What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? Please share! We’d love to know.
I started the week with Annelise Ryan’s Working Stiff. She’s the author of the Monster Hunter series (we discussed her Beast of the North Woods not that long ago). Working Stiff is the first volume in a different series she wrote featuring Mattie Winston (which is up to 12 entries!). It was really fun - there were some laugh-out-loud sections, and the whodunnit was twisty enough to keep me guessing. I liked it enough that I’m hoping to read more in the series. Annelise will be here starting March 11 for a Q&A.
I also finished The Seven O’Clock Club by Amelia Ireland for our online book discussion here. She just confirmed she’ll be visiting starting May 7. If you haven’t read this one yet, it’s interesting. Going to be hard to discuss it without inserting a spoiler.
And now I’m reading a review book: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. A “tradwife” influencer gets transported back to the 1800s. From there I’ll move on to the upcoming discussion book, Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart (visiting in April) followed by Nicola Solvinic’s The Sister’s Curse (she’ll be with us later this month, too!).
In audiobook format, I’m still enjoying my space opera (Expeditionary Force series by Craig Alanson). I’m on book #20 (and each one is about 20 hours long). I saw he’s planning to keep the series going. They’re all kinda the same - crisis, trying several things that don’t work & almost get everyone killed, resolution, unintended consequences which sets up for the next book - but I love the characters, particularly the banter between the protagonist, General Joe Bishop, and an ancient Elder AI who they named “Skippy the Beercan.”
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I’m reading Kindred by Octavia Butler for my IRL book group. I really had no idea what it was about and I love it so far, though one of my fellow book groupies warns me it gets really dark.
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@Evonne_Benedict Kindred is one of my favorites. Haven’t read it in a long time, though. I may need to revisit it soon!
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I just finished The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald and The White Girl by Tony Birch. Moving onto Stone Yard Devotional (finally!) and The New Age of Sexism by Laura Bates. I’ve heard so many people talking about Kindred lately. Another for my TBR
I read Kindred years ago and enjoyed it, Evonne.
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I am reading Yesteryear now, and I’m enjoying it so far.
I’ve been wanting to read Hamnet for a while, and I just started the audiobook. I’m looking forward to the movie too.
I will be starting Mad Mabel soon, and combine both ebook and audiobook formats.
The Expeditionary series is on my TBR. Currently working my way through Corey’s The Expanse series. The series is also a space opera with long audiobooks. Love the characters and storylines.
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I just read Broken Country. It was a very emotional read, but the story sure sticks with you. I also read No Two Persons, I don’t know how I missed that novel when it came out. They were both five 
for me. I am now reading an ARC of The Chateau on Sunset and enjoying the characters and plot.
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I finished The Crossroads by CJ Box and loved that he changed things up in this well-established series by sidelining the main character and bringing forward others. Also finished Missing by EA Jackson which started out good but went a little off the rails at the end. I also finished and loved learning from The Black Doves about the Black nurses that worked in NY tuberculosis hospital. Yesterday I read The Left and the Lucky by Willy Vlautin who is a favorite author of mine. This is my second favorite book of his after Don’t Skip Out on Me. Both are books with characters you really feel strongly for. I think Vlautin is one of the best writers that doesn’t get enough attention
Now I’m listening to Train Dreams by Dennis Johnson and I’m starting The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje. This has appeared on a few prize lists and has been highly reviewed by many readers brave enough to tackle its length.
I finished “Heart the Lover” last week and enjoyed it. It was heavy and a lot of my books have dealt with grief lately as I try to be supportive of my wife going through a loss. Now, even more sad, I am reading “All the Blues in the Sky” by Renee Watson as I try to understand the middle school mind as a middle school teacher. Next up, a little more upbeat, is “Raising Hare” which people on here have praised greatly.
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I am reading Sundown at Sunrise by Marty Seifert. It is based on a true story about the most notorious ax murders in history. This happened in Minnesota in the 1900’s. Marty Seifert is a Minnesotas author who served 7 terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives and also ran for governor.
Finished The Good House by Tanareive Due and have just started Meet Me At The Crossroads by Megan Giddings. I too enjoyed Octavia Butler’s Kindred a few years back.
I just finished Family Drama by Rebecca Fallon. The plot centers around a soap opera actress. She lives across the country from her husband and infrequently visits with her twin son and daughter. The book had many time changes, which made it difficult to follow—not only the book’s plot but especially the lives of the main characters.
For the American 250 Challenge I read the historical fiction The House Is On Fire by Rachael Beanland. The story provides an excellent insight into the culture and society in Richmond VA capturing the injustice of slavery.
My favorite read of the week was The Seven O’Clock Book Club by Amelia Ireland. The book definitely kept my interest—an amazing plot with many twists and very intriguing characters. I look forward to participating in the book’s discussion next week.
Having finished reading The Seven O’Clock Club I’m on to an intriguing book by Bruce Holsinger called Culpability about who will be held accountable/liable for damages due to AI. The plot revolves around a family in an automobile accident while driving a smart car using auto drive which sadly kills two in the other car.
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It took me some time to read it, but I just finished The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kieran Desai. (It’s 700+ pages). It really is incredible and worth the time. By the way, kim.kovacs wrote a terrific review of the book. Not sure what I’ll read next, but I’m picking something much shorter this time!
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I’m reading Human Traces. I’ve been making my way through all of Sebastian Faulks’s books, and his exploration of what it is to be human.
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Just finished Happy Land & started Vigil
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I am reading The Librarian Spy, and with each chapter I learn something new about the French resistance.
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I am reading Adina Senate’s The Amish Cowboy and, as usual, am enjoying her books. I finished Six Days in Bombay, by Alta Joshi, last week. I liked it.