This was originally going to be a “What I Read Last Week” post but I realized it’s been two weeks so I decided I would just let you know what I’ve been reading since February 3rd. I will say I discovered the Libby app so I’ve been trying some audiobooks. So far I haven’t finished any of them because they just weren’t that good. I’ve been an Audible member for a very long time and I’m pretty picky when it comes to narration. If they don’t get good reviews I won’t listen to the book. Now though I can wait and get the hard cover or the soft cover and read it that way.
Ok so that was a long opening. Let me move on to the topic at hand!
Here are the books I’ve read and finished since the last time we were together.
A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab: Excellent end to a fantastic series. I’ll be honest I went into the book with some big questions and high expectations. I always worry the last book will be a let down or something horrible will happen that will depress me. I’m happy to say this book, in my opinion, was the best of the trilogy. About mid-way through I thought perhaps the author was padding the book because it seemed I was reading a lot of stuff that didn’t seem relevant. Wow was I wrong but it took until the very end of the book for all the pieces to come together. What I loved about this book was going out into the world and exploring but not just to see the sights. No. There was a purpose. A quest. But the payment was high and I actually got a little choked up. I also came to understand Holland and, while I still don’t like him, I now know his past and could see how he became what he was. I’m not going to say whether I liked the ending or not because I always consider that to be a spoiler. Did I like the book? No. I LOVED this book. I loved the whole series. I give this book a 5 out of 5.
Keepers of the Lost Cities: Exile by Shannon Messenger: This is the second book in the series and I think it was better than the first. In the book we get to know Sophie and her new family much better. There is also a mystery that I thought I had figured out but was delighted to be only a little bit wrong. I will say I didn’t see it coming. What I missed in this book was not being in school as much as I would have liked but considering everything that was going on ultimately I was ok with it. And there is a lot going on in this book. There are some pretty dark themes and some very big emotions being explored so be aware if you’re going to have your middle school child read this book. It’s not horrible but loss and pain are a part of what’s going on. What I loved about this book was the development of a great friendship between Sophie and Keefe. He is wise cracking and doesn’t seem to take anything seriously so it’s a joy to watch him grow into someone Sophie can rely on. I am really loving this series and give this book a 5 out of 5.
Golden in Death by JD Robb (audiobook): I am a HUGE JD Robb fan. My mom got me hooked a long time ago and I’ve read all the books via audiobook. The narrator, Susan Erickson, is awesome. She does some amazing voices and you always know who is speaking. I love Peabody’s voice the most. This is the 50th book in the series (hence the word golden in the title) and I was a little worried it wouldn’t be good given the hype around it. I’m here to say this is another great book and had me guessing up to the end. This is definitely NOT young adult but I include it here because it is a good series for my adult friends if you like police procedurals with a little romance. The character of Eve Dallas is written so well I sometimes forget she’s not a real person. What did I dislike about the book? Absolutely nothing. The book, in my opinion, is fantastic and I listened to it in just a few days. I highly recommend this book and the entire series. If you want a fantastic listening experience I would recommend the audiobooks for sure. 5 out of 5.
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett: If I had just read the blurb on the jacket I would have never picked this book up but a booktuber talked about this book and it intrigued me. So I went to the library and thankfully it was available. The book started out with a lot of action and it didn’t really settle down from there. There were brief moments with the main character where she was able to catch her breath but those were often short lived and before you knew it you were back in the thick of things. The “magic” system is not really magic. It’s more technology with a fantasy twist. A little steampunkish in my opinion, which I don’t normally like. But this book is absolutely fabulous. I had a hard time putting it down to get stuff done around my condo. That is always the sign of a great book. I’m having a hard time coming up with something I didn’t like about the book but nothing comes to mind. There was just so much to love about this book. The main character is a thief but she is also a victim just trying to survive in a dystopian world. The male lead is self righteous but not in a bad way and as the story goes on you learn what and why and you fall in love with him. Again, I’m not going to talk about whether I liked or disliked the ending because I really want you to read the book and experience it for yourself. I will say that when I finished the book I took a big breath, put the book down and had to take Libby out for a walk just to absorb the story. It was that good. I had a hard time getting into another book after that. Honestly 10 out of 5!
TBR Shelf: Right now I’m reading Vicious by V.E. Schwab and listening to Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. I also have Keepers of the Lost Cities: Everblaze to read. So far Vicious is pretty good. Weird and violent but good. I’ll let you know my thoughts once I’m done.
Well that’s what I’ve been reading. I didn’t mention any of the audiobooks that were misses because this post would be really long. Let’s just say I’m using Goodreads a lot more right now.
So until next time my friends…happy reading!
Therese
Therese M Woolley 