Books Read in July

Everyone else is probably posting their August month-in-review today, and this is my July summary! I am still way behind on reviews, though this is actually an improvement over the past two months...baby steps...

I finished 7 books in the 7th month and enjoyed them all. Here's what I read in July:

• Exo by Fonda Lee (NE), teen/YA audiobook
• The Risen by Ron Rash (NC), adult audiobook
• Exposed by Lisa Scottoline (PA), adult novel reviewed for Shelf Awareness (will link here when it is published)

• I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai (Pakistan), memoir
• Almost Autumn by Marianne Kaurin (Norway), teen/YA audiobook
• A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold, middle-grade audiobook

• Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke, middle-grade graphic novel

That's a total of seven books, with three read on paper and four audiobooks. That probably sounds like I didn't read much (with my eyes!) in July, but I also started one of my Big Book Summer books that I finished in August. I read a nice mix of middle-grade, teen/YA, and adult books and even had one nonfiction (memoir) and one graphic novel in the bunch. My books were set in some very diverse places, too. My favorite book read in July was I Am Malala, a very compelling and fascinating true story.

Progress on 2017 Reading Challenges:
This is my favorite part of my monthly summary - updating my Reading Challenges! Only 1 of my 7 books were from my own shelves for my Read Your Own Damn Books Challenge - bringing my 7-month total up to only 13. That's dismal, and the books just keep piling up! For the Monthly Motif Reading Challenge, July was Believe the Unbelievable with a focus on fantasy, so Mighty Jack and the Goblin King fits. No more classics for the 2017 Back to the Classics Challenge, but I started one in July that I finished in August. I slotted three of my books into categories for my Well-Rounded Challenge, but the categories are almost filled up now. For my Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge, I added Pakistan and Norway. For my 2017 Literary Escapes Challenge, I added three more states: Nebraska, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

Finally, Bookish Bingo hosted by Chapter Break - not really a challenge per se, but a fun game that I play each month! This was one of my best Bingo months ever with 22 squares filled in!



















Books on the Bingo Card:

Exo - Death & destruction, alien, spy, cop/fireman/military, team/squad/friends
The Risen - Drinking
Exposed - Yellow on the cover, free book
I Am Malala - Library book, foreign country, award winning, travel
Almost Autumn - Season, audiobook
A Boy Called Bat - Animal/pet, lol/humor
Mighty Jack and the Goblin King - Paperback book, in a series, fairy tale, WTF, shelf love (TBR)
Free Space

What was your favorite book read in July?  

Teen/YA Review: Almost Autumn

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I know – I keep saying I have overloaded on World War II novels, but then I keep reading them! This summer, I listened to Almost Autumn by Marianne Kaurin (translated by Rosie Hedger) on audio. It’s a teen/YA WWII novel set in Norway during the Nazi occupation.

Fifteen-year old Ilse Stern is a typical teenager living in Oslo in 1942. Her mind is filled with thoughts of dresses, the cinema, and her next-door neighbor, Hermann, who is a lifelong friend but now might become something more. She lives with her older sister and parents in a small apartment and helps out in her father’s tailoring shop. Ilse’s secret dream is to use her seamstress skills to work as a costume designer for the theater

On a cold October day, Ilse puts on a summer dress because Hermann once admired her in it and sets off to meet him at the cinema for their first official date. She waits and waits on a bench outside, but Hermann never shows up, and she finally returns home broken-hearted. The next time she sees Hermann, he barely even mentions their missed date, and Ilse is left confused and hurt.

What Ilse doesn’t know is that Hermann is secretly working for the Resistance, helping Jews to escape Norway. No one knows of his work, except the man whom he works with. His parents and Ilse both think he is taking painting lessons from this man. He does like Ilse – very much – but he has more important things occupying his time.

Although Ilse is very naïve and seems mostly unaware of the effects of the Nazis in Norway, the war begins to seep into her consciousness bit by bit. She notices that her father’s business has dropped off, that some people will no longer visit his shop, and that rations are getting tighter and tighter as food becomes more scarce. Her father wants to protect her and so does not talk about what is going on in the world or the trials his business faces, even though Ilse works there with him. Finally, the war comes home to the Stern family, in a startling and terrible way.

I’m becoming something of an expert on WWII fiction, and this novel has a couple of unique characteristics: it is set in Norway, a country that was occupied but not in the midst of the fighting, and it focuses in on the fascinating role of chance. Through Hermann, Ilse and her family, the story explores how random circumstance could affect whether someone was captured, survived, or died during the war. It was also interesting to see the unfolding of the Nazi occupation through the eyes of a young girl who was mostly ignorant of world events (though that means the reader’s perspective on the occupation is also limited). Overall, I enjoyed the novel and its unique perspectives, though I didn’t find it as compelling as Projekt 1065, another recently read teen/YA WWII novel.

278 pages, Arthur A. Levine (an imprint of Scholastic)

For those looking for good World War II fiction portraying different perspectives of the war and its aftermath, in addition to Almost Autumn, I also recommend Project 1065 by Alan Gratz (teen/YA about a boy in Germany spying for the Allies), The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck (women in Germany after the war), and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (women’s roles during WWII in occupied France).

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Almost Autumn
by Marianne KaurinHardcover

TV Tuesday: The Sinner

My husband and I have been enjoying a new TV show on USA Network called The Sinner, a dark and suspenseful thriller (based on a novel by the same name) with lots of unexpected twists.

Jessica Biel plays Cora, a young mom who seems perfectly normal and happy at the start of the first episode. We see Cora working in her husband's family's business and going home to her husband, Mason (played by Christopher Abbott), and their adorable little boy, Laine. If there is any tension in her life, it is maybe due to a slightly overbearing mother-in-law who lives next door. On Saturday, Cora and Mason decide to take Laine to the beach at a local lake.

At the beach, we begin to see some oddities with Cora. She swims way out into the lake, scaring her husband. But, back onshore, with her sweet son playing in the sand, things get really crazy when Cora suddenly attacks a man on the blanket in front of them, stabbing him repeatedly.The police come to the gruesome scene and arrest Cora, but she has no idea why she did what she did. She remembers attacking the man but doesn't know why she did it. She seems as horrified at her violent behavior as everyone else.

Detective Harry Ambrose, played by Bill Pullman, takes a special interest in Cora. He is intrigued by her case, and while everyone else is happy to just let her plead guilty and go to prison, he feels compelled to find out why Cora did what she did. Harry has problems of his own, including a crumbling marriage and an unusual relationship on the side, and he becomes obsessed with Cora's case and keeps digging into her background. Bit by bit, he discovers tiny clues to Cora's past that might possibly provide some explanation for her current behavior. Meanwhile, the viewers see flashback scenes of Cora's very screwed up childhood with religious fanatic parents.

We have watched the four episodes that have aired so far, and eagerly await the next one. There is plenty of suspense in this dark drama, even though you know from the start that Cora committed the crime. Detective Ambrose carries you along in his quest to uncover Cora's secrets, things that even she doesn't remember. Both Jessica Biel and Bill Pullman are excellent in their roles, giving very compelling performances as two people haunted in different ways. This dark, creepy psychological thriller has us both anxiously awaiting each new episode.

The Sinners is currently airing on USA Network. Episode 5 airs tomorrow, and there will be eight episodes in all of this "limited series." You can see all episodes On Demand, free on the USA Network's website, or on Amazon, starting at $1.99 an episode or $14.99 for the entire season....or you can read the novel!





    

Movie Monday: Going in Style

My husband and I have been on a movie streak lately, seeing great movies every week, so I have some catching to do with reviews. A few weeks back, we watched Going in Style, a fun, heartwarming comedy with an all-star cast.

Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Alan Arkin star as life-long friends Joe, Willie, and Albert. The three men are retired and enjoying a quiet life. Willie and Albert share a house together, and Joe lives across the street with his daughter and grand-daughter. They play cards, meet at their favorite diner for coffee, and bowl together. They all worked for the same company which suddenly announces that its pension fund will no longer be funded. All three men depend on their pension checks, and Joe is even in danger of losing the house his family lives in.

While Joe is in the bank to find out why his mortgage payments keep going up, a robbery takes place. The group that pulls it off are professionals, wearing masks and waving guns but getting out with the money without anyone getting hurt. Joe gets the brilliant idea that he, Willie, and Albert should rob the bank where their pension fund resided, just to get back the amounts that were promised to them. Willie and Albert laugh him off at first, but as their funds dry up and things become more desperate, the three senior citizens get serious about pulling off a bank heist, even consulting with a local criminal for advice.

It's a silly premise, but it's not an entirely silly movie. There are plenty of laughs here (the scene of them gaining some experience by attempting to rob their local grocery store is hilarious), but there is also family drama, romance, and the warm and touching relationships between the three old friends. I would watch any of the three of these Hollywood legends in just about anything, and Caine, Freeman, and Arkin are wonderful here together. To give you an idea of their on-screen chemistry, just check out this very funny clip of their "interview" on the Today show (they spend all their time bickering and don't let Matt ask any questions!):



They mention in the interview that the final script was beefed up to add more depth than the original script had, and that is obvious. Going in Style is an entertaining and poignant movie. It's warm and funny, and the three legendary actors are a lot of fun to watch together.

Going in Style is now out on DVD. You can stream it on Amazon starting at $4.99 (link below).

It's Monday 8/28! What Are You Reading?

Hear that? Me, either. I am all alone in a completely quiet house....ahhh! We moved our younger son back onto campus Thursday evening (our older son had an apartment near there all summer), and classes start tomorrow. I am starting my recovery from a very hectic and tiring summer!

We squeezed in a mini-vacation last week, Tuesday through Thursday, at Rickett's Glen State Park in PA, which is absolutely gorgeous. Check out my photos in my Saturday Snapshot post. It was just what we needed - a couple of quiet days with just the four of us, back in our camper together like the old days.

Of course, we also enjoyed our books, as always. Here's what we've been reading this week:

• I am still reading my next review book for Shelf Awareness - Machine Learning by Hugh Howey, a collection of short stories (including a few Silo stories) from the author of the amazing Silo trilogy, which I just finished last week. Just like his novels, these stories are imaginative, clever, and entertaining. I am really enjoying them. This book is due for release on October 3.
• On audio, I am still listening to Carve the Mark, the latest YA novel by Veronica Roth. She is the author of the Divergent series, so I am trying to give this one a chance, though it's not really my cup of tea - a full-blown fantasy set in a different universe. I prefer fantasy or sci fi set in our real world, with some fantasy or sci fi elements. However, it is growing on me, and I am enjoying it more now that I've gotten to know the characters.
• My husband, Ken, finished reading another of my review books, Leona: The Die Is Cast by Jenny Rogneby. This is a new Scandinavian thriller, which he always enjoys, and he said this was a good one.
• Now, Ken is reading The Magician King by Lev Grossman, book 2 in the Magicians Trilogy. He and our son both like this series, and this is one last Big Book of the Summer for him!
• Jamie, 22, reads only Big Books! He read and finished The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie, book 1 in The First Law trilogy. We gave this to him for his birthday last week, and he lost no time in devouring it - finished it in 3 days (560 pages!) on our trip. It's an epic fantasy that was recommended by our friends at Northshire Bookstore in Vermont, and he says he definitely wants to read the rest of the series.
• Now, Jamie is reading another epic fantasy (and Big Book): Swords and Scoundrels by Julia Knight, book 1 of The Duelists trilogy. I could tell by the title, this one is right up his alley! He went on a brief sci fi kick this summer, but now he is clearly back to his fantasy roots. 

 Not many blog posts from last week, with our travels & tight schedule:

Middle-Grade Review: Mighty Jack and the Goblin King by Ben Hatke, a fun fantasy adventure graphic novel

Saturday Snapshot: Rickett's Glen State Park, PA - featuring over 20 waterfalls!

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

What are you and your family reading this week?  

You can also follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.

Remember if you are participating in my Big Book Summer Challenge to leave links to your reviews on the challenge page (the second links list is for reviews) to share them. We only have a few reviews linked up so far, and I know many of you have been reading your Big Books this summer! The Challenge will wrap-up next Monday, though you can continue to link up your reviews and/or wrap-up posts through the end of September.

Saturday Snapshot: Rickett's Glen State Park, PA

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at West Metro Mommy Reads.

We finally got our camper out for a mini-vacation this week. This was the only 2-day vacation we had with our sons so far this year, but it was perfect and we really needed that time together, with just the four of us. We went to Rickett's Glen State Park, a beautiful place in the mountains of Eastern Pennsylvania that we've been meaning to visit for ages. Our campsite was right on the edge of a lovely lake, and the park features glens with over 20 waterfalls! Our sons did the full Waterfall Trail loop, while my husband and I did the first part - and then all the way back up. It was really pushing my physical limits but was well worth the gorgeous views and the time together.

Here are some highlights of our little trip:

The view from our front door!

My sons on the Waterfall Trail - heading DOWN!

Mohawk Falls, 37 feet

Dad and his sons at the top of Ganoga Falls, 91 feet!

Sons & I at the bottom of Ganoga Falls, 91'

Conestoga Falls

Family Selfie on the trail before we split up

My husband waiting patiently while I rest on the way back up!

Sunlight through the trees

View of our campsite from the lakeshore

My sons kayaking on Lake Jean

Relaxing around the campfire

Sunset over the lake

Hope you are enjoying a great weekend - the weather here is perfect, but I hope my friends in Texas are safe and dry.

Middle-Grade Review: Mighty Jack and the Goblin King

Last winter, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the graphic novel, Mighty Jack, by Ben Hatke, so I was eager to read the sequel to this middle-grade fantasy, Mighty Jack and the Goblin King. It did not disappoint, with more adventure, humor, and lots of fun.

I’ll avoid any spoilers, in case you haven’t read the first book, Mighty Jack, yet. As book 2 opens, Jack and Lilly are climbing up – you guessed it – giant vines that grew out of their fantastical garden, following Maddie, Jack’s little sister, who is in need of saving. Just as in Jack and the Beanstalk, these vines lead them into a whole different world, complete with an evil ogre. Along the way to find Maddie, Jack and Lilly encounter hordes of rats, weird hairy things that live in the pipes, small goblins, and a huge Goblin King who presides over the goblins malevolently.

Lilly feels a special affinity for the little (and adorable) goblins after they save her life, so she is determined to help them get out from under the evil Goblin King’s control. However, the Goblin King decides that Lilly would make a perfect bride. Of course, Lilly is strong and brave and will not marry the Goblin King without a fight. There are plenty of exciting fights in this novel. Throughout all of this, Jack and Lilly still must save Maddie.

Two pages from Mighty Jack and the Goblin King

As with the first book, Mighty Jack and the Goblin King is filled with action, adventure, and suspense. The myriad fantastical creatures are imaginative and amusing creations, and there is plenty of humor amid the tension. The graphics are gorgeous, multi-colored drawings featuring realistic human characters and creative and mildly gruesome or scary and/or cute fantasy characters. It’s an engaging and compelling story with a happy ending that wraps up this story while leaving room for the trio’s next exciting adventure.

207 pages, First Second

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Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Mighty Jack and the Goblin King
by  Dav PilkeyTrade Paperback

 

Mighty Jack
by  Dav PilkeyTrade Paperback

It's Monday 8/21! What Are You Reading?

Attempting to write this post on Sunday night in a rare few minutes of quiet time because this week will be crazy here! My son and I will be on the road tomorrow, driving 90 minutes each way to see his Lyme doctor before college starts next week...and hopefully getting home in time to catch the best of the eclipse. Later this week, our family will be going on a quick vacation - 2 days camping in nearby Pennsylvania. That's all the vacation time we could squeeze out of our busy young adult sons this summer!

This past week was hectic, too, with my oldest son's 23rd birthday on Wednesday and all the rushed preparations for the start of school coming up.

Here's what we've been reading this week:

• I finished reading Dust by Hugh Howey in record time...and never wanted it to end! It counts for my Big Book Summer Challenge and is the last book in the amazing Silo trilogy.  I absolutely loved book 1, Wool, and book 2, Shift, and was thrilled to finally get to book 3. My husband and I LOVE this series that is just so compelling and immersive! If you haven't read Wool yet, you must. And it;s best to read all three in a row (you will want to once you start).
• I moved onto my next review book for Shelf Awareness which is...more fiction by Hugh Howey! Yay! I am reading Machine Learning, a collection of his short stories (including a few Silo stories). I'm only on the second story, but he is just such a great, imaginative writer. This book is due for release on October 3.
• On audio, I finished listening to The Hearts of Men by Nickolas Butler, an adult novel about two boys who become friends at a Boy Scout Camp in the 1960's and the paths their lives and friendship take over the ensuing decades. The beginning chapters are about the boys at camp as young teens, then it jumps 30 years to them as adults, and then further forward to the son and grandson of one of them, in 2019, coming full circle back to the boy scout camp. It was very good.
• Now, I have started Carve the Mark on audio, the latest YA novel by Veronica Roth. She is the author of the Divergent series, so I am trying to give this one a chance, though it's not really my cup of tea so far - a full-blown fantasy set in a different universe. Probably good but not my favorite kind of novel. If I read fantasy or sci fi, I prefer those set in our real world, with some fantasy or sci fi elements. I am having trouble keeping track of all the non-Earth names, places, flora & fauna, etc. on audio...but like I said, I am sticking with it for a few more chapters to see if it grows on me.
• My husband, Ken, is now reading another of my review books, Leona: The Die Is Cast by Jenny Rogneby. This is a new Scandinavian thriller, which he usually enjoys, and he says it's good so far.
• Jamie, 22, was reading The Wheel of Time series, book 4, The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan, the last time I checked. He will probably have plenty of reading time on our camping trip this week!

Last week's blog posts:

Movie Monday: The Circle - a star-studded drama about the dark side of technology

TV Tuesday: Gypsy - a psychologist gets too involved with her patients' lives

Fiction Review: Everybody's Son by Thrity Umrigar - drama about race, adoption & identity

Fiction Review: The Risen by Ron Rash - dark story about two brothers & how the past affects the present

Middle-Grade Review: A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold - a fun story about a boy with autism

Saturday Snapshot: Harry Potter Birthday Party

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

What are you and your family reading this week?  

You can also follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.

Remember if you are participating in my Big Book Summer Challenge to leave links to your reviews on the challenge page (the second links list is for reviews) to share them. We only have a few reviews linked up so far, and I know many of you have been reading your Big Books this summer!

Saturday Snapshot: Harry Potter Birthday Party

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at West Metro Mommy Reads.

On Wednesday, we celebrated my oldest son's 23rd birthday (one of many reasons I still haven't visited last Saturday's posts!) with a quiet family dinner and his favorite banana cake. When our boys were younger, though, birthdays were an EVENT. We'd pull out all the stops and plan a party with food, favors, and games around whatever theme they each chose. We had all the usual themes, like pirates, knights, Pokemon, and dinosaurs. Our best party ever though, the one that friends and family still talk about, was my oldest son's 8th birthday (15 years ago!) when we planned a Harry Potter party and transformed our house into Hogwarts! Since this IS a book blog, I thought I'd share a few pics from that epic Harry Potter party:

The Professors gathered in the Great Hall at Hogwarts

Students visit Diagon Alley (our basement) & stop at Gringott's (that's me issuing gold coins!)

Olivander's Wand Shop, as students get measured for their wands

The students all ready for the sorting hat!

With Professor McGonagall (me!) in Arithomancy class

Professors Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall

Hagrid and Professor Trelawney (with their grandsons!)

Professor Snape conducts Potions class

Professor Trelawney in Divination

Madam Hooch coaches a Quidditch game!

As you can see, this was a group effort! Friends and family pitched in to fill in the Hogwarts staff, and I think we had as much fun as the kids. Great memories, now that these "kids" are all adults.

Hope you are enjoying a great weekend!