Best Reads Of 2019 – 3rd Quarter

*trumpets sound, confetti is strewn, and a herald appears*

It’s . . . *gasp* . . . ALLISON!

Obviously, I’m rather late with post.  I keep trying to get these out on time but something always prevents me from keeping to a timely schedule.

But, hey, AT LEAST I HAVE A GOOD EXCUSE!

*BOWS*

Ahem.  Actually, I don’t think of my reviews as art at all.  But people seem to really enjoy them? So since you guys wanted it, you’re going to get it!

And so, without further ado.  *waves magic wand*  Onto the book reviews!

Find It On Goodreads

This book perfectly balances a tone of thoughtful sweetness with a plot involving daring and courageous adventure.

It was a relief, for once, to read a book that focuses entirely on mature characters (30s to 50s, approximately), all of whom had unique and lovable personalities.

The overall mood has the same quirky sensitivity of hobbits and Hobbitan, while still maintaining a unique element of world building.

This book does some beautiful fist-shaking at clichés, communes, and clans– boldly painting a picture of the bravery it takes to be unique and to stand out in the popular crowd.  If one chooses to think for oneself, there is a sacrifice to be made. If one chooses to go against the crowd, the crowd will most often reject them. But what is lost is nothing compared to the boldness and self-worth these characters gain by making a stand.

Charming and exciting by turns, this book was a delight from start to finish!

Find It On Goodreads

RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU GREW UP WATCHING THE LAND BEFORE TIME.

I know what you’re thinking:  “Hey, these are dragons – not dinosaurs.”

*bonks you on the head*  Don’t be silly! Where do you think dragon stories come from?  Dragons are basically like dinosaurs so – shush!  Pay attention!

Even the group dynamic reminds me of The Land Before Time team, with certain dragons bearing a marked resemblance to my beloved Littlefoot, Cera, Spike, and Ducky.

Anything that reminds me of The Land before Time is something that I’m going to be positively disposed to.  It also helps that this series is fun in its own right.  This series is so intriguing, so fun, so unique – it’s impossible not to enjoy it.

All of the books are well-written but also surprisingly on the grim and violent side, considering they are middle grade. This book was the least intense or violent installment of the series, which I personally preferred.

The author does a good job in switching narrators for each book, but I thought she especially shone in this tale about Glory, previously one of the least likable dragonets in the fivesome, as she dives into the girl’s motivations and feelings with great success.

Beautifully written and with appealing characters and mesmerizing world building, there’s something truly irresistible about this book.  Dragons, drama, and danger – what’s not to love?

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don’t let the lurid cover fool you – this is a completely kid-friendly book!

This book is essentially Pirates of the Caribbean for tweens with a dash of Treasure Planet.

Is it over the top? Yes. Is it preposterous? Yes.

But the key phrase here is preposterously FUN.  This book allows middle grade readers to unabashedly fulfill their swashbuckling imaginations to the fullest and does not hold back on heroics or adventures. While I was reading it, it was almost like I was a kid again, visualizing myself doing anything an adult could do, only better as I defied physics, gravity, and all other rules in imaginary exploits.

But what keeps this book from being corny is the excellent writing, and the solid characterization. The MC is also one of the most admirable and likable MC’s I’ve read in a long time.  He is the proverbial diamond in the rough, the pirate with a heart of gold, and I was rooting for him through the entire book.  And neither he nor the author disappointed.

If you need some guilty pleasure reading that involves treasure hunts, kid pirates, missing heirs and sea monsters – this book fits the bills.

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I listened to this book on audio when i was supposed to be resting.  As it turns out, I ended up roaring with laughter, rather than resting, but who’s complaining?

If I were inviting books to a dinner party, Wodehouse would be at the top of the list.  This light-hearted, amusing, bon vivant possesses an effortless sophistication that would make any gathering a merrier one, for he draws laughter out of his pockets and distributes them as liberally as after dinner mints. Ah, Wodehouse. What’s not to love about you, you ridiculous and charming fellow?  You seem like a feather-brained little duckling, and yet you reveal a great understanding of the human condition. You are flighty, and yet entirely predictable.  You act without thought and yet somehow, everything works out despite your bumbling. No, I’m not criticizing you, Wodehouse dear, I’m merely expounding on that indefinable air you have, for it is rather hard to summarize that sort of joie de vivre that follows in your wake. Why is it that I find you such a very great chum? Is it your turn of phrase? Perhaps the way you sum up what we’re all really thinking deep down inside?  Maybe it’s because you’re such a silly duffer we can’t help laughing at you and cheering you on?  None of these? All of the above?  Well, never mind, you’re a jolly good pal, so I’ll just have to leave it at that.

Find It On Goodreads

Sweep by Jonathan Auxier is a book that reached out and seized my heart from page one and hasn’t let go. It is one of the most intimate reads I’ve discovered in a long time as the author zooms in on the very essence of the hope, love, and courage that is embodied in sacrifice.

It’s about grief and joy. It’s about losing something and gaining something. It’s about surrendering and about fighting on. It’s about change and sameness. It’s about innocence and also about growing up. It’s beautiful, painful, and infinitely sweet.

Reading this book almost feels like holding a heart in your hands – a father’s heart, beating with the bravery and fear of a protector loving something as delicate, changeable, and easily lost as a child.

This book is so raw , it almost feels like some tender and private scene not meant for me to see. We feel the pride and wonder of a guardian watching a child experience their first sunrise, their first word, their first growth spurt. The novel croons over these moments with a fiery tenderness that warms the readers heart just as it breaks it.

This is a novel that I will never forget because it reaches us that we can be hurting and still create. You can be in despair and still love. You can be in pain and still sacrifice. A greater love is what makes life worth living.

There is a great deal of sadness and poignancy in this book as the characters go through unbearable loss and pain but, at the end of it all, we are only left with hope. For in a simple, good-hearted soot golem named Charlie there is an echo of a father’s love. A deposit of faith and happiness. A promise of salvation. Someone else lives on in Charlie.

Charlie, a soot golem made for one purpose, shows us all that we can be representatives of the Father’s Love and that we can follow His example of true sacrifice.

What do you think of my favorite reads of 2019’s 3rd quarter!  These are the few books (of many read) that received a 4 or 5 star rating from me.

I know. It’s not a great many, considering that’s three months worth of reading, but I’M A HARD WOMAN TO PLEASE.

*smiles sweetly*

So, have you read any of these books?  If not, are you going to?

Note that (as always) I have done a very cruel thing and added very convenient links so that you can add these books to your already-towering TBR pile!

What were some of your favorite reads of 2019?  Let’s talk!