#12DaysofReadThis 2017 | December
I'm so stubborn. I'm writing this post on the very last day of 2017 because I'm trying to squeeze one more book into my read list like a real book addict :) I listened to a few audio books this month and forced myself through a book that I didn't like. I'm ending the year having read 60 books- New record! Looking forward to what 2018 will bring. My personal reading goals are to read 61 books, request/receive ARCs, and to read more books written by women and/or people of color. What are your reading goals?
Thank you for following along with #12DaysOfReadThis!
Last day to enter my International Instagram giveaway! I'll be selecting one winner tomorrow. I'll DM the winner and give them 48 hours to respond, and if I don't hear from them I'll select another!
Beartown | Fredrick Bachman | I won't lie- I have been meaning to read this one all year and finally got to it in December. I thought it was going to be all about the boys and all about hockey, and boy was I wrong. The writing is incredible and this is a story that needs to be told, especially in the wake of the #metoo movement. Full review here.
Dreamland Burning | Jennifer Latham | A really unique way to tell the horrible story of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot. Seventeen year old Ro Chase finds a body on her family's property and, desperate to find out anything she can about the body's identity, takes a wallet from the crime scene. Her story is interwoven with Will Tillman, a young man who lived during the race riots 100 years ago, and their two stories slowly converge. I love YA books with some heft to them, and this one did not disappoint. Rating, 4.5
The Good Daughter | Karin Slaughter | This is my second Karin Slaughter book- shes quickly become one of my favorite thriller writers. A family is torn apart after a break in that ended in murder. It goes unresolved for years until another shooting rocks the small community, bringing things that were long buried to the surface. All of the trigger warnings for this, but if you have a strong stomach this is definitely worth the read. Rating, 4.5
The Sister's Chase | Sarah Healy | When a mother suddenly dies in a car crash, her two girls inherit her debt and are forced to leave the only home they've ever known. A sad story about family, obligation, and class. The writing carries this one. Rating, 3.25
The Murder House | James Patterson | This was my first foray into James Patterson and I don't think I'll be going back. I don't mean to sound like a book snob, but I swear this book was written to be a cotton candy thriller for people who don't read. His chapters were 2 or 3 pages in length, which I guess this is his style. I don't think it made it more of a page turner; it just bugged me that the plot kept flashing forward and between characters so quickly. I could tell the female protagonist wasn't written by a woman- there were way too many cliches to make her believable or relatable. I never figure out the "whodunit" in books, but this one became obvious to me pretty early on. Pass. Spend your time elsewhere. Rating, 2
NOS4A2 | Joe Hill | My first Joe Hill book! I saw this everywhere on Instagram this Christmas, and didn't realize why until I picked it up. Vic McQueen has a magic bridge that allows her to find things that are missing. Charles Manx has a similar gift- but instead of having a bridge that allows him to find things, he's able to take children in his Rolls-Royce Wraith to Christmasland, a place where they will get to be kids forever. Vic stumbles upon him when she's a kid but is the only one that manages to escape. We catch up to her in adulthood and find out that Manx is back- and this time he wants revenge. I loved Vic as our protagonist. She takes no shit. I would recommend this on audio- it's narrated by Kate Mulgrew, who you might know as Red from Orange Is the New Black! Well done all around.
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