This was a fun month of reading. I read some great books and due to my surgery, I spent lots of time reading. I read five books this month including one indie book and one literary classic! Check them out below and leave a comment if you want to win a copy of the book of the month!
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness - The Knife of Never Letting Go is the first in another young adult dystopian trilogy. If you haven't noticed yet, I like this genre. Todd is a thirteen year old boy who lives in a town of all men in the New World. In the New World, all the men can hear each others' thoughts which is called "Noise." Todd quickly learns the history he was taught isn't true and he forced to run away from his home for his life. Ness does interesting things with language and fonts in this book which I enjoyed. I liked the story, but was a little disappointed with the cliffhanger ending. It's a solid read, but not in the same category as the Hunger Games or Veronica Roth's Divergent series.
The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller - Keller's short book examines the familiar parable of the prodigal son. Keller reminds us the story is about two sons, not just the "lost" son and the implications for our faith when we look at the story of both sons. Keller is a great pastor and theologian and this book is a great read to remind us of God's grace.
The Emperor's Edge by Lindsay Buroker - I picked up The Emperor's Edge as my indie book for March and it was a great pick (especially since it's free in the kindle store). The Emperor's Edge is a mix of fantasy, steampunk and the thriller genres. Amaranthe Lokdon is a strong female lead who puts together a team of criminals to save the emperor from an assassination scheme. Buroker laces humor through her characters and I found myself chuckling often. The story moves along well and the novel is very well written. I can't wait to read Dark Currents, Book 2 in the series!
Dracula by Bram Stoker - I'm ashamed to say this was the first time I've read Bram Stoker's Dracula. With the popularity of vampires in pop culture, I wanted to go back to a classic vampire tale. And this book is a classic. I loved the narration of this story- through letters and journals from the main characters. The story is frightening in the best way. If you missed this book somewhere along the way, pick it up.
Book of the Month
The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton - Kate Morton is one of my favorite authors these days and I absolutely loved this book. The story revolves around Laurel Nicholson's investigation into her mother's past to solve a murder her mother covered up when Laurel was a teenager. Morton switches point of view and time period throughout the book in an effortless manner. The characters are well-developed, the language is beautiful and the intrique is high as the story dives into themes of family, relationships, loss and love. This is a well deserved 5 star book.
Giveaway
Every month I give away a free copy of the book of month to one lucky comment. Leave me a comment about any of the books above, or a book you've enjoyed recently for a chance to win! Zelda will pick the winner in a week or so.