What I’m Reading (11.2.20)

There’s an elephant in the room and I’m not going to acknowledge it. Not because I don’t care, but because we all need a little distraction right now. So, instead, I bring to you this week’s reading recap, which is filled with great books. Two romances, a biography, and a YA thriller—so many genres! I had a great reading week for sure.

My bookish moment this week was watching my mom’s neighbor hand out picture books to children who came by to trick or treat. (She also handed out bags of candy—she’s not a monster!) She was also dressed as a handmaid and, you guys, I just need to meet and become friends with this woman. She’s like my literary twin! I need to get over my shyness and introduce myself and tell her how much I love the Little Free Library she has in her yard.

Anyway, let’s discuss my reads!

It’s in His Kiss by Jill Shalvis (★★★★☆)

One-sentence synopsis: Becca has escaped to small-town Lucky Harbor after a difficult family situation, never expecting to fall in love with the first person she meets in this new place.

I loved this romance! It was pure fun from start to finish, and there was a lot of depth to the plot, as Becca is trying to heal after some traumatic things have happened to her. This novel is the 10th book in the Lucky Harbor series (but like most romance series, you don’t have to read the books in order) and it’s so fun to see some of my favorite characters pop back up in this novel. While I think some things wrapped up a little too easily—it always drives me crazy when authors feel the need to make everyone one big happy family at the end; that’s just not real life!—this was still a solid romance with some very steamy scenes! (Open-door romance.)

You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Alexis Coe (★★★★☆)

One-sentence synopsis: For the first time, a woman pens a biography of George Washington and doesn’t hold back about his flaws, including about the enslaved people he owned.

This was an excellent biography and I really hope Coe is planning on writing more books about our presidents because I learned so much in just 230 short pages. This book includes charts and other infographics that detail little things about Washington, like all of his illnesses, the “frenemies” he made while he was president, his war history, etc. Washington is an incredibly flawed character and he did not have many fans when he left the presidency, and I enjoyed this more nuanced take on his life. But what struck me most when reading this biography was learning more about his wife, Martha. Her life was a difficult one—losing her first husband, then both of her children, and countless grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Not to mention, she had to share Washington with the country. He was away from her for years fighting in the war and then became president. And a year after he left the presidency, he was dead. I felt a lot for Martha and was encouraged by the way she soldiered on, even in the face of so much tragedy. Anyway, this is a great, accessible biography and I encourage everyone to give it a try!

Driven to Distraction by Lori Foster (★★☆☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: When prim and proper Mary hires rugged bad boy Brodie as her driver, sparks fly.

Ehhhh… this book relied a little too heavily on stereotypes, and I was actually surprised to learn it was published in 2018 because it felt very dated. The characters felt two-dimensional and the plot seemed to drag on and on with no apparent destination. Until this weird mystery subplot was introduced that was just so cheesy and unrealistic that I started skimming those sections. Not a great sign! This is the first book I’ve read of Lori Foster, who is a prolific romance novelist, and I’ll give her another shot… but this isn’t a novel I’d recommend. (Open-door romance.)

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (★★★★☆)

One-sentence synopsis: For her senior capstone project, Pip decides to investigate a five-year-old murder that took place in her town.

THIS NOVEL WAS SO GOOD. The only reason it doesn’t get five stars from me is because parts of it were a little too unbelievable—such as a seventeen-year-old launching such a complex murder investigation with no experience or training. (This was, like, Serial-level investigation and Sarah Koenig is no slouch in the experience department + had a whole team working with her.) But as long as you can get past that (which I could), this novel is incredible. I loved Pip so much, and her partnership with Ravi (whose brother allegedly killed his girlfriend five years ago, which is the murder Pip is investigating with the intent to clear his name) was such a sweet little addition. This novel took so many twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting, and I loved them all. I truly could not figure out who the murderer was or the motive, so the reveal was completely unexpected. All in all, an insanely good debut novel!

What I’m Reading This Week

• Murder on Cold Street by Sherry Thomas – This is the fifth book in the Lady Sherlock series, and I was thrilled when I came off the holds list at my library. I’m listening to it on audio, my favorite way to consume this series. I’m only an hour in and I’m already so happy to be back in the world of Charlotte Holmes.
• Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli – I’m reading this YA novel to fulfill November’s prompt for the Unread Shelf Challenge (read a book in your favorite genre). I don’t have any traditional romances on my unread shelf (my actual favorite genre; I always read those quickly!) but YA romance is a close second, so it fits.
• How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi – Ah, yes. I am finally plucking this book off my shelf to read. I am planning on taking this book slowly, perhaps one chapter a day. This is not a book to speed-read through.

What are you reading?