June 25, 2018

Goodreads Update 6/25/18

I do not know why this is one of my favorite posts every month. Perhaps it is just looking at all the possibilities. So many books out there to read. If I die mysteriously and it is hinted I may have committed suicide, know that could never be true because there are too many books left to read.

Here is what I've added to my list this month:

The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation's Largest Home by Denise Kiernan - Can you guess what house it is? Biltmore! I know next to nothing about the Vanderbilts and Biltmore. I'm excited about this book. I love to read about the foibles of the rich, famous, and dead.

Less by Andrew Sean Greer - I grabbed this at Half Price Books last month. This guy is invited to his ex-boyfriend's wedding. He really doesn't want to go, so he decides to be busy. He accepts every invitation to any conference, speaking date, or engagement anywhere in the world to avoid this wedding. What could go wrong?

#Neveragain: A New Generation Draws the Line by David Hogg and Lauren Hogg - The Hoggs are a sibling pair from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. They have put together this manifesto for the new #Neveragain movement.

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland - The Civil War has been called to a halt by a zombie uprising. Former slaves are being forced to train to kill zombies. I haven't read this, but it doesn't seem like a good idea to train slaves to be killers if you plan to retain slavery. I'm just saying. This is told from the perspective of a girl who is a zombie fighter.

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor - This book is on the 2019 Sequoyah list. Also, it has a librarian as the main character. That's really all I know about it, other than that it is a fantasy book. That's all I need to know.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang - The main character of this book is a woman with autism who is tired of being a virgin. She doesn't understand anything about dating, so she decides to hire an escort to teach her the ropes. This is a romance book, so you can imagine what happens next.

Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg - Every once in awhile I put a productivity/business/self-help book on my list. I haven't read very many. I don't feel like I am particularly lacking in the productivity department, but who knows, maybe there's more to learn.

My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton - I have the first book in this series about Lady Jane Grey (Kind of). This one is about Jane Eyre!

Smoke In the Sun by Renee Ahdieh - This is the second book in the Flame in the Mist series. Which actually I'm not sure the first on is on my list. Oops!

There There by Tommy Orange - This is about the Big Oakland Powwow and how it has changed over the decades.

Pride by Ibi Zoboi - A Pride and Prejudice retelling set in present-day Brooklyn featuring a girl who is both black and Latina. I'm here for it.

Grumpy Fake Boyfriend by Jackie Lau - Our main character gets roped into posing as his best friend's little sister's boyfriend for a couples getaway because her ex is also on the trip. This is a romance, so you know what's going to happen. I love the fake relationship trope. That's super fun.

Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl - I loved Marisha Pessl's first book Special Topics in Calamity Physics. I have the second one, but I haven't read it yet. This one is a YA novel about kids who get stuck in a repeat day. They Have to make some ultimate decision to get unstuck.

So Lucky by Nicola Griffith - This book is about a woman who is killing it at life until she gets diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She has to figure out how to win at life when her body, her friends, and the medical community are all turning on her? I don't have a condition as dire as hers, but I can relate to the whole chronic condition situation.

That's what I've got for this month! What have you added to your reading list lately?