I’m joining up with Modern Mrs. Darcy for this month’s book reviews. It’s always interesting to see what others are reading and I very rarely pick up a title without a recommendation. As you can see, I dove deep into my beloved YA genre this month. A newly discovered trilogy totally hijacked my reading list but I still managed to read a diverse set of books. You can check out a few more titles I reviewed in this post.
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This Month’s Reviews
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro – This was my book club pick for February and after watching season 4 of the BBC’s Sherlock in January, this was the perfect fan fiction follow up. The great-great…..somethings of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson can’t seem to escape each other’s lives. When Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson end up at the same Connecticut boarding school they find themselves framed for a variety of crimes that seem to mimic the cases of their ancestors. I loved the creative reimagining of the classic characters and found the story fun and engaging. The first few chapters might be a bit heavy on the teen angst but once the mystery begins, I couldn’t stop reading. The second book is released this week and I can’t wait to pick it up.
The Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski – I tore through this series after seeing it on a blog or instagram (I’m not sure which but if you were the recommender, thank you!). It reminded me a bit of Marie Lu’s Legend series. The fantasy setting of the books allows ideas like slavery, power and war to be explored in new ways. Kestral is the general’s daughter who desperately wants her father’s approval but refuses to become a soldier. Arin is a slave who is torn between who is he now and who he used to be. There are about a thousand pieces of dramatic irony in here so be prepared to want to slap several characters for their ridiculous choices but the ending is both satisfying and well worth it. Sometimes it’s nice to escape our actual world and the one that Rutkoski builds is detailed and worth exploring.
Book #1 Winner’s Curse
Book #2 Winner’s Crime
Book #3 Winner’s Kiss
New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance: A Memoir by Elna Baker – I read this several months ago but haven’t reviewed it yet. I’m not sure how it came across my list but I was intrigued by hearing about Elna Baker’s life as a Mormon in New York City. I thought this book would be one I’d read from the outside, an interesting story about a life that’s vastly different than mine but I ended up finding myself relating to her story of self-discovery and finding your own faith. This book is witty and irreverent in all the right ways and I found myself laughing along but also reflecting days later.
When Penny Met POTUS by Rachel Ruiz – I randomly grabbed this one off the new books shelf at the library for my younger son. I try and fill his book basket at home with at least a few books that feature strong female protagonists (harder than it should be) and this one looked timely with all of the political discussions that have been happening in our house. We read it together a few days later and I just felt such joy after we finished it. Penny spends the day with her mom at the White House, hoping to meet POTUS but picturing a purple monster. When she finally bumps into the real one, she’s pleasantly surprised that POTUS actually stands for something. If you’ve got daughters (or sons) you’ve got to check it out.
On my TBR List
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch – This one keeps coming up as a must read from lots of friends with diverse taste and my dad just lent me his copy so I’m hoping to crack it open later this month.
The Road Back To You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile – I’ve read a couple of other enneagram books but am still journeying through the process of finding my number. This book seems to be a popular one and I’ve heard a podcast with the authors so I’m anxious to read it.
This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel Bookstore owner, Annie Jones’ review on Instragram pushed this one to the top of my list so I’m not so patiently waiting for a copy to come up at the library.
The Mothers by Brit Bennett – My husband just finished this one and really enjoyed it so I’m ready to follow after him so we can discuss. We’ve been reading more of the same things this year and it’s fun to find common ground in our reading life.
What was on your list this month? Did a particular title jump out at you? Have you read any of these books recently? Leave a comment below!
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Wow, I just finished the 4th season of the BBC’s Sherlock last week and started A Study in Charlotte last night! I’m glad to hear you liked it. I’m two chapters in and definitely intrigued.
I hope you like it! The first couple of chapters were a little silly but once the crimes start happening, I loved it. I kept picturing Benedict Cumberbatch as a teenage girl while I read but I loved that the author kept the witty banter between Watson and Holmes in the book. The 2nd once just came out yesterday so if you get hooked you can grab that one too.