13 Mar My Reading Life: February 2019
In February I really hit my stride, helped along by a short holiday where I devoured a lot of books, but I also reread a lot of my favourites!
I read 8 new books and reread 5 of my favourites (oops!) Of the 8 there was one misfire, one solid fantasy novel, two non fiction books, one that I think will be in my top 3 favourite books of the year, two detective novels and five books by women.
Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham
My review: I really enjoyed this book. It’s a quick read, I read it over the course of a long evening. Very well written, and for those who watches Gilmore girls it’s a lovely look inside the show the character and the actress. A high 3 stars
stars 3/5 Definitely one for fans of Gilmore Girls
Source: Local Library
Links: Amazon Goodreads Bookdepository
The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
My review: I hadn’t read any Agatha Christie in years. But having finished the women on the orient express, I had a yen to go back to her. I picked this up in the library and really loved it. She writes to incredibly well and I LOVE that I genuinely couldn’t guess who it was until the end. A stellar read for anyone who loves the detective genre.
A high 3 stars
Source: Local Library
Links: Amazon Goodreads Bookdepository
A Quiet Life in the Country by TE Kinsey
My review: Along the lines of Agatha Christie, with enjoyable lead characters and a well rounded cast. A sweet novel, rather like the Georgette Heyer of detective novels.
3/5 stars
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Links: Amazon Goodreads Bookdepository
Enchantress by James Maxwell
My review: I really enjoyed reading this book, its a solid fantasy novel, with perhaps slightly naive main characters but none the less well written. There are definitely many other in the fantasy genre that I would recommend ahead of this but still a good read.
3/5 stars.
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Links: Amazon Goodreads Bookdepository
The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
My review: A simply beautiful books in all ways. I devoured it in an evening and when it finished I was left with that feeling, that happens with only the best of books, of wanting more. One of my favourites of the year so far
5 stars
Source: Purchased
Links: Amazon Goodreads Bookdepository
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
My review: A very high 4 star review, almost 5 stars. I really enjoyed this story, beautifully woven and told. Ng has a wonderful way of describing characters, each of the many personalities in this novel is given its own time and space and so richly told. An author I will read again.
4/5 stars.
Source: Purchased
Links: Amazon Goodreads Bookdepository
The Pants of Perspective by Anna McNuff
My review: I really liked this book, it’s a fantastic introduction into the beauty of new Zealand and its people for one and it made me incredibly nostalgic to return. Anna has a really enjoyable writing style, and she has this amazing way of describing what she is doing that makes you believe you could also do it. Then you realise what she is doing is actually pretty epic and very very hard! All in all a high 4 star travel book on running, adventure finding your inner strength with some beautifully written sections on life, drive and just doing it.
4/5 stars.
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Links: Amazon Goodreads Bookdepository
My rereads
So it is around about now that I come to my issue with Kindle Unlimited. I was on holidays and I had finished all the paper books that I had brought with me so I started to browse KU and I happened upon one of my favourite romance authors Mariana Zapata.
Now I have read all her books save one, and loved all her books save two. Which is pretty good innings. So I started with my favourite, The Wall of Winnipeg and Me and I pretty just kept going!
And don’t get me wrong I loved reading them, but they are like comfort reads AND I really wanted to try and read only new books this year. So I have cancelled my KU for now and am going to stick to mainly paper books. I also really want to get these as paper books, as while I love my kindle I prefer paper all the way.
My not so great reads
The Checkdown by Jamie Bennett
My Review: A passable enjoyable holiday read, with an unfortunately predictable plot and relatively flat characters. It reminded me of a Lifetime film.