July and August 2020 reads

How is it already the end of August the middle of September? I'm behind on everything, surviving on little sleep and lots of coffee to be able to keep up this reading pace. WORTH IT.

I've decided from now on to use Bookshop.org's affiliate links for my book recommendations, mostly because Thriftbooks doesn't have affiliate links and I really love their concept. I still anticipate making $0.00 from my affiliate links because that's not what I'm blogging for but I always want specific links when someone references something, so this is a middle ground!

A Perfect Spy by John le Carré

★★★★★/5

Man, I should probably take more notes in my Goodreads account. This feels like I read it so long ago! Ages have passed! Anyway, all I remember is that I was entranced and my memory says 5 stars, so 5 stars it is. I'd never read a true spy novel before, and I'm ashamed it took me so long. I'm happy now to eventually dig into the rest of le Carré's works because this was so good.

The Crown Tower (The Riyria Chronicles, #1) by Michael J. Sullivan

★★★★/5

Rosie recommended this series to me, and when Rosie recommends a fantasy series, I listen. :) I read these out of order, because this prequel series is supposed to be read after the main series, but it was the only one available on Kindle when I was looking and, eh, c'est la vie. So good! If you like simply good "high fantasy" novels, these are great. The writing style is purposefully very simple so you're drawn in completely, and the characters are incredibly rounded and fascinating. Fans of Brandon Sanderson or Patrick Rothfuss or the like, you'll love them. 

Start With Why by Simon Sinek

★★★★/5

I've been meaning to read this book for years! I finally rented the audiobook for free and although I had to finish it in a hurry, I very much enjoyed it. The author read the audiobook I listened to, which is always a plus, and I find his insights into the business world very adept, even though I'm pretty far removed from being an actual business person.

Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin

★★★★★/5

I think I'd read some Baldwin essays in an African American Lit class in college, but I'd never read one of his works in totality before picking up Notes of a Native Son -- and you know what, he wrote it in the mid 50's and almost every damn thing he wrote STILL applies to America. Our country's racial reckoning is so important, and seeing it through the historical lens of this book was really...saddening. And fascinating. Highly recommend it.

The Rose and the Thorn (The Riyria Chronicles, #2) by Michael J. Sullivan

★★★★/5

Book two of the wrong-order-Riyria reads! Adventure, suspense, a little bit of humor, swords, cloaks, daggers, etc. etc. Love it. I think I liked this one even better than the first, which propelled me into renting the first series later (keep reading and you'll find out). I have been thinking about it as a whole for months now, and IT WOULD MAKE SUCH A GOOD HBO SERIES. I mean, you'd need like 8 seasons to get through it all, but WHY ARE CRAPPY TV SHOWS STILL BEING MADE WHEN ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS FIND GOOD BOOKS TO MAKE INTO TV??? Will never understand. 

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

★★★★★/5

I really wish I could remember where I got recommended this book -- I think it was maybe on an NPR end-of-year book list? Anyway, I had NO idea what was coming in this book and I loved each and every bit of it. Semi-spoiler but not really: this is the story of if humans tried to genetically induce evolution, thinking they were doing it on monkeys but instead it happens to SPIDERS. So if you're arachnophobic, you might not wanna read this. I think I was slightly at the beginning of the book, but it pulled me in so well I couldn't care by the end. Twists I didn't expect, completely risky premise, jumps in time without being offputting? Sci-fi at its best. 5 stars.

Theft of Swords (The Riyria Revelations, #1-2) by Michael J. Sullivan

★★★★★/5

After starting this one, which is what I should have read first in the Riyria world, I kind of understood why the other two were prequels. I mean, it was clearly planned so I didn't feel too off, but I'd read these first if you were interested! Very good. Gosh. Makes me want to stop writing this blog post so I can go read another right now.

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

★★/5

Another one where I can't remember where I found a recommendation for it. This wasn't my favorite book I've ever read, but for a quick suspense thriller, it was pretty good. Kept me guessing to some degree, but certainly not as good as Gone Girl or Girl on the Train. What I'd qualify as a "scary beach read." 2 stars.

Voyage to Alpha Centauri by Michael D. O'Brien

★★★/5

Wow, where to start with this one. First, it's like 800 pages, and weighs a ton (my wrists kept hurting holding it up reading in bed). The basic premise is a big ship full of scientists go check out the nearest star in hopes of finding a habitable planet. The trip takes forever, things happen, yada yada. I really like this sort of century-ship-premise, but this one was just a letdown. There was a LOT of heavy-handed anti-authoritarianism that was just, quite frankly, unnecessary, and really pulled me out of the story. O'Brien is also writing from a clearly Christian position, and, well, I'm not sure he did it very well. Don't hate me if you love him, it just felt forced and unnatural throughout most of the book. I did finish the whole 800 some pages, though, so I obviously didn't hate it...just can't highly recommend it. 3 stars.

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

★★★★/5

I read this with the Close Reads podcast (after skipping Frankenstein because I just cannot do Frankenstein, okay?). I'm sure I've read it before but that would have been pre-my-Goodreads-account, so I'm not sure when. I'm so glad I read it with them because on the surface, it's such a simple novel, but hosts' commentary really opened up so much about the book for me. Hemingway's such a master, and I'm hoping to read another of his next year at some point.

The Relentless Moon (Lady Astronaut, #3) by Mary Robinette Kowal

★★★★★/5

I've been anticipating this release for SO LONG, and I was so thrilled no one else at the Omaha library had managed to hold it before I did so I got it like, 3 days after it was released!!! If you haven't heard me wax poetic about the Lady Astronaut series yet, well, you're missing out. This book series reimagines the space race in the 50s if a giant meteor had irrevocably harmed Earth so that the space race became imperative -- and if the women played a larger role. ;) Definitely recommend starting from the beginning with The Calculating Stars. 5 stars!

Strong Poison (Lord Peter Wimsey, #6) by Dorothy Sayers

★★★★/5

Ahhh, another Sayers novel. They're just so satisfying! I finally got some used copies in from Thriftbooks and happily held off until I was waiting for some library holds. This one is when Harriet Vane is introduced and man, just so good. Nothing like a good mystery novel, am I right?

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Whew, that was obnoxiously long -- thanks for reading, if you made it this far. ;) Currently I'm in the midst of the next Riyria book (obviously), The Divine Comedy (gulp), and I'm starting Marilynne Robinson's Home with Close Reads next. I'm anxiously awaiting the release of two books this fall -- the next book in the Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner, and the next Stormlight (Brandon Sanderson). Oh! And the newest Robert Galbraith is out too! 2020 surprisingly not too bad for book releases. :) 

Happy reading, friends!

HG