2nd Quarter of 2022

39. Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone: Diana Gabaldon
40. To Paradise: Hanya Yanagihara
41. Second Chance Pass: Robyn Carr
42. The Cartographer’s Secret: Tea Cooper
43. The Moon, The Stars, And Madame Burova: Ruth Hogan
44. Anthem: Noah Hawley
45. Book Lovers: Emily Henry
46. A Court of Thorns and Roses: Sarah J. Maas
47. A Court of Mist and Fury: Sarah J. Maas
48. A Court of Wings and Ruin: Sarah J. Maas

49. A Court of Frost and Starlight: Sarah J. Maas
50. The Suite Spot: Trish Doller
51. The London House: Katherine Reay
52. Life’s Too Short: Abby Jimenez
53. Gulag: Anne Applebaum
54. A Lowcountry Bride: Preslaysa Williams
55. The Once & Future Witches: Alix E. Harrow
56. The Kiss Quotient: Helen Hoang
57. Northern Spy: Flynn Berry
58. A Court of Silver Flames: Sarah J. Maas

59. The Personal Librarian: Marie Benedict
60. The Soulmate Equation: Christina Lauren
61. The Book of Cold Cases: Simone St. James
62. Hook Line and Sinker: Tessa Bailey
63. Game On: Janet Evanovich
64. 99 Percent Mine: Sally Thorne
65. When She Dreams: Amanda Quick
66. Reckless Girls: Rachel Hawkins
67. The Royals Next Door: Karina Halle
68. The Friend Zone: Abby Jimenez

Last quarter’s favorites are Anthem, A Court of Thorns and Roses series, Gulag, and The Personal Librarian.

Anthem: Ok this was a tough one that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone who is easily triggered by the events of the last few years and/or parents of teens. However, that being said, this book was so incredibly well written and felt like it could have been an actual retelling of the not so distant future. Combining religion, conspiracies, American politics and recent familiar events, it’s a must read. The beginning was a little bit slow but it really picked up a few chapters in and then I couldn’t put it down.

A Court of Thorns and Roses series: Guys. Guys. Guys. I went into this series with MAJOR trepidation because as a rule I’ve never liked the fantasy genre (unless you count Harry Potter). My friend recommended it and I fully trust her so I attempted it and I COULDN’T PUT THE BOOKS DOWN. When I tell you that I was majorly sucked in and couldn’t tear myself away to even make dinner, I’m not kidding. The books are so well written and descriptive and the characters have such significant development which led to such a great series. I got my sister and my mom hooked on the series and they both absolutely loved it as well even though they don’t normally read fantasy books either!

Gulag: It took me 5 months to read this book (I wish I was kidding) but it was SO good. It’s a very long history of the Russian gulag system and includes testimonies from survivors of the gulag system. I’ve read so many history books already that mention the gulags indirectly but I’ve never delved deep into them. This is NOT a book that you can pop in and read a chapter here and there – you really need to focus on it but it was truly so interesting and I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in history.

The Personal Librarian: I loved this one as well – Marie Benedict has written a few books that I’ve read and the main character is always a woman who history has forgotten, much like this one. It follows the life of the personal librarian of JP Morgan in the early 1900’s. She’s hired to amass a library full of rare artifacts and art pieces and rises to fame as a shrewd business woman as she builds one of the largest collections in the world – however, she has a secret. Her past isn’t what she says that it is and her entire existence hinges on one key fact that she can never let any one know – she is African American, not Portuguese like she claims to be. I raved about this book to literally anyone who would listen to me (it’s that good!).

I can’t believe I’m publishing this post as Q3 is almost over but that’s what I get for trying to be productive during wedding season 🤷🏼‍♀️. I can’t wait to share more of what I’ve read!