I am officially at 177 books completed for this year. I stalled out at the end of last month and didn’t read or listen to any books for about a week. I was tired of hearing people’s voices. Then, I also realized all of the stories were starting to run together. I ended up creating a spreadsheet to keep track of all the books I have read/listen to, and put in a little note to help me remember what the hell I’ve read. Not that the books are bad or boring, but most aren’t standouts. The ones that are really bad end up as Incomplete. Then, there are books that get me to thinking and stay on my mind. I have highlighted them on my spreadsheet. Here is a list of 5 of my 10 top books so far.
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
This book was so out of my wheelhouse. I can’t even remember how I came across this book and what about it made me want to read it. I guess I wanted to expand to other genres. The Devils was crazy as hell and contained action scene after action scene. It was kind of exhausting. I had to pause it a couple of times just to process some of the scenes. A young girl finds out she is royalty and has to make it home to claim her throne. Throw in some twists and turns and you have a pretty good story.
Inheritance of Magic by Benedict Jacka
Here is another book that is far from my norm. A couple of things first. One, this book is the start of a series. Two, the series isn’t even close to being done. Though I am including this one on my list, I don’t recommend that you read it. Don’t no damn body wants to wait 10 years for this series to be finished. I promise you if I had known, I would have acted like this book didn’t exist.
However, this book is fabulous and pulled me in immediately. The world building, the magic, the main character. There isn’t anything I don’t like about this book. Stephen, the main character, with limited magic ability and knowledge, searching for his missing dad. He grows and learns along the way and you can’t do anything but root for him every step of the way, even when he is obviously slow or doing dumb shit. Deep sigh, I am still annoyed I even started this series.
Love Notes by Christina C. Jones
Love Notes was my first book from this author. I have since gone down the rabbit hole and even joined her newsletter 🤦🏾♀️. Christina C. Jones has the market cornered on this brand of romance for me. She writes characters with personality, humor, and genuineness. Of course, there is sex involved, but it doesn’t come off as overdone. Love Notes is about a confident and ambitious young woman moving home to start her photography business and finding love unexpectedly. Well, unexpectedly for her, we knew it was going to happen 😆.
Honorable Mention: Getting Schooled by Christina C. Jones
This book is in a series but can be read alone. So good! The witty banter alone makes this worth the read.
Honey & Spice/Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola
Technically, this is two books, but they go together. Honey & Spice is the first book covering the college years of the main characters. Sweet Heat picks up a few years later with the same characters. I read the books out of order. I feel like I purposely did not read the first book, Honey & Spice, because it was a Reese’s Book Club Pick. Her book club picks suck! Now, if I see she recommends a book, I avoid it like the plague. Oddly enough, she got it right this time.
Honey & Spice is set in England somewhere featuring British Nigerians. They are so poetic when they speak. Taking 15 words to say a 5 word sentence, but somehow it works. It gives you a clear vision of the topic being discussed and some 😆. The main female character, Kiki Banjo, is so cool and commanding. She meets her match in Malakai, the main male character, and you watch them fall in love as young people do. Dumb as hell, head over heels, and thinking they know everything and don’t know shit.
Sweet Heat picks up later with the same main characters, Kiki and Malakai, with other supporting characters from Honey & Spice. I can’t say much about this book because I don’t want to give too much away. I will say it was a good follow up to the first book. It was a couple of spots where it dragged, but I still think it was a good book. It is a love story but it does have triggers, such as depression, anxiety, and grief.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry
I guess I need to step out of my norm more often, there are some good books with different storylines available. Here is another thought-provoking book that has nothing to do with romance. Harold was so weird and I felt like he was the problem in most of his situations. Harold Fry decided to walk across the country to visit a friend in hospice before they passed away. He had no set plans or ideas of what to do, but he was determined to make that trek and express his gratitude. This book can be a bit heavy, and there are some triggers known and unknown. Yet, I still recommend this book because it had me thinking about all sorts of things.
These books are not in any type of order. I don’t have a favorite between these books or the next five. I just enjoyed each book for what it made me feel and/or think. Have you already read any of these? If so, what are your thoughts? If not, which ones are you going to add to your list? Please share. I want to hear from you. The next 5 book recommendations will be coming soon. Be well and whole. Much Love 🧡 💚
