Audrey Books

What I Read…

Book Day! Linking up with Steph and Jana for the best day of the month!

This month I knocked out three books 📚

Loch Down Abbey by Beth Cowan-Erskine | Mystery | ★★★★/4
This felt like a Downton Abbey knockoff mystery. It was ok and I gave it four stars on Goodreads, but now that I’m writing about it I realize how forgettable it was. I solved one mystery pretty early on. I hated one of the resolutions. Most of the people were terrible humans. But I breezed through it and it held my interest the entire time- honestly can’t ask for much more.

Coldhearted Boss by R.S. Grey | Romance | ★★/5
Nope. Didn’t like it. Usually I’m a big fan of Grey’s steamy romances, especially the enemies to lovers. This one was weird. The dude was vindictive and cruel… until he suddenly wasn’t. And the girl was like, “I hate you… and maybe love you… but hate you. Oh- you love me? Ok, I love you.” Yeahhh… not my cup of steamy tea, thanks. Very unbelievable and, honestly, unhealthy in my opinion.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid | Fiction (Historical?) | ★★★★★/5
Another gem from TJR. I know some people weren’t into it, but I loved this one. I loved the siblings and June. I loved how it flowed and I was hooked all the way through. I didn’t like Daisy Jones because of the era but this 80s surfer vibe was perfect for summer. I was into it from start to finish. And I loved the ending. A beautiful journey for each Riva sibling. (Mick can eat glass TBH.)

I’ve read nothing from Erin’s Book Challenge yet.

What did you read this month?

Life According to Steph
Audrey Books

What I Read…

Happy Book Day! Linking up with Steph and Jana for a few recent reads on this glorious Show Us Your Books Day!

I have 3 (YES, THREE!) books today. Woot woot!

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer | Fantasy | ★★★★/5
This is the final installment in the Cursebreakers trilogy. Before I picked it up I saw some negative reviews, but I enjoyed it! I was sad that a few characters got the short end of the stick. It didn’t feel super creative as far as how the results shook out… but it was realistic and natural. I love Grey and have since the start- so I enjoyed his development over this book and the last two. It’s a worthwhile series with a slightly lackluster ending- but still a great world with great characters.

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse | Thriller | ★★★/5
I picked this one up for book club- I don’t read a bunch of thrillers. It was fine and I breezed through it. There were definitely some unrealistic moments. I highly disliked the main character Elin and often doubted her abilities as a detective. The creepiness of the setting was fantastic and I think there was a lot of potential… but I don’t think the author got it quite right. But I read it quickly and was engaged- so I’m just being picky.

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for… by Robin DiAngelo | Nonfiction | ★★★★/5
Sheesh… it took me long enough to finally finish this one. I found this book interesting and I think it’s helped open my eyes to some racial disparities that I hadn’t noticed. I didn’t agree with absolutely everything DiAngelo said, though. And the idea of a nice white lady breaking down race for another nice white lady doesn’t escape me. It’s opened the door for me to pick up other books on racial inequality, though. Most definitely not a waste of time.

I’ve had so many three star books this year. It was nice to get a few four-ers. Still waiting for that magical five star read. I think I’m extra picky and judgmental this year. Lol.

Give me a five star recommendation!

Audrey Books

What I Read…

I skipped last month because I only had one book read. This month I have two total so WATCH OUT WORLD.

Linking up with Steph and Jana today for some book talk! #ShowUsYourBooks

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett | Mystery | ★★★/5
I’ve never seen this film, but I still “saw” this entire novel play out in my head in black and white. I don’t know what compelled me to pick this one up, but I enjoy a classic mystery. It was ok. Honestly, there were no likable characters, haha. But I think they’re all supposed to be a little seedy. Murder, theft, lies, double-crossing… All the things that made the 20s/30s what they were. Lol

One and Only: The Freedom of… by Lauren Sandler | Nonfiction | ★★★★/5
I don’t read a lot of nonfiction, but the podcast I occasionally listen to recommended this book (& then interviewed the author). It was most definitely informative, but it’s written by an only child who has an only child… so I wouldn’t call it objective. That said, I learned a lot and I was able to use facts and take time to reflect upon my own feelings. If you’re on the fence about children or the number of children you’d like, this is a good book to add to your shelf.

Moo Reads!

Moo asked me to share some of her recent favorites, too.

Babies on the Farm by Ginger Swift
M is starting to recognize and care about the sounds animals make- especially farm animals. This book is very cute & follows the cutest little baby goats.

Disney Baby My ABCs by Walt Disney Co.
I love that each letter/flap works independently so M can pick which ones to lift and we don’t have to go in order. (I think when you learn letters in order you run the risk of HAVING to say them in order.) I dislike that the crocodile is associated with the C on the cover but he’s NOT the character for the C inside. Small complaint, but it gets me every time.

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
I know this is a beloved book by many (and probably hated by many, too, lol). We got it from Dolly Parton’s program. I love this story. I love the rhyming and the fact that mama llama lays down the law and tells little llama to cool it. Haha.

I’m in the middle of two other books and patiently waiting for my library to give me a long-awaited one… so maybe next month I’ll have two more books. Or THREE if I’m feeling crazy.

Audrey Books

What I Read…

I set a very low goal of 15 books this year because a) I’m trying to be realistic and b) I need that little high of accomplishment when I finish #15. Currently I’ve read 4.

Linking up with Jana and Steph today for Show Us Your Books!

The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine* | Domestic Thriller | ★★★/5
I don’t read many thrillers, but my book club picked this one. I didn’t hate it and I didn’t figure it out- I’d say I got 25% solved before the big reveal. I adored the kids. I was confused about the good guys and bad guys (in a good thriller-y way). At times the writing was a little stranger and the timelines felt flubbed, but I was invested and it passed the time just fine. *the author is actually a pen name for two sisters

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss | Romance | ★★★/5
I put this book on hold at the library in late November but it didn’t come to me until last month. (I hate reading Christmas books after Christmas.) This was a not-so-steamy, Hallmark-cute, very predictable romance. I would say it passed the time just fine and would’ve been v adorable to read a week before the holidays. Kate was kind of dramatic in her big decision making, but romance-heroines often are… It was cute; I’d recommend it as a holiday read.

I didn’t make any progress with my book challenge so I’m not going to bother copying and pasting it, lol.

What did you read this month?

Audrey Books

What I Read…

Every time I show up here I make excuses for why I’ve been absent, but I don’t have any excuse today. Sometimes I’m here and sometimes I’m not… I appreciate that when I show up you guys usually do, too.

Enough jibber jabber. On to the books.

Finally linking up with Steph and Jana today for Show Us Your Books! It’s my first one this year!

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore | Historical Romance | ★★/5
I know I’m in the minority, but I didn’t love this one. I thought the duke was aggressive and fickle and unpleasant. Don’t get me wrong- I LOVE a grumpy suitor, but this guy had an air of superiority that took him way too long to get over. And Annabelle was super uncreative when it came to escaping or fixing her circumstances. These two dingbats killed it for me.

The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton | Historical Fiction | ★★★/5
I wasn’t head over heels for this one like I thought I’d be, but dammit I love the way Crichton writes. He effortlessly makes you root for the bad guys. (And in Jurassic Park he made me HATE the bad guys, lol.) This was a little boring and not what I was expecting. It was like a period drama you’d turn on, watch 2 or 3 episodes, and forget about for another week or so until you had some down time. (Aka, not binge-worthy.)

Book Challenge by Erin 14.0

| 5 p | Freebie: The Unhoneymooners (Christina Lauren)
| 10 p | You’ve been meaning to re-read: HP & the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
| 10 p | The first book of a series you’ve never read: A Court of Thorns and Roses (Maas)
| 15 p | Mostly green and/or pink cover art: The World of Lore: Wicked Mortals (Mahnke)
| 20 p | A male relationship word in the title: The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers (Mullen)
| 20 p | Set in a place on your bucket list: Bringing Down the Duke (Dunmore)
| 25 p | Reminds you of 2020: A Vow So Bold & Deadly (Kemmerer) – dark, I know.
| 30 p | Written by an LGBTQIA+ author: Red, White & Royal Blue (McQuiston)
| 30 p | The name of a bird in the title: The Maltese Falcon (Hammett)
| 35 p | Protagonist has a questionable profession: The Great Train Robbery (Crichton)

55 points total

What did you read this month?