Show Us Your Books: May 2017

As predicted, I am in a kickass reading period right now because I was just in a meh one. I'm riding the written word wave right into Memorial Day, brahs.

Anyone else's Goodreads fucking with them? It's not bringing my read books up in order unless I go in and put a date I've finished. I never used to have to do that.

Happy birthday to my stepdad today! 

 

Linkup Guidelines:

This link up happens the second Tuesday of every month. The next is  Tuesday, June 13, 2017 

1. Please visit and comment with both of your hosts, Jana & me
2. Please display the button (need it? let me know) or link back to us on your blog post
2. Please visit a few other blogs who've linked up and get some book talk going!

Here's what I've read from the last linkup.

Engrossing Reads

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins - Poor Paula. I'm sure everyone will compare this to The Girl on the Train since she actually wrote that and everyone is STILL comparing anything with a twist to that book, regardless of who wrote it. I liked that book, but I liked this one better. I can already hear people pooh poohing this one and that will annoy me. It's well written. I didn't go into it expecting something clever as fuck to top TGOTT and I came out with a reading experience I really enjoyed. I liked how the story unfolded. Book of the Month hardback, own

The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti - Loved this book and the characters, flaws and all. It was rough around the edges and tender in the middle like I love and I didn't want it to end. Free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy - Does anyone write vulnerable men like Pat Conroy? No. No one does. It's been a while since I read a Conroy novel, and sinking into his pretty prose and glory of the South was like sitting under a whirring fan on a wide porch with a deliciously cold glass of sweet tea on a hot summer's day. Own, second hand paperback

Among the Wicked (Kate Burkholder #8) by Linda Castillo - I plucked this off the shelf in the library and didn't know it was #8 in a series. I like to start with #1, you know. That didn't stop me from racing through this. I absolutely love Kate Burkholder. She's strong, smart, and awesome. I'll be reading the rest of them. Library hardcover

Pray for Silence (Kate Burkholder #2) by Linda Castillo - See? I told you I'd be reading the rest of them. And I wanted to get back to it so badly that I couldn't wait for #1 in the series to come in at the library. Boom. I will still read it when it does though. I love this series. Library hardcover

Passed the Time Just Fine

Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf - There were a lot of WTF are you doing, lead character, seriously moments but I could not put this book down, which is what I've come to expect from Gudenkauf. She did not disappoint. Really interesting to read from a deaf narrator's perspective also - that is not a spoiler, it's in the book description. But my favorite character was the dog. Free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J. Sullivan - This reminded me of something I've read, but I'm not sure what. I didn't expect it to be so heavy, but I liked it. It was quirky and dark without being too dark. The quirkiness and little spots of humor kept it from topping over on itself. 

I loved the characters and wish they were all a little deeper, but it was a nice little story regardless. 

Free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed - Cults: one of my favorite subjects. As a bonus, a main focus was the role of women in a patriarchal society. This book was gripping and f'd up and I really enjoyed the read. All cults have their secrets but this one is really, really fucked. Free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Brat Pack America: Visiting Cult Movies of the '80s by Kevin Smokler - Nonfiction in the hizzy. I was raised on 80s movies, they're still my favorite hands down, and I have a fascination with them. Not enough of a fascination to hang on every word of this, but Smokler breaks it down nicely for people like me - he groups movies together and tells you which ones he'll be discussing in that section so if you're like me you can skim and immerse, skim and immerse. I learned a few things I didn't know that I thought were neat and thought more about place and how it impacts a story. library paperback

This Place Holds No Fear by Monika Held - This is my first WWII book since Lilac Girls in March of last year. I do not consume WWII books one after the other because frankly my soul can't carry the weight of them. This was a translation, and I don't typically fare well with them, but I liked this. It focused on survivors of Auschwitz and how they go on. I plucked it off the shelf at the library based on its title and it turned out well. library hardback

Not Worth It

Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica - I think this is my second Mary Kubica and for the second time I was impatient throughout. Something about her pacing does not do it for me. There were also 99 threads in this book and I am still not sure if any of them were important. Free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Memory Box by Eva Lesko Natiello - The main character drove me utterly insane. I liked the twist but not enough to be like go ahead, annoy yourself for 95% of the book. It was pretty clever though. Amazon Kindle e-book

Did Not Finish

What are you reading?

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