Another big National Reading Month week for me — both for book acquiring, and book finishing…
Inbox (books acquired)
- An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir (Kindle, pre-order) — I wish I could remember how I heard about this book… I added it to my Someday/Maybe Kindle wishlist at the start of January, but I really can’t remember where I heard about it. I could have sworn it was on a list in a Book Riot blog, but all my Googling has come back with nothing. For some reason this book is on sale for $2.99 and it hasn’t even come out yet. The reviews on Amazon (from pre-release copies, I guess) are all saying how surprised they were at how much they liked this book. So, I decided, what the heck? And I pre-ordered it. It comes out at the end of April.
- The Selection by Kiera Cass (Kindle) — I’ve seen this book and the others in the series EVERYWHERE. I admit, I’ve rolled my eyes every time I see these girls in these elaborate dresses on the covers, but all I know about the series is that the premise sounds a lot like the TV show The Bachelor. Fancy dresses and reality TV do not make for a book that I would usually pick up. But… this one was only $1.99, and the people who like this series are rabid fans. So, I thought I might just pick this one up for a future beach read.
- Half A Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Kindle, library) — My library hold finally came up for this book! Hooray! I just downloaded it to my Kindle this morning.
Outbox (books finished)
- Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase (Kindle, re-read) — I had a craving for some ooey-gooey, straight-up romance this week. So, I fell back on a new favorite. I read this a few years ago and really liked it. But it was long enough ago that I could re-read it without really remembering all the details. It’s still good, even on the second time through.
- Fire Horse Girl by Kay Honeyman (Kindle) — This book is a YA historical fiction novel about a girl and her family that come over from China in the 1920s and end up on Angel Island while their paperwork is being processed, hoping to be let into America. I originally bought it because of the premise, and because the editor is Cheryl Klein*. I expected the book would be good, and I was not disappointed. If you are a fan of historical fiction, want to read something that takes place in China and San Francisco in the 1920s, and/or love complex and feisty female heroines, you should add this one to your TBR pile. If I know you IRL, I can loan this one to you on Kindle because lending was actually enabled by the publisher on this title (hooray!).
Queue (what I’m reading next)
- I’ve only got two books left on my March reading list. The hardcover (All My Puny Sorrows) is going to have to wait until next weekend (at the earliest) because I’m not hauling it with me on my commute. That leaves Landline as next up on my list. I’ve been dragging my feet about starting this book, as I do with pretty much every book I’ve read by Rainbow Rowell. This feet dragging is due to the fact that I love her books so much, and I dread being disappointed. I’ve read (and loved) all her other published books. There is no reason to think I won’t love this one, too. And, inevitably I will kick myself after I read it (and love it), and think that I’m ridiculous for having waited so long to read it. (Spoiler for next week’s post, I guess…)
That wraps things up for this week… stay tuned for next week to see if I manage to complete my March reading challenge… Until then, Happy National Reading Month!
* Cheryl Klein is one of my favorite kid-lit editors, and I’ve been following her blog for at least six years, maybe longer. It’s the first blog I remember “following” in my RSS reader back when I first discovered blogs. She gives amazing writing/story-telling advice and just seems like a really nice, fun person. I also really like the podcast she does with her husband.
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