Between a road trip and an excessive amount of baking, I had a lot of opportunities to read (or listen to) books this month. Enough so that I divided my books into two posts this month (read Part I here).
Here's what I read in the second half of the month (minus a few books I gave up on and a few I don't feel worth mentioning):
The Measure by Nikki Erlick
Source: audiobook
Summary: One day, everyone over the age of 22 receives a small, wooden box with a string inside that shows the length of their life.
Content: language
My Rating: ****
Final thoughts: This was a very intriguing premise. At times, the story got a little slow, but it was interesting to see how people behaved and treated each other based on the lengths of their strings.
The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Source: hardback
Summary: In this sequel to The Inheritance Games, Avery and the Hawthorne brothers continue to unravel the mystery of Tobias Hawthorne's will.
Content: mild language
My rating: 3.5
Final thoughts: I liked the first two books well enough to read the third. My opinion of the books really hinges on that third installment, which I currently have on hold.
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa
Source: e-book
Summary: On an island in an undisclosed location, items and ideas are "disappeared," and the people are left with no memory of them, save for a few for whom the memory doesn't go away.
Content: quite clean
My rating: ***
Final thoughts: This book reminded me a little of The Giver. It was translated from Japanese, and there are a few things that didn't win me over, such as the lack of names for some of the main characters and no real explanation or logic behind the disappearances. It was interesting, though and had an ending that makes you go, "Huh."
The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon
Source: e-book
Summary: Jax finds out that her sister Lexie has drowned in the pool of their childhood home. There have always been mysteries and rumors surrounding the water in the pool that comes from natural springs in the area. Jax returns to the home and learns more about her sister's death and others that have occurred there.
Content: language
My rating: ****
Final thoughts: This is a bit of a supernatural/ghost story, which I sometimes like and sometimes don't. This one... I liked.
The Lobotomist's Wife by Samantha Greene Woodruff
Source: free e-book from Amazon First Reads
Summary: Ruth works at a mental health facility when a new doctor is hired who is intrigued with the controversial practice of lobotomy. He and Ruth are wed, and as he continues to perform lobotomies, Ruth begins to suspect that there is more to discover about the procedure, and perhaps her husband isn't being honest about the success of the results.
Content: I don't remember very well, but I think it was pretty clean
My rating: ****
Final thoughts: I love anything to do with historical mental health and psychiatry practices, so this book was right up my alley. The history of lobotomy is fascinating.
Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
Source: audiobook
Summary: A teen girl goes missing, and a lot of characters are involved (I'm too lazy to get into it).
Content: Sex and language
My rating: ***
Final thoughts: I probably could have skipped reviewing this book, but I already did the work of uploading a photo. It was just okay. Nothing to get excited about. Go ahead and skip this one unless you're bored, and it's readily available at the library.
Anatomy: A Love Story by Dad Schwartz
Source: audiobook
Summary: In early 1800's Edinburgh, Hazel wants to be a surgeon but isn't allowed to pursue the career as a woman.
Content: I don't remember anything concerning, but there is a lot of grave digging, body snatching, and experimental procedures, which include some morbid descriptions.
My rating: ***
Final thoughts: This book's tagline, "A love story," is misleading. While there is a hint of romance, it's not a romantic book. The book started off really interesting, but in the end, I didn't like it enough to read the sequel.
The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden
Source: audiobook
Summary: Zoey and her siblings live in poverty with their mom and her boyfriend. Through participating in debate club, Zoey begins to recognize signs of mistreatment from her mom's boyfriend toward her mom and tries to get her mom to leave the situation.
Content: clean
My rating: ****
Final thoughts: This is a middle grade book that deals with hard topics. Zoey makes a lot of insightful connections between herself and octopuses (and she even points out that "octopuses" is an acceptable plural, which I'm happy to know).
Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase
Source: hardback
Summary: This book has an alternating timeline between Amber in the 60's and Lorna in the current day. Amber lives at Black Rabbit Hall and Lorna is drawn to the house, wanting to have her wedding there. Lorna discovers her ties to Amber and the history of Black Rabbit Hall.
Content: Mostly clean, but I think it had a couple of swears and one brief instance of sexual content
My rating: 3.5 stars
Final thoughts: I chose this book for my book club for this month without knowing much about it. I was hoping for something a little gothic or Kate Morton-ish, and this book walked that line, but I think it tried too hard to make the house mysterious and important, and it really wasn't.
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