Quarterly Wrap-Up

I've never participated in a quarterly reading meme before, but I have loved reading Janssen's posts about her own reading every quarter, so I've decided to share what I've read in July, August, and September.

The Possibilities by Kaui Hart Hemmings

You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz- read this on vacation to the Wisconsin Dells and absolutely loved it.

The Heiress by Sara Shepard- a nice little gossip-girl-esque type of murder mystery

*Three Bird Summer by Sarah St. Antoine - nice summer tween fiction

*Things A Little Bird Told Me by Biz Stone - an interesting look at Stone's own attitudes and ability to make money

The Missing Place by Sophie Littlefield - I had high hopes for this one, sadly this book didn't meet them.

My Family and Other Hazards by June Melby - Melby's family ran a miniature golf course and as the family sells it Melby reminisces

The Italian Wife by Ann Hood - not what I expected from Hood. Catholic and a lot of procreation.

The End of Always by Randi Davenport- apparently forgettable since I had to look up a picture of the cover in order to spark any memory.  Women's fiction, but bleak.

Since Last Summer by Joanna Philbin - I have enjoyed every single one of Philbin's books, and this is a good second novel in this series

The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin - book lovers everywhere NEED to read this book. I've read other books by Zevin, and this is a departure from her fantasy work.  

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes- this is a fun book - I didn't feel like crying when it was over unlike You Before Me

The Arsonist by Sue Miller- Miller's always a winner, and the Arsonist is no exception

Everything I Never Told You by Celest Ng- fantastic!  Should be a book club favorite

*The Accident by Chris Pavone - There was a lot of action in this book, and I wish I wouldn't have read it on my kindle. It took a while to get into.

The Dead Will Tell by Linda Castillo- another in the Kate Burkholder series. Enjoyable and quick

*Now I See You by Nicole Kear- Kear is losing her vision due to retinitis pigmentosis, a degenerative disease.  Her memoir of finding out about her disease and how she has embraced her life

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick - a bit edgier than Fitzpatrick's first YA novel, but good.

The Deepest Secret by Carla Buckley

The Actress by Amy Sohn- lots of words on every page.  Took a while to get into.  Didn't love it as much as Park Slope West, but still good.

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell - Rowell is my newest go-to author.  Attachments was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the novel being told via e-mails.

The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee- I am not very imaginitive, but this novel's use of magical realism didn't turn me off at all.  Just fun.

Ava and Pip by Carol Weston- a great book for tweens....love all the use of palindromes and word play.

*The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis - this is a re-re-re-re-read - or something like that.  I finally read it to the girls this summer.  We've struggled a bit in finding something we want to read together but they all enjoyed it.

Decision Points by George W. Bush -  Perfect read for me while I was running on the treadmill.  I enjoy Bush's self deprecating sense of humor, and his account of events during his presidency.

Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline- not as good as Carla Buckley's novel  - both nearly the same

Charleston by Margaret Bradham Thornton - although I don't remember the plot, I do remember enjoying the setting and the way it was described

The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand - usually I rave about Hilderband, but I was sort of meh about this one

The Story Hour by Thrity Umrigar - Totally loved this novel - loved the immigrant voice 

The Swap by Megan Shull - cute tween book a la Freaky Friday

We Are Called To Rise by Laura McBride- I think this is going to be one of my favorites this year. Several stories connect in the end - unforgettable

Getting Life by Michael Morton - Morton recounts his own imprisonment for a crime he didn't commit

All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner - I've been on a short break from Weiner's work (not intentionally) and loved this one.

My Name is Parvana by Deborah Ellis - I finally decided to read the fourth in this Breadwinner series - 

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica- I feel guilty enjoying this one as much as I did - especially after reading some critical reviews.  It fulfilled the requirement of entertaining me while supplying suspense.

*Working Stiff by Judy Melinek- loved this memoir of a New York City medical examiner's career.

I've Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark - the usual fare from Clark. I think I am getting ready to boycott her books.  Too predictable.

*Nest by Esther Ehrlich - great historical fiction novel for mature tweens or teens.  

Ice Shear by M P Cooley - I think this is the start of a new series. There were parts I really liked, but I was a bit lost from time to time.

Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little - Loved it at first, but it went downhill

Blue Eyed Boy by Robert Timberg - memoir; although this is about a journalist who was injured in Vietnam, it isn't really about his war experiences, more about what he did after the war.

Such Good Girls by R. D. Rosen - looks at the experiences of three girls during World War II and how they managed to survive.  Hard to get into because the book feels a bit detached, yet an interesting story.

Dash by Kirby Larson - good historical fiction about the Japanese internment camps for tweens

Where The Wind Leads by Vinh Chung - one of the best memoirs I've read this year.  Chung shows how work and perseverance has paid off for him and his family. Inspiring.

*The Secret of Raven Point by Jennifer Vanderbees - World War II, need I say more?  Loved it

One Kick by Chelsea Cain - excited about this new series from Cain.  Devoured this one

*Not Fade Away - not only is this woman losing her eyesight, she is also losing her hearing.  An inspiring memoir by an amazing woman

The Skeleton Crew- interesting non-fiction about how regular civilians now help in identifying unknown remains, and the vast number of lost or missing people who are never found

Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead - I re-started this one a few times, and finally was able to get into it.  More literary than much of what I pick, so I had to really read it all

The Care and Management of Lies by Jacqueline Winspear - historical fiction - a good, yet unique, different love story set during World War I

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon -a great novel from Mc Mahon.  I have read other books by her and some of them start strong and don't end strong.  This one was a win at both beginning and end

It Was Me All Along by Andie Mitchell- Mitchell shares her own battle with weight and dieting

All I Love and Know by Judy Frank - got rave reviews, and there were parts I liked, but got tired of how Frank seemed to create a stereotypical homosexual couple

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm - I was hoping for an historical fiction novel from Holm.  This one is fun, but not what I wanted


And that's it!  The * denotes the books I read on my kindle, 9 in just the third quarter of the year, which is impressive for me. Can't wait to see what the fourth quarter brings.