Apparently, this was No(read)vember for me……

 This month was kind of slow, reading-wise. But in my defense, I did have a few other things going on. I did manage to finish 6 books at a total of 2,106 pages. Which averaged 7- pages a day. Yes, fat below my normal average. But still respectable. 

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty (464 pages). Retired tennis coach and mother of 4 adult children Joy Delaney is missing. Something unheard of in the Delaney family. Joy was their rock- the very foundation upon which their tennis obsessed family rests. But one year earlier, a strange girl named Savannah showed up at the Delaney house one night. And wormed her way into Joy’s affections. Now, as everyone searches for Joy, people are left wondering who is responsible for her disappearance. I finished in 6 days. 

The Hiding Place by C.J. Tudor (276 pages). The small (former) mining town of Arnhill has a difficult history, especially for former resident Joe Thorne. The last place he wants to go is back home. But a horrific set of events when he was a teenager needs to be faced. The loss and return of his younger sister, his friend’s death. Joe wants answers. And Arnhill is the only place to find the answers. I finished in 3 days. 

The Guest List by Lucy Foley (313 pages). A remote, almost uninhabited island of the coast of Ireland is the setting for Jules and Will’s exclusive wedding.  The bride, her sister, her best friend’s wife, the best man and the wedding planner all have secrets. Secrets so big that one of them will kill for them. I literally did not see any of the twists coming. This book was sooooo good!  I finished in 4 days. 

One Day in December by Josie Silver (392 pages). It’s right before Christmas in 2008. When Laurie meets the love of her life. And by meets, I mean locks eyes with him while she’s on a bus and he’s at the bus stop. She’d never believed in love at first sight. But now she’s on a mission to find him. And she does- one year later, her best friend Sarah introduces her to bus boy Jack. Who is Sarah’s new boyfriend. Over the next 9 years, Laurie and Jack are intertwined in each other’s lives- as friends, during marriages, through breakups. But can someone you had a moment with at a bus stop actually be your forever?  I finished in 5 days. 

IQ by Joe Ide (323 pages). Isaiah Quintabe is known as IQ in his East Long Beach neighborhood.  He is, for lack of a better description, a ghetto detective. He is brilliant and devoted to uncovering wrongs i his neighborhood. Any case that the police see no merit in is a case that’s right up his alley. So it’s not at all surprising when he gets a call about an attempt on a rapper’s life. What is surprising is the case itself. Honestly, I did not really enjoy this book. The language was rough, the facts of the case were confusing, and the way the chapters time jumped kept me confused.  I finished in 4 days. 

Exposed by Lisa Scottoline (338 pages). Attorney Mary DiNunzio is asked to take on a case for an old family friend from her neighborhood. Which she happily does for free- the facts are heartbreakingly in her favor. Unfortunately. the parent company is represented by her partner Bennie Rosato. Can these partners and friends actually face off in court?  And when someone connected to the case dies, can Mary and Bennie figure out who is behind it?  I finished in 4 days. 

This month’s favorite was…..The Guest List. 

October is over, my reading was average

 October was nothing out of the ordinary. 8 books read. A total of 3,055 pages. An average of 98.5 pages per day (so a little less than my normal average). But here we go!

Wunderland by Jennifer Cody Epstein (367 pages). Ilse and Renate have been best friends all of their lives. But their once inseparable bond is ripped apart as Hitler begins to take power in Germany. Ilse is the perfect example of an Aryan girl. Renate and her family do not agree with the Nazi race laws, especially when it hits close to home. A shocking betrayal is the final nail in the coffin of their friendship. 50 years later, Ilse’s daughter Ava receives letters that her mother never sent- letters that will show Renate was really happened and share a deep family secret. I finished in 6 days. 

Seeing Red by Sandra Brown (421 pages). Kerry Bailey is a TV reporter in Dallas, ready to snag the interview of her life. 25 years prior, Major Franklin Trapper became a national hero when he helped lead survivors to safety after a hotel bombing. After decades of giving interviews and living in the spotlight, the Major unexpected left the public life. But Kerry knows she has a secret that will get that interview. But it will take getting his estranged son John to help her. Trapper, a former ATF agent, has long wondered about the bombing and who was truly behind it. But the interview ends in disaster when the Major and Kerr are attacked. Trapper and Kerry join forces to bring the gunman (or men) to justice and to uncover a conspiracy that has plagued Trapper for years. I finished in 5 days. 

Courting Mr. Lincoln by Louis Bayard (379 pages). In 1839, Mary Todd moved to Springfield, Illinois, to live with her sister and brother-in-law. And to possibly find a husband. She quickly makes the acquaintance of Joshua Speed and his best friend, Abraham Lincoln.  While Speed is charming, Lincoln remains a mystery. And as her relationship with Lincoln deepens, Mary must navigate his inseparable friendship with Speed. Honestly, I didn’t know too much about Lincoln and Mary Todd. But their love story was quite fascinating. I finished in 5 days. 

P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern (470 pages). My bestie and I both love this movie (she probably more than me). So I decided I wanted to read the book. It was different than the movie, in that the whole thing takes place in Ireland rather than only Gerry being Irish. But the premise is still the same. A few months after her beloved husband dies of a brain tumor, Holly is in the depths of despair. But she gets a packet of letters from Gerry, to be opened each month. These letters challenge her to remember to keep living. And each letter ends with “P.S. I love you.”  It’s a beautiful story about how life is full of moments of pain and joy. And we must embrace all of those moments in order to fully live. I finished in 4 days. 

Postscript by Cecelia Ahern (295 pages). This takes place 6 years after the first book. Holly has a whole new life going on- a new job, a new relationship. But when her sister invites her to share her PS I Love You letters story on a podcast, a group of people reach out to her for help. They want to do for their loved ones what Gerry did for her. At first, it seems like the wrong decision- it’s bring up all the pain of losing him. But eventually, Holly realizes that remembering Gerry is what makes her the woman she is today. I finished in 3 days. 

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewel (398 pages). This was my Once Upon a Book Club box, so gifties on social (per usual). I love this author. She always has an unexpected twist. In this, young parents Tallulah and Zack are last seen enjoying a rare night out. When they don’t come home, Tallulah’s mom, Kim, is worried. And when she learns that they went to a house party after dinner at the local pub, she knows something is wrong. But nothing is ever found. A year later, Sophie moves to this small town to join her boyfriend at his new position as headmaster at a school. Sophie is an author of detective novels. And when she sees a note that says “dig here,” she finds herself drawn into the mystery of the teens disappearance. Told over 2 years (the year before they disappear, their disappearance and the year after), the novel kept me on the edge of my seat! I finished in 4 days. 

Not All Diamonds and Rose by Dave Quinn (465 pages). The ultimate Housewives Bible. This book was amazing (if you love the Real Housewives, which I do). The behind the scene details, the production secrets, so juicy!  Dave Quinn interviewed Housewives AND production. Meaning we got multiple sides to almost every story (including the actual truth)!  I finished in 3 days. 

Nala’s World by Dean Nicholson (260 pages). I’ve been following an Instagram account called 1bike1world for about 2 1/2 years. This is the story of the man who started the account (Dean) and his amazing cat (Nala). I already knew some of the story, just by following him on Instagram. But my heart warmed to Dean even more. In 2018, he left Scotland and began a journey to bike around the world. And found “wee” Nala on the side of the road. They are now world adventurers and soulmates. She also happens to be one of the most gorgeous and photogenic cats I’ve ever seen. I finished in 2 days. 

This month’s favorite was…..Not All Diamonds and Rose. I know, I know. There were some other really good ones. But for this Housewives fan, this book could not be beat!