My lack of posting about books is not related to me not reading. I’ve been reading a lot. My mojo is back.

July

An Island Wedding by Jenny Colgan. This is the fifth book about the fictional Scottish island of Mure. Don’t bother with this book unless you adore Jenny Colgan. The ending was awful. If this is the last book in the series I’m done with Jenny Colgan. I give this book one star.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center. Now this is the book I was hoping to read when I picked up An Island Wedding. Katherine Center consistently writes an enjoyable book about love. This book is about a bodyguard hired to protect a famous actor. It was delightful. I give this book four out of five stars.

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez. If you are looking to read a book like a Katherine Center book, but you would like it to be a little bit filthy, this is a good book for you. It is about a doctor who falls for a small town farmer. This book gets bonus points for being located in the Midwest. I give this book three out of five stars.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. I didn’t know how much I wanted to read a book about human bodies after death until I picked this book up. This somehow funny and educational book covers several ways of dealing with a body after death. I would like my body turned into fertilizer for a tree when I die. If you have read this book, what do you want to have done with your body? I give this book four out of five stars.

August

Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why they Matter by Ben Goldfarb. I love it when I read about books on other blogs. This is a book I would not have known about, and that is a shame. This book is incredibly interesting. My biggest complaint is that no one feels as passionately about beavers as I do now. I am hopeful I can convince a friend to read this book so I have someone to talk to about beavers. Please read this book. Become a beaver believer! I give this book five out of five stars.

Pretty-Shield: Medicine Woman of the Crows by Frank B. Linderman. This is an oral history taken in the early 1900s. It is the story of Pretty-Shield, who grew up on the plains when buffalo were hunted and native people were not forced into reservations. It was incredible. I give this book five out of five stars.

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Crosby. Two fathers, one black and one white, both ex-cons, search for the person or group that killed their sons. This book is so freaking good. How good? My resting heart rate is usually in the 60s. My heart rate was 92 when I was reading the last chapter. It was so intense. I loved it. I give this book five out of five stars.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. An orphanage for magical kids on an island in the sea. A lonely bureaucrat on a mission to gauge the safety of the school. A family. This was a lovely book. I really enjoyed watching the characters develop. It was incredibly delightful, much like the person that recommended the book to me. I give this book five out of five stars.

Clutish by Amanda Montell. This is an interesting topic. There are times when the author is funny. Other times she is serious. At the end of the day the topic is depressing and the author shares too much of her opinion and tries to make jokes (or does make jokes, but I don’t think they are funny). I give this book one out of five stars.

Hello, Molly! by Molly Shannon. This memoir is all about the actress/comedienne’s life, from losing her mother to an accident at a young age to her complicated relationship with her father. Her stories about fun she had with her dad tended to make me cringe. This book made me like her more, and now I’m happy to see her in commercials. I give this book three out of five stars.

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune. If you want to read a book about death that has an incredibly big heart, this is the book for you. This book is hauntingly beautiful. It pulls you in. The characters are lovely people. Really, you should just read this book and then call me so we can talk about it, OK? I give this book four out of five stars.

Welcome to the School by the Sea by Jenny Colgan. I regret buying this book instead of checking it out from the library. This might be the book that cures me of my love of Jenny Colgan. I give this book two out of five stars.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. Full disclosure: I am a sucker for a bookshop novel. If there is redemption and love in the book? I like it even more. This book has it all. A.J. is a curmudgeonly bookshop owner who adopts a child left in the bookshop. Read this if you want a book to feel good about. I give this book four out of five stars.

September

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan. This is a romance novel about an audio book narrator. Cute. Predictable. Enjoyable. I give this book three out of five stars.

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren. A romance novel. Does it even matter if I explain the plot? Cute story. Love lasts forever. I give this book three out of five stars.

Caroline: Little House Revisited by Sarah Miller. Yet another book recommended by a blogger buddy. This book is Little House on the Prairie through they eyes of Ma. We’re currently reading the Little House books in homeschool, and I really enjoyed reading this book. True story: I would not have been a good pioneer wife. I give this book four out of five stars.

51 Yarns to Spin Before you Cast Off by Jacey Boggs Faulkner. If you are a spinner who finds yourself in a rut, this is a good book to puck up. This book is filled with different spins to try. The book has space for notes, and I hope to add notes for all 51 yarns. I give this book four out of five stars.

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This author has an incredibly gift – she is able to write novels that feel so real you find yourself reaching for your phone to google the characters. I wish I was a tennis fan, because I’m pretty sure this would be my new favorite book. I am already looking forward to Jenkins Reid’s next book. I give this book four out of five stars.

Everything We Didn’t Say by Nicole Baart. This book is split, chapter by chapter, between present day and 15 years ago. Unsolved murders. Family secrets. Suspicion. The location of the story? A farm in NW Iowa, an area I’ve been to several times. The problem with this book? The characters are all self centered and unlikeable. It is like the Midwest Seinfeld. By the end you are hoping that they all will go to jail. I give this book two out of five stars.

I hope to stay up to date on my book reviews now. Mostly because this post took a really long time to write and I’m ready to get back to reading. I hope you all have a good book to read.