Welcome back, friends!

After a long-overdue vacation and time spent with family, I’m back and ready to blog! The last year has been an amazing experience, but lately, blogging has felt more like a chore than a hobby, thus my unexpected absence. And, as always, spring proves to be the busiest time of year, between holidays and taking advantage of the weather, there’s not much time left to blog – especially now that we’re planning our wedding!! I’m so happy to share our engagement! During my break, we made a special trip home for the proposal – a small family affair in the garden. It couldn’t have been more perfect!

And so, with plenty of travel-time to fill, I found myself falling back into the book game – just over 40 reads this spring. I even caught up on a few Net Galleys!

April & May Favorites:

   

Nemesis by Brendan Reichs: Discovering a top-secret cover-up threatening the lives of fellow students, Min and Noah race against the clock, and an asteroid, to uncover the truth.  A bridge between YA and Science fiction, Nemesis will leave you counting down the days for an answer to the madness with an Earth-shattering plot twist you’ll never see coming. (4 Stars)

In the Orchard, The Swallows by Peter Hobbs: Flung from the prison gates, a young man returns home to find himself abandoned and forgotten. Saved by a local Samaritan, he spends his days wondering the orchards as little by little, he gains the strength to confront his past. With its lyrical prose and heartbreaking woes, In the Orchard, The Swallows will leave a lasting impression. (4 Stars)

American War by Omar Elk Akkad: Set at the start of the second American Civil War in 2074, oil has been outlawed, Louisiana is half underwater, and drones pepper the landscape. War is quickly approaching the safe zone (if you can even call it that) and it’s every man for himself. Atmospheric and all-consuming, there’s no denying the sly warning within its pages.  (4 Stars)

I Found You by Lisa Jewell: After reporting her husband missing, a young bride soon discovers her husband doesn’t exist – his identity a sham. Meanwhile, a single mom, against her better judgement, takes in a stranger suffering from amnesia. A twenty-year-old mystery at the helm, you won’t know WHAT to believe. (4 Stars)

   

The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston: An unbelievably true story of a modern-day jungle expedition in search for an ancient civilization. Basically, a how-not for jungle exploration – the jungle WILL get you, it’s only a matter of when. (4 Stars)

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan: Forty years ago, Anthony Peardew lost a precious keepsake from his fiancée, but after her unexpected death the same day, he’s become the unofficial keeper of lost things…. Until he bequeaths his collection to his unsuspecting assistant Laura. A charming tale of love and friendship, The Keeper of Lost Things is the perfect choice to kick-start your summer reading. (3 Stars)

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai: If you enjoy arguing the finer points of time travel or the paradox of parallel universes, or you’ve ever spent a weekend re-watching Back to the Future – this is the book for you. A creative, head-scratching tale not to be missed! (5 Stars)

The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda: After reading All the Missing Girls, you would think I’d come to expect the runaway train aiming for my head by now, but even so – there’s no preparing yourself for The Perfect Stranger. Following her roommate’s disappearance and a local murder investigation, all clues point to Emmy, a runaway reporter from the big city. Wondering if her roommate even existed in the first place, she’ll have to dust-off the old reporter’s hat to prove her sanity innocence once and for all. (5 Stars)

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas: Finally, the end we’ve all been waiting for! ACOMAF is still my favorite, but I couldn’t imagine a better ending! (5 Stars)

What did you read this spring?