{Reading Notebook} Fiction reading update

These books were from the first part of 2022 and I finally got them added to my reading notebook. I guess I was mostly reading fiction (and one memoir) earlier this year! All these reviews are pretty poor, but as I’m working through The Well Educated Mind, I’m learning how to read and review books better, so hopefully future updates will be a little more in depth.

These books are my “candy” reads. Entertaining and informative. Mark Goodwin wrote a series called The Days of Noah that I devoured early in 2020. This series so far doesn’t seem as good as that one, but I’m willing to keep reading.

I’m late to the part on this book, but I really enjoyed it. It’s a page turner that explores growing up alone, has a murder mystery, and a rags to riches story with a satisfying ending. If you are looking for a good summer read, this is it.

This book was an old one lent to me by my neighbor who said it was her late husband’s favorite book. I read it in order to have something to talk about with her (any excuse for a good conversation!) and enjoyed it. It was a quick memoir about a couple who built a house in Mexico with Mr. Gomez. The contrast between the way of life between the Gomez family and the American family was striking and hilarious. Plus, the difficulties of across the border travel without the convenience of a cell phone made for some interesting stories too! If you can find a cheap used copy, this too would be an entertaining summer read.

This book has been my favorite fiction book this year! It’s up there with my top books ever. For years I have loved a short story by this author (You can read it here) and thought I’d branch out and read a full book. I picked this one up on a whim, and I’m so glad I did! It’s a cozy, warm book about a small community pastor and his family and all the members of the town they interact with. Each character has their own story that are mixed up together with the others beautifully. It’s set in a small town (love). With amazing characters (who I still think about) and takes place in the early 1900’s, where community meant everything. I didn’t want it to end, and still, months later, find myself thinking of the townspeople and want to go visit again. I did pick up the sequel novel, The Nightengale, and hope to start that as my next fiction read. This is definitely not a gripping, fast paced story to keep you on the edge of your seat, but a slow paced, cozy read that I’ll return to again and again.