Snowed In Reads

I have read quite a few books over the last few weeks. I’ve ignored my chores, my children, making dinner and school work and instead dove into these awesome books. Let me know if you read any of them and what you thought!

First up was Sycamore Row by John Grisham. I’ve read a few of his books but not very many. I tend to get bored with all of the lawyer details. Sycamore Row is kind of a follow up to A Time to Kill which I really enjoyed. My FIL said it was really good so I gave it a try. It’s very long and very boring in spots. I found myself skimming many of the pages. The plot was really interesting though. Seth Hubbard, a man who had no friends and kept to himself, hangs himself on Sycamore Row and leaves all of his money to his African-American housekeeper, Lettie Lang, in a last-minute hand-written will. He also specifically leaves out his children. Of course there is a huge legal battle because the children believe Lettie influenced Hubbard to write this will. No one can understand why he would do such a thing. Grisham does a great job of keeping you in suspense until the very end when all is revealed. But, I have to say, it was pretty boring in between. If you don’t get bogged down with the legal stuff, you’ll probably enjoy it. Or if you’re a professional skimmer like myself.

Tina Fey’s Bossy Pants was up next. I freaking love this woman. Her book is hysterical. Go read it.

After that I read Timebound by Rysa Walker. I’m guessing this is a first in what is going to be series. I stumbled upon this book because it was one of four books I could get for free since I’m an Amazon Prime member. Once a month you can try a new author (out of four) for free. This book was awesome! It’s a time travel story which I enjoy even though my head hurts when I try to understand all that’s going on in different time periods. The main character is Kate. She’s a teenage girl who doesn’t really know her grandmother all that well. Grandma shows up in her town with a strange blue medallion and basically tells Kate she is the only one that can save the world. Oh and, p.s. Kate, you can time travel. It’s a lot for Kate to comprehend but she’s dives in feet first. While getting ready to time travel to save the world, she happens to fall in love with Trey. If she goes back and changes history for the better, he won’t even know who she is anymore. Can she handle that? Will she be able to change history for the better? You’ll have to read to find out! It was awesome. I loved reading about all of the different eras and the book was very fast-paced and action packed. You’ll love it!

Next up was Divergent by Veronica Roth. I LOVED this book. I know I’m a little late to this trilogy’s party, but I wasn’t in the mood for anything like this after Hunger Games. I’m glad I waited because I was totally in the right head space for this kind of book. If you haven’t read it yet, the story follows Beatrice Prior’s life as she decides which of the five factions in her dystopian Chicago life she will live: Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). After a series of tests she must endure once she turns 16, her faction is recommended for her. She was born into Abnegation, but is that the life she will choose? If not, she will be shunned by her family and community as she embraces her new faction. Faction before blood is what rules the day. It is suspenseful, graphic and exciting. There’s even a little love story thrown in. I can’t tell you much more about it without giving it away. If you loved The Hunger Games, you’ll love this too. My book-reading friends are divided on the other two books in the trilogy: Insurgent and Allegiant. I will definitely read them but I think I’m going to read some other types of books first.

After that I read The Maze Runner by James Dashner. This is also the first book in a trilogy. I hadn’t heard anything about this book but I saw a few of my 8th grade boys reading it right before break so I thought it might be worth looking into. Then, on Pinterest, I saw it was on the “read these before they become movies” list so I gave it shot. I LOVED this book too. It’s so unique and upsetting and action-packed. Thomas wakes up in a cold, dark box on a lift. He opens his eyes to find he’s surrounded by teenage boys and all he can remember is his name. He has no other memories. He has no clue where he is or where he came from. Life in the Glade, this new place Thomas has been sent to, is unusual. It’s all boys of varying ages. There is a maze attached to the Glade that the maze runners have been running and trying to solve for two years. There are robot-type monsters in the maze called Grievers who try to kill the boys. None of the boys know where they came from; all they know is that they’re supposed to try and solve the maze. The day after Thomas arrives, a girl shows up in the lift and everything changes. Like I said, it’s very unique but entertaining and definitely action-packed. I was on the edge of my seat!

Finally, for the last five days, I have been completely submerged in the years 1958 to 1963 as I read 11/22/63 by Stephen King. O.M.G. This. Book. You must read it! It is in my top 20 books of all time…maybe even top 10. I will warn you: it’s 880 pages. A little daunting. But the last time that many pages went so fast was Harry Potter. I couldn’t get enough of this story and I was very sad when it was over. Don’t hate me: I’ve never read a Stephen King book before and I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. But the premise was so intriguing! Jake Epping is an English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine. He’s divorced with no children. While teaching a GED class, he reads a story that will change his life. Harry, the janitor at his school, is one of his GED students. Harry reveals in an essay that his father brutally murdered his mother, his sister and two brothers and almost killed Harry. When Jake discovers that his diner-owning friend, Al, has a portal to the past, he begins to wonder if he can go back and change Harry’s fate. But Al has bigger plans. He wants Jake to go back and stop President Kennedy from being assassinated. The book is simply amazing. I’m having a hard time putting it into words. Jake goes back and stops Harry’s father from killing his family as a trial-run to see how much things change before he tries to save the president. Every time he goes back through the portal, history resets itself. Or does it? I couldn’t read this book fast enough. I was dying to know if he saved the president and what changes that meant for the future. Oh! And he falls in love while in the past!!! With Sadie!! *sigh* Sadie. It’s weird to think he falls in love with someone when he, technically, hasn’t even been born yet; those are the times in the book when you can’t think too much or you’ll get a headache. The past is strangely against him; it doesn’t want to be changed. Obstacle after obstacle is thrown in Jake’s way as he tries to save the president. You won’t believe it!!! I haven’t done it justice; I hope you’ll read it and let me know how much you loved it! (If you don’t like it, don’t tell me.)

That’s it for now! I’m reading Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich right now. I’m guessing it will be light-hearted, funny and predictable. After the heart-stopping read of 11/22/63, I’m ready for something easy! Have you read anything good lately?