So I had this big goal of writing 10 things in the first quarter of 2020. I have not. However, I did write something for work that went viral in my weird cheer mom world, so that’s pretty cool. But you know what I have been able to do?
Read all the books. Granted, I gave myself a target of 20 knowing I should hit it (I need to sometimes not set myself up to fail) and as of this writing, I’m reading book 22. And there’s still more than half of March left. Yay for me!
If we’re friends on Goodreads, please disregard the number because it’s not fully accurate. I’ve yet to account for all the books in the Forward collection being their own and I’m still halfway through Broke. I had to table it. We’ll discuss why next month when I’ve had a chance to finish it.
But we’re here to talk about the books I did read this past month and while there were only five, they were a hell of a five. I’d rather have read five marvelous books than ten average ones so I’m okay with my lower-than-average number.
Nothing More Dangerous by Allen Eskens. Fun fact: I always spell his name wrong. Another fun fact: this is yet another home run for Allen Eskens. His books are so well done and interesting and this one, although it took place in the 70s, could have easily taken place now. It’s hard to read at times, more for the racism than the violence, but it was alternatingly sad and heartbreaking and a solid mystery.
Whatever It Takes by Paul Cleave. Probably my favorite thriller writer, I’d been putting off reading this one since I bought it last November. Why? Because it’s the last book of his I had not read and now I have to wait for more. Which makes me sad. However, this book did not make me sad at all. It started off a little slow and had me thinking it sounded a lot like one of his earlier books and then it took a HUGE turn that I was not expecting. So that was nice. It was the right combination of violence and mystery and everything I love about his books.
Long Bright River by Liz Moore. Read this book as soon as you can. Buy it, get it from the library, steal it from your friend who owns it. Just get your hands on it. Trust me. I can’t imagine this NOT being one of my favorite books of the year.
Atomic Habits by James Clear. As someone who’s not hugely into self-help books but reads them just in case and also because for ones that are this popular, I like to see what the hype is about (except Rachel Hollis. Zero interest in her), I found myself liking this one so much I bought it to reread at some point. I think what I liked most was that it wasn’t so much a “the only way to form new habits is to wake up at 5 am” but rather an “if you want to change things, you can and do it in a way that makes sense for you”-type book. Yes, he has a formula and yes, he really thinks you should follow it, but it’s more about changing your environment and your systems than hustling harder or waking up at a stupid early time as a cure-all for why you can’t make it to the gym or why you can’t write more. Do recommend if you’re interested in fixing some bad habits or learning how to develop better ones.
The Chain by Adrian McKinty. This book is wildly fucked up and a wild ride that you will probably find yourself devouring in a few days. I finished it in two. It, like Whatever It Takes, took a turn I didn’t see coming even if I sort of figured out one of the big mysteries in the book. Did not matter.
TL; DR: All of these books should go on your TBR, even if you don’t like violence and murder. Well, maybe you should pass on that if it’s not your thing. But if it is, read them all.
Currently reading: This Is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving Where You Live by Melody Warnick. We’ll discuss why I chose this one next month.
Now it’s your turn. Link up and show us your books! Don’t forget to stop by and say hi to my co-host Steph (who is also celebrating her birthday month this month) and some of the other readers joining up. And mark your calendars for April 14 for the next one. It’s five weeks from now so extra reading time!
