What I've Been Reading - June 2017

Welcome to What I've Been Reading, where I share my (quick and personal) thoughts on what I've been reading this past month. For specifics (plot summary, etc.) about each book, click on the provided links.

A Stranger at Fellsworth (A Treasures of Surrey Novel)by Sarah E. Ladd (3 stars)

Sarah E. Ladd is often recommended for Jane Austen fans. Though she is no Jane Austen, (Who is?) she tells simple, enjoyable Regency era stories. A Stranger at Fellsworth is no exception. It is simple, but enjoyable.

The Dry: A Novelby Jane Harper (4 stars)

"Luke lied. You lied. Be at the funeral." If the prologue doesn't draw you into The Dry, (It's intense!) the first chapter most definitely will. The entire book is full of twists and turns, and, though not my usual read, I thoroughly enjoyed it. In full honesty, I could barely put it down. I can't wait to see what Jane Harper (What a debut!) writes next.

Beartown: A Novelby Fredrik Backman (4 stars)

"Late one evening toward the end of March, a teenager picked up a double-barreled shotgun, walked into the forest, put the gun to someone else's forehead, and pulled the trigger. This is the story of how we got there." That is chapter one. All of it. Intense, right?! Beartown slows down quite dramatically after chapter one, before slowly building back up in intensity with the turn of each page. It's a slow build, (At times, a little too slow.) but the payoff is big. Fredrik Backman (A Man Called Ove) knows what he is doing. Beartown is so good. It is also timely! I have to add a big caveat here, though. Language! Language, language, language! (Picture teenage boys in the locker room.) I almost put this book down so many times due to its language, but I put my faith in Backman and stuck with him. I am glad I did.

Dreamland Burningby Jennifer Latham (4 stars)

Have you ever heard of the Tulsa race riot of 1921? I hadn't. I love when a good book introduces me to history I've never heard of. This is just that book. Dreamland Burning taught me a lot and did it in such a good way.

The Lost Book of the Grail: A Novelby Charlie Lovett (4 stars)

England, an old cathedral, a lost manuscript, King Arthur, the Holy Grail and a little romance...The Lost Book of the Grail is pretty darn close to the perfect book for me. I had never heard of Charlie Lovett before. I am happy to have finally discovered him for myself. I can't wait to get my hands on his previous books.