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.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?

Show Us Your Books Best of 2016: The Lucky 13

This post has been thrown together in the quickest of fashions...a lot of copying and pasting...I give no apologies.  Excuse the typos or edits needed.  I'm not even proofreading.  But, but, but how could I not participate in an annual wrap-up of my favorite link-up?!?  Thank you to Jana and Steph for another amazing year of hosting this wonderful community of booklovers.

Crime/Mystery/Thrillers:

The first book that I read all year quite possibly is one of my favorite thrillers, unexpectedly, that I've read in years:  I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh.  My review for this one: 
"Thriller readers: read this book. You know when you're reading and think you've got it figured out...then you change your mind... then think "well, maybe"... then you are completely wrong...then you are kinda correct, but there's a twist...then you've figured part of it out but it doesn't matter because the book is still so good? That was this book for me. I stayed up past my bedtime because I couldn't put it down. There was a teensy tinsy part of the end that bothered me, but I still highly recommend to those who like this genre."

January offered up another unexpected thriller:  The Silent Girls by Eric Rickstad.  What I said about it at the time:  "

"I had never even heard of Eric Rickstad, but the book sounded like one I might like. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery, the characters, and how the storyline came together with some loose ends that left me wanting more. 4.5/5" It must've been my year for stumbling upon new authors and great crime/mystery/thriller books because here's another one:  Resurrection Bay by Emma Viskic "You know how some thrillers like to slowly build with a foundation and character development before the action takes off? Not this one. On page one, the lead character is holding his murdered best friend in his arms. Action from the start! I enjoyed the story set in Melbourne and Resurrection Bay (not sure if this is an actual place or not), Victoria, Australia. It had me guessing and re-thinking my opinions about where it was going and who were the villains. The pace was quick, and some twists were unexpected. I enjoyed the characters. Admittedly, I'm unaware of any book that I've read with a deaf protagonist. That element to the story was an interesting addition to a crime-based thriller. If you can get your hand on this one, I recommend it." Don Winslow's follow-up to The Power of the Dog (a book on my Best of 2015 list) was phenomenal:  The Cartel by Don Winslow. "Think The Godfather; instead of The Mafia, it focuses on Mexican drug cartels. No, not The Godfather. That isn't violent or horrific enough. Think The Sopranos multiplied by 1000. And, to think, I've been to every border town that is featured: Juarez, Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo, and Tijuana. I think that made the book all the more intriguing. And frightening. This book is not for the faint at heart. The violence is ruthless and plentiful. The characters are well-written, and I was cheering for some, aching for others, scared to death of the villains. Both of these books (this is a sequel to The Power of the Dog ) would make epic movies. I looked at the author's website, and guess what, they are in "pre-production" for movies." When asked my favorite author, I often reply "John Sandford" because I've read the most books by him than any other.  I am loyal to both his Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport series, and this year's Davenport installment was a big winner for me:  Extreme Prey by John Sandford.  Honestly, I do not think you'd need to read any previous books in the series to enjoy this one (if you like these kinds of books.) Another favorite author that I'm loyal to?  Karin Slaughter, and this year's Will Trent book was another great one for me:  The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter. "The story is gripping, and the characters are well-developed. Stories that are inter-connected include foster care, child abuse, personal relationships, domestic violence, parental relationships, the power of sports stars, and more. Does that seem like too much? It isn't. Slaughter works all of the stories together to make for a great read."                   Non-Fiction: My favorite friend who I've known for over 20 years recommended this book to me.  I don't think she's ever steered me wrong with a book recommendation:  Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall, Denver Moore, and Lynn Vincent.  My review: "A memoir that is almost impossible for me to "review". Uplifting, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking. Culturally and socially, this book is educational. Morally, this book is inspirational. Lessons of love, faith, forgiveness, change, philanthropy, and more. I respected the honest (sometimes brutally, painfully honest) description of the pain and suffering of a terminal illness. It made the other parts of the story carry merit and truth...parts that a reader could assume were sensationalized or exaggerated. For any person of faith, read this book. For others, read this book. Everyone, read this book." My review for Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming sums up what I thought of the book at the time, but it doesn't tell you that his story has still stuck with me months after reading it: "Alan Cumming is an example of living a childhood with violence, fear, self-doubt, and self-loathing...yet he did not let his past define him or ruin him. He learned, grew, and came out a stronger, healthier person because of it. A really interesting memoir of the past and present. I need to look up his "Who Do You Think You Are?" episode... 4.5/5" Cultural/Historical Fiction: I have repeatedly praised this book and author, and I'm happy to see other book lovin' bloggers agree with me:  The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi.  My thoughts that I shared at the time: "If you've read Khaled Hosseini's books and found them fascinating and powerful, then add this to your "to read" list. A captivating book that is both emotional and educational about two generations of Afghan women who faced hardships including abuse (physical, sexual, verbal, emotional), loss, loneliness, abandonment, betrayal, and more. If you are like me, you'll read this book, then want to go save alllllll the girls of the world that are denied opportunities and treated as inferiors for being female." I am a self-professed Ruta Sepetys fangirl.  Every book of hers I've rated 5 stars.  Out of the Easy is:

"Colorful characters, an intriguing story, and a depiction of seedy New Orleans in the 1950s come together for a delightful book. Highly recommend." I suppose you'd call this a "western" too, but I loved loved loved The Thicket by Joe Lansdale.  The characters are quirky...but warning: the story is violent.  It's a little like a Tarantino movie wrapped up in a novel. YA: I owned this book for almost a year before I picked it up to read.  Shame on me.  I should've dove into this story sooner:  I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. "Heartbreak, art, family, love, tragedy, self-discovery, and a little whimsy too. Some parts of the story, I predicted; others, I didn't...but I enjoyed the ride. I had high expectations, and this book exceeded them." Contemporary/Literary Fiction: Jana praised this and told all of us to read this.  I finally did and was not disappointed:  Please Come Back from the Moon by Dean Bakopoulos. "I really enjoy when certain aspects of a story are left open for personal interpretation. This book has that element and so much more. There are layers of lightness and darkness, and the storytelling is both easy, yet heavy. I have no idea how to adequately review this book expect to say I loved it."

Have you read any of these?  Or are they on your tbr list?

Olympic Book Tag

Shannon started it...

Then, Kristen and Kristen joined the fun...

And Rose...

And Bev...

And Jenn...

(and if there are others I'm missing, share them with me because I'd LOVE to read them!)

How could I pass up a post like this?

A Book I Loved from the First Page:  This is the first paragraph of the Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys:  "My mother's a prostitute. Not the filthy, streetwalking kind. She's actually quite pretty, fairly well spoken, and has lovely clothes. But she sleeps with men for money or gifts, and according to the dictionary, that makes her a prostitute."  I was immediately invested in the story.

Favorite Road Trip Book:  Violet and Finch explore their home state of Indiana through some adventures similar to a scavenger hunt in All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, but this book is about so.much.more than that.

A Book with a Good Love Triangle:  The love triangle of Ridge, Sydney, and Maggie is heart-breaking and well-written.  It's YA, and yes, there's some cheesiness, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover. 

A Book I Really Didn't "Get":  Sorry, not sorry.  To me, there is nothing sexy, attractive, or appealing about Christian Grey.  The believability factor was completely off the map for me with 50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James.  I quit it with only 50 pages to go because I just did not care what happened.

A Book Set in the Summer:  Released under two different names, Vanessa Lafaye's Summertime (or Under a Dark Summer Sky) is set in the Florida Keys during 1935 Hurricane Season.  A book about relationships, duty, racism, love, small town dynamics, crime, life after war, death, a hurricane, and loss, there are just so many reasons why I loved this book.

A Book with a lot of Fighting/Bloodshed:  Don Winslow's epic saga portrayed in The Power of the Dog and it's follow-up, The Cartel is a realistic account of Mexican drug cartels and the "war on drugs".  Guess what.  There's A LOT of violence, fighting, death, and bloodshed in that world.  A lot.  Not for the faint at heart, but so, so good.

A Book with a lot of Plot Twists:  After reading I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh, this is what I had to say:  "You know when you're reading and think you've got it figured out...then you change your mind... then think 'well, maybe'... then you are completely wrong...then you are kinda correct, but there's a twist...then you've figured part of it out but it doesn't matter because the book is still so good? That was this book for me. I stayed up past my bedtime because I couldn't put it down."

A Book that Made Me Sob:  Others have listed this one as well, but I posted photographic proof that Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale did indeed make me sob black mascara streaks down my face.

A Slow Paced Book:  I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid is so slow that I almost quit it, and I don't quit books often.  Then, the last third of it (or quarter of it), it changed, picked up the pace, and I felt like I was watching a horror movie.

A Childhood Favorite:  The Poky Little Puppy is the book that I remember begging anyone and everyone to read it to me.  I loved it so much, I wanted to learn to read just so I could read this book.

A Book Featuring Animal(s):  The love I feel for The Thicket by Joe R. Lansdale is all about the cast of characters: a teenager who is chasing after a group of men who kidnapped his sister, Jack Parker, a charismatic "bounty-hunting dwarf named Shorty, a grave-digging son of an ex-slave named Eustace, and a street-smart woman-for-hire named Jimmie Sue" plus a wild hog that truly is a character all himself.

A Book I Struggled to Finish:  Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs - ** SPOILER ALERT ** This book and I didn't click. Sure, I could find the hilarity in the absurdity. But some of the severity of the dysfunction (particularly the graphic sexual abuse of a young teen boy by an adult, and the acceptance and encouragement by other adults for this "relationship" to take place) was so disturbing that I couldn't take the hiding behind humor and shock value as the only view presented.

A Book with a Great Friendship:  There is so much beauty to The Book Thief by Markus Zusak including both of Liesel's significant friendships: with Rudy and with Max.  A very close runner-up that is also WWII based is The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne and the friendship of Bruno and Shmuel. 

A Book that Actually Features Olympic Sports:  When I first created this list, I thought of The Book Thief for this category because Rudy idolized the great Olympian Jesse Owens.  But, the story of the friendships was much more important, so it went to the category above.  Then, I realized I had no rock bio in my list, and I read many rock bios.  In It's So Easy by Duff McKagan (bass player and founding member of Guns N Roses and other bands), he discusses at length the many tools he learned to fight addiction and excess.  One of the disciplines he practices is cycling. 

I've discussed almost all of these books in the past, but this was such a fun way to compile them in this post.  Won't you join in the Olympic Book Tag fun?  If you don't create your own post, then at least tell me at least one book for one category that you'd select.