What I've Been Reading Lately: January 2018
January marks the start of a new year and is all about follow-through on resolutions, so it only felt right that most of the books I read were either new releases or books that have been on my TBR for way to long!
1. Denton Little's Deathdate: This is a book I bought in the Spring of 2017, and it had been sitting on one of my side tables for months. So, on January 1st, I was resolved to get through that stack before the end of the month. I have not be successful in getting through all the books (especially because a few more keep getting added), but Denton Little got me started!
3. One of Us is Lying: I picked this one up while I was working at the bookstore. The cover is what drew me. I got half way through the book during my 3 hour shift, and took it home to finish that night. Couldn't put it down until I was done. Five kids walk into detention, but only four walk out. Who's the murderer?
4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: I have had this book since November 2015. Maybe even earlier. I even gave it as a gift to someone last Christmas because I knew they would love it... and yet I had never read it. So, when I was headed to NYC over MLK Weekend, it was my subway book. Can I just say that I think it was my favorite book of the month? Historical fiction, books, letters, tragedy and love... it doesn't get much better that Guernsey.
5. El Deafo: I heard about this book from The Diverse Books Club's Instagram page. And then it was on sale on Kindle recently, so of course, I bought it. It's such a sweet story that chronicles the struggles of a young girl as she adjusts to being deaf and fitting into her community. To help her cope, she comes up with a super hero persona she calls El Deafo.
It's a graphic novel, so it was a quick and easy read. Made me laugh, got me choked up a few times. I was all in with this one.
6. Dear Martin: I'm actually writing a longer review of this for the YES Prep blog, and I'll link to it when it's up. But I was inspired to pick up this book in honor of MLK Day, and also had my first experience at a brick and mortar AmazonBooks store (story for another day).
Besides looking at the legacy of Dr. King and whether his message is still relevant today, this book also explore A LOT of racial topics--racial profiling, microaggressions, police brutality, white privilege and fragility...
My favorite things about it is that there was a lot of depth to the characters, and even though it only scratches the surface on some issues, it deals with the complexities in a way that left me still asking questions, but didn't leave me feeling cheated or left hanging.
If you loved The Hate U Give (one of my tops reads from 2016), I'd definitely recommend this one!
7, 8, 9. Ivy & Bean (Books 1-3): I only picked these books up because I was working at the bookstore, things were slow, and the author's name sounded very, very familiar (Hint: Look back up at Book #4 of my January Reads). They were very quick reads, so I got through the first 3 of the series quickly.
General verdict: I didn't like the first one. It got better with the second. And better with the third. But... I'd say Ivy is a weird child who is bordering on a pathological liar, and Bean is a mini-hellion who probably just needs firmer consequences. Basically, the girls feels like caricatures of children versus real children.
10. Vengeance Road: This was my very first Western! Which I first read about two or three years ago. But ... Book 11 is Retribution Rails, which was the companion/sequel that had just been released. And I really like to read series back-to-back if I can, especially if it has been a long time since I have read the earlier ones.
I love both of these books, and I would recommend them to anyone who thinks that Westerns, "aren't their thing." I think these might prove you wrong.
Great adventure. Stories of revenge and retribution. Gold. Outlaws. Gun fights. So. Much. Fun.
I love the characters in Vengeance Road better, but they play a central role in the sequel (which is set 10 years later), so I was well satisfied.
A fun thing (for me, at least) about Retribution Rails is that Nellie Bly is a bit of a character (not actually seen in the pages, but is mentioned often and her escapades fuels one of the main character's dreams and aspirations). I have had a small obsession for Nellie Bly from the moment I thought I wanted to be a journalist, and even wrote my first story in graduate school about her.
12. Hour of the Bees: Woke up on a lazy Saturday and spent my morning breezing through this mix of realistic fiction and folklore. I was more intrigued by the folklore part than the actual real life part, but ultimately it's a story about living and dying, and reconnecting with your roots.
13. Renegades: You can get me to read anything by Marissa Meyer. I am in love with her Lunar Chronicles series, and was scared to read this one in case it wasn't as good (sometimes author's aren't able to repeat the magic for me). But I had nothing to fear!
This one is an X-Men type story. People with special powers. Some have chosen to be heroes. Some have chosen to be villains. Add in the desire to seek justice and revenge for dead loved ones. And a love story between kids on the opposing sides...
The only think that is making me mad about Renegades is that I thought this was a stand-alone... and now I have to wait until November for the conclusion! And it ended with such a big surprise that has me dying...
14. The End We Start From: Another bookstore read to help pass the time. Very short. More of a novella than a novel. Told in short scenes, some that are flashbacks. In between she has short adaptations of religious and mythological creation stories. There was some poem about the end being the beginning.
The general gist... women gives birth, flood hits London, loses some family members, evacuates and ends up at a displacement camp... and the rest chronicles the ins and outs of finding her place and trying to keep her baby safe until she can return home again.
I didn't hate it. But I don't think I full got it.
15. Gone Rogue (Wires & Nerves: Vol 2): I just mentioned Lunar Chronicles earlier, and this is the current conclusion to the series. The books are Fairest, Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and Winter. And then Meyer decided to have a graphic novel continuation to the series. These ones have Cinder's andriod best friend, Iko, as the main character (although similar to the books, sometimes a chapter is told from the perspective of Cinder or one of the other girls). Volume 1 was released last year, and I pre-ordered Volume 2 the moment I could. It showed up on my doorstep last night, and I didn't go to bed until I finished it.
It does seem the Lunar Chronicles are done for now. There was a clear... The End. But... who knows? I wouldn't begrudge hanging out with Iko, Cinder and the girls some more. And seeing ONE wedding between any of the five couples would be nice, Marissa. Just saying!
As far as the Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge...
And with that, my January is over. And it's on to February! I am horrible at keeping to strict reading goals, BUT... because February is Black History Month, one thing I hope to do is read mostly Black writers. There's a few books on my shelf I've been meaning to read for ages, as well as a few non-fictions on my list that would fit into that goal.
Until then... Happy Reading!
Here's what I've been reading lately...
1. Denton Little's Deathdate: This is a book I bought in the Spring of 2017, and it had been sitting on one of my side tables for months. So, on January 1st, I was resolved to get through that stack before the end of the month. I have not be successful in getting through all the books (especially because a few more keep getting added), but Denton Little got me started!
I thought this book was funny and super engaging. Imagine if we lived in a word where we knew the day we would die from the day we were born. That's the world Denton Little lives in. This books takes us through the 48 hours before he is supposed to die. I won't say much more, except that secrets are revealed and surprises abound. And... there is a sequel.
 |
| You can guess how the first book ends based on the title of the sequel. This is on TBR list for later in the year! |
2. Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race: This is book three of the Mr. Lemoncello series. It was perhaps my least favorite, but not because it wasn't any good. The challenges just weren't as interactive for me. In the first one, I was solving the puzzles and riddles alongside the contestants. With the Library Race, besides a few emoji puzzles, there wasn't much for me to solve (or that wasn't really obvious to solve). But I will always love a book about books and/or libraries, and all the book allusions had me in reader's heaven!
 |
| Source: Random House Kids |
3. One of Us is Lying: I picked this one up while I was working at the bookstore. The cover is what drew me. I got half way through the book during my 3 hour shift, and took it home to finish that night. Couldn't put it down until I was done. Five kids walk into detention, but only four walk out. Who's the murderer?
The story is told from alternating perspectives/narrators. And I think you figure out who did it pretty early on, BUT... I think the story is more about each of the teenagers figuring out why they are, and who they want to be, and not so much about the mystery. And there are some pretty big unexpected surprises along the way, too.
4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: I have had this book since November 2015. Maybe even earlier. I even gave it as a gift to someone last Christmas because I knew they would love it... and yet I had never read it. So, when I was headed to NYC over MLK Weekend, it was my subway book. Can I just say that I think it was my favorite book of the month? Historical fiction, books, letters, tragedy and love... it doesn't get much better that Guernsey.
I also really want to visit the Channel Islands now...
5. El Deafo: I heard about this book from The Diverse Books Club's Instagram page. And then it was on sale on Kindle recently, so of course, I bought it. It's such a sweet story that chronicles the struggles of a young girl as she adjusts to being deaf and fitting into her community. To help her cope, she comes up with a super hero persona she calls El Deafo.It's a graphic novel, so it was a quick and easy read. Made me laugh, got me choked up a few times. I was all in with this one.
6. Dear Martin: I'm actually writing a longer review of this for the YES Prep blog, and I'll link to it when it's up. But I was inspired to pick up this book in honor of MLK Day, and also had my first experience at a brick and mortar AmazonBooks store (story for another day).Besides looking at the legacy of Dr. King and whether his message is still relevant today, this book also explore A LOT of racial topics--racial profiling, microaggressions, police brutality, white privilege and fragility...
My favorite things about it is that there was a lot of depth to the characters, and even though it only scratches the surface on some issues, it deals with the complexities in a way that left me still asking questions, but didn't leave me feeling cheated or left hanging.
If you loved The Hate U Give (one of my tops reads from 2016), I'd definitely recommend this one!
7, 8, 9. Ivy & Bean (Books 1-3): I only picked these books up because I was working at the bookstore, things were slow, and the author's name sounded very, very familiar (Hint: Look back up at Book #4 of my January Reads). They were very quick reads, so I got through the first 3 of the series quickly.
General verdict: I didn't like the first one. It got better with the second. And better with the third. But... I'd say Ivy is a weird child who is bordering on a pathological liar, and Bean is a mini-hellion who probably just needs firmer consequences. Basically, the girls feels like caricatures of children versus real children.
10. Vengeance Road: This was my very first Western! Which I first read about two or three years ago. But ... Book 11 is Retribution Rails, which was the companion/sequel that had just been released. And I really like to read series back-to-back if I can, especially if it has been a long time since I have read the earlier ones.
I love both of these books, and I would recommend them to anyone who thinks that Westerns, "aren't their thing." I think these might prove you wrong.
Great adventure. Stories of revenge and retribution. Gold. Outlaws. Gun fights. So. Much. Fun.
I love the characters in Vengeance Road better, but they play a central role in the sequel (which is set 10 years later), so I was well satisfied.
A fun thing (for me, at least) about Retribution Rails is that Nellie Bly is a bit of a character (not actually seen in the pages, but is mentioned often and her escapades fuels one of the main character's dreams and aspirations). I have had a small obsession for Nellie Bly from the moment I thought I wanted to be a journalist, and even wrote my first story in graduate school about her.
 |
| Source: @lifeinlit on Instagram |
13. Renegades: You can get me to read anything by Marissa Meyer. I am in love with her Lunar Chronicles series, and was scared to read this one in case it wasn't as good (sometimes author's aren't able to repeat the magic for me). But I had nothing to fear!
This one is an X-Men type story. People with special powers. Some have chosen to be heroes. Some have chosen to be villains. Add in the desire to seek justice and revenge for dead loved ones. And a love story between kids on the opposing sides...
The only think that is making me mad about Renegades is that I thought this was a stand-alone... and now I have to wait until November for the conclusion! And it ended with such a big surprise that has me dying...
14. The End We Start From: Another bookstore read to help pass the time. Very short. More of a novella than a novel. Told in short scenes, some that are flashbacks. In between she has short adaptations of religious and mythological creation stories. There was some poem about the end being the beginning.The general gist... women gives birth, flood hits London, loses some family members, evacuates and ends up at a displacement camp... and the rest chronicles the ins and outs of finding her place and trying to keep her baby safe until she can return home again.
I didn't hate it. But I don't think I full got it.
15. Gone Rogue (Wires & Nerves: Vol 2): I just mentioned Lunar Chronicles earlier, and this is the current conclusion to the series. The books are Fairest, Cinder, Scarlet, Cress and Winter. And then Meyer decided to have a graphic novel continuation to the series. These ones have Cinder's andriod best friend, Iko, as the main character (although similar to the books, sometimes a chapter is told from the perspective of Cinder or one of the other girls). Volume 1 was released last year, and I pre-ordered Volume 2 the moment I could. It showed up on my doorstep last night, and I didn't go to bed until I finished it.
It does seem the Lunar Chronicles are done for now. There was a clear... The End. But... who knows? I wouldn't begrudge hanging out with Iko, Cinder and the girls some more. And seeing ONE wedding between any of the five couples would be nice, Marissa. Just saying!
As far as the Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge...
And with that, my January is over. And it's on to February! I am horrible at keeping to strict reading goals, BUT... because February is Black History Month, one thing I hope to do is read mostly Black writers. There's a few books on my shelf I've been meaning to read for ages, as well as a few non-fictions on my list that would fit into that goal.
Until then... Happy Reading!
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