Recently Read - Vol. 34 (Jan. '19)

Ladies and Gentlemen, you'd better sit down before I continue.  

Ol' girl here (yeah, I'm talking about myself) read four books since the last Show Us Your Books linkup day back in January!  That's right - FOUR!  I know in the grand scheme of things that reading four books in a month isn't a big deal, but for me, the gal who averaged 1-2 books a month all throughout the fall, it is a BIG deal!  HUGE!  And, here's the icing on the cake - all four were very good or great reads!

Puddin' by Julie Murphy

My Rating: 5/5

Think:  An unlikely friendship between two high school girls and the journey each one takes in finding herself.

Puddin' is the follow-up book to Dumplin' and I was really doubtful that it could hold a candle to its predecessor.  But, you know what?  It did!  In fact, I think I liked Puddin' more!  I enjoyed development of the two main characters and their unlikely friendship.

FINAL VERDICT:  HIGHLY RECOMMEND  

The Sentry by Robert Crais

My Rating 4/5

Think:  When an L.A. shop owner and his niece go missing, Joe Pike will do whatever he has to in order find them before  someone else does.

This is the 14th book in the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike private detective series.  The story was solid and offered some mysterious intrigue.  I also liked that this book offered the reader a deeper look into the quiet, Joe Pike, and it also allowed us to see his vulnerabilities. 

FINAL VERDICT: RECOMMEND 

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Women by Balli Kaur Jaswal

My Rating: 5/5

Think:  Nikki, a young, modern daughter of Indian immigrants takes a job teaching traditional, conservative Punjabi women how to write creatively.  But, despite her modern ways, nothing could prepare Nikki for what these women want to write about.

I have no idea what lead me to acquire this book, perhaps it was just on title alone, but for whatever reason, I'm glad I did.  Erotic Stories for Punjabi Women is not only a story of cultures and generations clashing, but it's also a story of the power of the female friendship.  

FINAL VERDICT:  HIGHLY RECOMMEND

After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My Rating: 4/5

Think:  A married couple decides to spend a year away from each other in hopes of saving their marriage.

One of the things I like most about TJR is her ability to craft characters and situations that are so real that you feel as if you know that characters or, at the very least, you can understand the situation they find themselves in because it feels plausible.  The story is told by Lauren and chronicles her experience during the year in which she and her husband, Ryan, are living apart.  Elements of their relationship, going back to when they first met, are also revealed in flashbacks, and are also told from her viewpoint.

FINAL VERDICT:  RECOMMEND  

Have you read any of these?  What are your thoughts?

Linking up with Steph and Jana