Jana Says

This is the end

Beautiful friend

This is the end.

After nearly eight years, Steph and I have decide it’s time to retire from Show Us Your Books. It’s not something we took lightly; in fact, we had several discussions about it because we didn’t want to feel like we were letting anyone down. But, in the end, we felt it was best for us to stop hosting the linkup every month.

That doesn’t mean it’s fully over. You can still find both of us sharing our books on Instagram (me: @saysjana, Steph: @lifeaccordingtosteph), and we’ll be using #showusyourbooks to connect and find you all, our beloved reader crew. I know Steph still plans to recap her reads each month. As for me, I don’t know what I plan to do with the blog anymore. I might still write occasionally. Or not. We’ll see.

Either way, I’m grateful for all the time we spent together sharing about books. Books are a special thing, the way they can bring people together and always provide good conversation fodder. I’ve connected with so many people I wouldn’t have otherwise, and have a TBR that’s genuinely out of control thanks to this linkup. It’s become more than a blog thing; it’s a true community. I appreciate that more than I can say. Thanks for loving books, dogs, cats, and all the ups and downs that have been my life, with this being a steady constant through it all.

And thanks, of course, to Steph, my organized co-host and friend of more years than both of us can count. I’m glad we did this. And I think we’re due for an in-person check in.

So now, for the final formal time, here’s what I read last month.

Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman. What I love about Waxman’s books is that she’s essentially created a universe of quirky characters that all weave in and out of her books. You never know who you’re going to run into. I also love that they’re easy, predictable, and just fun to read. This one is no different.

All the Wicked Girls by Chris Whitaker. This was book #3 of his for me this year (we only have one more to go), and while not my favorite, it was still suspenseful and engaging and he is a very good storyteller. Not sorry I bought it, but I’ll likely give it away. Let me know if you’re interested.

At the End of Everything by Marikeke Nijkamp. 100% a COVID book, and not even a thinly-veiled COVID book. Straight up in your face. However, it had quite a different spin on it. I didn’t not like it, but I didn’t love it either. It felt like it tried to tackle too much and in the hands of a better writer, I feel like it would have been a home run. I just don’t think I love her writing, which is upsetting because you can tell she tries really hard and I want to.

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson. Great mass market-type thriller. I definitely get the appeal of it and I enjoyed it very much, and I’m not glad I waited so long to read it but it is what it is. Twisty and moderately gruesome. Definitely 1000 times better than whatever mess of a book of his I read last. I’m not ready to quit on him yet.

O Beautiful by Jung Yun. This was one of those books I really, really liked when I was reading it and now, a month later, only have vague memories of it. I know that I would recommend it, and I know that it got a bit muddled in the middle, but that’s all I’ve got for now.

Activities of Daily Living by Lisa Hsiao Chen. DNF. I wanted so much to like this book and I just couldn’t. Done and done and I’m onto the next one.

Currently reading: The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh.

(also, for those counting, that’s three song references in this one post. I’m kind of proud of me)

OK. Here goes for the last formal time: Now it’s your turn! Link up and show us your books! Don’t forget to visit my co-host Steph and some other bloggers. Nonbloggers, let me know in the comments what you’ve been reading. Don’t worry about marking down the date for the next one, but definitely don’t forget to keep sharing.

And also don’t forget to grab a book, grab a book, grab a book, grab a book today. Take a look, in the book, take a look in the book I say.
Read a book, read a book, read a book, read a book okay.
And you’ll find that your time will simply slip away.*

*that’s four.

So, here we are again. Show Us Your Books time. I don’t understand how time passes so quickly in between these things when it feels like everything has come to a grinding halt but also the days are bleeding into each other, but yup. It’s that time again.

Not participating in the Goodreads challenge has been incredibly liberating but I do feel like I’m forgetting something. I mean, I guess I am. It’s fine, though. It’s nice to have no pressure to reach an arbitrary goal. I do feel like I’m reading at a snail’s pace but I also know that life is happening and when it slows down in a few weeks, I’ll wind up reading more. I don’t even know if that makes sense. I think it does.

That said, and to bring this all together, I finished 5 books last month and had a big ol’ DNF as well (which, thank god, because I almost bought it). Let’s discuss.

Oh, and no cute animal picture this month because I forgot to take them with books.

Tall Oaks by Chris Whitaker. Since I adored We Begin at the End, I’m currently reading through the entire Chris Whitaker catalog (it’s small. Four books, maybe) and started with this one which was great in its own right. It’s dark, a little messy, kind of unsettling, I think it’s supposed to be marginally funny, and the end slaps you in the face.

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry. What. A. Tedious. Book. Creative AF, and I loved all the 1980s references along with the Salem witch trial stuff, but good lord, did this book go on forever (say it like Squints, please). And there were some plot points that felt…unnecessary, although they weren’t quite plot points but epilogue points and if you’ve read it, you know what I mean. If you read this, just brace yourself.

The Girls in the Stilt House by Kelly Mustian. Not my favorite book of the month, not my least favorite. It reminded me of The Roanoke Girls, even though they’re not the same in any way so I don’t know why that is. Regardless, it’s historical fiction and it takes place in the South in the 20s, so there are some hard things to read (as you can imagine). The writing is good, and so is the plot, but like most things I read, it’s not for everyone.

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller. OK, so if there was ever a book angling to be made into a TV show or miniseries, this is it. Also, every character is a fucking asshole, some worse than others, and it should come with trigger warnings for lots of things, including rape. However, it was actually a good read despite all of that. I like the way she used the timelines to tell the story, which is different than most books I’ve ever read, and her writing is definitely solid. If you don’t feel like reading it, just wait for the show because I’ll bet money there will be one.

Some Go Home by Odie Lindsay. This is a case of loved the story, hated the writing. Well, not hate. That’s a strong word. But I didn’t love the writing at all, and it kind of ruined the rest of it for me. It jumps around a lot, which was annoying, and I wanted more of certain plotlines and less of others, but the overall story was good. Read with caution.

The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All by Josh Ritter. Quit after 50 pages. This book was stupid. I wanted to like it, too, and maybe you will. But I used the DNF with gusto.

Currently reading The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (after waiting around 8 months for it to come in from the library) and Very Cold People by Sarah Manguso, as well as listening on my lunch break to Essentialism by Greg McKeown (although that might or might not be currently replaced with Pam & Tommy on Hulu). I also leave for vacation on Saturday and am trying to finish all three of these before then. Best wishes to me.

OK, now it’s your turn! Link up and show us your books! Nonbloggers, leave a comment with what you’ve been reading recently, and don’t forget to visit my co-host Steph and some of our friends joining us to help round out (or overfill) your TBR. And mark May 10 for the next one, although I likely won’t be participating since my daughter is competing in Florida that week (sort of). I might, though. Depends on if my iPad cooperates.

This is going to be short and sweet because my daughter and I are two episodes away from finishing Pieces of Her (book related!) and she almost never wants to watch TV so we are seizing on this.

Obviously there’s a lot going on in the world, and I might come back in a few days to document my thoughts on that, but in the meantime, I’m focusing on books because they’re a nice respite. I am struggling with nonfiction, though, even the one I’m currently reading which I have been so excited for. I genuinely just want to escape.

And if you don’t believe me, I read a romance book this month. Colleen Hoover. Might even read another one. I don’t know. Everything has gone crazy.

I guess that’s a nice way to jump into the reviews.

Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover. Found this through last month’s linkup, and it was a great way to pass a day. Super fast, very predictable story. If this is what all of her books are like, I get the appeal. I just don’t know that I can read too many of them.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. Another one this linkup reminded me to read (the other, The Kind Worth Killing, was put on hold which I promptly forgot I did and then wound up buying). Another fast read, mostly because of the way it’s written (in verse), and it’s an excellent, outstanding book. Read it.

Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews. What a fucked up little book this was. So twisty and turny, and the ending was actually a complete surprise. I wouldn’t necessarily classify it as a thriller or mystery. It’s definitely its own thing, and I definitely recommend it.

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano. This book is bonkers. I guess I’d classify it as a cozy mystery but it’s so out of the realm of reality, it’s basically just insane. It’s a fun read even if Finlay gets to be a bit tedious. It’s fine. I will read the third one because there’s no way there isn’t going to be a third one.

Upgrade by Blake Crouch. A NetGalley book I read on time! Hooray for me! There is a reason Blake Crouch is one of the few science fiction writers I will read, and this book is exactly why. It’s such a great story, albeit a little science-heavy for me at times. It comes out in July if you’re inclined to read it.

These Toxic Things by Rachel Howzell Hall. I’d sort of classify this along the same lines as Maud Dixon, but probably a little more thriller/mystery-ish. So well written, even if I did figure out a lot, but there was one twist I did not see coming at all and I can’t say much because it affects the end which, if I’m being honest, I did not particularly like. The rest of the book was great, though.

Highway Blue by Ailsa McFarlane. Meh. It’s definitely a character-driven book; there’s not much of a plot at all. She’s an excellent writer but the book went almost nowhere and it was kind of tedious. Thankfully it was short. Not my favorite of the month at all.

Currently reading: The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman. Fun fact: we have the same birthday.

So that’s it for me. Now it’s your turn. Link up and show us your books! And don’t forget to visit my co-host Steph (say happy birthday month while you’re there, too) and some other bloggers. Mark your calendars for April 12 for the next one and there’s something else logistic I’m forgetting but I’m sure Steph knows.

Well, hello again. Feels like approximately 3 days since we last met but clearly, it’s been weeks. Time is not actually a thing.

It’s been quite an eventful month, with cheer season in full swing (and Disney on the horizon), work an absolute madhouse, and the fact that I now have another cat. The short story is that he appeared at my house in late October so of course I started feeding him. In early January, he was brought inside and became Basement Cat. Then I finally (after two weeks) was able to get him to the vet, moved him upstairs, and now he’s named Pete The Cat Davidson Alonso. He’s had a hell of a life and while I can’t heal his FIV, he will spend the rest of his life – however long that may be – indoors, taken care of, and stress-free (mostly).

With all of that, I managed to read 4 books and DNF one (The Sentence by Louise Erdrich. I had not a single fuck to give about anything that was happening). Two took forever, despite the fact that they were good. Sometimes I just read slower than other times. That’s OK. It’s not a race or a contest.

Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace. A little dystopian sci-fi, not my normal type of book. I really, really liked it, though. It read kind of like if The Hunger Games and Ready Player One (just the first one. Not the shit show that was the sequel) had a book baby and it took place in a world where Facebook and Amazon own the world and are at war, but Elon Musk is the evil mastermind behind it all. Sounds like a hot mess but it works.

The Secret History of Home Economics by Danielle Dreilinger. OK, so this book sounds super boring but I assure you it’s not (assuming you enjoy nonfiction). It was actually quite fascinating and had me thinking about a lot. Learning a lot, too. Like that Melvin Dewey was kind of a misogynistic pig and that the modern L-shaped kitchen design was created by a woman who wanted to take FEWER steps. However, the writing is weird and kind of uneven; at times it’s true nonfiction and then at other times, she tries to have personality and make it lighter. If you can work through that, you might enjoy it.

Punching Bag by Rex Ogle. This book is highly triggering for child abuse and domestic violence, so be warned if you read it. It’s actually his memoir about being a child abuse victim (similar to Free Lunch, where he talks about growing up poor), and it’s such an important book since it’s written for younger readers . Most authors write this stuff for adults, but to write it for kids sends a huge message. Adults should read it, too.

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker. Holy fuck, did I love this book. Everything about it was great, so much so that a) I got choked up at the end and I can count on one hand how many books have made me cry and b) I promptly bought every book he’s written that I couldn’t find in the library (it’s only two). Is this a perfect book? No. But will it likely be one of my favorites of the year? Yes.

Currently reading: Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews.

OK, now it’s time to show us your books! Bloggers, link up below and non-bloggers, leave a comment with what you’ve read recently. Don’t forget to visit my co-host Steph and some of the other bookworms joining us, and also don’t forget to mark March 8 for the next one (and Steph’s birthday month!).

You guys. What is even happening anymore? Betty White, Bob Saget, Omicron, new mask mandates a foot of snow already, a cat in my basement. It’s all too much. It’s like the worst version of We Didn’t Start the Fire and it’s only the 11th day of the year. At least no one’s tried to overthrow the government, so there’s that. I wish we didn’t have to start with something as ridiculous as “oh, I’m so glad there hasn’t been an attempted coup this year” but here we are.

At least it’s not killing my desire to read. In fact, not participating the Goodreads challenge has made me more inclined to read. It feels so liberating to just say no. Oh, and StoryGraph? That’s also a no from me right now. I didn’t find it user-friendly and the data is cool and all, but for a simple tracking system, I need less work. I’m lazy and I admit it.

I couldn’t actually remember what I read since the last time we met (not for the yearly favorites) but Goodreads and my Notes app let me know I’ve read a good number of 4-star books (yay!) which is nice. So let’s recap.

Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood by Danny Trejo and Donal Logue. Holy hell is Danny Trejo absolutely fascinating. HE WAS IN PRISON WITH CHARLES MANSON FFS. I loved reading about how he got sober and got famous and his own kids’ struggles with addiction and how he tried to help them and just his whole life. It’s a great memoir, but the name dropping got a bit much at times.

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead. Can this guy fucking write. OMG. Even though this wasn’t my favorite of his, I genuinely love Ray and I’m so excited there’s going to be another book about him. It’s all the things you expect and love in a Whitehead book, but just a little lighter around the edges.

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult. Big ups to NetGalley for the ARC for this, even if I read it a month after the pub date. It’s a Covid book, so reader beware, but it’s not a preachy Covid book. Like, you know it’s there but it’s not the main point of the story. But the story can’t happen without it. If you read it, you’ll know what I mean. Anyway, it’s a great book. SO MUCH BETTER than her last book which was crap on a stick.

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain. LOVED this book. I can’t remember what I interpreted it to be about when I requested it (thanks for the book, NetGalley), but it turned out to be nothing I expected. It was so very good and interesting and even though it went back and forth between past and present, it didn’t feel gimmicky the way some books do. And a character has the same name as one of my friends so OF COURSE I sent text updates about that character. This is what you get if we’re friends.

Currency, various authors. This one of those free Amazon short story/novella collections, written by lots of well-known authors. This particular collection has stories by Emma Cline, Cristina Henriquez, Tom Perotta, Kiley Reid, and some others, and they focus on things like race, wealth, class…fun stuff like that. It was a decent group of stories. Some I loved, most I just liked. But if you’re aiming to get your book count up in a quick way, this is a solid way to do it.

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard. Probably my favorite book of the month. Another Covid book, but there’s crime. It’s quite a creative take on what could happen and the surrounding story is really different and well done. I don’t know what else to say without giving too much away. But you can read the summary.

You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen McManus. I read this YA thriller in a day. Literally an afternoon. I think this is going to be her next series (following the whole One of Us is Lying pattern), but it’s good. She knows how to tell a mystery. However, if you are not a fan of YA, you might not like this one and should pick up other books instead. If you are, you’ll probably enjoy it.

Currently reading The Sentence by Louise Eridich. Hopefully I will finish it before it needs to be returned.

So that’s it for me. Now it’s your turn to link up and show us your books! Don’t forget to visit my co-host Steph and some other bloggers and mark your calendars for February 8 for our next one.