Weekly Wrap-Up

Happy Father's Day! Did you get your dad any books? Mine is very keen on audiobooks, and I love it, because we often listen to or read the same ones and can discuss. We all know there is nothing better when you are a book worm that getting someone to read and enjoy a book you like, so I am always looking out for books we could read/listen to together, like a mini father-daughter book club.

What did you do this week? I can't believe how fast this month is slipping by! I will be on holiday for a little bit, so expect my posts to be a bit more sporadic, though I might update with some travel pics and info occasionally with the book posts. I realized yesterday that I won't be able to finish the stack of books I still have from the library before I leave, and can't keep them without incurring a late fee, so I grudgingly returned a lot of them today (and picked up two more - I know, I have a problem!)

Anyway ... to the books:-)

This week I did my usual posts of Mystery Monday - where I featured three mystery novels I am excited about - and This Week in Books - another weekly feature, where I highlight what I've just read, am reading and plan to read in the near future.

I reviewed Mohsid Hamid's Exit West here, In hindsight, I liked it even more than I did while reading. I was initially a bit put off by the distance the author creates between the reader and the characters, even while allowing us access into very private moments with them. Yet having had time to think about it a little, I think the slight sense of anonymity Hamid achieves works well to illustrate what I think is his message, that “We are all migrants through time” and that anyone, given the wrong set of circumstances, can be forced to become a refugee. This is not a long book, but it has an impact and I would definitely recommend it!

Though I am very late when it comes to Renee Ahdieh's The Wrath and the Dawn, I am definitely on the train now. I love a good retelling, and this one definitely delivers! I was so excited that my library had the sequel The Rose and the Dagger ready for me to pick up, since the first book ends on a bit of a cliff hanger.

I finished reading One of Us is Lying, Karen M. McManus new novel about a mysterious death in a group of teens told from four perspectives. I thought it was a fast read and intriguing at that, though I guessed at several of the revelations and never connected deeply to any of the characters, so it was a 3.5 star read for me. While I agree with fellow reviewers that it kept me on my toes as I read, I think it will ultimately and unfortunately prove a little forgettable for me. Have you read it? What did you think?

I got a copy of Susanna Beard's Dare to Remember, a psychological thriller that had me intrigued from the moment I first heard about it. It is the author's debut, which peaks my interest, as I am always on the lookout for new authors to watch for. I'll update with a review as soon as I finish reading it.