4 Books I’m Currently Reading
I won’t lie – my reading dropped off a little toward the end of summer. It was so busy getting everything ready for homeschool (here’s what we’re using for curriculum this year) and soaking up the last of the summer activities.
Now we’re starting to get back into a school rhythm which includes daily family reading time (each of us brings our own book and we all read silently in the living room together – it’s my favorite part of the day!).
Here’s what I’m reading right now:
Buffalo Flats by Martine Leavitt
I remember when this book came out a few years ago and I checked it out from the library but never got past the first few pages. On a whim, I checked it out again and this time I’m really enjoying this story of young woman in Canada in the late 1800s who is determined to own her own land in a time when that is very uncommon and difficult.
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
I just read an advance copy of her newest book (Cherry Baby, which comes out next spring) and it made me want to go back and re-read some of my favorites of her books. I’ve already read this one twice – once in 2014 when it came out and once in 2020 when I was doing another of her books, Attachments, for Everyday Reading Book Club.
The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold by Ally Carter
I read and loved The Blonde Identity a year or so ago (I included it on the 2024 Summer Reading Guide!) and I was thrilled when a sequel came out. A spy romance with lots of humor? Count me in! And I’ve heard from lots of people that they liked this one even MORE than The Blonde Identity.
Sunny by Jason Reynolds
After re-reading Ghost this summer for Everyday Reading Book Club, I’m reading the whole series (I’d read Ghost before, but none of the following books). I’ve already finished Patina, which was excellent, and now I’m onto book 3. I’m especially excited that book 5 – starring Coach – is coming out this fall!
And here’s what my team is reading right now!
Analese
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion by Beth Brower
My reading has been abysmal this summer. To show how bad it is, I’ve been working on this measly 125 page book for about three weeks now. I know the majority of readers love this one, but I’m having a hard time getting into it. I’m going to power through and finish the first one with hopes that I love it like the rest of you! (Note from Janssen: MANY people – me included – found the first one slooooow).
Kelsey
The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
Before reading this book, I knew little about Australia’s origins beyond its past as a penal colony, but this early 19th-century historical fiction completely pulled me in! It weaves together the lives of three women: Evangeline, pregnant, imprisoned, and sentenced to a penal colony in Australia; Hazel, her quick-witted cellmate; and Mathinna, an orphaned Aboriginal girl. Spanning a grueling four-month ocean voyage and the harsh realities of life at the far edge of the British Empire, it’s a powerful story of survival, injustice, and unlikely alliances.
Jennifer
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly I know I’m late to the party with Hidden Figures, but I’d never read it, or seen the movie, until now! We just kicked off homeschool last week with a space-themed unit, exploring the events and people who made major contributions to space exploration. I picked up the picture book to read aloud to my kids (ages 5 and 7) and also grabbed the young readers edition for my 7-year-old daughter. It’s been such a joy to dive into this story together—reading the full-length version myself while sharing the highlights in a way they can understand.
Kristin
Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman
When a book opens with a pilot having a heart attack at 35,000 feet and the plane crashing into a Minnesota nuclear power plant, you know you’re not really in for a relaxing read! This novel tells the story of what happens next as the people in this small-town community work to prevent the biggest nuclear disaster the world has ever seen. I’ve been listening to the audiobook and the narration is excellent. The pace never lets up, the setting feels cinematic, and even though I don’t typically gravitate toward stressful thrillers, it’s kept me hooked from the start.
Worst Case Scenario looks so fun!
Don’t give up on Emma M Lion! The series is absolutely amazing! The books are even better the second time around. Just keep going and you won’t be disappointed.