February Reading Wrap Up

 

𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗪𝗿𝗮𝗽 𝗨𝗽

I can’t believe Febuis here and gone already. It was my most productive reading month in awhile and I enjoyed all the books I read. 

QOTD: what was your favorite February read? 

Thank you the tagged publishers for the gifted books and digital ARCs. This was my most productive reading month in a while. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧The Last Orphan- the Orphan X series never lets me down. 

📖The Cabin at the End of the World- so intense! 

📖Small Mercies-a mother’s search for her teen daughter puts racism & community under a microscope. Publishing April 25th. 

📖Miss Benson’s Beetle-friendship, loneliness, & chasing a dream with two unforgettable main characters  this was my book club’s read for the month. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

🎧Cold People - thought-provoking sci fi examines to what extent we should go to ensure mankind’s survival as a species. 

📖Killing Me- a great mix of humor and thriller. Publishing May 16th. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖The Mitford Affair- privileged English sisters get wrapped up with Hitler & the Nazis. 

🎧The Twist of the Knife- I really enjoy this series! 

📖Ozark Dogs- family secrets & generational trauma lead to tragedy in this southern noir. Publishing April 4th. 

📖Welcome to the Game - a fast paced debut thriller

🎧The House of Eve- historical fiction that entwines the lives of two Black women. 

🎧Maybe in Another Life - a woman’s life can go in different directions depending on a choice she makes. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖The Drift - apocalyptic locked room thriller. 

#readingwrapup #monthlywrapup #crimefiction #historicalfiction #sciencefiction #simonaudio #netgalley #harper #penguinbooks #sohopress #thrillerbooks #mysteryfiction #audiobooks #bookstagram #audiobookstagram 

The Drift

 

Author: C.J. Tudor

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Year: 2023

❄️ 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 ❄️

“You’re either a good guy or you’re a survivor, someone had once told him. The earth is full a dead good guys.”

- The Drift 

The Drift is a mash up of a locked room mystery and a virus-induced post apocalyptic survival story. The overall plot has three different threads. The first follows Hannah and a group of fellow students from her boarding school. The bus they are on is involved in an accident during a ferocious snowstorm. The survivors must work together to survive the snow, the virus, & their secrets. 

The second thread finds former police officer Meg & several others trapped in a cable car going up a mountain during a huge snowstorm. They’re on their way to a place called “The Retreat” which might have something to do a vaccine for the virus. One of the passengers has been murdered & the gondola is stuck high in the air due to the storm. Will the killer strike again? Is anyone coming to rescue them? 

The third thread takes place at a ski chalet that’s equipped with a lab to manufacture a vaccine against the virus. How very convenient to have a science lab in a ski chalet! Carter & a few others at the chalet begin to worry when the aging generator starts going on the fritz because that could lead to some virus infected people escaping from the lab. A terrible snowstorm hits and bodies start piling up. 

There are clues throughout that start sewing the three plot lines together & by the end the whole thing comes together. But to me, the layout felt like a gimmick- almost like the author was trying to be a little too cleaver with the writing. Don’t get me wrong, overall I thought the story was interesting and entertaining. But some parts were just too unexplained & a few plot points felt smidge too contrived. So for me it’s 3.5 ⭐️. 

QOTD: how are you doing today? 

I’m actually a little annoyed with myself. I’ve been on a quest to learn to make good bagels. I made the dough and shaped them yesterday. They proofed in the fridge overnight. This morning I baked them a little too long & burned them. 😳😡 I have another batch still proofing so I’ll try again later. 

#thedrift #survivalfiction #lockedroommystery #snowstorm #postapocalypticfiction #virus #thrillerfiction #alothoingonhere 

The Other Side of Night

 

Author: Adam Hamdy

Narrator: Justin Avoth

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Year: 2022

 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 🎧

QOTD: Have you ever read a book that made your brain hurt in a good way? Because you keep thing about it? Adam Hamdy’s The Other Side of Night is one of those books. 

Even if you read the synopsis, you won’t be ready for where this genre-defying book goes. The story seemed so intricate at times that I thought I’d never understand what’s going on. But then, it reveals itself to be so elegantly plotted and cleaver. 

This is a mind-bending mashup of genres that at its heart is a love story. I listened to the audiobook and really had to pay attention. Justin Avoth’s narration kept me riveted. Plus I didn’t want to zone out while listening because I was afraid of missing a crucial, but nuanced plot point. 

Pick this one up if you’re looking for something totally different and truly unique. I definitely recommend this one if you’re a Dr. Who fan. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for the complimentary audiobook. 

#theothersideofnight #adamhamdy #simonaudio #justinavoth #audiobook #audiobookreview #audiobookstagram #audiobooksofinstagram #librofm #giftedbook #genremashup #genrebending #mysteryfiction #sciencefiction #romancefiction #lovestory #bookstagram #booksta 

After I Do

 

Author: Tara Jenkins Reid

Narrator: Julia Whelan 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Year: 2022

🎧 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 🎧

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for the complementary audiobook. 

The bloom is off the rose for Lauren and Ryan’s marriage. Their relationship has been rocky for awhile and now they’re at a breaking point. They come up with a brilliant plan to save their marriage- separate for a year with absolutely no communication. Wut?! So Ryan moves out of their house and Lauren must learn to be single. 

I thought this was more a story of growth rather than a typical love story. Lauren spends the year rediscovering herself and figuring out who she wants to be. She realizes that she sort of lost her sense of self somewhere inside her relationship with Ryan. The growth theme continues with Rachel, Lauren’s sister. She steps out of her comfort zone to chase a dream. Meanwhile, Lauren’s mom is building a budding relationship with a man. After being single for so long, she must make a decision to go all in on this new relationship or risk losing it. Lauren’s brother Charlie goes from being a carefree party time dude to embracing the huge responsibilities of fatherhood. Lots of growth for Lauren and her whole family. We only get small glimpses of Ryan’s life during the year long separation. I couldn’t tell if he really experienced any significant growth. 

My little quibble- the ending. Maybe I’m too cynical, but it just seemed too much for me. It didn’t ruin the book for me. It just made my eyes roll all the back in my head. 🙄 Of course Julia Whelan’s narration made up for my cynicism. Her performance was excellent. All in all, a very enjoyable story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: Happy Friday! What are you doing this weekend? 

I’m going to attempt to fix my dishwasher. It apparently has a leak somewhere and I can’t find a repairman to come out to look at it.

It’s only four years old and I don’t want to have to buy a new one if it’s an easy fix. Wish me luck! 

#afterido #tarajenkinsreid #simonaudio #librofm #audiobook #audiobookreview #audiobookstagram #audiobooksofinstagram #romancebooks #romancebookstagram #marriage #breakup #wewereonabreak #whogetsthedog #bookstagram #bibliophile #backlistbook #juliawhelan 

Welcome to the Game

 

Author: Craig Henderson

Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press

Year: 2022

🚖 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 🚖

QOTD: what was your first car? 

I learned to drive on 1980 Oldsmobile Omega. It was a hand-me-down from my mom and I drove it while I was in high school and college. 

Welcome to the Game was author Craig Henderson’s 2022 debut novel. It’s a fast paced story of a down on his luck former British rally car driver named Spencer. Spencer, still grieving the death of his wife, is trying to keep his struggling exotic car sales business afloat. He’s not succeeding and is coping with booze, pills, and coke. He’s desperate for cash and help arrives in Dom McGrath. McGrath offers Spencer a job as a driver. McGrath is a money launderer. He thinks Spencer’s skills as a rally car driver will make him the perfect bag man zipping in and out of Detroit traffic picking up and delivering dirty money all while evading the police. But McGrath has a bigger score in mind. Spencer realizes once he’s in the game, it’s hard to get out. When McGrath and his crew pull off the big job, Spencer knows they won’t leave any loose ends, putting himself, his young daughter and the only friend he has in grave danger. 

This is a solid and entertaining entry into the crime fiction genre. Spencer is a shellfish and shelf-centered jerk, but I found myself rooting for him anyway. This book has lots of action to satisfy any adrenaline junkie, while Spencer’s flawed character and attempt at redemption is a compelling character arc will please readers who like character driven stories. It all adds to up to an entertaining ride. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Happy Valentine’s Day to those who are celebrating the day! 

#welcometothegame #craighenderson #atlanticmonthlypress #detroit #motorcity #bagman #moneylaundering #rallycar #rallycardriver #crimefiction #crimewritersofinstagram #mysteryfiction #thrillerbooks #suspensebooks #bookstagram #librarybook #librarybookreview #bookworm #alwaysreading

Sunday Shelfie

 

Happy Sunday! 

Here’s a #sundayshelfie from my library’s outreach collection. Let me explain a bit about what I do as an outreach librarian. My library maintains small self lending library stations throughout our county. These stations provide community members who may not be able to visit the main library with books. We have outreach stations in nursing homes, senior housing complexes & senior centers throughout the county. One of our most used stations is in a hardware store! We also share books with four small community-run libraries in the county. We help the county’s early education agency by providing children’s books for the preschool program. We also bring books to the county jail. 

The books in the outreach collection rotate through each outreach station. For example, I’ll take 30 new books to the hardware store. I’ll pull out 30 books that have been at that station the longest. Then I rearrange the books placing the new books on the top shelf. I take the books I pulled back to the library for check in & then check them out to & delivery them the next outreach stop. We use traditional library cards in pockets for community members to “check out” a book from the outreach station. Each book has a pocket & 2 cards in it. One card keeps track of stations the books goes to. The other is for the patron to sign or initial. This helps me know how many books & what genres circulate at each station. I pull children’s books from the main library collection for the preschool. I’ll also pull from the main collection to fulfill any specific requests. One of the small libraries we serve asked for some CoHo books, so I pulled a few titles for them to borrow. We also supply books on cd and any dvd requests. A goal this year is to implement a books my mail system to provide books to any home bound community members. 

Outreach programs at other library systems are different than what I do. But the goal is the same- provide access to books and library materials to those who can’t always visit the library. I’d love to hear from other outreach librarians about your programs! 

QOTD: any library related questions you’ve always wanted to ask but were too afraid to? I’ll try to answer them! 

#sundayshelfie #library #librarylife #libraryoutreach #libraryoutreachprogram #librarian #librarianlife #outreachlibrarian #librarybooks #booksbooksbooks #librarycollection 

Bad Day Breaking

 

Author: John Galligan

Narrator: Samantha Desz

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Year: 2022

🎧 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 🎧

Thank you @simon.audio and @librofm for this complementary audiobook. I’m still trying to get caught up on reviews. So, who’s in the mood for: 

🔹a police procedural 

🔹 a strong female main character 

🔹 revenge 

🔹dead bodies turning up

🔹a rural setting 

🔹a snowstorm on the way

🔹a mysterious and growing cult

Raise your hand if I had you at cult. 🙋‍♀️

Sheriff Heidi Kick is back in the fourth book in John Galligan’s Bad Axe County series. No worries, this can easily be read as a standalone. Heidi has a lot going on in her personal life and with her job. A growing religious sect has moved into the county. Rumors are running rampant and the community is getting riled up at the presence of the newcomers. While Heidi tries to find a way to diffuse the hostilities, she’s also in the middle of a murder investigation. And an old boyfriend is out on parole and looking to exact revenge on Heidi for her role in sending him away years ago. All this is not only threatening her job, but also her life and her family’s safety.

I really like Heidi’s no nonsense character. She’s often torn between family and job obligations. This fast paced story was a quick listen and Samantha Desz’s narration is top notch. This is a good choice for readers looking a female-centric police thriller with lots of action and family drama. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: We’re having pizza for dinner tonight. What’s your favorite topping? 

I’m usually happy with just cheese but every so often we’ll get onions or sausage on it. 

#baddaybreaking #johngalligan #simonaudio #samanthadesz #audiobook #audiobookreview #audiobookstagram #audiobooksofinstagram #policeprocedural #crimefiction #womeninlawenforcement #sherriff #ruralcounty #badaxecounty #wisconsin #mysteryfiction #thrillerfiction #religioussect #cult #suspensebooks #familydrama