November Reads: Part I

It's only been two weeks since I posted my list of books I read in October, but what a two weeks it's been! I've been incredibly busy. October went out in a flurry of tasks, and November has become a bit of a crazy fest over the past two years (note to self: keep this in mind for next year). Right off the back of Halloween, we have Zoe's birthday (November 2). The first week of the month is always Parent Watch Day at dance class (of which I attend three). I'm doing the birthday posters at the elementary school again this year (ideally completed by Day 1 of each month). Scotty and I helped work on the set for the musical at the high school, and this week we'll be feeding the cast like we did last year. I'm also making and selling pumpkin rolls again this year. Last week I made 300 breadsticks, 8 dozen cookies, and 12 pumpkin rolls (my freezer runneth o'er). Plus we've had orthodontist appointments, family events, and church meetings and assignments to fulfill, and I babysat for a neighbor and helped with vision screening at the high school. Scotty and I also made 150 handouts for a church lesson for last Sunday, and we bought and prepped all the food for the ward trunk or treat. 

Some of these tasks have given me hours upon hours to listen to audiobooks while I work, therefore, despite the craziness that the several days have been, I have managed to sail through a ton of audiobooks. Rather than wait until the end of the month, I decided to post them now so the list isn't too long later. 

Here's what I've read since my last book post:

Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly

Source: e-book

Summary: A twist on the story of Snow White - Sophie is taken into the woods by the huntsman who cuts out her heart. She is able to stay alive because seven brothers find her, and one of them builds her a heart, but it will only allow her to live a short time. 

Content: grandma stamp of approval

Review: ***

Final statement: I'm not a big fan of re-tellings, but I decided to give this a try. Honestly, I didn't love it, but I like to keep my eye out for books I can recommend to my daughter and Young Women in my ward. For that reason, I read middle grade and YA novels that aren't "my thing."

All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers

Source: audiobook

Summary: As a child, Margot's friend January went missing and was found dead in a ditch. Years later, Margot returns to her hometown to take care of her uncle when another young girl goes missing, leading Margot to dig into the disappearance and try to find out if the two incidents are related. 

Content: language

Review: ****

Final statement: This book was written by the host of the "Crime Junkie" podcast (so she knows her stuff). I've never listened to Crime Junkie, but I've heard great things about it, and honestly, I'd probably love it. I just always opt for books over podcasts. 

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Source: e-book

Summary: Avery finds out she has been named heiress to a gigantic fortune from a man she doesn't even know. 

Content: Mild language, but otherwise quite clean

Review: TBD - this is the first in a series and lands between 3-4 stars for me, but it really depends on the other two books. 

Final statement: This reminded me a bit of The Westing Game by Ellen Rasking, which I now want to read again.

The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon

Source: audiobook

Summary: Vi and Eric are being raised by their gran, a renowned psychiatrist, in the 1970's, and they are obsessed with monsters. One day Gran brings home another child, Iris, to raise as their sibling, urging Vi and Eric to not tell anyone about the new girl. For a long time, Iris does not speak and has no memories from her life previous to living with Gran. Vi and Eric begin to unravel the truth about Iris and where she came from.

Content: I don't remember very well, but I know it had a few swears

Review: ****

Final statement: I really liked this book. I love anything to do with historical psychiatry. I didn't really care for the ending of this book, but I still enjoyed it. The reader for the audiobook was really good. 

OCDaniel by Wesley King

Source: audiobook

Summary: Daniel has OCD, but he doesn't really understand what it is, and he has managed to keep it a secret from his parents and friends. All he knows is that he experiences what he calls "zaps," and he can't stop repeating tasks. Through making new friends, Daniel is able to learn more about himself and what is happening to him.

Content: quite clean

Review: ***

Final statement: This was a sweet story, and it was a good way to explore what a person with actual OCD is experiencing. The author based the story on his own experiences. 

Alone by Megan Freeman

Source: e-book

Summary: Twelve-year-old Maddie pulls a fast one on her divorced parents - telling Mom she's staying at Dad's house and telling Dad she's staying at Mom's house - when really she is planning to crash with her friends at her grandparents vacant home. Her friends end up bailing on her, and the next morning, Maddie wakes up to find that her city has been evacuated due to an "imminent threat," and she is completely alone. Unable to make contact with anyone, she is left to survive among the abandoned houses, wondering if and when anyone will return for her. 

Content: a few instances of mild language

Review: ****

Final statement: This middle-grade book is written in verse, which makes it a really short and quick read. It reminds me of books like Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and 96 Miles by J.L. Esplin - wherein young kids survive far longer than my own ever would. Unfortunately this book doesn't ever explain what's going on to cause the evacuation. "Imminent threat" is as much as you get.

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson 

Source: audiobook

Summary: Bookstore owner, Malcom, once wrote a blog post where he listed eight perfect literary murders. Years later, he is approached by an FBI agent who believes someone is carrying out murders based on his list.

Content: language

Review: 3.5 stars

Final statement: This is the third book I've read by Peter Swanson, and they are all pretty similar. His characters have weird morals - they are very casual about killing people. Swanson takes "regular" people and makes them killers but justifies it by making the victims people who "deserve" it. 

One Deadly Night by John Glatt

Source: audiobook

Summary: This true crime book recounts the murder of the family of Indiana State Trooper, David Camm in 2000. 

Content: language, sex and adultery

Review: ***

Final statement: Glatt does a great job keeping his books objective and informative. I think I would have enjoyed this particular story more in documentary format. The book delved a little deeper and longer into stuff that I wasn't really interested in - just for the sake of having enough content to create a book. I have read two other books by John Glatt - The Doomsday Mother and The Lost Girls.

For Freedom by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Source: audiobook

Summary: A teen girl, Suzanne, becomes a secret courier with the French Resistance. 

Content: this book begins with a bit of a grisly death scene. 

Review: ****

Final statement: This book is intended for younger audiences, but due to the nature of the death in the beginning, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone younger than 14. Bradley does some great historical fiction. I've never heard of this particular book, though. I just stumbled across it while trying to find something quick and available on Libby. It's a short, quick read. 

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Source: audiobook

Summary: Ruth, an African American labor and delivery nurse, hesitates to perform CPR on a newborn after being told by his white supremacist parents not to touch him. She is accused of causing the infant's death and must face trial.

Content: racism and language, infant death

Review: ****

Final statement: Jodi Picoult does a great job of confronting ethics in her books. This book was uncomfortable (and probably super controversial, but I decided not to look too much into it), but I loved it!