The first Wednesday of each month, Carolyn Astfalk hosts #OpenBook, where bloggers link posts about books they’ve read recently. (I’m a bit late, obviously!)

I had two business trips in April for a total of 7 nights away from home, as well as some other things happening, so my reading time was definitely cut short last month.

Here’s a taste of what I’ve been reading:

Fiction

No One Ever Asked by Katie Ganshert. A picture-perfect world shows its inner ugly side when a proposal to bus students from a nearby bankrupt school district means that their school will now be racially integrated. This story is told from 3 points of view: Anaya, who grew up in the now-bankrupt district but who’s teaching in the affluent zip code; Camille, a PTA chair who made her anti-integration views known and whose daughter is now in Anaya’s class; and Jen, who recently adopted a child from Africa and who’s finding the road to new motherhood more than a little bit rocky — and not at all what she expected. Sometimes it was tough to keep the various points of view straight — it got distracting as the book went on for almost 400 pages. Overall, though, it was a good story. Advance copy received from publisher.

Island of Miracles by Amy Schisler. When Katherine discovers her husband has been living a double life, she abandons her home and job to take a sabbatical of sorts on Chincoteague Island. She’s immediately taken in by the community and finds a job on her first day there. Now calling herself “Kate,” she makes friends with her neighbor and is intrigued by the neighbor’s brother, who’s in the Coast Guard and is clearly interested in her. Then she learns that she’s pregnant — by the man she never wants to see again. A Catholic novel with an excellent priest character. Some far-fetched elements (see above re: job), some editing/proofreading errors. Don’t judge it by its cover (which I think suggests a beachy feel-good romance) — it’s an enjoyable story with plenty of suspense.

The Sugarhouse Blues by Mariah Stewart. Three sisters must renovate a decrepit theatre in order to inherit their father’s fortune. They discover that there’s not enough money to complete the building’s repairs, and one of the sisters decides to take on some of the complicated art work herself, while another dedicates herself to finding ways to fund the project. And, of course, there’s romance — not only for each of the sisters, but for the aunt they’ve moved in with as well. Great beach read! This is book 2 in a series, and you’re definitely coming in late to the story if you start with this one (as I did). I purchased the first book to find out what I’d missed because I did like the characters, but haven’t yet had the chance to read it. (Netgalley)

Wish Me Home by Kay Bratt. A young woman running from her past (and her twin sister’s) finds an injured stray dog by the side of the road. He becomes her companion as she walks from Georgia to Key West, encountering some kind souls — and some terrible ones — along the way. Her journey leads her to an old estate where she’s taken in by the family who lives there, to help them run an animal shelter. She also finds romance. The book touches on mental illness, suicide, and life in the foster-care system.

Shadows of Hope by Georgiana Daniels. Marissa worries that her window of opportunity for having children is closing; after a miscarriage she has been unable to conceive. Working in a crisis pregnancy center takes its toll on her emotionally, even though she loves her work and believes in its importance. She thinks her husband is having an affair, but never suspects that it’s one of her clients — and her client-turned-employee has no idea, either. An interesting examination of trust, commitment, and the question of who’s at fault for problems in a marriage. (Netgalley)

Every Note Played by Lisa Genova. This novel centers on a heartbreaking situation: Richard, a concert pianist, develops ALS. He loses his career, his independence, and his dignity. His acrimonious divorce from Karina, also a pianist who’d put her career on hold when his took off, becomes a factor when his illness robs him of the ability to live alone. Both Richard and Karina are forced to deal with mistakes of the past. ALS is described in brutal, excruciating detail. A good story, but given the topic, not a fun book to read, and I had a hard time liking either of the two main characters. I felt sorry for them, but didn’t really care about them. Loved the cover. (Netgalley)

YA/Children’s

Never Be Alone by Paige Dearth. This was a harrowing story and is definitely only for older teens. Theook contained some proofreading errors. Chapters were very short; the flow of the story seemed choppy. This didn’t seem like too much of a story, but more a “slice of life” that wore at the reader a bit. Joon is out in the care of a sadistic foster mother after her parent’s death. After 4 awful years she runs away and tries to survive on the streets of Philadelphia. (Netgalley review)

Nonfiction

I’ve got a bunch of nonfiction reads in progress. Stay tuned.

Links to books in this post are Amazon affiliate links. Thank you for purchasing books through my links!

Follow my Goodreads reviews for the full list of what I’ve read recently (even the duds!)

Visit today’s #OpenBook post to join the linkup or just get some great ideas about what to read! You’ll find it at Carolyn Astfalk’s A Scribbler’s Heart and at CatholicMom.com!