I wanted to pop in and share some books that I've read in the last few months - I've soared past my original reading goal of thirty-two books for this year, we shall see how many I actually end up reading before the year is done! I'm really enjoying being able to read so much again and felt like my love of reading has really flourished this year - so on to the books!
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow - This was such a unique read! The synopsis on Book of the Month reeled me in and I'm so glad I chose it as my Book of the Month for October; it was delightfully spooky and mysterious, definitely a different kind of book and very interesting! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Opal is a lot of things - orphan, high school dropout, full-time cynic and part-time cashier - but above all, she's determined to find a better life for her younger brother Jasper. One that gets them out of Eden, Kentucky, a town remarkable for only two things: bad luck and E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth century author of The Underland, who disappeared over a hundred years ago.
All she left behind were dark rumors - and her home. Everyone agrees that it's best to ignore the uncanny mansion and it's misanthropic heir, Arthur. Almost everyone, anyway. Opal has been obsessed with The Underland since she was a child. When she gets the change to step inside Starling House - and make some extra cash for her brother's escape fund - she can't resist.
But sinister forces are digging deeper into the buried secrets of Starling House, and Arthur's own nightmares have become far too real. As Eden itself seems to be drowning in it own ghosts, Opal realizes that she might have found a reason to stick around.
The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin - What a strange book that twisted and turned into a conclusion I wasn't expecting... Okay, I saw part of it coming. But the other portion of the twist came out of left field and left me feeling a little perplexed. ⭐⭐⭐
Sarah Slade is starting over. As the new owner of the infamous Black Wood House - the scene of a grisly murder-suicide - she's determined that the fixer-upper will help reach a new audience on her successful lifestyle blog & distract her from her failing marriage. But as Sarah paints over the house's horrifying past, she knows better than anyone that a new facade can't conceal every secret.
Then the builders start acting erratically & experiencing bizarre accidents - & Sarah knows there's only so long she can continue to sleep in the bedroom with the bloodstained floor & suffer the mysterious footsteps she hears from the attic. When menacing notes start appearing everywhere, Sarah becomes convinced that someone or something is out to kill her - her husbands, her neighbors, maybe even the house itself.
The more she remodels Black Wood House, the angrier it seems to become. With every passing moment, Sarah's life spirals further out of control - and with it, her sense of reality. Thought she desperately clings to the lies she's crafted to conceal her own secrets, Sarah Slade must wonder... was it all worth it? Or will this house be her final unraveling?
Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar Dillard - Oh man! I certainly watched 19 Kids & Counting when I was younger and while I thought the Duggars were a little out there, I had no idea the extent of cult-like behavior going on within this family. I have been blown away by the revelations that have surfaced in the last ten years and Jill's book was a riveting read of the courage it took her to break away from a horrible situation. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jill & Derick knew a normal life wasn't possible for them. As a star on the popular TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting, Jill grew up in front of viewers who were fascinated by her family's way of life. She was the responsible, second daughter of Jim Bob & Michelle's nineteen kids; always with a baby on her hip & happy to wear the modest ankle-length dresses with throat-high necklines. She didn't protest the strict model of patriarchy that her family followed, which declares that men are superior, that women are expected to be wives & mothers & are discouraged from attaining a higher education, & that parental authority over their children continues well into adulthood, even once they are married.
But as Jill got older, married Derick & they embarked on their own lives, the red flags became too obvious to ignore. For as long as they could, Jill & Derick tried to be obedient family members - they weren't willing to rock the boat. But now they're raising a family of their own, & they're done with secrets. Thanks to time, tears, therapy & blessings from God, they have the strength to share their journey. Theirs is a remarkable story of the power of the truth & is a moving example of how to find healing through honesty.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - This read was inspired by finding the TV show of the same name available on HBO for "spooky season". I'd always wanted to watch it but didn't have AMC+.. and I also didn't know it was based on a book. Once I knew that, I had to snag a copy! It was a perfect read for the "spooky season" and I especially enjoyed that it was set in Oxford - a place I've become familiar with in the last few years! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.
Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old & distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance & a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, & a horde of daemons, witches & vampires soon descend upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries - & she is the only creature who can break it's spell.
Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont & gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that will violate age-old taboos.
You Again by Kate Goldbeck - When I started this book, I really thought I wouldn't like it... the language is a little more crude than I'm usually comfortable with and some of the character relationships aren't my thing (content warning - I suppose) and I initially didn't love the characters. They grew on me as I read the book, just like the story grew on me and in the end, I really enjoyed this book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
When Ari & Josh first meet, the wrong kind of sparks fly. They hate each other. Instantly. A free-spirited, struggling comedian who likes to keep things casual, Ari sublets, takes gigs and she never sleeps over after hooking up. Born-and-bred Manhattanite Josh has ambitious plans: Take the culinary world by storm, find The One, and make her breakfast in his spotless kitchen. They have absolutely nothing in common.. except they happen to be sleeping with the same woman.
Ari & Josh never expect their paths to cross again. But years later, as they're both feeling from ego-bruising breakups, a chance encounter leads to a surprising connection: friendship. Turns out, spending time with your former nemesis is fun when you're too sad to hate each other - and too sad for hate sex.
As friends-without-benefits, they find comfort in late-night Netflix binges, swiping through each other's online dating profiles, and bickering across boroughs. It's better than romance. Until one night, the unspoken boundaries of their platonic relationship begin to blur.
The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigliani - A book set during WWII is always one I'm interested in and this one took place in Italy; a different location than many of the books I've read. The Italian and Scottish families in these books were lovable, the storyline was touching and I learned more about the hardships Italians in the UK faced during WWII. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Matelda, the Cabrelli family's matriarch, has always been brusque & opinionated. Now, as she faces the end of her life, she is determined to share a long-held secret with her family about her own mother's great love story: with her childhood friend, Silvio, and with dashing Scottish sea captain John Lawrie McVicars, the father Matelda never knew...
In the halcyon past, Domenica Cabrelli thrives in the coastal town of Viareggio until her beloved home becomes unsafe when Italy teeters on the brink of World War II. Her journey takes her from the rocky shores of Marseille to the mystical beauty of Scotland to the dangers of wartime Liverpool - where Italian Scots are imprisoned without cause - as Domenica experiences love, loss and grief while she longs for home. A hundred years later, her daughter, Matelda, and her granddaughter, Anina, face the same big questions about life & their family's legacy, while Matelda contemplates what is worth fighting for.
But Matelda is running out of time, and the two timelines intersect & weave together in unexpected & heartbreaking ways that lead the family to shocking revelations & ultimately, redemption.
Some other books I've read in the last few months and enjoyed: She Started It by Sian Gilbert, The Only One Left by Riley Sager, Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Canas, To Sir Philip, with Love by Julia Quinn and Heirloom Rooms by Erin Napier.
Any good suggestions? Feel free to share them in the comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment