For the Love of Reading...What's on Your Bookshelf...#WOYBS

Welcome to my What's On Your BookShelf post. The #WOYB link party is hosted by Deb, Jo and Sue....all gals I follow on a few other link parties. I love their blogs. Go check them out. #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge

My rating system:

⭐ DNF (which there's a reason), story lacking any depth, grammatical or spelling errors (too many), just did not enjoy it and enough to it that I wouldn't recommend. Don't bother reading

⭐⭐ Story line is a bit all over the place, struggle to read it but maybe it had some redeeming parts. Characters  or story line weren't believable or too unrealistic. I wouldn't want to read it again. Too many storylines going on at the same time. Read it or don't read it.

⭐⭐⭐ Solid story line and characters. I liked it but didn't necessarily LOVE it, but I didn't HATE it either. I may have felt that it dragged on, or had parts that weren't necessary to the story. Maybe was a little hard to follow. Probably wouldn't recommend but it wasn't a total disaster.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ A really great read that I enjoyed picking up each time. I enjoyed it from front to back. The characters and storyline were really good.  As someone said "a truly good book, but missing the cherry on top".  Go ahead and read it

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book knocked it out of the park and I couldn't put it down. OR it was a book that really opened my eyes to something or taught me something about someones life. One I have bookmarked and even taken notes. It left me wanting to read more by the author or more in the series. Definitely go read. 

October Finishes: Wow...I only finished 3 books in October. 

The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I listened to this on audiobook and it was so good! I'm thinking I might want to try listening to more of Kristen Hannahs books. I am not sure I would be cut out for the wilds of Alaska! This book was shocking, heartbreaking and beautiful. It painted a picture of family love (albeit sometimes misguided love...if that's the right word) but also the severe dysfunction and abuse. I mostly listened to this in the car and there were many times I found myself gasping or saying "you're kidding me".  Taking place in 1974, the story follows the Albright family. A former POW, his wife and their daughter. The war changes him and he becomes a volatile, abusive man. He packs his family up and heads to Alaska to live off the grid. Though abusive, his wife won't leave the man she loves, even when her husbands fragile mental state continues to spiral downwards. She and her daughter manage to push through with the help of new friends who do everything they can to help this new and inexperienced family survive in the wild. The story does have both a tragic and beautiful ending. 

Someone Elses Bucket List by Amy T. Matthews ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm so glad I pushed through this one. If you remember my description from last month...it follows Jodie Boyd as she fulfills her sisters (who passed away) bucket list for all of social media to see in order to pay off the debts accrued from her illness. Sometimes stories of death, especially from cancer are hard for me to read. I don't really like it, but I'm learning to push through, that these things are a part of life, sadly. It is a beautiful story. It's funny, heartbreaking and heart warming. I loved seeing Jodie come into her own as a person through the various items she has to check off. 

Over My Dead Blog By Sarah E. Burr ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a fun read. Winnie is a book blogger (how fun would that be) but no one (other than a few close friends) knows who she is because she uses another name and prefers it that way. Her movie star brother comes to visit (and also attempts to disguise himself), but gets caught up in a murder investigation. This was a fun read and heartwarming as both Winnie and Strider come into their own aside from the expectations they feel have been put on them. Filled with a great group of characters I think this series will be a fun one! 

Currently Reading:  

Home is Where the Murder Is (Hometown Mysteries Book 2) By Rosalie Spielman

This is a fun series that follows retired US Army Officer Tessa as she settles back down in her hometown of New Oslo, Idaho. Of course there's murder and she just can't help but try and "assist" in solving it. There's a moose in the series, an ex-boyfriend from High School (who is the local sheriff), a possible new love interest, along with close family and friends and some quirky town folk. In this book her best friend is framed for the most recent murder..her best friend is also one of the towns police officers. 

Patmos: Three Days, Two Men, One Extraordinary Conversation by C. Baxter Kruger PhD

From the Amazon description: Aidan, a burned out, suicidal theologian from Mississippi mysteriously travels back in time to the Isle of Patmos, where he meets the aged apostle John. Thus begins an extraordinary 3-day conversation, with tormenting flashbacks to his childhood, mind-blowing visions and revelations, sorrow and joy. Aidan has a thousand questions, St. John wants to know about history, but his abiding mission is Aidan’ s liberation. 

This was one of my 12 books (actually recommended by my hubby). I just started it and am only a few chapters in but I think it will be interesting. 

Continuing Reads: Still haven't gotten any further on these others. It might be time to just shelve them...well, except the Book of Joy. 

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

It is rumored to possibly be true, but it's not confirmed as it happened a long time ago. It takes place in 1900, in Melbourne Australia at an all girls school. After setting off on a picnic, 3 girls and a schoolmistress go missing after walking into the heavy bushes. It has been a bit of a slow start for me but I'm hoping it picks up. My aunt really liked it. 

Take My Hands: Mary Vashere by Dorothy Clarke Wilson

I don't know that I ever shared about this one...This is taking me FOREVER, but it's one of the 12/12 books for the year so I'm pushing through it. I had the hardest time even finding it because it was published in 1967. I finally got it used online. It. follows the life of a young Indian woman who overcame a devastating handicap to become a well known surgeon. She was born in 1925 and lived until 1986. 

The Book of Joy by Dallai Lama XIV

This one is really good, but also really long so it's taking time, and there are so many good thoughts, that I find myself reading it slower than normal and thinking about what is being said. I mean, here are two prominent men who have been tested in their lives and yet speak a beautiful message of joy and care for others. It's serious and it's funny all at the same time. 

 

With Joy Unquenchable,

Kirstin