Accelerated Reader: Volume 4
I’ve read a lot of books recently (just hit 92 for 2019!), and y’all know I had some wonderful reads. I also had a lot of good-to-great reads to tell y’all about. So, without further adieu…
“We Came Here to Forget” by Andrea Dunlop - 3.75/5
Katie Clery is a world-champion, Olympic-level downhill skier with a loving family and a supportive boyfriend, living her best life and skiing her best runs. Liz Sullivan is rediscovering herself in Buenos Aires with a friendly group of ex-pats, including a very friendly tango instructor. Liz and Katie couldn’t be more different, except…they are the same person. (Did I build up the suspense enough there?) This story is told in two parts, divided by an action taken by Katie’s big sister, Penny. I really enjoyed this one — I think I liked Katie more than I liked Liz, tbh, but both stories were compelling. If you aren’t affected by any of the triggers below, I would recommend this one, wholeheartedly; just be careful, you will end the book desperately wanting to go to Argentina.
Triggers: The author has been very open about the disease that Penny suffers from in the book, so I don’t consider it a spoiler here. Penny has Munchausens by Proxy disease, and a big part of this story is how that impacts her and her late daughter.
“These Witches Don’t Burn” by Isabel Sterling - 3.75/5
True story: when I started reading this book about lesbian teenage witches, I texted Moira to tell her this book was right up her alley. I know I’m right about that one, but I did enjoy this one a good deal. This is the story of Hannah, who is navigating life as a recently-out lesbian, recently-dumped high school student, recently-entranced girl in love — oh, and she’s a witch whose being hunted down, nbd. I liked the world that Isabel Sterling created, and it was a nice break from reality. Also, I’ve not read many LGBT romances (something I should work on), but I thought this was adorable and believable.
“The Bookshop of Yesterdays” by Amy Meyerson - 3.5/5
This was a book I really, really wanted to love -- the premise (a mystery told through classic literature) is great, and the cover is adorable (yes, I do judge a book by my cover). And…I liked it, but I didn’t love it. Miranda inherits a bookshop in California from her Uncle Billy, who has been estranged from her family since she was 12. Of course, the inheritance comes with a mystery and the revelation of a big family secret, which almost splinters the family apart. I feel like there were a lot of adults behaving badly in this book, most notably, Miranda and her mom. I did want to shop at Prospero Books, and I would love nothing more than if someone left me such a scavenger hunt, but this one wasn’t as great as I was hoping it would be.
"The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides - 3/5
Man oh man, was I disappointed by this one; maybe my hopes were too high? There was a lot of hype over the twist, and I admit, I didn’t fully see it coming. That didn’t save the book for me, though. Alicia is an up-and-coming artist who brutally murders her husband, Gabriel, and then never speaks again; Theo is her psychiatrist in the treatment center she was sent to after trial, and he is obsessed with finding out her story. The book goes between Alicia’s journal leading up to the murder, and Theo’s thoughts while treating her, and eventually, the two will intersect in a massive! plot! twist! I didn’t like any of the characters in this book — they were all uniquely terrible — and while I liked the suspense, I didn’t buy the premise of the book. Does that make sense? I may also just not like the trope of doctor telling a story through treatment notes; I read another earlier this summer, and I felt the same about it. All that said, I know so many people that loved this book, so this could definitely be a case of me, not the book (except Momo didn’t like it either, so maybe it’s us, not the book).
"How to Walk Away" by Katherine Center - 4.25/5
After loving “Things You Save in a Fire” so much (my review here!), I added this one to my September BOTM club box, and I am so pleased that I did. Margaret is having the best day of her life — she gets engaged to her long-time boyfriend Chip, she’s just accepted her dream job after getting her MBA, she’s just bought a new home — until the plane she’s in goes down in flames and leaves her paralyzed and covered in burns. That all happens in the first 30 pages, so I’m not spoiling anything; the rest of the book encompasses how she gets used to her new normal. That new normal includes her caring but overbearing parents, her formerly-estranged sister Kit, and her cute PT Ian, who makes life in the rehab center more interesting! I loved the character progression in this book - from everyone - and there’s nothing more inspiring than watching someone overcome adversity. Katherine Center didn’t mince words though; we learn a lot about what it’s like to suffer this type of injury and how to recover (as best you can) — it isn’t a book where Maggie gets a miracle. Oh, and I can’t say this enough: Chip sucks - just hardcore, he is the worst. This book does wrap up in a mostly neat, generally happy bow, but I like a good happy ending, so no complaints on that front from me.
Also, fun crossover - Cassie from “Things You Save” is the firefighter who saves Maggie!
"Enchantee" by Gita Trelease - 4/5
If lesbian teenage witches are up Momo’s alley, reading about a young peasant fooling aristocrats through dark magic during the French Revolution is up mine. I checked out this book from the library, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Camille is a devoted sister with the power to do “small magic,” and when her parents die, she gets deeper into the world of disguise and dark magic as she tries to save her younger sister and herself from penury. It is a YA novel, so of course there are hijinks around mistaken identity and cute boys, but with a new-to-me setting: Versailles. Admittedly, I did think the fight scene that was the climax of this book was a little over-the-top, but it didn’t take away from my general enjoyment of the book!
If you click on the links, SFOL may receive a small percentage of your purchase — FYI, there’s no additional cost to you! We promise! There’s an affiliate link up there for Book of the Month Club, which I’ve been a member of since it’s reboot a few years ago. If you’re a frequent purchaser of new books, I couldn’t recommend BOTM more - $9.99 - $14.99 for a new release hardback is the best deal I’ve found.
