Tag: what I’ve been reading lately

What I Read in January (2021)

Books Read in January: 19

Books Read for the Year: 19/250

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

Jo’s Boys, by Louis May Alcott (classic re-read). I really loved this!

Swing, by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess (TBR). Despite being told entirely in verse, I really enjoyed this—until the ending, which seemed completely unrelated to the rest of the book.

Eveybody Always, by Bobb Goff (spiritual). I LOVE the voice in this!

Made Like Martha, by Katie M. Reid (spiritual). Excellent read!

It’s Not Supposed to Be this Way, by Lisa TerKeurst (spiritual). This would wonderful for someone going through a tough time.

Dressed to Kill, by Rick Renner (spiritual). There were a few too many exclamation points and redundancy for me.

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

For Review:

Girlhood: Teens around the World in Their Own Voices, by Masuma Ahuja (review forthcoming). This was a fascinating read! Stories of girls all over the world, complete with pictures and journal entries.

Dearest Josephine, by Caroline George (review forthcoming). Enjoyable novel, although I thought the main question of the story was left unanswered.

How to Build a Heart, by Maria Padian (review forthcoming). This was a solid, heartwarming read, without all the drama found in a lot of YA novels.

The Iron Raven, by Julie Kagawa (review forthcoming). This is the first time I’ve read anything in this world in years, but I loved the start of Puck’s adventures. He’s so much fun! A little dark here, though.

Killer Content, by Olivia Blacke (review forthcoming). This just didn’t work for me. The MC was almost a farce, and she was super judgey of everyone around her, mentally condescending while being superficially nice—then being surprised when her judgments were wrong.

The Vineyard at Painted Moon, by Susan Mallery (review forthcoming). Mallery is an excellent writer, so that wasn’t a problem, but the characters here—for the most part—were just awful people. Awful. Vindictive, mean, cruel, petty, lying…the list goes on. Which means I had to struggle not to stop reading. The MC and her two friends were fine, but the rest of the characters were just so horrible it turned my stomach.

Just Because:

As Death Draws Near, A Brush with Shadows, An Artless Demise, and A Stroke of Malice, by Anna Lee Huber. I LOVE this series! I read the first one some time ago, and I just binged the rest of the series (new book out soon).

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. It’s been so long since I first read the first part of this series. I really enjoyed this re-read.

Devotions Inspired by The Principle of First Mention. This was my church’s yearly 21-day devotional read.

Left Unfinished:

And Then She Vanished, by Nick Jones. The whole time-travel premise sounded great, so I gave this a shot. I read 20% of it, and it was very sloooow…and I did not care for the MC.

The Obsession, by Jesse Q Sutanto. I didn’t get very far in this. Solid writing, but the creepiness-factor was too much for me.

The Best Books I Read in December (2020)

In December, I read 36 books (I know, right?!), bringing my total for the year to 332 books! Part of that was because I worked from home for part of the year, part because this is the first time in years I haven’t been in school. There were actually several books that were really good, but these were my top three:

When Crickets Cry, by Charles Martin. Apparently I’d read this before, but I didn’t remember it. This was such a good book! I loved everything about it.

Little Men, by Louisa May Alcott. I have no idea how many times I’ve read this, but it’s still one of my favorites. Jo was my favorite character in Little Women, so reading more about her is so much fun.

Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers. I had already read this as well, but I wanted to re-read it. This is such a powerful retelling of a biblical tale. Francine Rivers is a wonderful writer.

What I Read in 2020

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.

Sundays are for Writing #98

It’s been a good writing week! I wrote four book reviews, plus two other blog posts (November reading and the best books I read in November). I also got in four fiction writing sessions. I’m still figuring out my characters in the new story, but I’m having fun with it.

Happy writing!

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!

What I Read in November (2020)

Books Read in November: 24

Books Read for the Year: 294/200

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott (classic re-read). I love this book so much!

Pretty in Punxsutawney, by Laurie Boyle Crompton (TBR). Light and fluffy read.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Tough, by Neta Jackson (TBR). I’m enjoying this series.

As Sure as the Dawn, by Francine Rivers (TBR). I loved this whole trilogy!

For Review:

Tsarina, by Ellen Alpsten. This was a solid historical read, though the characters were horrible to each other, and the culture was bit much for me.

The Forgotten Sister, by Nicola Cornick. This is two stories in two different timelines, and I enjoyed the one in the past much more than the present-day one, although the present-day characters showed a lot more growth.

Glimmer as You can, by Danielle Martin. I really wasn’t a fan of this. It felt rather disjointed and the characters were distant.

Claiming the Rancher’s Heir, by Maisey Yates. Eh. I didn’t really care for this. Another case of feeling distant from the characters, and they didn’t show much growth at all.

Once Upon a Mail Order Bride, by Linda Broday. This was a solid romance read, set in a town settled by outlaws. It’s the last in the series of linked standalones, and I’d probably go back and read them all.

Defending the Galaxy, by Maria V. Snyder. Loved this! I’m a huge Maria V. Snyder fan, and I’ve enjoyed this sci-fi trilogy so much!

Murder is a Must, by Marty Wingate (review forthcoming). I hadn’t read the first book in this series, but this was a solid cozy mystery.

The Butterfly Effect, by Rachel Mans McKenny (review forthcoming). If you can get past how unlikable the main character is through the first 75% of the novel, this was a good read. But…the cover makes it look like a light, funny read, and it definitely is not.

The Mermaid from Jeju, by Sumi Hahn (review forthcoming). This cover is gorgeous! I really enjoyed reading this book, based on something that really happened, but it was not an easy read.

Awaken My Heart, by Emily Wilson Hussem. Wonderful devotional!

A Princess by Christmas (review forthcoming), by Julia London. I’ve enjoyed this series, but why are all the women so deliberately unconventional…and yet still marrying royalty/high society? That’s not terribly believable.

Happily This Christmas, by Susan Mallery (review forthcoming). This was a good read. Loved the banter and sarcasm.

The Last Christmas Cowboy, by Maisey Yates (review forthcoming). I enjoyed this more than the previous book in the series.

Truth, Lies, and Second Dates, by MaryJanice Davidson (review forthcoming). Sigh. I know this is supposed to be poking fun at tropes, but…I still didn’t care for it. Or the MC.

The Last to See Her, by Courtney Evan Tate (review forthcoming). I am ambivalent about this one. Solid writing, but not really a fan of the characters.

Just Because:

Glorious Appearing, by Tim LeHaye. Finally finished my re-read of this series.

Treasure & Treason and Ruins & Revenge, by Lisa Shearin. I love the Raine Benares series, so when I recently realized these two books existed, I was all over them. Excellent choices!

Little Shop of Found Things and The Chocolate House, by Paula Brackston. I had to go back and read these, after I read the third one. I’m still not 100% sure if I’d read them before, but I loved them!

Left Unfinished:

Before the Coffee Gets Cold, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. I tried. I read 20%, but I just could not get into this. It felt super slow and the MC was…both over-dramatic and boring.

Strange Fire, by John MacArthur. This was my spiritual book for the month, until I realized MacArthur believes some things that aren’t biblical (not the main subject of the book, but very important). That makes this a big NO for me.

Best Books I Read in October (2020)

In October, I read 26 books, bringing my total for the year to 270 books. Some of these were okay. Some were excellent. A couple more I stopped reading.

The books I liked the most were all fantasy this month:

The Kingdom of Sea and Stone, by Mara Rutherford. I loved the first book in this series as well, but the setting and characters are just so vibrant and fascinating I just fall into the story world.

The Emperor’s Wolves, by Michelle Sagara. The Chronicles of Elantra is one of my absolute favorite series, so the opportunity to read the first book in this new spin-off series was a no-brainer. And I was not disappointed at all! Yes, it was missing some of Kaylin’s snark—which was as it should be, as she’s not really in this. Loved this read.

Goblin King, by Kara Barbieri. This is the second book in the Permafrost series, and if you haven’t read the first one, please do that. I love the mythology in this series and find the whole concept and characters unique and riveting.

What I Read in October (2020)

Books Read in October: 26

Books Read for the Year: 270/200

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen (classic re-read). This made me laugh. Her overactive imagination…

An Echo in the Darkness (TBR). Loved this!

Parables, by John MacArthur (spiritual). This was a very heavy/deep/detailed read.

A Theory of Happily Ever After (TBR). A fast, fun read.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Real (TBR). I’m enjoying this series so much!

For Review:

Kingdom of Sea and Stone, by Mara Rutherford. I really enjoyed this sequel to Crown of Coral and Pearl. The cultures and characters are intriguing and I just enjoyed everything about it.

Confessions on the 7:45, by Lisa Unger. Excellent writing, but these characters were the pits. I did not like them, so it greatly detracted from the book itself.

A Golden Fury, by Samantha Cohoe. The first half of this was great: alchemy and a bit of romance. The second half didn’t quite live up to that precedent.

A Highlander is Coming to Town, by Laura Trentham. Ah, yes, another men-in-kilts adventure. This series is sweet and fun and this was a great addition to the series.

The Christmas Table, by Donn VanLiere. This was a sweet tale, in dual timelines. Family. Growth. Cooking! It definitely made me hungry.

Five Total Strangers, by Natalie D. Richards. I have a hard time with characters who do stupid things, so when the MC jumps in a car with four complete strangers—in the middle of a blizzard, no less—that was almost it for me.

The Emperor’s Wolves, by Michelle Sagara. I loved this spin-off to the Chronicles of Elantra series! We get to know Severn in this, and I enjoyed that so much.

Above All Else, by Dana Alison Levy. I have no desire to summit Mount Everest, but I really enjoyed this YA tale. Fantastic setting descriptions, too!

Quiet No More, by Nikki Barthelmess. I liked this follow-up and this one was also about a tough topic.

The Midnight Bargain, by C.L. Polk. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of women who want to be allowed to study magic in a patriarchal, controlling society.

One of Our Own, by Jane Haddam (review forthcoming). Reading the last book in a 30-book series without reading any of the others probably wasn’t the best idea, but I still thought this was a solid read.

Among the Beasts & Briars, by Ashley Poston. This definitely felt like a fairy tale, and I thought it was excellent, if a tiny bit predictable. The creatures in the woods were unique and not the least bit predictable, however, so I definitely recommend this read.

Delayed Justice, by Shirley McCoy. I enjoyed this entry into this series of linked standalones.

A California Christmas, by Brenda Novak. I didn’t really like the two main characters: they were both childish and there was no character growth here.

Goblin King, by Kara Barbieri (review forthcoming). This was an excellent read, the second in the Permafrost series.

The Garden of Promises and Lies, by Paula Brackston (review forthcoming). I thoroughly enjoyed this, and am now going back to read the first two books in the series (or re-read, because I think I’ve read the first one.).

Miss Benson’s Beetle, by Rachel Joyce (review forthcoming). This was a surprising book to me. Adventure, character growth, surprises…it had a lot of high notes, and the friendship between the characters was wonderful to watch.

Just Because:

The Remnant, by Tim LaHaye.

Armageddon, by Tim LaHaye.

Twelve Extraordinary Women, by John MacArthur. I don’t think this was a book MacArthur needed to be the author of. He’s a bit condescending towards women at times.

Unbound, by Byna Whitlock (review forthcoming). I read this because she was speaking to my class at church, but I enjoyed the read and will be reviewing it this month.

Left Unfinished:

Invisible Girl, by Lisa Jewell. I just couldn’t get into this. The characters were not my cup of tea.

Never Turn Back, by Christopher Swann. Again, just couldn’t care about the characters.

What I Read in September (2020)

Books Read in September: 28

Books Read for the Year: 244/200

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen (classic). Loved it. Again.

Real Love in an Angry World, by Rick Bezet (spiritual). I think I need to read this again every week, considering the state of the world.

No Place Like Here, by Christina June (TBR). I’ve enjoyed Christina June’s books, and I love how they’re linked.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down, by Neta Jackson (TBR).

A Voice in the Wind, by Francine Rivers (TBR). This was a re-read, but I don’t remember it, so it was like the first time reading it again. Wonderful book!

For Review:

The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux, by Samantha Verant. I thoroughly enjoyed this book…and the food descriptions were to-die-for.

All Stirred Up, by Brianne Moore. Another food-related read! I liked this, but many of the characters were obsessed with appearances/social media, and her family basically sucked, but it was still a pleasant read.

Little Bookshop of Murder, by Maggie Blackburn. I enjoy a good cozy mystery and the beach town/book store setting should have been a winner, but I found the main character annoying and whiny, and the secondary characters were enough alike to be confusing.

The Orphan of Cemetery Hill, by Hester Fox. This is another solid read by Fox. A bit creepy and atmospheric and it ended up being an engrossing read.

Chance of a Lifetime, by Jude Deveraux. This was just “meh” to me.

In Case You Missed It, by Lindsey Kelk. I loved the friend group and the mom’s wardrobe malfunctions, but the MC just kept doing stupid stuff and being whiny and annoying.

Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman. I have LOVED everything I’ve read of Backman’s, and this was no exception. As always, his prose is the shining star that had me in stitches.

Broken, by John Rector. This just didn’t work for me. I’m not much for predictable “thrillers” or unlikable characters.

Smash It, by Francina Simone. This is billed as a re-telling of Othello, but…just because the MC is in the school musical of Othello doesn’t make it a re-telling. At all. And the MC was one of the most selfish and self-absorbed characters I’ve ever read, so no.

Don’t Look for Me, by Wendy Walker. This was an interesting thriller. I wasn’t too attached to any of the characters, but it was different enough from the norm that I didn’t get bored.

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London, by Garth Nix. This was a quirky, fun, intriguing read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Silvered Serpents, by Roshani Chokshi. This was a great read. I probably should have read the first book first, but it was still very enjoyable.

Knight in Paper Armor, by Nicholas Conley. This near-future dystopian was a bit depressing—but believable—and I enjoyed the read.

Misleading a Duke, by A.S. Fenichel. I enjoyed this second book in a series about a group of friends who aren’t the typical socialites in their society. This one has spies, being held captive/hostage, and of course, romance.

A Heartfelt Christmas Promise by Nancy Naigle. This book, thankfully, did not have the typical city-girl-come-to-the-country feel, as the MC wasn’t condescending and better than everyone. Instead, she listened to what people were telling her and tried to do the best thing for the town. I liked this sweet, small-town read.

The Code for Love and Heartbreak, by Jillian Canor (review forthcoming). This was an amusing re-telling of Emma, and man, is Emma bad with people. It made me laugh, but also feel sorry for her. I thought this was a great retelling!

Just Because: (Yes, I’m aware of the theme going on here. It is what it is.)

Apollyon by Tim LeHaye.

Assassins, by Tim LeHaye.

Revelation 1-222 Commentary, by John McArthur.

The Indwelling, by Tim LeHaye.

Desecration, by Tim LeHaye.

Revelation: The Christian’s Ultimate Victory, by John MacArthur.

Left Unfinished:

Daughters of the Wild, by Natalka Burian. I made it about 10%, but this just wasn’t for me.

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