Wednesday, August 31, 2016

ABC Reads: August Review


Today is the day to link up your ABC Reads!!   

Here's a refresher on the terms of the challenge in case you missed it previously:

What does the challenge entail?  Well, I'm glad you asked.  There are 26 letters of the alphabet and Mia and I challenge you, during the course of 2016, to read a book that starts with each letter.  For example, Atonement (A), The Bell Jar (B), Catching Fire (C), and so on.  Makes sense, right? You don't need to go in order - if you want to start with S, go for it.  On the last day of each month, we'll host a link-up for you to share your ABC Reads.  We will award one point for each letter you review AND a bonus point for linking up with us!  At the end of the year (or when the first participant reviews a book beginning with each of the 26 letters), the winner will be awarded a $30 Amazon gift card. Congrats to challenge winner, Jessica from Frikken Duckie!

I had high hopes for checking off a number of books this month, but time slipped away from me...again!  I did manage to finish one book, but only got half way through the second one so I'll have to save that review for next month.  At the beginning of the month, I only had nine books left to complete the challenge so now I'm down to eight.  I'll have to pick up the pace to ensure I stay on track to finish! This month, I completed the following letter: U.  Here are my thoughts...


The Unraveling of Mercy Louis by Keija Parssinen

I learned about this book from Amber over at Mr. Thomas and Me during her #collaboreads link up. I immediately marked it "to read" on my Goodreads account and then forgot about it until Mia and I began the ABC Reads challenge.  U was a bit of a tricky letter to find so I was thrilled when I saw this one in my queue.  The story takes place in a small Texas town full of scandal and religiosity. Mercy and Illa take turns narrating the eventful summer and early fall.  They are both seniors at the local high school with Mercy being the most talented basketball player on the team and Illa the team manager.  Both have mommy issues to keep things a bit vague.  The story is an exploration of love - both romantic and platonic.  It got a little weird toward the end for me, but I really enjoyed getting to know the characters - lots of unique personalities!  I'm not certain I would recommend it because I didn't feel like there was much resolution for the main problem put forth at the start of the story...and parts of the book were just plain bizarre.  I'm glad I gave it a shot, but probably wouldn't suggest it to others.

What have you been reading lately?


Andrea :)

2 comments:

  1. Hmm, that does sound like a strange one! I have 5 books left to read... I saved all my "difficult" letters for last it seems. :)

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