Book Chat: March 2020

Hi y’all,

With us all being socially distant right now I have had extra time to read! This makes my bookworm heart so happy. I’ve been exploring different apps and discovering a ton of new books. Just in the Books app by Apple, I’ve read 12 books this year. Plus I’ve read a few more in the Libby app. I will say I have read all of these books as ebooks which is very unusual for me, but my public library is closed.

I love finding new books that other people loved. It’s also one of my favorite parts of my day job as a teacher. I love recommending a new book to a student and they fall in love with it.

Beautifully Broken Pieces by Catherine Cowles

5/5 Stars. This book takes place in the mountains and is possibly the best book I’ve read all year. I did not want to put it down! It’s the story of a woman who is looking to reset her life. She ends up going on vacation with her friends, and extends her stay. I won’t tell anything else because this is a MUST read. There were cliff hangers at all the right parts and the story flowed perfectly. It is definitely a relatable story and very enjoyable.

Beautifully Broken Spirit by Catherine Cowles

5/5 stars. This is the third book in the Sutter Lake series. This one follows the lives of two of the characters you’ll meet in Beautifully Broken Pieces, but you don’t have to read that one first. Again, I had a hard time putting this one down and could envision myself right there with the characters. I love how we got to know more than just the main characters in the book and how interrelated everyone was.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

3/5 stars.

It’s the story of a woman from childhood to her death as she experiences the good, the bad, and the ugly of life. The book moves back and forth in time as we see the life of Kya Clark. It goes into the various relationships of Kya’s life and her independence. I listened to this one via a free trial from Audible.  In general, I have a hard time staying focused on audiobooks and I’m not sure if that affected my feelings on this book. I loved the storyline of this book.

A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena

4/5 stars. This is the story of Karen and Tom Krupp. All of a sudden they are dealing with legal problems as Karen has a sudden incident-but doesn’t know why. Then, there is a murder to solve. This book is one of my more favorite reads of the year; however, I did feel like some aspects can be really slow moving. I will say, I was very shocked by the ending in a good way! I did not see it coming which I feel like I haven’t found that in a long time.

Then She was Gone by Lisa Jewell

1/5 stars. This story is supposed to be a good quality story. However, I found it really hard to get into and ended up dropping this one. I normally make myself read the entire book, but I could not force myself with this one. I felt the story was confusing and couldn’t get a handle on who was who and what was going on. I’ve heard wonderful things about this book though, so it just might be me and not the book.

Perfect Love Story by Natasha Madison

5/5 stars. This is the story of Hailey, a woman who’s fairytale ending ends up not be so fairytale-like. Her life begins again and this time it might have a happy ending. I truly loved this book. I felt like I really got to know Hailey, Jenson, and the other members of small town, North Carolina. I often felt like I was on the beach right along with them. The storyline moves at the perfect pace, and really lets all the pieces fall into place so you aren’t confused.

Unexpected Love Story by Natasha Madison

4/5 stars. This is the story of Hailey’s cousin, Crystal and the town doctor, Dr. Gabe. Both had given up on love and happy endings. This story is the follow up to Perfect Love Story and has many of the same characters. I did feel like we did not get to know Crystal or Gabe as well as we got to know Hailey and Jenson in the first book. However, Madison still gives a quality story and you’ll fall in love with this little beach town and the people that live there.

Plain Jayne by Laura Drewy

4/5 stars. We meet Jayne, who is moving back to her hometown after her grandmother’s death. She’s been left her childhood dream, but it may be more than she bargained for. At least, she has her BBF Nick to help her out. Will Nick become more than a friend? Or, will his latest girlfriend be the one?

Almost Priest by Lydia Michaels

4/5 stars. Colin’s life has been planned out since he was a teenager: go to seminary, become a priest. He’s on break before taking his Holy Orders, and his little brother brings home a friend. While his brother wants to date the girl, Colin might be rethinking his whole life plan. If you like Colin’s story, each member of the McCullough clan has their own story you can enjoy.

Have y’all been reading anything good while you’ve been staying at home? Let me know!

xx,

Lindsey

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