Black Dagger Brotherhood #15: 'The Chosen' by J.R. Ward

The Chosen by J.R. Ward

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Have I read anything else from this author? Yes, I've read the other 14 books in this series, The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide, the first three Novels of the Fallen Angels, and Blood Kiss.

Was this book better than this author's other book(s)? It wasn't as good as my favorite one, Lover Mine, and it also wasn't my least favorite one either.

Was this book enjoyable? As with all the books this far into the series, there are parts that I pay close attention to and parts that I skim over. I care a lot about the relationship between Layla and Xcor and the brand-new relationship between Trez and Theresa.

Did I learn anything new from this book? It seems like Ward is setting Vishous and Doc Jane up to have problems in their marriage, and I'm not very happy about that development. Get your sh*t together, V.

Where did I get this book? It's my mom's.

Do I recommend this book to other readers? Yes, if you like the BDB series. I'd definitely say keep going with it. This series is still fairly addictive, even though I'm not caught up to the very latest book yet.

So, what books are you finishing while we're in COVID-19 quarantine?

The Secret Commonwealth (The Book of Dust Volume 2)

The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Have I read anything else from this author? Yes, I've read the His Dark Materials trilogy and the first book in the Book of Dust series, La Belle Sauvage.

Was this book better than this author's other book(s)? So far it's been my least favorite of the five, but I fully expect to like the sixth book better.

Was this book enjoyable? It wasn't as enjoyable as La Belle Sauvage. The tone was much darker, and while I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing, it didn't read as easily as the first book in the series did.

Did I learn anything new from this book? I learned a bit about what Lyra Silvertongue will be like as an adult, but this is the middle book in a trilogy, so I won't really be able to confirm until the third book is over.

Where did I get this book? I bought this book at Barnes and Noble with a gift card I got for Christmas.

Do I recommend this book to other readers? Yes, but even more strongly I recommend the His Dark Materials trilogy to anyone who hasn't read it yet. I want everyone to finish The Amber Spyglass and learn what Philip Pullman knows about love.

'Not My Turn to Die: Memoirs of a Broken Childhood in Bosnia'

Not My Turn to Die: Memoirs of a Broken Childhood in Bosnia by Savo Heleta

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you find this book, read it. Heleta's Serbian family was so, so lucky to survive the civil war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They came shockingly close to death many times, but their bodies and spirits couldn't be broken.

Two favorite quotes, one serious and one basketball:

"I realize that what happened in Bosnia could happen anywhere in the world, particularly in places that are diverse and have a history of conflict. It only takes bad leadership for a country to go up in flames, for people of different ethnicity, color, or religion to kill each other as if they had nothing in common whatsoever. Having a democratic constitution, laws that secure human rights, police that maintain order, a judicial system, and freedom of speech don't ultimately guarantee long lasting peace. If greedy or bloodthirsty leaders come to power, it can all go down. It happened to us. It can happen to you."

We Americans should probably be heeding that warning right now.

Now the just-for-fun quote:

"We had watched the Sacramento Kings, my favorite NBA team, playing the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers had won but it was still fun, especially since we had tickets for the third row. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Vlade Divac and Predrag Stojakovic, two Serbs playing in the Kings, waving at me and saying hello. They recognized the jersey of Divac's former team from Belgrade that I had been wearing."

This memoir has been on my to-be-read list forever, seemingly. I found out about it from a now-defunct social networking site called Gather.com. It was like my Tumblr before I discovered Tumblr. I'm glad I finally tracked down a copy and read it.

I purchased this book from Half Price Books (non-affiliate link). I was under no obligation to read and review it.

'His Bright Light: The Story of My Son, Nick Traina' by Danielle Steel

His Bright Light: The Story of My Son, Nick Traina by Danielle Steel

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

One of Danielle Steel's nine children - her 2nd-oldest, the only one fathered by Bill Toth - had bipolar disorder. Although he usually stayed away from hard drugs, he died of an apparently deliberate morphine overdose. Nick Traina was a lovely young man (inside and out; all the Steel children are gorgeous), a gifted musician and a talented songwriter, but just bipolar. Unfortunately his illness took his life.

I'm very sorry for the Steel family's loss. Danielle Steel seems like a genuinely sweet person. Her writing is a little sentimental for my personal taste, but she's French, so it's fine, really.

'In the Dream House' by Carmen Maria Machado

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Have I read anything else from this author? Only the first issue of her comic book, 'A Low, Low Wood.' Which is great and I can't wait for more issues.

Was this book enjoyable? Even though it addresses the incredibly difficult topic of domestic abuse, the writing style of the book and Machado's unique voice makes it enjoyable as a reading experience. She combines a wide variety of genres and writing styles, adding up to short chapters each organized around a theme. It's a unique storytelling style and surprisingly suited to this type of memoir.

Did I learn anything new from this book? Because this book combines Machado's personal experience in an abusive relationship with research, I did learn a great deal from this book.

Where did I get this book? I checked this audiobook out from my local library using the Libby app.

Do I recommend this book to other readers? Yes, I would recommend it to anyone unless they would be too triggered by reading about domestic abuse.

'Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion' by Jia Tolentino

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Have I read anything else from this author? No

Was this book enjoyable? I got a little bored with the reality TV essay, but then the essay about drugs and religion won we right back. It's really a beautiful essay; if you only read one chapter of the book, read the religion/drugs one.

Did I learn anything new from this book? I don't know that I necessarily learned any new information from these essays, but they were certainly thought-provoking and shone a different light on a number of topics.

Where did I get this book? I borrowed this audiobook from my local library using the Libby app.

Do I recommend this book to other readers? Yes, I think this collection of essays will be interesting to anyone in the Millennial generation or older. People younger than young Millennials, it might not seem that relevant to you yet.

Why Can't Women Seem to Get Enough of True Crime? Rachel Monroe Explores

Savage Appetites: Four True Stories of Women, Crime, and Obsession by Rachel Monroe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I haven't read any other books by this author.

Was this book enjoyable? It was very interesting, and it also made me keep questioning my motives in being interested in it. A recurring theme in the book is why women are the primary audience for true crime media.

Did I learn anything new from this book? Yes, I learned about the four women covered as its subjects: Frances Glessner Lee (the first woman police captain in the U.S.), Alisa Statman (friend and possibly lover of Sharon Tate's sister Patti), Lorri Davis (who married Damien Wayne Echols while he was on death row for a murder for which he was later exonerated), and Lindsay Souvannarath (an American serving a life sentence in Canada for planning a massacre). I wasn't familiar with any of their names or stories before reading the book.

Where did I get this book? I checked out this audiobook from my local library using the Libby app.

Do I recommend this book to other readers? Yes, it's quite fascinating.