What a week of reading!  For clarification, my “week” is Saturday-Friday, so a lot of my reading time takes place on the weekend.  I also hit a big book slump this week; one of the problems with reading so many books!

What I read this week:

She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran: READ IT (with warning)! This was an uber-creepy book set in Vietnam.  In order for Jade to get the money she needs for college, she’s agreed to spend time with her father in the French colonial house he’s restoring.   She’s always had to lie to fit in, so this shouldn’t be a challenge.  But her father is obsessed with this house,  putting all of his resources into it.  Yet night after night, Jade wakes up to the sound of the walls thrumming, and bug carcasses keep appearing despite her frequent cleaning.  At night, the ghost of a young bride visits her, warning her not to eat.  Her father and younger sister don’t believe her, so she has to find evidence to prove her suspicions.  They have ancestral ties to this home; strong and deadly ties they must break if they want to survive.

The warning: bugs.  Lots of bugs. Apparently I wasn’t aware to how nauseated they made me.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers: READ THIS NOW!  I wrote out a long synopsis of this book, which I ultimately deleted. Part of the journey in reading this book is for the reader to reveal it on their own.  This is the sort of book that warms your heart and soul.  I’m so thrilled this is just the first book in a new series!   These are short novellas, so I’d get this and the second book, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, too!

Book Lovers by Emily Henry: READ IT.  READ ALL OF HER BOOKS!  It’s been a practice of mine to always have an Emily Henry book, unread, in my TBR stack.   Her books are the perfect medicine for whatever ails you.  This one is my favorite.  The setting, the characters, I loved every bit of it.

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover: Don’t Read It.  I’ve never read any of Hoover’s books, so I don’t understand the craze.  I caved.  While I can see (but not agree with) why people may enjoy her books, it’s just not my cup of tea.  Consider this the book version of a “thank you bite.”

What Have We Done by Alex Finlay: Read it. Three completely unique individuals were once the best of friends.  They grew up together in a group home over twenty years ago.  They’ve since grown and lead accomplished but troubled lives.  They haven’t seen or spoken to one another in years, so why is someone trying to kill them?  The only way to survive is to reawaken the buried memories of their childhoods and face the secret that has haunted them all these years.

Super fast and intense read, one that I can easily imagine as a movie.  The characters are all flawed and damaged, but that’s what makes them so believable.

The Night Travelers by Armando Lucas Correa: Did not finish.  I really wanted to read this one; I was sold by the premise (a young woman gives birth to a mixed-race daughter in Nazi Germany)  but I couldn’t get into it.  I got through half of the book, but the jumping around in time and place lost me.  I think there was a huge portion of this book that could have easily been cut-out to keep the reader engaged.

The Perfect Predator: A Scientist’s Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug by Steffanie Strathdee, Thomas Patterson: READ IT.    This is actually a memoir, but read like a thriller!  An epidemiologist and her psychologist husband are traveling to Egypt when he comes down with what they think was a stomach bug.   He quickly turns critical, and after being transported via emergency medevac, they learn he is fighting an antibiotic-resistant bacteria.   Fortunately, they have connections that allow them access to world-class medical treatments and staff who are willing to try anything to save him.  What saves his life is a treatment that ceased over 100 years ago after the discovery of antibiotics, the “perfect predator” that can kill the most deadly of bacteria.  Honestly, I did find myself skimming some of the overly-medical bits, but my favorite parts were the chapters in which Tom, the patient, shared his dreams while he was under.  Truly fascinating to witness the experience from his point of view!

Whew…that was a lot!  Now what’s up for me next week:

• The Kindred by Alechia Dow
• Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
• Paradise-1 by David Wellington

What a wonderful week of reading! Talk about an eclectic selection of books!

Books Read This Week

Wilder Women by Ruth Emmie Lang:  Nora Wilder disappeared five years ago, leaving her two daughters behind.  The daughters have been separated; Zadie lives on her own and Finn has spent the last few years in a loving foster home.  Reunited at Finn’s high school graduation party, the sisters plan to go on a beach trip to reconnect.  Both Wilder girls have special abilities; Zadie has psychic abilities and Finn can see the echoes of others’ memories.   Their trip changes when Finn experiences one of the strongest “echoes” of her life, leaving her with the feeling that their mother wanted to be found.  Using these “echoes,” the two embark on a journey across the country to retrace their mother’s footsteps.  As Finn dives deeper into these echoes, she finds it harder to pull herself from the past.  She’s the only way they’ll find their mother, but in doing so will she loose herself? 

READ IT!  I loved following Zadie and Finn on their journey.  It was more than just a physical journey, but a mental and emotional one as well.   They both believe their mother left them out of selfishness, but at each step on their journey they learn more about her and, in turn, themselves.

Lone Women by Victor LaValle: The year is 1915.  Adelaide Henry’s parents have been killed, and she must flee California.  She heads to Montana to become one of the “lone women” taking advantage of the government’s offer for anyone to own land as long as they settle on it.  The only thing she travels with is an enormous steamer trunk that must remain locked at all times.  As Adelaide builds her homestead, she begins to forget about the secrets in her past that lead to her current situation.  Secrets can’t remain locked up forever, and soon Adelaide must accept that what she thought was a curse may be her salvation.

READ IT! I admit, horror set in the American West has traditionally not been my thing.  Reading Alma Katsu’s THE HUNGER  a few years ago opened my eyes to a completely new element of horror fiction and I’ve been sold since!   LaValle crafts a truly chilling horror scene in cold & remote Montana and I was captivated after reading just a few pages.

Red Queen by Juan Gómez-Jurado: Jon Gutierrez is a police investigator in the city of Bilbao, Spain.  A career-ending decision may also land him in prison.  Instead, he’s contacted by a secret organization that leads criminal investigations of a highly sensitive nature.  Think of those crimes that people in power don’t want to show up on the nightly news.  This organization wants him to bring a detective out of self-imposed retirement. Antonia Scott is a legendary detective with an almost supernatural ability to solve murders.  She’s been unable to recover from a personal trauma, but only she can form a connection between two seemingly unrelated cases involving some of the most powerful people in Spain.

READ IT!  I was looking for a quick, fast-paced thriller and this certainly fit the bill!  The comparison Lisbeth Salander nearly dissuaded me from reading this one, but I’m glad I gave it a try.  Antonia’s backstory is truly jawdropping; I’m glad to read this isn’t the last we’ll hear of this unusual pairing!

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout:  Carmen Sanchez and her two daughters are living in Mexico while she oversees the renovation of an ancient church.   The abbey is being turned into a posh hotel.   Carmen hopes this trip will allow her and her girls to reconnect with their roots.  The role isn’t exactly stress-free for Carmen.  The laborers don’t respect her since she’s a woman and is forced to deal with local corruption.  They can’t walk down the street without seeing posters of missing young girls so she must juggle her families safety with her need to complete this job.    An accident on site unearths a room that doesn’t show up on the abbey’s floorplans.  Inside, they find artifacts that date back centuries.  There’s a reason these were hidden.  Unfortunately, the accident damages Carmen’s reputation and she and her daughters return to the States.  Something follows, something so dark and ancient they might not be able to stop it. 

READ IT! As an avid reader of horror, I’m always on the lookout for a fresh new voice, horror unlike anything I’ve read before.  This one is absolutely brilliant.  Vengeful spirits. Hidden rooms. Ancient artifacts. Sign me up!  Also, I carried this book into the salon with me for a hair appointment.  The looks I got after they saw the cover.  I have no shame in my horror-loving game!

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke: Loneliness is a silent epidemic.  Unfortunately, it’s not one we often talk about.  Anyone can be a victim.  Rather than shaming it as our society has traditionally done, Radtke gives it the attention it deserves.  Using emotionally-charged drawings, Radtke highlights examples of how and why we are drawn to interactions with others and what happens when that exposure to others is revoked. 

DON’T JUST READ IT. BUY IT. SHARE IT. This is the book everyone should be reading.  How many times have we looked on someone, an individual, and assumed they were lonely because they were solitary? Or sat in a crowded room and felt empty? Radtke presents loneliness, specifically American loneliness, in a way you can’t overlook or ignore.  I found myself stunned and gasping as I turned the pages.  I read this book days ago and I can’t seem to stop thinking about it and sharing it.  Undoubtedly it will top my favorites of the year.  I can honestly say I haven’t read anything like it!

COMING UP ON MY SHELVES THIS WEEK:

• SHE IS A HAUNTING by Trang Thanh Tran
• THE ISLAND by Natasha Preston
• TELL ME AN ENDING by Jo Harkin

How was your reading week? What books on your shelf stood out to you?

The time change has me completely out of whack this week, so I didn’t get nearly as much reading in as I would have liked to.  I did get to squeeze in a book event at my favorite independent bookstore, so that’s a plus!

Books Read: 

Venco by Cherie Dimaline: READ IT! LOVED IT! Lucky St. James lives with her quirky and surly grandmother, Stella, in Toronto.  Facing eviction, Lucky is at her wit’s end.   One night, she uncovers an antique spoon with the word “SALEM” printed on it.  Curious, she holds onto it.  She’s soon contacted by a company called VenCo about a job.  They offer to provide housing for Lucky and her grandmother.  Lucky can’t imagine how this company could have such an interest in her; her life has never really gone anywhere.  VenCo (anagram of coven) is actually a well-funded front that has provide resources for witches since the colonial days. She learns that in finding the spoon, it reveals she is the sixth of seven witches who must reunite to reform a coven.  Once the spoons are reunited, the coven will regain power once again.  They don’t have much time to find the final witch; the group is being tracked by an ancient witch-hunter who seeks to put an end to the coven…for good.

I’m intentionally keeping this summary vague, for I think so much must be revealed by the reader.  It’s a fun read, with a delightfully addictive blend of magic & history.  I can definitely see this being turned into a movie.

Red London by Alma Katsu: READ IT, LOVED IT!  I’ve been a fan of Alma’s writing since the early days of The Taker. I’d read anything she writes; she really got me interested in reading spy thrillers with the release of Red Widow.    This is the second book in this series.  While it could be read as a standalone, you’d get a lot of backstory and character development by starting with the first.  In this thriller, Agent Lyndsey Duncan is in London, focusing on her newest Russian asset, a war criminal.  When a Russian oligarch’s home is attacked, Lyndsay is personally contacted by her MI6 counterpart, asking for her help.  He needs someone on the inside, and he thinks Lindsay may be that person. Once she’s inside, she learns there are others that are seeking the same information and are taking steps that aren’t exactly legal to get that information.  A thrill of a read, I devoured this in an afternoon!

Alma’s talent crosses genres.  From supernatural to historical horror and back to spy thrillers, Alma can write it all.  Her career as an intelligence analyst gives you a hint at the level of research she does with everything she writes, and you can definitely see it in the success of her work.  I can’t wait to read what’s coming up next…more to come on that!

Coming up on my bookshelf next week:

I’m currently reading Wilderwomen and hoped to have it read by the end of this week, but it just wasn’t in the cards for me, I guess!   Following that, here are some books calling to me from my bookshelves:

The Curator by Owen King
Piñata by Leopoldo Gout

BOOKS READ:

I finished three books this weeks.  They were very different from one another, yet there were some similarities!

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz.  READ IT, AND THEN GET THE SECOND BOOK! This is the first book in a duology, the second book released on February 28th.  I absolutely love the protagonist, Hazel Sinnett.  She’s always been fascinated with medicine.  She’d much rather become a surgeon than marry.  Yet women aren’t supposed to have an opinion or a voice, much less a medical degree.  She gets kicked out of a renowned surgeon’s lecture for being female, but that doesn’t stop her.  She makes a deal with the doctor; if she passes the medical examination he’ll allow her to pursue her medical career.    Since she doesn’t have access to the resources (including bodies!) as the male students, she has to get a little creative. Doing so uncovers a host of secrets buried with the bodies of Edinburgh.

I became completely invested in Hazel’s character.  As a young lady of her station, her future consisted of marrying the cousin and giving up her passion.  Her father was off at war, her mother was still reeling from the loss of a child to the Roman fever.  Pursuing her dreams was the only good in her life, no matter the challenges.  I can’t wait to see where the story picks up in Immortality: A Love Story, the second book in the duology.

The Love Scribe by Amy Meyerson: READ IT…BE PATIENT!  Alice’s best friend, Gabby, is in the middle of a bad break-up.  Alice writes her a story to raise her spirits.  While reading it, Gabby meets the man of her dreams.   Believing the story to have special powers, she shares the story with her sister and friends, and they, too, find love. Word of mouth quickly spreads and Alice is inundated with requests for stories.    The stories don’t come automatically; she must learn a little about the individual so she can draft that special story.  One of her recent clients is a bit of a challenge.  Madeline Alger lives in a remove mansion in the woods.  She reaches out to Gabby for help and, for the first time, Gabby worries she’s found a story she can’t write.  Madeline forces her to re-evaluate the real purpose of her stories and together they unearth the true power and purpose of stories.

I will admit this is a slow-build.  I nearly put this one aside as I wasn’t sure where the author was going.  A lot seemed to happen early on and I didn’t know how it could carry on through the rest of the book.  I took a risk and was so glad I did!

The Malice House by Megan Shepherd: READ IT…with the lights on!  This book has been sitting on my TBR since last year.  I’ve been making a point to read more books recommended by friends, so when this one came with raving reviews, I bumped it up the stack!

Haven Marbury is cleaning out her late father’s home.  As a Pulitzer-prize winning author, he had quite the following and the house is full of memories of his career.  The house also holds some dark and chilling memories; Haven’s father warned her it was haunted.  As Haven is packing up her father’s belongings in the attic, she discovers a manuscript locked in a cabinet.   Most of her father’s novels were turned over to the local library and the debtors took what money was left from their sales.  This one appears to be unpublished, and is vastly different than the fiction for which he was known.  Bedtime Stories for Monsters was a series of dark and disturbing short stories, with horrific monsters that seemed to exist in another world.  As she tries to come to terms with the various changes in her life, Haven turns to what she does best: drawing.   Haven hopes that by illustrating the manuscript, she can jumpstart her career.  The drawings awaken something far darker than anything she could have imagined, unearthing family secrets that have been buried for generations.

This book is the one I’ve been waiting to read for so long.  So brilliant, so well crafted.  The build up and reveal was completely awe-inspiring.  Never could I have prepared myself for…everything!  Completely unique premise and storyline, this author is one to watch!

Coming up on my bookshelf this week….

• Venco by Cherie Dimaline
• The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang
• Red London by Alma Katsu
• Tell Me an Ending by  Jo Harkin

Since most of my book reviews or comments are shared on Instagram, I was looking for a way to keep this blog going.  I do appreciate having an archive of what I’ve read!

So, each week I hope to do a feature called “On My Shelves This Week” in which I share books I’ve read recently and books I have coming up to read.  My comments on books read won’t be a long review, but a few sentences as to why I’d recommend a book (or not!).

I’m starting with the books from last week. On Friday, I’ll share the books I read this week!

BOOKS READ

All Hallows by Christopher Golden:  Read it now!!  I love everything Golden has written!  This one is set in 1980s Massachusetts leading up to, and on, Halloween.   It features a urban legend, the Cunning Man, with an uber-creepy backstory, and how even the best small town neighborhood can have its share of secrets.

Meredith, Alone by Claire Alexander:  Read it now!! The main character,  Meredith, hasn’t left her home in three years.  She didn’t have the most stable upbringing, so when a traumatic event transpires, she had to seek solace where she felt most safe. the world around her kept on going, so she’s finding it more difficult to find reasons to not feature out into the world again.  While reading, the meaning of the title kept changing for me, personally.  It was an honor to follow Meredith on her journey!

The Maid by Nita Prose: Read it! This was our book club pick this month.  What was meant to be a fun whodunnit turned into quite the book, so worthy of discussion!

The Spite House by Johnny Compton: READ IT NOW…with the lights on!  I’d heard nothing but praise leading up to the release of this book, so it was a real treat to have time to dig in!  Loved the premise, the back-story, and of course, I loved the chill-factor.

Next up:

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

The Love Scribe by Amy Meyerson

Malice House by Megan Shepherd

Which books did you read last week? Would you recommend them?

I’m making a conscious effort to better keep track of the books I read each month!  I’m a little belated this month as I’ve been traveling a lot for work (two trips down, one to go), but here we go!

My favorite book read this month was EPISODE THIRTEEN, without a doubt.  FAIRYTALE came in a close second.  I listened to that one on audio and it took me quite a while to get through it!

What was your favorite book read in January?