Let’s talk books. 

I had a hard-ish time getting into reading this year, and I didn’t read too much in the first quarter. But I fixed that in the second! I read 10 books in April, May, and June. I’m excited to talk about them, so let’s get into it. 

All 2021 Recent Reads | All Recent Reads | All book posts

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World Without End by Ken Follett – “World Without End takes place in the same town of Kingsbridge, two centuries after the townspeople finished building the exquisite Gothic cathedral that was at the heart of The Pillars of the Earth. The cathedral and the priory are again at the center of a web of love and hate, greed and pride, ambition and revenge, but this sequel stands on its own. This time the men and women of an extraordinary cast of characters find themselves at a crossroad of new ideas— about medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice. In a world where proponents of the old ways fiercely battle those with progressive minds, the intrigue and tension quickly reach a boiling point against the devastating backdrop of the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the human race—the Black Death” (x).

This was a reread and I’m so glad I did. It’s one of my all-time favorite books! The Kingsbridge series is awesome because you don’t have to read each book in the series, but if you all do, you’ll get even more out of it. As a heads up, the audiobook is 45 hours long.

Home by Toni Morrison – “When Frank Money joined the army to escape his too-small world, he left behind his cherished and fragile little sister, Cee. After the [Korean] war, he journeys to his native Georgia with a renewed sense of purpose in search of his sister, but it becomes clear that their troubles began well before their wartime separation. Together, they return to their rural hometown of Lotus, where buried secrets are unearthed and where Frank learns at last what it means to be a man, what it takes to heal, and—above all—what it means to come home” (x).

I hadn’t read Toni Morrison in years, and I had forgotten just how incredible her writing is. I don’t think I can accurately describe her writing in Home because “hauntingly beautiful” and “incredible” aren’t the right phrases. 

I will say that there are many content warnings for this book. In addition to 1950s period-accurate racism and misogyny, there is a character who is extremely pro-Confederacy, as well as a fair amount of eugenics present. 

I couldn’t put this book down, and I read it in 3 or so days. 

The Best Audiobooks I’ve Listened To

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo – “The Demon King. As Fjerda’s massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm―and even the monster within―to win this fight. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king’s gift for the impossible. The Stormwitch. Zoya Nazyalensky has lost too much to war. She saw her mentor die and her worst enemy resurrected, and she refuses to bury another friend. Now duty demands she embrace her powers to become the weapon her country needs. No matter the cost. The Queen of Mourning. Deep undercover, Nina Zenik risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital. But her desire for revenge may cost her country its chance at freedom and Nina the chance to heal her grieving heart. King. General. Spy. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall” (x).

Now that the Shadow and Bone series is out on Netflix, I hope you all know how good the Grisha series is! The books are so good, and I’m so glad that Leigh Bardugo went the route of several series within this world. The first series of Shadow and Bone was based on the Shadow and Bone book, which is the first of the original Grisha trilogy, and introduces characters from the Six of Crows duology before that duology. The King of Scars duology takes place after the Six of Crows trilogy – and this book is the second part of this duology – but 2 of the main characters mentioned above were introduced in the Netflix show: Zoya and Nina.  

Now that we’ve covered that! 

I really enjoyed King of Scars, but of the 2 books in the duology, I liked Rule of Wolves better. It’s so good and I didn’t expect most of the ending! I’m really impressed by the Grisha series. 

Murder on Cold Street (Lady Sherlock #5) by Sherry Thomas – “Charlotte Holmes, Lady Sherlock, investigates a puzzling new murder case that implicates Scotland Yard inspector Robert Treadles in the USA Today best-selling series set in Victorian England. Inspector Treadles, Charlotte Holmes’ friend and collaborator, has been found locked in a room with two dead men, both of whom worked with his wife at the great manufacturing enterprise she has recently inherited. Rumors fly. Had Inspector Treadles killed the men because they had opposed his wife’s initiatives at every turn? Had he killed in a fit of jealous rage because he suspected Mrs. Treadles of harboring deeper feelings for one of the men? To make matters worse, he refuses to speak on his own behalf, despite the overwhelming evidence against him. Charlotte finds herself in a case strewn with lies and secrets. But which lies are to cover up small sins, and which secrets would flay open a past better left forgotten? Not to mention, how can she concentrate on these murders when Lord Ingram, her oldest friend and sometime lover, at last dangles before her the one thing she has always wanted?” (x).

I’ve talked before about how much I love the Lady Sherlock series, and this book is no exception. I truly loved it! 

The series is basically exactly what it sounds like – a series as if Sherlock Holmes was a woman. Charlotte Holmes acts as the eyes and ears for “her invalid brother Sherlock” … who of course doesn’t exist. This is the most recent book, and the next one comes out this fall.

19 retellings of classic fiction you need to read

Daring Greatly by Brené Brown – “Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable or to dare greatly. Based on twelve years of pioneering research, Brené Brown PhD, LMSW, dispels the cultural myth that vulnerability is weakness and argues that it is, in truth, our most accurate measure of courage. Brown explains how vulnerability is both the core of difficult emotions like fear, grief, and disappointment, and the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, empathy, innovation, and creativity. She writes: ‘When we shut ourselves off from vulnerability, we distance ourselves from the experiences that bring purpose and meaning to our lives.’” (x).

I had read some chapters from Daring Greatly before, but this was the first time I read the whole book. It was so good! Here are some great quotes: 

• “Vulnerability is not weakness”
• “Perfectionism is exhausting because hustling is exhausting. It’s a never-ending performance.” 
• “Fitting in is one of the greatest barriers to belonging.” 
• “Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up.”

I strongly suggest reading Daring Greatly, as well as listening to Brené Brown’s podcast.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen – “For Elinor Dashwood, sensible and sensitive, and her romantic, impetuous younger sister Marianne, the prospect of marrying the men they love appears remote. In a world ruled by money and self-interest, the Dashwood sisters have neither fortune nor connections. Concerned for others and for social proprieties, Elinor is ill-equipped to compete with self-centred fortune-hunters like Lucy Steele, while Marianne’s unswerving belief in the truth of her own feelings makes her more dangerously susceptible to the designs of unscrupulous men. Through her heroines’ parallel experiences of love, loss, and hope, Jane Austen offers a powerful analysis of the ways in which women’s lives were shaped by the claustrophobic society in which they had to survive” (x).

This was a reread, and the last time I read it was probably in high school. I had forgotten how good it was! It’s a lovely story that moves quickly – and definitely faster than Pride and Prejudice does. If you could only read either that or Sense and Sensibility, I would pick Sense and Sensibility.

17 modern classic novels

The Steel Beneath the Silk by Patricia Bracewell – “In the year 1012, England’s Norman-born Queen Emma has been ten years wed to an aging, ruthless, haunted King Æthelred. The marriage is a bitterly unhappy one, between a queen who seeks to create her own sphere of influence within the court and a suspicious king who eyes her efforts with hostility and resentment. But royal discord shifts to grudging alliance when Cnut of Denmark, with the secret collusion of his English concubine, Elgiva, invades England at the head of a massive viking army. Amid the chaos of war, Emma must outwit a fierce enemy whose goal is conquest, and outmaneuver the cunning Elgiva, who threatens all those whom Emma loves” (x).

This is the last book in the Emma of Normandy trilogy by Patricia Bracewell. In Shadow on the Crown, Emma marries the king of England and adjusts to her new life. In The Price of Blood, Emma comes into her own as a queen and mother to the heir. I really enjoyed this book, and I definitely enjoyed the series.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – “After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region. Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid […] Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place […] And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind” (x).

This is a book that I saw everywhere and refused to read it for a while because I figured it couldn’t be as good as everyone said. I was wrong! It’s so, so, so good. This went above and beyond my expectations. The only warning I would give is that there is more gore than I expected. I just skipped over the gory parts, and was totally fine, but as a heads up.

Advice books to read (that aren’t cheesy)

Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon – “Based on the thrilling real-life story of socialite spy Nancy Wake […] featuring the astonishing woman who killed a Nazi with her bare hands and went on to become one of the most decorated women in WWII. Told in interweaving timelines organized around the four code names Nancy used during the war, Code Name Hélène is a spellbinding and moving story of enduring love, remarkable sacrifice, and unfaltering resolve that chronicles the true exploits of a woman who deserves to be a household name. It is 1936, and Nancy Wake is an intrepid Australian expat living in Paris who has bluffed her way into a reporting job for Hearst newspaper when she meets the wealthy French industrialist Henri Fiocca. No sooner does Henri sweep Nancy off her feet and convince her to become Mrs. Fiocca than the Germans invade France and she takes yet another name: a code name. As Lucienne Carlier, Nancy smuggles people and documents across the border. Her success and her remarkable ability to evade capture  earns her the nickname “The White Mouse” from the Gestapo. With a five million-franc bounty on her head, Nancy is forced to escape France and leave Henri behind. When she enters training with the Special Operations Executives in Britain, her new comrades are instructed to call her Hélène. And finally, with mission in hand, Nancy is airdropped back into France as the deadly Madam Andrée, where she claims her place as one of the most powerful leaders in the French Resistance, armed with her ferocious wit, her signature red lipstick, and the ability to summon weapons straight from the Allied Forces.But no one can protect Nancy if the enemy finds out these four women are one and the same, and the closer to liberation France gets, the more exposed she – and the people she loves – become” (x).

I put this book on my list of books I wanted for my birthday just because I like historical fiction books, and not because I had heard anything about it. 

I’m so grateful I stumbled upon this book while looking for books. Nancy is my new hero and I can’t believe I never heard about her. She is a real person who did most of the things in this book … including killing a Nazi with her bare hands. While wearing bright red lipstick. 

Again, she’s my hero.  

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque – “When twenty-year-old Paul Bäumer and his classmates enlist in the German army during World War I, they are full of youthful [enthusiasm]. But the world of duty, culture, and progress they had been taught to believe in shatters under the first brutal bombardment in the trenches. Through the ensuing years of horror, Paul holds fast to a single vow: to fight against the principle of hate that meaninglessly pits young men of the same generation but different uniforms against one another.” (x).

This book is on a lot of lists about classic books, but I never read it in school. I picked it up because my sister had it and I figured I would read it. It was better than I expected! 

What should I read next?

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