Monday, March 29, 2021

Recent reads I loved, but didn't review...

So, I got the idea for this post of 'Favorite Non-review Books' from Rachel over at Waves of Fiction who did it first, and I just want to thank her for letting me steal her idea. Anyway, here are three books I recently read that I really did love, but that I didn't review... because I'm lazy like that sometimes. I do highly recommend all three of these books!



Home Before Dark by Riley Sager is a suspenseful mystery with a hint of the supernatural in it. I love books with haunted houses in them, and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. So many other bloggers have read and reviewed it though, I didn't feel like I needed to. But do read it if you haven't!




Red-Tails in Love by Marie Winn is an awesome nonfiction read, especially if you're into birds and birding like I am. Who knew there were so many interesting species of birds inhabiting Central Park? And the story of the red-tailed hawks? So unforgettable!




96 Miles by J.L. Esplin is one of those survival stories I love to read. In this one, two brothers are without power, and without food or water. In order to survive, they'll have to trek 96 miles across the Nevada desert. It's a middle grade fiction book that readers of all ages can enjoy.

Happy Reading!


42 comments:

  1. 96 Miles sounds interesting, especially bc of the audience its aimed at.

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    1. I liked it! I especially like that two kids are the main protagonists. :)

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  2. I loved Home Before Dark! The Red Tails in Love sounds like a great NF as well. We had a Red Tail on our deck one day - which was surprising. I think he was looking for a squirrel for lunch.

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    1. We've had a sharp-shinned hawk in our yard before, but never a red-tailed one! I do love seeing them in flight. And Home Before Dark was a great read, wasn't it? :)

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  3. Lark, I'm with you. I just can't seem to review every book I've read, even though I loved them. So, I appreciated post. I love Sager's books - they are always such fun to read. Glad you enjoyed this one :) Hope all is well. Take care!

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    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't review every book she reads! It makes me feel better to know I'm in such good company. :)

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  4. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed Home Before Dark, too! I can't wait for Sager's next book already!

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    1. Home Before Dark was awesome! Sager is such a good writer. :)

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  5. 96 Miles sounds really good. I've been in the mood for a survival-type book like that. :)

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    1. It's a fun read, and I liked that it was about these two brothers trying to survive together.

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  6. You're not lazy, you just can't review every single book, I can't anyway. And to be honest, I like reading short reviews as much as long ones because you don't need heaps of stamina to get to the end. :-) I like the sound of Red-Tails in Love!

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    1. I prefer shorter reviews, too. They're easier...to read and to write. And they take up less time! :)

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  7. Red-tails in Love sounds like fun. We get red-tails here (Toronto) as well but the fun one to spot are the peregrines--twice we've had them in backyard in winter.

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    1. Peregrines are so beautiful! We had a pair that used to nest in downtown Salt Lake every year, but they're sadly not around any more.

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  8. Thanks for the shout out, Lark. I really enjoyed Home Before Dark, too! So creepy and fun. I'd like to be more of a birder. I love watching birds and then trying to identify them, but time is always a factor. I need better binoculars, too. My eyesight is horrible.

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    1. My eyesight isn't super great either. Good binoculars are a must!

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  9. I have been wanting to try Riley Sager for a while now and I never seem to. I do like a touch of the paranormal though!

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    1. Keep this one in mind if you ever do decide to try a Sager book. It's a good one. :)

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  10. Red Tails in Love is the one that most interests me! Thanks for the heads up on this one--I love hawks. :)

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    1. The whole thing with the birders in Central Park and them going on Hawkwatch every spring was a lot of fun imo.

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  11. Book reviews are kind of a funny thing. I find them so easy to do if I enjoyed or appreciate the book...or if I hate a book. It's the mediocre ones that are really hard work and, unfortunately, there are LOTS of those out there.

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    1. The mediocre ones are especially hard! I seem to read a lot of books that are good, just not great. And what do you say about them?

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  12. Hi Lark, Interesting idea because I also don't review every book I read even if I really liked the book Another dilemma is I have just finished a book I really didn't like, and have decided not to post about it. I've found that posting about books we really didn't like is tough. We already had a bad experience reading the book and now we have to expend more energy explaining why. Also if the author is still living and not well known it seems mean although my author is a writer from many years ago and this particular book is considered a classic. Go figure.

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    1. I find it really hard to write about books I didn't like, too! And I think it is because I don't want to spend any more time thinking or talking about them. And maybe because I'm not funny enough to do a good mean review. ;D

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  13. I have been so lazy with reviews too. Last fall, I found that for some books that I don't have a ton to say, mini-reviews are the way to go! It's been a game changer!!

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    1. I can totally see that! I like to do short haiku reviews for books I liked but don't want to try and explain or summarize. :)

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  14. I try to review every book I read, but it doesn't always happen for me either. Sometimes I'm just lazy, other times I can't think of anything to say, other times I feel like a book has been reviewed SO many times there's just nothing left to say about it...

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  15. I really enjoyed Home Before Dark too. I can't remember if I reviewed it either. I think I skipped it because I get lazy when it comes to reviews where I have to be extra careful about spoilers for big plot twists, etc.

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    1. There are some books that are hard to talk about because they have too many good twists and turns...and I never want to spoil a book for someone else either. :)

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  16. All three were new to me. I enjoyed the updates.

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  17. I don't have the energy to blog about every book I've read. I appreciate your diligence! I read Sager's Lock Every Door on your recommendation I think? I don't read thrillers too often, but every now and again, they hit the spot.

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    1. I did review Lock Every Door. Sager's written several books I've enjoyed. :)

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  18. I have fallen way behind with my review writing. :-( I was hoping to catch up this past weekend but did I write? Nope. Maybe this coming weekend . . . I should just focus on the actual review books and not the non-review books. Then I can worry about the others if I want to. Thanks for the idea!

    These all sound good, especially 96 Miles.

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    1. There are weeks when I can't make myself write any reviews either. That's one of the reasons I started doing haiku reviews...and now posts like this one. :)

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  19. This is a great idea! I'm behind on reviews myself right now.

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    1. It's so hard to keep up sometimes. I don't even try any more.

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  20. I'm way behind on book reviews again but I just can't be bothered writing them!

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  21. I've only read one Riley Sager book before and it was a great thriller! I'll have to check this one out!

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