Random Reading

This week is the second week of Random Reading, where I talk about books that came to my attention in the last week, how I found out about them, and why I bought/marked them.

For those that missed last week's, here's the 411:

Some people do Libary Loot. Some people do Mailbox Monday. Me, I don't use the library. I have nothing against it; just hate having to read a book in a certain amount of time, and as for Mailbox Monday, I can't say most of my titles come in my mail. I buy them usually or get them via paperback swap.

And I find them the most random ways, these titles.

So here's what I bought in the last week, scored via PBS, or added to my "to read" and the odd and random way I came across them. Hopefully, you will find some titles that interest you too!

First up, 




Bootleg My Heart by A.M. Westerling. I just happen to like this series, and I've signed up for the newsletter after having read a few of their titles and been impressed. So I heard about this in an email newsletter. Why I decided to buy it? It takes place in one of my favorite eras: prohibition. And how can I resist a heroine who runs an auto garage in those days? That just says STRONG to me. I immediately put this on my kindle.






Dead Body Language by Penny Warner. Deaf reporter with her own paper, a hearing aid dog, a TTY phone.... 'Nuff said. This is going on my to read and I bought the Kindle book at 99 cents. How did this series escape my attention when it was first pubbed in the 90s? I will never know, but I'm going to read it now. This is book one. I counted at least six while I was on Amazon. How I came across this? Every few months, I do a search on Amazon for "deaf woman" and see what books featuring deaf heroines have been released lately. And this was on my feed. I'm so excited.






The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano by Sonia Manzano. Puerto Ricans. Revolution. Strong young girl. Latino history. Feels like another book written just for me! Even more interesting to me is that it takes place in NYC Barrio, 1969. That's my father's time and place...this could very well be a story of his, stuff he went through. It popped up in a goodreads ad. Who knew those things actually worked? It's on my wishlist. Kindle book was a bit high for me. Dying to get my  hands on this though.






Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. Spotted on Shelf Awareness. Been out for a while, but somehow slipped under my radar. On goodreads, many of my friends gave it five stars. It's about a man who used to be like a super hero in the sports world now confined to a wheelchair and a woman giving him a reason to live again. Sounds wonderful and touching. Promptly went on my wishlist.






In the Kingdom of Men by Kim Barnes. This landed in my mailbox. I had added it to my PBS wishlist when I found it on an upcoming historical fiction/women search on Amazon. It was one of those "I'll read it if I obtain it, but won't go searching for it books." Well, it's appeared so it's gone on my to read. It's the sixties, a young girl finding herself in an Arab land, and a mystery.






Moonshine Murder by Erin S. Gray. Popped up in an Amazon Prohibition search. I happen to like books from that era and periodically do a search for those. It's the author's first book from what I can tell and I'm not certain, but MAY be a YA. I say that due to the teacher's guide I found online. It's on my to read, but I haven't purchased it yet as I'm not sure if it's YA or not and YA hasn't been grabbing me lately. I'm interested, however, due to the era and the woman working undercover to crack a bootleg ring. That says strong woman to me! Waiting to see what reviews pop up.






The Last Honest Seamstress by Gina Robinson. I rarely even look at the Kindle freebie list anymore but in a moment of boredom, I did. Lovely cover caught my eye, but I feared it was Christian fiction at first. Upon closer inspection, the reference to those who liked The Dressmaker had me sold. I loved the Dressmaker! I immediately downloaded this historical romance onto my Kindle. We'll see what happens. :)






Spotted whilst doing a random historical women search on Amazon and it just happened to be free: Spirited Away: A Novel of the Stolen Irish. It's about Irish and African slavery. Apparently, Cromwell attempted to "cleanse" England by spiriting unwanted Irish off in boats. They were sold on plantations in the new lands. I didn't know that. This book is a historical fiction based on an ancestor of the author. I immediately put it on my Kindle.






Scent of Triumph by Jan Moran. A pleasant surprise found on the Freebie list. It just screams STRONG WOMAN. I THINK it may be about a real woman. I need to do some Googling. She loses her husband and son in the war (second one) and proceeds to make an amazing perfume. Blurb promises a story of courage, resilence, and spirit as she tries to gather her family again while navigating the glittering world of Hollywood and drama.