Library Check Out – April 2019

April has been a great library month for me. I think I’ve been able to go every week! Not to mention, I had some great overdrive holds come in. As always, thanks to Bookish Beck for creating and hosting this monthly link up.

Library Books Read

• Home by Marilynne Robinson – Robinson is so great at digging into her characters. I wasn’t expecting this one to be told from the perspective of Glory, a seemingly minor character in Gilead and Robert Boughton’s daughter. I was expecting it to be through Boughton’s eyes, but once again — Robinson has delighted me by giving me something unexpected and rich with details.
• Becoming by Michelle Obama – finally able to finish! What an amazing woman who has lived an incredible life – and so much left to live!
• Autumn by Ali Smith – this was quirky and fun, full of parallels between post-Brexit UK and the United States. The characters were amazing.
• The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris – I really enjoyed this WWII novel. It was another that had such memorable characters and experiences — and I was on the edge of my seat through several scenes!
• The Huntress by Kate Quinn – from the author of The Alice Network, this was another WWII novel that told the story of Nazi Hunters in the United States chasing a particularly cruel Nazi war criminal. Told from multiple perspectives, including a female Russian pilot during WWII — it was totally un-put-downable!
• The News of the World by Paulette Jiles – This novel was something completely different for me because I don’t usually read westerns. But what an introduction to the genre! Captain Kidd makes his living reading newspapers to the settlers in North Texas and is given the task of returning a young girl captured by the Native Americans to her family outside of San Antonio. It’s a perilous journey and makes one question right and wrong in a new way.
• The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff – yes, another WWII novel this month. If you’re counting, that makes 3! This one was similar to the Alice Network and told the story of young British women infiltrating France to help The Resistance. Parts were a bit unbelievable, yet this was very enjoyable!
• The Editor by Stephen Rowley – Imagine you’re a struggling writer trying to sell your novel and find out that there’s an editor interested in working with you to finish it. And then imagine meeting this editor and realizing that she is Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis! That’s the story that Stephen Rowley imagined and was everything! Funny, touching, quirky, and optimistic — I loved this book!
• The Library Book by Susan Orlean – this was an interesting read. It centers on a fire at the LA Public Library that basically destroyed their entire collection. Orlean walks us through the history of public libraries and tries to unravel the mystery of how this tragic fire happened. I was a bit confused at times given how she jumped around but I managed to make it through!

Currently ReadingH

• Winter by Ali Smith – the follow up to Autumn, which is listed above. This is significantly weirder than Autumn, so I’m not sure if I’m going to finish, but it’s due back on Saturday so I’ll wait until then to decide.
• Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin – I didn’t think I’d enjoy this because Gretchen Rubin’s podcast annoys the heck out of me and I haven’t been able to finish any of her other books. BUT – I’m really liking this! I find that I practice several of her suggestions already, but the piece that I’m really missing is what many of us are missing: what is my core mission in life??! Maybe she’ll tell me in this book? Ha!
• The Nature of the Beast by Louise Penny – I just started this on audio and am hooked! How does she do it?!

Waiting to be Read

• There There by Tommy Orange – this was my second time to check this out from the library and I really hope I read it this time!!

Holds

• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
• Madame Fourcade’s Secret War by Lynne Olson
• My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Returned Unfinished

• None!

Returned Unread

• The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick – When it came down to it, I decided to return this and pick up other books. I didn’t think I’d actually crack it open.
• Peaches for Father Francis by Joanne Harris – I like to read Joanne Harris around Easter, but didn’t manage to get to one this year. Oh well, maybe next year!

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Did you go to your library this month? Or find any great new books you want to share with me??!