#55 - Autumn Thorns by Yasmine Galenorn
From Goodreads:
Fifteen years ago, I ran away from Whisper Hollow, Washington, a small town on Crescent Lake in the Olympic Peninsula. But truth is, if you were born here, you can never really leave. I’m Kerris Fellwater, and when I returned, I inherited my grandmother’s house—and her gift. As a spirit shaman, it’s my responsibility to drive the dead back to their graves, because around Whisper Hollow, people—and secrets—don’t always stay buried.
When I was little, I was told my mother ran off. But now it looks like she was murdered. With the help of my mysterious neighbor Bryan, we begin to unravel the mystery of her disappearance, and in doing so, unearth a dark force seeking to bury Whisper Hollow. Now I must work with the dead, rather than against them, because our enemy will do whatever she can to destroy the town, and she means to start with me.
This was rather different from what I expected and I'm not entirely sure I liked it. At times it was an interesting supernatural thriller/mystery. At other times, it read almost like an adult version of the Twilight series, minus the love story (because in this world, the love story was fated and therefore entirely without doubt, drama, or conflict), and a lot of the major "twists" were so obvious that I wished the author would just abandon the build up and come out with it already. It was okay as a mindless read but weak as the start of a series; it didn't really leave me dying to know what happens next, and since the library doesn't have book two yet I doubt I'll ever find out.
#56 - Life Reimagined: The Science, Art, and Opportunity of Midlife by Barbara Bradley Hagerty
From Goodreads:
A dynamic and inspiring exploration of the new science that is redrawing the future for people in their forties, fifties, and sixties for the better—and for good.
There’s no such thing as an inevitable midlife crisis, Barbara Bradley Hagerty writes in this provocative, hopeful book. It’s a myth, an illusion. New scientific research explodes the fable that midlife is a time when things start to go downhill for everybody. In fact, midlife can be a great new adventure, when you can embrace fresh possibilities, purposes, and pleasures. In Life Reimagined, Hagerty explains that midlife is about renewal: It’s the time to renegotiate your purpose, refocus your relationships, and transform the way you think about the world and yourself. Drawing from emerging information in neurology, psychology, biology, genetics, and sociology—as well as her own story of midlife transformation—Hagerty redraws the map for people in midlife and plots a new course forward in understanding our health, our relationships, even our futures.
I heard about this one on NPR one day on my commute and have had it on the to-read list for a long time. I'm glad it finally made it to the top. While Hagerty writes mainly about those a generation older than me, the research she presents and stories she tells are compelling and offer solid bits of wisdom for any age. As someone who hasn't quite reached the book's definition of midlife as an age range but who is nonetheless in the middle of some of the same questions of reinvention and direction (going back to school and launching a second career, post-SAHM), I found it to be an informative and inspiring read.
#57 - Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost
#58 - Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost
The second and third books in the Night Prince series, a supernatural romance/thriller staring Vlad the Impaler. I didn't think either of these lived up to the first book, but sequels in the romance genre so seldom do when the story goes on well after the romance is a more or less settled question. And the tossing in random, stupid insecurities and ridiculous miscommunications in order to keep the relationship drama going after its natural conclusion bothered me at a few points; it just seems unbelievable when the heroine starts second-guessing the hero's feelings immediately after a dramatic happily-ever-after moment. But that is a relatively minor complaint about books that were otherwise fun, light, mind-fluff reading perfect for summertime relaxing. I will definitely pick up the 4th/last book in the series when it comes out in October.
