I'll show you my books, you show me yours 2020 v.1

I have not blogged in over 2 years, but I can't think of anything better to pull me out of a blogging hibernation than a Show Us Your Books link-up!  So, here I am.  The beauty of Steph and Jana (and all the other SUYB gang) is I know you all will welcome me back.  Thanks, readers.

What's been happening in my life for the last two years?  I suppose that's content for another post to get myself back into the blogging game.  But for now, I'm "stood down" meaning I still have a job but have no idea when I will be back to work.  So, a SUYB link-up is perfect stimulation and escapism for me right now.

Will I continue blogging?  Don't know?  Will I read every SUYB link this month?   Yep. Can't wait to see/read some familiar faces I interacted with years ago, those that still participate in my book challenge, and new book-lovin' peeps too.

Uhmmmm...how do I start? Let's see last link up was the 10th of March, 2020...so these are the books I've read since then.  That's how this works, correct?

1.  Dropped Third Strike by Micah K. Chaplin - What a great way to jump back into the blogging game...promoting a blogger's book.  (Does Micah still blog?  Let me go check.  Yes! Here's her blog: Unabashedly Me)  We participated in a book swap years ago, and Micah kindly sent a copy of her book to me.  I'm pretty awful about reading the books I own because I love going to the library so much, so it sat on my shelf.  Welllll, fast forward to now and no baseball.  I thought it was finally the perfect time to read a book that baseball plays such an important role.  But, this book is more than baseball.  There's a strong female lead and characters that I became invested in.  I enjoyed the writing style and how it smoothly transitioned from one character's voice to another's.
If you are missing baseball like I am, I recommend this book.  4/5

2.  Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah - due to so many rave reviews telling me to read this book, I finally did.  What a life.  What a story.  What a man.  What a mom who helped shape the man.  5/5

3.  Heaven, My Home by Attica Lake - This is a follow-up book to Bluebird, Bluebird...a book I enjoyed so much I put in my reservation for this one immediately after finishing it. This one was...fine...but not nearly as rich as the first.  Would I recommend it to others that read Bluebird, Bluebird?  Yes.  Do I think you need to rush to do so?  No. 3.5/5

4.  Sadie by Courtney Summers - Sometimes a book has so much hype surrounding it that my expectations are too high.  I think that happened with this one.  Or, maybe it's because I don't listen to podcasts, so I just missed that connection entirely.  But, I had to push myself through the first half of this book because of the rave reviews I'd seen.  I just wasn't feeling it.  I actually enjoyed the ending (which some readers loved the book but were unsatisfied with the ending), so I'm just sitting in the minority on this one.  2.5/5

5.  A Lesson in Violence by Jordan Harper - Sometimes, Australia likes to confuse me and release books with a different title here than in the U.S.  This is one of those.  I'm pretty sure it's called She Rides Shotgun in America. This book is brutal and brilliant.  Some of the writing seemed simple, but I found that added to its brilliance because the subject matter and character development was so far from simple.  5/5

I did it!  I wrote a blog post again!  Go me!  I hope my blog email still works...….

I'll show you my books, you show me yours...vol.32

Here I am again with a late post.  (That's exactly how I began my last post for this link-up.)  I keep intending to jump back in the blog game.  Obviously, that hasn't happened.  But, I was not going to let the third anniversary of Show Us Your Books pass without my acknowledgement of what a wonderful contribution this link-up has been to my reading habits.  Thanks to each and every one of you for the book chats, the reviews, the recommendations, and the insight...and BIG thanks to to our hosts Jana & Steph for hosting this awesome book party.

The books I've read since our last link-up (it's been a couple of months, so this may be lengthy...just read my ratings to see if you're interested in reading my review):

1.  Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter - A charming book with the reminder to always look at the glass as half full.  3.5/5

2.  Marching Powder: A True Story of Friendship, Cocaine, and South America's Strangest Jail by Rusty Young and Thomas McFadden - These were definitely some fascinating tales of life for a Brit convicted of smuggling drugs and landing in a Bolivian prison. The ways of this prison are unbelievable. But, honestly, in this case, I'd have rather watched a full length documentary than read a book.  Some of the story-telling dragged and felt self-indulgent.  I think I'd rather see and hear Thomas tell his stories. 2.5/5

3.  Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley - A true gem of a YA book.  A book that examines grief, love, family dynamics, coming of age, and the love of stories, words, and genuine connections with books and stories. 5/5  Thanks to Steph for bringing this book to my attention.  

4.  The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas -   I don't know what I can say about this book that other readers haven't already said. Powerful. Thought-provoking. 4.75/5

5.  The Good Girl by Mary Kubica - Eh. It was alright. I've read much more interesting, intriguing books that utilised Stockholm Syndrome in the plot. 2.5/5

6.  The North Water by Ian McGuire -  Man vs. Man; Man vs. Nature; Man vs. Self ... This book has it all. The writing is so descriptive and engrossing, but it is not for the faint at heart. This book is an example of one of the many reasons I love book chats with other readers.  I doubt I'd have given this one a look if it weren't for other readers' reviews. 4/5

7.  One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus - Although it often lacked depth, I enjoyed the read from start to finish.  4.25/5

8.  The Diggers Rest Hotel by Geoffrey McGeachin - I'm a participant in an Aussie Author Book Challenge. This book reinforces why I participate in such a challenge. A new-to-me author writing a rich cast of characters set in an Australian community during a time I'm unfamiliar with their specific history. The "who-dun-its" weren't overly surprising, but getting to the closures made for an enjoyable read.  4/5

9.  The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter - I am a self-professed Karin Slaughter fangirl.  I love her writing style, her characters, and her stories.  This book is a good example of why I find her books so enjoyable.  If you are a thriller fan and haven't read Karin Slaughter, this is a good one to grab.  4.5/5

10.  Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris - I am torn. I found the plot unique, yet unbelievable. At times, I couldn't put the book down. Other times, I skimmed because I was annoyed. So, I'm torn. 2.5/5

11.  And Fire Came Down by Emma Viskic - This is the second book of a series.  I raved about the first one (Resurrection Bay), and I will continue to read this series after this solid second effort.  The protagonist is a deaf investigator and the author learned "Auslan" (Australian sign language) in order to understand her character more. His relationship with his brother and his on again/off again partner are bonus additions to the mystery/thriller stories.  4.25/5

I've shown you mine, now you show me yours............

I'll show you my books, you show me yours... vol.31

Here I am again with a late post.  I intended to get this post ready on time, but my canines had another idea.  They busted through our fence, got caught by the council rangers, taken to the pound.  I posted bail, picked them up from doggie jail, and dealt with putting together a temporary fix until I could get the fence fixed properly.  But, enough about my dog dramas, let's talk about books!

Again, much thanks to our hosts Jana & Steph for hosting this awesome book party.

The books I've read since our last link-up:

1.  We Are Okay by Nina LaCour - I loved every single character in this poignant YA book. 4/5

2.  An Isolated Incident by Emily Maguire -  Reading the synopsis, I assumed this book was a thriller/mystery. Yes, there is a horrific murder. But, this story focuses on the aftermath, the pain, the grief, and the life-shattering experience felt by the closest loved one of a murder victim. The parallel story about a novice crime writer becoming invested in the victim's story was less compelling to me. 
The author dabbles in discussion of crimes against women and the inequality of language, viewpoints, and treatment of females, particularly in a small town.  Overall, it was a satisfying read. 3.5/5

3.  Before the Fall by Noah Hawley - At times, I almost gave up on this one, but there were parts of this book and one character that kept me interested enough to stick with it. Overall, I was disappointed. I skimmed paragraphs, and I got bored too many times to call this an enjoyable read. 2/5

4.  Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough -  Nope. Nope. Nope. I hated this book, and I rarely say that. I can't really say a whole lot without spoilers. Apparently, many readers have enjoyed it, so I don't want to spoil it for others potential enjoyment. But, it did not work for me. 1/5

5. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - One of those books I've intended to read for years, but it took my book challenge to convince me to finally do it. So grateful I did. The madness and power of one's mind made this such a fascinating read.  Warning: could be a trigger for suicidal ideations.  4/5

6.  The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - Again, this is another book that I've been meaning to read for years, and it took this challenge to encourage me to finally pick it up. I'm so glad I did. It is a memoir that could be described as "stranger than fiction". The author is able to share so many layers to her life and upbringing by an intelligent, alcoholic father and an artistic, removed-from-reality mother. The experiences shared are full of poverty, neglect, hunger, and abuse. Yet, also described is a family's bond, their version of love for one another, and each's struggle for survival. An excellent read.

To touch on this being a "banned book"... it is banned because “it includes explicit language and references to child molestation, adolescent sexual exploits, and violence as it recounts the author’s experiences growing up with an alcoholic father and a mother who suffered from mental illness.”
Are the lives lived in this book beyond difficult? Yes. But, it is a reality for some. And, if we ban some children's reality, aren't we adding to the shame they already feel? I believe so. I support the notion "knowledge is power". When society becomes more knowledgeable about the strife of others, perhaps we can be more compassionate. 4/5

Have you read any of these books?  What did you think?

I'll show you my books...you show me yours...vol.30

Yep.  I'm late to the party.  Yep, I didn't participate as much as I'd like in the previous link-up.  But, I need to forgive myself instead of beat myself up over that fact.  I probably won't interact as much as I'd like this go-around either, but why should I allow that to stop me from talking about one of my favorite topics to talk about - books!?  Plus, I know our hosts Jana & Steph wouldn't want me to be hard on myself or skip this link-up because I may not be reading and posting as often as I used to.  I read some really great books this month, and I really shouldn't deprive you from me sharing them.

What I've read since the last link up:

1.  All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood - I picked up this book at the campus bookstore when we visited Stanford.  I'd heard many things prior to reading it, yet I didn't really know what to expect.  It was written really, really well.  The story and the characters' experiences are disturbing, intense, thought-provoking, and emotional.  It deserves all the attention it has received.  5/5

2.  Violent Ends edited by Shaun David Hutchison - Another book I purchased in America.  Another book that I didn't know what to expect.  All I knew is it was about a school shooting, and Jana highly recommended it.  I didn't realize that it read like short stories, and each chapter was written by a different author, yet they all examined the same school shooting in a different perspective.  Super different and interesting way to read about a topic that I've read about before.  4/5

3.  Summerlong by Dean Bakopoulus - It is not uncommon for me to read a book in which I despise all the characters but love the book.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen this time.  My frustration and annoyance at almost every single character in this book overpowered my enjoyment factor.  Ruth saved it for me.  She is a badass.  2.5/5

4.  The Cleaner by Paul Cleave - I love reading a thriller author that is new to me whose book I picked up at a secondhand bookstore just because.  I will definitely read more from this author.  There are some messed up scenes and fucked up characters in this book.  4/5

5.  The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein - One of the reasons that I am a self-professed book challenge junkie is that I am encouraged to read books that I've been intending to read but haven't made time for.  When Bev picked the category for my challenge to "read a book with a non-human main character", I knew that I wanted to read this one.  Finally.  And, I am thankful I did.  My emotions were all over the place, and I cried big, ugly, sloppy tears.  4.5/5 

SPOILER ALERT!  PLEASE MOVE ALONG IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT ONE ASPECT OF THIS BOOK...okay, I knew the book would be about a dog and its full life and that the dog would most likely die.  BUT, for someone who had a loved one (my stepmother who entered my life when I was 15 and left it when I was 30) die after a heart-breaking battle with brain cancer, well, I wasn't expecting that part of the storyline, so I was crying big, ugly, sloppy tears a whole helluva a lot while reading this one. 

6.  Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi - What an impressive debut book from a young author!  This book tells the stories of generations from a family tree whose origins began in 18th century Ghana. It was fascinating and heart-breaking, devastating and beautiful.  The Sociology major in me especially enjoyed the final chapter.  4.5/5

Let me know if you decide to add any of these to your "to read" list, or if you've read them before, what did you think?

I show you my books, you show me yours...vol.29

It's Show Us Your Books Day!  I'm still on a blog mini-hiatus, but I can't miss my favorite day in blogging month.  The day hosted by Jana & Steph, the day that makes my goodreads "to read" list grow, and the day I interact with a blogging community of readers.  I love this day (or week because it sometimes takes me a week to read all the links) of the month.

What I've read since last link-up:

1.  Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich -

So, so good. An interesting web of characters tangled in family dynamics, drugs, violence, crime, and mayhem. I was engrossed with the story from beginning to end.  Side note: I enjoyed that the backwoods Southern father was called "deddy" because that's exactly how it's pronounced, and it read perfectly in my head.  4.5/5

2.  Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira -

For YA, I loved everything about this book. Was it a perfect book? No, but I loved its imperfections. Were there some difficult scenes to read? Yes, several, but I thought it was done so well from the voice of a teenage girl. 4.5/5 3.  Downfall by Jeff Abbott - I read the 2 previous books in this series and remember gobbling them up.  This one was just alright.  As Steph says, "it passed the time just fine".  3/5 4.  Golden Prey by John Sandford - This is the 27th book in the Lucas Davenport series.  I have read it since 1991.  I continue to be amazed that this author keeps every book interesting and unique enough to keep me coming back for more.  4/5 5.  Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy - I liked this book, but I didn't love it.  I appreciated the topics that she was trying to tackle, but I was just never as invested in the characters as I wish I was.  3/5 6.  Lie in Wait by Eric Rickstad - The current goodreads rating for this mystery/thriller is 3.81.  That's a pretty adequate overall rating for it, in my opinion although, I wish a character or two had been further developed.  Now, it's my time to pimp my book challenge.  It's a pretty fantastic place for booklovers, if I do say so myself.  Check it out with the following links: Our facebook group Our goodreads group My blog post I've shown you mine, you show me yours...

I show you my books, you show me yours... vol.28

It's Show Us Your Books Day!  The day hosted by Jana & Steph, the day that makes my goodreads "to read" list grow, and the day I interact with a blogging community of readers.  I love this day (or week because it sometimes takes me a week to read all the links) of the month.

What I've read since last link-up:

1.  Bird Box by Josh Malerman - What did I just read? I have no idea, nor do I know how I feel about it. Did I like it? Did it annoy me? Do I feel like I have more questions than answers? This was a step out of my usual reading comfort zone, and I'm glad I read it, but I don't know if I liked it. 3/5

2.  The History of Love by Nicole Krauss - I really, really wanted to love this book, but I spent too much time confused by the connections of some of the characters to say I loved the overall reading experience. When the connections were all revealed, I still felt confused about a couple of things. The premise was lovely, as were Alma and Leo. I could've done without a couple of the support cast. 3/5

3.  We Ate the Road Like Vultures by Lynnette Lounsbury - Such a ridiculous and glorious book.  I gobbled it up.  This book is an example why I enjoy participating in the Aussie Author Challenge year after year.  I find little gems like this one that I might not have discovered otherwise. 4.5/5

4.  Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf - I hate to use Girl on the Train as an example (the go-to book that other thrillers are compared to) but you know how some readers didn't like that book because they didn't like the lead character?  Well, that's how I felt about this book.  I was annoyed with Sarah and rolled my eyes at her more times than I could count.  But, the mystery plus small town-setting, family-secret dynamics was enjoyable enough to keep me reading. 3/5

5.  We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo - What a debut from a talented young author! This spirited book is full of darkness and light, pain and humor. It examines personal identities and cultural clashes through the experiences of a young narrator. Thought-provoking about the challenges of immigrants plus gains and losses of leaving home and the expectations of opportunity. 4/5

6.  Ghost Girls by Cath Ferla - I attended school for a few years that is aimed at international students and located in the Haymarket/Sussex Street/Chinatown area of Sydney. So, many of the locations described in this book and the requirements of student visa holders were known to me. Even the cover photo, I know that exact street.  I thought the author did an excellent job painting the picture of this area and these students. And, sadly, it seems very real to me that students could go missing the way the plot plays out. 4/5

7.  The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel - Not exactly sure what this says about me, but I enjoy reading books about dysfunction, and this book is filled to the brim with it.  I felt the author did an admirable job writing a riveting book that included some severe, dark, and extremely unhealthy relationships.  4.5/5

Currently reading:  Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich (and, it's fantastic, so far)

I've shown you mine...now, you show me yours...

I show you my books, you show me yours... vol.27

It's Show Us Your Books Day!  The day hosted by Jana & Steph, the day that makes my goodreads "to read" list grow, and the day I interact with a blogging community of readers.  I love this day of the month.

What I've read since last link-up:

 1.  The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley - Time Travel books aren't normally my thang. If they were, I'd probably have loved this book. As is, I liked it alright. I liked a couple of the characters a whole lot more than the others.  3.5/5

2.  18 and Life on Skid Row by Sebastian Bach - Those who know me know that I am a fan of rock music and rock bios.  First and foremost, Sebastian Bach is a true fanatic for music. He calls about a dozen guys his "hero" in this book. I'm okay with that. Who says you need to limit yourself to one hero? He name drops. A lot. But I do believe he is such a genuine fan of those people.  Sebastian is also a fan of himself. That's no secret. He's toured the world in a rock band.  He's performed on Broadway and was even in Gilmore Girls.  This book had what I wanted from a rock bio - stories about music and excess, the highs and the lows of sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll. 4/5

3.  Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight - I wanted to know how all the stories unfolded, but I wasn't exactly satisfied. Can't really explain my dissatisfaction without giving up spoilers. Too many characters. Some written well and some not. 2/5

4.  High Fidelity by Nick Hornby - I've heard that Jonathan Tropper (a favortie author of mine) is the American version of British author, Nick Hornby. I've seen a couple of movies based on Hornby books (About a Boy and this one.) I don't usually read books when I've already seen the movie, but I'm so glad I did with this one. Plus, I'd been wanting to read a Hornby book for years. Happy I finally did. Even though the guys are total music snobs, and I hate music snobs. Even though the main character, Rob, is completely exhausting at times, other times I couldn't help but love him. I can see the Tropper/Hornby comparison and will definitely grab another book by this author.  4/5

5.  The Pact by Jodi Picoult - I was late to the Jodi Picoult party.  I hadn't read a book of hers until last year (Nineteen Minutes).  I followed that up last month with Small Great Things and now, The Pact.  She sure does know how to tackle complicated, heavy, difficult topics and write a complex, riveting story.  4.5/5

Next up:  Bird Box by Josh Malerman; after I posted this pic on Instagram last week, I got several encouraging comments about it, so looking forward to diving in!

I've shown you mine, now you show me yours...books...