Julie's Journal : What I've Been Reading

Here at the library we are gearing up for Summer!  It's hard to believe that the school year is almost over and it's time for another Summer Reading program.  This year's theme focuses on the 250th Anniversary of the United States.  Along those lines, currently at the library, you can view 5 enormous posters about Texas's place in American history, as well as a timeline of the history of the U.S. and other informative displays.  We hope you and your kids will join us for a patriotic summer.

This spring has been busy as well, but I've found time to read some good books!

Most recently, I read Ask for Andrea, by Noelle Ihli.  I've been seeing this book on blogs for awhile now, but hadn't been able to get a copy.  Finally, it showed up on Libby and I was able to read it.  Meghan, Brecia, and Skye have all been murdered by the same man.  Before they move on, they want to prevent him from killing again, and maybe help bring him to justice. The author switches points of view between the three murdered women, which is a format I enjoy.  I like a good ghost story and this one was great without being particularly gory.  I also read the short-story, The River, which tells what happens to the murderer's family after Ask for Andrea ends.  There is also a prequel, Forget You Saw Her, which tells the story of Andrea.  I haven't read it yet, but I've got it on hold on Libby.

Another book that's been on my want-to-read list for awhile but I'm just now getting to is Awake, by Jen Hatmaker.  Jen woke up in the middle of the night to hear her husband voice-texting his girlfriend and her whole world was upended.  Awake is the true story of her difficult divorce and finding her way to a new and flourishing life in the aftermath.  Although I didn't/don't agree with some of the things she tried and some of her conclusions, I found her story compelling.  Divorce does not just affect the two people in the marriage, but reverberates through their family, friends, and wider communities.  I found it interesting to see who continued to support her through the upheaval and who turned their backs on her.

The Forget-Me-Not Library, by Heather Webber is another book I finally got to this spring.  I'm a Heather Webber completionist - I've read everything she's written.  If you find your car unexpectedly breaks down in Forget-Me-Not, Alabama, there's probably a reason.  Juliet's car emits blue smoke in front of Tallulah's house and refuses to go any further.  Forget-Me-Not natives know that the color of smoke your car shoots out when it breaks down indicates an area of your life you need help with.  Blue means that you are grieving a great loss.  Tallulah isn't particularly happy when her grandfather Tenn invites Juliet to stay until her car is fixed.  Recently divorced, newly employed at the library, and raising her child alone, Tallulah feels like she has enough on her plate.  Juliet is sure she won't be hanging around for long, but both women find magic, healing, new beginnings, and home in Forget-Me-Not. 

I've been enjoying cozy fantasy lately.  A couple of weeks ago I read Stay for a Spell, by Amy Coombe.  Tandy is a younger princess who's royal duties include a lot of ribbon cuttings and baby kissing.  On a quick stop, she visits a bookstore hoping to find something new to read on her way to her next event.  She attempts to help the elderly bookstore owner and finds herself cursed to stay in the bookstore until she find "the desires of her heart."  Tandy isn't as devastated by this turn of events as one might think.  She finds herself enjoying a simple life trying to update and clean out the bookstore and staying in one place for awhile.  She makes friends of the people who come to the bookstore, particularly a young woman who hires on as an assistant and a landlocked pirate who also finds himself under a curse.  The queen and king, Tandy's parents, aren't as happy, though, and since everyone knows that the way to break a curse is to experience true love's kiss, they send a parade of eligible princes to her.  Tandy's situation becomes more and more hilarious as time goes on.  This was a fun, light read.  It is a debut work, so I hope the author writes more books soon.

Last year, former library employee, Jeltje, got me hooked on the Murderbot books.  I've been reading one occasionally when I want something fun.  Murderbot is a robot that long ago hacked his own governor module.  He's rogue and trying to stay undetected, passing as an augmented human rather than a robot.  He has a weakness for television style entertainment and his observations of humans and their quirks are funny.  The most recent one I read is #4, Exit Strategy.  Murderbot reluctantly gets involved when his former mentor/owner/friend gets kidnapped.  Dr. Mensah has evidence (gathered by Murderbot) that may help stop the evil corporation GrayCris.  GrayCris will do anything for a profit and has been the source of a number of Murderbot's problems through the books.  I have really enjoyed Murderbot's dry humor and wry observations of the humans around him.    

The most mind blowing book I've read lately is The Everlasting, by Alix Harrow.  At first this book was confusing.  It read like it was set in Britain just after one of the world wars.  However, I quickly figured out that the world was fictional.  Our hero, Owen Mallory is a somewhat shellshocked former soldier and historian.  Una Everlasting is a maybe mythical, heroic figure from the nation's history and Owen is something of an expert on her life.  After he is sent a manuscript to translate about her story, Owen unexpectedly finds himself sent backwards in time in order to see Una's life for himself.  But just as I thought I had a handle on the story, everything changed.  The author turned her story inside out and upside down and sideways.  I ended up absolutely loving this wild book. I need more people to read it so we can talk about it! 

What have you been reading lately?  I'd love to hear about it!