8 books read in February, wow! Good for me 😉 Let’s dive in and see what they were, and as always leave me any thoughts or recommendations below!
*The Blackbird Season by Kate Moretti
Synopsis: Where did they come from? Why did they fall? The question would be asked a thousand times….Until, of course, more important questions arose, at which time everyone promptly forgot that a thousand birds fell on the town of Mount Oanoke at all. In a quiet Pennsylvania town, a thousand dead starlings fall onto a high school baseball field, unleashing a horrifying and unexpected chain of events that will rock the close-knit community. Beloved baseball coach and teacher Nate Winters and his wife, Alicia, are well respected throughout town. That is until one of the many reporters investigating the bizarre bird phenomenon catches Nate embracing a wayward student, Lucia Hamm, in front of a sleazy motel. Lucia soon buoys the scandal by claiming that she and Nate are engaged in an affair, throwing the town into an uproar…and leaving Alicia to wonder if her husband has a second life. And when Lucia suddenly disappears, the police have only one suspect: Nate. Nate’s coworker and sole supporter, Bridget Harris, Lucia’s creative writing teacher, is determined to prove his innocence. She has Lucia’s class journal, and while some of the entries appear particularly damning to Nate’s case, others just don’t add up. Bridget knows the key to Nate’s exoneration and the truth of Lucia’s disappearance lie within the walls of the school and in the pages of that journal.
I’ll admit that this book kept my interest for the most part, but overall the plot was bland and ridiculous, and I didn’t love it. I forgot I read it until I was going through my Goodreads list in preparation for this post. I’m definitely rounding up stars on this one.
3 stars.
*Obscura by Joe Hart
Synopsis: In the near future, an aggressive and terrifying new form of dementia is affecting victims of all ages. The cause is unknown, and the symptoms are disturbing. Dr. Gillian Ryan is on the cutting edge of research and desperately determined to find a cure. She’s already lost her husband to the disease, and now her young daughter is slowly succumbing as well. After losing her funding, she is given the unique opportunity to expand her research. She will travel with a NASA team to a space station where the crew has been stricken with symptoms of a similar inexplicable psychosis—memory loss, trances, and violent, uncontrollable impulses. Crippled by a secret addiction and suffering from creeping paranoia, Gillian finds her journey becoming a nightmare as unexplainable and violent events plague the mission. With her grip weakening on reality, she starts to doubt her own innocence. And she’s beginning to question so much more—like the true nature of the mission, the motivations of the crew, and every deadly new secret space has to offer.
I reallllly enjoyed this book. One of the perhaps lesser-known facts about me is that I love a good space movie. Apollo 13, Armageddon, Intersteller and Arrival are some of my favorite movies. Obscura fits right in that dystopian/space genre and the whole time I was reading this book I kept thinking what a great movie it would make (so someone get on that, please). It’s been a long time since I stayed up late to finish a book, but I had to! And once I finished, I wanted to start the book over right then, so I could read through it knowing what was happening, to figure out how little things actually had more meaning. The format of the book was a bit confusing at a few spots, but other than that, I don’t have any real complaints. I guessed who the main antagonist was going to be, but wasn’t really sure how everything would come together. I’m not 100% sold on the main climax of the book, but still really enjoyed it, and the ending was superb.
4 stars.
Fierce Faith by Alli Worthington
Synopsis: Sometimes Jesus’s call to “fear not” seems like the hardest instruction to follow. Some days you faultlessly juggle everything that is your life—kids, husband, house, job, church, friendships, school, pets, appointments, and on and on. Other days the very thought of which ball you’re going to drop puts your anxiety level through the roof. You’re afraid you’re forgetting something. And you are: God’s advice to fear not. Alli Worthington knows all about the ways a woman can be hard on herself. She shares her own fear struggles with humor and honesty—while offering real strategies for coping with life’s big worries as well as those little everyday worries.
I am a HUGE fan of Alli’s first book Breaking Busy, and knew I’d enjoy this one, as well, and I did. Alli has such wisdom, but is so down-to-earth, and I love her writing style. The topic of Breaking Busy resonates(ed) with me a lot more than this one does, but it’s still a great book and one I’d recommend it to anyone.
4 stars.
Into The Water by Paula Hawkins
Synopsis: In the last days before her death, Nel called her sister. Jules didn’t pick up the phone, ignoring her plea for help. Now Nel is dead. They say she jumped. And Jules has been dragged back to the one place she hoped she had escaped for good, to care for the teenage girl her sister left behind. But Jules is afraid. So afraid. Of her long-buried memories, of the old Mill House, of knowing that Nel would never have jumped. And most of all she’s afraid of the water, and the place they call the Drowning Pool.
I started this one with high hopes, and while the author’s writing style did keep me engaged and anxious to keep reading, the plot overall was confusing and wasn’t well constructed. There were so many characters to keep track of, and a lot of weird plot twists/holes/things that didn’t really add up and just left me confused. Give it a try, still, if it sounds interesting to you, but don’t expect it to be as good as The Girl On The Train (which had similar weird plot twists and holes, but left me feeling a lot more satisfied in the end!).
3 stars.
**That We May Be One by Tom Christofferson
Synopsis: In That We May Be One, Tom Christofferson shares perspectives gained from his life’s journey as a gay man who left The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and then returned to it. After having asked to be excommunicated from the faith he was raised in, Tom spent two decades in a loving relationship with a committed partner. But gradually, the love of family, friends, and strangers and the Spirit of the Lord worked on him until he found himself one night sitting in his car in front of the bishop’s house… This book is about the lessons Tom, his family, and his fellow Saints learned while trying to love as God loves. It is about the scope and strength of this circle of love and about how learning the truth of our relationship with God draws us to Him. For anyone who has wondered how to keep moving forward in the face of difficult decisions and feelings of ambiguity; for anyone who needs to better understand the redeeming power of our Savior, Jesus Christ; for anyone who seeks to love more fully; this book offers reassurance and testimony of God’s love for all of His children.
This was such a good read. Tom offers simple, real advice on how to show love. While the book is mainly focused on his story and members of the LTGBQ community, the doctrine and advice he shares is applicable to everyone, in any situation, with any person. It’s not long, it’s easy to read, but it packs a powerful punch. I believe it’s a must-read for members of the LDS church, but also think that members of other Christian faiths could/would enjoy the main message as well.
5 stars.
*Liars by Frances Vick
Synopsis: He loves you. He’d do anything for you. But you don’t even know him. Jenny hasn’t had an easy life – no job and no money, with a sick mother and an abusive ex-stepfather. Not that anybody cares, she’s from the wrong side of town. David has taken care of Jenny ever since they were at school together. He knows how special she is, how much she needs his support. David has a lot of love to give. Jenny and David aren’t in a relationship. They aren’t even friends. Jenny thinks she’s free to do what she wants, see who she likes. What does David think? Well, you’ll have to find out.
This book was crazy and fascinating to read. I feel like it started out a bit slow as the main characters were introduced, but it quickly pulled me in and then — just wow. Halfway through the book your whole perspective changes, and it gets even better. It kept me on my toes, and is a book that I will randomly find myself thinking about days after I finished it. A solid psychological thriller, for sure!
4 stars.
An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Synopsis: A flash of lightning, quivering ground, and, instead of her grandparents’ farm, Polly sees mist and jagged mountains — and coming toward her, a group of young men carrying spears. Why has a time gate opened and dropped Polly into a world that existed 3,000 years ago? Will she be able to get back to the present before the time gate closes — and leaves her to face a group of people who believe in human sacrifice?
Oh guys, this was painful to read. It took me so long to read, and if it weren’t the last book in the quintet, I think I’d have given in the towel. As it were, I finished it, and so finished the series. Of the Time Quintet, I highly recommend the first 3 books. The last 2 left a lot to be desired and are not needed to finish or enhance A Wrinkle In Time.
2 stars.
*Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel
Synopsis: In her childhood, Rose Franklin accidentally discovered a giant metal hand buried beneath the ground outside Deadwood, South Dakota. As an adult, Dr. Rose Franklin led the team that uncovered the rest of the body parts which together form Themis: a powerful robot of mysterious alien origin. She, along with linguist Vincent, pilot Kara, and the unnamed Interviewer, protected the Earth from geopolitical conflict and alien invasion alike. Now, after nearly ten years on another world, Rose returns to find her old alliances forfeit and the planet in shambles. And she must pick up the pieces of the Earth Defense Corps as her own friends turn against each other.
I have loved the other 2 books in this trilogy, and have waiting for this, the last book, to come out. While I didn’t love it quite as much as the first two, it was a great ending to the series. I missed “our friend”, aka the original interviewer in the first two books, which I think is one reason I didn’t love it as much. I loved getting to know more about the alien race that built Themis though, and enjoyed the “twist” at the end. These books are fun, easy reads, so if you’re looking for a new trilogy to enjoy, pick them up!
4 stars.
Currently Reading: Mere Christianity by CS Lewis and That Secret You Keep by Brenda Benny.
On My Bookshelf: I have a stack of books by my bed, and a handful downloaded on my Kindle, but none that I can think of any titles off the top of my head.
*I received free product from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
*I received free product from Deseret Book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
