Reading Recap

The Favorites

This was my latest listen and I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!! It was such a fun read before the Olympics and I was absolutely sucked in from the get go. I loved the peek "behind the curtain" of ice dancing and while it was a bit overdramatic at times (think Magnolia Parks) I couldn't get enough. Totally unique and a great read this Winter!

"She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family’s support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating—and each other—to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and roller-coaster relationship.

Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end.

As the ten-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the “real story” through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary, but she can’t stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy. So, after a decade of silence, she’s telling her story: from the childhood tragedies that created her all-consuming bond with Heath to the clash of desires that tore them apart. Sensational rumors have haunted their every step for years, but the truth may be even more shocking than the headlines."

Yours Truly

In my book review post I mentioned how much I enjoyed the Bri character in Part of Your World and y'all let me know that I was in luck and that there was a whole book centered on her story! I immediately added it to my list and listened to it in about a day. Was it predictable? Yes. Was it darling and funny? Also yes. 

I LOVED it - spicy but not gratuitous and just a fun, sweet read.

"Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game ... by sending Briana a letter.

And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor ... especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse."

In The Kingdom of Ice

I'm not going to lie - this was kind of a beating ;)  I still enjoyed the grand expedition and survival story although it was a bit cumbersome. Parts were absolutely unbelievable and I kept pausing to tell my family some of the crazy things happening on the ship. Overall a super interesting read!

"In 1879 the USS Jeannette set sail from San Francisco to cheering crowds and a frenzy of publicity. The ship and its crew, captained by the heroic George De Long, were heading for glory and one of the last unmapped areas of the globe: the North Pole. But it was not long before the Jeannette was trapped in crushing pack ice. Amid the rush of water and the shrieks of breaking wooden boards, the crew found themselves marooned a thousand miles north of Siberia with only the barest supplies, facing a seemingly impossible trek across the endless ice. Battling everything from snow blindness and polar bears to ferocious storms and frosty labyrinths, the expedition fought madness and starvation as they desperately strove for survival. With twists and turns worthy of a thriller, In the Kingdom of Ice is a spellbinding tale of heroism and determination in the most unforgiving territory on Earth."

The Widow

I had forgotten how much I loved John Grisham! It was his normal legal thriller with a whodunnit twist that I really enjoyed. If you like John Grisham you'll LOVE this one!

"Simon Latch is a lawyer in rural Virginia, making just enough to pay his bills while his marriage slowly falls apart. Then into his office walks Eleanor Barnett, an elderly widow in need of a new will. Apparently, her husband left her a small fortune, and no one knows about it.

Once he hooks the richest client of his career, Simon works quietly to keep her wealth under the radar. But soon her story begins to crack. When she is hospitalized after a car accident, Simon realizes that nothing is as it seems, and he finds himself on trial for a crime he swears he didn’t commit: murder.

Simon knows he’s innocent. But he also knows the circumstantial evidence is against him, and he could spend the rest of his life behind bars. To save himself, he must find the real killer…."

Happy Tuesday and happy reading, friends!