2. Book review!
I’m on a good spiral of book reading right now! Sometimes I feel like if I pick the wrong book it can send me off of my book reading quest. Some of my favorite books I’ve read so far are hands down All The Things They Cannot See in part 1 of my book reading series, The Book Thief in part 2, The Nightingale in part 3, and The Winter Chronicles in part 4.
Onward with more good reads! Here are the books I’m reading lately:
1. Confess by Colleen Hoover
“Five years, and I’m wondering if, like the confession in front of me, I’ll forever be comparing my life with him to my life without him. And I wonder if I’ll ever not be disappointed.”
Synopsis: I’m sure the intention of this book was not to make me want to leave my husband for a fictional artist in Texas, but…Auburn is our girl, she’s in love…things happen, love is hard. She meets Owen by chance (or fate) and they both have a few secrets they are not forthcoming with. So much angst. I loved this love story. I was sobbing within the first three pages.
My Rating: 4 Stars!
2. Tell The Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
“I looked at that ridiculous fluffy cheerful meringue and couldn’t believe that only a few minutes ago I was a girl who would have wanted something like that.”
Synopsis: June and her sister Greta lose their Uncle Finn to Aids. Being especially close to him, June clings to every piece of him she can get her hands on while her relationship with her sister suffers. When Uncle Finn’s boyfriend Tobias surfaces things get interesting.
My Rating: 3 Stars! Such a unique story with lots of deep issues beneath the surface. I found that I was more intrigued with June’s sister Greta and kept wanting to go back to her! The friendship June had with Finn and then Tobias took me some time to warm up to.
3. Salt To The Sea by Ruta Sepetys
“I spent fifty-five years with the love of my life. I lost her last July.” He gestured to the boy. “Just when you think this war has taken everything you loved, you meet someone and realize that somehow you still have more to give.”
Synopsis: Historical fiction is my lifeblood. I never knew anything about the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustoff or that nearly 25,000 people lost their lives on the Baltic Sea as they fled Russians and Germans at the end of WWII. The characters in this story help tell the tale, I loved them all so much and the reality of it all just breaks my heart. Beautifully told!
My Rating: 5 Stars!
4. Throne Of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
“You could rattle the stars,” she whispered. “You can do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.”
Synopsis: This series has been SO highly recommended, but every time I read the blurb I wasn’t impressed. Not to mention the cover screams “angsty teen novel” to me. So of course I read it anyway and I was pleasantly surprised. Young girl is raised to be an assassin and is captured and sent to work in a death camp. After a year at the camp she is brought to a kingdom to compete to become the King’s Champion. If she wins the competition and does his bidding for 4 years, she is granted her freedom back. I like her! There are some magical elements in the book that my brain doesn’t like to accept (hence the 4 stars instead of 5) but I will definitely be reading the next in this series! I recommend!
My Rating: 4 Stars!
5. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
“You only get one life. It’s actually your duty to live it as fully as possible.”
Synopsis: It’s a tearjerker! Active guy has everything going for him and winds up paralyzed. Moves back home with mom, loses girlfriend, hates life. Mom hires quirky girl with no experience to be his caretaker, but we’re all surprised to find the mom has an ulterior motive and then we all cry at the end. Read it!
My Rating: 4 Stars!
Morgan says
I’m reading the Winter Chronicles right now. I’m only about halfway through Scarlet. I do have the other books ready to go when I’m done with those.
I’ve been eyeing “Tell the Wolves I’m Home’ for a while. I’ll have to add that to my list after I finish the other books. :)
Mama Kat says
Tell The Wolves I’m Home wasn’t my favorite, but after reading the Winter Chronicles I was ready for something different! It’s a good change of pace, but not necessarily a page turner for me.
Lydia says
So I apparently don’t read any more :( Great list for when I get back to it!
Mama Kat says
I went through about a 10 year reading slump. It’s hard to find the time, but I ended up deleting all the games on my phone and found a book I couldn’t put down to kickstart me back into reading. It’s about time!
May says
Me Before You keeps catching my eye. Better add it to my list.
If you would like to have your skin crawl, I recommend Pretty Girls. Twists and turns and lots of disturbed folks!
Mama Kat says
That’s why I picked it up too! I was seeing it everywhere and then someone was swooning over it on Facebook. I had to see what the big deal was, but I’ll admit the blurb didn’t pull me in right away. I’m glad I read it!
stef says
I have read most of the books that you mentioned at the top and two of the pictured books. I have added the others to my read list. Can’t wait.
Mama Kat says
One of my favorite things to do is walk past book shelves at the store and point out all of the books I’ve already tackled. lol It’s such a feeling of accomplishment. It sounds like we’ve got similar book interests!!
madamdreamweaver says
The thing I’d most like to know about “recommended reads” is whether the books are “clearelatively free of foul 4 letter language & sexual content.
Mama Kat says
Good question! And I don’t remember. lol Of those books I listed though, I don’t think I’d necessarily recommend the content for my 12 year old tween.
Karen and Gerard says
Glad you see you liked Confess, Salt to the Sea and Throne of Glass (you should read Ambassador’s Blade too which gives a lot of background about Celeana in five novellas and made me even like her more!). I am currently reading Between Shades of Gray also by Ruta Sepetys that I’m actually even enjoying more than Salt to the Sea. For a great contemporary fiction book, WHAT WAS MINE is fantastic. Check out our review of it for more detail.
Mama Kat says
Thanks for the great recommendations! I always look forward to your reviews. :) Will add them to my list!
Paula Kiger says
I am LOVING (capital “L”) Me Before You!!!!!! Unexpectedly so!
Mama Kat says
Isn’t it good!? Can’t wait to dive into the sequel!
Mimi says
I absolutely adore historical fiction. There’s a part of me that always wanted to go back to that time…mostly the late 1800s. Salt to the Sea sounds like a book I would love, but would be so tough to read. I never heard of the event either. I just noticed someone else is reading Me Before You on Facebook. I think I’d really enjoy this book! Not really sure of the other ones. lol And I’m with you, if I hit a book that’s not pulling me in, I get derailed with reading. And I love reading!
Mama Kat says
Oh my gosh me too! Historical Fiction is my favorite! I think you would love Salt to the Sea. It’s heavy, but so well told and it really does send you on a learning journey. Definitely recommend. :)
May says
I just finished a book and added it to Goodreads. You know how they have added the recommend to a friend popup after you rate the book now? That said I should tell you about the book, because “Kat likes crime”. Made me worry about you just the slightest bit. Trying hard not to believe everything I hear, but…