What do you think of our Book Dragon 2020 picks so far? Which has been your favorite? Don’t forget to comment for our fellow Book Dragons and post any questions or comments!
The book chosen for July is The Yellow Bird Sings, by Jennifer Rosner, released this February. Though this historical fiction might sound similar to the previous month, this World War II historical fiction is far from the sci-fi world of Collins. Whether you’re just getting started on historical fiction, or reading most of these in your spare time, Rosner’s book, published a couple months ago in March, is a must-read!
Since we’re over halfway through the year, I’ve included my star rating and thoughts on each. For more information about our Book Dragons 2020 challenge, follow our goodreads page or hop on over to my blog at hmdillard.wordpress.com.
July TBR pic from: https://romireads.files.wordpress.com/2018/06/july-tbr.jpg?w=656
July
June
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I really wasn’t too impressed with this book. It was significantly slower than the Hunger Games trilogy, though it seems that this is the first of several young Snow books. The last fourth of the book did a good job tying in the story with the trilogy, giving some detailed explanations as well. I’m curious to see whether or not it is continued.
View all my reviews
May
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
I must admit, I only got partly through this one. I could not get into the story as it seemed to move pretty slow, even several chapters into the book. It might have connected to another storyline later, but I only made it just past 100 pages.
April
March
Remembrance by Rita Woods
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
My first historical fantasy book!
February
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
It took me around halfway through this book to really enjoy it, but I like the way Allende writes. She includes both narrative and expository pieces in her writing, reminding me of the various trains of thought in Les Miserable, by Victor Hugo. The characters must make difficult decisions and also learn to tolerate questionable people. They meld into a new world of their own after being displaced from their homes. Since Allende weaves both fiction and reality together, it allows the reader to become immersed in the world she creates. After you think you have figured out the characters, she throws a surprising twist of fate, which leaves you guessing what will happen! A great historical fiction novel that I will read again! I’m sure there are things I missed the first time.
January
Long Bright River by Liz Moore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow. This was a very enthralling read, and Moore kept me glued until the end, especially the last 200 pages or so. From the very beginning we get a closeup of life in the middle of brokenness, and it doesn’t stop there. When information about Kacey emerges, Moore zooms even closer to show the true side of addiction. This is so well written and full of heart. It is a hard read, but definitely worth the time! It made me think about addiction and family webs in an impactful way!
View all my reviews
H.M.Dillard 
