This month I successfully completed 24 in 48, a reading marathon where participants spend 24 hours out of 48 reading. During that weekend, I finished 6 books. That explains the increased number of books I completed this month. Here is a brief description of each. Let me know what you’ve read or are interested in!

Milady by Laura L. Sullivan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow. I cannot remember the last time I read a book this good. This book has it all, and I won’t say a word about the content because it is so masterfully presented and weaved together that I could not reveal one thing without revealing all. Just do yourself a favor and pick up this book and read it ASAP. If you love spies, English court life, historical fiction in general, strong women, and the ties that bind, this book is for you.

I write this without having read The Three Musketeers, but rest assured that I have put the original on hold and look forward to seeing how Milady is weaved into that story.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Penguin Random House for an advanced reader copy of this book, which I won through a Goodreads giveaway.

Recursion by Blake Crouch

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The first thing I want to say is that I did not read Dark Matter. I know at least one person has said that the books were presented too similarly for them to have enjoyed this one as much, but coming into it with a clean slate allowed me full enjoyment of this story.

What a unique and fun and terrifying premise this book has. I was sucked in immediately and couldn’t stop turning pages to figure out where it was all going and how we were going to get there.

There was a point about 3/4 of the way through the book when I started to get a little tired of things, but I wasn’t the only one..can’t say much without giving too much of the story away. But I think the author did a fantastic job of bringing the emotions of the characters to the reader.

If you enjoy thinking about parallel universes, definitely check this book out.

Rise to Rebellion: A Novel of the American Revolution by Jeff Shaara

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am so happy that i devoted my Independence Day vacation to this book. I got such a patriotic feeling from reading how our forefathers (and mothers) fought to make their lives better. It’s nice to be reminded that while change may be difficult and painful, it is possible and just may be worthwhile.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is obviously great, and i see why so many people love it. That being said, i didn’t think it was amazing or anything. It’s a fun story with a unique twist on the traditional tale. I will certainly look for the next one to see where things are going.

Fall, or Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a book that’s very hard to rate purely because of its length. If this book had been divided into a trilogy, which i think it should have been, I’d have given the first book 5 stars, the second 4, and the third 3. But because you have to read the whole book in one go, i can’t give it more than 3 because I’m not sure that the whole journey was worth it.

This is my first Stephenson book, so perhaps this is what his fans expect. This book was epic. I mean, we have like the entire Bible here in a narrative form. And i mean that literally. The number of bible stories was surprising. The narrative was interesting and complex. But toward the end, it just lost its interest. I finished, expecting something fantastic to happen at the end to wrap everything up, but nope. It just ends. Okay then…

The Reckoning by John Grisham

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I don’t think I’ve read a Grisham novel before, and picked this one up because i needed a new audio book and it was available. Therefore, i have no opinion on how it compares to his other books.

This book almost reads like three different stories. The first third of the book focuses on Pete, the patriarch of the Banning family, and his decision to commit a murder. The intriguing thing is that he doesn’t tell anyone why he’s done it, and that’s basically what the whole book is about: the search for answers.

The second part of the book is a lengthy flashback of Pete’s military career and is really a historical novel of America’s involvement in the Philippines during World War II, particularly the Bataan Death March. I enjoy historical fiction, so i didn’t mind this portion of the story, but it really felt only loosely related to the rest of the story. The details of Pete’s experience as a POW weren’t necessary to understanding his actions, however much i tried to put them together.

The final third of the book focuses on the civil and probate aspects of murder and finally the reveal of why everything happened. But in the end, it just kind of felt like a story that could have been a lot shorter but was unnecessarily drawn out. Interesting but not worth all the time i spent listening.

That being said, i really enjoyed the narration, and probably would have quit reading the paper book sooner.

American Homemaker by John Kaine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I won this book from Bookish First.

I enjoyed this book. It is not the kind of book that you can take too seriously, because it’s just so over the top. The main characters are Kim and Melody. Kim is a homemaker and mortician married to Norman, who is also a mortician. Melody is a hitwoman moonlighting as a cleaning lady.

But this book turns things on their head, because Kim is not what she seems to be, and things start going south really fast. This book moves quickly, with short chapters that keep you turning. The book also doesn’t hover on boring dialogue, and there is nothing to draw you in emotionally. But that doesn’t mean anything is left to the imagination; the author is just telling a story, page by page.

This book isn’t going to change your life, but it’s the kind of book that is just fun and doesn’t require a lot of thought. It is very dark, as there are tons of people murdered and buried throughout, but if you can handle that, dig in!

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don’t even know where to start with how amazingly beautiful this book is. The writing is so compelling, and it draws you in immediately. I wanted to stay up all night and finish this book from the moment i picked it up.

Romanov by Nadine Brandes

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I admit i didn’t know much about the Romanovs before reading this book except for the hemophilia bit. I don’t feel like this book added anything to my knowledge. These characters were just characters that could have been found in any book. They only thing that separated this from historical fiction was that instead of medicine, they had magic, and that was being eradicated by the Bolsheviks. This book was fine, but was directed at the YA crowd, so it wasn’t really life changing or anything.

Shortest Way Home: One Mayor’s Challenge and a Model for America’s Future by Pete Buttigieg

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I listened to this on audiobook, narrated by the author.

I had a hard time getting into this book, but I’m not sure why. I guess maybe it’s that I just don’t relate to Mr. Buttigieg. This was not my first book written by a candidate, but when I think about how passionate I felt reading Kamala Harris’s book, I see how empty this book left me. There were a few moments when I felt inspired to pay more attention to city politics, but I was just bored by many of his detailed descriptions of things he’s done in his city. I imagine that part of it is that Buttigieg isn’t much older than I am, and hasn’t really done enough to justify a book about his life. I suspect this book was written just to get his name out there as part of his presidential run. Unfortunately, for me, it left me wanting, and likely to support another candidate.

The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to this short story as part of the 2019 audiofile sync program.

What a fun little old story about a ghost who gets more than he bargained for.

Summer of ’69 by Elin Hilderbrand

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this book up because it was on a summer reading list, and i kept seeing people singing its praises. I figured I’d give it 50 pages and then probably set it aside. Then i got to 50 pages and i was like, gosh, these people are so privileged, i can’t see myself finishing this book. And yet i could not seem to put the book down. I don’t know what it was: the very realistic and relatable characters, one woman for each stage of a woman’s life; the tumultuous time; the exotic but not unimaginable locale; or just the summer breeziness of it. It seemed like a big book, but it went by fairly quickly. I don’t know that I’ve had the joy of a great summer read before, but if this is what the experience is like, i can see why it’s sought after!

Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani and narrated by Robin Miles

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The narrator of this audiobook was fantastic, doing multiple accents and both male and female voices to perfection.

The story was told in several short chapters, and itself was not very long. The story was thorough, and I really felt like I was in the mind of the protagonist.

How terrible that this is a true story. Such promise cut short by selfishness.

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Although I had picked up a print version of this book to read, it became available on audio, and since I had listened to the first one, I figured I’d listen to the second one too. This book did a nice job wrapping up the story laid out in the first book. There were some moments where it became confusing because there was no indication of “when” we were talking about, but everything became clear in the end. A strong conclusion to the story. I would continue following this crew in future books.

The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book as this month’s installment from the Book Hive Book Club. I definitely wouldn’t have picked this book up without this book club, and I probably wouldn’t have finished it even if I somehow had. There was nothing particularly compelling about the character or story that made me want to continue. However, since I had to write about it in the journal, and it was a fairly easy read, I just pushed through it. In the end, I’m glad I did. I’d say it’s a 3.5 book, but I rounded up because 3 star books are generally ones I would neither recommend nor wouldn’t recommend, if that makes any sense. This book was unique enough to warrant more than a neutral reaction.

The main character was really just a vessel to allow certain things to happen; he wasn’t really a hero or antihero. He was just a guy, like the rest of us, trying to get through the day in Occupied Paris. He ends up in a series of situations where he has to choose what is right and what is wrong. There were certain side characters that I thought would be more involved than they were, but people would just disappear as the story went on.

Overall, as with all WWII books I think, this was a story of the difference one person can make, and the price paid by those who chose to fight.

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Boy. What to even say about this book. What a wild ride.

If I had any criticism, it’s that it was a bit hard to follow in parts. Sometimes the narrator was remembering things that had happened in the past, and if you weren’t reading closely, you’d miss it. In some ways, I wish there had been years at the beginning of the chapters or some kind of visual clue about where we were going with these memories.

Overall, the characters were rich and the story was different from anything I’d read before. These kids. These parents. This world…

The Binding by Bridget Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book wasn’t what I thought it was going to be, but I’m still happy I read it. Of all of the books I read for 24in48, this one was my favorite, I think.

I picked this book up because it was about magical books; is there anything more intriguing than that?! I had seen it listed somewhere and put it on my holds list, so I sort of forgot the rest of the description before I started reading.

This author is excellent at describing sort of spooky occurrences and making you feel like something really is going on that you can’t quite put your finger on, even though you should have enough information to put it together. I did not realize what the binding process was until around the time Emmett figured it out.

This book is divided into three sections, which were each excellent stories in their own right. In the first section, we have a kid who becomes a Binder’s apprentice. He learns the details of book binding while also trying to figure out who he is and what’s going on.

The second section of the book is some of Emmett’s past and is basically a love story. This is the part that if I had known it, I probably wouldn’t have ever picked the book up, because love stories are so bleh for me. But this was pretty good.

The third section of the book is from the perspective of another character who meets Emmett after he becomes a Binder.

That’s about all I can/want to say about this book, besides that I would recommend this book to anyone who loves magical realism. Most of the book could have easily been set in our world. There is just one part that bends reality, but perhaps only slightly. What does really happen when someone writes a book?

Seafire by Natalie C. Parker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Awhile back, I entered a giveaway for the second book in this series, and I won. So then I figured I’d better pick up the first book.

I admit that without having won that second book, I would not have finished this book. It is far closer to what I consider Sci Fi than fantasy, and I am much more of a fantasy girl. This book included a LOT of fighting and machinery and killing and planning and escaping and capturing. Aside from the first chapter or so, this book only covers a couple of weeks, but they are a harrowing time for the characters. They are jumping from one fire to another it seems, and never catch a break. It’s shocking to think they have survived for years this way, when they seem to be having so much trouble right now.

With all of that said, there were multiple times when I got goosebumps reading about the ways the crew stood by each other and built each other up when things looked bleak. I loved the way the characters relied on each other, and several had their own personalities. I’m ignorant of seafaring for the most part, but there were some things that I thought were pretty surprising. For example, it seems like if you have one person in charge of each of your departments, you wouldn’t take all of those people on a mission, because if something happened to all of you, there wouldn’t be anyone with leadership capabilities left to take over. But I get that it’s a book, so I just went with it.

I will certainly read the second book, given that the first ended with a cliffhanger.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook narrated by David Warner. Although I recently upped my listening speed to 1.5, I had to bump it back to 1 for this book, because there were times when he would get on a roll and start really rattling through some things. I’m glad I did bring it back to regular speed too, because he really uses his voice to take the reader along with him as the emotions heighten in various scenes. I also loved the inclusion of music at various parts of the story.

Although I know this story came first, I was continually thinking about Stephen King’s Rose Red while I was listening. I’m bummed because I just sold that movie set on ebay, but I would have sat right down and watched it immediately after finishing this book if I still had it. Another book I was thinking of was House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, especially when the author was describing the way the house has odd angles that deceive you into believing you are facing one direction when you aren’t.

This book was a wonderful haunted house story, and I’m so glad I’ve finally read it.

The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot Against George Washington by Brad Meltzer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a great look at the events that occurred around the founding of our nation. I had no idea that our nation’s history almost wasn’t what we know it to be. This book delves into the founding of our nation’s first “intelligence” agencies, the prototype for the Secret Service, and how they interacted with George Washington and the fight between America and England for the colonies.

I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed it. Scott Brick is excellent at bringing the written word to life.

A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book started a little slower than the others, i suspect because we were spending time with some new characters and getting to know Armand and Reine-Marie a little better. Totally worth the wait. This book had me in tears a few different times.

Also, for anyone who wants to know how to write a character without gender pronouns, this is an excellent example to follow.

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think I’m too traumatized to leave a proper review right now. What the hell did i just read all of that for? Yes, it was beautifully written, and i have each of the characters embedded in my soul for life now. But that ending? My heart is broken.

The Dark Calling by Kresley Cole

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was excellent. I started it before work and almost called in sick because i didn’t want to put it down. While I’m so curious about how the series will end, i almost don’t want it to because it’s so good!

Saving Meghan by D.J. Palmer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thought this book was great. I basically read it in one sitting because i found myself so drawn into the story and invested in what would happen next, not to mention what was going on behind the scenes. While i was surprised at the end, i was not disappointed. There were a couple of cheesy things and some odd courtroom things that I’ll just chalk up to being Massachusetts law instead of Michigan law, but i would still round up from 4.5 to 5 stars.

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I am embarrassed that i suggested this book to my book club and hope they enjoyed it more than i did.

This book is an example of why it’s bad to read the descriptions of books before diving in. I thought that this book was about the fire at the Los Angeles Central Library in 1986, because that’s what the synopsis says. But that was like 20% of the content of this book. The remainder consisted of the history of the library and the author’s experience of the library in modern times. These chapters were all mixed up, and i only ended up reading the sections about the fire and Harry Peak.

Which was another problem with the book. The book starts by describing Harry Peak without any kind of introduction to who he was or why we care about him. That seemed to be the author’s theme throughout: i will start describing a person that you don’t know and eventually you’ll figure out the relevance of what you’re reading. I’m not sure if this is her style in all of her books or if she just didn’t have enough material or editing or what with this book. I would never read anything else she’s written after this pile of garbage.

The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is quite interesting and difficult to talk about. It a thriller and a mystery and fantasy and sci fi and probably some other things to. It explores what it means to be good or evil and leaves a lot of room for nuance. It reminds me of how hunters are such strong conservationists. They can take life while also acknowledging that lives are important to save.

If you pick up this book, be prepared for a variety of formats of information, from text messages to trial transcripts.

After reading some other reviews, i am editing to add that i partially enjoyed this book because I’m a huge Disney fan. I went to the parks a few years back and i could totally imagine all of this taking place there. I am certain that my brain filled in a lot of what the book didn’t describe. It is a very surface level book, with your imagination required to bring it to life.

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was incredible. In the beginning i was frustrated with the protagonist because she seemed willfully obtuse, but i grew to love her in the end.

Speaking of the end, i am sitting here with tears streaming down my face. I don’t want to say much, but for those who have read this book, i have a feeling I’m not alone.

The comparisons to the library at Hogwarts are apt, and helped bring the libraries mentioned here to light. For me, magical books and libraries and librarians are a big win, and all of the above were excellent in this book.

This book has exactly the right amount of romance, along with QUILTBAG characters that don’t feel added just for the sake of it.



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