February Reads

February is almost over, and even though there are still a few days left, I wanted to go ahead and post my book list for the month. Here are the books I finished in February in order:

A Familiar Sight by Briana Labuskes

Source: e-book from Amazon First Reads

Summary: People are dead, someone is missing, a child psychopath is being held for murder, and a sociopath consultant steps in to figure it all out. 

Content: A little PG-13, but quite mild in language and violence for this genre

Review: ***

Final statement: Meh.

The Daughters of Foxcote Manor by Eve Chase

Source: audiobook

Summary: A multi-generational gothic tale in which Sylvie, who was abandoned in the woods as a baby, discovers her origins.

Content: Some sexual content

Review: ****

Final statement: This book reminded me a lot of Kate Morton’s novels but about 200 pages shorter!

The Orphan Keeper by Camron Wright

Source: e-book

Summary: Chellamuthu is kidnapped and sold to an orphanage and then sent to America to be adopted. Based on a true story.

Content: Grandma stamp of approval

Review: ****

Final statement: I avoided this book for years for dumb reasons. It’s really an amazing story, and if you read it, be sure to follow up with some interviews with Taj. 

Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate

Source: audiobook 

Summary: Katie cares for her grandmother in her final months and learns from her grandma’s example and life experiences. 

Content: Squeaky clean

Review: ****

Final statement: This is a slower-paced book and quite sweet.

The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester

Source: “Reader’s Choice” shelf at the library

Summary: A story about female pilots in WWII with an haute couture mystery. 

Content: Wartime violence and circumstances, some sexual content, and 6 instances of strong language (which is so weird to me because other than those 6 'F' bombs, there's really no other language).

Review: ****

Final statement: This book was not at all what I would have expected from the cover. 

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel 

Source: audiobook

Summary: A young woman, who was kidnapped as a baby and raised in the forest, uses her knowledge of the wilderness to help save a group of Jewish refugees. 

Content: A couple of sexual encounters

Review: ****

Final statement: I accidentally read two WWII books in a row again.

Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane

Source: audiobook (another "Reader's Choice" selection)

Summary: Lila kills her husband after uncovering a secret... but wait! What if he's not actually dead?

Content: Some language and sex

Review:***

Final Statement:  I'm very undecided as to how I feel about this book, so three stars is usually a safe rating. 

Have You Seen Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Source: paperback from the library

Summary: A teenage boy befriends a 92-year-old blind woman. 

Content: I would let my grandma read this. 

Review: *****

Final Statement: I went into this book with no expectations, as it's not a popular title, and I really liked it. 

Let's Talk About the Book of Abraham by Kerry Muhlestein

Source: audiobook on Deseret Bookshelf Plus

Summary: A quick book in which Dr. Muhlestein reviews some of the theories as to where the Book of Abraham may have come from. 

Content: Scholarly, historical stuff that makes your brain hurt

Review: five stars for the research, three stars for my actual interest in most of the content

Final statement: I read this book the week that we began studying Abraham in Come Follow Me. I was expecting more of a commentary on the stories of Abraham rather than the history of how the text became part of our canonized scriptures.

The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

Source: e-book

Summary: A Cambodian woman living in a municipal dump learns to read in hopes that doing so will help her save her chronically ill child. 

Content: Grandma-friendly

Review: 3.9 stars 

Final statement: Of the two Camron Wright books I read this month, I liked The Orphan Keeper slightly better. 

The Paris Seamstress by Natasha Lester

Source: audiobook

Summary: A tale with two timelines - one with Estella in the 1940's trying to make her way in the fashion world of New York after feeling France, the other with Fabienne discovering the truth about her grandma's past. 

Content: Sex (but be happy for the characters because, as seems to be the case in many books, it was the best sex ever, and they never knew it could be like that! So they had to do it all the time). 

Review: 3.5 stars

Final statement: This was a good book, but it also had some plot elements that had me rolling my eyes. 

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The book I'm most likely to recommend for February is: