Five on Friday: First Quarter Favourites
Five books I’ve loved so far this year
I started taking a quarterly look back at my reading a few years ago and I really enjoy it. I can sometimes tell when there’s been a REALLY good quarter - often spring because of all the romance books! So, I thought I’d take my usual social post and expand it into a blog post featuring five books. After making this list, I’m absolutely delighted that all five are by Canadian authors!
A note: I’ve reread a few books that were already favourites so I’m making a point to only include books I’ve read for the first time.
Let me know what some of your favourites of the year have been so far!
The Life Cycle of a Common Octopus
This Read with Jenna book was getting a lot of buzz before it was published and Emma Knight’s debut novel ended up being an instant New York Times bestseller. I wasn’t sure if The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus would live up to the hype but I ended up loving it! I read the audiobook because it was narrated by one of my favourites: Saskia Maarleveld. I loved that Pen was starting college a year after I did (the book is set in 2006) and that she was doing it in Edinburgh (I love the city). So much of this story just hit so right for me!
Years in the Making
This is timely since Megan McSpadden’s third novel (The ABCs of You & Me) is out on Tuesday! Years in the Making features Nellie and Teddy and has all the swoons. It’s a second chance romance with a dash of forced proximity and a whole lot of yearning. McSpadden is so good at amazing characters and emotions that you can’t help but feel through the pages. I can’t wait to read her next book!
Cold As Hell
I had SO much fun reading Cold As Hell, the third book in Kelley Armstrong’s Haven’s Rock series. It was stressful and mysterious and I did not want to put it down. If you like your mysteries with a heavy dose of thrill, I definitely recommend this series. (Read my full review here.)
The King’s Messenger
Every time I read Susanna Kearsley’s books, I tell myself I’m going to go back and read her backlist. I have yet to do so! The King’s Messenger was so very good. It had history (1613!), a gorgeous setting (Scotland!), and a hint of magic (the Second Sight!). Kearsley paints such a vivid picture of a location and time period and historical fiction fans should make sure she’s on their TBR. (Read my full review here.)
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This
This is one hell of a heavy book. But I think it’s a must-read. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This is a short book but it packs a HUGE punch. It’s just over 200 pages and only about five hours on audio, which is how I read it - it’s narrated by the author, Omar El Akkad, which I think made it more impactful. There’s a lot going on in the world and I know I have trouble wrapping my head around it. I found El Akkad wrote about it all in a way that made sense - while also breaking my heart. Read this one as soon as you can and be kind to yourself while you’re reading it.