Books I've Recently Read — Musings of a Modern Mermaid

Welcome back, everyone! Today I have a quick little post about all of the books I have read recently! When I did this over the summer it was a hit, so I think I will keep this up and continue to update you all on the books I’m reading. Sound good? Below are the six books I have read most recently and some basics about them! Last time I had a few in my selection that I wasn’t a huge fan of, but this time they are all raves! Keep scrolling to see what I have been reading!

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett- This was the last book my family read in our little Covid book club we started over the summer. And it was just as amazing as I thought it would be. The story centers around twin sisters who run away from their small southern town, and then separate from each other, one to not really be seen again. It deals with the complexity of sister relationships, mother-daughter relationships, and the complex way this country deals with and perceives race and race inequalities. While this book isn’t there to educate you on all of the complex issues of race, it does help shine a light on the things POC have been dealing with for years. If you were unsure of where to start in reading and educating yourself about the issues facing Black Americans, this novel may be a great place for you to start. It is an easy read in the sense that the way Bennett writes makes you never want to put the novel down and just keep turning to the next page. Truly couldn’t recommend this one enough.

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman- After reading Practical Magic and it lives up to all I hoped it would be and more, The Rule of Magic did just the same and maybe captivated me even more. I spread read through this one so in love and enamored by all three main characters and the lives they lead. The story centers around the two aunts from Practical Magic, Jet, and Franny, as well as their brother Vincent. The three children end up orphaned in typical Owens’ family fashion and have to control and deal with their magic on their own while also navigating the harsh world as young teens and children. The story takes place mostly in Manhattan and partly at the amazing house in Massachusettes all Practical Magic fans have grown to love. Hoffman really did a fantastic job with a glorious prequel to a beloved story. Another prequel has also been released called Magic Lessons that go all the way back to deal with Maria Owens herself! This baby is currently on my bookshelf and I can’t wait to dive in!

Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer- This was one I mainly started listening to for fun and for something to do on a road trip over the summer. I read all the Twilight books in middle and high school and while I enjoyed them then, I definitely grew out of them as I got older (plus I was and still am in the Harry Potter camp). This is the first book of the series re-written from Edwards's point of view and with more insight into his family dynamic. While it will not be winning any awards, listening to this one was so fun and nostalgic that if you ever read the Twilight series I highly recommend it! It was a new perspective on a story so many of us already knew and hearing the other side of things is always so interesting when it comes to storytelling. I will say Edward’s long, dramatic monologues do get a bit much which is why it took me so long to finish this one, but overall it was a fun read that brought me back to simpler times. It is also a great distraction to get wrapped up when the rest of the world feels a little too much to handle. Nothing like a vampire love story to take you out of your reality.

Things in Jars by Jess Kidd- This novel has become one of my favorites! I found it on Instagram over the first lockdown of the pandemic and flew through it in just a couple of days. The story follows a female detective in the 1800s who has an infinity for taking over the weird cases. She is accompanied by the ghost of someone who knows her but she cannot remember, and they embark on a case to find a missing child who is rumored to have extraordinary abilities. It took me a while to get used to the way Kidd writes, but once I did it was so easy to get caught up in the beautiful language she uses and the unique way she describes things and places. The story also expertly jumps between past and present, as well as keeps the reader second-guessing everything. There is nothing I love more than unreliable narrators, there is just something so exciting about it for some reason! If you also love the unpredictability of unreliable narrators and time jumps, this is the novel for you.

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare- This is another one from my middle and high school days! Cassandra Clare just keeps turning out novels and creating more and more subseries to the original series, The Immortal Instruments. From that original one, there have been countless other series and offshoots that she’s written within the realm of the Shadowhunters. I have only read three of them (the first one, the prequels, and then these ones called The Dark Artifices) but now that I have finished these maybe I will take a stab at the others so stay tuned! I also just think if we could harness the power of Cassandra Clare and her ability to just constantly turn out amazing YA novels we could solve the energy crisis. It is hard to give this book a quick synopsis since this is the last book of this trilogy, but I will say if you enjoy fantasy, forbidden love, and some magical politics, this is a great option for you. And so are the rest of her novels in this series!

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara- This was another one I listened to, and it took me longer than I care to admit, but this one was a doozy. This is a true crime novel written by the amazing Michelle McNamara all about the Golden State Killer. She worked tirelessly to connect the dots and brings these stories to light on her blog and then finally in the form of a book. She is the one who coined the name Golden State Killer and unfortunately passed before she could see all of her work on this case come to fruition and even before she could see her novel come out. It is expertly and beautifully written with such care and concern for the victims and none for the perpetrator of these crimes (as it should be). Lovers of true crime should definitely pick this one up or listen to it on Audible, and really dive into the mass insanity and panic that was the Golden State Killer for several years before he was finally caught.

Thank you for joining me on this book round-up! If you like these posts let me know in the comments below and I can do this every 5 books or so that I have read to keep you all in the loop! If not, also please let me know in the comments below and I will just continue to share them on my “books” highlight on Instagram! See you guys tomorrow!

Madey

Cover art by Avery Lynch