Booked and Busy

In the last few years, I’ve reignited my love of reading. Like most people, I’ve been tracking the books I’ve read and the books I want to read (TBR) via Goodreads and Storygraph. And as much as I love being able to have the information ready, I’ve been longing to track things in an analog way. This year I decided to keep a book journal.

I’m kind of impressed that I’ve been able to keep it for three months. More than that, I actually enjoy it!

So far, it’s just been basic stats, short reviews, and lists of books I’d like to read but I love having a place where I can put all of my bookish thoughts.

Join me on Goodreads and Storygraph

March Reading Wrap Up|| Bookshelf



March was a fairly good reading month for me. I didn’t read a ton of books but I really enjoyed everything I ended up reading!

I’ve started adding more independent and self-published authors to my TBR pile. In March I read three books by two indie authors, a romance by Tasha L. Harrison and two books in a cozy mystery series by Mairi Chong.

In Her Closet by Tasha L. Harrison, was the only 3-star read of the month. It’s a very spicy romance about a sex blogger, Yves Santiago, struggling to let go of some pretty heavy baggage from a previous relationship while attempting to write a book based on her blog. It was a quick read and overall, I was satisfied with it. However, the story felt a little bit dated with good reason. It was published in 2010.

I read the first two books, Death by Appointment and Murder & Malpractice, in the Dr. Moreland Mystery series by Mairi Chong. Dr. Moreland is a Scottish GP recently released from a mental health facility. She settles back into her practice and solves two murders while dealing with her hospitalization’s consequences on her professional reputation. I gave both of the books 4 stars. I enjoyed the mysteries of each of them. But, I enjoyed that Chong is writing a complex female main character.

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard is a contemporary thriller set in Ireland. It’s also the first book I’ve read that has Covid and the resulting lockdown written into the story. We met Oliver and Ciara who meet just before Covid becomes the new normal. They decide to move in together as the shutdown forces people into “pods” to try to figure out if they can make their new attraction into something more. The timeline jumps as we get glimpses of their meeting, how the relationship progresses through lockdown, and when the police are ultimately called to the apartment when a decaying body is discovered. Can they figure out exactly what happened or has quarantine provided the killer with the perfect plan for murder? I initially gave the book three stars but as I found myself thinking about it for weeks after, I bumped it up to four! I know some authors have been reluctant to write about the pandemic because we’re still in the midst of it, but I think it worked well as a framing device for a thriller.

My favorite book this month was Finley Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano. This is the second book in a cozy mystery series. Finley Donovan is a recently divorced romance author. She is mistakenly hired as a hitman to kill a shitty husband in book one. She teams up with her nanny/BFF Vero to get to the bottom of the who and the why. The second book picks up right where the first one left off. It’s a face-paced, funny mystery with strong female characters and two potential love interests for Finley. I’m already looking forward to the third book!

Finally, I listened to the audiobook, The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley. Foley is the new locked room mystery queen. I loved her first two books, The Hunting Party and The Guest List. I liked this one too. However, the first half of the book was really slow. I considered shelving it at the halfway point because it just wasn’t doing it for me. I hung in there and the last half of the book is what saved it. Like her previous two books, this one has mostly unlikeable characters. All of the suspects and the victim are pretty terrible people. The protagonist, Jess, is the only likable character. She turns up on her brother’s doorstep in a glamourous Paris apartment only to find him missing. The building’s other tenants are the suspects in what she fears may be the murder of her brother. Like Foley’s other novels, the twists are twisty and the backstory of each of the suspects gives them all a compelling reason to get rid of Jess’ brother, Ben. The reveal is what bumped this up from a 3 star to a 4 star read for me.

I seem to be on a thriller/ mystery kick! I joked with my daughter that I like my characters either falling in love or killing each other! There is no in-between. What have you been reading lately?




Book Chat || Such A Fun Age( a rant and a review)

A lot of us have more free time right now. One of the ways I’m keeping my brain occupied is by diving deep into my TBR(to be read) list. I managed to read five books in March which I haven’t done for a very long time! I loved two of them. I liked two of them. This one I HATED!

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Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid is a novel that had a lot of buzz around it, especially after it was chosen as a selection for Reese Witherspoon’s book club. The story revolves around two female characters, Alix, a 30 something wealthy white woman, and Emira, her 25-year-old black babysitter. It’s a book that promises to deliver insights into the transactional relationship between wealthy white people and the women of color often hired to love and care for their children. Exploring that complicated relationship and getting the point of view of both of these characters seemed promising. There was no reason that I didn’t think I would love this book.

The book opens with a scene that has become all too familiar. A young black woman is in a Whole Foods-ish type grocery store with her young charge. The security guard questions why this black woman would be with a white child late at night and accuses her of kidnapping. The entire thing is filmed by a bystander on his cell phone. If you thought this incident would drive the plot of this book you would be mostly incorrect.

Emira is mortified by the interaction and even more disgusted at the thought of posting it on social media which was suggested to her by the good samaritan. It does, however, set off some internal conflict in Alix. She becomes terrified that Emira, the only one who seems to be able to connect with her 3-year-old Briar, will quit or even worse, think they’re racist! In order to keep Emira happy, Alix decides to learn more about her and immediately and awkwardly begins to ask Emira all manner of personal questions- about friends, nights out- and when she can’t get more info without seeming entirely too obvious, she takes to gleaning info by checking Emira’s lock screen on her phone. She’s able to learn more about the babysitter’s taste in music, the relationship she has with her sibling and the flirtation between Emira and a new guy.

This is my first issue with this book. Alix is awful. I don’t think that all protagonists need to be good people. In fact, I find women characters who are emotionally complex and even unlikeable often make for compelling reads. Alix is not complex. She has imposter syndrome. Who doesn’t? There is a bit of background story given to make us more empathetic to her internal struggle. However, Alix is in her mid30s and I don’t think that high school drama would impact someone’s behavior so completely. I never understood why she was doing the things she did.

And there was Emira. This character and the scenes where she interacts with her girlfriends are so stilted and seem so inauthentic, I double-checked to see if the author was black. I have a 25 year old daughter and those conversations sound nothing like the snippets I hear when my daughters are hanging out with their friends. Other than the dread Emira feels about her upcoming birthday because she’ll be kicked off of her parents’ insurance and her romance with the bystander of the grocery store incident, we don’t learn much about Emira. We never learn why she hasn’t let her parents know she babysits for extra money especially since it’s not only a job she loves but it’s actually one she excels at. We never learn why she doesn’t want that moment to go viral. And, other than the white lady white ladying notion, we never really learn what she thinks about her previously detached employers suddenly taking a keen interest in her life. I just wanted more from this character. I think that if we’d been given more it would have made the story much more interesting.

And now we come to the reason I ended up hating this book. Alix has a group of girlfriends. Tamra is the “black friend”. She is the point person on blackness for these women. Tamra is the new model for wokeness. She sports her hair in shoulder-length locs. She is well educated and the principal of a prestigious prep school in Manhattan. Her twins sport full, curly afros and speak fluent French. Despite her perceived “wokeness” she exhibits so much antiblackness towards Emira that I was legitimately pissed by the end of the book.

There is a scene toward the end of the book where Alix is unsure about her perception of a situation. She looks to her friends for their opinions and when one of the other women implies( in the nicest possible way!) that Alix’s whiteness may be contributing to how she’s perceiving the issue, Tamra steps in and co-signs Alix’s garbage choice! Really, girl! I have amazing friendships with white women and I think one of the reasons is because they know I will call them out on their privilege in a heartbeat. When you love people you want them to be better, to know better and to do better. Tamra became the black friend white women will use to excuse their behavior and I could not believe she was written by a black author.

The only thing I liked about the book was the relationship between Emira and the little girl she babysits, Briar. I loved the way Emira was able to see the person Briar was and give her what she needed. Riley was able to portray the conflict some of the women hired to care for children may feel. Perhaps the situation is not the best for them but a lot of them will ultimately stay on longer because they feel a responsibility to those kids.

I really wanted to love this book, perhaps that’s why I was so deeply disappointed by it. Have you read it? What did you think?

Nonfiction November

One of my favorite booktubers, ABOOKOLIVE, is the host of Nonfiction November. Let’s ignore the fact that we’re into the first week of the month already…mkay?! The goal is to simply get people to read more nonfiction. If you typically read none and you read one, you win! And, if you like nonfiction and read it regularly, add a few more to your TBR. It is one of my favorite reading challenges. Whenever I’m in a reading slump I gravitate towards nonfiction. Before Google and Reddit rabbit holes to follow, there was the library filled with books on everything to memoirs to essay collections to true crime and those are the books that comforted me!

There are no real rules but she does offer a few one-word prompts that may be interpreted in any way you want. I’ve added a bunch of amazing recs to my Goodreads list and since I’m also doing NaNoWriMo this month(!) I’m only going to attempt to one book for each prompt.

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Design: Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year Battle between Marvel and DC by Reed Tucker This was a recommendation from Olive. I chose it for design not only because I love the comic book designed cover but also because the creators of both Marvel and DC have meticulously designed the worlds their characters inhabit. I’m a fairly new fan to the MCU and I’m excited to learn more about the history of these two giants of the industry.

Sport: Unnecessary Roughness: Inside the Trial and Final Days of Aaron Hernandez by Jose Baez I had only marginally been keeping track of the Aaron Hernandez saga. Hernandez was a star athlete and professional football player who was charged and convicted of murder. This book is written by the famed defense attorney, Jose Baez who not only defended him in a second double-murder trial but ultimately got him acquitted. It is an in-depth dive into the last year of the life of Hernandez and details only Baez had access to. I’m interested in reading more about what makes a man who seemingly had everything fall, how CTE may have played a part in his crimes and a closer look at the justice system.

True: A Deal with the Devil: The Dark and Twisted True Story of One of the Biggest Cons in History by Blake Ellis Because real life is always stranger and more interesting than fiction! My interest in true crime has changed a lot in the past few years. But, I find fraud and the people that perpetuate them endlessly interesting. This book is an investigation into a criminal enterprise that defrauded people to the tune of $200 million dollars through various mail-order schemes.

Voice: Motherhood So White: A Memoir of Race, Gender, and Parenting in America by Nefertiti Austin When I started my journey of new motherhood over again I noticed immediately that finding resources and stories about what parenting is like for black mothers in the 21st century were virtually nonexistent. I am a black stay at home mom of a young child and while I don’t find my circumstance particularly extraordinary, seeing my journey reflected in fiction or nonfiction is relatively rare. I chose this story about a single black woman’s choice to become a mother through adoption because these voices and stories need to be told.

February. And, it's lit!

This year I’ve set 45 books as my reading challenge. Last month I managed to read two books. Not as many as I hoped to finish but I enjoyed both of them!

That being said, I’m ready to dive into my February TBR(to be read)stack! Because this is black history month I’m focusing solely on reading black authors. I’m also broadening my horizon in terms of the kinds of books I’m reading. I tend to favor mysteries, non-fiction and as of late, historical fiction. This month I’ve added two YA novels to my list and one, while not technically science fiction-something I never read- per se, is set in the not so distant future with some sci-fi elements.

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The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead This novel won a Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, was selected for Oprah’s Book Club and was on the NYT best seller list for weeks! It’s also been on my TBR since it debuted in 2016. It twlls the story of Cora, a run away slave from Georgia and reimagines the Underground Railroad as more than a metaphor. It is an actual network of tracks and tunnels where engineers and conductors operate beneath the country’s soil.

Pride by Ibi Zoboi This is a Pride and Prejudice remix! The author balances “cultural identity, class and gentrification against the heady magic of first love in her vibrant reimagining of this beloved classic”

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo This one has received much critical praise and is a favorite new release among a lot of my favorite booktubers. A young girl discovers slam poetry as way to understand her mother’s deeply held religious beliefs and as a way to make sense of her own relationship to the world around her.

The Red Queen Dies By Frankie Y Bailey This is set in 2019 and there are pharmacutical advances that offer soldiers the ability to take a pill and erase PTSD. Murder and mayhem ensue as a detective races to make sense of clues linked to Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz and the assassination of President Lincoln in order to stop a serial killer.

Black Water Rising by Attica Locke A thriller set in Houston during the 1980. Big oil, racism, politics and of course, murder. I can’t wait to dive into this one!

I’m currently on the wait list at the library for a few more novels authored by black writers and I’m not sure how soon I’ll move up the list. I’m excited to check out some new to me authors!

What are you reading this month? Have you read anything lately that I should add to my list?



Psstttt….join me over at Goodreads



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bookshelf{may edition}

in january, i set a reading goal. at the time it seemed perfectly reasonable to read a book a week for the year, however, i've fallen so far behind. 

now is the perfect time to play catch up. there is nothing better than sitting on the porch on a gorgeous spring evening with a glass of wine and a good book. 

these are my latest library picks.

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not gonna lie, i noped out of ELIGIBLE after about 75 pages. i'm totally bummed because i love curtis sittenfeld! but, if it's not doing it for after 75 pages then i sadly have to admit defeat! i've replaced it with the nest by cynthia d'aprix sweeney. i'm cautiously optimistic.

my kids gifted me with a barnes and noble gift card for mother's day. it was an unexpected and sweet surprise. i've been a faithful library book reader for several years now. it felt so indulgent to actually buy a book. particularly these two gorgeous coffee table books! 

i'm always looking to add to my TBR list so if you have any great book recommendations please leave them for me! 

bookshelf{january}

last year i set a 40 book goal for myself. i managed to read 35. so close! i thought that i would be able to rally those last few weeks of the year but ultimately i'm happy with my results. i also learned that there is no shame in walking away from a book. if i'm not feeling it it's okay to put it down. the book police aren't going to come and arrest me! it's kind of freeing to say i don't have the time or mental space to finish something that doesn't interest me. this year i'm challenging myself to read 52 books. one a week seems completely reasonable. i think.

here's what i've got to keep me company this month.

the first two books are recommendations from one of my favorite podcasts, all the books.

thirteen ways of looking by colum mccann is a collection of short stories and made plenty of "best of" lists in 2015. i've never been into short stories. they always feel so...short. abrupt. but these days my attention span is not that great and my days are full. a wonderful collection of short stories may be just what the doctor ordered.    

i don't remember why i added girl waits with gun by amy stewart to my list. or should i say i can't recall why i thought i would enjoy it other than liberty hardy's enthusiastic recommendation. it looks interesting so i remain hopeful that even though it's not my typical read it will be a good one!

for interesting non-fiction that often reads like a novel erik larson is kind of a no brainer. i'm a few chapters into his latest offering dead wake: the last crossing of the lusitania and i'm enjoying it.

do you have anything interesting to read this month? are you excited about any upcoming releases?

pssttt...are you a user at goodreads? follow me here.

 

 

   

bookshelf {october}

there's a slight chill in the air.the leaves are beginning to change. the days are getting shorter. pumpkin spice is everywhere! it's officially fall and it's the perfect time to grab a book, a mug of tea, coffee, hot chocolate....burboun(no judgement!) and sit in a cozy nook and read.

i'm reading these three among others. 

house of thieves by charles belfoure

the cruelest month by louise penny

the unchangeable spots of leopards by kristopher jansma

the cruelest month is the third book in a series by louise penny which features chief inspector gamache. i'm really enjoying this series. they focus on a small town, three pines, in a canadian province. the characters are interesting and the mysteries are thoughtfully plotted and unfold slowly. they're kind of a throwback to agatha christie novels. a welcome change of pace to the graphic thrillers that occupy the bestseller list.     

i'm several chapters into the unchangeable spots of leopards. i really, really like it! it's the kind of book that i usually want to read in one sitting but i'm forcing myself to read at a slower pace to take in all the little details.

 

what's on your reading list this month?