Category: awesomeness

The Best Books I Read in February (2022)

In February, I had a lot of extra free time due to having surgery on the 1st: I read 26 books, and DNFed nine more (that’s really a lot for me, but if I found it the slightest bit boring, I just couldn’t do it). That brings me to 48 books read so far this year (only 202 to go to hit the goal I missed by six books last year…). Out of those 26, three of them really stood out:

The Bright Side Running Club, by Josie Lloyd. (So, the surgery I had this month was to remove an intermediate melanoma. I was blessed that the surgeon removed everything and the lymph node he removed was negative for metastatic melanoma—despite him thinking it looked very abnormal—so maybe I related to the ladies in this book a bit because of all that.)

This is about a group of women all going through different stages of breast cancer treatment, who meet and form a running club and an unbreakable friendship. This made me laugh and cry, and it was so, so good!

Sword and Shadow, by Michelle Sagara. I love the Chronicles of Elantra series and Severn is one of my favorite characters in that, so reading this series was a no-brainer. Getting to see what he was doing with his life before he and Kaylin met again is just pure enjoyment.

Edgewood, by Kristen Ciccarelli (review forthcoming 3/4). This was just pure magic from the very beginning! I loved everything about it, and couldn’t put it down. And the cover is gorgeous!

Book Review:  Sword and Shadow, by Michelle Sagara

Image belongs to Harlequin/MIRA.

Title:   Sword and Shadow
Author:   Michelle Sagara
Genre:   Fantasy
Rating:  5.0 out of 5

In exchange for information about his past, Severn Handred joins a Barrani lord on a mission to the West March—an enclave well outside the boundaries of the Empire. Granted a leave of absence from the Wolves, Severn is in danger the moment he steps outside the reach of Imperial law. But the instincts that led him to the Wolves and the sense of duty that keeps him there can’t be discarded as easily as the tabard he wears.

 In the heart of the West March, enmeshed in a tangled web of secrets that have been kept for centuries, Severn’s belief in justice is going to be tested. There are murders to solve, people to protect, and truths to uncover. It’s one mortal man and his single Barrani friend against a community of immortals who will die and kill to keep their secrets. But they’re up against the Wolves now.

I do love Michelle Sagara’s The Chronicles of Elantra series, and I think this spinoff series is fantastic as well. Severn is one of my favorite characters in the original series, and it’s lovely to get to know him better here. I love the verbal back-and-forth in these books, and the characters are such strong presences that I feel like I’m there with them. Detailed worldbuilding, nuanced plot, and plenty of action makes these books a must-read.

Michelle Sagara is a bestselling author. Sword and Shadow is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  The Bright Side Running Club, by Josie Lloyd

Image belongs to Alcove Press

Title:   The Bright Side Running Club
Author:   Josie Lloyd
Genre:   Fiction
Rating:  5 out of 5

When Keira first receives her breast cancer diagnosis, she never expects to end up joining a running group with three women she’s only just met. Totally blind-sided, all she can think about is how she doesn’t want to tell her family or step back from work. Nor does she want to be part of a group of fellow cancer patients. Cancer is not her club.

 And yet it’s running – hot, sweaty, lycra-clad running in the company of brilliant, funny women all going through treatment – that unexpectedly gives Keira the hope she so urgently needs. Because Keira will not be defined by the C-word. And now, with the Bright Side Running Club cheering her on, she is going to reclaim everything: her family, her identity, and her life.

 One step at a time.

 I enjoyed this book so much! I loved Keira as a character, and I loved all the secondary characters as well (except her horrible coworkers). Her journey was both terrible and inspiring as she deals with a terrifying diagnosis and the treatment that isn’t much better. I loved how much she learned about herself and the people in her life, and I’ll admit the book brought me to tears a time or two. I highly recommend!

Josie Lloyd is from Brighton. The Bright Side Running Club is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Alcove Press in exchange for an honest review.)

 

The Best Books I Read in January (2022)

In January I read 21 books towards my goal of 250 books read this year. Most of these were decent or solid reads, but a few stood out.

Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone, by Diana Gaboldon. I just love this series, and these books are always perfect for me: hefty tomes that are fantastically detailed with writing and storytelling that keeps me glued to the page.

Seeing Jesus from the East, by Ravi Zacharias and Abdu Murray. This was a fascinating read that gave me a lot of insight.

The Last House on the Street, by Diane Chamberlain. The historical part of this book almost broke me. That’s really all I can say about it. Highly recommend.

Book Review and Blog Tour:  The Iron Sword, by Julie Kagawa

Image belongs to Inkyard Press.

Title: The Iron Sword    
Author:   Julie Kagawa
Genre:   YA, fantasy
Rating:   5 out of 5

As Evenfall nears, the stakes grow ever higher for those in Faery…

Banished from the Winter Court for daring to fall in love, Prince Ash achieved the impossible and journeyed to the End of the World to earn a soul and keep his vow to always stand beside Queen Meghan of the Iron Fey.

Now he faces even more incomprehensible odds. Their son, King Keirran of the Forgotten, is missing. Something more ancient than the courts of Faery and more evil than anything Ash has faced in a millennium is rising as Evenfall approaches. And if Ash and his allies cannot stop it, the chaos that has begun to divide the world will shatter it for eternity.

I really love anything the author writes in this world, and this was no exception. I enjoyed the continuing story of Ash and Meghan, although I did enjoy Puck’s POV very much in the last book. Lots of action, intriguing magic, and hints of romance made this a perfect mix that I practically devoured. Highly recommend!

Julie Kagawa is a bestselling author. The Iron Sword is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.)

 

Book Review:  The Last House on the Street, by Diane Chamberlain

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:   The Last House on the Street
Author:   Diane Chamberlain
Genre:   Mystery/thriller
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

When Kayla Carter’s husband dies in an accident while building their dream house, she knows she has to stay strong for their four-year-old daughter. But the trophy home in Shadow Ridge Estates, a new development in sleepy Round Hill, North Carolina, will always hold tragic memories. But when she is confronted by an odd, older woman telling her not to move in, she almost agrees. It’s clear this woman has some kind of connection to the area…and a connection to Kayla herself. Kayla’s elderly new neighbor, Ellie Hockley, is more welcoming, but it’s clear she, too, has secrets that stretch back almost fifty years. Is Ellie on a quest to right the wrongs of the past? And does the house at the end of the street hold the key?

This book….almost broke me. When I finished reading it, I felt like I’d been stabbed in the heart. It’s told in multiple timelines:  the present with Kayla and fifty years ago, with Ellie. I enjoyed both, but Ellie’s story was by far my favorite.

Reading about Ellie’s struggles during the civil rights movement and the things she experienced was hard but compelling. I loved how it was all tied in to what Kayla was facing at her new house, and I was unprepared for the real story that came out at last. I highly recommend this read! It’s a mystery/thriller wrapped with historical fiction, and I was unable to put it down.

Diane Chamberlain is a bestselling author. The Last House on the Street is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  The Last Dance of the Debutante, by Julia Kelly

Image belongs to Gallery Books.

Title:   The Last Dance of the Debutante
Author:   Julia Kelly
Genre:   Historical fiction
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

When it’s announced that 1958 will be the last year debutantes are to be presented at court, thousands of eager mothers and hopeful daughters flood the palace with letters seeking the year’s most coveted invitation: a chance for their daughters to curtsey to the young Queen Elizabeth and officially come out into society.

 In an effort to appease her traditional mother, aspiring university student Lily Nichols agrees to become a debutante and do the Season, a glittering and grueling string of countless balls and cocktail parties. In doing so, she befriends two very different women: the cool and aloof Leana Hartford whose apparent perfection hides a darker side and the ambitious Katherine Norman who dreams of a career once she helps her parents find their place among the elite.

 But the glorious effervescence of the Season evaporates once Lily learns a devastating secret that threatens to destroy her entire family. Faced with a dark past, she’s forced to ask herself what really matters: her family legacy or her own happiness.

This was such a good read! I loved reading about the debutantes, but all the pageantry sounded awful, frankly. Lily was a wonderful character. I enjoyed seeing how she went from a student to a society girl before realizing who she truly wanted to be. The glamor of being a deb didn’t enthrall her for long, and she learned to stand on her own feet and make her own decisions—and friends—as she learned the truth about her past.

Julia Kelly lives in London. The Last Dance of the Debutante is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.)

The Best Books I Read in November (2021)

In November, I read 22 books, bringing my total for the year to 217 books.

Of those 22 books, I really enjoyed three of them:

The Brightest Star in Paris, by Diana Biller. I didn’t realize until at least halfway through that I’d read—and enjoyed—the previous book in this series. Ballet, ghosts, and wonderful characters made this a read I enjoyed every single sentence of.

City of Time and Magic, by Paula Brackston. I’ve loved all the books in this series, and this was no different. Time travel, magic, romance, and a kick-butt (but not in an in-your-face way) heroine made this pure pleasure.

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, by Nabeel Qureshi. I read this because I’d heard good things about it, and it did not disappoint. I learned so much about Islam in this, and the contrasts between it and Christianity were so clearly laid out that it destroys all arguments about similarities.

Book Review:  Never Fall for Your Fiancée, by Virginia Heath

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:   Never Fall for Your Fiancée
Author:   Virginia Heath
Genre:   Romance
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

The last thing Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, ever wants is a wife. Unfortunately for him, his mother is determined to find him one, even from across the other side of the ocean. So, Hugh invents a fake fiancée to keep his mother’s matchmaking ways at bay. But when Hugh learns his interfering mother is on a ship bound for England, he realizes his complicated, convoluted but convenient ruse is about to implode. Until he collides with a beautiful woman, who might just be the miracle he needs.

 Minerva Merriwell has had to struggle to support herself and her two younger sisters ever since their feckless father abandoned them. Work as a woodcut engraver is few and far between, and the Merriwell sisters are nearly penniless. So, when Hugh asks Minerva to pose as his fiancée while his mother is visiting, she knows that while the scheme sounds ludicrous, the offer is too good to pass up. 

Once Minerva and her sisters arrive at Hugh’s estate, of course, nothing goes according to his meticulous plan. As hilarity and miscommunication ensue, while everyone tries to keep their tangled stories straight, Hugh and Minerva’s fake engagement starts to turn into a real romance. But can they trust each other, when their relationship started with a lie?

This was such a fun read! I enjoyed all the characters—except Vee—and found it quite funny as well. Hugh’s voice really had me laughing. He’s so dramatic and dry at the same time—and he thinks he’s destined to following his father’s footsteps, which is ridiculous. Minerva is a wonderful character, too, and I enjoyed her point-of-view very much. I’d definitely be interested in reading more about these characters.

Virginia Heath Lives in London. Never Fall for Your Fiancée is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

The Best Books I Read in October (2021)

In October I read 15 books, bringing my total to the year to 195 books. I’m not sure I’m going to hit my goal of 250 books for the year….But four of those reads were really excellent:

Winterlight, by Kristen Britain. I love this series! The characters are vibrant, the world is so vivid and brimming with life, and the storyline always has me on the edge of my seat.

The Rot, by Siri Pettersen. This is the second book in a trilogy, and from the very first page of the first book, I was riveted. This feels very much like Norse mythology and I’m completely invested in the story and can’t wait until the third one comes out.

Little Thieves, by Margaret Owen. This started off a bit slow, but I’m so glad I stuck it out. Unique and captivating.

Three Sisters, by Heather Morris. This is the third book in The Tattoist of Auschwitz books (I haven’t read the others. This was so moving, sad, and yet full of hope. This family is incredible.