After a slow year last year (I didn't read as many books as I'd planned), I decided to start the year out strong. I read 8 books. A total of 2,675 pages. An average of 86 pages a day. And let's face facts- I'm not going to get another book read today. So let's get to it!
A Haunted History of Invisible Women by Leanna Renee Harper and Andres Janes (340 pages). This was a compilation of stories about ghosts around the country. Some of them I knew (Mary Surratt, the Winchester House), but most were completely unknown to me. I really enjoyed the detail and research these two women did about the backstories of the ghosts. It was a little dry at times, but overall pretty good stories. Especially the one starring a ghost in Joan Rivers' apartment (yes, THAT Joan Rivers!). I finished in 4 days.
The Life Impossible by Matt Haig (321 pages). This was the Up All Night special edition box from Once Upon a Book Club. The box I look forward to the most because it's got the yearly 40 book challenge in it! At 72, Grace Winters truly feels like her life is over. She's a retired math teacher. Her husband has passed away. And she lost her son when he was only 11. But out of the blue, she receives news that she has inherited a home from a former coworker, Christina. A coworker she one time helped but then lost touch with. So Grace goes to Ibiza to learn how Christina died and why she left Grace her home. But what Grace finds is more than she bargained for. Because the waters around Ibiza aren't just magical, they are mystical. And they choose who they bless with their powers. Haig might be the new king of magical realism. Or maybe I'm just biased. I finished in 3 days.
Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul (401 pages). When famous white Hollywood icon Kitty Karr Tate passes away, she bequeaths her entire fortune (nearly a billion dollars of cash, real estate, etc) to the famous (and already wealthy) St John sisters. Their father is a musician and their mother is an actress. Elise and Giovanni are both actresses and Noele plans to become a lawyer (rebellious daughter). But the St John sisters are black. So why in the world would Kitty leave them her fortune? The book told us Kitty's story- her rise to fame after she arrived in Hollywood from North Carolina in the 1950's. And why she made her decision to leave her fortune to her neighbors. I liked the premise. I loved the stories. I didn't love that it got a little political at the end though. I finished in 5 days.
Arthur: The Dog who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home by Mikael Lindnord (274 pages). Mikael is a Swedish adventure racer (no, I didn't know what that was before this book either). But it's basically weirdos who travel to other countries and race as teams across various terrain (bike, running, canoeing, etc) on limited sleep and rest to see who can win. Nope, doesn't sound like fun to me either. But when a stray dog joins Mikael's team during a race in South America, Mikael is smitten. Their relationship is amazing. And Mikael vows that he will bring Arthur home to live with him in Sweden. Y'all- this was the sweetest animal story ever. And if you'd rather a movie, Marky Mark stars in Arthur the King (which is also a heartwarming Americanized version of Arthur and Mikael's story). I finished in 3 days.
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter (398 pages). In 1939 Europe, the Kurc family is as tight knit as possible, getting together for as many holidays as they can. Parents Sol and Nechuma own a fabric store in Radom, Poland. Their 31 year old son Gerek is a lawyer (although as a Jewish man, he's recently been demoted to legal assistant) and his wife Herta is ready to begin their family. Their 29 year old daughter Mila is married to doctor Selim and is struggling with life as a new mother to 1 year old Felicia. Their 25 year old son Addy is an engineer and composer in France who is the only child who is single and who doesn't live in Radom. Their 23 year old son Jakob is in law school and a photographer who is in love with his longtime girlfriend Bella and ready for them to marry. Their 22 year old daughter Halina is a medical assistant who is dating Adam, an architect. But when the war breaks out, Sol and Nechuma are terrified- they lived through the Great War. And as the war tears the family apart, sending them across the globe, they can only hope that they can find each other when the war is over. The author is Addy's granddaughter. So knowing that this is a true story is absolutely amazing. Their hometown of Radom was home to 30,000 Jews at the beginning of the war. 300 survived. This family was 12 of those survivors. And now Sol and Nechuma's descendants number over 100. I finished in 4 days.
Remedial Magic by Melissa Marr (322 pages). Ellie is a librarian who loves her life. Until a mysterious witch named Prospero shows up. Ellie learns that she is actually a witch herself. And that Crenshaw, the magical land where all witches live, is in danger. And that all newly discovered witches must first attend remedial magic college. But when Ellie arrives in Crenshaw with several other new witches, she learns that there is more to this land than she first thought. And that there's more to Prospero than she could have ever imagined. Honestly, I did not like this book at all. I finished in 4 days.
If You Would Have Told Me by John Stamos (321 pages). I was always a Full House girlie. And Uncle Jesse was such a dream. So reading a little more about his life was pretty cool. He had some random connections throughout his life (the magazine editor who put him in Tiger Beat ended up married to the Night Stalker while he was in prison). He had some highs and lows, both professionally and personally. He has experienced losses (both of his parents, Bob Saget). And now he's found joy in his marriage to his second wife and the birth of his first child. I finished in 3 days.
How to Fake Date a Vampire by Linsey Hall (298 pages). This is part of the Charming Cove series. Emma moved to Charming Cove 2 years ago. Because where else can an orphaned witch fin the perfect place to live? But Emma is still an apprentice. And when Alaric, the vampire Duke of Blackthorn, returns home, Emma decides to ask him if they can use his estate to host the annual Beltane Ball. He agrees, if she will be his girlfriend. At least, if his grandmother asks! As Emma and Alaric begin to plan the ball (it has to be spectacular so that the witches can harvest joy to use for their spells- yes, their magic is powered by joy), they get closer and closer. In true rom-com fashion, there is miscommunication. But when a witch and a royal vampire are involved, everything works out! I finished in 4 days.
This month's favorite is......Arthur. As much as I loved WWII novels and rom-coms, there is something that warms my heart about a happy animal story
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