December Reading List #MondayBlogs

by Donna Huber

I still have 15 books to read in order to reach my goal of 75 books read this year. I was hoping to have a Christmas related story on my reading list this month, but I haven't found one yet that I want to read. Do you have any suggestions?

Here's what I've read, reading, and up next....

Finished:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Midwives and The Sandcastle Girls comes the spellbinding tale of a party gone horribly wrong: two men lie dead in a suburban living room, two women are on the run from police, and a marriage is ripping apart at the seams.

When Kristin Chapman agrees to let her husband, Richard, host his brother’s bachelor party, she expects a certain amount of debauchery. She brings their young daughter to Manhattan for the evening, leaving her Westchester home to the men and their hired entertainment. What she does not expect is this: bacchanalian drunkenness, her husband sharing a dangerously intimate moment in the guest room, and two women stabbing and killing their Russian bodyguards before driving off into the night.

In the aftermath, Kristin and Richard’s life rapidly spirals into nightmare. The police throw them out of their home, now a crime scene, Richard’s investment banking firm puts him on indefinite leave, and Kristin is unsure if she can forgive her husband for the moment he shared with a dark-haired girl in the guest room. But the dark-haired girl, Alexandra, faces a much graver danger. In one breathless, violent night, she is free, running to escape the police who will arrest her and the gangsters who will kill her in a heartbeat. A captivating, chilling story about shame and scandal, The Guest Room is a riveting novel from one of our greatest storytellers.

I always enjoy Chris Bohjalian's books. He does a great job telling a story in such a realistic way that it feels more like truth than fiction.

Buy The Guest Room at Amazon

I also finished a book I've been reading off and on since September - Unlocking Worlds by Sally Allen.

Currently Listening To:

Tolkien’s famous saga, the prelude to the Lord of the Rings, has all the ingredients of fantasy and adventure: dwarves, elves, goblins and trolls, a fearsome dragon, a great wizard, a perilous quest and a dramatic climax. At the centre is the unsuspecting hero Bilbo Baggins, a home-loving unambitious Hobbit who is suddenly thrust into the biggest, indeed the only adventure of his life. The radio dramatisation of The Hobbit became a classic when it was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1968 and it continues to delight today.

I'll admit that I've never read The Hobbit (or any of the Lord of the Rings trilogy). I was intrigued by this being the radio show broadcast and thought it would be a fun way to listen to the story. And so far I'm right. If you love The Hobbit and enjoy radio shows, then I recommend trying this one.

Buy The Hobbit at Amazon

Currently Reading:

When Colin Leventhal leaned out his bedroom window on the night of May 12th and said goodbye to his girlfriend, he never expected it would be forever. But when Sarah Evans goes missing that night, Colin's world unravels as he transforms from the boyfriend next door to the main police suspect. Then one year later, at her memorial service, Colin makes a phone call that changes everything. Is it possible that Sarah is still alive? And if so how can he bring her back?

As Colin struggles with this possibility, across the street, Sarah’s little sister, Claire learns how to navigate the strange new landscape of life without her sister. While her parents fall apart, Claire remains determined to keep going even if it kills her.

This is Sarah serves as a meditation on loss, love and what it means to say goodbye.

This is one of those ebooks that got "lost" on my ereader (I really need to find a better system of keeping up with ebooks for review). Since I'm looking for short books to read so I can meet my goal, I went through and found the shortest book on my ereader and This is Sarah fit the bill. So far it isn't your typical missing person story. It's interesting, but maybe not as engaging as I had hoped.

Buy This is Sarah at Amazon

Up Next to Read:

Maggie Lee’s done a lot of questionable things that have made her question her own sanity. Chaperoning her niece’s class trip is one of them.

Not only must she attempt to corral a bunch of energetic kids, but at the same time she has to argue with the talking lizard in her bra, avoid a mysterious doppelganger, and chase down runaway horses!

And that’s just the beginning.

With her relationships and alliances in flux, Maggie is uncertain of what her next steps should be. Caught between the family drama caused by the return of her sister, Darlene, and her own efforts to save an innocent boy, Maggie struggles to make the right decisions and protect lives that hang in the balance.

Can Maggie navigate these latest landmines, or will relationships, or even a life, be lost?

I love the Hitwoman series and they are always fun, quick reads. The perfect read during the holiday chaos.

Buy The Hitwoman Plays Chaperone at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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