Category: Author Blog

May Book Reads – Author Julia R. Davis

Posted on by Julia R. Davis

I am a few days late posting my May book reads, but with everything going on in the World last week - it just didn't feel right.

During the month of May, in addition to my regular reads, I have been reading two additional books with book clubs.  I had to remind myself of that since I only have 5 reads for the month of May and felt like I read so much more.

Remember when you are looking for your next book, be sure to support an independent bookstore like The Book Worm.  There are many ways to support The Book Worm even during this crazy time. - Julia R. Davis, Author

1.  Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain 5 Stars Another great Diane Chamberlain book. I love how her characters tie the present to the past. Great story about two artists born in two different times - dealing with the mistakes they made.

2.  Charlotte's Web 5 Stars One of my childhood favorites. I was asked from one of my attendees during our book club session about one of my favorite childhood reads. A few years ago I found out this was actually banned in Kansas in 2006 and I have wanted to reread it since then.  A children's classic that should be read by all.

3.  Her Daughter's Mother 4 Stars  I am always a fan of a good story told from different points of view. This is a great psychological thriller by 3 characters. Enjoyed from beginning to end.

4.  A Good Girl's Guide to Murder 3.5 Stars Not a bad young adult book and I enjoyed how some visuals were incorporated in the book. This book took me awhile to get into, but I guess I was expected more with all the rave reviews.

5.  You Were There Too 3 Stars Another slow starter but ended up picking up some.  I did enjoy how it showed how dreams and the unknown play a role in paths we may have crossed.

April Book Reads – Author Julia R. Davis

Posted on by Julia R. Davis

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I am happy to say I am still being adventurous in my reading choices.

Historical fiction is starting to become an interesting genre for me and I have added more books in that area to my "to be read" list. There is no particular reason why I choose the order in which I read books each month.  I also don't pick a specific genre to focus on, generally I just pick up what I'm feeling at the moment.

Below are my April reads. It was hard to put my "5 Stars" in order of like because they were all great books. Hope they help you in finding your next great read.

When looking for your next book, be sure to support an independent bookstore like The Book Worm.  There are many ways to support The Book Worm even during this crazy time. - Julia R. Davis, Author

1.  The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain 5 Stars I could not put this book down! Kept me interested from the begin to end. A true testament of a mother's love.

2.  The Winemaker's Wife by Kristin Harmel 5 Stars I'm always drawn to anything Paris. Historical fiction is not a genre I have read a lot in, but this was a great story. Paris, wine, deceit and mystery - how can you go wrong. This is my first time reading a book by this author and I plan on reading more.

3.  The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown 5 Stars  A middle school ghost story that incorporates some history on segregation and its impact. Enjoyed reading this book.

4.  So This is Love by Elizabeth Lim 5 Stars Absolutely loved this version of Cinderella. If you are a fan of Cinderella, you are going to enjoy reading this twisted tale version.

5.  The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride 4 Stars Intriguing read about an African American man raised by his Jewish mother who would never claim her Jewish heritage. Great family story and it was interesting to learn about some of the struggles this woman enjoyed.

6.  The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory 4 Stars A cute love story about an interracial couple who met in an elevator.

7.  Shakespeare and Company by Sylvia Beach 3 Stars I was actually hoping to learn more about the bookstore itself and Sylvia's background. It's more of a who's who of the great authors who were visitors of the store. The book focuses on Sylvia's relationship with James Joyce author of Ulysses. There are some interesting facts in the book as well.

8.  Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane 3 Stars Not a horrible book, but not on my top fav list. It was slow starting for me and just seemed to drag throughout. A story of two families and their trials and tribulations.

 

Have you ever Abandoned a book?

Posted on by Julia R. Davis
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Have you ever found yourself reading a book and it wasn't as exciting as you thought? Have you ever starting reading a "Best Seller" and halfway through - you feel like you are the only one who doesn't like it? What do you do? Do you finish reading or do you ABANDON the book?

Abandon or sometimes referred to as D.N.F. (did not finish) is an interesting topic among avid readers. Until recently, I never really considered keeping track of books I didn't finish. Probably because the books I didn't finish were usually because of time. At least that't the way I looked at it. It was always my view that if I started it at some point I was going to finish.

This year most of the books on my "to be read" list are well over 300 pages. One book in particular was 459 pages. It was a new genre for me and a 5 Star book in all the reviews and blogs. I absolutely hated it! Told myself I was over 100 pages, and a week of time, into the book and was not going to give up.

A friend of mine reminded me - it's ok to let it go. How could I though? It's on my "to be read" list and I can't just delete it. What if I decide I want to give it another try? She said - you finish books in 3-4 days, just move it to your "abandoned" list.  Honestly, I never thought of that.

It makes sense. We keep track of books we read or want to read - why not keep a list of the ones we don't.  I quickly went to my Goodreads app and created the list. Needless to say the book I was reading was moved right away and I felt good about it! It was then gifted to my friend because I do not see myself finishing it.

Since that time, I have only recently added one more book to the list.  Again, well over a hundred pages in and another 5 star rated book.  However with the book being 816 pages, I did not hesitate to move it to my "abandoned not finished" list. I will say, this one I may try to read again.

It is nice to have a list of books that I may or may not go back to.  Don't just look at it as an "Abandoned" list or something you didn't complete.  Look at it as a list that will eventually show you if I need to stay away from a particular genre or author.

Don't get me wrong I do finish books that I end up rating a 2 or 3, but sometimes you just get that one that is impossible to get your attention at all. Reading is supposed to be an exciting journey not a chore. If you find yourself not enjoying it, then it is time for you to let that book go and move on to the next!

What do you do? Do you stay in it for the long journey when you don't like a book or do you just abandon it?

   

March Book Reads – Author Julia R. Davis

Posted on by Julia R. Davis
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I went a little out of my comfort zone for some of my March Reads - and I am glad I did!

Historical fiction, especially one with zombies and slaves, is not something I thought I would have enjoyed.  Even read a little fantasy fiction. After trying to figure out why I only read 7 books while being "quarantined", I realized most of the books I read this month were close to 400 pages or more. There was also a book I "abandoned" this month. after about 100 pages in. Abandoned books or DNF (did not finish) will be a topic for a future post.

Below are my March reads. If one of these end up on your reading list or you have already read one, I would love to hear your thoughts - Julia R. Davis, Author

1.  Dread Nation by Justina Ireland 5 Stars  I was drawn to the cover of the sequel to this book. Of course you can't read the sequel first. Historical fiction, especially one with slaves and zombies is not something that ever interested me, but I enjoyed the book from the beginning. Even if this is not a genre or topic you enjoy, I would suggest giving it a shot.

2.  Deathless Divide by Justine Ireland 5 Stars  The sequel to Dread Nation. Don't be nervous about the page count (550), it is just as good as the first one. I am hoping to see this series continue.

3.  Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh 5 Stars  Great legal thriller. Caught my attention from the beginning and there were quite a few twists that I wasn't expecting.  This is book number 4 in a series, but can be read as a stand alone.  I have added the other books in the series to my "to be read" list.  Looking forward to finding out more of the back story of the con artist turned attorney.

4.  Mirror, Mirror by Jen Calonita 5 Stars  My first Twisted Tale book.  Twisted Tales is a serious of books that have a "twisted" version of some Disney stories.  Mirror Mirror is a great twist to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I have been trying to get into fantasy fiction and this was a great start.

5.  Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris 4 Stars  Easy read. Kept me interested from the beginning. Found myself not wanting to put it down trying to find out what happened to Layla.

6.  Color Me In by Natasha Diaz 3 Stars  I was torn between rating a 3 or 3.5 stars.  This book was slow to start. It is a good story line of the struggles of finding "You", especially when who you are is a combination of two separate cultures. Feeling like you don't fit in with your own family.

7.  No Exit by Taylor Adams 2.5 Stars  This book is really a two, but the ending had me bump it up a little. The concept of the book was great, but not happy with the style of writing. It was like the book dragged on unnecessarily and the plot was easy to figure out. I definitely felt some type of way that the "N" word was used in a joke and the joke itself was extremely racist. It almost caused me to put the book down. I decided to continue through, but I did stop to read more about the author after reading the page with the joke. Not a book I would recommend.