So many words. So little time.
Category: awesomeness
This was a GREAT writing week! I wrote four book reviews: Highlands Christmas – Wishes Come True, by Amy Quick Parrish, The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch, by Jacqueline Firkins, When I’m Dead, by Hannah Morrissey (will be up tomorrow), and Swarm, by Jennifer Lyle (up on Friday). Even better, I got in FIVE fiction writing sessions! This is the most writing I’ve done in a long, long time, and I’m very happy with it. How’s your writing week going?
Happy writing!
Title: The Unmaking of June Farrow
Author: Adrienne Young
Genre: Mystery, fantasy
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.
It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.
After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’s decades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.
I’m a huge fan of this author’s YA books. I wasn’t quite such a fan of her first adult novel, but this one was so good! I was just as confused as June during parts of this, and my mind was spinning, trying to figure out what, exactly, was going on. The women in the Farrow family are such strong characters, and all of them fascinated me. I can’t imagine having to make the choices June had to make. This was an excellent read, and I read it straight through in one sitting.
Adrienne Young is a bestselling author. The Unmaking of June Farrow is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Random House/Ballantine in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: The Scarlet Alchemist
Author: Kylie Lee Baker
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5
Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she’s trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table—resurrecting the dead, for a price.
When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she’ll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her to the capital, and the Crown Prince himself seeks out her help, suspecting a coming assassination attempt.
The more Zilan succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. There are monsters lurking within the palace walls, and it’s only a matter of time before they—and secrets of Zilan’s past—catch up with her.
I enjoyed this so much! There were several surprises here: I was always guessing what would happen next—and I was usually wrong, which is refreshing for a reader who is rarely surprised. Zilan is a character I really liked and empathized with, and I was wholly invested in her struggles. I also really enjoyed the Crown Prince, and can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Kylie Lee Baker grew up in Boston. The Scarlet Alchemist is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.)
In September, I read 19 books, bringing my total for the year to 154 books read. Of those, most of them were either meh reads or solid reads, but a handful were great.
Wrapped in Rain, by Charles Martin (audio). Another lovely book by my favorite author. This one made me cry, but it was so good!
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. I forgot how much I loved this world and these characters! This was just plain fun to re-read.
The Roaring Days of Zora Lily, by Noelle Salazar. I do love reading about the 1920s, and this was such a good read! I loved all the details about life and culture during this times. The romance was so well-done, and I even enjoyed the fashion descriptions. Which is really saying something, considering my complete disregard of fashion.
The Scarlet Alchemist, by Kylie Lee Baker (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this read a lot! Love the magic system and the characters—I found the Crown Prince to be so endearing in his…uselessness. This was a strong fantasy read with vibrant characters, and I’m looking forward to reading more.
Title: The Roaring Days of Zora Lily
Author: Noelle Salazar
Genre: historical fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5
2023, The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History: A costume conservator is preparing an exhibition featuring movie costumes from the 1920s to present day. As she gingerly places a gown once worn by Greta Garbo on a mannequin, she discovers another name hidden beneath the designer’s label, leaving her to wonder—who is Zora Lily?
1924, Seattle: Poverty-stricken Zora Hough spends her days looking after her younger siblings while sewing up holes and fixing hems for clients to bring in extra money, working her fingers to the bone just to survive. But at night, as she lies in the bed she shares with one of her three sisters, she secretly dreams of becoming a designer like Coco Chanel and Jeanne Lanvin.
When her best friend gets a job dancing in a club downtown, Zora is lured in by her stories of music, glittering dresses and boys. She follows her friend to the underground speakeasies that are at once exciting and frightening—with smoke hanging in the air, alcohol flowing despite Prohibition, couples dancing in a way that makes Zora blush and a handsome businessman named Harley. It’s a world she has only ever imagined, and one with connections that could lead her to the life she’s always dreamed of. But as Zora’s ambition is challenged by tragedy and duty to her family, she’ll learn that dreams come with a cost.
This was a fantastic read! Granted, the 1920s are one of my favorite time periods to read about, but Zora captivated me from the very first page. She is so determined to move past her present and make a life that she loves for herself, but she also remains loyal to her family and those who helped her. It’s a testament to the writing and story that the fashion details fascinated me instead of boring me, but Zora herself is truly the reason I couldn’t put the book down. This is so well done, and I would recommend it to everyone!
Noelle Salazar lives in Washington. The Roaring Days of Zora Lilly is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: The Last Exchange
Author: Charles Martin
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5 (Actually, more like 6 out of 5).
When MacThomas Pockets finished his last tour as part of the Scottish Special Forces, he was hired to consult for a film director to finesse some scenes that weren’t working. In a twist he never saw coming, he ended up moving to L.A. to work as the bodyguard for movie star Maybe Joe Sue.
It didn’t take long for Pockets to realize there were two Joe Sues: The Joe Sue the public saw with her perfect life and her Hollywood husband. And the private Joe Sue: the one with the traumatic youth that no amount of pills could cover up, who desperately wanted a child of her own.
Even after their paths diverged, he continued to track Joe Sue’s life. Only a few would notice when the bottom fell out. But he did. And that’s when he stepped in.
Yes, Charles Martin is my favorite author and I love everything he writes, but dang. This book. I laughed and cried while reading this—and I binge-read the entire thing in one afternoon. Martin’s characters are always so quirky and larger-than-life and Joe and Pockets are no exceptions. I loved how their friendship grew and the secrets they were both hiding made it even more tangible and real. (The scene with the Queen!) As always, Martin manages to illustrate the beautiful truth of the Gospel while weaving a beautiful, moving story, and that’s why he’s my favorite author.
Charles Martin is a bestselling author. The Last Exchange is his newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.)
Books Read in September: 19
Books Read for the Year: 154/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis (audio, spiritual): This was a very inspiring read/listen!
Wrapped in Rain, by Charles Martin (TBR): This was an excellent book! The relationships in this book are top-notch.
How to Listen to God, by Charles Stanley (spiritual): Excellent read.
gods at War by Kyle Idleman (spiritual): Very thought provoking.
Powers, by John B. Olson (TBR): Apparently I’d read this before…but I didn’t realize that until I finished it. This was very chaotic and confusing to me, and I wouldn’t recommend it.
Trapper Road, by Rachel Caine (TBR): People can be so evil.
Now I Rise, by Kierstin White (TBR): Yeah, these characters are…not nice people.
The Iron King, by Julie Kagawa (re-read): This was such a great re-read!
The Dry, by Jane Harper. I tried to read this before and got bored quickly, but this time I persevered and finished it. It got much better, but man, the setting was depressing.
For Review:
The Spy’s Daughter, by Bianca M. Schwarz. This was a solid read, but it seemed all to easy for the characters to me.
The Forest Grimm, by Kathryn Purdie. This had some dark fantasy aspects to it and there were several unresolved storylines, but it was a decent read.
Bright Lights, Big Christmas, by Mary Kay Andrews. This was an okay read, but the MC’s brother was a total jerk and she was a bit surface-level to me. No depth in this story, to me.
Case of the Bleus, by Korina Moss. This was the first of this series I’ve read, but I enjoyed it quite a bit—especially the cheeses!
The Roaring Days of Zora Lily, by Noelle Salazar (review forthcoming). Loved this! I loved all the details about life during Prohibition, Zora’s struggle to make something of herself, the romance, everything!
The Scarlet Alchemist, by Kylie Lee Baker (review forthcoming). This kept me guessing the whole time, and I really enjoyed the whole thing and can’t wait to read more!
Starter Villain, by John Scalzi. I liked the intelligent cats, but this isn’t the sort of thing I could read much of. The snark was on point, but it all felt a bit campy and B-rate to me.
Night of the Witch, by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this historical fiction-ish read, although the first quarter felt really slow to me.
Just Because:
Whisper, by Mark Batterson (re-read). Because I love this book.
Winter’s Passage, by Julie Kagawa. Pretty sure I hadn’t read this novella before, but I liked the glimpse into Meghan and Ash’s relationship.
Left Unfinished:
The Enemy Beside Me, by Naomi Ragen. This started off so slowly that I got bored. And Milia just wasn’t interesting to me.
The Name Drop, by Susan Lee. I kind of liked Jessica, but Elijah just got on my nerves. He says he doesn’t like everything being handed to him on a platter, but in reality, he wished for it, and that was annoying.
The Witches of Bone Hill, by Ava Morgyn. I don’t read horror, and this veered far too close to horror for me.
The Other Princess, by Denny S. Bryce. I read 50% of this, but I just did NOT like Aina/Sarah. She was very selfish and self-focused, and I got tired of reading about her, despite the excellent writing.
In August, I read 17 books, bringing my total for the year to 135 books read. Of those books, a few were standouts.
The River Runs South, by Audrey Ingram. This was an excellent Southern fiction read, and a debut novel from this author. I wasn’t too sure if I liked the main character at first, even though she was going through a very tough time, but I ended up loving her—and her adorable daughter. I also loved the setting so much and thought it was portrayed so well.
Touch of Power, by Maria V. Snyder. I’m a big fan of this author and I’d read this before, but I remembered almost none of it. I enjoyed the characters so much! They were so memorable and believable and made the rest of the story truly magical.
The Brothers Hawthorne, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I’ve enjoyed this series so much, and I read this entire novel in one session, on release day. It did not disappoint. The Hawthorne brothers and their antics are thoroughly entertaining, and I love the relationship between the three brothers.
Title: Letters from My Sister
Author: Valerie Fraser Luesse
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
At the turn of the twentieth century, sisters Emmy and Callie Bullock are living a privileged life as the only daughters of a wealthy Alabama cotton farmer when their well-ordered household gets turned upside down by the arrival of Lily McGee. Arrestingly beautiful, Lily quickly–and innocently–draws the wrong kind of attention. Meanwhile, Callie meets a man who offers her the freedom to abandon social constraints and discover her truest self.
After Lily has a baby, Callie witnesses something she was never meant to see–or did she? Her memory is a haze, just an image in her mind of Emmy standing on a darkened riverbank and cradling Lily’s missing baby girl. Only when the sisters are separated does the truth slowly come to light through their letters–including a revelation that will shape the rest of Callie’s life.
This was a tiny bit slow to start off, but Callie was such a great character that I kept reading, and I’m so glad I did! The Bullock family was so fascinating to read about. I enjoyed every one of them! This book made me laugh out loud several times—and cry. I was immersed in the lives of the characters and the dreams of the sisters, and I ended up enjoying this very much.
Valerie Fraser Luesse lives in Birmingham. Letters From My Sister is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Revell in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: The Keeper of Hidden Books
Author: Madeline Martin
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5
All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitler’s forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving.
With the death count rising and persecution intensifying, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina is forced into the newly formed ghetto.
But the closer Warsaw creeps toward liberation, the more dangerous life becomes for the women and their families – and escape may not be possible for everyone. As the destruction rages around them, Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left – literature.
This was such a good read! I loved how the author focused on a microcosm of the war and the struggles of less than a handful of people, with only occasional mentions of the larger struggle going on. This made it seem so personal and relatable. What Zofia—and Janina—went through was horrible, but it was inspiring to see their determination and faith as they struggled to save parts of their heritage from the Nazis and preserve the past for the future.
Madeline Martin is a bestselling author. The Keeper of Hidden Books is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Hanover Square Press in exchange for an honest review.)
Tomorrow Is Another Day 