My Week in Books {9/9/20}

We went on vacation! It was amazing to walk away from the craziness that Coronavirus has instilled in our daily lives and just forget it all for awhile. I didn’t get a lot of reading done while we were away, but I certainly enjoyed some family time and I’m looking forward to the next vacation already!

Before getting to my weekly reading update, here are a few of my recent posts in case you missed them:

• #6Degrees: From Rodham to Eligible
• My Week in Books {9/2/20}
• September 2020 TBR
• August 2020 Reading Wrap-Up

Last Week’s Reads:

*** Shiner by Amy Jo Burns

I love dark and gritty novels and I’m adding this one to my list of good ones! A dark and twisted story that takes place in the Appalachian Mountains, Wren is raised by a snake-handling father and a mother that only ever wanted to escape this place with her best friend, Ivy. One day, Ivy walks into a fire and Wren’s father performs a healing on her…thus, setting in motion a series of events that changes everything.

It feels like books that are written in Appalachia always seem to have a strong sense of place (The Line That Held Us, Sugar Run, My Absolute Darling). Shiner is also atmospheric; at times the descriptions made me feel like I was sitting in those mountains myself. The themes of religion, loyalty, and friendship make this a story that will stick with me for awhile.

Current Reads:

*** The Regrets by Amy Bonnaffons

I enjoy Bonnaffons writing style, but I’m not sure my attention can be sustained long enough to finish it. 🤷🏼‍♀️

*** Let the People Pick the President: The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College by Jesse Wegman

I think this book is incredibly timely given that an extremely important election is right around the corner, but I can only do small doses at a time. I’m trying to read a few chapters a day and they are super interesting and informative so far!

*** The Bright Lands by John Fram

I’ve heard mixed thoughts on this one and so far I’m finding the writing a little choppy and disjointed but I really need to give it a bit longer to make a final decision!

DNF (aka: Not For Me and/or Skipping For Now):

*** The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult

I’m 40% in and this one is just not working for me. I’m ususally a fan of Jodi Picoult, but there’s too much of the book that feels like it’s trying to teach me something – Egyptology…and while it’s fascinating, it’s too heavy and doesn’t have enough plot to balance it out.

(#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.)