's not even the same story or characters).  She then wrote this trilogy as a companion series to the TV show.  Janette Oke is one of my favorite authors.  And my all-time favorite Christian author.  This novel was no different.  Now, as to it being a When Calls the Heart (TV show) companion novel?  Well, here are the similarities.  The  main character is Elizabeth Thatcher.  She goes to teach in Coal Valley, where a mining accident has killed most of the men in town.  The schoolhouse is also the pool hall/saloon once evenings come.  There is a Mountie named Jack (well, Jarrick) Thornton.  And a few other minor characters are the same, although most of them far more minor than on the show.  Other than that, this is an entirely different story than the TV show.  There is more intrigue- the new miners are all foreigners, there is an illegal still to be found and dealt with.  Honestly, as much as I love the show, this was a better novel than the show would've made.  I finished in 3 days.

Where Trust Lies by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan (332 pages).  Book two of the trilogy.  We are now NOTHING like the show.  Beth has finished her first year of teaching and has gone home for the summer.  Her family (well, her mother, 2 sisters and young nephew) have decided they are going to take a cruise down the St Lawrence River and into the United States while her father is in South America for business.  While Beth misses Jarrick terribly, she is determined to have a wonderful family vacation.  Younger sister Julie befriends some exciting American strangers on their ship.  But Julie has always been a little reckless and prone to naivete.  So when her new friends turn out to be less than trustworthy, the family must figure out how to save Julie from herself.  I finished in 3 days.

Where Hope Prevails by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan (317 pages).  The final book of the trilogy.  Still 100% nothing like the show.  Beth has returned to her beloved Coal Valley, ready for her future.  She and Jarrick, now engaged, begin to plan their life together.  Meanwhile, there's a new teacher in town.  And Beth does not like him very much.  But as the year progresses, Beth begins to learn that plans aren't always what you want them to be and people can sometimes surprise you.  Honestly, I just love Janette Oke books.  They are so sweet.  The Christian message is so strong.  I finished in 3 days.

Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes (439 pages).  The sequel to You.  It was both nothing like season 2 of the TV show and exactly like it, only in a different order.   A lot of the same characters but different versions of them and different story lines surrounding them.  Just like the first book, it's a lot raunchier than the TV series (which makes me prefer the TV series).  But I enjoyed a different path that Joe Goldberg could have wandered down in his obsession.  In this, he follows a girl to LA (shocker).  And begins a new life there.  While killing a few more people (this is Joe we are talking about), he attempts to find happiness with Love Quinn.  But hidden bodies don't stay hidden forever.  And Joe has some explaining to do.  Has he finally met his (crazy) match in Love?  A totally different ending than the show.  But then again, the book series ends here and the TV series has been renewed for another season.  I finished in 4 days.

All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin (331 pages).  The lives of two families intersect when a photo starts making the rounds at an elite private school in Nashville.  Nina Browning, a small town girl who married into the upper echelon of Nashville society, is heartbroken that her beloved son Finch is at the center of it.  And even more heartbroken that her husband is ambivalent about his son's involvement.  Meanwhile, single working dad Tom Volpe and his daughter Lyla aren't sure who to trust once the photo comes to light.  As more sides of the story emerges, lines are drawn and life changing decisions are made.  Honestly, one of the coolest things about this novel was feeling like I knew the areas of Nashville that Giffin was describing.  The Brownings live in the cushy Belle Meade neighborhood, where my best friend had her wedding reception.  The Volpes, on the other hand, live in artsier East Nashville.  Quite literally OFF of my best friend's street (her street was in the novel).  I finished in 3 days.

The Headmaster's Wife by Thomas Christopher Greene (273 pages).  First and foremost, the dedication was "For Jane."  So clearly, an excellent book.  When Arthur Winthrop, headmaster of Vermont's prestigious Lancaster School, is found wandering Central Park completely nude, he is taken into the police station for questioning.  There, he tells the police what has been happening- the legacy of his father and grandfather that has continued with him as headmaster, his interactions (possibly inappropriate) with some of his students.  But wow, did his story have a twist!  I finished in 2 days.

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff (359 pages).  Historical fiction, y'all!  You know that's my fave!  During WWII, there was a covert British group called the Special Operations Executive.  The agents working with SOE were sent into Occupied Europe as spies, couriers, wireless operators, etc.  But not all of them were men.  During 1944 and under the leadership of Eleanor Trigg, young women were trained and sent out from London.  Of those girls, 12 of them never returned.  And Eleanor could not live herself, knowing that somehow their mission had been compromised.  In 1946, in Grand Central Station, Grace Hadley finds an abandoned suitcase containing the photographs of 12 young women.  Upon learning that the suitcase belonged to Eleanor Trigg, Grace begins a search to find out who there women were and what happened to them.  I LOVED it!  It reminded me of The Nightingale (in that it was a story of spies in Europe during WWII).  I finished in 1 day (yay for being poolside again!)

What I Know Now: Letters to My Younger Self by Ellyn Spragins (183 pages).  41 letters written by 41 women- actresses, activists, authors, singers, etc.  Many of them women I'd heard of and already admired.  Some of them were unknown to me.  The women wrote letters to themselves at different stages of their lives- teenagers, post divorce, pre marriage, pre big decision.  The letters (and the little blurbs before them) were interesting.  My favorite piece of advice was that when you are juggling too many things, just be aware of which balls are glass and which ones are rubber.  And never drop the glass ones.  I finished in 2 days.

Watching You by Lisa Jewell (324 pages).  Posh neighborhoods in Bristol are supposed ot be idyllic.  But when a woman is found murdered in her kitchen, the neighbors begin to realize that there are a lot of secrets behind their closed doors.  The Fitzwilliams- a family of three where the husband is the headmaster of a local school and the teen aged son spends most of his time watching his neighbors.  The Mullens- husband and pregnant wife who live in their dream home with his sister and her husband.  And then the students at Mr Fitzwilliams' school.  The whodunit aspect of the murder was great!  I finished in 3 days.

How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry (340 pages).  At 32 years old, Emilia finds herself running her beloved father's bookshop in the picture perfect town of Peasebrook after his death.  The shop is a book lover's dream.  And the customers are family.  But like every small town, there are loves and secrets and lost dreams to be discovered.  I finished in 1 day (yep, poolside again).

This month's favorite was.....a tie between Where the Lost Wander and The Lost Girls of Paris.

I MAY have done a fair amount of reading this month

I am just barreling through my bookshelves lately. Once my pool opens up, y’all, it’s going to be insane!  This month, I read 12 books. A total of 3,757 pages. Which is an average of 121 pages a day. So let’s get to it. 

Girl Through Glass by Sari Wilson (286 pages). I do love a book about bunheads. In 1970’s New York, the New York City Ballet reigned supreme. And its director, George Balanchine, is legendary.  Mira is 11 years old and ready to take on this competitive world. She meets 47 year old Maurice DuPont, a balletomane who becomes her mentor. As she rises through the ranks of the School of American Ballet, she is prepped to become one of the greatest dancers the company has known. Her relationship with Maurice intensifies, to the point that her life is completely upended. Meanwhile, in present day, Kate is a professor of dance. When a letter from her past arrives, she must return home to confront everything she thought she’d left behind. It was pretty good. I finished in 3 days. 

The Herd by Andrea Bartz (318 pages). This was my book club box book. So yay for gifties!  The Herd is an elite women only coworking space in New York City. Katie has applied for membership, hopeful that her connections to her sister Hana (one of the first members and the PR agent), her sister’s friend Mikki (also an original member and the graphic artist for the company) and her sister’s friend Eleanor (the founder) will help. But within one week of Katie’s application, and on the very day of a huge announcement, Eleanor disappears. As everyone starts to become a suspect, Katie and Hana start wondering what they did (and didn’t) know about their friend. I finished in 1 day.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (288 pages). Yes, I’m as surprised as you are that I’d never read this book. I knew this book had been made into a movie (which I had never seen until about a week after I finished the book. Thanks, Netflix. It was great!). A movie that was, until Crazy Rich Asians came along, the only American made, all Asian cast movie. But that’s about all I knew. So I’m not sure what I was expecting. What I was not expecting was a lack of a cohesive plot. The Joy Luck Club was 4 Chinese born women who now lived in San Francisco and played mah jong. They all had daughters about the same age. As expected, there was a cultural clash between the generations. But the novel itself is each of the women’s stories- both mothers and daughters. The only connecting story is of Suyuan Woo, who has passed away at the beginning of the novel, and her daughter Jing-mei Woo, who goes to China to meet the twin sisters her mother had to leave behind. Despite the fact that the stories were disconnected, I actually really liked the novel. I loved each individual story. I finished in 3 days. 

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (198 pages). Melinda’s freshman year of high school is not what she thought it would be. She is a complete outcast due to the fact that she called the cops on a party during the summer. But there’s a lot more to the story than just calling the cops. As the school year goes on, Melinda tries to come to terms with what happened and what that means for her. Turns out there’s also a movie of this novel. So you know that got added to my list!  I finished in 2 days. 

Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close (292 pages). Allegedly, at least according to the back of the book, it was about Isabella, Mary and Lauren, 3 women who feel like everyone they know is getting married while they are stuck- in dead-end jobs, in dead-end relationships, in dead-end lives. Honestly, there were so many “side” characters that I never really felt connected to the 3 “main” characters. Until the final chapter, it was never just about the three of them. Just like The Joy Luck Club, there was no one storyline- it was a collection of stories involving the same characters. Unlike The Joy Luck Club, I did not like this book at all. I finished in 3 days. 

Southern Lady Code by Helen Ellis (199 pages). This was a collection of short essays. The author is an Alabama belle who married a New Yorker and now lives on the Upper East Side. But she kept her Southern ways. Her motto?  If you don’t have something nice to say, say something not so nice in a nice way. Which I love!  The essays were just cute stories about her life- marriage, friends, remaining childless, etc. I finished in 1 day. 

Puddin’ by Julie Murphy (428 pages). I accidentally ordered this book instead of Dumplin’ (after watching the Netflix movie, I really wanted to read it). This book is about one of the other characters in Dumplin’, Millie Michalchuk. Millie entered the Miss Teen Bluebonnet pageant, despite her mother telling her she was too big, and got runner up!  This novel is more of her story. Millie has dreams that are bigger than anything she’s willing to share with her family. But she has her good girlfriends, thanks to the pageant, and a huge crush!  Callie, on the other hand, has everything going for her. Beautiful, popular boyfriend and in line to be captain of the dance team. But when a prank goes awry, Callie is forced to realize what really matters and is lasting in her life. As Millie and Callie strike up an unlikely friendship, they start to bring out the best in each other. It was heartwarming and sweet. I finished in 4 days. 

Texts from Jane Eyre (and Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters) by Daniel Mallory Ortberg (226 pages). Yes, this book was exactly as the title leads you to believe. What if your favorite literary characters had texting?  It was easy and funny. I found myself laughing out loud several times at the witticism of the texts!  I finished in 1 day. 

A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs (480 pages). The fourth in Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children novels. I remember not enjoying the third book as much, but loved the first two, so wanted to go back to the series. I liked this one a lot more. Jacob’s friends have arrived just in time to keep him from being sent to an asylum. And now that they aren’t trapped in the safety of the time loop, they want to explore modern day America. But when Jacob finds more secrets left behind by his grandfather, the children end up on a mission around the East Coast and through different time loops to track down a peculiar who has just realized her powers. Yes, all of this sounds super confusing if you’ve not read the other books!  I finished in 5 days. 

The Conference of Birds by Ransom Riggs (325 pages). In book 3, Jacob and company managed to defeat an evil peculiar and banish him to a collapsed loop, presumably dead. Now, it turns out that there’s possibly a way to restore a collapsed loop. So Jacob and his friends must race against the clock to stop the wights from achieving their goal. I finished in 3 days. 

Alex & Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz (355 pages). I am unabashedly obsessed with Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler. It began back in 2015, when a little musical hit the stage. I became obsessed with the music and by extension, the story. So I started reading. Yes, a lot of what I’ve read has been historical fiction (because that’s what I love). But I can’t help it!  This series was written by an author I already knew I liked. Despite the fact that most of her work is vampire and witch, this was amazing!  And turns out, she was inspired by the musical. While some liberties were taken with history (Hamilton did not uncover the treason of Benedict Arnold, Eliza was not engaged to another man prior to marrying Hamilton), the book was a fun look at their courtship. I finished in 3 days. 

Love & War by Melissa de la Cruz (362 pages). Alex and Eliza are newlyweds. Alex is trying to find his place in this new country now that the war is over. He’s establishing his law practice. Meanwhile, Eliza is finding her footing as a married woman. Additional liberties were taken in this novel as well (Alexander and Eliza had children almost immediately, while this allowed them to remain childless for a few years). Didn’t matter- I loved it anyway!  I finished in 3 days. 

This month’s favorite was...The Alex and Eliza stories. I love Hamilton. I love historical fiction. Win win!

April Quarantine Brings Good Reading

I'm still getting back into my stride with reading.  This quarantine hasn't helped.  You'd think I'd be reading like crazy.  But I've found myself watching more mindless TV.  If only they could open the pool.  Then I'd get a lot more reading done!  But as it is, I read 7 books at a total of 2,464 pages.  That's an average of 82 pages a day.  So I guess it really wasn't THAT bad of a month!

Empress Dowager Cixi by Jung Chang (373 pages plus 61 pages of notes/bibliography that I didn't read).  This was a little out of my typical reading, as I normally prefer historical fiction to actual history.  But this one appealed to me.  Back in 20something, I had the opportunity to go to China.  We spent almost all of our time in Beijing (but did do a quick day trip to Xian).  So reading about the Temple of Heaven, the hu tong, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace (all places I've seen and walked through) was amazing.  Cixi managed to raise her status of Concubine 5 to Concubine 2 (second only to the Empress) with the birth of her son (the Emperor's first son).  She again raised her status to Empress Dowager upon the death of her husband.  She had more power than any woman had publicly ever had (despite still being unable to freely interact with men).  And she used that power to bring her country into the modern world, while finding a way to retain much of the old traditions.  In fact, she herself was one of the last things holding China, through respect to her, to some of the old ways.  Merely 4 years after her death, the 6 year old emperor (her great nephew and the subject of the movie The Last Emperor) abdicated the throne (through his regent), ending more than 2000 years of monarchy and ushering in a republic.  I finished in 7 days.

A Tale of Magic by Chris Colfer (481 pages). These books are cute and easy to read.  In this series, magic has been outlawed in all of the kingdoms.  But Madame Weatherberry (a fairy) wants to start an Academy of Magic to train special children and make magic (not witchcraft) something that is seen as good again.  The children, each with a unique power, enjoy their time learning.  Until they have to go to the Northern Kingdom to fight the Snow Queen.  They are also able to turn the whole of the kingdoms on their heads by establishing the Fairy Council.  I finished in 6 days.

Clever Girl by Tessa Hadley (252 pages). This novel followed the life of Stella, from young girl to middle aged woman.  Along the way, she had struggles with her mother and stepfather, an unplanned teenage pregnancy (where the father fled to the US before she even knew she was pregnant), the murder of the father of her second son, and her eventual coming into her own.  It was just okay.  I finished in 2 days.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (438 pages).  Leni Allbright has never had a conventional childhood.  Her father is a Vietnam vet and POW.  One day in 1974, he learns that he has inherited his old war buddy's land in Alaska.  And just like that, Leni's whole world is turned upside down.  The Alaskan wilderness is like nothing she's ever experienced.  The "town" is small, the house has no running water or electricity, the people are tough but kind, and the weather is unforgiving.  And her father cannot handle the darkness- his abuse and drinking spiral out of control.  Four years later, Leni is ready to graduate from high school.  Alaska has become home.  But her father has not gotten better.  In fact, he has gotten worse.  When an opportunity arises for Leni and her mother to escape, they have to take it.  But it means leaving behind the only home they've ever truly known.  And the only boy that Leni has ever loved.  Seven years later, Leni has another choice to make.  This time, it's about going home.  I finished in 4 days.

Wildland by Rebecca Hodge (324 pages).  This was my book box book.  Which means gifties along with a good book.  This book was a little harder for me at the start.  The main character, Kat, is a recent widow.  And her breast cancer has returned just 3 years after her first battle.  Seeing as my best friend is currently fighting a battle with breast cancer and the last thing I want to think about is it not being successful, this topic was a lot.  But the rest of the story was pretty great.  Kat has arrived at a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains for a month.  She needs to decide whether to fight cancer once more.  Within moments of arriving, her daughter has dropped of a foster dog, she meets her neighbors (including two children) and finds another abandoned puppy.  Three days later, with the two children staying over for a slumber party, Kat's cabin in cut off from the main road by a fire that consumes the mountain.  With no phone access, it's up to Kat to save herself and the four lives relying on her.  It was a moment by moment account of their escape and of the two fathers of the children, desperate in their attempt to save them.  The book was great and these were the best gifts yet!  I finished in 2 days.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson (291 pages).  I had never heard of Troublesome Creek (a real town located almost at the Kentucky/Virginia/West Virginia border).  Or the Blue People of Kentucky (who actually lived in Troublesome Creek and had a rare mutation that literally turned their skin blue).  Or the Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project (established in the 19030's to help spread literacy throughout regions of the US that might not have access otherwise).  In this novel, Cussy Mary Carter encompasses all of these things- she is a blue skinned librarian in Troublesome Creek.  The town is small.  And prejudiced.  But they are well read thanks to Cussy.  While some people don't like Cussy because she is colored (this is the 1930's after all and segregation is a thing), she is beloved on her book route.  What I found the most fascinating was that Cussy was considered on par with black people in her area when she in fact was a white woman with a blood disorder. Clearly not everyone believes that all humans are humans, regardless of skin color.  But what an interesting look at it.  I finished in 5 days.

The Hollywood Daughter by Kate Alcott (305 pages).  A little bit history, a lot bit fiction.  In 1940's Hollywood, young Jessica Malloy is a huge fan of Ingrid Bergman.  But unlike most children who idolize movie stars from afar, Jesse is luckier than most.  Her father is Bergman's publicist.  So she actually gets to interact with her.  And Hess couldn't have picked a better idol.  Bergman is beautiful, kind, the perfect wife and mother, and an onscreen nun and saint.  Until Bergman shocks the world by having an affair with her married director.  And becoming pregnant with his child!  Because the director is Italian and both of them were married, Bergman comes under attack during the McCarthy Era.  Jesse is faced with the humanity of her idol.  And the humanity of her own parents.  Nine years after fleeing Hollywood, Jesse returns home to face the memories she's so desperately tried to hide away.  I finished in 4 days (because I only had 4 days left in the month).

This month's favorite was ....  The Great Alone.