Introverted Reader

Ten New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2020

Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl invited us to share "ten new-to-me authors I read in 2020." I tend to read a lot of new-to-me authors and several books from my top ten books of 2020 would work for this prompt. I decided to list authors who didn't appear on that list but whose works I did enjoy. Links either go to my review (if I wrote one), or the Malaprop's bookstore website. I discovered Grady Hendrix last year and quickly read most of his back catalog, which is almost unheard of for me. My favorite was My Best Friend's Exorcism. I don't remember how I found Khalida Brohi's powerful memoir, I Should Have Honor, but I'm glad I did. She's such a brave, passionate woman, fighting to make life better for all women in Pakistan. I'm late to the Helen Hoang party but I finally arrived! I don't read much romance but The Kiss Quotient's humor and the main character's awkwardness appealed to me. I don't have Asperger's like she and the author do, but I'm not socially adept either. David Wellington--I don't typically read a lot of science fiction but something made me pick up The Last Astronaut. It was an intriguing take on the "first contact" trope. The audiobook, read by Megan Tusing, was very well done. Veronica Henry--Yet another romance. But with a title like How to Find Love in a Bookshop, how could I resist? James R. Benn--I read about WWII fairly often, but more from the civilian side. The first book of the Billy Boyle mystery series was a new look at the war for me. I've had Rachel Hawkins on my radar for a decade but I just read her first book, Hex Hall, last year and enjoyed it immensely. I first heard…

36 Comments

January 25, 2021

Our Time is Now by Stacey Abrams: Book Review

4 Stars. Reading Our Time is Now in the wake of the 2020 election felt a bit like a victory dance. Anyone who isn't outraged by voter suppression doesn't have a good concept of what "government by the people" means. As a white woman, I've never experienced anything like what Ms. Abrams details in these pages. This review keeps [...]

Bookish Miscellany

Weekly Update for January 24, 2021

Welcome to my weekly update for January 24, 2021! It's been a quiet week here. I watched the inauguration ceremonies for at least half a day. I'm relieved that everything went off smoothly. I missed the Virtual Parade Across America because my TV station went to local news but I did stream it later. I enjoyed it hugely! It was nice to see such optimism across the country! Posted: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey--4 Stars Circe by Madeline Miller--4.5 Stars Top Ten Audiobooks for Younger Readers Read: Circe by Madeline Miller Deep Storm by Lincoln Child, read by Scott Brick Currently Reading: Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey by Kathleen Rooney End of Watch by Stephen King, read by Will Patton Our Time is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America by Stacey Abrams Up Next: As soon as I finish Our Time as Now, I'll probably start The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well since it came in for me at the library. What did your week look like? Deb Nance at Readerbuzz hosts The Sunday Salon and Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer hosts Sunday Post. Kathryn at Book Date hosts It's Monday! What Are You Reading? I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site.

34 Comments

January 23, 2021

Circe by Madeline Miller: Book Review

4.5 Stars. Circe is every woman who has been treated as "less than" because of her gender. As a child, she accepts that everyone overlooks her. She's not as beautiful as the other nymphs, so why would anyone pay attention to her? She's starved for attention though, and makes some terrible decisions. But those decisions lead [...]

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey: Book Review

4 Stars. I enjoyed this but as a woman who has chosen not to have children, I don't think it speaks to me the same way it speaks to mothers or those who long to hold little ones in their arms. But even I found Mabel and Jack's plight heartbreaking and rushed to find out exactly what was going on with the little snow girl. Was [...]

Bookish Miscellany

Weekly Update for January 17, 2021

Welcome to my weekly update for January 17, 2021! This week we'll finally be inaugurating Joe Biden as our 46th president here in the US. I pray that this week passes uneventfully and the transfer of power is peaceful. We took the picture on the left at Strand Beach on a walk last week and the picture on the right was taken at Oceanside Pier. Posted: Goldie Vance Volume Two by Hope Larson, illustrated by Brittney Williams Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia, read by Amir Abdullah--4 Stars Read: Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia, read by Amir Abdullah The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel Fathoms: The World in the Whale by Rebecca Giggs The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey Goldie Vance Volume Four by Hope Larson, illustrated by Jackie Ball Currently Reading: Circe by Madeline Miller Deep Storm by Lincoln Child, read by Scott Brick Our Time is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America by Stacey Abrams Up Next: I need to choose a book for the Nonfiction Reader Challenge this month. I'm thinking about reading one of Isabella Lucy Bird's travel memoirs. I read her stories of the Rocky Mountains several years ago and thought Ms. Bird was a fantastic travel writer, especially considering that she was a woman traveling alone in the mid-1800s. What did your week look like? Deb Nance at Readerbuzz hosts The Sunday Salon and Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer hosts Sunday Post. Kathryn at Book Date hosts It's Monday! What Are You Reading? I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site.

44 Comments

January 16, 2021

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia: Book Review

4 Stars. What fun...the humor and adventure in Tristan Strong are sure to appeal to readers who enjoy Percy Jackson and all of Riordan's other books. My inner 12-year-old giggled a lot. I was surprised by the traces of darkness in these pages though. The first thing I noticed was Eddie's death. So many kids do struggle with [...]

Goldie Vance Volume Two by Hope Larson: Book Review

4 Stars. Volume Two was still a strong entry in this series but it didn't charm me quite as completely as the first collection did. I enjoyed reading a bit more about Goldie's mom but Goldie herself came across as a bit of an attention-seeker and a brat this time around. It wasn't enough to completely turn me off but it was a [...

Bookish Miscellany

Weekly Update for January 10, 2020

Welcome to my weekly update for January 10, 2021! Well. This week in the US was more exciting than I would have liked. I don't even know where to start. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of the Capitol Police officer who was murdered in the line of duty and also the families of the other people who died there. I hope all those hate-filled faces that have been splashed across my TV for days now are found and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I hope that President 45 is stripped of power, hopefully formally but at least behind the scenes. I hope that law enforcement officials have realized that the threat we've all seen growing for months and years is real and have ample security in place for the inauguration. I pray that Biden and his team find a way to heal our country and lead us forward. Together. Posted: Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline, read by Wil Wheaton Top Ten Adult Audiobooks Read: Homelands: Fables Volume 6 by Bill Willingham Goldie Vance Volume 3 by Hope Larson, illustrated by Noah Hayes Currently Reading: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia, read by Amir Abdullah Fathoms: The World in the Whale by Rebecca Giggs Year of Wonder: Classical Music for Every Day by Clemency Burton-Hill Watching: Scrubs on Amazon Prime--My husband and I both worked night shift when Scrubs was on network TV so we weren't able to watch it then. We've managed to watch seasons here or there as our streaming platforms have picked it up and dropped it. We recently found it on Amazon Prime so we're busily trying to finish it before it disappears from us again! Up Next: I need to read…

19 Comments

January 9, 2021