THIRTY. I honestly wish these Kindle posts were my full time job.

I went back and, according to my Kindle posts of 2018, I read 98 books last year. In case you’re wondering, I did not count the ones where I quit less than halfway through when I decided it was terrible. In 2017 I got to 112, and I’ve decided that I blame podcasts for my book numbers being down.

Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win by Jo Piazza. This is a novel about a female Silicon Valley exec who decides to run for Senate in her home state of Pennsylvania. I liked all the election drama, scandal with her marriage, challenge of gender roles, etc. BUT. You don’t find out who wins. I feel obligated to spoil that for you because it makes me unsure whether I would recommend it when the ending is so dissatisfying.

The Girl Who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes. My Aunt Pat recommended this to me after it was brought to my attention that Part 29 basically included a list of books I hated (sorry about that- although to be fair I just checked and I did say I liked 5 of the books). This was a good one! I like historical fiction so while some of the surrounding details were a little cheesy (I just don’t buy it when people “fall in love” in 2 weeks) it was a good story and I would recommend it.

Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand. I’ve kept up with her Winter Street series, and obviously all of her summer books, and this is the first departure from Nantucket! It’s the first of a trilogy set in St. John. I can’t even sit in the sun and it made me want to go there. And while it’s not the BEST of Elin, I still enjoyed it and will 100% read the next two.

We Were Mothers by Katie Sise. Every month I get those “Kindle First” emails as an Amazon Prime member with access to a free book. I have mistakenly made the assumption that if the book is free, it must not be good. I have never been so happy to say that I was wrong. I really really enjoyed this- kind of a Big Little Lies vibe. Read it!

Severance by Ling Ma. I gave this about 3 hours of listening time before giving up. I fear this will make me sound like a stereotypical millenial, but with the sheer volume of great podcast content out there I just don’t have the patience for a really slow audiobook. Not when I can pop my headphones on to be entranced by Dax Shepard’s voice, Carla Hall’s interview on Second Life, or (best of all) a two hour analysis of about 50 pages of Harry Potter.

The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain. Diane is so hit or miss for me. Some of her books are AMAZING (The Silent Sister, The Midwife’s Confession) and others are duds (Pretending to Dance). I would say this one leans closer to dud status. It’s historical fiction surrounding the polio epidemic in the 50s. If you’re particularly interested in this, you should listen to the polio episode of “This Podcast Will Kill You” and maybe skip the book.

Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? by Alyssa Mastromonaco. Another book by one of Obama’s female staffers. I definitely like this author much more than what’s-her-face from From the Corner of the Oval. I found it to be a little long and disjointed, though. I just really love any anecdotes about how Obama was a great guy- they bring me lots of joy.

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. This is a pretty quick listen but, as much as I love serial killer/murder stories, it wasn’t great. I just felt like maybe it was better suited for an actual short story and not a short novel? I don’t know. I did really like the narrator, though! Adepero Oduye, you’re a gem.

The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain. This is a bit of a departure for Diane because it includes some sci-fi elements, mainly time travel. She’s typically a pretty cut-and-dry historical fiction gal, though she does love to jump back and forth between decades. Despite the fact that this is about 30% too long, I still REALLY liked it. Made me think and was great company for a boring drive through rural Maryland 3 hours each way.