Tag: fantasy

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What I’m Reading – October 2020

What I’m Reading Now:

The Tutor’s Daughter by Julie Klassen – My friend Kim lent me this one. It’s better than I expected.

What I Recently Finished:

The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs – Enjoyable read.

Mum & Dad by Joanna Trollope – The latest by one of my favorite authors, this one was pretty good.

Shadows in Death by JD Robb – The newest installment of the futuristic detective series, not as good as some of her others.

Becoming Us by Robin Jones Gunn – Book 1 of the Haven Makers series, fairly good.

The Outcasts by John Flanagan – Book 1 of the Brotherband Chronicles, really enjoyed it.

The Invaders by John Flanagan – Book 2 of the Brotherband Chronicles, pretty good.

The Sweet Magnolias series by Sherryl Woods – fun romance series.

  • Stealing Home
  • A Slice of Heaven
  • Feels Like Family
  • Welcome to Serenity
  • Home in Carolina
  • Sweet Tea at Sunrise
  • Honeysuckle Summer
  • Midnight Promises
  • Catching Fireflies
  • Where Azaleas Bloom
  • Swan Point

What I’ve Added to my TBR list:

Perfectly Impossible by Elizabeth Topp – from Amazon’s October First Reads

The Hunters by John Flanagan – Book 3 in the Brotherband Chronicles

The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg – always love her books

Jingle All the Way by Debbie Macomber – looks like a cute holiday read

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig – getting rave reviews

Did Not Finish:

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer – this is Twilight from Edward’s point of view. I only made it through the first two chapters and just could not get into it.

If you’re on Goodreads, feel free to add me as a friend. I’m always looking for new recommendations!

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What I’m Reading – September 2020

What I’m Reading Now:

The Outcasts by John Flanagan – Brotherband Chronicles #1 – this is a new series I am starting by John Flanagan, who wrote the Ranger’s Apprentice series I enjoyed so much. It takes place in the same world and overlaps the time frame somewhat.

What I Recently Finished:

A bunch of books by John Flanagan:

What You Wish For by Katherine Center – A bit formulaic, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I have her other books.

Always the Last to Know by Kristan Higgins – A good story about a family as they deal with the dad having a stroke.

Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks – This was okay. I needed something to read and it was available.

Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Curtis Sittenfeld – This was a reread. Not as good as the original but enjoyable.

Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trollope – This was another reread of another retelling of the original story. Good book!

What I’ve Added to my TBR list:

The Missing Prince by John Flanagan – Ranger’s Apprentice: The Royal Ranger #4

If you’re on Goodreads, feel free to add me as a friend. I’m always looking for new recommendations!

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What I’m Reading – August 2020

What I’m Reading Now:

Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks – Not my usual go to author, but I was out of stuff to read and this was on the available list on my library app.

What I Recently Finished:

Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue by Hugh Howey – Book One of the Bern Saga. This was a good read for a young adult science fiction novel. I’m not sure I liked it enough to read more of the series, however.

To See the Moon Again by Jamie Langston Turner – I can now say that I have read all of this author’s books in the order they were published. I really enjoyed going back through her works; she has such a unique style that I appreciate a lot.

The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan – Book Ten in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. This was enjoyable to read. I am almost to the end of this series.

What I’ve Added to my TBR list:

The Lost Stories by John Flanagan – Book Eleven in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. This is the final book in the series.

If you’re on Goodreads, feel free to add me as a friend. I’m always looking for new recommendations!

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What I’m Reading – July 21st

What I’m Reading Now:

Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue by Hugh Howey – Book One of the Bern Saga. I’m just a couple of chapters in, but it’s good so far.

To See the Moon Again by Jamie Langston Turner – Still on my nightstand. I am definitely going to read this one soon so I can say I’ve read all of her books in order.

What I Recently Finished:

Erak’s Ransom by John Flanagan – Book Seven in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. This one actually goes back in time a bit to fill in a gap that he felt was left in the series.

The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan – Book Eight in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. This one picks back up after the events of book six.

Halt’s Peril by John Flanagan – Book Nine in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. Can you tell that I’m enjoying this series? The earlier books had a wait to check them out on the library app, but it’s been no waiting for these last few.

What I’ve Added to my TBR list:

The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan – Book Ten in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. I might take a little break before getting this one to read some other stuff, but I’m definitely going to finish the series. There are eleven books in this one, but he has written spin-offs.

Becoming Us by Robin Jones Gunn – Book One in the Haven Maker’s series.

If you’re on Goodreads, feel free to add me as a friend. I’m always looking for new recommendations!

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What I’m Reading – July 14th

What I’m Reading Now:

Erak’s Ransom by John Flanagan – Book Seven in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. This one actually goes back in time a bit to fill in a gap that he felt was left in the series. It’s a good read so far.

Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue by Hugh Howey – Book One of the Bern Saga, this is his first novel. I have only read the first chapter, but it seems good. I absolutely loved Wool and its related stories, so I wanted to check out some of his other writings.

To See the Moon Again by Jamie Langston Turner – Still in pending mode, but I will read it once the library books slow down.

What I Recently Finished:

Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire: The Guide to Being Glorious You by Jen Hatmaker – I have to be honest, I mostly skimmed this book. I need to be more realistic about what I choose to read – I am just not that into nonfiction anymore.

The Siege of Macindaw by John Flanagan – Book Six of the Ranger’s Apprentice series. Very enjoyable!

The Case of the Spellbound Child by Mercedes Lackey – Book Fourteen in the Elemental Masters series. Combines fairy tales with Sherlock Holmes and magicians – what could be better!

What I’ve Added to my TBR list:

The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan – Book Eight of the Ranger’s Apprentice series.

If you’re on Goodreads, feel free to add me as a friend. I’m always looking for new recommendations!

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What I’m Reading – July 7th

What I’m Reading Now:

Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire: The Guide to Being Glorious You by Jen Hatmaker – I’m not sure what to expect from this book. It makes me a bit nervous, to be honest, but I’m going to read it with an open mind and evaluate what she has to say as objectively as possible.

To See the Moon Again by Jamie Langston Turner – Still in pending mode, but I will read it once the library books slow down.

What I Recently Finished:

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins – The story of Coriolanus Snow from The Hunger Games. I loved this book! Highly recommended!!

Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein – This was a good book, but nothing earth shattering. My job is pretty routine, and I am pretty organized already, so there wasn’t much here that I found helpful. The only area I think I need to work on is going through my files and purging excess paper. But my files fit comfortably in two drawers, so I’m not really motivated right now to do it.

The Sorcerer of the North by John Flanagan – Book Five in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. This was one of my favorites so far. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next book.

What I’ve Added to my TBR list:

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer – the story of Twilight told from Edward’s point of view

The Siege of Macindaw by John Flanagan – Book Six in the Ranger’s Apprentice series.

Did Not Finish:

The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel – My foray back into the world of WWII novels. I had to stop reading this one. I didn’t enjoy the characters or the story, and I just didn’t want to read anymore.

If you’re on Goodreads, feel free to add me as a friend. I’m always looking for new recommendations!

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What I’m Reading – June 30th

What I’m Reading Now:

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins – The story of Coriolanus Snow from The Hunger Games. I’m about a third of the way through and I am loving it!

Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein – I enjoyed Kondo’s books on decluttering and used them to go through my whole house and get it organized. I need to do some touch ups here and there, but I am interested in what she has to say about work. I feel pretty organized there, but she may have some good ideas that will make it even better.

The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel – My foray back into the world of WWII novels.

To See the Moon Again by Jamie Langston Turner – This is her eighth book and the last one she has published so far. It has gotten pushed to the side by the influx of library books coming off hold.

What I Recently Finished:

A Week at the Shore by Barbara Delinsky – I have always enjoyed this author’s books, and this one was pretty good.

The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan – Book Four in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. It was action-packed and very satisfying to read.

Spy, Spy Again by Mercedes Lackey – Book Three in the Family Spies series and who knows how many in the entire Valdemaran world. I have read her books since I was a teenager and still enjoy them. I loved this one!

What I’ve Added to my TBR list:

The Sorcerer of the North by John Flanagan – Book Five in the Ranger’s Apprentice series.

If you’re on Goodreads, feel free to add me as a friend. I’m always looking for new recommendations!

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What I’m Reading – June 2nd

What I’m Reading Now:

A Garden to Keep by Jamie Langston Turner – I’m rereading her books in the order they were published, and this is book four.

What I Recently Finished:

The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan – Book 2 in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. I am enjoying this series. It’s not totally realistic because the 15 year olds save the day on more than one occasion, but they are still a lot of fun to read.

The Icebound Land by John Flanagan – Book 3 in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. Another good book, although the way it shifted between the two storylines every other chapter was disconcerting. I would just be getting into it and the chapter would end, and I would have to switch gears to the other characters.

Someone Like You by Karen Kingsbury – This novel is part of her Baxter Family series. It was a sweet story and a quick afternoon read.

By the Light of a Thousand Stars by Jamie Langston Turner – I’m rereading her books in the order they were published, and this is her third one. I got so engrossed in it that I finished it in one day.

What I’ve Added to my TBR list:

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner – A few weeks ago, I shared a blog post about things that make me not want to read a book, and one of those things was a WWII setting. Well, this book is set just after WWII plus it’s about one of my favorite authors, so I am going to take a chance on it. My library only has it available as an audiobook. I have enjoyed audiobooks in the past, so I think that will be okay.

The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan – Book 4 in the Ranger’s Apprentice series

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Karen Kingsbury – the next book in the Baxter Family series due out in October (no image available yet)

If you’re on Goodreads, feel free to add me as a friend. I’m always looking for new recommendations!

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What I’m Reading – May 26th

What I’m Reading Now:

The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan – Book 2 in the Ranger’s Apprentice series I started a couple of weeks ago.

What I Recently Finished:

Some Wildflower in My Heart by Jamie Langston Turner – I’m rereading her books in the order they were published, and this is her second book. I have read this one several times, so I knew the story details pretty well, but I still enjoyed the writing and the characters.

What I’ve Added to my TBR list:

I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott – A memoir in essay form, this was recommended by Nick & Hanna True from Mapped Out Money.  They read sections from the book on a recent podcast, and I was intrigued to read more of it.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins – Just released prequel to The Hunger Games series. The wait on my library app is more than 6 months, so it will be a while before I get to read this one!

Added to DNF list:

The Truth About Us by Brant Hansen – Fairly recent arrival by the author of Blessed Are the Misfits, which I enjoyed. The book has a good message and prompted me to recognize times I think I am better than other people in some way. I enjoyed the social science aspect of it as well as how he integrates Biblical wisdom on the topic of self-righteousness, but I just felt like he made his point pretty early on and was just restating it in different ways, so I didn’t finish this one.

If you’re on Goodreads, feel free to add me as a friend. I’m always looking for new recommendations!