I was supposed to post this last Thursday but I forgot to upload it!! Happy August!
I’m back with an update on the books I’ve recently finished by either reading or listening.
This month was good mix of books. I read some psychological thrillers along with some less emotionally charged titles. I like having a mix of genres. If I read too many thrillers or serious books in a row, I have to read something much lighter! I’ll be interested to hear if you’ve read any of these books and what your thoughts are.
The Book of Cold Cases-Simone St. James
This is the type of book that I typically enjoy and for the most part I did like this one. However, there is a supernatural element that I was not crazy about. The story was good and interesting and the writing was strong. I liked it enough that I wanted to read another by this author.
The Broken Girls-Simone St. James
Even though I wasn’t crazy about the supernatural elements of the first book, I decided to give a second book a try. Again, I really liked the story and the writing. The book was easy to read but the story was interesting and kept me engaged. However, this confirmed for me that I am not interested in supernatural elements in books. I don’t mind murder and mayhem but I want to keep it of this realm.
Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows-Balli Kaur Jaswal
I read this book for one of my book clubs. It was delightful and I’m glad we read it. There are several characters and a few different story lines but they meshed well together. It’s definitely a traditional vs new culture vibe but it is explained well with little judgement about either side. As usual, both sides learn from the other.
Just Last Night-Mhairi McFarlane
In many ways this book is not your typical chick-lit book. It deals with some very heavy issues and I was quite surprised. However, the book is still easy to read and a decent distraction from heavier stuff. I have read other books by this author that are much more typically chick lit. And I have enjoyed them. If you’d like to try something by this author that doesn’t deal with super heavy stuff try Don’t You Forget About Me or If I Never Met You.
The House in the Cerulean Sea-TJ Klune
I read this book for another of my book clubs. It is sci-fi fantasy which is not a genre that I like much at all. This book though was quite enjoyable and I would recommend it. It seems that it might be geared toward a adolescent crowd but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. The story is heartwarming and not scary. I find that sci fi can sometimes be scary and dystopic and I am not a fan. This book is worth reading. If you can deal with different creatures that roam the earth with humans, you can deal with this book. Sci-fi books though they often have made up characters, the story lines tend to parallel with real life topics like racism, hatred, politics, sexism, etc…
The Paper Palace-Miranda Cowley Heller
From a book for the younger crowd, to a very adult book. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book but it’s worth reading. The main characters are older and have lived life. There is some reflecting on life as well as some deciding if it is the life they want to continue to with. You get to take a tour of the lives from their childhoods to adulthood helping to explain how we got here. It’s a departure from books with younger protagonists who are still trying to find out who they are. Because of the age of these characters, the possibility of blowing up and destroying lives is very real.
Those are my reads for this month. I’m going at a good clip but I’ll have to keep it up if I want to meet (or exceed) my annual goal.
Have you read any of these or have any books to recommend? Share in the comments.
Reading Journey: Goal=75
Jan: 8 Feb: 4 Mar: 6 Apr: 6 May: 6=30
