Living

I’ve been ferociously reading books lately. It’s like I just rediscovered how great reading is and I need to make up for a slow spring. It’s great. I love it.

Currently Reading…

The Ghost Network: A Novel by Catie DiSabato

I got this from a recommendation based upon the books I’ve recently been reading. I think the topic is really interesting as it deals with the disappearance of a popstar (think Lady Gaga), but I am not loving the style of writing, but I’m hooked at the same time. Kinda when you love to hate something, but do like it. I find it a bit slow but I find it so attention getting.

I’m looking forward to getting to the end, but to just getting to the end, but to see where the story takes me as there so so many pieces to it.

Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio

I took this book from the house in Maine during our last visit in July. I’ve seen it for years in the house and have flipped through it but I finally asked Elaine if I could borrow it.

I’ve slowly been reading this book as it’s not the lightest book to read, but it’s an interesting story (so far) about a young girl with tourettes in the 1950’s in the rural Kentucky. She struggles with relating to her peers and teachers in school, and then her onset of tourettes increases her struggles as she doesn’t understand what is happening to her and her impulses get her in trouble.

I am looking forward to where this book takes Icy.

Just Read These Bad Boys…

Easily Amused by Karen McQuestion

I was going through Amazon’s Kindle Store and found this book in their deals section. I’ve gotten some great books during their flash sales, so I figured I’d try it again with this pick. It had a good rating so I figured I’d give it a spin.

Like some of my other summer reads, I thought that it was light and fun.

The Life List: A Novel by Lori Nelson Spielman

This book was suggested to me from my friend Dawn. I’m glad she suggested it as it was a fun summer read.

I breezed through this book because it was a light read and I enjoyed it so much. I liked how the main character, Brett, rediscovers herself through her old life list. Her journey at finding happiness while abandoning her materialistic life behind her seems sincere and heartfelt. Her struggles are ones that we can relate to in our own ways.

There were points when things seemed a bit vague, like the value of the inheritance, or just came together too well, like Mr. Trenchcoat, but overall it was a book that I enjoyed and would suggest.

It made me want to think back to my old life lists and try to remember what I wrote down to see if I was on the path I imagined when I was a young teenager. I think that while some of my life list goals have changed since then I am still on the right path.

Big Little Lies by Laine Moriarty

I bought this the very afternoon after I finished Moriarty’s The Husband’s Secret. I enjoyed it so much that I had to get another one of her’s ASAP.

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

It’s really amazing what we secrets we keep.

From the little secrets to the big ones. They all impact us in various ways from how to react to others to how we view ourselves. I continued to think about that, and what if’s, while reaching this book. I tried to put myself in the shoes of main characters and imagine what I would do if I was them. It kept me on my toes while I was trying to figure out how the story would reach it’s apex.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

I didn’t love the beginning of it, but once I got about 20-30 pages in I was hooked. HOOKED. I loved reading it. It was so good. I wanted to slap the main character so many times but I still felt invested in her and the story.

I didn’t see the end going the way it did and I loved it for that.

The Boston Girl: A Novel by Anita Diamant

This book is exactly why I love scrapbooking. And blogging!

It was such a wonderful read about a woman recanting her life to her granddaughter. I loved the storytelling aspect of it. It was told in a charming way that made it seem like that grandmother was talking right to you, as well. I found that it was a good reminder that our parents and grandparents lived these amazing lives before us so we really should shit down to take the time to talk to them.

It was set in and around Boston, which I just loved too. As I’ve lived here for the past 12 years, I enjoyed reading about the North End, Brookline, Roxbury, and, the further out, Rockport. I did a lot of googling of places and restaurants after reading about them to pull up old pictures and maps. So fun.

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Be sure to check out my other suggestions:

Book Club.2015 Part 1

Book Club.2014 Part 2

Book Club.2014 Part 1

Please send me some suggestions! xox

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I wish I was able to read as much as I wanted to. I wish I could just curl up with a good book and get lost for hours in the pages full of different settings, characters, and thick plots.

Sadly, life does not afford me that luxury so I typically do most of my reading while on the bus to and from work. Thankfully, I’ve actually been getting up from my desk during lunch to sit outside so I’ve been reading then as well lately. Can’t be summer reading!

I have a big stack of books I still want to conquer this summer. Wish me luck!

Currently Reading…

The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant

It was suggested to me via Kindle after finishing We are Called To Rise. I picked it because I wanted to read this book about an interesting, strong young woman while it was set in Boston a hundred years ago.I just started it so I’ve just dipped my toe into it but so far I like it and it’s fun imagining Boston back then.

Just Read These Bad Boys…

The Ninth Wife by Amy Stolls

I read this in Maine over 4th of July weekend. I really, really enjoyed it. I didn’t want to put it down. There were real moments when I just wouldn’t. Even reading in the car on the way back home, which typically makes me sick.

I liked the story telling as it was Third-Person Point of View, which I think worked well for the story and I don’t often read, so it was a nice change. Plus, the way that the story was broken up with alternating chapters about Bess and Rory. It had a nice flow to it.

The one part that I didn’t like what how the author sorta brushed over an elderly abusive relationship. I understand that relationships are complicated, complex, dynamic, but the way that the author had the main character, Bess, address the abuse seemed flawed or even passive. I dunno.

We are Called to Rise by Laura McBride

I L-O-V-E-D this book.

I came across this book from a suggestion from blogger Stephanie Howell, who has an Instagram account dedicated to her passion for reading. She mentioned how much she loved it so I wanted to give it a try, and I ended up loving it as well.

The book weaves the stories of 3 main characters together in such a way that has you begging for more with each page. I loved the style of writing and story. It was written beautifully and it comes together in the end so well, while still leaving you with so many questions.

Highly recommend this book!

*For years I have followed Stephanie Howell on various social media platforms as she is a fantastic scrapbooker and I have loved her work and style. Like me, her scrapbooking has taken a back seat to the mess of other stuff we juggle in our daily lives, but I have still followed her adventures of rising 4 girls abroad with her military husband. Anyway, she has always been a voracious reader and now she is sharing her passion for books on her blog and new IG account, WhatStephReads. Go follow along and you’ll be sure to get some great reads.

The Heart Collector by Jacques Vandroux

This is written by the same author who wrote The Bone Collector, which was a major motion picture years ago. It started Ashley Judd and I love her so I loved the movie. Anyway, I didn’t immediately realize it was by the same author when I selected it from a few free Kindle books I was offered- love when Kindle does that!

I liked how it blended a bit of fantasy with faith. It did get a bit predictable in the end but it was cool how all the different characters wove together. I liked how the author described the towns and cathedrals where the different murders occurred. It made me want to book a flight to France.

Flirting with Felicity by Gerri Russell

I don’t really read romance novels but I received some free Kindle book offers and selected this one as one of the books to receive.

It was fun and quick to read. Kinda a good summer beach read. I actually read it on the cruise we went on in January.

It sort of reminded me of the Fifty Shades of Grey books, but without the submissive relationship and (excessively) described sex. The story was pretty typical – strong, yet poor girl meets rich, flawed guy, at first there is friction, but once they get to know each other and let their guards down they fall for each other. If you like romance novels then I bet you will like this.

The Book of Joe: A Novel by Jonathan Tropper

This book reminded me of a s007-08 show called October Road, which also features a national bestselling author, who wrote some not so nice things about his hometown, and has to goes back years later. He discovers a lot about himself and the people that he left behind.

I can’t get enough of Jonathan Tropper’s writing style. I loved how raw and real he makes the characters, and Joe is pretty flawed so it’s a good read to read about his complex feelings. He struggles with a lot to find happiness and I think that we can all relate to that feeling at various points in our lives so you can connect with him and you really root for him, even when he is acting like a jerk,

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Please send me some suggestions! xox

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