I had a great year of reading in 2019!! I read a total of 125 books this year. I completely surpassed my reading goal, which was to read 87 books this year. I have not written book reviews for all the books I've read in 2019... I think I have roughly 15 (???) books that I didn't write book reviews for this year. I think this is the 1st time I've not been able to write all my book reviews before the year was up. Maybe I'll write a few more book reviews from 2019 in the new year, maybe not... We'll see what transpires!
Some of my favorite reads this year include the following books:
3. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
4. The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony
6. Whoever Fights Monsters: My Twenty Years Tracking Serial Killers for the FBI by Robert K. Ressler and Tom Shachtman
7. Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm
8. Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them by Jennifer Wright
9. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
10. Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard
I've also been blessed to have visited 30 new to me Little Free Libraries around the state of California... Plus, I've revisited several Little Free Libraries as well throughout the year. I love discovering new to me Little Free Libraries and exchanging books I've read with books I haven't yet read. I've actually found many wishlist books inside Little Free Libraries I have visited. Do You enjoy exchanging books at Little Free Libraries too?
Additionally, I attended the 2019 Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley, California for the 5th year in a row!! I had so much fun attending this two day event with my husband. Click on the the following links to read my bookish adventures at the 2019 Bay Area Book Festival.... BABF Sneak Peek, BABF Day 1 and BABF Day 2.
I also enjoyed attending the Pleasant Hill Public Library's free used book giveaway in July of this year. I came away with 25 used/withdrawn library books. Click on the above link to read abut my experience.
Did you meet your reading goals in 2019? Share with me some of your favorite books read in 2019 in the comment section below. Did you attend any author signings or book festivals? Did you participate in any book clubs/reading groups? Share any fun bookish related things you'd like below.
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Below are a few reasons I pick up a book to read!
1. I've read a book by the author before and loved their writing.
2. The book has been recommended to me by another avid reader that has the same taste I do in terms of genre, writing style, etc.
3. I like the book cover and/or book title.
4. The blurb about the book on its back cover makes me want to read it.
5. It's a book club pick.
6. I want to explore a new genre.
7. I'm interested in learning a new hobby or skill.
8. The book is required reading for a class.
9. I found the book at a Little Free Library.
10. I keep hearing a lot of positive buzz about a particular author.
There are books that stick with you for your entire life, but do you know what book was most popular on the year that you were born?
Thanks to Good Housekeeping, you can now find out what people were reading the year that you entered the world.
How many of the top books from the past 87 years have you read?
Curious, I couldn't resist learning which book was popular the year I was born!! So, what are you waiting for??? I know you're curious, so go ahead a check out which book was popular the year you were born!!
Yesterday, I finished reading the paperback copy of Twisted Linen by C. W. Cook. I received my copy of Twisted Linen by C. W. Cook for free through Goodreads First Reads. Even though I received my copy of Twisted Line for free, the following review expresses my unbiased opinion for this novel.
First off, I really like the cover design on Twisted Linen.... The back cover of this book is nice too, but felt it was a tad difficult to read the plot summary as the font is fairly small.
I was drawn in by this novel's subtitle "a prophetic thriller of deception, deceit and faith"... The subtitle made me want to read Twisted Linen to see what it was all about... The plot summary also had me intrigued too.
Twisted Linen is a really quick read, which is another feature I enjoyed about this novel. I like reading fast paced thrillers. Even though I liked the storyline and key concepts presented in Twisted Linen, I felt it was a fairly predictable novel overall. Basically, I had guessed how a few of the key plot details would turn out in the end.
I also felt that some of the scenes presented in Twisted Linen by the author needed a bit more flushing out to paint a more complete picture of what was happening at a particular moment... A few other scenes in this novel didn't seem like plausible scenarios... In other scenes, I felt like too much written detail was given. Perhaps the material could have been presented in a slightly different manner, like spreading out the information in tidbits over the course of various chapters. Or perhaps have the characters disclose the information through dialogue in different scenes.
Overall, I liked the characters in Twisted Linen, but felt that at various times they were presented in a fashion that was too black and white... The main characters needed a bit more depth to them to feel more realistic. I also couldn't believe that certain characters were being duped by a trusted person in the novel and that they didn't begin questioning that person's actions.
The following is a plot summary for Twisted Linen by C. W. Cook from Amazon's website:
Against his wife's warnings, Simon agrees to help Cardinal Genovi expose the conspiracy behind a modern-day cult. But Simon should have listened to Grace; she's more than smart and alluring ... she is usually right!
**Twisted Linen is a fast-paced conspiracy thriller offering a chilling view of a possible future**
The short novel is drawn from modern-day current events, human genetic engineering, and end-times Scripture. It weaves a fictional tale around Biblical prophecy concerning Israel and astronomical signs to occur in 2017. It's an appropriate read for those who like believable suspense thrillers with a touch of the occult and paranormal. Also a fine choice for the Judeo-Christian reader who's looking for clean writing that's free of foul language.
For decades Simon LaCroix faithfully served as Special Agent in Charge of Vatican Security, but now he and his wife Grace, want a safer life apart from Rome. Their bug-out plans are interrupted when a top raking Cardinal summons Simon to the Papal Office and discloses a diabolical threat against the civilized world. A modern-day cult called the Golden Dawn plans to use the latest in genetic science to usher in a Final World Order, and Cardinal Genovi demands Simon's help this one last time. But there are deep fractures in the Church, unexpected betrayals, and dark secrets concealed in Grace's past that hold dire consequences for them both.
From the majestic city of Rome to the picturesque city of San Sebastian, Spain, Simon and Grace race against time to expose the conspiracy behind an occult's insidious agenda. The situation turns deadly when a kidnapping ensnares Simon and Grace in a net of deception, deceit and divided loyalty. And where it all leads. . .a dark nightmare into the underbelly of the occult with demonic consequences not revealed until the very end.
Okay, I'd say that overall I enjoyed reading Twisted Linen... But I felt it could have been a much better novel. After I'd read Twisted Linen, I'd visited Amazon.com to read what other readers had to say about Twisted Linen. I was surprised to see a total of 9 reviews of Twisted Linen, all of them were 5 star reviews!! I didn't feel that Twisted Linen was that good to warrant a 5 star review. I'm giving Twisted Linen a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.
Until my next post, happy reading!
Friday Finds is a book meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Friday Finds is a chance to share and show off the books you discovered during the week and would like to add to your reading list...
