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Show Us Your Books, July 2019

July 9, 2019 by Jana 36 Comments

This post is coming to you live from my couch while I watch the Home Run Derby. Any and all mistakes, including possibly leaving out some books I’ve read, are attributed to that.

Since we last met, I’m not really even sure where my days have gone or what I’ve done. I have read books. I do know that. So let’s discuss those instead of me trying to come up with something to say when words are hard.

Show Us Your Books. Join the Link-Up! Talk books the 2nd Tuesday of Every Month — One of these days I will remember to take pictures for these posts

The Invited by Jennifer McMahon. I had requested this as an ARC and was denied but I read it anyway. SO TAKE THAT, NETGALLEY. Anyway, I liked it. It was a weird little ghost story with some twists and turns and I’m looking forward to reading more of her books. It did feel at times like it was written to be adapted into a movie but not so much that it was distracting. This did wind up being my favorite book of the month, so take from that what you want.

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms. This book was all over SUYB last month and somehow, and I don’t know how or why, it was already on my Kindle. Was it a Kindle First option at some point? Because that could explain it. Regardless, this book passed the time just fine. It was better than looking at my phone, not better than watching Sons of Anarchy reruns. It got annoying at times, especially the word “momspringa” WHICH I OFFICIALLY HATE and never want to see again, but overall a cute little story if you’re looking for a vacation read.

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center. ARC from NetGalley that I actually read before its pub date which is amazing and unusual for me. I felt about this one the same way I did about Amy Byler. Like, exactly the same. This is my second Center book and I feel like she’s a good go-to for me when I need something fluffy (even if it tries to be serious). I did like the callback to How to Walk Away in the beginning. That was fun.

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter. I rated this 3 stars but I don’t know why considering I liked this book a whole damn lot and am very excited for the TV or movie adaptation (I can’t remember which and am too lazy and distracted to look it up). I have never read a book by Karin Slaughter that I don’t like. She, along with Paul Cleave and Chevy Stevens, are my favorite thriller writers right now. They have yet to let me down. As far as this book, I don’t think it was a graphic and gross as some of her others but still a solid thriller.

Sugar Run by Mesha Maren. To put into perspective how I felt about this book, I forgot I read it. I can’t even remember what it was about or what happened or why I even read it. Okay, now that I’ve reread the Goodreads summary, now I remember why I didn’t love it. It felt…unfinished. Incomplete. Boring at times, and the story would have been just fine if the main character was not LGBTQ. It was not at all relevant to the story, and it felt like a gimmick that she was written that way. Representation does matter but not in this kind of crappy book.

Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner. Apparently this is one of THE books of the summer because the author is a big deal, and the self-owns in the book were AWESOME and she wrote unlikable people on purpose, this book was a slog to get through. I kept reading mostly to find out if I was right (I was half-right). I’m not suggesting not to read it, because you might be the right audience, but either I’m not or it was the wrong time for me to read it. ARC from NetGalley.

The Minimalist Home by Joshua Becker. Big fat DNF. Minimized my books read by putting this one the fuck down because it was terrible.

Currently reading The Laughterhouse by Paul Cleave

TL; DR: None of these books would win a home run derby but they make a good showing. Use your own judgement if you want to read them. Even the one I hated.

Now it’s your turn. Link up and show us your books! Don’t forget to visit my vacationing co-host Steph and some other bloggers joining us, and save the date (August 13) for the next one.

Show Us Your Books, May 2019 edition

May 14, 2019 by Jana 35 Comments

Hey! Guess what! Another month has gone by and nary a word here except for Show Us Your Books. The more things change, the more they stay the same, I guess. But I do feel like I have a few additional things to say so look for those in the coming weeks.

I can FEEL your excitement.

Anyway, this was a weird reading month. Like, it’s been 5 weeks since our last meeting and I should have read WAY more books than I did but I just didn’t. I blame Netflix and Amazon for releasing shows I’ve been waiting for (Bosch, Sneaky Pete, the OA) and also one very boring, very tedious book that derailed my desire for books. I hate that that happens, too. One book, and a bad one at that, should not have that much influence. But it does. Sigh.

I don’t even know how many I read. 7? 9? Something like that. I’ll be surprised to find that out along with you at the end of this post. It’s like the monster at the end of this book but with less Grover and more violence.

That’s a weird thing to say.

Anyway.

Books.

Show Us Your Books. Join the Link-Up! Talk books the 2nd Tuesday of Every Month

Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah. Having loved The Great Alone, I wanted to give Kristin Hannah another shot. I found her very Jodi Picoult like, but without as much of the hard-hittingness you find in a Picoult book. I liked that she took a not-so-clean topic and centered a great, fairly well-written story around it but there was something that was missing. Hard to explain what, though. And I probably will give one more book of hers a try. Not The Nightingale. I don’t do WWII books.

Black Chalk by Christopher J. Yates. I loved Grist Mill Road so I thought I’d love this one, too. I didn’t hate it. Didn’t love it either. I liked the psychological games and stuff, but it felt a little redundant at times, and the ending felt like a cop out. I wanted…more. But still, not a bad read and not a waste of time.

Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison. This was probably my favorite book of the month. It struck a chord with me for some reason, and I liked the fact that the main character was poor but not a stereotype of being poor. That’s difficult to find in fiction. I don’t even know how to describe it in any real significant detail except it was a great read.

The Alchemist by Paolo Coehlo. My friend Eric recommended this one to me years ago and I finally got around to reading it. I liked it. Didn’t love it. Didn’t find it life changing or anything, but I totally understand why people think it is. Lots of little life lessons in there. But overall? Meh.

Scarcity by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir. I don’t know that I learned anything new from this one but if you’re interested in how and why people develop a scarcity mindset, particularly as it pertains to poverty, and what it looks like when it’s in play, and if you really, really like descriptions of experiments, then go for it. If not, pass. There’s better books out there in this field.

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. I think it was Heather who read this book last month and I was all over it because it sounded like a book I would enjoy. You know what? IT WAS. I liked this book a whole damn lot. Even if it was historical fiction (but also not really fiction because it’s based on an actual story which maybe helped a little in my enjoyment of it) and I couldn’t pronounce anyone’s name. It was just a good book. No frills, just good.

Verity by Colleen Hoover. This book needed to come with a trigger warning because there are some very graphic and horrible violent acts towards children described in it. I was not prepared for that. It was gross. I also did not think the graphic descriptions of sex were necessary. I don’t actually care that those scenes are there if they make sense. But they were gratuitous and therefore quite annoying. However, taking those things aside, it was very good psychological thriller with a fine ending.

Supermarket by Bobby Hall. Apparently this guy is a Grammy-nominated rapper named Logic. I have never heard of him and that’s fine. I am also fine with musicians writing books. There are some very fine ones. This is not in that category. This book was like a really bad Fight Club rip-off. It wasn’t even written that well. But I kept going because I needed to see where it went even though I kind of really knew. I don’t suggest you do the same.

The Library Book by Susan Orlean. NO. RUN FROM THIS TEDIOUS MONSTROSITY. This is probably the single most boring book I have ever read. It romanticizes library work, which is fine, but I can’t imagine it’s as glamorous as she paints it to be. Nothing is. Not to mention that she almost never discusses the fire or the criminal which, let’s be honest, is what I came for. Not a detailed agenda of one librarian’s daily schedule or any of the other mundane details she beats you over the head with. If you like that sort of thing, have at it. Otherwise, no. Do not read.

Currently reading Unclaimed Baggage by Jen Doll. It’s a YA book with a squirrel on the cover. So that’s fun.

TL;DR: Definitely read Lawn Boy and Burial Rites. Verity, Magic Hour, and Black Chalk are good, too. Make a personal choice on the rest.

Now it’s your turn. Link up and share your recent reads. Don’t forget to visit my co-host, Steph, and some of the other bloggers on this list. And make sure to come back on June 11th to join us again.

Show Us Your Books, April 2019 edition

April 9, 2019 by Jana 37 Comments

This is the month with all the hype books. And the ones that I’ve waited 84 years for the library to fork over <insert Titanic gif I’m way too lazy to look for> but I’m glad I waited so long. They were totally worth it.

I’ve also realized why I don’t make a damn dent in my TBR. I have this habit where, when I see a book I want to read and I don’t want to forget it or have it swallowed by my TBR, I add it to my library holds immediately. So the books that have been waiting, and the NetGalley ones, take a back seat. This is a terrible, no good habit and I don’t know how to break it.

I mean, I want to make my TBR smaller but it’s pretty much not going to happen. Now. Or ever, probably.

It’s a rock and hard place, folks. But at least it’s filled with books. So it could be worse.

Show Us Your Books. Join the Link-Up! Talk books the 2nd Tuesday of Every Month

For now, though, let’s review all the books I did read last month and revel in the fact that some DID get checked off the TBR (I apologize for no dog/book pictures this month):

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I talked about this on IG (if you’re not following me you totally should, especially if you like books, dogs, snarky things, and don’t mind the abundance of pictures of all of those. And also my child), but this book lived up to ALL the hype. It was some weird courtroom drama/love story/tale of survival which sounds like it doesn’t all work together but it did, and the writing is excellent.

Becoming by Michelle Obama. I love her, I want her back in the White House, I want her speaking to all the people all the time, and her memoir is so simply written and inspiring and an absolute testament to what the right support system can do even in a stressful environment (this goes for her childhood AND her time in the White House). Also, she’s an A+ mom.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Despite the fact that I’m the last person I know to read this book, I somehow missed that it is DARK. Very dark. Like, maybe some people might be triggered by it dark because of the discussion of abuse and trauma and suicide. And Eleanor, while not likeable, reminds me of if Don Tillman (from the Rosie Project) and Moira Rose (from Schitt’s Creek), had a baby. She’s difficult but not intentionally difficult But the story is wonderful and engaging and I was not sad I had to wait so long to read it.

Juliet’s School of Possibilities by Laura Vanderkam. I have long been an LV evangelist because I love her ideas about time management. This short little parable-type book puts all of what she’s been discussing into a very easy to digest story but I still struggle with how much her advice reeks of privilege. Maybe I’m not her intended audience anymore. I don’t know.

Lake Success by Gary Shteyngart. I don’t even know what to do with this book about two complete and utter assholes. It was good enough that I didn’t want to stop reading, and the guy clearly is not a trump fan which is okay by me, but it gets hard to read about a gigantic asshole. An asshole so big you’d leave the room if you were in it with him. I did like the scenarios he was put in, and the premise is pretty cool, but overall? Meh.

Brother by David Chariandy. If you liked THUG and Dear Martin, you will most definitely enjoy this one. It’s a little different but similar in themes and it’s also not YA. Like the others, it’s difficult to read because of the subject matter but that also means it needs to be read. It’s a short book but packs a hell of a punch.

Good Kids, Bad City: A Story of Race and Wrongful Conviction in America by Kyle Swenson. So, I know I’ve sworn off true crime but this is about three men who were convicted – wrongly – of murder (and how they served the longest sentences ever on a wrongful conviction), how the convictions were overturned, and the climate and circumstances in Cleveland that allowed it to happen. It’s a study of racism and prejudice in one city but it could literally be anywhere. It’s impactful and some damn fine reporting.

TL; DR: All the books are good, some are excellent, none are bad, but Juliet and Lake Success are by no means must-reads so maybe go ahead and skip those.

Currently reading Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah.

Now it’s your turn! Link up and show us your books! Don’t forget to visit Steph and some of the other bloggers joining us, and mark your calendars for May 14 for the next one.

Show Us Your Books, March 2019

March 12, 2019 by Jana 40 Comments

Well, look at that. Another month has gone by with nary a word from me on this here blog except to write about books. I can’t tell you guys how many times I’ve sat down to write and the words just won’t come. I have so much to say but the words are stuck. It hurts me.

Writing is my coping mechanism and trust when I say I have A LOT to cope with right now. Oh, well. I’ll figure it out at some point. But for now…onto the books!

Oh, wait. Before that. Thanks so much to everyone who joined me and Steph for our very last minute, very disorganized readathon. We had a ton of fun hosting it and might do it again. But more organized. And not quite as last minute. Still with prizes, though. So stay tuned for that.

Moving on.

I read nowhere NEAR the amount I read last month. I blame cheerleading and some very tedious books, one of which wound up being a DNF. Regardless, I still finished my average 7, including 2 NetGalley books. So I’m okay with that. And Goodreads hasn’t sent me any nastygrams yet so +1.

Show Us Your Books. Join the Link-Up! Talk books the 2nd Tuesday of Every Month

Here’s what I read:

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker. Weird book that had lots of potential but wound up falling flat in some places. The plot is quite unique, but was super repetitive and circular at some points. However, the writing was excellent, and the whole twist on mass hysteria, human survival, and the apocalypse was fascinating. ARC from NetGalley. Also could not get out of my head that Karen Walker wrote a book.

Roam by C.H. Armstrong. The premise of this book, a high school student hiding her homelessness, is outstanding. But even for YA books, which I try to read objectively because I am definitely not the target audience, it didn’t necessarily deliver. It felt like it oversimplified the issue, and presented homelessness like a fairly easily solved problem given the right luck. It did depict some of the struggles but meh. ARC from NetGalley.

The Lost Man by Jane Harper. I liked this book a whole damn lot. It’s a stand-alone book from her Aaron Falk series (The Dry, Force of Nature), but it still takes place in Australia and if you’ve read The Dry, you’ll understand the one page or so that mentions that book without actually mentioning it. I think her writing is great, I love the way she tells a story and I can’t wait for whatever she does next. However, this book does deal with domestic violence so if that triggers you, maybe don’t read it.

Calm the Fuck Down by Sarah Knight. The latest in her No Fucks Given Guides, and it’s standard Sarah Knight. Snarky, funny, self-deprecating at times, sarcastic, and some good advice sprinkled in. I can’t say I gained any new coping skills for my anxiety by reading it but it was a decent read.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas. Legit, Angie Thomas can do no wrong with her books. This one is as good as THUG. I can’t say it’s better because they deal with different topics (although very, very related), and I absolutely LOVE Bri. And what I love the most about her books is that they do an excellent job humanizing people who are marginalized and looked down upon. She destroys stereotypes in an effective and compelling manner, and I don’t care what age you are (well, maybe not like 7), you should read this. YA or not.

There There by Tommy Orange. Speaking of excellent books about marginalized populations, there was this one. This was also an outstanding fucking book. Gorgeously written, tying in historical facts with the fictitious plot that honestly has the potential to be real, unfortunately (the culminating incident is what I’m referring to here). I loved all the characters and how their lives all intersected, kind of like the movie Crash but in a book. My only issue was keeping track of all the characters but that’s on me. Not the book.

The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King. Sounds like a horror novel but the subtitle is The Life and Times of Fred Rogers, so pretty much the exact opposite. This book is an in-depth and very thorough look at Mr. Rogers, his life, his influence, and his legacy. However, when I say in-depth, I mean SO IN-DEPTH IT IS EXHAUSTING TO READ. The writer tries to do Mr. Rogers justice but his writing is repetitive and tedious and honestly, guys. Just watch the documentary. Unless you want every minute detail of Mr. Rogers’s life. Then read this.

The DNF was Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken. I know it’s getting rave reviews but it was just not for me.

TL; DR: On the Come Up, There There and The Lost Man should grace your TBR. Bowlaway should not go anywhere near it. Everything else is up to you.

Currently reading Brother by David Chariandy (I’m having trouble reconciling this with the fact that it has the same name as a book that gives me literal nightmares) and Good Kids, Bad City by Kyle Swenson.

Now it’s your turn to Show Us Your Books! Bloggers, link up. Nonbloggers, let me know in the comments what you’ve been reading. Don’t forget to visit Steph and some of the other bloggers joining us.

Next SUYB is April 9th, which for some reason is important to me for reasons other than SUYB but are escaping me right now. Weird. Anyway, we hope to see you then, too!

Show Us Your Books, January 2019

January 8, 2019 by Jana 38 Comments

Hey, book nerds! Welcome to 2019 and another year of Show Us Your Books! Steph and I are excited to spend more months with y’all, talking books and blowing up our Goodreads lists. However, I did want to let you know that this month, my book talk is short and it’ll take me a few days to read all of your posts. For those who don’t know, my dad had a stroke a couple of days after Christmas and I’ve been going back and forth between Delaware and Long Island since then.

Actually, as I write this, I don’t even know where I’ll be on SUYB day.

I apologize for not being able to be a good hostess this month but I know Steph is taking good care of you guys and I know you’re all taking care of each other.

Show Us Your Books. Join the Link-Up! Talk books the 2nd Tuesday of Every Month

For 2019, I set two reading goals: read 80 books (tracking through Goodreads) and cleaning up my NetGalley queue. I’m also on a library break (I did this once before) save for the books I had on hold prior to the start of the year, and I have at least 10 books on my shelf I plan to read.

So that’s that.

As for what I read since the last regular SUYB, all of the books were fine. Nothing knocked my socks off but nothing was a waste of time either. Except for that one Christmas book that I knew I was going to hate but read anyway because I wanted to do something different and the cover was just so pretty.

Okay, so here’s my 7 books since the last time we met:

The Punch by Noah Hawley. Um, so, weird book. Darkly funny. Started off stronger than it finished but the ending was not at all what I expected so there’s that. I like Noah Hawley. Will read more of his books. Mostly just the one I haven’t read yet.

The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman. A good portrait of grief with a tinge of breezy romance. The stuff about plants at the start of each chapter was amusing.

Always Watching by Chevy Stevens. Chevy Stevens never lets me down, even though her books are kind of formulaic but I find comfort in that formula. I know what I’m getting when I read her books.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green. An absolutely unremarkable book that I will absolutely read the follow-up to, if there is one. John > Hank.

Season of Wonder by RaeAnne Thayne. If a Hallmark Christmas movie were a book. Not for me.

Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts. Outstanding premise. Very outstanding, in fact. I understand why people love her books, even if this is the first one I’ve read. However, it reminded me of a Kevin Costner movie. So so good and then it just drags on for so. damn. long. that you get tired of it and it winds up losing some appeal. Also, the ending was incredibly lackluster given all the build up to it.

The Line that Held Us by David Joy. I waffle between loving and hating this book. Spectacularly written, mediocre plot. If the lengthy description of a decomposing body isn’t for you, maybe don’t read this one.

TL; DR: Everything was fine. Nothing was amazing. Read them, don’t read them. Your life will remain the same regardless of which way you choose.

Currently reading Alice Isn’t Dead by Joseph Fink. Yup. Another podcast-to-book book.

Next SUYB is February 12 (five weeks!).

Okay, book peeps. Let me know what you read last month! Then visit Steph and some of the others so you can start your new year off with some new reads!

Inlinkz Link Party

Show Us Your Books, July 2019

Show Us Your Books, May 2019 edition

Show Us Your Books, April 2019 edition

Show Us Your Books, March 2019

Show Us Your Books, January 2019

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