I show you my books*, you show me yours vol.21

*My husband looked over my shoulder and saw this post title.  He giggled and said "I thought that said boobs."  I replied "Uhm.  Yeah.  I know.  It's a play on words."  He said "oh, good one."  That's about the most interest he's ever shown in my blog.

Jana & Steph are bringing us book lovin' bloggers our favorite day of the month again - Show Us Your Books day!  It's the day of the month that my goodreads gets the most activity...and I do love myself some goodreads.  Be my friend (if we aren't already.)  Plus, our hosts are celebrating two years of this link-up.  With many of us naming this "our favorite link-up", I think they've done us book lovin' bloggers a favor by hosting it.  Thanks to Jana & Steph!

What I've read since our last link-up:

1.  Sister by Rosamund Lupton - About 2/3rds in, I found myself ready for this book to end. I kept reading because I wanted to know how it all ended, but I wasn't a fan. 2/5

2.  Blood-Drenched Beard by Daniel Galera - I don't have a DNF often, so when I do, it's worth mentioning.  This one confused me.  The reviews are great, and the synopsis sounds interesting to me.  I sluggishly read 100 pages, and I had another 300 to go, but I wasn't into this book enough to care what happened. Not at all.  So, I took a lesson from other book bloggers, quit it, and moved on.  My tbr list is too long to waste my time on a book I think I'm *supposed* to like but don't.
Plus, what's up with the lack of quotation marks for dialogue?  Annoying and confusing.

3.  Life or Death by Michael Robotham - I liked the story, but I had some issues with its edits, and I wrote a post about it that you can read here.  4/5

4.  Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin -  I enjoy reading children's literature every once in a while.  (I think this is considered "middle grade".) This is a poignant story that pulls at the heart, especially for dog lovers.  4/5

5.  The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison - The last few years, I've made a point to read a "challenged" book during Banned Books Week.  This year, I looked at this list (since the theme was to celebrate diversity) and spied The Bluest Eye.

An examination of how racism leads to self-hatred, the loss of innocence, abandonment, misplaced aggression, and so many other devastating impacts. It's my first Toni Morrison book and won't be my last. 4/5

6.  Private Paris by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan - Admittedly, there are liberties taken in this book that are pretty stretched, but it's fiction, right?  For the enjoyment and entertainment factor, I will regularly read James Patterson books as long as he is publishing them.  I prefer some of his series more than others, and I enjoy the character "Jack Morgan" in the Private books.  Maybe because, by his physical characteristics that are described (tall, blonde, football player build, good-looking), I picture him to look like Chris Hemsworth.  4/5

7.  The Dry by Jane Harper - A debut by an Australian author that was receiving lots of attention and rave reviews.  Two separate mysteries are the central stories in this book that is tense and atmospheric.  The author does a tremendous job at describing a town, its culture, and its characters.  A well-written book for those who enjoy crime fiction.  4.5/5

Something to remember during the current political climate:

Next up (finally):  Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart

Have you read any of these?  Do you want to?