What I'm Reading Now

written by Betsy Flak on 2017-07-24

All right, here we go again. This time, I'm picking my three favorite books (plus an honorable mention) of the seven books I read from April through July 2017.

Looking for more books than that? Check out my last entry for What I'm Reading Now and/or head over to my Goodreads page.

• First Place: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb
  • Troupe member recommendation!
  • In a nutshell: The story of Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Taliban for arguing for a girl's right to education.
  • Read if: You want to learn more about modern Pakistan, from a teenage girl's perspective.
  • Skip if: You really hate nonfiction. Like you can't, won't, will never read it.
  • Disclaimer/Notes: Nonfiction isn't usually my thing. But I liked this one! Before this book, most of what I knew about Pakistan was whatever I'd gleaned from the US news. So, it was refreshing to hear about Pakistan from the perspective of "this is my homeland and I love it, even with its problems." I did have a little trouble getting into the book at first, but about one-third of the way through, it sped up and kept my interest through the end.
    
    
• Second Place: The Shadow Children by L.C. Hibbett
  • In a nutshell: There's a war going on between angels and the half-born (half demon and half human). Grace, a half-born, is caught in the middle of it.
  • Read if: You love an epic battle between good and evil, especially when teenagers are involved.
  • Skip if: You don't like a lot of build-up leading to a climax that feels like it comes out of nowhere (see note below).
  • Disclaimer/Notes: I loved the beginning through the middle, but then the end felt like "Oh, shoot, this has gone on too long, let me wrap it quick" to the point where it felt unbelievable--even in a world with demons, angels, and half-humans. That said, the world-building was great and I enjoyed the book overall.
    
    
• Third Place: Coed Demon Sluts: Beth by Jennifer Stevenson
  • In a nutshell: An empty-nester finds out her rich husband has been cheating on her for years (in more ways than one). So what does she do? She become a succubus (or demon slut), of course!
  • Read if: You're looking for a unique, entertaining read.
  • Skip if: Adult themes (I mean...she's a demon slut so you get what I'm saying here, right?) aren't for you.
  • Disclaimer/Notes: This book was well-written and entertaining, but I had some trouble relating to the main character and to a lesser extent, the other coed demon sluts. Most of them--with one notable exception--valued looking young, beautiful, rich, and thin, which isn't something that appeals to me personally. Still, I recommend you try it yourself. It's free, so you've got nothing to lose!
    
    
• Honorable Mention: Inescapable by Amy A. Bartol
  • Troupe member recommendation!
  • In a nutshell: Good angels fighting fallen (bad) angels. Plus a love story complete with a love triangle. Plus a mystery that involves the main character.
  • Read if: You loved Twilight and want to read something similar.
  • Skip if: You're looking for something new and fresh.
  • Disclaimer/Notes: This book is similar to Twilight, only with wings instead of fangs. The main character is stronger than Bella, which was refreshing, and the love triangle is more believable. The world the author created was interesting, leaving me curious about what's going on behind the scenes. But, it wasn't quite compelling enough to leave me rushing to buy the next book.
    
    
• Overall note: I'm pretty picky about which series I choose to finish. Essentially, there are a huge amount of awesome series out there (yay!), but I read on the slower side (boo). I just don't have enough time to read all the books I'd like to, so I have to restrict it to only the very best.
  
  

Want more book reviews? Check out my Goodreads page to see what I'm reading and all my ratings and reviews.

Now I'm off to continue reading Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake. I just started it, but I'm liking it so far. :)