In the past few years, I have made it a goal to read more. I have been using Audible for years and use it daily. This year I want to work on reading more physical books too.
I read EVERYTHING. There is no one genre that I stick to for the books I read. Rom-Com, Historical Fictions, Personal Development, Thrillers, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Epic Fantasy, Classics, General Fiction, and YA book are all possibilities for my reading list.
January -
A Land Remembered (A) - Patrick D. Smith
This book follows three generations of a family that settled in Florida starting during the Civil War when Florida was wild and unsettled. The story is one of family, luck, natural disasters, and sheer determination. The family goes from nothing to building an empire.
Much like a lot of the books I pick on Audible this was a daily deal (or possibly a different sale) that caught my eye. It was outside of my normal reading selections but I'm glad I gave it a try. It was a very interesting story. As someone who attracts every mosquito within a 2-mile radius the part of the story where a massive swarm of mosquitoes attacks had me horrified and fascinated at the same time. This is not a book I would recommend to everyone, but if you are looking for historic fiction based on an era you are not used to hearing about this is a great read (listen).
Cytonic (A) - Brandon Sanderson
This is the third book in the Skyward series by Brandon Sanderson. The story follows Spensa in her mission to save her world from destruction. She is a skilled fighter pilot that has jumped into a new realm. She is captured by pirates and saved by an adventurer named Chet within minutes of entering the realm. The story includes pirates, dinosaurs, space ships, artificial intelligence, a space slug, and a girl fighting to find her way back to the ones she loves.
If I had to describe the series I would say it is Hunger Games meets Star Wars. It is a YA book that follows a girl learning to find her way in the world that requires her to constantly fight for her life and her family. Mix that contact fight with a sassy AI and it is the making of a great story.
Kindred (A) - S.J West
Kindred is book 2 of The Watcher Chronicles. This is a free book series on Audible. Honestly, I wouldn't suggest this book series. It is a played-out idea of angles on earth. I have an issue that I can't stop reading a book even if it sucks. It has to REALLY REALLY suck for me to give up on it. Same with a series. If I had to pay for this book I wouldn't have continued with the series but it is free so I will finish it.
Lady Clementine (A) - Marie Benedict
Lady Clementine follows Clementine Churchill from her meeting Winston Churchill through WWII. The book covers serval years and the highs and lows of being the "secret weapon" of one of the world's most powerful men. Clementine was a powerful force in her own right and this historical fiction allowed us a glance into her life through the critical years.
I love historical fiction and especially one that is based on facts and real-life people. Lady Clementine was a wonderful read that showed the struggle of a woman, mother, and wife to a powerful man who relied heavily on her. It was refreshing to see historical women taking time for their mental health. I wish I was able to take the same kind of time away she was afforded. Clementine was a strong-willed woman who stood her ground and during the war, she insisted that she and her family set an example to the country. I believe that her impact on the war effort is overshadowed by her husband but she was a valuable part of keeping the nation moving during the darkest days of England.
When I Was You (A) - Amber Garza
Two women with the same name living in the same town, how often does that happen? It was when Kelly Medina gets a call for her baby's appointment reminder that she realizes she is in that exact situation. Kelly finds herself drawn to meet the other Kelly Medina. Without even meaning to Kelly found a way to accidentally bump into her in front of the pediatrician's office. The two women are at different points in their lives one is a young mother new in town while the other is a mother of a college student. They form a friendship when things start to change a bit.
This is an easy and quick read. I listened to this book in just a few days. I have a feeling that even if I had read a physical book I would have finished it quick too. I have read several thrillers over the years so I was able to guess at the twists and turns. I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong on a few.
Interestingly enough I read another book titled When I Was You last year by Minka Kent. I would recommend both books.
Slay (A) - Brittney Morris
Slay is a YA book about Kiera a high school senior who is one of the few black students attending her high school just outside of Seattle. By day she is an honor student but she has a secret, she is also Emerald the designer and developer of the video game SLAY. Slay is a multiplayer online role-playing card game. SLAY is also designed to be a safe space just for black people. The cards are based on black culture. SLAY has players from all over the world. When tragedy strikes one of the players SLAY is thrust into the spotlight. It is debated if SLAY is racist since only black players are allowed. Kiera tries desperately to keep her identity a secret and keep her game alive and a safe space for black gamers.
I saw this book as one of the Audible daily deals and purchased this book for less than $4. I don't know if I would have purchased this book if it hadn't been on sale. I used to play video games similar to the one described in Slay so I was intrigued. I also loved the idea of a girl developing the video game. Game design and development is not a field that attracts many girls. It took me a while to get past the improbability that this massive game that has half a million users is created and maintained by only 2 people while are they are both in school. Once I got past that idea and realized that was not the point of the book I realized it is full of difficult topics. I found it to be a very interesting book that I very much enjoyed. I'm not sure who I would recommend this book to though. I was not the intended audience for this book but I did enjoy it especially due to the fact I used to be a gamer.
Always The Last To Know (A) - Kristan Higgins
A story of your typical upper-middle-class family. It looks fine on the outside but there are most likely cracks under the surface. Like many families, the Frost family doesn't communicate their thoughts and feelings. Over the years burning their needs, wants and feelings has caused rifts along all family lines. Things start to crumble when John Frost has a stroke while riding his bike. Secrets are revealed and hard conversations are forced to be had.
This was an ok book. I listened to it as an audiobook and was able to finish it fairly quickly. It was a nice reminder to let the ones you love most know how you are feeling because it might be what makes the difference. I loved the relationship between Noah and his baby's mama. If you are looking for an easy read that is sweet, slightly romantic without being spicy I would recommend this book.
I have read this book more times than I even want to guess! I just about have it memorized and so does Paige. This means she knows when I skip a page or try to change the words. I liked this book, I then read it 100 times and HATED this book, and I have now come to accept that I will be reading this book 10+ times a day.
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