When I travel, I always find time to get a bit of reading time in. Car trips, flights, and relaxing by a pool or on a beach afford ample time to read fantastic books. Here is my Fiji Travel Reading List. And in 2019 I’m not participating in a formal reading challenge, but rather The Unread Shelf Project 2019, a challenge to read books that I already own. So I’ll be listing where each book came from this year instead of listing a particular challenge category.

Books Finished:

The Designer by Marius Gabriel

Already owned Kindle e-book.

A historical fiction novel, this is set at the very end of World War II in Paris. An American woman travels to Europe with her husband who is a journalist covering the war. She meets a designer and her life is completely transformed. This book was delightful. Some of the characters are real people, and I especially enjoyed researching them and learning more about their real lives.

The Parisians by Marius Gabriel

Borrowed from Kindle Owners Lending Library.

Written after The Designer, it actually takes place earlier in time. It takes place before and during World War II in Paris. The book follows a different American woman than the protagonist in The Designer, and the various people that she encounters while studying art and painting, and then while working in the Ritz. It was fast-paced and exciting.

Resolution of the Marked by March McCarron

Advance Reader Copy.

I was fortunate enough to receive an Advance Reader Copy, so I read this just before it was actually officially released. I’d previously read the rest of the series and loved every book thus far. And after waiting impatiently for its release, this book didn’t disappoint. The book stands up well in its own right (although you’d have to read the earlier books to understand who everyone is and what is happening), but it did tie together the story lines and loose ends from the previous books. The genre would best be described as epic fantasy. If you’re a fan of Patrick Rothfuss, you’ll likely enjoy this series as well.

Prudentia by March McCarron

Purchased Kindle e-book this year.

This novella is decidedly within the dystopian fiction genre. The protagonist is a woman who reads for a living. I’m hesitant to say more for fear of giving away some of the interesting turns in the story. Even talking about the setting would probably do so. Really if you like dystopian fiction, you’ll like this.

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert

Purchased Kindle e-book this year, during a sale on science books.

This book examines the causes and effects of the five previous extinction events on our planet, as well as some of the animals and plants that are currently going extinct. The author looks at the interactions between humans and Neanderthals and animals, as well as climate change on Earth. It was stark and quite frankly bleak. But the book made me think about what is happening in our world today, as well as the history of what has occurred on planet Earth throughout its history. I think people need to gain information and think critically about it, so that we can make decisions about how and if we’re going to change things, and this book accomplished those goals.

Books Abandoned:

None.