Author: Jenna

Locke and Key Volumes 5 & 6 by Joe Hill – 5 stars each
A great ending to the series. It wraps up everything nicely but keeps you engaged throughout. I think I finished both books in only a few hours (I wasn’t tracking). I was sad to see the series end, though. It was good. I can now start the Amazon show, so that’s a positive! I would recommend the entire series. You have to start with one and read in order. (Technically, I finished these the last Saturday in June after I published June’s post).

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
I saw this on Amazon Prime and had to grab it. I kept seeing people talk about it in a Facebook group and wanted to see for myself what it was about. I LOVED this book. I love fiction books that lead me to research history. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is about a young lady with a genetic disorder that makes her skin blue. She would carry books to people in hard to reach areas of Kentucky. Both the blue skin AND the book woman part are based on real-life events. I will say, it’s still a typical fiction book and has a somewhat predictable plot point. There are some interesting twists and turns. I don’t want to go into too much detail and give anything more away. I would definitely recommend this one.

Roar (audiobook) by Stacy Sims – 3 Stars
First, I will disclose I don’t usually do audiobooks. They don’t hold my attention, and I miss things, unlike when I read. The library only had the audiobook, and I didn’t want to invest in this book. I’m glad I didn’t buy this book. I was a bit skeptical based on what I had heard, but so many women recommend it. The good? There is a lot of information about hormones and our cycles. It lined up mostly with my experiences. The bad? She focused a lot on cyclists and Ironmen. As a runner, I felt a lot of the information didn’t apply even though I’m an endurance runner. The really bad? She tried to use body shape (ectomorph, etc.) as a basis for what you should eat (carbs, protein, and fat). I haven’t seen scientific studies that prove you need to eat & workout a certain way for your body type. I see a lot of bro-science articles on bodybuilding dot com. I wouldn’t recommend this book.

So You want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo – 5 Stars
I really loved the writing in this book. It was easy to read and understand. Sometimes with non-fiction books, the writing is… tedious and/or complicated. Oluo writes more in a conversational style, which makes it easier (and faster) to read. I was already familiar with a lot of the topics in the book but enjoyed it. It never hurts to refamiliarize yourself with various issues or see a new point of view. I highly recommend this book. It’s a reminder that others have different experiences than ourselves and their thoughts/feelings are valid. We often need to step back and listen to them.

The Brave Athlete by Simon Marshall & Lesley Paterson – No Rating Yet
One of my running groups (Arizona Volee) has decided to do a virtual book club. The Brave Athlete is our first book. I haven’t finished yet, as we are reading it in sections & discussing each section. So far, though, I really love this book. The authors break it down in easy to understand terms and comparisons. I’m learning a lot about how my brain works and were some of my issues stem from. There are also exercises to do throughout the book. So far, I highly recommend it. I’ll post a final review when we finish.

I finally finished How Bad Do You Want It by Matt Fitzgerald. I really enjoyed this book. Fitzgerald builds a true story through each chapter to demonstrate the topic. He breaks up the story, so you have to keep reading to find out what happened in the race or event. The book also doesn’t get too technical or scientific, so it’s easy to read and understand. Five stars.

I read Locke & Key Volume 2-4 by Joe Hill. I didn’t feel volume two was as good as the first, but it definitely set up more of the story. It was still a great book but couldn’t stand on its own. I flew through it, wanting to know what happens next. Four stars. But 3 and 4? Knocked it out of the park! Five Stars. I would have also finished 5 & 6, but there’s a wait for 5 from the library!

I started The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau. So far, it is very slow-moving. I’m not sure if I will continue it. I’m about 13% in and not sure how I feel. This would be maybe the second book I DNF. I usually can find something to enjoy and still finish a book.

How long do you give a book before you give up?

I finally finished It. It only took me three weeks and three days. I liked the story of It. I thought going in the book was about a killer clown. OMG, it was so much more than that. Also, not as scary as I recall the original movie. I mean, I was like 10 when it came out (aging myself here). My biggest issue was the length. I believe that King could have gotten the major themes across in half the pages. 

After It, I also finished The Negative by Ansel Adams. I much preferred The Camera. I think it’s because I don’t actually develop my own film anymore. There were some great tips, but it was a bit harder of a read.

After those two heavier books, I wanted a quicker read, so I started Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs. Library of Souls is the third book in the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children. I thought this book wrapped up the story nicely. Although, now two more books have been added to the series (my understanding was it was meant as a three-book series).

I need to work on my mental game with distance running, so I picked up How Bad Do You Want It by Matt Fitzgerald. I haven’t finished it yet, but so far I am enjoying it. I’ll give more details next month after I finish.

I’m still struggling to fit in reading while working from home. How do you find time to read without a commute?

What have you read recently?