I slowed waaay down with reading this month. I also failed to finish Erin’s challenge. (Heck, I still haven’t finished Atonement. I think that one might be a lost cause…) Oh well- the two books I did read were four star-ers so I consider it a good month.

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On to the books…

The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier | ★★★★/5
Summary: After fleeing with her sister from personal embarrassment in England, Honor Bright finds herself all alone in rural 1850s Ohio at the mercy of strangers. Trying to find her place in the midst of Quakers, runaway slaves along the Underground Railroad, and crass-yet-kind Americans, Honor all but loses herself. She soon finds that right and wrong isn’t a matter of black and white. | Why I Read It: According to GoodReads it’s been on my TBR list since 2015. And it met the criteria for Erin’s Challenge. | What I Thought: Books like this are why I love historical fiction. Not everything is 100% true, but I learned so much about Ohio’s history with the Underground Railroad and the necessary involvement of Quakers. It sparks the desire to know more. Honor was a naive character at first but I think she progressed and developed as the story went on. I would have made VERY different choices than she did and I wasn’t expecting the final scene, but it was a good piece of historical fiction that taught me a little more about the state in which I live.
You should read it because… you enjoy historical fiction- more specifically, the turbulent pre-Civil War/slave era in America’s history. I loved that this was set in my state. It was also minimal on the cruelty/violence that’s often written into novels about slavery. Still heavy, but not soul-crushing.

A Most Novel Revenge by Ashley Weaver | ★★★★/5
Summary: In the third installment of the Amory Ames Mystery series the clever, amateur detective and her dashing husband Milo are invited to join Amory’s cousin at a cold and drafty countryside estate. While Lyonsgate may have once been a lovely getaway, it now holds memories of a wild evening gone wrong. | Why I Read It: I love this series. A fourth book comes out in September and I wanted to be all caught up. | What I Thought: I really love Amory Ames. I think she’s progressed through the books and found her voice and her confidence- with and without her husband. I also love that they work as a functional, adoring team in this novel. Milo gave her a little more attention than he has in the past and Amory found herself letting some walls down. I found their evolving relationship adorable. As far as the mystery goes, I had 85% of it figured out by the reveal, but I think I was supposed to suspect certain characters. I loved the speed of the story line as well as the heavy dialogue. I highly suggest reading the first two mysteries before you read this one- they set up the characters and their quirks.
You should read it because… you enjoyed the first two novels. And you should read those if you love a polite English murder mystery with a fair share of twists and surprises. It’s less thriller and more fun, but that’s my kind of mystery 😉

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Erin’s Challenge officially ended at midnight on April 30th…

| 5 points | Freebie: Dashing Through the Snow by Debbie Macomber
| 10 points | Starts with the letter “W”: Winter by Marissa Meyer
| 10 points | Six words in the title: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
| 15 points | Has a (mostly) green cover: The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis
| 20 points | A homonym in the title: The One by Kiera Cass
| 20 points | By your favorite author: Heartless by Marissa Meyer
| 25 points | Set in the city/town/state/territory/county/province where you live: The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier
| 30 points | A “Rory Gilmore” book: Atonement by Ian McEwan
| 30 points | From a genre that you’ve never read/rarely read (*thriller*): The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
| 35 points | With time travel: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

I ended with 170 points out of 200! While I didn’t complete the challenge, I feel so accomplished and happy. This was a personal best!

If you’re in a reading slump like I was I strongly encourage you to join Erin‘s next challenge. (Categories released June 1, starts July 1.) While I’ve never finished it, I’m pretty darn close. And Erin never puts any pressure on her readers- it’s such a supportive group. I tend to read at a rate of three-ish books a month… which would allow me to finish the challenge if I’d just stay consistent, lol.

What did you read this month? Linking up with Steph and Jana!