What Have You Been Reading Lately?

July 31, 2019

I love that question! I love asking it. I love answering it. Sharing your reading life with people who are interested enough to ask that question is one of the best things ever. As I’ve mentioned, I use Goodreads to track my books because I like to look back at what I’ve read from time to time. This July has been so busy this what with cleaning, working on the house, blogging daily, and spending time with my girls that I didn’t feel as though I had read as much as I otherwise would have. Surprisingly, I managed to read seven books. That was good news! It means that I am still on track with reading goal which entails reading, at least, one book a week all year long.

I read this book because it was one of the titles drawn for my summer book club. It was amazing! It is a 600+ page page turner. I couldn’t put it down. If you are a fan of WW II stories, I highly recommend this novel. Hannah’s ability to write historical fiction like this story, is not to be missed. I liked it even more than Winter Garden.

Marginal Scrawl Rating: 5/5

I had never read the Harry Potter series past Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. But, reading them with my girls was one of my best book decisions ever. I have more profound admiration for J.K. Rowling than ever before. The books have explained so much of what confused me in the movies. This book wasn’t my favourite in the series but I loved it.

Marginal Scrawl Rating: 4/5

Anna James is definitely a kindred spirit. The cover design, the under-the-dust-jacket design, the layout, the use of favourite fictional characters, and the overall book-loving plot make this story a lovely read. I think this is a great book to share with kids and fellow fans of Anne, Alice, and Elizabeth.

Marginal Scrawl Rating: 4/5

This book is book-hangover inducing! The narrative covers the story of three characters who all end up in Ravensbrück , a German concentration camp for women. The sections alternate between the three women throughout the novel. But, I found that I was so into the character’s story that I would skip ahead to read what happened to them next. Then, I could read the section about the other character. A great pick if you are good with cliffhangers.

Marginal Scrawl Rating: 4/5

A humorous story set in a vivid representation of San Francisco. I enjoyed reading about Slayter Brown’s I loved that he found much more than that. It reminded me very much of A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. This book is everything I want in a summer read: wit, absurdity, intelligence, and a bit of romance.

Marginal Scrawl Rating: 4/5

Emma is my third favourite Austen novel. This novel feels like a coming-of-age story from the Regency Era. Emma Woodhouse, Jane Fairfax, and Harriet Smith all grow and develop as people throughout the story. Even, Mr. Knightley, who is an admirable leading man, becomes more pleasing as the story progresses when you get to understand him better. This was my audiobook choice for July.

Marginal Scrawl Rating: 4/5

It took three tries to finish this book. Why did I keep trying it? Every time I pick it up to read it, the blurb on the back makes me think that this is going to be a bookishly, beachy read. Disappointingly, it has very little to do with books. I felt deceived. What it does offer is a glimpse at Canadian, specifically Ukrainian Canadian, cottage life in the 1960s. Overall, I enjoyed the social elements of the novel but found the plot lacking.

Marginal Scrawl Rating: 3/5