Mini Book Reviews: March 2024

Disclaimer: I received ARCs of Real Americans and A Fatal Inheritance from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for my honest reviews.

Overall, this was a very satisfying month of reading! I didn't expect to read this many books--A Fatal Inheritance, a NetGalley prerelease, was very interesting. I just couldn't rush through it, wanting to savor all the details. I found some unexpected good reads this month with Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame, Yellowface, and What Happened to Nina? My other NetGalley pre-release, Real Americans, was amazing as well. The only disappointment was The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers. I love a nostalgic look back at the music of the 1970s, but this was not the story I was expecting.

Mini Book Reviews: February 2024

Disclaimer: I received copies of The Road from Belhaven, My Side of the River, and Wandering Stars from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for my review. This post contains affiliate links.

February was a great month of reading for me. While I work on getting through all my NetGalley prereleases, I also was able to fit in a couple of books that I wanted to read. I'm happy to say that all 3 NetGalley books were great and my personal selections were too. If I were to recommend a book that everyone will like, I would pick Kristin Hannah's book, The Women. I believe this may be her best book yet. Ann Patchett's Tom Lake was my favorite, though. 

There's nothing better than a month of good books!

Mini Book Reviews: January 2024

Disclaimer: I received ARCs of Come and Get It and Martyr! from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review. This post contains affiliate links.

I kicked off 2024 with the resolution to read my NetGalley ARCs before they are published! I have so many that I have fallen behind. I love that they send me so many books to review but now I am below 80% and need to fix that. Moving forward, I'll be sharing a mix of upcoming new releases from NetGalley as well as library holds and backlist books. 

This month had 5 very different books. My favorite one was Martyr!. You can't judge a book by its cover and when I first received Martyr! from NetGalley, I thought I wouldn't like it at all. The first sentence grabbed me and the book didn't let go. It won't be the book for everyone but it gave me a lot to think about. 

It's been a little frustrating trying to find good books to read lately. Every time I pick up a book that everyone is raving about, I'm disappointed. I've got 3 NetGalley books coming up for this month. Let's see what I find.

Mini Book Reviews: December 2023

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

What a great finish to a great year of reading! As I read my final book of the year, Strange Sallly Diamond, I couldn't help but notice some of the themes of the books I read this month overlapped. I read two books with quirky characters, The Mystery Guest and Strange Sally Diamond. Questionable adoptions were the themes in The Berry Pickers and Strange Sally Diamond. I couldn't help but make comparisons between the books. In All That is Mine, I Carry With Me, and Strange Sally Diamond, you have themes of misogyny and victimization of women. Don't let that deter you from any of these books--they were all good reads!

This year I read 70 books and DNF'd 3. My top 10 books were; Demon Copperhead, Hello Beautiful, Adelaide, The Great Believers, Last Summer on State Street, The Collected Regrets of Clover, Shark Heart, Birdie and Harlow, The Berry Pickers, and Strange Sally Diamond. There were many other good ones as well, so if you don't follow me on Goodreads, please do so you can check them out! 

Mini Book Reviews: Nonfiction November 2023

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of The Meth Lunches: Food and Longing in An American City from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my review. This post contains affiliate links.

After reading another 'highly-rated' fiction book that I struggled to get through, I decided to jump into non-fiction November again this year. I was inspired by fellow blogger Liz Dexter who cohosts a non-fiction November linkup. I'm so glad I did. To kick off the month, I dug into my library's new releases and was stunned to find Britney Spears' memoir available. Sorry, not sorry, I was curious and it was a surprisingly good read. The Meth Lunches and Hidden Valley Road were both interesting and eye-opening, but very socially relevant. If you didn't love Dolly Parton before, you will after you read Sarah Smarsh's portrayal in She Come By It Natural. For followers of Anthony Bourdain, World Travel makes an excellent supplement to his shows. And what to say about Birdie and Harlow except to warn you to have a box of tissues nearby. What a sweet sweet story!

Mini Book Reviews: October 2023

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I received an ARC of Resilient from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. 

Sometimes my book choices are dictated by what lands in my library inbox. Other times, I might get a NetGalley prerelease to review that I really want to read. Such was the case this month. My favorite read of the month was the eye-opening autobiography How to Say Babylon. If you've read Educated, The Sound of Gravel, or The Glass Castle, you'll find similarities in the telling of a tale of growing up in a dysfunctional and authoritarian household. It's been a while since I've read these books, yet they have stuck with me. I find it amazing how these authors have emerged from their childhoods as productive adults. 

Hopefully you will find something here to interest you!

Mini Book Reviews: September 2023

 Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I received a copy of Penelope in Retrograde from Amazon First Reads in exchange for my honest review.

It's been a busy month for me, as I shared in my Weekly Rundown, but I always find time to read! I read an interesting variety of books, but my hands-down favorite was Shark Heart. I think this would be such a good book club book--the story is unusual and there's a lot to think about. I also loved Mile Marker Zero--having visited Key West in the 1980s before big money and tourism changed the island vibe-- and it kind of made me sad to see it lose its free-spirited feeling.

Mini Book Reviews; August 2023

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I received an ARC of Happiness Falls from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I received a copy of Don't Forget to Write from Amazon First Reads.

If anything, I read books with really good covers this month! I definitely picked Old Flame based on the cover and, yes it was worth the read. Actually, everything I read except for Happiness Falls was great. The pre-release hype for Happiness Falls was big and I fell for it. Interestingly, this book got great reviews and I just don't get it. If you've read it, comment below and let me know what you thought about it. 

Brooks Hype Fest 2023 recap

Disclaimer: As a member of the Brooks Run Happy Team, I received a trip to Brooks Hype Fest and Brooks running gear. This is my recap of the event, but all my opinions are my own. This post contains an affiliate link.

After my experience at last year's Brooks Run Happy Camp, I didn't know how Brooks could top it, but--spoiler alert-- this year they did better by a long shot. The organizers said they took all our feedback from last year to make this year an even better experience. They also changed the name of the event to Brooks Hype Fest, which I just realized as I was writing this, as a way to tie the event in with the launch of their new Hyperions. All the RHT members were receiving a pair at the event but had to work for it, as I'll share below. 

Let's get to the recap!

Mini Book Reviews: July 2023

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of The Many Lives of Mama Love from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my review. This post has affiliate links.

What a great month of reading! Last month, I complained that I couldn't find much good to read. Well, that all turned around in July. For one thing, all my library holds came in at once. What to do? When this happens, I usually prioritize which book I'll get through the quickest, to get one off my list. Sometimes I have to return one to the library and get back on the list. Fortunately this month, I had a week off work plus I was traveling, which gave me a lot of downtime to read. 

Although I do admit to watching Cocaine Bear on one flight. I couldn't help myself and it was entertaining. 

Anyways, I read 7 good books this month, and August is starting off on the right foot as well. Two of them, The Seed Keeper and The Many Lives of Mama Love, were 5 star reads for me. The rest garnered a 4 star rating. Let me know if you find anything interesting here!

Race Recap: Leadville Silver 15 mile trail race

About 6 months ago, the leader of Trail Sisters Chicago Northwest asked me if I wanted to join her for Leadville Silver. She was planning on running the 50 mile race but told me there was a 15 mile option. Several of the other women were considering it as well. Since I'm writing this recap, you know what I decided. I asked my youngest son if he would be interested in running with me and to my surprise, he said yes! My oldest son and his girlfriend also joined us for a fun weekend in Colorado.

Mini Book Reviews: June 2023

 Disclaimer: I received an ARC of La Vie, According to Rose from Amazon First Reads. This post contains affiliate links.

After my first book this month, I fell into a slump. Is it just me or are a lot of the new releases lately kind of a slog? After reading several books this month that were highly reviewed and wondering what I was missing, I decided to dig into my TBR and found an absolutely delightful romance story. I ended the month with another backlist book that was recommended by Erica and it was a winner. 

I did have 2 DNFs this month. After making it to the 50% point with both, I called it quits. I just can't waste time reading a book that doesn't draw me in. There are too many books out there for that!

Race Recap: Chicago 13.1

Disclaimer: Because I wanted to share this recap in a timely manner, I did the unforgivable and screenshotted some of the photos taken of me on the course. I plan on buying the digital version when MarathonFoto sends a coupon

Last year was the debut of BOA's Chicago 13.1 race. The course route follows Chicago's 26 mile boulevard system, which runs through multiple neighborhoods throughout the city. The boulevards are lined with stately homes and beautiful parks. While the boulevards are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, many of the parks along the boulevards are individually listed as well. Many of the neighborhoods around the boulevards have fallen by hard times, but for the most part, the parks are well-maintained and serve as anchors to the communities.

In spite of my increased mileage on trails, I was interested in this one. I couldn't fit the race into my schedule last year, but this year I was in! With my goal race--Leadville Silver 15 miles--on the calendar for July, I made the Chicago 13.1 a 'training race' and didn't make a finish time goal. I vowed to have fun and soak it all in!

Earth Day 15 mile trail race

I ran this race a year ago and after being humbled and beat up by the hills, I vowed never to run it again. Yet, here I was, lined up for the 15 miler again. It's funny how time can dull the memory of pain. I knew what to expect and I was wiser this time. I had my fueling plan in place. I had logged lots of hilly miles on the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin. It was cold and it was windy, but I figured the trees would provide shelter from the wind. I wore one of my Inknburn fleece pullovers and my Brooks Moment tights. My plan was to run the three 5.2 mile loops consistently and not let that last loop crush me as it did last year.

Mini Book Reviews: April 2023

Disclaimers: I received an ARC of If We're Being Honest from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

April was a really good month for books for me! I read a prerelease novel, 4 new releases, and while waiting for library holds to come in, I dug deep into my TBR for an old selection from Reese's Book Club. All good reads, but my favorite book of the month was the last one I read--Adelaide was recommended highly by another book blogger. I almost didn't read it, but I am so glad I did. It was one of those books that got me in the feels. If I'm being honest, there's not a bad book here!

Book Review: The Longest Race by Kara Goucher

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Regular readers of this blog know that I do a lot of running book reviews. Because I do so many running book reviews, most of the books I review are gifted to me by the publisher. I found it odd that ARCs of Kara Goucher's new book were not available and that there weren't a lot of prepublication reviews. I decided it would be worth purchasing and after reading it, I understand why she kept her book quiet until publication day. 

It's quite a read. I'm going to do my best to share my thoughts about The Longest Race without spoiling it for people who haven't read it yet. Runners who follow Goucher know a lot of her story, and it was nice to read it from her perspective. But some of what she shares in the book she hasn't shared before. It's a cautious tale for young women with lofty running goals. 

Mini Book Reviews: March 2023

Disclaimer: I received a PRC of Choosing to Run from the publisher and NetGalley. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

I started March's reads with a winner! Des Linden's memoir was compelling reading. While I waited for some library holds to come in, I hit the backlist for Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First, which had great reviews. I didn't love it and eagerly opened my first library hold, Stone Cold Fox. I could not put it down and it kept my heart pounding! Big Swiss was hilarious. Just hilarious. But it might not be for everyone. Speaking of everyone, Pineapple Street is the must-read of the moment. I found it to be just ok. Another popular read right now is Maame, which I enjoyed. 

I read a 7th book this month as well, but I am going to do a full review on the blog. Kara Goucher's memoir, The Longest Race, gave me all the feels. I could not put it down. I have a lot of thoughts on this one and will share my post next Tuesday. Stay tuned for that!

Mini Book Reviews: February 2023

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of  Commitment from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my review. This post contains affiliate links. 

In books as in life, you win some, you lose some. I read 2 disappointing books this month. Both of them were quick reads, so I stuck it out, finishing them both. There was a big, fun surprise on my TBR from 2020 that had me asking myself why it took me so long to pick it up. Last but not least was Jenna's pick for January, a book that started out meh but made me smile as I read the last lines. I love when a book redeems itself! 

Mini Book Reviews: January 2023

Disclaimer: I received ARCs of Central Places and On the Savage Side from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

What a great start to another year of reading! Instead of being overwhelmed with library holds all coming in at once, I was able to pick and choose what I wanted to read without rushing through them all. I was lucky to read a hot newish release by Barbara Kingsolver, an author whose epic novels never disappoint. NetGalley has been very generous this month, offering limited time reads that I didn't have to apply for. One of them was by Tiffany Daniel, another author who I am familiar with and who also never disappoints. Interestingly, both the Kingsolver and Daniel books were very different variations on the same theme, poverty and opiate abuse in rural Appalachia. Do yourself a favor and read both. Not only will they make you count your blessings, but they both will give you a lot to think about. 

The other three books were also excellent. I hope this is the pattern for the rest of 2023!

Race Recap: Frozen Gnome 10k

Recently, I ran my 3rd Frozen Gnome 10k on the local trails at Veteran's Acres Park in Crystal Lake, Illinois. In 2021, I ran this race virtually, on the course, and returned in 2022 for the live event.  This has become one of my favorite trail races--I love the location, the distance, the swag, and the fact that it is in January! The race organizer puts on great events and I was excited to rerun it!