Anyone else shocked that we’re halfway through 2018? It felt like I blinked and now it’s suddenly July. But know what that means? (Well, you’re already reading this post, so probably.) The next edition of 2018 Recent Reads! For those of you who are new, while I recap what I’ve read in the Currently series, every 3 months I also go over everything I’ve read in the previous 3 months. This is a fun way for me – and hopefully you- to put all of my book reviews in fewer posts than in my monthly Currently posts.
I read a lot in the last quarter of the year, probably because I had surgery and wasn’t working until recently. I hope this will help you find something good to read, and be sure to comment with your recommendations!
2018 Recent Reads: January-March
This post contains affiliate links. I also received some books in exchange for an honest review. As always, opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting Kate the (Almost) Great!
The Girl in the Spider’s Web (3/5) – If the title sounds familiar, it’s probably because this is the 4th book in the Millennium/Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. Also, it’s going to be a movie starring Claire Foy. While the first 3 books in the series are by Stieg Larsson, this one is by David Lagercrantz, as Larsson died after the 3rd book. I didn’t like this one as much as the 3 by Larsson, and I’m not sure if it’s because it’s by a different author or because of the high standards from the preview books or because of the content. It was slow at the beginning, fast-paced like the others in the middle, and slow (or maybe anti-climactic) at the end. It was an okay book, but not as good as the others. Hopefully the movie will be better! Like last year, I’m participating in Modern Mrs. Darcy’s reading challenge. I read this book for the category “a book in translation,” as the author is Swedish and it was published in Swedish.
The Sun and Her Flowers (4/5) – I also read this for the challenge! More specifically, it fulfilled the category of “a book of poetry, play, or essay collection.” I’m not a poetry person in general, but obviously Rupi Kaur has been allll over the Internet in recent years. I decided to give her a go for the challenge! I really liked it, but I could have done with it being a bit shorter. (But keep in mind that I’m not a poetry person.) As a heads up, there are many poems about sexual assault and the aftermath of it, so if that is something that will trigger you, you might want to skip it.
Crooked Kingdom (5/5) – Ohhhhhhh my god. I loved this book. It’s so good. This is the sequel to Six of Crows (see my review here) and I honestly think it might be better than the first. Six of Crows is about a heist pulled off by teenagers (high school, maybe college age), and Crooked Kingdom is about the aftermath. Another heist is pulled off, shenanigans happen, etc. I couldn’t put it down!
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (3/5) – Once again, this fulfilled a category in the reading challenge. In this case, it was the category “a book recommended by someone with great taste.” I was having trouble deciding on a book recommended by someone, so I turned to my Instagram followers, and this was suggested. It was enjoyable, but not awesome. There was a big twist at the end, and that made it a lot better, but it didn’t make it worthy enough for it to get 4 stars. If you’re looking for a book to read while doing other things, though, this is the one for you.
A King’s Ransom (4/5) – I’ve had this book for years, and this year I finally finished it. I decided to make sure I finished it by reading it for the reading challenge. It fulfilled the category “a book by a favorite author” as I looooove Sharon Kay Penman’s books. Like all of her books, this is historical fiction from the Middle Ages. It’s the third in her King Richard I trilogy – the previous ones are Devil’s Brood, which is more about all of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II’s children, and Lionheart – but you don’t need to read the others first. This one covers Richard’s journey back to England after fighting in the Crusades. He was captured, hence the title, and this book covers that, his captivity, the process of getting him back from his captors, and the rest of his life. I don’t know why it took me forever to get into this the first time or two I read this, as this time I flew through it.
A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain (5/5) – I loved this book so much. And it also fulfilled a reading challenge category! I read it for the category “a memoir, biography, or a book of creative nonfiction.” As you can probably gather from the title, it’s a biography about Edward I. (You might recognize him as the king in Braveheart.) He’s a super interesting person who had a huge impact on England and Britain as we know it. To be clear, he wasn’t a great person by my/today’s standards, but he’s super interesting. I loved this book! And lots of my information in my Historical Fun Facts posts from May and June came from this book, so if you find those interesting, check out this book.
My Husband: The Extraordinary History of Nicholas Brome (4/5) – (FYI, I received this book in exchange for an honest review.) If you’ve been reading my book posts – including this post, let’s be honest – you probably know that I like books about England in the Middle Ages. This was super interesting to me because it’s about a man from essentially the middle class (that didn’t entirely exist in medieval England/Europe) who had a small role in the government through the Wars of the Roses, and the story is told from the point of view of his third wife. I found this so interesting for a variety of reasons. 1) I’ve read a lot about the Wars of the Roses, but it has all been about the rules in that time. It was so interesting to read about the impact of those wars on the everyday citizen. 2)
Before the Fall (5/5) – This was another one for the reading challenge. I read it for the category “a book recommended by a librarian or an indie bookseller.” One of my favorite bookstores is Trident Booksellers, which is located in Boston. Sadly, they had a small fire this year, and they have been rebuilding. Luckily for us bookworms who love Trident, though, they have still sold books online. And they have a category of staff picks, and, as you’ve probably figured out, this was one of them. This book centers around the crash of a private plane, including the lead-up to it and the aftermath. Only two people survive the crash, and only one of them is an adult. This is such a good book and I couldn’t put it down!
The Wedding Date (5/5) – This was not intended to be for the reading challenge, but it ended up working for it. It fulfilled the category “a book you can read in a day.” I brought this book with me to Philadelphia, and since it was only going to be a 36-hour trip, I figured I only needed 1 book. I was wrong. This book is so good that I read it in one day and was another one that I couldn’t put down. A girl goes to a wedding with a guy as his pretend girlfriend, and they hit it off. I don’t want to share any more of it, but this is the definition of the perfect summer read! It’s amazing. It’s so cute. You’ll love it.
The Black Book (4/5) – Because I finished The Wedding Date on the same day, I obviously needed a new book to read on the trip home! James Patterson feels like a good plane read, you know? This book is about a cop who was shot along with his girlfriend and partner, and as a result of being shot, doesn’t remember exactly what happened. The book takes place before the shooting and after, giving you multiple sides of the event. It’s very good, and I finished it in 2 days.
The Wife Between Us (4/5) – (I received this book for free.) I really enjoyed this book! There were several twists. I saw one coming, but I didn’t see the others, and quickly I couldn’t put it down. And the twists continue until the end! As a heads up, if domestic violence can upset you, don’t read this book. You can read more about this novel here.
What have you read recently?
Like this post? Check out:
2017 Recent Reads; 20+ Dystopian, Science Fiction, and Fantasy Books To Escape With; 31 Historical Fiction Novels To Take You Back in Time; Why You Should Read and Watch Outlander; Best B
Kate Mitchell is a blogger, chronic illness patient, and advocate who helps people understand chronic illness and helps chronic illness patients live their best lives.
[…] currently posts, 2018 Recent Reads: April-June, 31 Historical Fiction Novels That Will Take You Back in Time, Top Drugstore […]