I decided to do a mid-spring reading round-up. With April coming to an end, I thought about doing a reflection post on the books I’ve read this month but didn’t want to forget about March. I haven’t gotten as much reading done as I would like, but doing any feels pretty good to me lately. Another positive is that it’s been an incredibly rainy spring season! I’m so glad about that. I’ve never been the type to enjoy sunny, warm springs. Here is an overview of the books I’ve read this season so far:
The Finalists by David Bell (GoodReads)
What a book! I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It’s about a handful of college students in the final stages of a very special scholarship, one that would pay off their debts and their remaining senior year tuition. It’s funded by an elitist family that has some skeletons emerging out of the closet right as this elusive final stage in deciding who is awarded the scholarship is about to begin. That serves as a backdrop to everything going on.
It all starts out fine as they go into this family’s campus housing to finish the written and interview portion of the scholarship. Then someone dies. And they realize they are all stuck there (for many reasons). The whole time I was captivated. It was a wonderful whodunit that I loved the whole way through.
I absolutely recommend it!
The New Neighbor by Karen Cleveland (GoodReads)
This was a mixed bag for me. I was captured by the premise of a CIA analyst that struggles with a broken marriage, selling her home, moving out of a neighborhood she loves, and then suddenly her career is way off track too. Everything is wrong. Then she begins to feel like the one enemy she’s been trying to hunt lives within her home.
The ending is a huge twist and was exciting, however, I wasn’t satisfied with the very last few pages of the ending too much. There was a lack of resolution in some ways that weren’t necessary. I still enjoyed it, though, and would look for more by this author for sure.
Murder at the FIlmore by Zelda White (GoodReads)
What a charming book this was! First, the main character who gets involved in solving the crime is a writer. So that charmed me immediately.
I love a whodunit that’s centralized in one location where the characters really can’t leave unless the crime is solved. Very Agatha Christie, and it’s a great theme.
Lots of humor and fun detective work in this book! It’s part of a series, and I’d definitely keep going. So if you are looking for a new cozy mystery series, I absolutely recommend this one!
Madman in the Woods by Jamie Gehring (GoodReads)
This one I actually reviewed on my blog! I wanted to recommend it again because it’s such a great read. It’s about Ted Kaczynski and a woman who grew up living next door to him.
She does a great job of weaving her childlike view of him with the reality of the man who was at the height of his violent behavior.
It’s like she kept trying to find the humanity in him.
Read my complete review here.
Like I said, I didn’t read too much so far this spring but loved the books I did finish. What have you read this season?
I’ve just started re-reading Michael Palin’s book on the voyages of the Erebus and Terror.
That sounds great!
Thanks for the great recommendations. Ted Kaczynski always facsinated me with his capacity for evil . . . and scared me to death. Always on the look out for that next read.
Same!
Thanks for sharing the books you’ve read and now I’ll share mine: The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes, Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger, and Wonder Valley by Ivy Pachoda. I’m trying broaden my book horizons.
May we become GoodReads friends, please and thanks
Sure! Send me a request. And you have great recommendations!
Exciting recommendations. “Madman in the Woods” is pretty chilling and sad at the same time .
It really is!