I was over the June with this month's readings

I feel like I slacked off a little bit this month.  I only read 8 books with a total of 2,776 pages.  That's an average of 92.5 pages a day.  Which is a little low for me.  Not embarrassingly low, but worse than last month for sure!  But let's get on with the reviews.

The One and Only by Emily Giffin (413 pages).  Shea Rigsby is 33 years old.  And has never left her hometown of Walker, Texas.  A town where football is king and her best friend's father, Coach Carr, is a god (and the winning-est college football coach in Texas).  Shea willingly worships at the altar of football (and Coach Carr).  But when tragedy strikes the Carr family, Shea begins to wonder if she is truly happy with the life choices she has made.  I didn't hate this book, but I didn't love it either.  There were just some portions of the story line that didn't sit right with me.  I finished in 3 days.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (235 pages).  Mma Precious Ramotswe owns the only female private detective agency in all of Botswana.  She loves helping people and this is th best way she can.  Her cases are actually interesting- a con man, a missing husband, a wayward daught4er, a missing eleven year old.  The book was fine.  But something seemed a little off to me in my enjoyment of it.  And when I read other people's reviews, it made sense.  A lot of people stated that it was a little odd to have a middle aged white man (albeit one who was born in Zimbabwe) write a book about a Botswana woman.  I finished in 3 days.

The Summer House in Santorini by Samantha Parks (294 pages).  Anna isn't really happy with her life- her boss/boyfriend is less than satisfactory, as is her job at his NY gallery.  So when she learns that she and her sister have inherited their estranged father's summer house on Santorini, she decides it's the perfect time to leave NY and fix up the house for sale.  Little did she know that this island would help her find her roots, her passion and herself (along with a little side of true love).  It was cute-a perfect beach read.  I finished in 3 days.

Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray (480 pages).  In the village of Lkossa, Koffi and her mother are indentured servants of the Night Zoo, where all sorts of dangerous creatures are kept.  Ekon is attempting to follow in his father and brother's footsteps and join the Sons of the Six, the warriors who protect their village.  When Koffi and Ekon are able to escape what seems like their destiny, they find themselves in the jungle, hunting the deadly Shetani.  Woven throughout is the story of Adiah, a powerful daraja who is learning to use the splendor (aka magic).  I would characterize this genre as Pan-African magical realism (which isn't a thing but should be).  I only found myself invested in the story (and how the characters were connected) in the last hundred pages or so.  I finished in 4 days.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (354 pages).  This is a Once Upon a Book Club box that I've been very behind on reading.  Olive Smith is a third year Ph.D. candidate in the biology department at Stanford.  She is almost always analytical.  And when she realizes that her best friend Ahn will not go out with her ex Jeremy (even though they both like each other), Olive decides that she needs to convince Ahn that she is over Jeremy.  So she kisses the first man she sees- Dr. Adam Carlsen, well known ass and professor.  They realize that a fake relationship will actually be beneficial to both of them.  But what happens when the hypothetical becomes reality?  Super cute chick lit and easy read!  I finished in 3 days.

Where Are the Children? by Mary Higgins Clark (288 pages).  Seven years ago, Nancy Harmon fled from California to Cape Cod, changing her name and appearance.  She left behind a murder trial where she was charged with the death of her two young children.  When the conviction was overturned and the main witness against her disappeared, Nancy knew it was her opportunity to start over.  Now happily married with two young children, Nancy has finally started to heal.  Until the morning of her 32nd birthday,.  When a newspaper article exposes her true identity.  And her children disappear.  I went through a big MHC phase in high school but couldn't remember if I'd ever read this one.  So I decided to give it a go.  It was good!  And turns out I think I DID read it.  But I feel like a 28 year gap in between readings in enough to constitute it being a new(ish) read.  I finished in 2 days.

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (325 pages).  Omaha, 1986.  16 year old new girl Eleanor (who is anything but unnoticeable) gets on the bus for the first time.  The only seat available is next to 16 year old Park (who prefers to be invisible).  At first, they barely acknowledge each other's existence.  But over the exchange of comic books and mixed taps, these two social misfits discover the enormity of first love.  It's sweet but also heavy.  First love is always sweet, but never for forever.  As these two soon learn.  I finished in 5 days.

The Wish by Nicholas Sparks (387 pages).  Travel photographer Maggie Dawes is 39 years old.  She and her business partner hire a new employee at their gallery, a 22 year old named Mark.  As Maggie faces a heart wrenching diagnosis, she begins to tell her story to Mark.  A story that really began when she was sent at 16 years old to live with her aunt on Ocracoke for a few months and met Bryce.  The young man who taught her to love- him, herself and photography.  Totally standard heartbreaking Sparks material- illness, lost love, etc.  And even though I fully anticipated my tears, I still found myself heartbroken for the characters.  I finished in 4 days.

This month's favorite was .... The Wish.

I MAY have gotten a lot of reading done this month

Despite the fact that May was an insanely busy month for me (hello getting married), I still managed to get a lot of reading done (hello honeymoon).  It was 10 books and a total of 3,700 pages.  Which averaged 119 pages a day.  So let's get to it.

How Jesus Became God by Bart D Ehrman (371 pages).  This was a theological study by an agnostic Bible historian who attended Wheaton College.  Yes, that's an oxymoron for me as well.  I found it interesting and thought-provoking.  But never once did I question my own faith and beliefs.  Basically he went into great historical and theological debate on why Jesus was merely a man who was elevated to go-like status by his followers.  Honestly, he made some interesting observations.  But I was truly just sad for him.  I finished in 5 days.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave (303 pages).  Hannah is madly in love with her husband of one year, Owen.  His 16 year old daughter?  Well, let's just say that Bailey isn't Hannah's biggest fan.  But when a child shows up with a note from Owen that simply says "protect her," Hannah knows who he is talking about but doesn't know why.  Until the news breaks that the company Owen worked for was involved in a huge Ponzi scheme.  As the US Marshals and the FBI begin to show up on their doorstep, Hannah and Bailey go on a quest to learn the truth about the man they both love.  I finished in 2 days.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles (351 pages).  Ah, historical fiction.  My favorite!  In 1920, the American Library was founded in Paris-the largest English language lending library in mainland Europe.  In 1937, Dorothy Reeder was named directoress.  And Dorothy Redder was a real life hero.  the novel begins in 1939 when Odile gets a job at the American Library.  Unfortunately, her dream life becomes a nightmare when the Nazis march into Paris.  But under the leadership of Directoress Reeder, the librarians band together to save their beloved library and its books.  In 1983, in a small town in Montana, teenager Lily is lost after the death of her mother.  Until she begins to befriend her next door neighbor.  And as the neighbor's past comes to light, Lily learns much about life.  I finished in 4 days.

You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes (385 pages).  Book 3 in the series (which is so different than the Netflix series at this point).  Unlike the Netflix version, in this one, Love is alive.  And the Quinn family paid Joe off to relinquish custody of his son.  So Joe moves to Bainbridge Island.  And promptly falls in obsession with Mary Kay, the head librarian at his new job. Joe swears to himself that he will be a different man this time.  And everything seems different with Mary Kay.  Until it isn't.  When your past comes back to find you, do you really have any hope for a future?  I finished in 2 days.

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell (356 pages).  10 years ago, 15 year old Ellie Mack disappeared without a trace.  Teen-agers might be prone to something like that but not Ellie.  Her life is perfect.  Her mother, Laurel, is still reeling from her loss all these years later when she meets a perfect man.  And when she meets his daughters, 9 year old Poppy takes her breath away.  Because she looks just like Ellie.  Now Laurel begins to wonder again what happened to her daughter.  And the truth is more bizarre than anyone could have imagined.  I finished in 2 days.

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton (367 pages).  Another historical fiction (because you know it's my jam).  In 1896, New York is in the midst of a newspaper war between Hearst and Pulitzer (and now the Newsies soundtrack is running through my mind).  Reporter Grace Harrington gets a job with Hearst's Journal.  Meanwhile, Cuba is in the midst of its own revolutionary war.  Evangelina Cisneros is the daughter of a revolutionary, unjustly imprisoned.  But when the Journal learns of her plight, she becomes The Most Beautiful Woman in Cuba and a rallying cry for America to help the Cubans fight for their independence.  Despite her spectacular escape of New York, it takes the explosion of the USS Maine for America to declare war on Spain.  Meanwhile, Marina Perez, wife of a Cuban rebel, does her part as a courier, delivering messages all over Havana.  These three women (two of them fictional, one historical) show the bravery of all of the women involved in the revolution.  I finished in 2 days.

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline (366 pages).  Obviously, the sequel to Ready Player One.  Wade and his friends are now the owners of Halliday's technology.  And when Wade (as the heir) discovers a new technology Halliday created that will make the OASIS even more amazing, he and his friends decide to share it with the world.  But unfortunately, there are still quests and secrets hidden within the OASIS.  And the friends must go on one last quest.  This time to save humanity.  I finished in 1 day.

After All by Heidi McLaughlin (318 pages).  It's been 15 years since Brooklyn Hewitt set foot in Cape Harbor.  But when she gets a call from Carly woods, her would have been mother in law and 14 year old daughter Brystol's grandmother to help her reopen the Driftwood Inn, Brooklyn knows she needs to go home.  Even though it means confronting the ghosts of her past- Austin, her child's father who was tragically lost at sea.  And Howie, his best friend.  With whom she spent one night- the very night they both lost Austin.  Reuniting to rebuild the Driftwood forces them to face the past.  And contemplate their futures.  I finished in 1 day.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt (559 pages).  After one miserable year at a college near home in California, Richard transfers to the idyllic Hampden College in New England.  He immediately becomes fascinated by Professor Marrow and his elite Greek students- Henry, Francis, Bunny and twins Charles and Camilla.  The students and professor are almost cult like in their devotion to their studies and to each other.  As Richard becomes one of them (or at least on the outer edges of the inner circle), an incident occurs that leads them to killing one of their own.  And to the subsequent dissolution of this once intertwined group.  I finished in 7 days.

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier (324 pages).  For centuries, the women of the Montrose family and the men of the De Villiers family have been a part of the Lodge, a group of time travelers and their associates.  One day, 16 year old Gwen (who was assumed to be missing the time traveling gene) leaps into the past.  She is quickly brought up to speed on what she can expect (well, halfway up to speed).  She meets her time-traveling counterpart, Gideon.  And once she learns what their mission is, she is ready to accompany him into the past.  I finished in 4 days.

This month's favorite was...…a tie between The Paris Library and Then She Was Gone.  Totally different genres, but both equally enthralling. 

April- what a glorious month of reading it was

 I got into a good reading groove this month. I finished 11 books. It was a total of 3,416 pages. So an average of 114 pages a day. This month was historical fiction heavy (which is always a good thing for this girl) at 4 of the 11. So let’s get to it. 

Beautiful Exiles by Meg Waite Clayton (388 pages). As I have said before, I do not like Ernest Hemingway, the author. But I find Ernest Hemingway, the person, to be absolutely fascinating. This was historical fiction about Hem meeting his third wife, Martha Gellhorn. I knew the story of wife number 1, Haley, after reading The Paris Wife. And a little bit about wife number 2, Pauline, after The Paris Wife and Hemingway’s Girl. I did not know much about wife number 3, Martha, other than she was a journalist. Turns out she was actually a freaking top war correspondent!  She and Hem covered the Spanish civil war together, which is how/when they fell in love. Their relationship, like all of his relationships, was volatile. I think she was the wife who was the least capable of being Mrs Ernest Hemingway. She was career driven and she was headstrong. She did not appreciate merely being a wife- she wanted to be her own person. Now to find a book about wife number 4, Mary. The only one I know absolutely nothing about, but the one he was married to when he committed suicide. I finished in 4 days. 

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander aka JK Rowling (88 pages plus about 20 pages of intro). I think I was expecting to find the plot of the movie. Instead, it was literally a glossary of magical beasts, what level of threat they are, and what their characteristics are. The intro gave background of why Newt wrote this book. It was a super easy read. I finished in 1 day. 

Geostorm: The Shift by Bobby Akart (244 pages). I 100% thought this was the book on which the movie of the same name was based. Nope. The movie was released in 2017 and the book was published in 2019. And they are two totally different stories. Weather Channel reporter Chapman Boone and his zoologist sister Kristi are both experts in their fields. But nothing can prepare either of them for what is happening to our planet. Spanning the globe from Seattle to Paris (and many places in between), Chapman and Kristi watch in horror and the weather and the animals begin to change. I finished in 3 days. 

The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abe (316 pages).  In 1910, Madeleine Force is just 17 years old when she meets 46 year old divorce John Jacob Aster, one of the wealthiest men in America. After a little over a year of courtship, they wed, much to society’s shock. And Madeleine quickly became a focus of the newspapers. Jack decided that the best course of action would be an extended honeymoon to Egypt and Europe. When Madeleine realizes that she is pregnant, they decide to return home so that the baby can be born in America. So they book passage on Titanic. Madeline was one of the souls who survived. Madeline and her unborn child. She returned home to begin a new life as a young widow and mother. The only thing I knew about Madeline Astor prior to this book was that Rose Dewitt Bukater commented that Madeleine was her age, in a delicate condition and that it was quite the scandal. This book sheds so much more light on the story. Jack and Madeline were truly in love and their story was heartbreaking. I finished in 3 days. 

Three Sisters by Heather Morris (397 pages). In 1929 Slovakia, sisters 9 year old Cibi, 5 year old Magda and 3 year old Livi Meller promise themselves and their father that they will always take care of each other. 13 years later, that promise is well and truly tested when Cibi and Livi are sent to Auschwitz in March of 1942. While Magda stays behind with their mother and grandfather (a brief hospital stay kept her safe), that safety will only last for so long. And after two and a half years, the sisters are reunited at Auschwitz-Birkenau.  When they are finally free in 1945, they are a little unsure of where to go and what to do in a home country that still hates them for being Jews. Magda and Livi have an idea of what might make them happy.  And it’s the idea of going to the Promised Land. Little did they know that Israel was truly the one place on earth that they could find healing and their happily ever afters. While Cibi passed away in 2015, Magda and Livi are still thriving in Israel. Because yes, this was a true story!  It was absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking. It was also the third book in The Tattooist of Auschwitz series (Lale gave the girls their tattoos).  I have ordered the second because I didn’t realize it was a series.  I finished in 2 days. 

Looking for Alaska by John Green (225 pages). Miles is fascinated by famous last words. And finds himself challenged by the idea of The Great Perhaps. So he heads off to boarding school.  Once there, he enters a whole new world and finds himself enthralled with the beautiful Alaska. For one hundred twenty eight days, his life finally starts opening up to the Great Perhaps. And then one moment, one decision, one day, changes everything. And for the next one hundred thirty six days, he must struggle to learn who he really is and what life has to offer him. I finished in 2 days. 

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (316 pages). In the 1870’s, the Osage Indians were driven from their land in Kansas to a rocky county in Oklahoma. That rocky land ended up being an actual oil field, with the Osage now being the richest people in the world. Despite having government appointed guardians (the Osage weren’t citizens after all), they still lived well on their headrights. In 1921, members of the tribe began being murdered. The newly created FBI, headed by J. Edgar Hoover, came in to solve these murders. An undercover team was created and one of the most shocking conspiracies ever was exposed. Turns out it wasn’t just one murderer. And it wasn’t just members of the same family. The Reign of Terror spanned roughly a decade, and hundreds of people all were killed. All. For. Their. Headrights. This time has had a lingering effect on the Osage people- the loss of family members, the loss of traditions, the loss of their inheritances. And I cannot believe it’s something I never learned about in school. I finished in 3 days. 

The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre by Robin Talley (448 pages). Junior Melody McIntyre knows exactly what she wants to do with her life- be a stage manager on Broadway. And as SM for all of her high school productions, she seems well on her way. Until the crew determines that all of the problems with any shows stem from Mel’s relationship dramas. So no more dating for Mel until after the spring musical. Seems an easy enough task- there’s no one on the audition list that Mel is even remotely interested in. Or is there?  When Mel falls hard, will it spell disaster for Les Mis?  Super easy, super cute YA read. I finished in 3 days. 

The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg (283 pages). Did you know there was a sequel to Fried Green Tomatoes?  Neither did I!  The main focus of the book was Buddy Threadgoode Jr aka Stump from the first book. Just like Idgie wanted, the loss of his arm had no effect on Bud. He became a veterinarian. He married his high school sweetheart and had a daughter named Ruthie (after his mother). The stories were both familiar (repeats) and new. But the return of old characters made it feel like coming home. I finished in 4 days. 

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (351 pages). Have you ever wondered about the rise and fall of a truly great band?  This is the story of Daisy Jones and the Six, the greatest (fictional) band of the 1970’s. Brothers Billy and Graham Dunne started their band, originally named The Dunne Brothers but changed to The Six as they rounded out their sound. They were great on their own. Daisy Jones was the wild child It Girl of the LA Strip, wildly talented in her own right. But when Daisy met The Six, they made magic. At the center was the relationship between married father of 3, recovering addict Billy and chaos incarnate Daisy. What brought them together to create musical magic and what caused the band to fall apart at the height of fame. This book was amazing!  I finished in 3 days 

Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris (340 pages). This was the second in The Tattooist of Auschwitz series. Cilka was 16 years old when she and her older sister Magda were sent to Auschwitz. Cilka was beautiful and able to use that beauty to her advantage. At least when it came to surviving. She became friends with Lale (the tattooist) and his future wife Gita. But when the Nazis were defeated and the prisoners of the camps freed, Cilka’s imprisonment truly began. Accused of collaborating with the Nazis by being a prostitute and a spy, Cilka is sentenced to 15 years hard labor in a Siberian gulag. While at the gulag, Cilka finds a purpose in her life- she becomes a nurse. She also finds love, as fantastical as that may seem. It was a beautiful story of survival and love. Apparently the author was sued by Cilka’s stepson for defamation. I’m not sure he read the story, because nothing about her story would have made me ashamed- I would have been proud to have her as my stepmother. She did what she had to do to survive. And she did it with as much dignity and thoughtfulness as she could. I finished in 3 days. 

This month’s favorite was…..Daisy Jones and the Six. Namely because all of the historical fiction this month was top notch and I couldn’t pick a favorite amongst them!

Marching through my bookshelves

 This month was pretty average in regards to my reading.  One book in particular was my Sisyphean task.  And I blame it and it alone for my merely average list this month.  But I digress.  This month I read 8 books.  A total of 2,575 pages.  An average of 83 pages per day.  So let's get into it.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (309 pages).  I'm doing a reading challenge where one of the books is one you haven't read in over 3 years.  Anne was (and always will be) one of my favorite book series of all time.  I love all of her adventures.  I love her growth.  I love her quotes.  If you don't know, it's the story of brother and sister Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert who adopt young orphan Anne Shirley (when they really wanted a boy).  But as fate would have it, they needed this delightful redhead more than she needed them.  I finished in 3 days.

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey (301 pages).  Maud is 82 years old and into early stages of dementia.  But she is convinced that her best friend Elizabeth is missing.  No one she tells seems to care.  But as Maud continues to leave herself notes about Elizabeth's possible disappearance, she remembers her sister's disappearance shortly after WWII.  I did not like this book at all.  Honestly, it seemed like Maud had dementia at all times, whether it was her 82 year old self or her teen aged self.  I spent most of the book just hoping it would end.  I finished in 4 days.

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (591 pages).  American Rebecca Porter decided to do something without her twin Lacey for the first time in her life- she did an exchange program with her university of Cornell and Oxford.  Little did she realize that classmate Nicholas Wales was the Prince Charming she would find.  Quite literally, as Nick was the future King of England.  While Bex dealt with being both an American and a commoner in love with the future King, their relationship ebbed and flowed.  But this was beachy chick lit at its best.  So nothing can keep true love apart.  Right?  Honestly, Bex was a little bit Kate Middleton and a little bit Meghan Markle.  The fact that this book was published a year before Harry and Meghan began dating is shocking.  It seemed like a fictionalized version of their lives in a lot of ways.  Only I liked Bex and Nick and Nick's redheaded younger brother Freddie way more than I like Harry and Meghan.  I finished in 6 days.

The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale (288 pages).  Delphine, Margaux and Lindsay met as teen aged students at the Paris Opera Ballet.  After 10 years of being inseparable, one split second decision tore them apart and sent Delphine to St Petersburg for a new career.  But after 13 years away, Delphine returns to Paris to choreograph for the Ballet.  And must face the friends she left behind.  The novel goes back and forth between the past and the present.  I didn't love this book, but I didn't hate it either.  I finished in 2 days.

The Beet Queen by Louise Erdrich (338 pages).  In 1932, 14 year old Karl Adare and his 11 year old sister Mary hop a freight train to find their aunt and uncle in Argus, North Dakota, after their mother abandons them.  Mary stays with their family, while Karl hops back on the train.  Over the next 40 years, the novel covers their lives.  Mary grows up to be perfectly sturdy and seemingly ordinary, while Karl ends up scattered and loses himself on a regular basis.  Their beautiful cousin Sita plays a large role in Mary's life, as does Sita's former (and now Mary's) best friend, half Native American Celestine.  As soon as I realized I'd read another book by this same author, I understood why I didn't like this book at all.  Every chapter had a postscript chapter.  And honestly, most of them left me wondering what I had just read.  I finished in 4 days.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (151 pages).  Mary Katherine, her sister Constance and their Uncle Julian are the only remaining members of the once large and proud Blackwood family.  Merricat's weekly trips to the village are the only contact the family has with the outside world after Constance was tried and found innocent of killing the family with arsenic four years prior.  They are happy in their self-imposed solitude.  Until one day, their unsavory Cousin Charles arrives on their doorstep.  Merricat does not appreciate his presence.  And suspects he has ulterior motions.  But when tragedy strikes, the true feelings of the village come out.  And Merricat and Constance are forced to reevaluate their solitude and routine.  Shirley Jackson is such an amazing and frequently overlooked author.  I finished in 2 days.

The Great Controversy by Ellen G. White (456 pages).  I did not purchase this book.  After googling it, I'm pretty sure it arrived in the mail one day, completely unsolicited.  And, in an effort to clear off my shelves, I read it.  It was published in 1858 and it shows.  The author was one of the co-founders of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and it shows.  It was literally one of the worst books I've ever read.  I only finished it because I started it.  I finished in 9 days.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (141 pages, which included 56 pages of introductory essays and an afterword).  I think everyone knows the story of Jekyll and Hyde- the easygoing doctor who drinks a potion that turns him into a criminal.  What I found most intriguing was that every time Jekyll and Hyde are referenced in movies, Jekyll is always scrawny and Hyde is big and muscular.  In the novel, Jekyll is larger and older, while Hyde is much smaller and younger.  Just an observation.  I also found it odd that in movies, when Hyde is killed, he reverts to Jekyll's form.  That does not happen in the book.  All preconceptions from movies aside, I enjoyed this book.  I finished in 2 days.

This month's favorite was.....well, I decided it would be unfair to the other books to choose Anne (as she is more than a monthly favorite, she is a lifetime favorite).  So I went for We Have Always Lived in the Castle.

February- short month, short list of books

 So I fell a little story this month in average number of pages each day (that’s really how I judge if I’ve had a good month of reading). But I did finish a 1000 page book. So I still feel partial accomplished. This month was 5 books. A total of 2,699 pages. An average of 96 pages per day. 

IT by Stephen King (1153 pages). This book was good, but disturbing. IT has preyed on the small town of Derry, Maine, for centuries. Every 27 years or so, IT emerges from hibernation and preys on the children of the town. And for some reason, the town just simply doesn’t acknowledge it. But in the summer of 1958, the 7 members of the Losers Club manage to almost defeat IT. And vow that if IT returns, so will they. To finish the job. So in 1985, Mike (the lone member who remained in Derry and therefore remembered everything) calls the 6 other members to return. Until the moment of Mike’s phone call, none of them remembered each other or the events of 1958. But as they return and begin to remember, they are ready to face IT again. In any form IT takes. Not going to lie, the movies did an amazing job with this book. A few things were omitted (with good reason). But I normally always think the movie can’t match the book. This one did well!  I finished in 10 days. 

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (361 pages). Teacher Alex and travel writer Poppy met as freshmen at the University of Chicago. But they didn’t become friends until they carpooled home together for the summer. And they didn’t become best friends until they took their first Summer Trip the next year. But two years ago, the Summer Trip ended in the destruction of their friendship. Now, Poppy is desperate to find her happy again, a feeling she hasn’t felt since her falling out with Alex. When she suggests a trip and he takes her up on it, is it finally time for their friendship to be mended?  I finished in 3 days. 

The Book of Hidden Things by Francesco Dimitri (382 pages). For 17 years, Art, Fabio, Mauro and Tony have returned to their hometown for one day to reunite under a Pact they made as teenagers. But this year, Art didn’t show. And Art had always been the one who kept them together. The friends search for him and quickly learn that he had been dealing marijuana. In an area ruled by a mafia family who controlled all drug deals. But Art had been diving into deeper waters than a little drug dealing, as they find out when they find his Book of Hidden Things. This book was weird. It got a little too mystical for me. I finished in 4 days. 

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams (368 pages). Just in case you need it. To Kill a Mockingbird. Rebecca. The Kite Runner. Life of Pi. Pride and Prejudice. Little Women. Beloved. A Suitable Boy. This list manages to change the lives of every person who finds it. But most especially Aleisha and Mukesh.  Aleisha is working at the library and living a difficult home life with a mentally unstable mother. Mukesh is a recent widower. And neither of them are readers. Until they find this list. The novel also mentioned several other people who comes across the list over a roughly 2 year period. And to be honest, that became my favorite part by the end. I finished in 4 days. 

The Godfather by Mario Puzo (435 pages). I’ve seen the movie (and loved it). I’d actually always heard that the movie might be better than the book. Which is sacrilege to a reader. But Puzo was involved in the screenwriting, so the movie was as good as the book!  It’s the story of the Corleone family, Don Vito and his 4 children, and the Mafia families in New York and around the country. It was really good. I finished in 7 days. 

This month’s favorite was…..People You Meet on Vacation. I do love chick lit!

New year, new books

 I’m starting the year off pretty strong. My Up All Night New Years book from Once Upon a Book Club includes a 40 book scratch off challenge. So I like to start the year by jumping right into it and checking off books. Of the 9 books I read this month, 7 of them were for the challenge!  So this month was a total of 9 books. 2977 pages. An average of 96 pages a day. 

Midnight Spells Murder by Mary Angela (203 pages). This was a very belated (sweet) Halloween book from Once Upon a Book Club (thanks supply chain issues). So gifties on social. Zo Jones, owner of Happy Camper gift store in Spirit Canyon and part time sleuth, schedules a talk with local author and self proclaimed witch Marianne at the shop. Everything seems perfect. Until Zo finds Marianne’s lifeless body near Happy Camper, propped up like a Halloween decoration in a witch’s hat. Turns out, more than one person in town has motive for killing Marianne. And Zo decides that she is just the right part time sleuth to solve the mystery. This book was adorable. I finished in 2 days. 

The Haunting of Leigh Harker by Darcy Coates (338 pages). This was another belated (spooky) Halloween book from Once Upon a Book Club. After 15 years in her beloved home, Leigh realizes it is not the sanctuary it had once been. She can barely make it through an hour in her home without noticing that doors have been opened (or closed), furniture has been moved. And, most disturbingly, a dark figure looms in her bedroom door each night. But Leigh is not going to give up her home without a fight. This book took a while to pull me in. But once it did, the twists kept coming!  I finished in 5 days. 

Hocus Pocus and the All-New Sequel by A.W Jantha (521 pages). Part One was a novelization of one of my all-time favorite movies. While I loved the fact that it added a little more backstory to some of the characters, it also just wasn’t as great as the book. Part Two takes place 25 years later. Max and Allison’s daughter, Poppy, has long held her parents’ secret- that they brought back and vanquished the Sanderson sisters. But when Poppy and her friends inadvertently bring Winnie, Meg and Sarah back, they must do what they can to best the sisters once again. This novel got me excited for the upcoming sequel movie. But I didn’t love the novels. They were fun, but nothing special. I finished in 4 days. 

Animal Farm by George Orwell (105 pages). This is one of those books that just somehow never got assigned in school and therefore was never read.  I already knew the premise of the novel- the animals of Manor Farm rebel and create a self-governed Animal Farm. But nothing is perfect. And “all animals are equal” eventually becomes “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”  I’m pretty sure that there has been no time in history that this story has not been timely in its critique of socialism. And its observation that blind loyalty to any governing body is never a smart idea. I finished in 1 day. 

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (624 pages). Y’all know I love some WW2 historical fiction!  In 1940, Osla (a wealthy debutante), Mab (a girl seeking a better life) and Beth (a henpecked daughter) are all picked to work at Bletchley Park, the country estate where all of the most brilliant codebreakers in England (including Alan Touring) are working to break Enigma. Seven years later, all of England is celebrating the wedding of Osla’s ex boyfriend to Princess Elizabeth. But the three women reunite to help one of them escape an insane asylum and track down the traitor from Bletchley Park who put her there. A traitor who is far closer to home than any of them realize. Omg- this was soooo good!!  I finished in 5 days. 

12 Days of Book-Club-Mas by Lana Gionfriddo et al (223 pages). This is an annual treat I give myself from Once Upon a Book Club. It’s 12 days of short stories and accompanying gifts. Some of the stories are so amazing that I wish they were full books!  Technically, I should have taken 12 days to read this. But I just got so into it that I finished in 3 days. 

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus (358 pages). It’s a Monday afternoon in September at Bayview High School when 5 students make their way to detention. Bronwyn is an overachiever, bound for Yale. Cooper is a star baseball player, bound for the majors. Addy is a prom princess. Nate is a minor criminal. And Simon is the school gossip page. But when a lethal allergy attack takes the life of one of them, it is quickly apparent that it wasn’t an accident. And the remaining 4 try to figure out who’s secret was worth killing for. There were some great twists and reveals in this one. There’s also a series on Peacock that I decided to watch. And it basically destroys the book. I always say the book is better and this series proves my point!  I finished in 4 days. 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (288 pages). This was a reread from over a year ago for a book club that I’m in now. And I loved it as much the second time around!  Recap- Nora Seed decides that her life isn’t worth living anymore. The moment she kills herself, she immediately finds herself in the Midnight Library, an in-between spot where she just simply has to open a book and she falls into a new life that she is living. The librarian suggests she focus on regrets first. And again, I wished this place were real to see how my life could have been different if I’d made different choices (not that I don’t want the life I have, it’s just curiosity). I finished in 1 day. 

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (317 pages). This is another one that I can’t believe I’ve never read. The moors, Heathcliff, Catherine, doomed love. Everyone knows that. But I wasn’t aware of the fact that Heathcliff and Catherine are literal monster characters- there isn’t much redeeming about either of them. I also did not realize the levels of cousins marrying cousins that happened in the generation following Heathcliff and Catherine. Despite how horrendous Heathcliff and Catherine were, I actually liked the novel quite a bit. I finished in 6 days. 

This month’s favorite was…..The Rose Code. Obviously. It’s WWII historical fiction!

The year is done and so is my monthly reading

 This month was not the best month of reading for me. I was kind of trying to clean off some of my shelves to make room for new books for the new year. So this month was 7 books for a total of 2,381 pages. That’s an average of 77 pages a day. 

The Breath of Dawn by Kristen Heitzmann (437 pages). Quinn Erin Reilly loves her job. She cleans out houses for families who have lost a loved one and sells the treasures she finds online. But the thing she loves best about her job is that she can stay off the grid. Which is very helpful when you helped put a conman behind bars. During one of her jobs, she meets Morgan Spencer, a man still mourning the loss of his wife and raising his 2 year old daughter with the help of his brother and sister-in-law. Soon, they realize that they need each other more than they would have ever thought. Especially when the conman is released from prison and Quinn’s very life is in danger.  This book was fine- it had sweet Christian overtones that I enjoyed. I finished in 4 days.

Fatal Tide by Iris Johansen (338 pages).  Melis is a dolphin expert and the adopted daughter of a bona fide treasure hunter. But when a rival hunter who is also an arms dealer enters the picture, death and danger follow Melis and her new friends in the quest for the most elusive treasure ever.  I did not enjoy this book at all. I finished in 4 days. 

Hidden by Fern Michaels (308 pages). Cullan Bodman and his sister Luna are as different as siblings can be. He specializes in furniture restoration and is as businesslike as they come. Luna owns a cafe adjacent to her brother’s shop and is a free spirited psychometric. When a piece of furniture speaks to Luna, the siblings find themselves in the middle of a mystery that is truly life or death. I finished in 3 days. 

Children of Exile by Margaret Haddix (296 pages). This is the first in a series (that I have no plans to complete). For 12 years, all children of a certain town have been raised in Fredtown, by their Fred-parents. But one day, they are told that they are not orphans and they are going home. But home is nothing like Fredtown. And 12 year old Rosi must do what she can to protect herself, her brother and the other children from this strange new world. I didn’t like anything about this book- the reason the children were taken was ridiculous. And the people in charge were as well. This was one dystopian novel that left me confused. I finished in 4 days. 

The Round House by Louise Erdrich (321 pages). During the spring of 1988, Geraldine Coutts is attacked on the North Dakota reservation where she lives with her husband Bazil, a tribal judge, and 13 year old son Joe. In one evening, Joe’s whole world is turned upside down. His mother retreats into herself. Joe’s father tries everything he knows to learn who the culprits are. And Joe takes it upon himself to do his own research, with the help of his best friends. Their search for answers leads them to the Round House, one of the most sacred places on their reservation. And a quest for vengeance. I finished in 6 days. 

Everything is Perfect When You are a Liar by Kelly Oxford (316 pages). This was a memoir. And a very amusing one at that. Kelly’s adventures (or misadventures) from childhood to adult seem like that can’t have all happened to one person. But apparently they did!  I laughed a lot. And even found myself reading several passages out loud to my normally not interested in what I’m reading fiancé. He laughed too!  I finished in 4 days. 

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (365 pages). I had never read this classic before, but I felt like I already knew the story (thanks to movies and musicals and cartoons). Long story short- orphan Oliver Twist finds himself in all sorts of situations, both good and bad, until he escapes Fagin’s clutches and finds his forever family. I’m not going to lie, the entire time I was reading, I kept hearing the song “Oliver” from the musical. I finished in 6 days. 

This month’s favorite was…..Everything is Perfect. It was truly LOL!