Thank you for joining me here! (Reminder: the page numbers I list here reflect the number of Kindle pages, not paper pages.) I hope you enjoy this series and I’d love to hear from you about what you are reading these days.
Book #1:
Beginner’s Luck by Kate Clayborn (Length: 246 pages). In need of something light, I picked up this romance-type novel, which happens to be the first book in a three book series called Chance of a Lifetime. Since this one was recommended by Anne Bogel, I knew it would be good, and she was absolutely correct. This series is about each of a group of three friends who share a large lottery win. The writing is excellent (although the Kindle version has a few annoying typos), the characters are all well-rounded and intelligent, and their actions actually make sense. The female protagonist in this book, Kit, is a metallurgist at a university and her love interest is a headhunter who also works in a salvage yard catering to historic homes, which she also happens to own. Her renovation of her “new” home is an interesting side plot. I really, really enjoyed this book and feel confident that you will too!
Book #2:
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (Length: 466 pages). I ADORE this book! I’ve been wanting to read this for several years, mainly due to so many positive reviews, and I finally picked up this (longer than average) novel. It was absolutely worth the wait, and I enjoyed it even more than The Rules of Civility (reviewed earlier this month). There is one primary setting, a luxury hotel in Moscow, where the protagonist, Count Rostov, is serving a life sentence of house arrest, courtesy of the Bolsheviks. The story starts when the Count is in his early 30s and stretches over the next 30 years. I love his personality (he’s a consummate gentleman, thus the title) and his gentle sense of humor. His interactions with two different young girls as well as the staff of the hotel during the time span of the novel are what make this novel sing. The ending is fantastic as well. This novel will make it on the top ten list of 2020 for me for sure!
Book #3:
Dream Work by Mary Oliver (Length: 98 pages). In my reading goals for 2020, I listed reading more poetry, and here I am. I was aware of this poet as she’s won a Pulitzer Prize, and this collection does not disappoint. Her poetry is very deep . . . this collection of 45 poems includes poems about the Holocaust, child abuse and poverty in India. Many are based in nature, which I love. Each poem is beautifully constructed, of course, but they are all accessible to readers like me, who aren’t well-versed (ha!) in the ins and outs of poetry. I’d definitely recommend checking out this poet if you’re also looking to expand your reading choices.
Lora Terrill 