An embarrassingly bad showing/reading this month

 This month, I really slacked off. Like didn’t read for several days throughout the month. But let’s get into it. 6 books. 2,270 pages. An average of 73 pages a day (or 95 for the days I actually read)

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman (378 pages). The last of the Practical Magic series. For 300 years, Maria Owens’ curse had affected the Owens women. From secret weddings to never living together, the women have found a work around. But it still ultimately claims the men they love.  But Jet learns the secret of how to end the curse. And begins to set that into motion with her death. When Sally’s youngest daughter Kylie’s longtime love is in an accident, Kylie learns of the curse and is determined to break it. So she travels to England to seek the true beginning of their curse. As Franny, Sally, Gillian and Vincent follow her, they encounter left hand, dark magic that they have never encountered before. This was a beautiful ending to the series. And now I’m even more excited to see how the movie sequel turns out. I finished in 4 days.

Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige Hill (395 pages). This book was for my gym book club. Jenna was literally born into Scientology in 1984. Her grandparents joined in the 1969 and her uncle was David Miscaviage, the man who took over the “church” when L. Ron Hubbard died. Throughout her time in Scientology (from birth in 1984 to her escape in 2005), Jenna experienced family upheaval, manual labor that no child should endure, and mental/emotional manipulation of the highest degree. At 8 years old, she signed a contract to join Sea Org, the most senior staff of the group. A contract for one billion years. Because in Scientology, your Thetan (spirit) never dies <insert eye roll here>. Eventually, Jenna, her two brothers, her parents, and her grandfather (you know, the FATHER of the head of the organization) all left Scientology. Y’all- i knew Scientology was crazy. But I had no idea HOW crazy. Learning about the requirements of this group just reinforced every belief that I have that it is a dangerous cult. I finished in 3 days.

The New Girl by M.I. Hattersley (277 pages). Jade Fisher just started a new job at Beautiful You! Incorporated, an eco-friendly lifestyle brand. Working for THE Rebecca Burton-Webb. But Jade isn’t working there for the experience. She’s there for revenge. Because she and her sister are convinced that Rebecca has stolen their legacy. And Jade plans to prove it by working her way into Rebecca’s trust. But this world is more than Jade thought it would be. And the hidden secrets could be deadly. I finished in 4 days.

The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin (468 pages). The year is 1876. 20 year old heiress Charlotte Baird, an avid photography hobbyist, has been invited to spend time in the English countryside during hunting season. While there, she meets Bay Middleton, one of the greatest horseman in England (but not a nobleman). And Charlotte immediately falls in love. But Bay has been asked to pilot the Empress Elisabeth of Austria during the hunting season. She is staying at Easton Neston with the Spencers (yes, THOSE Spencers. The ancestors of Princess Diana). And Sisi is well-known as the most beautiful royal in all of Europe. She is also a fearless horsewoman. And thus began a wild royal love triangle. Y’all know I love some historical fiction. And I do love historical fiction about rumored relationships. This one took a few liberties with history (like the fact that Charlotte and Bay were engaged for 7 years rather than the elopement that ended the book). But on the whole I rather enjoyed the story. Sisi’s story is pretty tragic, so it was kind of nice to see her happy for a moment, even if it was because she was cheating on her husband. I read somewhere that Sisi was the Princess Diana of her day. And that tracks. I finished in 5 days.

The Chanel Sisters by Judithe Little (379 pages). Y’all know I love historical fiction (as declared literally with the immediate prior book). Everyone in the world knows the name Coco Chanel. But what about the woman herself?  Gabrielle “Coco” was one of three sisters (older sister Julia-Berthe was a year older and younger sister Antoinette was four years younger). They also had two brothers. But when their mother died, the girls were left at a convent orphanage. And the boys just kind of disappeared. Gabrielle and Antoinette eventually met their young aunt Adrienne and the three became inseparable. Despite their humble beginnings and upbringing, they know they are meant for Something Better. The girls all learn how to sew, but Gabrielle is convinced that her future is on the stage. She earns the nickname of Coco from her songs. Eventually she realizes that she doesn’t have a future on the stage. And she and Antoinette open a hat shop in Paris (backed by one of Gabrielle’s lovers). Eventually they expand into resort wear. Then WWI hits and they switch to simplicity. And thus, the House of Chanel is born. Coco did not like to share her past. In fact, she lied about it. But I loved this story. Obviously, embellishments were made. But it seems like this truly was the gist of her origin. I finished in 4 days.

The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn (373 pages). In September of 1815, Rachel and Liam arrive in London. Not from Jamaica, as they tell people. But from the future. Their mission? To befriend Jane Austen, recover a suspected unpublished novel simply referred to as The Watsons and possibly save Jane’s life. But 1815 is a difficult time for women, especially a woman like Rachel who is a doctor and highly independent. She begins to wonder if she is losing herself as she begins to develop romantic feelings for Liam (who is supposed to be her brother in 1815) and true friendships with the Austens. They have one year to achieve their goal and leave history unchanged. This was an interesting concept and I really liked the idea of would you change history if you could. I finished in 4 days.

This month’s favorite was…The Chanel Sisters. Honestly, because I knew so little about Coco herself. 

February- the month of love-ing books

This was not my best month. Only 6 books. A total of 2,154 pages. An average of 77 pages a day. 

The E.M.M.A. Effect by Lia Riley (287 pages). This was a Valentine’s Day special edition Once Upon a Book Club box. 30 year old Harriett Smythe is a computer genius (but rather a rube at love). She works for a company that is creating cutting edge AI technology called E.M.M.A., short for Empirical Machine for Maximizing Athletes. Basically an AI-powered platform designed to revolutionize athletic performance and well-being. When her boss finds out that her best friend Brooke’s young brother is 25 year old NHL star Gale Knight, Harriett has to ask Gale if he will take part in their beta testing. Turns out that Gale needs Harriett in order to improve his athletic performance, at least according to EMMA. Because matchmaking is just one of the many abilities this system has. Now that they finally have permission from a computer, can Gale and Harriett admit to themselves that they are crazy about each other?  It was cute, it was frothy, it was a quick read. I finished in 2 days.

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman (366 pages). Have you ever wondered about the magical aunts, Franny and Jet, in Practical Magic?  Well, this is their story. Born to Susanna Owens (one of the rare Owens women who fled Massachusetts for new sights), Frances, Bridget and their younger brother Vincent (an anomaly in the all female Owens family) grew up in New York City in the 1950’s and 60’s. When Franny turns 17, she receives an invitation from Aunt Isabella. And all 3 children head to Massachusetts for the summer. They all know that they aren’t normal. But they don’t know what magic flows through their veins. It’s the magic of Maria Owens. As all men who love an Owens are cursed, this affects the siblings in different ways. But they live their lives in New York City, leaning on each other. When the unthinkable happens, Franny and Jet find themselves in the ancestral home in Massachusetts, creating a new life there and eventually welcoming Sally and Gillian into their lives. How did I not know about all of these sequels?!  I finished in 4 days. 

My Plain Jane by the Lady Janies (Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows) (447 pages). Y’all know I love these creative reimaginings. And this is the last one they’ve written!  The main characters in this novel?  Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë and Alexander Blackwood. Jane is a teacher at the Lowood School for Girls, who eventually leaves to become a governess for the ward of Edward Rochester.  Charlotte is one of the students, and one of Jane’s best friends. Alexander is a ghost hunter with the Society for the Relocation of Wayward Spirits, and a seer, meaning he can actually see ghosts. And he thinks that Jane might be one as well. But she’s not- she’s so much more. As the three of them (along with Charlotte’s brother Branwell) join forces, they learn that the Society doesn’t care about the best interests of anyone other than themselves. I finished in 4 days.

The Block Party by Jamie Day (374 pages). Every year, the exclusive Alton Road cul-de-sac in Meadowbrook, Massachusetts, has their annual Memorial Day cookout. But this year, someone is dead before the end of the day. We then go back one year to learn the secrets of the street. Alcoholics, abusive relationships, unhappy marriages, young love, cheaters, stalkers, cyber geniuses and even Only Fans models litter the street. Now one of them is dead. And one of them had the motive. I did not see the murderer OR the murderee coming, which is always good. I finished in 4 days. 

The Beach at Summerly by Beatriz Williams (357 pages). May of 1946. The war is over and the summer crowd is finally returning to Winthrop Island. 21 year old local Emilia Winthrop is thrilled that Summerly, summer home to the Peabodys where her father is the caretaker, will be reopened. Shep and Amory Peabody survived the war and are coming home. Along with them is their aunt Olive Rainsford and her children.  But Emilia is approached by special agent Sumner Fox to help apprehend a Soviet spy. Aunt Olive. And one night, it all goes down and lives are forever changed. In April of 1954, Emilia is now a doctoral student at Wellesley College. Fox calls and lets her know that Olive has a request for her, a request from behind bars. And once again, lives are forever changed. I don’t normally read a lot of POST war/Cold War historical fiction. So that part was pretty interesting. But honestly, the ending seemed a little rushed. I literally had to reread a chapter because I thought I’d missed something. I finished in 5 days.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (323 pages). If someone wishes you dead, have they actually killed you?  6 years ago, Alicia Berenson killed her husband Gabriel by shooting him in the face several times. From the moment the police arrived, Alicia never spoke another word. The only clue she left was a self portrait entitled Alcestis (a Greek tragedy). After her trial, she is sent to the Grove, a psychiatric hospital. Forensic psychotherapist Theo Faber begins working at the Grove, just so he can work with Alicia.  Ever since the trial, he’s been convinced he can help her. But if she won’t talk, can he actually help her?  Is Alicia actually guilty?  Or is she just crazy?  I did NOT see the ending coming at all. And I loved it!  I finished in 4 days. 

This month’s favorite was…The Silent Patient. Although The Rules of Magic was a very close second. 

New year, new books

 I did not start the year off well. Only 6 books. A total of 2,491 pages. An average of 80 pages per day. Which is way below my average. 

The Ordeals by Rachel Greenlaw (364 pages). This was my Up All Night Once Upon a Book Club book. Sophia DeWinter is desperate to escape the clutches of her uncle, the Collector. When she finally learns about the entrance exam to Killmarth (a magically college that will help her break her bond to him), she goes. There, she meets other wielders- illusionists (which is what Sophia is), masquiers, botanists (including the handsome Alden Locke) and alchemists. This entrance exam, known as the Ordeals, is more intense than Sophia realized. It is made up of four parts- poisons, illusions, lies and the final ordeal. During the Ordeals, you succeed, you quit or you die.  While the Ordeals seem to pit the hopefuls against each other (after all, only 20 will become scholars), Sophia can’t seem to view everyone as a rival. She becomes friends and allies with Tessa, Greg and Knox. Turns out that the Ordeals are not the only threat facing them. I finished in 4 days.

The Last Carolina Girl by Meagan Church (288 pages). This was my gym book club book. In 1935 Brunswick County, North Carolina, 14 year old Leah Payne lives in a one room house with her father, lumberjack Harley. Her best friend Jesse lives next door in the big house with his parents. Leah had always had flashes (or spells as I’d call them). Small moments of probable seizures that cause her to stand still and zone out for just a bit. But when an accident takes her father’s life, Leah is sent to live with a family in Matthews as a helpmate. And the wife seems to have a vendetta against Leah. When Dr Foster comes to a women’s meeting, preaching about eugenics and how it will lead to a better society, Leah doesn’t understand what that means. But I did. The story was quite sad, but good. I finished in 3 days.

My Salty Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadow (422 pages). 1719, the Golden Age of Piracy.  Mary Read (former little mermaid, current pirate) has been sailing the Caribbean for a year, posing as a boy. One of the other pirates on board, young Tobias Teach, is in love with her. And also trying to figure out how to let his father, Blackbeard, know that he doesn’t want to be his father- he wants to crew Mary’s ship. Jack Rackham is Mary’s cousin. And half human, half mer. He’s in love with Anne Bonny, who has designs to become a lady pirate.  But Jonathan Barnet has been hired to weed out and kill all the pirates in the Caribbean. And when he succeeds in killing Blackbeard, Tobias’ whole world changes. Because there must be a new Pirate King. And Toby does NOT want it to be him. So the adventure begins to help Mary win the title. I’ll say it again- these authors are so cute. There’s all sorts of familiar captains- Hook, Morgan, Penzance. Pirates named Swift (who is great with a catchy line) and Child (an excellent cook). All in all, good fun. I finished in 4 days. 

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman (396 pages). This is part of the Pratical Magic series. Didn’t know it was a series?  Neither did I!  This tells the story of Maria Owens, the witch who cursed all men who would fall in love with an Owens woman. Maria was born in England in 1664, a natural born witch. Her mother abandoned her to be raised by the kindhearted (and talented) Hannah Owens. It was here that Maria learned much of the Nameless Arts. But seeing as her mother was a true witch, Maria came by it honest. when Hannah was killed for witchcraft, Maria fled to Curaçao. There she met Puritan John Hathorne and became pregnant. She followed him to Salem and nearly escaped death (just like we saw in the movie). And at that point, cursed any man who would fall in love with an Owens woman. Her daughter Faith was stolen from her by a jealous neighbor. When they were finally reunited in New York, Faith’s natural abilities had turned dark. Her goal?  Revenge. I really liked this book. But I didn’t like that it changed Maria’s story as we had learned it in the movie.  If this had been the story from day one, chef’s kiss!   And it only made me more excited about Practical Magic 2 in September! I finished in 4 days. 

Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood (397 pages). Maya Killgore is 23 and trying to decide her next step in life- continuing in academia, getting a job. But the one thing she knows she wants is Conor Harkness. He’s 38 and her brother Eli’s best friend and business partner. But Conor has made it perfectly clear- he’s too old for her. When they end up in Italy for a week for Eli’s wedding, Maya isn’t sure she can just let her feelings go. Because maybe Conor cares more than he lets on. I’ve read several Ali Hazelwood and love that her main characters are women in STEM (Maya is a physicist). But this one wasn’t my favorite of hers. I finished in 4 days.

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo (624 pages). This was the February book for my gym book club. It was 1975 when Marilyn Connolly met David Sorenson. 41 years later, they are content in their semiretirement. But eldest daughter Wendy is a young widow who spends her time on booze and men. Violet is a stay at home mom of two who left her job as a litigator. Liza just became a tenured professor but finds herself drowning with a depressed partner. And youngest Grace just seems lost- she can’t get into law school and life just keeps passing her by. When Jonah Bendt comes into the family’s lives, everything changes. Because Violet gave him up for adoption 15 years ago. The book looks back at the family’s past and also their present. Honestly, I found myself bored through some of it. I think I wanted more out of it than it actually provided. I finished in 6 days.

This month’s favorite was…Magic Lessons. Probably out of nostalgia and excitement for Practical Magic 2!