Because I needed that two-month break, you're now getting a two month catch up on what I was reading during that non-blogging time. Get ready.
In March I read six books for a total of 2,247 pages. That's an average of 72 pages a day. It brings my yearly total to 23 books and 8,220 pages. Add another nine books in April for a total of 3,024 pages. It's an average of 101 pages a day and that brings the yearly total to 32 books and 11,244 pages through the first quarter of the year.
What'd I read?
March
Finding Perfect by Susan Mallery
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
Only Mine by Susan Mallery
Only Yours by Susan Mallery
One Wish by Robyn Carr
Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard by Laura Bates
April
The Look of Love by Sarah Jio
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Only His by Susan Mallery
Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
Summer Days by Susan Mallery
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami
Summer Nights by Susan Mallery
All Summer Long by Susan Mallery
I Was Here by Gayle Forman
And now for the brief reviews, complete with number of stars given out on GoodReads. Follow me here if you’d like a more timely update on what I’m reading, what I think and what’s been added to my to-read list.
Finding Perfect; Only Mine; Only Yours; Only His; Summer Days; Summer Nights and All Summer Long by Susan Mallery (all ***)These get thrown into one snippet because they're all part of the same Fool's Gold series. All quick, easy, boy-meets-girl type romances. Yes, they're a little predictable and a little cheesey, but I like them.
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty ***
Not my favorite Liane Moriarty book. It was an interesting idea - woman falls at the gym and loses the last 10 years worth of memories - but the first half really dragged. Second half was more readable.
One Wish by Robyn Carr **Flat. Didn't care about the characters. Still wondering how this ended up on my "to read" list. Don't bother.
Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard by Laura Bates ***
This was a community read thing offered through my library. No waiting list for a book? Sign me up. It was an interesting read, seeing how prison inmates connected with Shakespeare, but it got a little long. Made me want to revisit Shakespeare myself.
The Look of Love by Sarah Jio ***
Not bad. Nothing really stands out though.
Seriously, the best book I've read this year. So different from any other World War II ear book I've read. It was a great story with characters who really came alive. Very hard to put this down. Go to your library or bookstore and get your hands on a copy of this book and start reading it now.
Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver ***
Interesting read. I figured there was a twist, but wasn't quite expecting what that twist ended up being.
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami **
I write for a living and I enjoy running long distances. So this should have been great. It wasn't. It had bright spots - moments when I went "YES!" - but more often than not I was annoyed with the writer's style and his tendency to repeat things over and over and over again. I think I need to give up on memoirs.
I Was Here by Gayle Forman ***
I was disappointed. I've really liked other stuff by Gayle Forman (If I Stay and Where She Went), but this just wasn't as good.
So that's what I spent two months reading. And of course, I have a stack of stuff just waiting to be taken off the pile and read this month. I need a job where I'm just paid to read. Too many books. What are you reading?
