Thank you for joining me here! I hope you enjoy this series and I’d love to hear from you about what you are reading these days.
Book #1:
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (Length: 663 pages) This adult fantasy book that has taken the BookTok and Bookstagram worlds by storm really lives up to its hype! I thoroughly enjoyed this Harry Potter/Divergent/Hunger Games with dragons-mashup of a novel. The writing is excellent, as are the characters and the plot pacing. This is the type of book where you’ll be thinking about it when you’re not actually reading it, and I love it when that happens. There are some VERY racy open-door love scenes between two of the characters, but for that, this would be perfect for younger teens. The second the next book in the series comes out this fall, I’ll be reading it. What a fun ride!
Book #2:
Drowning by T.J. Newman (Length: 300 pages). I read (and reviewed) this flight attendant-turned-author’s debut novel, Falling, and really enjoyed it so I was very excited to get my hands on this one. The premise here is VERY far-fetched, but just suspend your disbelief, and hang on and enjoy the ride here. A jet crashes into the Pacific Ocean shortly after taking off from Honolulu, and this is what happens to the passengers in the 12 hours or so after the crash. The plot is incredibly propulsive and there are some very sweet character moments (father-young daughter, elderly couple, newlyweds) but this is an action-packed thriller, plain and simple. I sat down one afternoon to dip into a few pages and three hours later I had finished the entire book. This is a fantastic summer read–just maybe not while on an airplane over a major body of water. 😉
Book #3:
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer (Length: 279 pages). I picked this incredibly charming novel for my June Book of the Month pick and I lucked out with this one! It’s like Willy Wonka, but with books. A beloved children’s chapter book author (all set on Clock Island) stops writing for several years and after this hiatus, announces a contest whereby a few lucky adult readers will win a trip to the “real” Clock Island to play games and solve riddles. The lucky winner will win the only copy of the author’s latest book in the series. This novel is written for adults but it is teen-friendly. I wouldn’t recommend that younger kids read it only because the author touches on some serious issues such as foster care and child abuse. This is an absolutely wonderful escapist read, with a plot that’s more unique than a most of what I’ve been reading lately. I will remember the details of this novel, especially the details of Clock Island. This is a book you’ll hug when you’re done.
Lora Terrill 