September Review

Another month has come and gone.  How is it October already?  The weather is turning cooler here in Basel, and soon we will be in winter coats full time.  But for now, I am enjoying the slightly cooler weather, and watching the leaves turn  on the trees.  We are leaving for a vacation to Barcelona in a few days which we have been looking forward to.  A good start to a new month.

In September I read 21 books in September (and blogged about 12 of them - the rest of the reviews are to come!)  Nine of those books were for my Read The World Challenge.  I veered off quite a bit from that challenge this month only because I discovered a new library with an English section!  Hard to pass that up.

It was a GREAT reading month.  I was in a mode - reading at least 100 pages or more a day, added some audio books, and just kept a good pace.  Some of these books were short, so I doubt I can keep up this pace next month.  At least 10 would be my goal.

Here are the books I read during the last month.  If you click on the title, it will lead you to the review if there is one.

The Sex Lives of Cannibals (Read the World Challenge - Kiribati)

Prognosis (off challenge book)

The Last Window Giraffe (Read The World Challenge - Serbia)

The Cost of Sugar (Read The World Challenge - Suriname)

Recursion (off challenge book)

Maria Gulovich - The School Teacher Who Saved American Soldiers (Read The World Challenge - Slovakia)

Mrs. Everything (off challenge book)

The Country Under My Skin (Read The World Challenge - Nicaragua)

Recruitment (off challenge book)

The Whisper Man (off challenge book)

The Beach (Read The World Challenge - Thailand)

Lost on Planet China (Read The World Challenge - China)

The Ark (off challenge book) - Review soon

The Last Conversation (off challenge book) - Review soon

Summer Frost (off challenge book) - Review Soon

You Have Arrived At Your Destination (off challenge book) - Review Soon

Emergency Skin (off challenge book) - Review soon

Randomize (off challenge book) - Review soon

The Bride Test (off challenge boo) - Review soon

Genghis Khan (Read The World Challenge - Mongolia) - Review soon

Water and Light (Read The World Challenge - Turks and Caicos) - Review soon

Top 5 books of September:


The Sex Lives of Cannibals
Lost on Planet China
Genghis Khan
The Last Conversation
The Whisper Man

Bottom 5 books of September

Prognosis
The Bride Test
Maria Gulovich
The Ark
Emergency Skin

How was your September Reading?

Top Ten Tuesdays - Book Titles With Numbers In Them

Top Ten Tuesdays was started by The Artsy Reader.  You can check her blog HERE and play along!  It is fun.

Today's Top Ten:

Book Titles With Numbers In Them. 

This comes up in a lot of book challenges - finding books with numbers in the titles.  So I have read quite a few.  If you click on the title of the book, you can see my review.  Here are some of mine:

1) NOS4A2

      I read this one quite a few years ago, and it was my first Joe Hill novel.  I loved it.  Since then I have read just about everything else he has written.  I find him even more talented than his father (Stephen King).  Great writer.  And it is a show on AMC - I think I am going to check it out.

2) One Plus One

       I love Jojo Moyes' books.  And this book got a 5 star rating for me, which is rare.  I truly loved it.  The story was really great.  I encourage you to try this one if you haven't already.

3) The Fifth Gospel

       Another one I read earlier this year.  It was for my Read The World Challenge for Vatican City.  It was a pretty good book.  I recommend it.

       

4) 11/22/63

          A Stephen King novel.  Read This one a few years ago as part of a reading challenge.  I was hoping to like it better than I did.  I also watched the TV movie they developed around it, and it was also just okay.  I was hoping for better.  

5) 32 Yolks

          This was an interesting read about the author's life as a chef.  It was part of my Read The World Challenge this year, and I really enjoyed it.

6) The 5th Wave

          This was a pretty good dystopain future book I read a few years ago.  I ended up reading the whole series.  Didn't love how it ended.  But the first book was good.

7) 600 Hours Of Edward

          This was a great book about a man who has autism.  It is a sweet book and one I really liked.  I highly recommend giving it a read.

8) Fahrenheit 451

            I read this one the first year I did a reading challenge.  I finished reading it in a day.  The book was fine.  It was enjoyable enough - dystopian future type book (my favorite genre), so I am glad I tried it.

9) Catch 22

             Another classic that I read for a challenge.  A book I probably would have never read if I hadn't needed it for a category.  You know what I discovered?  I really liked it.  It was one of the best books I read that year.  Surprised even me.  Now there is a show on Hulu that I am enjoying.  I recommend this one.

10) The Day The World Came To Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland

                I loved this story.  The book itself is fair, but the story is incredible.  Have you seen Come From Away on Broadway?  You should.  This story about Gander, and how they took care of 38 stranded airplanes and nearly 7000 people after 9/11 in New York is something you should not miss.  I want to visit Gander just to meet these amazing people.

That is my list!  What books are on yours?

          

Read The World - China - Lost on Planet China

Book: Lost on Planet China
Author: J. Maarten Troost
Pages: 400
Book takes place in the country: YES
Author is from the country: NO (but he spent time there)
I have visited: NO (but my husband has and our son was adopted from Hunan, China)

This is my 111th read for the year.

I have read another book about China this year, but I really didn't like it.  I have been searching for another to add to my permanent Read The World bookshelf, and came across Troost's book.  I have read two of his other books for my challenge, and loved them both, so I was excited to see this one.

I also want to say that China has a special place in my heart.  We adopted our son from China when he was 14 months old.  Now our sweet boy is 13 years old, and the light of our life.  I am so grateful to have him in our family.  My husband was the one who went to get him when we adopted him (I had two young daughters at home I couldn't leave) but I hope to one day return to his place of birth and see the country of his heritage.

This is the story of the author's time in China.  He and his wife were thinking about moving their family there as a change of lifestyle, so Troost went to see the country for himself.  He spends several months visiting some of the most well known sections of the country, and his recount of his time there is both information and hilarious.  Troost has a knack for story telling that keeps readers engaged even when he is filling our head with facts about the places he is visiting or living.  

Troost gives quite the entertaining insight of what it is like to be emersed in the Chinese culture.  He talks about the constant smog, the pushing and shoving, and taking your lives in your hands when you cross the street.  All things my husband also reported about his trip to China all those years ago.  

This book is laugh out loud funny.  I really think he is a talented writer, and I enjoyed this book just as much as the other two of his I have read this year.  I highly encourage you to read his writing.  It is a refreshing take on non-fiction material that should not be missed.

Stars: 4 1/2

Read The World - Thailand - The Beach

Book: The Beach
Author: Alex Garland
Pages: 448
Takes place in the country: YES
Author is from the country: NO
I have visited: NO (but I am going in the spring!)

This is my 110th read for the year.

I should have picked a book about Thailand that was more about travel, since our plan is to visit there in March.  But I decided to go with this fiction novel instead.

This novel opens with our main character - Richard - visiting Bangkok, Thailand.  While staying in a seedy motel, Richard is next door to a guy who kills himself his first night there.  Richard wakes up to discover the man dead, and a map left to him titled "The Beach".  Richard talks to a young French couple who were also staying at the hotel, and tells them about the map.  The three of them decide they are going to try and get to this Beach- which is legend among Asian travelers.

When they arrive, The Beach is everything they thought it would be- a hidden gem away from the tourist who flock to Thailand's main islands.  They find others who have lived there for years - hidden from the world.  Richard and the two French travelers are taken in by the existing group and allowed to stay.  

Richard soon discovers that The Beach and its inhabitants are not what they seem.  It is becoming clearer why the guy who gave Richard the map killed himself.  Richard soon discovers that there is too much danger in staying on the island for much longer, and plans a way to escape.

This book was fine.  It has its highs and lows.  It is an easy read, but not all that exciting.  Well - I take that back - it SEEMED like it was going to be exciting.   That there was going to be some big mystery about the beach and the people who lived there.  But it never really lived up to my expectations.  The ending was a let down.  The characters were not overly developed.  The plot is kind of all over the place.  I was hoping for better - more suspense.  

Eh.  It will stay my Thailand book for now.  It wasn't terrible.  Maybe I will find one about the history of the country I like instead down the line.

Stars: 3

Extra Book: The Whisper Man

Book: The Whisper Man
Author: Alex North
Pages: 368

This is my 109th read for the year.

I have gotten a lot of reading done lately.  Now that the kids are back in school, and our schedule has found a good rhythm, I am able to fit in more reading time.  And as the weather turns, and we are outside less and less, I tend to turn to books to fill the hours.

I borrowed this book from my library and was anxious to read it, so I got it done quickly.  I am happy to be able to finally read some of the books that have been on my list a long time.

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This is the story of Tom Kennedy and his son Jake.  Tom's wife has just tragically died, and Tom thinks a fresh start is in order.  He moves himself and his young son to a town called Featherbank.  He is hoping his son - who is quiet, withdrawn, and seems to have an imaginary friend that he continually talks to - will start to thrive in a new environment.

What Tom doesn't know is that Featherbank has a dark past.  20 years ago, a serial killer was kidnapping children, and murdering them.  The killer was nicknamed "The Whisper Man" because he was lure his victims out by whispering to them.  The killer was caught, and is behind bars, and the town feels like it could move on.

But after Tom and Jake move into their home, Jake starts to hear Whispers in his own home.  A young boy disappears, and the crime is almost identical to The Whisper Man crimes in the past.  Local detectives are now racing the clock to save the young boy, and figure out who is committing the copy cat crime from so long ago.

This is a pretty good book.  I am a fan of horror books, so after seeing this book on instagram, I wanted to check it out.  And for the most part it was scary.  I kept reading because I wanted to see where it was going.  There were chilling chapters, and suspenseful moments that made me jump if someone came into the room while I was reading.  Be warned - this book involves the abduction and murder of young children, and while not overly graphic, it is still the premise of the story.

The only downfall I would say is that it would build and build to a really scary scenario, and then fall short.  Was it scary? YES.  Could the book have taken it to the next level and truly pushed the boundaries of a scary novel?  YES.  It is hard to put my finger on it, but I would be gripping the book, reading a certain scene that was building to a suspenseful situation, and then everything would work out.  You breathe a sigh of relief, of course, but it also left me wanting more.

Is it worth a read?  Definitely.  I am glad I read it, and I look forward to seeing more from this author in this genre.

Stars:  4

Extra Book: Recruitment

Book: Recruitment
Author: K.A. Riley
Pages: 319

This is my 108th read of the year

I know I have a lot of "extra books" lately.  I seem to be vearing off my challenge a bit.  I do have reasons for that.  One is that a new library in town has a collection of English books and has added a few I have been anxious to read.  Two, now that I am deeper into my Read The World challenge, I am actually running into difficulty getting some of the books I want to read.  A lot of my challenge books are available through the library (ebook) and I have read through those.  Now I am coming to the ones where I am on a waiting list, or I cannot get through the library at all and have to buy.  I have saved those for last in case I come across something else that I can borrow instead of buy.

In short - I have to move slower due to availability.  Just a downside to living in a place where the libraries are mostly German books.  The upside is that I am getting to read a few things off challenge I have been wanting to.  Not all bad.

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This is a story about Kress.  In a dystopian future, Kress and all the other 16 year olds in her town are about to turn 17.  Everyone has the same birthday, and on the day they all turn 17, the government comes for them to initiate them into the army.  For most of Kress' life the government has been at war with the Eastern Order.  Each year, they gather the new 17 year olds, take them away, and they are never heard from again.

This year Kress and her friends will get to see what happens once the government trains you to fight the enemy.  They are subject to weeks of training - both physical and mental.  They are forced to work together as a group and told they are the key to winning the war.  However, the longer the training goes on, the less anything about the war and the situation their country is in make sense.  Kress and her friends set out to figure out what is really going on.

This was an okay book.  I love dystopian novels, so anytime one is brought to my attention, I want to give it a chance.  This one was just okay.  It left me with more questions than answers - and not in a good way.  Not where you want to see where the next novel is going to answer those questions and continue a really thrilling interesting story.  Instead it was more questions about the sense of the story itself and all the plot holes.  The book moved slow.  The characters weren't very evolved.  It just wasn't a great start to a series.

I won't be reading the rest.  I am going to let this one go.

Stars: 3

Top Ten Tuesday - Books On My Fall 2019 TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday was started by "The Artsy Reader"  You can see her blog HERE and join in the fun

Today's Top Ten is:

Books On My Fall 2019 TBR List

I am working on a Read The World Challenge, and most of the books on there are books no one has heard of.

So I am going to list half of my Read The World books that are on my fall list and the other half will be from my EXTRA READS list.  During this heavy challenge, I have started reading a short amount of pages each night in a book off challenge, just so I can read some books I really wanted to try, but didn't fit into my challenge.

Here is my list.  I have linked the Amazon page to the book if you are interested in what the books are about.  (click the title)

1) The Toll

        I am really excited about this one and it is at the top of my anticipated fall reads list.  This is the 3rd book in the Scythe Trilogy by Neal Shusterman.  He is one of my favorite authors, and this series has been incredible so far.  Here is hoping the final book rounds out the series perfectly.

2) The Testaments

       I am interested in reading this book, but not sure how I will feel after I read it.  I read the first one and it just made me angry.  And I watched the TV show and got angrier.  Not in love with what is going on in the United States right now.  We will have to see how this one goes.

3) The Institute

       Stephen King is one of my favorite authors.  I do end up reading just about anything he writes.  I am always willing to try a new book of his when it comes out.  I have seen this one floating around the highly anticipated fall reads list, so let's hope it lives up to the hype.

4) Empty Mansions

               This book was recommended to me by a friend.  It is the story about a reclusive heiress that despite owning a 121 room mansion in New York City, spent over 20 years living in a single hospital room.  The story looks captivating, and it has roots from my home town of Connellsville, PA.  Looking forward to this one.

5) The Giver Of Stars

          Another favorite authro of mine putting out a book this fall.  I really love Jojo Moyes' writing style and have read all of her books, so I am definitely looking forward to this one.

6) Bolivar

         This is part of my Read The World Challenge  I was hoping to get to this one this summer, but didn't quite make it.  Actually, I thought I would have more reading time than I did, and this is quite a large book.  But I have it on my shelf, so it is time to read it.  The weather is turning colder, and I will be inside more often, so it is time for a big, thick book.

7) Genghis

        Another book on my Read The World Challenge.  Two heavy history novels in the fall?  We shall see.

8) Eleni

      This one is on my Read The World Challenge for Greece.  It is the true story of the author's mother, and it looks like it is going to be good.  And sad.  And probably will leave me wishing I would have found a novel about vacationing on the Greek Islands instead.

9) Water And Light - A Diver's Journey To A Coral Reef

         I thought I better add something a little lighter to this heavy fall list.   It is on my Read The World challenge list for Turks and Caicos.  Looking forward to this one.

10) The Beach

This is my book for my Read The World Challenge for the Country Thialand. Hoping it will offset the heavier reads I picked for the fall. We are actually planning a trip in the spring to Thialand, although I think this one isn't going to be about how nice it is to sit on the beach and drink something with an umbrella.

What is on your list to read this fall?