Category: awesomeness

Best Books I Read in January (2021)

In January, I read 19 books towards my goal of 240 books this year. I also left two other books unfinished. I’m two books behind schedule so far this year…Of those 19 books, three were really good!

Girlhood: Teens Around the World in Their Own Voices, by Masuma Ahuja. This was a fascinating read! It told the stories of girls from all across the world: the history of where they live, their culture, and their lives, including journal entries written by the girls themselves. An excellent read! Lots of pictures as well, to truly bring their stories to life.

Everybody Always, by Bob Goff. I love the author’s voice as he tells stories, using everyday occurrences to make his point. The reader ends up enjoying the lesson. And, when I found out the story behind the cover illustration, it blew my mind! I’m already reading another of his books.

The Iron Raven, by Julie Kagawa. It’s been years since I read anything in this world, but I loved this! Puck was always my favorite character, so it was great to see him get his own story—with characters I loved from the other books in the background of this one.

Book Review: The Knockout, by Sajni Patel

Image belongs to Flux.

Title:  The Knockout
Author:  Sajni Patel
Genre:  YA
Rating:  5 out of 5

If seventeen-year-old Kareena Thakkar is going to alienate herself from the entire Indian community, she might as well do it gloriously. She’s landed the chance of a lifetime, an invitation to the US Muay Thai Open, which could lead to a spot on the first-ever Olympic team. If only her sport wasn’t seen as something too rough for girls, something she’s afraid to share with anyone outside of her family. Despite pleasing her parents, exceling at school, and making plans to get her family out of debt, Kareena’s never felt quite Indian enough, and her training is only making it worse.

Which is inconvenient, since she’s starting to fall for Amit Patel, who just might be the world’s most perfect Indian. Admitting her feelings for Amit will cost Kareena more than just her pride–she’ll have to face his parents’ disapproval, battle her own insecurities, and remain focused for the big fight. Kareena’s bid for the Olympics could very well make history–if she has the courage to go for it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read! Kareena is a fantastic character:  she’s tough, determined, loves her family, and is dealing with problems on all sides with strength and courage. Kareena has always been both a rebel against her community and set on making her parents proud, so this conflict is a theme in the story, as is her finding the courage to trust people with her secrets. This is a well-written book set in a vibrant community and is an excellent read!

Sajni Patel was born in India and grew up in Texas. The Knockout is her newest novel.

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

What I Read in December (2020)

Books Read in December: 36 This was the most books I read any month this year!

Books Read for the Year:  332/200

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books: 

When Crickets Cry, by Charles Martin (TBR). Apparently I’d read this before, although I didn’t remember it. Loved this!

Little Men, by Louisa May Alcott (classic re-read). I love this almost as much as Little Women

Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers (TBR). This is such a powerful story

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Caught, by Neta Jackson (TBR). Still loving this series

Dangerous Prayers, by Craig Groeschel (spiritual). Powerful.

Praying with Jane, by Rachel Dodge (TBR/spiritual). This was lovely!

For Review:

The Princess and the Rogue, by Kate Bateman. I enjoyed this romance with a princess in disguise and a man who thinks he’ll never fall in love.

Boone, by Emily March. Boone was a little bit too good to be true to be believable.

Fairy Godmothers, Inc., by Saranna DeWylde. This was almost a farce to me, frankly. The whole premise wasn’t believable, the horrible incident from the past was ridiculous, and when the characters would randomly cuss, it just felt wrong, like it was out-of-character. Nope.

Wrong Alibi, by Christina Dodd. I was solidly invested in this tale of a woman wrongly convicted of murder 10 years before who is trying to find the man who framed her…until 75% of the way through when she met the guy whose family she supposedly killed and with basically no transition he decided she wasn’t the killer, they hopped into bed, and were infatuated with each other. What? I didn’t realize this was a romance. Add that to a conspiracy that had never been hinted at before, and I lost all faith in this author.

Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder, by T.A. Willberg. This was a decent read, but it felt very slow.

You Have a Match, by Emma Lord (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this updated riff on The Parent Trap. It was a fun read with a lot of character growth.

One of the Good Ones, by Maika Moulite (review forthcoming). This is another case of me thinking I was reading a certain genre of book and finding out 75% of the way through that the author had different ideas. An incredibly powerful story and writing, but when that twist came, it negated that for me.

Roman and Jewell, by Dana L. Davis (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this quick read. It was diverse and didn’t go for the easy cliche.

The Other Mother, by Matthew Dicks (review forthcoming). Though this novel takes place over the course of two days, it felt like a lot happened! A solid read about a boy dealing with a scary syndrome.

Minus Me, by Mameve Medwed (review forthcoming). Eh, I really didn’t care for either of the MCs, so that made this only a so-so read for me.

The Lost Manuscript, by Cathy Bonidan (review forthcoming). I ended up enjoying this novel told in letters very much! Love the characters!

Aftershock, by Judy Melinke and T.J. Mitchell (review forthcoming). The second solid book in this series. Although the MC makes some…questionable…decisions, I enjoyed the read.

What’s Worth Keeping, by Kaya McLaren (review forthcoming). Loved this!

Shipped by Angie Hockman (review forthcoming). This was a fun read and would be excellent as a beach or vacation read.

At the Edge of the Haight, by Katherine Seligman (review forthcoming). The blurb made this sound like it was about a homeless teenager helping to find the person who killed a boy…but it wasn’t. Not at all.

Everything I Thought I Knew, by Shannon Takaoka (review forthcoming). I really liked this, until the twist came at about 80% through. And that ruined the entire book for me.

Deep Into the Dark, by P. J. Tracy (review forthcoming). This was an excellent thriller. I’m not usually a fan of unreliable narrators, but it totally worked for this story.

A Pairing to Die For, by Kate Lansing (review forthcoming). This was a quick, fun read, but it wasn’t totally believable because the police made an arrest within a few hours of the murder…on minimal evidence.

The Knockout, by Sajni Patel (review forthcoming). I LOVED this read! It deals with cultural issues and sexism as a girl struggles to embrace her identity in the midst of expectations.

The Girl from the Channel Islands, by Jenny Lecoat (review forthcoming). This was a good read. I don’t think I’d read anything before set in the Channel Islands during WWII or with a German soldier who wasn’t a Nazi.

Undercover Kitty, by Sofie Ryan (review forthcoming). I hadn’t read any of this series, but I enjoyed this. Elvis the cat is perfect!

Crime of the Ancient Marinara, by Stephanie Cole (review forthcoming).. This wasn’t bad, but it didn’t really work for me.

Capturing the Earl, by A.S. Fenichel (review forthcoming). I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this entire series, and this was another good read. My favorite MC so far!

Happy Singles Day, by Ann Marie Walker (review forthcoming). I thought this was a pretty standard romance. Nothing bad, but no unexpected surprises, either.

Just Because:

Tipping Point, by Jimmy Evans. Yes, this is the second time in the last six months I’ve read this.

Who is Jesus?, by Paul Kent.

Mortal Arts, A Grave Matter, A Study in Death, and A Pressing Engagement, by Anna Lee Huber. I read the first book in this series some time ago. Now I’m binging the rest of it because I love them so much!

Yearly Reads:

I read the Bible and Live in Grace, Walk in Love, by Bob Goff over the course of the entire year as well.

The Best Books I Read in November (2020)

In November, I read 24 books, bringing my total to the year for 293 books. Some of those books were really good. Here are the ones I enjoyed the most:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I have no idea how many times I’ve read this, but I still love it! And I cry every single time.

Defending the Galaxy, by Maria V. Snyder. I am a huge fan of Snyder’s writing—I love the Study series—but everything else is great, too. This was a great conclusion to her newest trilogy.

The Little Shop of Found Things and The Chocolate House, by Paula Brackston. I read The Garden of Promises and Lies in October and thought I’d read the first book in the series and somehow skipped the second, so I decided to re-read. Now I don’t think I had read the first one, but I’m all caught up anyway. These books were really great!

Book Review: Defending the Galaxy, by Maria V. Snyder

Image belongs to the author.

Title: Defending the Galaxy
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Genre: YA, sci-fi
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Junior Officer Ara Lawrence here, reporting for duty. Again. It’s situation critical for the security team and everyone in the base – including my parents – with a new attack from the looters imminent, a possible galaxy-wide crime conspiracy and an unstoppable alien threat. But this all pales in the face of my mind-blowing discovery about the Q-net. Of course, no one believes me. I’m not sure I believe me. It could just be a stress-induced delusion. That’s what my parents seem to believe…

Their concern for me is hampering my ability to do my job. I know they love me, but with the Q-net in my corner, I’m the only one who can help the security team beat the shadowy aliens from the pits we discovered. We’re holding them at bay, for now, but the entire Milky Way Galaxy is in danger of being overrun.

With battles on too many fronts, it’s looking dire. But one thing I’ve learned is when people I love are in jeopardy, I’ll never give up trying to save them. Not until my dying breath. Which could very well be today…

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the Sentinels of the Galaxy series! Maria V. Snyder’s writing is fantastic, as always, and this universe is nicely done and intriguing. I’d never considered the effects faster-than-light travel would have on families and friendships, so that was an intriguing detail.

Ara is a lot of fun to read—smart, determined, and with enough snark to make me laugh. She trying to save the universe here, but she’s also concerned with typical teenage things like her boyfriend and what’s going on with him. Lots of action, high stakes, and characters I care about made this a riveting read!

Maria V. Snyder is a bestselling author. Defending the Galaxy is the final book in the Sentinels of the Galaxy series.

(Galley courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Garden of Promises and Lies, by Paula Brackston

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title: The Garden of Promises and Lies
Author: Paula Brackston
Genre: Fiction, historical
Rating: 5.0 out of 5

As the bustle of the winter holidays in the Little Shop of Found Things gives way to spring, Xanthe is left to reflect on the strange events of the past year. While she’s tried to keep her time-traveling talents a secret from those close to her, she is forced to take responsibility for having inadvertently transported the dangerous Benedict Fairfax to her own time. Xanthe comes to see that she must use her skills as a spinner if she and Flora are ever to be safe, and turns to the Spinners book for help.

It is then that a beautiful antique wedding dress sings to her. Realizing the dress and her adversary are connected in some way, she answers the call. She finds herself in Bradford-on-Avon in 1815, as if she has stepped into a Jane Austen story.

Now in Xanthe’s time, Fairfax is threatening Xanthe into helping him with his evil doings, and demonstrates all too clearly how much damage he is capable of causing. With Fairfax growing ever more powerful, Xanthe enlists the help of her boyfriend Liam, taking him back in time with her. It is a decision that might just ensure she prevails over her foe, but only by putting her life—and his—on the line.

I think I’ve read the first book in this series—The Little Shop of Found Things—but I’m not positive, and I know I haven’t read the second book. Honestly, that didn’t detract from reading this at all. Sure, it would have added some depth, but a reader coming into this series at book three would be totally lost and unable to figure out what was going on.

I love the quirky characters—Harley especially—and find the whole basic premise fascinating, twining the past and present together like pieces of a puzzle. Brackston is an excellent writer, bringing both modern day and historical settings to vivid life and I’m now going back to read (or maybe re-read) the first two books in this series.

Paula Brackston lives in Wales. The Garden of Promises and Lies is her newest novel, the third book in the Found Things series.

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

Book Review and Blog Tour: The Emperor’s Wolves, by Michelle Sagara

Image belongs to harlequin/MIRA.

Title: The Emperor’s Wolves
Author:   Michelle Sagara  
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5

As an orphan scrounging in the lawless slums, young Severn Handred didn’t have the luxury of believing in anything beyond his own survival. Now he’s crossed the river and entered the heart of the empire: the city of Elantra. When Severn is spotted tailing some lawmen of the Hawks—a not insignificant feat to go otherwise undetected—the recruiter for the Imperial Wolves thinks he should join their ranks. The Wolves are a small, select group that work within the Halls of Law, reporting directly to the Eternal Emperor. Severn hopes to avoid the law—he certainly had no intention of joining it.

In order to become a wolf—even on probation—Severn must face the investigators most dreaded throughout the Empire: The Tha’alani, readers of minds. No secret is safe from their prying, no knowledge can remain buried. But Severn’s secret, never shared before, is not enough to prevent the Wolves from adopting him as one of their own. All men have secrets, after all. Severn’s first job will be joining a hunt, but between the treacherous politics of the High Court, the almost unnatural interest of one of the Lords, and those who wish long-held secrets to remain buried forever, the trick will be surviving it.

I’ll start off by saying that I’m a huge fan of Michelle Sagara’s Chronicles of Elantra series—and Severn is one of my favorite characters. Reading this novel made me want to re-read that entire series…except I don’t have time right now. I love the voice in that series so much—and Kaylin is such a great character and finds herself in so many situations that keep my attention riveted.

Fittingly, the voice in this prequel spin-off isn’t the same. There are still hints of snark, but, as we’re following Severn, there’s not the same rushing-headlong-into-trouble-and-other-people’s-business plot going on here. Fantastic writing, setting, and characterization as the other series, but the action in this is more thought-out—whereas Kaylin rushes into everything, Severn actually thinks things through before acting.

I really loved seeing things from his eyes and learning more about his past and Kaylin’s. I can’t wait to read more in this spin-off series!

Michelle Sagara is an author, book­seller, and lover of liter­ature based in Toronto.

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

Book Review: Kingdom of Sea and Stone, by Mara Rutherford

Image belongs to Inkyard Press.

Title: Kingdom of Sea and Stone
Author: Mara Rutherford    
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 5 out of 5

Ever since Nor was forced to go to a nearby kingdom in her sister’s place, she’s wanted nothing more than to return to the place and people she loves. But when her wish comes true, she soon finds herself cast out from both worlds, with a war on the horizon.

As an old enemy resurfaces more powerful than ever, Nor will have to keep the kingdom from falling apart with the help of Prince Talin and Nor’s twin sister, Zadie. There are forces within the world more mysterious than any of them ever guessed—and they’ll need to stay alive long enough to conquer them…

I thoroughly enjoyed this book (And the one before it, A Crown of Coral and Pearl.). And I think the covers are gorgeous!

The world here is unique and distinctive, with different cultures, countries, and beliefs, and it’s fun to explore them with Nor. She knows what’s right and she does it, but she can see both sides of the issues. I love her strength even in the face of overwhelming odds, and her courage to speak up about wrongs—even when it can hurt her in the long run.

Adventure, magic, and a captivating setting all combine in this to make it almost impossible to put down!

Mara Rutherford was born in California but has lived all over the world. Kingdom of Sea and Stone is her newest novel.

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

Best Books I Read in September (2020)

In September, I read 28 books, bringing my total for the year to 244 books.

Of those, there were a handful of “meh” books, mostly solid/good books, and a few that were excellent reads!

Like:

A Voice in the Wind, by Francine Rivers. I’m almost positive I read this trilogy years ago, but I’ve basically forgotten it, so it was like a new-to-me read. I love well-done historical, and this was an excellent fiction read set in Rome in the first century.

Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman. I might as well just confess that Backman is now one of my favorite authors. His voice is just so amazing, and I love his characters. This was not what I expected from a bank robbery gone bad, but it was wonderful!

The Silvered Serpents, by Roshani Chokshi. I haven’t actually read the first book in this series, but I had no problems with that. Loved this dark fantasy, full of quirky and well-drawn characters (even the ones that we re jerks).

Best Books I Read in August (2020)

In August, I read 29 books, bringing my total for the year to 216 books read.

The three best books I read in August were:

persuasion

Persuasion, by Jane Austen. Because, obviously. It’s not as good as Pride and Prejudice, but it’s still an excellent read and I enjoyed every moment.

furia

Furia, by Yamile Saied Méndez. I thoroughly enjoyed  this tale of a girl determined to play soccer like the men in her culture do, despite all the people who tell her she can’t. This was inspiring and an evocative look at life in an Argentina barrio.

my grandmother

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, by Fredrik Backman. I have no words for how much I enjoyed this novel. From the very first page, I was entranced by Elsa, the protagonist, who is “seven years old and different.” The voice in this novel was extraordinary, and I had ration myself to keep from reading this straight through in one sitting.