West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

Woodrow Wilson Nickel, at age 105, feels enough energy for one last act: to write his story. At age seventeen, he travelled cross-country with two giraffes. It’s 1938 and Woody embarks on a twelve-day adventure to deliver the giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. The experience is filled with assorted characters; people that will make you want to weep at their acts of kindness and those that you’ll want to punch in the face. And of course, there are the gentle giants themselves, the two giraffes. Inspired by true events, this novel is a great mixture of adventure, history, and coming-of-age love story.

I’ll need to read more by this author!

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

How long would you wait to report your mother missing? Especially if the most obvious suspect is your father? That’s the dilemma facing the four Delaney siblings.

They’re a family who plays tennis to win, but no one made it big. Now that Stan and Joy are retired, what should they do to fill their days? Their kids are busy with their lives, but not busy giving them grandchildren. When a stranger knocks on their door, they take her into their home. But what seemed simple turns complicated, and when Joy goes missing, her children begin to reanalyze their family history.

Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite authors for a reason. She writes a story I can’t put down. I had to fight the desire to skip ahead and I’m so glad I didn’t. All the twists and turns piece together like the perfect puzzle. Her ability to explore the complexities of family life is remarkable and hilarious. She’s a master of the craft. Five stars!

The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty

I loved this adult fantasy series. S.A. Chakraborty writes beautiful descriptions, and the story is rich and powerful. The characters never become annoying victims or undefeatable superheroes. They have believable flaws and reactions. The action never stops, there’s political intrigue, and multiple love stories.

Nahri is a con woman living in eighteenth-century Cairo. When she accidently summons Dara, a magical djinn warrior, during one of her cons, she learns she is more than human. Forced to flee the only home she knows, Dara and Nahri journey together to Daevabad, the legendary city of brass. It’s a city of magic and fire. The royal court rules with a tenuous grip, and Nahri’s presence might ignite a civil war.

Books in order:

The City Of Brass

The Kingdom of Copper

The Empire of Gold