Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Reading Through My Bookshelf: August's Reads

I've started a new project, in which I've decided to read all the books on my shelves (and on my new Kindle), with a few exceptions (such as my history timelines book). I don't usually buy fiction unless I've read it before (again, with a few exceptions, like Lynn Austin books), but every now and then I buy a new one or get one as a gift. In addition, I do tend to buy nonfiction, often for history research but sometimes just because it peaks my interest, that goes on my shelves but doesn't get read. There's a lot of stuff there that I've meant to read without following through or haven't read in a long time. So, I want to read what I own.

Reading Through My Bookshelf August

I have a few library books to finish, and then I'm planning not to get any library books unless they're needed for a series.

I'm going largely alphabetically (since that's how my shelves are arranged) and skipping over books I've read recently. I'm super excited about the project, and I thought I'd share a monthly update with all of you, including short reviews with each title. My favorite read will, of course, be featured in my Happenings of the Month post, but I'll share my other reads as a separate post the following month. This month is a little unique (see this post to find out why), so it's appearing on a Tuesday. But it will hereafter become a Friday post.

1. Orphan's Song by Gillian Bronte Adams 3.5/5 – A fantasy filled with dark soldiers, renegade orphans, and a Song that rises above everything; good debut that makes me excited for the next book

2. The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah E. Ladd 4.5/5 – A  regency romance filled with strong characters, danger, loyalty, and a nice dose of sweetness

3. Dreamlander by K.M. Weiland 4/5 – Every generation, one person is chosen to cross into the realm of dreams. Chris Redston is the second Gifted of this generation, and everything is about to go very, very wrong. I'm not a huge fantasy reader, but this was a compelling story.

4. Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade 4/5 – A sweet romance with a touch of fire and suspense that had me barely breathing for a while. I really loved the story, but I felt the author focused a little too much on the sensual side of attraction without putting it into the perspective of purity.

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Courtesy of Pixabay

5. In Between by Jenny B. Jones 5/5 – This adorable story places Katie Parker, teenage renegade, in a pastor's home in the tiny town of In Between. Here she struggles to find her place, make good choices, and understand the secret her foster family is hiding. I almost never read young adult, but I absolutely adored this and look forward to the rest of the series.

6. Secret Heroes of WWII: Tales of Courage from the Worlds of Espionage and Resistance by Eric Chaline 5/5 – If you've ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of war, this book will give you an incredible introduction. I loved the writing style and the broad scope it gave. I got several writing ideas from it, too!

7. Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering 5/5 – I adored this story so much that I wrote about it in my last Happenings of the Month post.


Have you read any of these books? What kind of stuff did you read in August? Let me know in the comments!

2 comments:

  1. That's a good idea, and one that takes a lot of determination! I tend to do a similar thing, buy a book for research and leave most of it un-read.

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    1. Yeah, it requires a lot of, "No, we're not getting that library book; put it on the to-be-read list." Actually, I'm probably going to have to establish a physical TBR, or I'll lose track of a lot of stuff. :D I'm pretty excited and am enjoying the project so far!

      Haha!

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