Another Sequel, A Finale, and Women Who Need To Talk

These three books are very different... and two of them are library books! I've been reading a lot from the library lately. I'm embracing library books in a way I haven't before. I'm running out of space in my house. I also feel like I can try out more new authors without the worry of money/space. Libraries are just so awesome!

Two For The Dough

Janet Evanovich is a genius at pacing her novels. Two For The Dough was full of excitement. Even the exposition passages were seamlessly woven into the intensity. I can't get enough of Stephanie Plum and Joe Morelli. I also really like how so much of the adventure takes place in the area where they live and grew up. Everyone knows everyone, including the bail jumpers on the run.

X-Men '92: Lilapalooza

There are so many characters in X-Men '92: Lilapalooza, a lot of favourites, many from the previous X-Men '92 books, but also others I was unfamiliar with. There were also a lot of "X's" in general. X-Men, X-Force, X-Factor, X-Brood. I still had fun with the comic. My nostalgia is strong. I loved seeing all my favourite characters from the 90s in their bright, colourful outfits.

I'm a little sad/disappointed though. Lilapalooza is the last book. The series was cancelled and know I don't know what happens with Xodus. Is there another comic that wraps it all up? I want to know what happens!

Women Talking

Women Talking was heartbreaking, fascinating, and made me so sad. Mariam Toews' novel is about Mennonite women deciding how to move forward with their lives after they are sexually assaulted by a group of men in their community. The story starts in the aftermath. The men have been caught, and arrested. The impression the women give is that this is for the men's protection, some of the women would have killed the men for what they did. I empathized deeply with these women. It wasn't just adult women who were brutalized, but their daughters too. As amazing as this story was, it's hard for me to think about. Women Talking is based on a true story about a real community. Part of me feels like Toews wrote the ending as she would have liked it to be, not what actually happened.

It was a wide range of stories for me. I am glad I read each of them. I like interspersing the serious with the fun. My heart can't break with every book I read, after all.