I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We had some very warm temperatures and I was almost ready to turn on the A/C. I wouldn’t mind a few more weeks of cold weather that’s for sure.

Anyway I don’t know how the weekend just flew by but I wanted to pop in and tell you about my current reads.

On my commute I’ve been listening to The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain. Tess DeMello’s carefully planned life is changed forever after one night. This is set during WWII and as Tess dreams about her career in nursing she realizes that after the events of that night a lot of things will have to change in her life. So far I’m really enjoying this drama.

I’m also reading Blue Label by Eduardo Sanchez Rugeles. Eugenia Blanc is a young Venezuelan woman who dreams of finding her grandfather and hopefully establishing residency outside of Venezuela. She needs to leave the country. Her road trip with a friend brings her in contact with dreamers, political activists and other Venezuelans who want something different from their country and government. A timely read.

My nighttime read is My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout. I loved her book Olive Kitteridge and so far this one isn’t grabbing me as much as that one but it’s still a bit soon so I’m hoping I’ll change my mind about it soon.

Finally in my effort to read more poetry I also have The Crooked Inheritance by Marge Piercy on my nightstand. Have you read any of her poems? I know I’ve read a few of her poems here and there but I’m really glad to read through this whole collection. I’ll let you know more.

Anyway, that’s it for me lately. Have a great week and let me know what you’ve been reading.

“The rules of the Crave were simple. V and I went to a nightclub in a predetermined place a good way from where we lived. We traveled there together but entered separately. We made our way to the bar and stood far enough apart for it to seem like we weren’t together but close enough that I could always keep her in my vision. Then we waited.”

Our Kind of Cruelty
By Araminta Hall
Source: Advance review copy

Mike and Verity were meant to be. They are young, smart and have each other but when Mike gets the opportunity to work in the States, Verity encourages him to go for it even if it means they will be apart for some time.

When the couple reunites after a few months the cracks in their relationship can’t be mended and Verity breaks up with Mike. He knows he did a stupid and unforgivable thing but he will do whatever it takes to win her back.

Verity has stopped taking his calls and has even gone so far as to get engaged with another man but the more Mike thinks about, he knows that Verity has just changed the rules of their game, the Crave, to make him suffer and earn back her love.

That’s okay, Mike is willing to play.

The novel is told from Mike’s perspective so the reader sees all the obsessive and delusional behavior that Mike displays but will Verity be free or is she really playing just a more amped version of the Crave. At times I wish we could have had Verity’s perspective because I had some doubts about events but in the end I’m happy we only got Mike’s version. If you like psychological thrillers give this one a try.