Books I read in July 2018

The photo above is art made by Jane Mount and you can purchase prints of her work and even create a customized bookshelf for yourself. Just go to her website:  Ideal bookshelf






Who Let the Cats In by Claire Cook (library) More in the Must Love Dogs Series
The Drowning Pool by Ross Macdonald (library) I recently watched the movie again and realized that I had never read the book.
The Mountain Lion by Jean Stafford (library) early 1900's California (and Colorado) a brother and sister a shuttled back and forth between their mother in Covina, CA and their uncle on a ranch in Colorado. I really enjoyed the descriptions.
Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston (library) The story of the last known survivor of the slave trade. His story as told to Zora Neale Hurston in 1928. This might be better listened to as an audio book. In an effort to preserve the orature of the narrative, it is written in vernacular diction, spelling the words as they are pronounced. I had to almost read it aloud to myself to get the gist of much of the book.
A Very English Scandal by John Preston (library) Has been made into a mini-series so I had to read it. It was pretty interesting.
The Girl On the Train (audiobook) it seems even more disjointed by listening to it as an audiobook. I had trouble figuring out which point of view a couple of times and I already knew the story!
The Elizas by Sara Shepard (library) another unreliable narrator.  Blah, I am so sick of these. This one has an interesting hook. The girl has a brain tumor and after it is removed, she writes a novel, then her life and the novel start to intersect. It was okay. But I am kind of jaded on these.
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin (library) got great reviews. I thought it was just okay. 4 siblings know the date of their deaths.
Party of the Century by Deborah Davis (library) about Truman Capote's famous black and white ball. I really enjoyed it. It was part of the bibliography from The Swans of Fifth Avenue. 
The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert (library) very interesting non-fiction about extinction. I learned a lot.
A Man called Ove by Fredrik Backman (library) loved it loved it loved it and cried my eyes out, was sobbing. So proceed with caution. But it is an absolutely lovely book.
You Think it, I'll Say it by Curtis Sittenfeld (library) short stories about relationships. I liked it
The Sandman by Neil Gaiman (library) A graphic novel and out of my comfort zone. I actually found the artwork distracting. The first in a series about Dreams/Nightmares and Death.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (library) recommended to me by the daughter of a friend of mine. I was a little annoyed by it at first, but there was an interesting twist at the end. I thought it was just okay.
The Good Good Pig by Sy Montgomery (library) very cute and fun book about a pet pig and it made me cry too





To Be Read:

Food Matters by Mark Bittman
Hungry for Change by James Colquhoun
Feed by Mira Grant
Tell the Wolves I am Home by Carol Blunt
Creatures of Habit by Jill McCorkle



It is hike-a-thon time again for Washington Trails.  From now until the end of August, I will be raising money for the Washington Trails Association and I plan to spend August hiking all over the USA!

Visit my fund-raising page and make a donation. And if you have any suggestions on where I should hike this August, please let me know!!

https://give.wta.org/fundraiser/1515911

You can also mail a check or money order or even cash ! (make out checks to WTA or Washington Trails Association )  Send to: Amanda Arkebauer PO Box 16131 Seattle, WA  98116