Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Recently Read - Vol. 12 (Sept. '16)


Well, I sort of broke my reading drought during September.  I say sort of because I read more in September than I did in August, but not nearly as much as I typically do.  But, that's okay because reading is not a race nor is it a task merely to be finished.  It's a activity to be enjoyed.  For the most part, I really enjoyed the books I read last month (with the exception of one) and I'm happy to have kind of gotten back in my reading groove again.

Without further ado, here are the books I read last month:

The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah
Read August 25 - September 18 | Format: Audiobook | My Rating: 4.5/5

The Nightingale is the story of story of two sisters, Viann and Isabelle, and their involvement in the war efforts in occupied France.  It is a hauntingly detailed story of the role that women played in the French Resistance.  

Before reading The Nightingale, I knew nothing about the French Resistance or the key roles that women played in WWII (other than of American women).  Don't let the fact that it took me over three weeks to finish this book dissuade you from reading it.  My slowness had nothing to do with the book itself.  I would recommend it highly to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Oh, and lastly, I was warned by at least 6-8 people to have tissues ready at the end of the book.  Although I wasn't sobbing like a baby, I was teary eyed.  Keep this in mind if you plan to read this.


On Dublin Street by Samantha Young
Read September 18 - 27 | Format: Audiobook | My Rating: 4/5

If you are a regular to my blog or at least to this recurring link up post, then you know I'm not much of a romance novel fan.  I do make exceptions for romance novels that involve men on Harleys, men in rock bands, and men wearing kilts.  Well, On Dublin Street involves none of those, but it does involve a modern day, Scottish alpha male who knows what he wants and who isn't afraid to go after it.  

Slightly reminiscent of the movie Pretty Woman, except that the main character, Jocelyn, is not a hooker, I found the storyline and the associated imagery to be very satisfying, if you catch my drift.  Braden Carmichael is my latest addition to my "Favorite Book Boyfriends" list.  


The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Read September 25 - 30 | Format: Audiobook | My Rating: 2/5

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the story of Huckleberry Finn, a  young boy in need of freedom, and Jim, a runaway slave, and their adventures together on the Mississippi River.

I wanted to like this book, I really did.  Like its predecessor, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, it just wasn't my cup of tea.  I guess I'm just not a fan of Twain's.  I appreciate his work and the snapshot of Americana he captured in this adventurous tale, but I did not find it entertaining.  Truth be told, I found it nerve grating, tedious, and unenjoyable.  I know many consider this book as THE Great American Novel and maybe it is.  I just know that it's not for me.


My Bluegrass Baby by Molly Harper
Read September 27 - October 1 | Format: Audiobook | My Rating: 3.5/5

My Bluegrass Baby is the story of Sadie, an assistant director at the Kentucky Tourism Commission, who loves her job and has her sights set on the director position when her boss retires at the end of the year.  Enter Josh, a handsome, successful marketing guru who has his sights set on the position, too.

This is a short and simple little book, but I found it to be really cute and quite charming.  Granted, I am a bit partial, for it takes place in my adopted state of Kentucky and I am familiar with many of the locations described in the book (Louisville, Churchill Downs, Shelbyville, Frankfort, and Interstate 64).

This is a perfectly adequate book for passing time and for basic entertainment. 


-|-

What have you read lately?  Any recommendations for me to put on my ever growing to be read list?

As always, thanks for stopping by!  Don't forget to hop on over the Steph and Jana's pages to check out their recently read books and those by other bloggers who participate in the link-up.  Today marks the TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY for Show Us Your Books.  Congratulations Steph and Jenn!







19 comments:

  1. I'm still the lone hold out for The Nightingale. Despite all the glowing recommendations, I will be passing on it.

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  2. I love Tom Sawyer and have read it several times, but The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn bored me to tears. I'm not sure why I even bothered finishing it.

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  3. I haven't read The Nightingale yet. I am still recovering from my last WWII book, The Lilac Girls. It takes me a long time.

    I like how you describe On Dublin Street.

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  4. I don't think I know anyone who didn't love The Nightingale, but I can't bring myself to want read it (yet), because everyone also mentions how sad it is. I haven't read Huckleberry Finn since high-school, but it's one I would like to reread one day.

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  5. I've had The Nightingale on my Kindle for ages now and haven't got around to reading it. Historical fiction really isn't my jam, but I will occasionally pick up a book if I see it cheap and it has a lot of good reviews (that's how this book entered my life), but I'm not quite in the mood for it yet. Maybe someday :)

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  6. I definitely needed tissues at the end of The Nightingale. :) Like you, I'm not a huge fan of romances but On Dublin Street intrigues me. Making the "favorite book boyfriends" list is a big deal and I'm guessing he would make mine too. Plus, it sounds like the perfect palate cleanser for some of more twisty books that seem to have lots of jerks in them.

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  7. I LOVED The Nightingale. I've been really into WWII historical fiction lately. Have you read Salt to the Sea by Ruth Sepetys? That's another good one.

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  8. It has been a very long time since I read it, but I remember really enjoying Huckleberry Finn. It makes me wonder though if I would feel differently now. Kristen Hannah is the queen of making me ugly cry so I have to pace and prepare myself when it comes to reading her books. I'm just not ready for an ugly cry yet so I think I'll push The Nightingale off for another month.

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  9. So glad to see that you loved The Nightingale...it was a sad one for me too, but I really loved it. My Bluegrass Baby sounds cute and I love when you can relate to a book because of the setting :)

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  10. The Nightingale ruined me for all other books for a few weeks; as in i had to take a break from reading for a while because every book I read after that was shit LOL

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  11. 'reading is not a race nor is it a task merely to be finished.' - yes! seriously. the last few weeks i haven't been feeling like reading and i find myself saying just do it, just get 'er done so you have books to talk about... which is ridiculous! if i force myself to read, i won't enjoy whatever book i force on myself, so i'm happy to take a break.
    i legit sobbed like a crazy person/baby at the end of the nightingale. i was in the kitchen cooking dinner (i don't normally listen whilst cooking but i knew i was near the end so i just wanted to finish it rather than wait till the next morning at the gym which in hindsight turned out to be a great idea because can you imagine bawling at the gym?!) and yeah. it was not pretty. so many emotions.
    i am a romance fan, and you totally sold me on the dublin street book. also, my bluegrass baby sounds adorable. i've only ever read one (or two, but it was like fantasy kind of so didn't count) book set in KY and it annoyed me (but it was told by an annoying teenager, so....) so i need something to redeem it!

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  12. I haven't been reading as much lately either, and I appreciated the reminder that reading should be enjoyed, not looked at as another thing to check off the to do list or a race to win. :-)

    I loved The Nightingale (and also sobbed hysterically over the ending!). I'm glad you did too. (Loved it, I mean ... I'm not glad that it made you cry! Though, to be honest, I'm not surprised. It's heartbreaking!)

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  13. I'm so glad that you're out of your reading slump! It's always the best feeling when that finally happens after a little bit of a drought. The Nightingale really did open up my eyes to the French Resistance and went on over there during WWII. I had no idea how long they were really occupied by Germany and I couldn't imagine what I would have done in that situation. On Dublin Street sounds really interesting! I'm not the biggest romance fan either, but I might give this one a try!

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  14. The Nightingale was okay. I read it almost 2 years ago. I mean, it was FINE. I just wouldn't call it my favorite WWII book. So I don't really recommend it to people but I always say "If you liked ____, you might like it".

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    1. I'm that way about most WWII historical fiction (not recommending it to everyone). I think my favorite WWII HF book is All the Light We Cannot See. Have you read it?

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  15. It looks like you picked some books to help you through your slump. Congrats on finishing the challenge! (Sorry it was with a book you didn't enjoy much.)

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    1. LOL! Yes, that 100+ year old book category was a booger for me, but I survived! All is good. What's funny/interesting is that I was listening to it simultaneously while listening to two other books. That's the only way I could handle it! I would listen to Huck Finn half of my commute and then switch over to one of the others. From the get-go, I figured that category would be the toughest for me and it was. I should have done it back in July. But, it's done now so all is well!

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  16. I almost missed my son's bus one day when I was reading the Nightingale. Just had to get to the end.

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  17. my niece moved to Nashville over the summer. I think she would enjoy My Bluegrass Baby!

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