Monday, March 9, 2020

Monday Mini-Reviews: Spring Is In the Air

The weather over the weekend has been unseasonably warm, and since we've also sprung ahead an hour for daylight's savings time, we have made the most of it.  

I've been outside quite a bit, taking walks with the dog, who is also enjoying the nice weather.  We're grilling tonight, and I can hear the thumping of the basketball in the driveway as Little Sister shoots some hoops.  

It's not close to summer yet, but today is sure a treat.

Here are a few books I've read over the past week and enjoyed.





The Monsters We Make by Kali White- this book isn't due out until June, but as soon as I read the synopsis I knew I needed to read it.  White's novel is loosely based on the abductions of three Iowa paper boys in the 80s, something I remember vividly from my childhood.  This novel is told by three different narrators: a police detective who becomes determined to find out who kidnapped the boys, Sam, a paperboy who has been sexually abused but is too scared to tell anyone, and his older sister who begins to put the pieces of Sammy's problems and the missing paperboy together.  I can't wait for this to be published to talk to someone about it.

The Holdout by Graham Moore- this is a court room drama, told in various voices in different time periods.  There is a ten year reunion for the jury of this well known case, but when one of the former jurors is found dead in a hotel room, there is a mystery to solve.  Secrets continue to crop up and I wasn't always sure where the story was headed.  I liked this well enough when I was reading it, but I finished it last weekend, and the story isn't one that's stuck with me.  

Writers & Lovers by Lily King- I've seen so many positive reviews about this one by readers I trust and Jenna Bush Hager picked it for her book club this month, so I went in with high expectations. That doesn't always work, but in this case, everything I hoped for came true. I absolutely loved this book.  Casey is a writer, working as a waitress until she can finally publish the novel she's been working on for six years.  She is still trying to find herself; she's dealing with her mom's death and is estranged from her father and stepmother.  She's got two different men she's dating, money is tight, she's having trouble at the restaurant where she works, and is having different health concerns arise as well.  Casey felt so real, is so well developed and I loved her story.  I devoured this book on Sunday, and am feeling a little book hangover.  This one might make my "Best of 2020" list later this year. 

I'm hoping for some reading time this week, but there's a choir concert, church, conferences for my girls, and a night at the library already scheduled.  Next week is spring break and I am definitely looking forward to some down time then.

No comments: