Sneaking some more Haiti pics into this Kindle post! I know, the day before Thanksgiving I should probably be posting about food but it’s not going to happen. I’m making this stuffing, the only pretzel jello, this cranberry sauce, this pumpkin bread (sort of- will probably share this recipe with the tweaks I’ve made!) and brining a turkey in a java brine. Mmmm.

Hopefully you get some R&R&R on your days off (rest, relaxation, and READING). I’m clever. Here you go:

Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips. I had this on hold for a while and I can’t remember who even recommended it to me, but I downloaded the audiobook for a day trip to West Virginia and OMG. I was literally holding my breath and gripping the steering wheel while driving. I don’t even want to tell you what it’s about because I think just pressing play and having no idea what I was getting myself into made it even more suspenseful. Plus it’s super short- only a 6 or 7 hour audiobook. DO IT.

Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown. This is about a woman who vanishes while hiking in California and is presumed dead, but her husband and teenage daughter begin to suspect that she may not be. I’ll give points to this author because I genuinely did not know what was going to happen, however after a while I stopped caring. It moves too slow with too many extraneous details.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown. This is the first in a dystopian series set on Mars. I think this is probably actually good but I was listening to the audiobook in my car when I was highly distracted by other thoughts so I didn’t pay close enough attention to fully get it.

Fitness Junkie by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza. I’m almost embarrassed to admit how much I enjoyed this. It’s part satire about the health and fitness industry, part Sex and the City, part pure idiocy. Very quick read and you’ll probably enjoy it if you like at least 2 out of 3 of the above.

Black Edge by Sheelah Kolhatkar. I’m sad to say I couldn’t get through this. It’s a true account of a big Wall Street takedown and, while the concept is interesting, there were so many finance/stock trading details that I just didn’t understand. But I think if you work in finance or trade stocks as a hobby you would probably really enjoy this.

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. You know this one because they turned it into a movie with one of my most favorite actresses in Hollywood (Octavia Spencer) and one of my least favorite (Taraji P Henson). It’s about the black women who played integral roles in the aeronautic industry and space race back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I haven’t seen the movie but the book reads more like a textbook than a novel, so I would be interested to see how they developed the story more for entertainment value. I don’t recommend this as an audiobook because the narrator was a little dry but I would probably read it on my Kindle.

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan. A few of her books have been critically acclaimed, including this one (and also A Visit from the Goon Squad) but I’m here thinking…. I’m bored. I’m sorry but if I’m a quarter of the way through your book and I’m still wondering if there’s going to be a storyline, you’ve lost me.

Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny. This was our Grown Up Conversation book club book this month! I really liked it. It’s kind of a slow moving plot but the writing had the kind of dry humor that I really like. Kind of reminded me of The Arrangement, too. Recommend!

The Bassoon King by Rainn Wilson. Hopefully most of you know Rainn Wilson as Dwight K. Schrute from NBC’s The Office. I looooove this show, and while John Krasinski is my #1 celebrity crush forever and ever he has not, to my knowledge, written a book. Rainn Wilson’s book is interesting- he has a pretty crazy life story. I just wish it was more inside secrets from The Office and less spiritual stuff. But he’s a pretty cool dude.

Perennials by Mandy Berman. I really enjoyed this audiobook. It’s kind of like Commencement and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. About a summer camp in the Berkshires, but the narrator seems to meander through the camp and give you glimpses into several different characters without showing a real resolution of each of their stories. I liked it though! Recommend.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I listened to this (per Sheila’s recommendation) and really liked it. It was pretty long but in general just enjoyable to listen to- would be great for a long solo road trip! Recommend!

Odd Child Out by Gilly Macmillan. I previously reviewed another book by this author (What She Knew) and I’m so glad I happened to Google it to remind myself of the plot because Odd Child Out is a sequel. Unfortunately it’s not good at all. I’m kind of mad at myself for finishing it but I kept waiting for there to be some big twist. PASS.

Touch by Courtney Maum. I listened to this on a day trip to Roanoke, VA. I would compare it to The Circle by Dave Eggers (I heard this movie was terrible, by the way) but a much more watered down version. Not terrible but I probably wouldn’t recommend it.

That’s it for this round. Remember during this holiday season that a Kindle is the gift that keeps on giving.