Month: September 2022

Reviewing Thrift Store Books #2: The Smuggler Wore Silk and An Abundance of Katherines

~ B. L. Allen ~ Leave a comment

Looks like we’re at it again! I had such a good experience with thrift store books the first time that I thought it was deserving of round two (and maybe three, and four, and five…). Once again I found some great books to review, and one was so delightfully clever that I felt it put my own writing to shame. Don’t worry, I’m not throwing my work-in-progress in the trash (yet). If anything, reading good books helps me improve my writing and reevaluate how I structure my work.

The Smuggler Wore Silk by Alyssa Alexander

When Julian Travers, a British spy, is betrayed by an unknown traitor and is pressured to retire, he must discover the traitor’s identity to save his own career. This leads him to his childhood home, where he must seek out a woman named Grace Hannah, whom he suspects of either being involved in the crime or is herself the traitor he seeks. Grace, who lives as a poor relation in her uncle’s home and is treated as such, lives like a servant by day and participates in a smuggling ring by night. When her fellow smugglers discover a folio disclosing sensitive information to the French, she must also find the same traitor Julian seeks. As Julian and Grace interact, an undeniable spark ignites between them. This attraction to each other threatens to get in the way of their missions.

This book was dripping with romance and sensuality, which was skillfully paired with danger and mystery as Julian and Grace both tried to uncover the traitor in their midst. If you’re looking for something sexy and bold, as well as beautifully descriptive, this book might be for you. At times this story progressed rather slowly though, and I wish there had been more insight into the smuggling world as well as the spy world. The story primarily revolves around Grace and Julian’s attractions, and not as much on their risky careers. However, the story rounded out nicely and we get to know the two protagonists on a deep emotional level, which I quite enjoyed.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Colin Singleton has dated (and been dumped by) nineteen Katherines. When his friend Hassan takes him on a road trip to clear his mind and forget about the latest Katherine, Colin sets out to discover a theorem to help him predict the outcome of any and all future relationships. He also just wants to matter, and fears being yet another child prodigy who failed to live up to his potential. Colin and Hassan eventually end up in Gutshot, Tennessee, where they are able to find summer work and make a new friend named Lindsey (NOT Katherine). Through Colin’s relationships, both past and present, he’s able to discover where he’s gone wrong, and what “mattering” truly means.

This book seems to have fairly mixed reviews and clearly isn’t for everyone, but I absolutely loved this book. Sure, Colin is a bit of a self-absorbed, whiny, know-it-all teenager, but I found myself loving his many quirks and wacky theories about the Katherines he’s dated. This book was laugh-out-loud funny and endlessly clever. There was never a dull moment, the pace was just right, and I’ll probably never find another book quite like this one. I even found the math interesting, and I’m not a math person. This is one of my new favorite books and I’m sure I’ll read it again and again.

5 Ways To Fall In Love With Reading All Over Again

~ B. L. Allen ~ Leave a comment

Once upon a time there was a child who discovered the magical world of books. This child quickly grew fond of reading, and would read their books under the covers with a flashlight well past midnight. They may have thought they were waging a secret rebellion against their parents’ strictly set bedtime hours, but the parents knew what the child was up to. The parents knew all along that their child was reading past midnight, but figured it was better to not punish a child for merely having a love for reading—a harmless and even healthy habit for children to have. The child slowly grew up, not ever falling out of love with reading necessarily, but eventually developed a desire to shake things up a bit. How could they make reading feel fresh and new, and once again experience that insatiable hunger for books like they had in their youth? If this no-longer-a-child book lover is you, and you’ve been wondering how to fall in love with reading all over again, here are five ways to do just that:

Read a genre you’ve never tried before

As a reader, you probably know what you like, and there’s nothing wrong with liking what you like. However, there may be a genre you’ve always been curious about, but never tried because you thought it’s not quite your style. Maybe now is the time to take that big leap! And the best place to start might just be with the most popular books within that genre. Never read horror? Pick out some Stephen King books! Hesitated to read dystopian novels? Start with The Hunger Games! Stop putting off trying something new and commit to diving in.

Join a book club

Okay, I get it, you’ve probably tried a lot of genres already and truthfully you don’t need to try new genres anymore. That’s great you already know what interests you! But still, if only you could share your love of fantasy or romance with other like-minded folk. Fortunately, you can! Find book clubs locally in your area, or search for online book clubs that read the genres you love the most. Why bottle up your love for the classics when you could gush about them with other people who love them just as much as you do? You don’t have to experience books alone.

Read with your family members

You’ve already tried book clubs, haven’t you? Some of those members were a bit snobby, weren’t they? Or maybe not, but talking about books with strangers isn’t always the most enjoyable. But who said that book clubs were the only way to enjoy books with other people? Read with your family! Be there when your kids fall in love with reading the same way you did, or you can read one chapter a night with your spouse before going to sleep. Reading doesn’t have to be an experience that you keep to yourself, and can easily be shared with those you love the most.

Try audiobooks

I know you like the smell of yellowed pages, or fancy the convenience of a Kindle, but have you ever seriously considered audiobooks? Let’s face it, reading eats up your time, and you can’t do much else when your eyes are glued to a page and your hands are holding the book open. Wouldn’t it be lovely if you could clean your house and read at the same time? Or drive to work while you finish reading Jane Eyre? That’s the sort of luxury audiobooks can provide you, and not to mention quality narrators can give life to characters that wouldn’t have been as vibrant from just reading in your head.

Reread your old favorites

When all else fails, go back to those books that made you fall in love with reading in the first place. No one said you could only read something once. Brush the dust off your Harry Potter books and read them with the same voracity you did when you were still just a child reading under your covers. If you loved them once, you’ll love them again, and nothing quite beats your first love.