It’s Monday, what are you reading? (5)

This meme is hosted at Book Journey. I had another productive reading week although a lot of it was on audio, it allowed me to prepare my plants in the lab and enjoy a couple books at the same time which worked out nicely and made the time go faster. This week I'm planning to catch up on books for upcoming tours so I have plenty of time to write my reviews as I'm pretty behind on that part of the reading and reviewing at the moment.

Last week I finished reading:

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

I listened to this on audiobook and it was alright. The main character Amelia was pretty passive and timid and the whole relationship between a ghost and a human is slightly disturbing, but the book definitely managed to cultivate the creepy and ominous feeling you want out of a ghost story. I'm not entirely sure if I'll read the rest of the trilogy, it depends on if the synopsis for the next book catchers my attention.

Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

I really enjoyed the sequel to Once a Witch, it was a great way to tie up the series (is two book a series?) and MacCullough's visit to the past was really believable. I wished for a little bit more time spent on the ending but otherwise it was a fun and exciting read.

Sharks in the Rivers by Ada Limón

I wanted to read this book of poetry before my Netgalley expired and I'm glad I did. The first half of the book was really lovely but I admit the second half was less so and felt kinda scattered at times.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

I love both these authors so I had high hopes for this book, and I was totally right. Also the amazing thing about listening to this on audio was that Tiny's songs really come to life, literally, it was great hearing them sung instead of just written on a page. I wasn't completely content with how things tied up with one of the Will Graysons and Tiny but that might just be personal preference.

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

I've heard great things about the Last Survivors series so I was glad to get a chance to start listening to it. What was really cool about this book is how you actually see the decline of the world following the crash of the meteor into the moon. It's very different than a book like Ashes, Ashes which is also post-apocalyptic but starts after the destruction has already destroyed the planet. I think it's a lot scarier actually experiencing the decline.

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

I was a little surprised to realize this second book involves totally different characters than the first one but it was an interesting perspective into what life was like in New York City during the same time frame. It's written third person (although it follows the main character Alex as he cares for his two younger sisters) which is very different from Miranda's diary in Life As We Knew It which I didn't enjoy quite as much but it was still good.

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Of course I had to listen to the next book in this series (although I did get impatient with the audio and ended up reading half of it with my hard copy), it brings the characters from the first two books together. I'm also glad it's written in diary form as I really enjoyed Miranda's voice in Life As We Knew It and the audiobook is the same narrator. It turns out there's actually a fourth book called The Shade of the Moon being released in 2012.

Wherever You Go by Joan Leegant

This is for an upcoming book tour. The novel is incredibly powerful, beautiful, well written, and absolutely horrifying at the same time. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it and I will definitely want to read more by Leegant in the future.

What I plan to read this week:

Irma Voth by Miriam Toews

An upcoming book tour, plus a Canadian author I hadn't read before but have heard great things about, her novel A Complicated Kindness was actually a summer reading option in high school and I believe this deals with similar issues in the Mennonite community. I'm halfway into this one and really enjoying it so far.

Swing Low by Miriam Toews

Another Toews but this one is actually non-fiction, it is about her father who committed suicide. It's a sad story but it sounds like it will be very moving. My review for this will be up for a book tour in September.

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

Another story about a relationship between the dead and the living, but this one intrigues me because it's actually a girl who brings the boy she loves back from the dead but then realizes he's not the same person he was before. I think the twist about the girl trying to understand her powers and knowing she made a mistake bringing her boyfriend back is great.

Frost by Wendy Delsol

I didn't get a chance to read this last week but I'm definitely looking forward to it. I loved Stork so much and this will be a nice escape. Delsol is hilarious and engaging and I'm sure this book will be more of the same.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

I thought this would be a cute audiobook to listen to after all the destruction of the Last Survivors series, probably a little more uplifting! It'll only be my second book by Sarah Dessen and she's such a hit in the YA world I figured I had to give it a try. I read Keeping the Moon almost exactly a year ago so it's about time for another one.

The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen

For an upcoming book tour, this novel deals with big issues like infidelity and the death of a child soon after birth and the impact such grief can have on a family. If it's as beautifully written as I expect it to be, I'm sure it will be a very powerful story (although I'm secretly hoping for a happy ending, if one is even possible).

What are you reading this week?