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 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...

Book Challenge by Erin 7.0

Yes, I am still on my mini blog hiatus, but you didn't think I'd forget my book challenge post, did you?

Hi, my name is Erin, and I like books.  I like to talk about books.  I'm a sucker for book challenges.  I started my own challenge a couple of years ago hosting it through this facebook group page.  My thought was this: if I host it through facebook, that's another venue to talk about books with my fellow readers.  I am already in a few challenges that link back to blogs, but not facebook.  I'm pretty happy and proud of the group I've got happening on facebook.  It's so fun to see a collection of readers that are my high school friends, friends of friends, friends around the globe, all coming together for a mutual love of books.  If you're a reader, please join us.  Even just join the group to follow along with the fun.  Or jump in and rock the challenge!

If you aren't a facebooker, that's okay too.  I have some that participate through their blogs and others through goodreads.  Participation is encouraged as much or as little as you choose.  We now have a goodreads group too.  I must admit, I'm not nearly as active in that group and I am the facebook one.  It started to become double the work for me, so I just stuck to my original medium. Just trying to create enough options for those who want to participate can in the easiest option for them to do so.

I attempt to be a stress-free, no-pressure kind of host.  This is about loving books, supporting readers, and encouragement for all who express an interest.

Book Challenge by Erin 7.0 - General Rules

·         First and foremost, have fun. Don't stress. No one is being judged, graded, or penalized. Even if you finish only one book the entire challenge, if you enjoy it and it's an accomplishment for you, then that's awesome.

·         The challenge will run from JULY 1, 2017 to OCTOBER 31, 2017. No books that are started before 12 a.m. on July 1 or finished after 11:59 p.m. on October 31 will count.  (We live in different time zones – follow this according to your own time zone.)

·         Each book must be at least 200 pages long.   Audio books are fine too.

·         A book can only be used for one category, and each category can only be completed once. If you want to switch the category of a book, or change the book you originally chose, no worries. 

·         You can read your books in any order you choose.

·         Rereads can be used only once.  If a book you love fits into a category, go ahead and visit it again.  Read it in its entirety.  But, only do this once for the challenge.

·         There will be a photo album for each category with links to books chosen.  Please comment on the photo for each of your books when you finish reading them.  A comment can include a review, a rating, a recommendation…other readers want to hear what you thought of your choice.  (if you need help with this, let me know…or there is a file attached to our group explaining what to do.)

·         There will be 10 book categories with a possibility of earning 200 points.   That’s 10 books in four months.  For some of you, this will be a BIG challenge; for others it will be easy peasy.  It’s all for fun, remember!

·         Book categories will be posted June 1st to give you time to gather books in preparation. 

·         After the categories are posted, please post a preliminary list with books of your choice according to their categories on the facebook group page by June 15^th (if possible).  If you need help with a particular category or want a book suggestion, we as a community of reading enthusiasts can help each other.  (Late entries will still be accepted.)

·         The first three people who finish the challenge will be invited to contribute a category for the next challenge. The following will get a small prize from me (1^st to complete 1st round; 1^st to complete both rounds; most points accumulated; and WILD CARD random draw – all who finish the 10 book challenge will qualify as an entry!)  Plus, everyone who completes the challenge will gets all sorts of recognition and support!

·         Lastly, have fun.  Don't stress. No one is being judged, graded, or penalized. Even if you finish only one book the entire challenge, if you enjoy it and it's an accomplishment for you, then that's awesome.  Wait, I’ve read that somewhere before…Good luck!

Book Challenge by Erin 7.0 - Categories

·         5 points:  Freebie – Read a book that is at least 200 pages

·         10 points:  Read a book that starts with the letter “B”

·         10 points:  Read a book that has a (mostly) yellow cover

·         15 points:  Read a book that has a picture of an animal on the cover (submitted by Mattie)

·         20 points:  Read a book that was published in 2017 (submitted by Olya)

·         20 points:  Read a book with a compass or cardinal direction in the title (submitted by Mary)

·         25 points:  The ALA’s “Banned Books Week” occurs while our challenge is happening.  Read a book from this list of the most commonly banned books in America: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_commonly_challenged_books_in_the_United_States (submitted by Christina)

·         30 points:  Read a fictional book about mental illness (submitted by Jamie); several helpful links: http://bookriot.com/2016/05/23/100-best-books-about-mental-illness/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_illness_in_fiction; https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/mental-illness-fiction

·         30 points:  Read a book with a non-human main character; i.e. animals, elves, gods, robots, merpeople, etc. (submitted by Bev); helpful links: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/non-human-characters; https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/99906.Books_with_Nonhuman_Characters; http://forreadingaddicts.co.uk/polls-and-discussion/the-33-best-books-with-a-non-human-protagonist/3704

·         35 points:  Read a book a Disney movie was based on OR a book based on a Disney movie (submitted by Kirsten); Don’t forget to check that the book is at least 200 pages: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Novels_first_published_in_serial_form&pageuntil=Dune+Messiah#mw-pages; https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/11716.Books_Turned_Into_Disney_Movies

  If you are stuck on any of these categories, ask for help or recommendations!  GOOD LUCK!

Anddddd...my preliminary list (on goodreads):

             5 points:  Freebie – Read a book that is at least 200 pages: We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

·         10 points:  Read a book that starts with the letter “B”:  Before the Fall by Noah Hawley

·         10 points:  Read a book that has a (mostly) yellow cover:  Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

·         15 points:  Read a book that has a picture of an animal on the cover:  Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith

·         20 points:  Read a book that was published in 2017:  Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

·         20 points:  Read a book with a compass or cardinal direction in the title (submitted by Mary):  Marching Powder: A True Story of Friendship, Cocaine, and South America's Strangest Jail by Rusty Young and Thomas McFadden

·         25 points:  The ALA’s “Banned Books Week” occurs while our challenge is happening.  Read a book from the list of the most commonly banned books in America: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

·         30 points:  Read a fictional book about mental illness:  The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

·         30 points:  Read a book with a non-human main character; i.e. animals, elves, gods, robots, merpeople, etc.:  The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

·         35 points:  Read a book a Disney movie was based on OR a book based on a Disney movie:  Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter

Will you join us?  What do you think of my choices? 

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.26

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.  How to Talk to a Widower by Jonathon Tropper - This is one of the only authors in yearsssss that I loved so much, I knew that I must read everyone of his books.  I don't binge read, meaning I don't read all the same author at once.  I sprinkled his books in over time, and now I've read all six of Tropper's published books.  With this one, as always, I love the flawed characters.  I love the dysfunctional relationships.  I love the writing style, the pace, the humor mixed with sadness.  A solid 4/5.

2.  Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon - I know.  A lot of other bloggers and readers have already read this book and fell in love with Madeline and Oliver (or Maddy and Olly.)  My goodreads tells me that 21 "friends" have marked it "to read".  Well, get on it.  It's a quick read and a lovely little book with some valuable lessons.  I'm not one to highlight or remember book quotes, but this one jumped off the page and settled into my heart:  "Just because you can't experience everything doesn't mean you shouldn't experience anything."

3.  The Secret River by Kate Grenville - I felt like I'd read a book assigned by a university professor, and I should write a paper analyzing topics such as poverty and crime, the colonization of Australia, class systems, violence and the mob mentality, entitlement by white settlers and the atrocities committed by them towards indigenous people, money does not equal happiness, the fight of indigenous people to keep their land and their culture, and more. This is my first historical fiction book set during the colonization of Australia, and I appreciated its descriptive writing, as I felt it painted a picture of many scenes and settings. Also, some of the horrors that are committed were difficult to read and to stomach because of the authenticity of the descriptive writing. It is not a fast-paced book, but it is vivid and provocative and a well-written story. 4/5

4.  The Murder House by James Patterson and David Ellis - Do you like James Patterson books? Read this one. Do you like thrillers? Read this book. Twists and turns galore. 4.5/5

5.  One Plus One by Jojo Moyes - I liked this book. I didn't love it, but I liked it a lot.   I enjoyed the support characters more than the mains. 3.75/5 because I give crazy review scores like that.

6.  Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult - So much praise has already been given to this book, all justified and deserved. I'm not sure it's possible to read this book and not be uncomfortable in parts. It is thought-provoking and emotion-filled.  Like others, I felt the ending was abrupt.
Something that I will add that I haven't seen others mention, I couldn't help but hearing echoes at times from John Grisham's A Time to Kill. When Carl Lee tells his attorney, Jake, that they aren't friends. That Jake is his "secret weapon" because, like Kennedy, he is well-meaning, yes, but still a privileged white person. Grisham's book was written close to 30 years ago, but here we are with the same themes and prevalent racism. The comparison of the two books leaves me disheartened that we haven't improved more and bettered ourselves as a society, and I appreciate the reminder from Jodi Picoult that there are ways to continue to learn, grow, and evolve. 4/5

7.  Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens - I liked the idea of this book, but I never fully connected to the main character which made me feel like something was lacking.  Still, I enjoyed it enough to continue being a fan of this author.  3/5

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

I show you my books, you show me yours... vol.25

Valentine's, Schmalentine's...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.

And, this month, I enjoyed everything I read, so you can't go wrong with taking a look at one, two, or all of these for your future reads...

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

1.  The Girl Before by Rena Olsen - I did not want to set this book aside. I would have read it all in one sitting if that had been possible. I felt so many things while reading this story. I was infuriated and saddened, annoyed and disgusted, but I also felt compassion and empathy. I enjoy a book that can provoke so many emotions while reading it. There were aspects that seemed far-fetched, but hey, it's fiction, right? 4.5/5  (Special thanks to Micah for gifting me this book during the Great Pumpkin Swap!)

2.  I Came to Say Goodbye by Caroline Overington - Oh, my heart. This book put my heart through the works. It smashed my heart, wadded it up, stomped on it, tore it in pieces, and put the pieces back together, scattered them again, and on and on. It was narrated in a unique way which added different elements to the story. The book dealt with extremely difficult, uncomfortable topics from abandonment, child abuse, family relationships, mental illness, and more. I thought it was excellent and will definitely read more from this Australian author.  4.5/5

3.  We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler - An unexpected profound and beautiful story about a unique family dynamic.  4/5

4.  Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil by Melina Marchetta - In a book that contains numerous storylines that are all interconnected, there was one I wasn't buying. But, I enjoy her writing so much, I just eventually gave in to it all. A mystery & thriller book that also examines themes of race relations, family relationships, sacrifice, and more. 4/5

5.  Trail of Broken Wings by Sejal Badani - A powerful story about the aftermath of abuse and how victims' lives, choices, and relationships can be negatively impacted for years, even after they are no longer living with the abuser(s). Some of the writing felt a bit melodramatic, and it was difficult to have empathy for a couple of the characters, but overall, I still felt it was a good book. 3.5/5

6.  A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain - A modern day FBI agent ends up helping to track down a serial killer in 1815 England; time travel books are not my usual cup of tea, but I enjoyed this book.   I had no idea "whodunnit" until that was revealed. Sure, there were hints and suggestions, but I had no idea where the story was going to go, and that kept me interested to the very end. I'd even be willing to give the follow-up a try.  4/5

7.  Dark Matter by Blake Crouch - I can't rate this book. I can see why people like it. It's fast-paced and creative, thrilling and unique, but this type of story just isn't my thing. I recommend it to any science fiction reader, something I am not. And, I'm aware other readers have really enjoyed it as well.  I read it quickly, because it's so fast-paced it's easy to do, but also because I just wanted it to end. Sometimes, I enjoy reading a genre that isn't my normal choice, and I find a new love of story-telling. Other times, I learn not all books are for all readers.  And, that's okay.

A solid month of reading for me.  How was yours?

Reading Habits vol.2

Earlier in the year, I dissected/analyzed/reported about my reading habits in this post.  I thought a 6 month recap was a good way to turn this into a series.  Maybe?  Or maybe this should just be an annual thing?  I don't know.  We'll see.  For now, let's look at my "reading habits" for all of 2016.

Fiction vs. Non-Fiction:  Apparently, I only read one more non-fiction book the entire last half of 2016.  Maybe that's why I got three of them as Christmas presents...to get more of them into my life.

Format:  book vs. ebook vs. audiobook - Nothing has changed since my last review.  I still don't own an e-reader.  I still don't want one.  I'm still old-fashioned. 

Source:  library vs. owned - I'm a little disappointed with this stat.  I wanted to make more of a dent in the books that I own already.  I'd like for next year to have these results be more balanced. 

Female Authors vs. Male Authors:  Girl Power!

Genre: crime/mystery/thriller, ya, memoir/bio, contemporary fiction, historical fiction, short stories, western, horror, children's lit, classics - This is what I said at mid-year, and it remains true:  "I know I read an assortment of genres.  I enjoy mixing it up.  I guess this (again, sorta kinda maybe) shows that is true.  Heavy on the crime/mystery/thrillers."

Ratings:  Obviously, I'm a big fan of giving books high marks.  I think that's a combination of reasons - I've learned what I like and tend to pick up books I know I'll enjoy, I'm not much of a book basher, and if I'm wavering between two ratings, I tend to be generous rather than stingy.  I feel like there were another couple of DNF in the mix though.

Favorites:  I told you about my faves of the year in this post:  Show Us Your Books Best of 2016: The Lucky 13; if you're interested and you missed that post of mine, take a look because I hit several genres with my recommendations.  I am confident there is something there for any reader.

Book Challenges:  You know, I am a book challenge junkie.  Here's a wrap-up of the challenges I participated in 2016:

Book Challenge by Erin 4.0 - read 17/20
Book Challenge by Erin 5.0 - read 20/20
Aussie Author Challenge 2016 - read 12/12
Read My Books Challenge 2016 - read 7 books that I already owned during the month of June
Semi-Charmed Summer Book Challenge 2016 - read 12/12
Semi-Charmed Winter Book Challenge 2016 - I've fumbled the ball on this one, and there's no picking it up - read 5/12
Around the World in 80 Books - read 18/80, but still going with this one; I've given myself a "due date" of my 50th birthday which is YEARS away.
USA Reading Roadtrip - read 6/50; same due date as above

As much as it pains this book challenge junkie's heart, I may sit out of the Semi-Charmed challenges in 2017.  There's a lot of crossover and a little bit of challenge burnout.  I am still passionate about keeping my personal book challenge a source of joy, so others may take a backseat moving forward.

Now, I need to stop posting and start reading.  I'm so behind in my blog reading, and I need to know what is going on in your lives!