I have been reading ebooks almost exclusively for a few years now, but there are some books on my TBR that I haven’t been able to locate for free electronically. So I have started going back to the library for physical books at times.
Here is my most recent haul from the library:
The Taste of Ginger by Mansi Shah
Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers
The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society by Darien Gee
First up is Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors. I am excited for this one because it is the first in a series that are based loosely on Jane Austen.
The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley by Mercedes Lackey – This is #16 in the Elemental Masters series. I added it to my TBR back in January 2022 and kept waiting for it to be added to the Libby app so I could borrow it. I recently decided to start investigating all the different ways I could access books (Hoopla, Kindle Unlimited – not a current member but could join if there were a lot of TBR books available there, and physical books from the library). I found several books from my list available as physical books, so I’m going to start from the oldest and work my way forward.
Gryphon in Light by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon – This is the 1st book in the Kelvren’s Saga series, but the 56th book in the overall Valdemar world. This is another one that has been on my list for a while, since July 2023, and I was able to get a physical copy from the library.
What I Recently Finished
Passions in Death by J. D. Robb – This is #59 from the In Death series about Eve Dallas, a police detective in futuristic New York City. Amazing, as always!
Open House by Elizabeth Berg – This novel is about a woman finding her way after divorce. Samantha’s husband has left her and, in order to keep the house she and her son Travis live in, she takes in roommates and begins working temp jobs. Along the way, she makes new friends and discovers the self she lost a long time ago. It seemed a bit slow at first, but as I relaxed into the pace of the story, I found myself drawn into it. The style of this book reminds me a bit of Jamie Langston Turner, who is one of my favorite writers.
The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson – The whole time I was reading this book, I had the feeling I had read it before. So much of it seemed very familiar. I didn’t remember the ending, but it is still possible I had previously read it. I really enjoyed it.
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams – I very much liked this debut novel about a teenager and a widower who bond over a reading list. The story weaves the books they are reading around the events happening in their lives in a compelling way.
Ambush at Sorato by John Flanagan – This is #7 in the Ranger’s Apprentice: The Royal Ranger series, which is a spinoff of the original Ranger’s Apprentice series. I have read all of Flanagan’s books and always look forward to a new one coming out. Even though they are written for kids, I find them very readable and fun.
Freckles by Ceclia Ahern – I wanted to like this book because I have enjoyed several others by Ahern, but I just couldn’t. Perhaps it is because I could acutely feel the main character’s confusion at the situations she gets herself into due to her lack of understanding of how the world works and of people and relationships. This is one of the more obviously autistic-coded characters I have read, and I can see so much of her in myself as well as other autistic people I know.
What I’ve Added to my TBR List
When We Were Widows by Annette Chavez Macias
Grave Talk by Nick Spalding
I’ll Be Seeing You: A Memoir by Elizabeth Berg
Durable Goods by Elizabeth Berg
Joy School by Elizabeth Berg
True to Form by Elizabeth Berg
Ordinary Life: Stories by Elizabeth Berg
The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted: And Other Small Acts of Liberation by Elizabeth Berg
Lies and Other Love Languages by Sonali Dev
A Christmas Duet by Debbie Macomber
Did Not Finish
Her Gates Will Never Be Shut: Hope, Hell, and the New Jerusalem by Bradley Jersak – I have tried twice to read this book and have finally given up. The writing is very dry and I just can’t stay focused on it while reading. I am interested in the topic, but I think I’ll stick to listening to podcasts about it from now on.
If you’re on Goodreads, feel free to add me as a friend. I’m always looking for new recommendations!
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop is the first novel from Korean author Hwang Bo-Reum and was translated by Shanna Tan. I was interested in the book first because I love reading books about books and bookshops. The story centers on Yeongju, who used to be married and have a demanding career in Seoul, but abandons her husband and her job to move to a small residential neighborhood and open a bookshop.
As Yeongju runs her new shop, she explores different ways to bring in new customers and keep the shop open. She makes several new friends along the way, and the bookshop becomes a place for people to gather together. Throughout the novel, we are taken on a journey of self-exploration as each of the characters grows and develops in new ways.
This novel is part of a genre called “healing fiction” that has become a trend in Korean literature. It does not have an action-filled plot, but instead focuses on comfort, empathy, courage, and solidarity. I found it to be both contemplative and encouraging. I am looking forward to reading more of this genre.
I recently posted books about books that were on my TBR, and this time I wanted to post books about books that I have read and enjoyed. I just love reading books that have something to do with books, whether it be a book club, a bookshop, a library, or even the publishing world.
I recently added a post to Instagram featuring books that I have on my Goodreads Want to Read shelf that are about books or bookstores. I have come across quite a few of this type recently and am looking forward to reading them as I usually enjoy them.
Here is the list of books pictured:
The Library by Bella Osborne
The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore
The Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak
The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
Found in a Bookshop by Stephanie Butland
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
The Cookbook Club by Beth Harbison
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
What You Are Looking For Is In the Library by Michiko Aoyama
Welcome to the Huyanam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum
I actually just started reading the last one on the list and am finding it very enjoyable so far.
