I love to read! For the last year or so, I've really picked up the pace of my reading, and gotten more and more into posting reviews on Goodreads and sharing on my social media. Since I already have this blog set up as a platform, I thought it would be fun to publish an article once per month that summarizes the books I've read and my reviews, so that they would be all in the same place.
So, here's my first month of trying this new thing out. I hope if you are a fellow reader, you find this helpful. Leave me a comment and let me know!
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The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers
Beautifully written. The author does an amazing job of intertwining the story of the main character's ancestors - who are Black, white and Indigenous - with the story of Ailey's life growing up in the north, but with her roots and family in the south. This one is long and intense, but well worth the read. Five out of five stars!!
To purchase the book on Amazon, click here.
Missing You by Harlan Coben
It had been awhile since I read a thriller, so I randomly grabbed this one off the shelf of my local library. Pretty pleased with my pick. This one has lots of twists and turns that really keep you guessing. Characters are likeable, so you are rooting for them. Definitely a page turner! Four out of five stars!
To purchase the book on Amazon, click here.
This Vicious Grace (The Last Finestra, #1) by Emily Thiede
I wasn't sure how I was going to like this one, because it's not a genre I would normally read. But, I absolutely loved it. It had a little bit of a Hunger Games vibe going. A really sweet love story and just a great story that kept me turning the pages. Finished it in two days because I couldn't put it down. On to read the second book in the series! Five out of five stars!
To purchase this book on Amazon, click here.
This Cursed Light (The Last Finestra, #2) by Emily Thiede
I received this book as an ARC from Goodreads. This is the second book in a two part series, and the publishers were generous to send me the first book, "This Vicious Grace", as well so I could read both. I rated the first book a five star, and give the second the same. In the second book, Dante and Alessa - along with their friends - have a second battle to fight to save the world. The book is full of action, as well as the highs and lows of Dante and Alessa's continued love story. Absolutely love this series and this author. Five out of five stars!
This book will be released on December 5, 2023. To pre-order your copy on Amazon, click here.
Verity by Colleen Hoover
Talk about twisted! This is one twisted book. In fact, I could see where it might be difficult for some people to read, as some of the main character's "autobiography" within the book is so twisted, it makes you question whether anyone can be that warped. And if you think the ending will give you all the answers, think again. Just short of a five star for me, but good enough that I stayed up late last night to finish it. Four out of five stars!
To purchase this book on Amazon, click here.
November 9 by Colleen Hoover
I'm totally torn on how to rate this book. When I first started reading it, I wasn't impressed. I didn't care for either of the lead characters in the "first year" they knew each other, and the whole thing seemed contrived. Then I started getting sucked in to their love story, and found myself wanting to find out how it ended. I went from thinking I would give this a low rating, to thinking I would give it a high rating. But the Ben character really gives me some pause. At the end of the day, I'll go down the middle. A page turner in the second half, but not thrilled with the characters and some of the things that happen in this book. Three out of five stars.
To purchase this book Amazon, click here.
Radical: A Life Of My Own by Xiaolu Guo
I received this ARC from Goodreads in exchange for my honest review. his is the author's story of a period in her life when she lived in NYC and London. She had been living in NYC when the Covid pandemic happened, and she had to return to London to her child and the child's father. The author bases each small section on a different word - using both the English and Chinese version of the word. While it can be disjointed at times, you do get a good sense of her journey through this time period. Four out of five stars!
To purchase this book on Amazon, click here.
Loving Our Own Bones: Disability Wisdom and the Spiritual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole by Julia Watts Belser
I won this book on a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. First, let me start by saying that the book does center on religion and specifically how disability is tied to certain stories in the Bible and in religion, generally. That really isn't something I am specifically into reading about, but I'm going to put that aside as part of my review of the book. However, if religion, the Bible and God are not your thing, you may want to pass on this book. Second, depending on your religious beliefs, this book definitely challenges many of the more "traditional" beliefs. Having said all of that as the preface to this, I think the book was very well written. Although the writer's disability is physical, and she focuses on the challenges she faces living life in a wheelchair, she also addresses other types of disability - whether related to hearing, sight, mental or emotional disabilities. To me, this was worth the read to have some eye opening insight into challenges that people with disabilities face, and things that those of us without disabilities take for granted. And while I wasn't a fan of the parts that delved into specific stories of the Bible, I found the parts that dealt with the author's perspective on many things that we often hear - God will heal you, prayer will heal you, you were given your disability by God because he knew you could handle it - were very enlightening. Four out of five stars!
To purchase this book on Amazon, click here.
For Rosie by Marnie Vinge
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is a great thriller. Although you have a feeling that one of the main characters is going to turn out to be the serial killer that killed Winona's best friend years before, the way the author plays out the story leaves you guessing until the end. The author does a great job of developing the characters, and you really feel the pain that Winona experiences throughout the book. My one critique is that it wasn't as action packed and suspenseful as a typical thriller until the last chapter or two. But definitely enjoyed it and recommend if you are a fan of the genre. Four out of five stars!
To purchase this book on Amazon, click here.
Limp Forward: A Memoir of Disability, Perseverance, and Success by Libo Cao Meyers
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book. I am a bit of an overachiever, and saw many of my tendencies and characteristics in Libo. Although I have to say that what she's accomplished and the schedule she's maintained in her daily life, makes me exhausted even thinking about it. And while the title implies that the book will be primarily about Libo overcoming her physical disability, it is about so much more. Very inspiring and it will make you appreciate what you have! Four out of five stars!
To purchase this book on Amazon, click here.
Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed by Dashka Slater
I received a free copy of this book as a Goodreads giveaway and am providing an honest review. The topic of this book is so important. It's a lesson in how social media, when used in the wrong way, can negatively impact so many people so quickly. It's also a lesson in how racism should never be taken lightly or turned into a joke. The author did a great job of stating the facts and telling both sides of the story. It was written in a style that was easy to digest, and told more like a story than a work of non-fiction. Definitely worth the read. Four out of five stars!
To purchase this book on Amazon, click here.
The Last Time You Called by Carmi Heyman
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I found this book to start a little slow and to be a little hard to figure out who was who and what was happening. The author goes between the two main characters - one is present day with Cat, and one is six months ago with Lisa. About halfway through the book, however, the plot really picks up and gets interesting. There are lots of twists and turns as the story unfolds and you learn how Lisa and Cat's lives are intertwined. A definite page turner and an excellent read! Four out of five stars!
This book will be released on October 13, 2023. To pre-order your copy on Amazon, click here.
The Professor by Lauren Nossett
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a great thriller, with lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end. In fact, just when you think you have it all figured out, the book throws you for a loop in the last couple of pages. This is evidently second in a series, but the author includes enough of the back story from the first book, that it's not an issue to read this one as a standalone. Four out of five stars!
This book will be released on November 14, 2023. To pre-order your copy on Amazon, click here.
I Remember Everything by Marnie Vinge
So many twists and turns in this one. Just when you think you have it figured out, the story throws you for a loop. This is the second book I've read by thus author, and I love her writing style. Her dark thrillers are really becoming a favorite. I received this advanced copy for free, and am writing an honest review. Five out of five stars!
To purchase this book on Amazon, click here.
So, that's a wrap on the books I read in September. I hope you find some that you are interested in. I'd love to hear from you if you check some of these out!
What books do you recommend I read next? Let me know! Comment below or e-mail me at tips2livebywriter@gmail.com.
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