My goal for this year is to read 36 books - 3 a month - after only finishing 24 last year. I'm slightly ahead of schedule, with 18 books completed so far in mid-June. Here's what I've finished in the last month.
Keepers of the Covenant (Restoration Chronicles #2) by Lynn Austin
I read the first book in this series last month, and raved about Austin's skills in writing historical fiction. I usually enjoy when characters appear throughout a series, and was a bit disappointed at first when I discovered so much time had passed between this book and the last one that only one character bridges the two. But that disappointment quickly faded as I got caught up in the stories of three new characters: Ezra, Amina, and Reuben. The book begins with all chapters alternating between these three, and how the Thirteenth of Adar (the story of Esther) affects them in their own communities. I loved seeing how the three stories, very separate at first, eventually intertwine and interact. The third book in this series, about Nehemiah, won't release until fall... ugh!
Centaur Rising by Jane Yolen
I took a break from adult fiction to read this one from the juvenile section. I enjoyed all of the Percy Jackson books a couple years ago, and I'm guessing this one came along because of the Greek mythology craze. This is the first non-picture book I've read by Yolen (I love her How Do Dinosaurs... series), and it was a fun, simple read. Rather than taking readers to a fantasy world, the concept here is that a bit of magic and mythology enters our world. I thought it was very predictable, but then again most juvenile books are that way for adults. :)
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
I found this book at a yard sale and thought it sounded familiar (shows you how much I know about popular mainstream bestsellers! :-P ). It honestly took me a little while to get into, I really had to think hard about the dates and Clare and Henry's interactions, and what things happened in what order - it's difficult to explain. Once I got into it, I went back to skim some of the events at the beginning and then they made more sense. And once I got to the last 200 pages or so I sped through them and cried at the end. It's considered a romance, so there was a little more descriptive sex than I would usually read. But my overall takeaway was positive -- it made me appreciate the life and family I have and encouraged me to make the most of my time with them.Linking up with Anne at Modern Mrs. Darcy!
This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. Purchases you make help support The Lion is a Bookworm a little bit without changing the cost to you!
I loved The Time Traveler's Wife, but like you I didn't read it until it came along used and cheap! The second reading (a couple years later) was really fun, too, but I noticed things that don't make a lot of sense to me, of which the most important is: Why does Henry visit Claire's past so much more than her future??
ReplyDeleteYes that bugged me too!!
DeleteI cried a bucket at the end of Time Traveler's Wife. It also made me appreciate Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming a little more each Christmas. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete