My Week in Books {10/29/19}

We got our first snow this week…yay and nay. (If you know, you know.)

Listen, I don’t h a t e snow, I just don’t love it. And the older I get, the less I like it. 😬

I have been trying to get some spooky/Halloween/witchy/mysterious vibe books out of the way while I’m still in October, and I’m getting ready to switch gears to #NonficNov. (I hope you’ll join me for that blogging event; it’s the first time I’ve ever participated! My first post will be up on Wednesday.)

What have you been reading (and loving) this week?

Last Week’s Reads:

The Night Circus by: Erin Morgenstern (Doubleday) – Pub Date: September 13, 2011

The thing I loved about this book the most was the atmospheric writing. I was immediately transported to a magical place full of wonders my mind could hardly fathom. Morgenstern is so descriptive that I could see the circus so vividly, it felt like I was watching a movie (which I can’t wait to see!). I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that paints the setting so intensely. About the last ⅓ of the book, the pace picks up quite a bit, and I wish there was more of that momentum throughout. At times, it felt like a book solely about setting, and I wanted some plot and character development. The last ⅓ of the book has it all, which saved this from being a total bust of a read for me. Overall, I enjoyed this book and can see why it’s a favorite of many people. I actually think this is one of those books that gets better every time you read it. There’s a lot to grasp and knowing certain things heading in can allow you to almost feel like you’re reading a new book every time!

A Nearly Normal Family by: M.T. Edvardsson (Celadon) – Pub Date: June 25, 2019

A man is murdered and a pastor’s teenage daughter is arrested. From there, the book is broken into three parts – one from the father’s perspective, one from the accused teenager’s perspective, and one from the mother’s perspective. It’s a complex weave that slowly unfolds. This was a page turner. I loved the format. It kind of gave me Miracle Creek vibes throughout, so if you liked that one, give this one a try. There were a few instances where I felt like I had to suspend belief in the story, but it still worked. Also, the story felt familiar to me and I totally figured out the ending early on. Unfortunately, I think that will make it less memorable for me. However, this was an incredibly popular book this summer and I’d still recommend it to anyone that enjoys a quick mystery read with complicated family issues.

The Need by: Helen Phillips (Simon & Schuster) – Pub Date: July 9, 2019

There’s so much going on in this book…and I think it’s best to go in blind. I can’t really say much beyond the fact that this is a twisty, psychological thriller – and even though I’ve now finished it, I’m still not sure what happened. Know this heading in though: the writing is amazing, the mysterious element of it is well-executed, and it’s one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. This would be a fabulous pick for a book club because there’s SO MUCH to talk about…and I believe there can be multiple interpretations! I think it would be fun to hear everyone debate their thoughts out.

*** Toil & Trouble: A Memoir by: Augusten Burroughs (St. Martin’s) – Pub Date: October 1, 2019

I recently read (and LOVED) Dry by Burroughs and was so excited to read this new memoir by him where he claims that he and many of his maternal family members are real witches. While many of his examples are more what I’d call coincidental or intuitional, this book at least made me question that I might be wrong in how I categorize these kinds of events. Also, I might be a witch because lots of things like similar to this happen to me.🧙🏼‍♀️ In all seriousness, the book is a quick read and I enjoyed it; it just wasn’t as good as Dry was (in my opinion).

Currently Reading:

*** Modern Love: True Stories of Love, Loss, and Redemption by: Daniel Jones (Broadway Books) – Pub Date: September 3, 2019

Still making my way through this one and I’m liking it. I got a little sidetracked by watching the Modern Love series on Amazon, which is amazing! I’m really loving that! I’m not reading this one as quickly because I only read it before bed, but the short stories are sweet.

DNF (aka: Not For Me):

Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions by: Russell Brand (Henry Holt) – Pub Date: October 3, 2017

Confession time: When I’m in the moment and reading this book, I really enjoy it. But it is so hard to find the motivation to pick it back up after I’ve set it down. This seems to be a real thing for me with the self-help genre – they’ve got loads of information that I love to think about and reflect on, but they do not hold my attention for long. One of my goals for the year is to not read books that make me feel like they’re hard to pick up, so I’m giving up on this one. But know that it’s more likely a personal issue than it is anything else. (Though I thought the punctuation was atrocious in this book. I’m wondering if it was a cultural issue?? There were so many run-ons!)

(#partner #freebooks: All books noted by asterisks (***) indicate I received the book for free from the publisher, the author, or another promotional company to review. All opinions are my own.)