Every Girl Link-up: Books to Recommend

Linking-up with Rachel and Astleigh for Every Girl Link-up today, sharing book recommendations.

The very best part of my subway commute is the chance to read (or nap) on the way to and from work.  For me, it's a good 40 minutes in the morning and again in the evening.  If I get a seat I usually read for a bit and then nap. 

Side note:  nowhere else can I fall asleep with the lights on and blaring noises.  The subway just has a lullaby effect like that.

Anyways, I read a good amount.  Typically one book a month sometimes two if I get really into the first one and read it fast.  Most of the books I read are on my Kindle.  With my Prime membership I get to choose one pre-release book for free each month (you choose from four titles every month).  It's called Kindle First.  Check it out.  Only one of the books I read this year from Kindle First have been disappointing.

Hidden by Catherine McKenzie
One Lavender Ribbon by Heather Burch
Rain Girl by Gabi Kreslehner
A Cold and Broken Halleluiah by Tyler Dilts
Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond
Blackwood by Gwenda Bond (purchased)
My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni
End of Secrets (didn't like it. never finished it)
The Last Passenger by Manel Loureiro (warning: it's kinky)
Miramont's Ghost by Elizabeth Hall
The Dead Key by D.M. Pulley
The Mermaid's Sister by Carrie Anne Nobel
Flirting with Felicity by Gerri Russell
Alter Girl by Orest Stelmach
Her by Christa Parravani (purchased)
*This is a true story about identical twins.  One of them dies suddenly and it's about the other twin learning to live without her other half.  It was creepy.  I wouldn't recommend it, especially if you are an identical twin. 
Crow Hollow by Michael Wallace (currently reading)

My favorite genre is historical fiction but I also love thriller mysteries.  I'm not a sci-fi fan and I steer clear of any book/author that is super trendy (like Laine Moriarty). Sorry, I'm sure they are great books but I am a big believer in sharing the wealth and an overly popular book doesn't need one more reader.  Except, little known fact, Laine Moriarty is the sister of Jaclyn Moriarty who wrote the book Feeling Sorry for Celia which is my ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOK EVER.  I first read it in middle school and have loved it ever since.  Three cheers for young adult fiction!

I like books that are highly visual in the sense that the descriptions are bold enough to recreate the setting and characters in your mind.   If I can't set the scene in my mind within the first chapter it's really hard for me to attach to the book.  

Anyways, of the books from the list above I highly recommend these top three:

The Dead Key by D.M. Pulley

This book was EPIC.  Truly epic.  I read it twice in a row I liked it so much.  It is about a young engineer, Iris, who is tasked with mapping out the floor plans of an old bank building in Cleveland that shut down mysteriously under suspicious circumstances in the late 1970s.  The narrative jumps back and forth between two time periods and two characters as their stories weave towards collision.  I recommended it to Mandy before I was even halfway through and she loved it too.  There were so many details and mysterious bits that I reread it just to catch the finer points.  I rushed through the first read because I was so intrigued to find out what happened.  It's thrilling, mysterious, scary, comical, and totally realistic.  I kind of want to read it a third time.

The Mermaid's Sister by Carrie Anne Noble

This book was so sweet.  It's a magical fantasy but feels so real that you never doubt for a second that it couldn't actually be true.  It's the saga of a sister, Clara, trying to save her sister, Maren, from turning into the mermaid she was destined to be.  Okay, so that description sounds lame but trust me, it's so good.  There is danger, romance, mythical creatures, triumph, and the bonds of sisterly love.  Also, apparently this is a young adult novel.  Makes sense why I like it. 

Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond

This book is a modern circus twist on the Romeo and Juliet story.  It's romantic, passionate, mysterious, suspenseful, sad, and heartwarming.  Plus magic. I loved it so much I bought the print version to give to Mandy.   Also, I named one of our stuffed hedgehog buddies, Remy, after one of the main characters in the book.

I am also a member of the GBE which is the Great Book Exchange.  Mandy is the founder and chief of the GBE.  When you join you get a list of all the books in the exchange and you fill-out a few questions about your reading habits.  Once you submit your list of books to contribute to the exchange you get free book plates so that when you lend a book it can be returned.  Currently I am reading Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf from the exchange.

Since this isn't a Kindle book, I read it at night when I need my eyes to tire.  Lugging around a print book on my commute tends to add extra wear and tear on the book. 

All four of Gudenkauf's books are in the exchange and they are all excellent.  Borrow one today.  Comment below if you are interested in GBE. 

Happy reading!