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Another excellent reading month in the books!
My favorites this month were In and Instant, The Girl with the Louding Voice, and The Authenticity Project!
Number of physical books read: 11
Number of library books: 6
Number of ARCs: 1
Audiobooks: 1 ( The Authenticity Project)
Kindle: 3 (the first two UNSUB books and In an Instant)
Here are my thoughts! As always, please share your favorites in the comments. Happy Saturday!
Truly, Madly by Heather Webber – I read this one for the “cozy mystery” category on my 2020 Bloom Reading Challenge. A sweet and fun cozy mystery. Just a feel good book – it was a pleasure to read without thinking too much. The mystery element was fun. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heroine by Mindy McGinnis – I just finished the last page of this book and my stomach hurts and my heart aches. What a tragic, heartbreaking account of addiction. The author writes the story in such a realistic manner, you can almost feel the rush of the heroin as you turn the pages. Terrifying and haunting, it’s a heavy read but I believe it’s an important one.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn- This book seems like it would be crushing and heartbreaking and just too heavy. And while it is all of those things, don’t get me wrong, what it is really about is tender, imperfect love. The kind of love that doesn’t hold grudges or keep score.This book both broke my heart and filled it with joy. And man. The unexpected joy I found in the pages brought me to tears. It’s just a message of pure, unadulterated love.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
UNSUB Series (UNSUB,Into the Black Nowhere, The Dark Corners of the Night) by Meg Gardiner- A crazy, high octane, goosebump-inducing, twisted ride. If you like serial killer mysteries (think Hannibal Lecter) , then this series is for you. Be prepared to sleep with the lights on. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reputation by Sara Shepard- Goodness gracious. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book more full of antiheroes and jerks. I literally hated almost every single person in this book. That said, it was an entertaining read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Followers by Megan Angelo – This reminded me of the Bryce Dallas Howard episode of Black Mirror. Horrifying because there’s so much truth in it. A compulsive read, but I think it was just too long. And for some reason i just couldn’t keep the characters straight. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
Please See Us by Caitlin Mullen (Advance Reader Copy, available 3/3)- I really enjoy novels with the setting as a main character and Atlantic City is definitely a MC in Please See Us. Decaying and seedy with glimpses of beauty, the city is the perfect backdrop to the cast of characters who have fallen from grace. Ostensibly a thriller, this book is also a slow burn character study and I felt almost uneasy seeing the underbelly of the city and the characters. But ultimately, Mullen finds beauty in the decay. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
Free Lunch by Rex Ogle – This middle grade novel packs a punch. It covers heavy topics such as poverty and abuse. This is a retelling of Ogle’s youth so it’s gritty and realistic- it will break your heart. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson – I’ll be honest,this book didn’t capture my attention immediately. I put it down and almost didn’t pick it back up, but oh am I glad I did.
THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK is a love story. In the classic sense, but also in many other ways. It’s a love story about perseverance and endurance and overcoming persecution. It’s a love story about the power of books and the healing medicine of reading.
I fell in love with Cussy Mary and the book’s colorful cast of Kentuckians.
It might have taken a bit for this book to get in to my heart and under my skin…but oh did it ever. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley- Oh, my heart. I simply adored this book. It has all of the makings of my favorite kind of book… Memorable characters with flaws, lonely hearts that just need love, and the common thread is acceptance and community. I’m so sad it’s over – I want more time with these people! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart- I enjoyed this middle grade book as an adult but I would probably not read it to my children. It is way, way, way too heavy for a middle grade read in my opinion. That said, Dan Gemeinhart is the king or grand adventure stories with an endearing cast of characters and this is no exception. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare – “Everybody in the whole world be speaking different. We all be speaking different because we all are having different growing-up life, but we can all be understanding each other if we just take the time to listen well.”
“God has given you all you need to be great, and it sits right there inside of you. Right inside your mind, in your heart. You believe it, I know you do. You just need to hold onto that belief and never let go. When you get up every day, I want you to remind yourself that tomorrow will be better than today. That you are a person of value. That you are important.”
There are no words for the way this book moved me. It made me laugh out loud, it made me cry, it enraged me, and it filled me with hope.
I will most likely remember Adunni for the rest of my life – her story has impacted me in immeasurable ways.
Read this book- I promise it will move you, too. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love your recommendations! Your tastes match mine in an almost eerie way. Thank you so much for sharing the book goodness, Stephanie!
FInally, I broke out of my reading slump this month. After a January filled with two or three star reads, I started off with Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid and didn’t love it. Not sure what all the hype is about on this one. It was a good premise but I felt it was poorly executed and the main characters seemed like caricatures. But then my month turned around! I listened to Becoming on Audible and loved the thoughtful and insightful look into the Obama’s lives. Then I read two 4.5-star reads–Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano and Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah! Oh how I loved both of these books!
So many great books to check out. Thanks for the recommendations
THANK YOU!!!