Show Us Your Books: the gift of reading

How fortuitous that this falls on my Gamma's birthday - one of the people who fostered a love of reading in me early by taking me to the library constantly and not only reading to me, but having me see HER read and talking to me about how much she enjoyed it.

It is so important to kids that we show them that, no? When I spent a day off from work with my niece at the end of October, she handed me my book out of my bag, went to her bookshelf and got her book, and pointed to mine for me to read. Then she picked her book up and did the same. I nearly cried with happiness. She's two. They learn early.

Anyway, last typical SUYB of the year until the Best of/Favorite reads of the year edition, which is Tuesday, December 26. I love seeing what was the best of everyone's reads and have kicked off a few Januarys with a solid library haul based on those recommendations.

Happy Hanukkah to my friends celebrating! 

And can I just say please Lord don't let Alabama put Roy Moore, racist slavery lover, xenophobe, woman hater, and teenage girl predator in the Senate. Amen.

Linkup Guidelines:

This link up is the second Tuesday of every month. The next is a special Favorite Reads of 2016 Show Us Your Books on Tuesday, December 26. We pick up in 2018 with the January 9 link up.
Please: 

1. Visit and comment with both of your hosts, Jana & me
2. Display the button and/or link back to us on your blog post
2. Visit other blogs who've linked up and talk books as booknerds are wont to do

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

Engrossing Reads

Two Girls Down by Louise Luna - I could not put this book down. I loved the characters and the quick pace. I’d read many more books with Cap or Vega in them. Free e-copy courtesy of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell - I liked this so much. It was sad and weird and lovely all at the same time. And since it's about stuff, it made me think about my stuff more than I usually do, and what I hold onto and why. Philly library hardback

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi - Sometimes when I love a book so much I have a hard time talking about it intelligently. Anyone else? I'm all just read it for yourself. I feel like that here, but should comment that it took me longer than normal to read this. Part of that was Thanksgiving weekend and being on the go and part of it was really needing to sit with each chapter in the beginning and think about it - not because it's hard to follow, but just because I found myself needing to. I also referred back to the family tree a zillion times. White people are all tracing lineage back to the freaking dark ages and black people...we've cut them off from that in so many instances. I have feelings for this book. The story itself and the telling are absolutely masterful as well. I've never read anything like it. Philly library hardback

Wonder by R. J. Palacio - I read it in a few hours on Saturday. Like Homegoing, it's one of those that I was like why did I wait so long to read this? I loved the alternating chapters, a few from characters I did not expect to hear from. Good lessons for people of all ages in here. Hardback, own

Passed the Time Just Fine

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green - My favorite John Green is Looking for Alaska, which I know is not a popular opinion but nonetheless it's mine. I liked this and it was good, a little bogged down in the way that YA can sometimes get bogged down. Hardcover, own, passed on via mail

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke - I liked the characters and the storyline. Race, crime, old hurts,
the south - the possibilities are endless. Free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Now You See Me (Lacey Flint #1) by Sharon Bolton - I will pursue this series. I love a flawed but essentially good main character with closets full of secrets. Philly library hardback, Bruce ate the cover so the memory of the fine will outlast the memory of the enjoyment

If Snow Hadn't Fallen (Lacey Flint 1.5) by Sharon Bolton - Damn these authors with their tiny novellas in between big ones in a series - looking at you, Linda Castillo. I must read them because I fear missing something if I don't, but they are really not satisfying. Kindle Amazon purchase

The Beloveds by Maureen Lindley - This is different for sure. The main character is quite obviously mad so it was interesting to read from her point of view. She devolved quickly after a big lead up in the first 3/4 of the book. Free e-copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review

In a Cottage in a Wood by Cass Green - I spent Sunday with this one. An easy read that kept me interested enough to start and finish it in one day and made me push off my hausfrauing. The author really threw a lot of shit into the conclusion of this one. Amazon kindle purchase

Not Worth It

Six Little Secrets by Katlyn Duncan - Quick, and mildly interesting, but the ending was nuts and not in the best way. I am not an overall YA lover because you get books like this as well as John Green books. Free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan - What an amazing WWII real life story I had not previously heard of buggered up by the telling of it in a book. Paperback, own, you want to read? I'll send it to you

Pretty Dead Girls by Monica Murphy - Is it wrong to only look forward to the very few chapters here and there from the killer's point of view? I thought so. Unfortunately the book started on one, so I thought it would be delicious throughout and turned out stale. free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Did Not Finish
n/a

And you? What have you been reading? 

An InLinkz Link-up