Goodness gracious, you guys, putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) has been a struggle lately. This isn't an entirely bad thing. My dedication to unplugging and chilling has taken root, and I've been catching up on good TV, spending time with friends, baking delicious treats, and starting and abandoning books with gusto. Still, I do miss bumming around in the book blogosphere and, you know, actually finishing the books that I begin.

Thankfully, I think I've finally found two that will stick. Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters was one of my most anticipated BEA galley-grabs, and so far it has not disappointed. It's essentially a detective novel set in an alternate history in which the Civil War never happened. Let me tell you, it makes for some perfect beach reading.

A photo posted by Shaina (@shainareadsbooks) on Jun 18, 2016 at 11:26am PDT

I also started the audio of Grass by Sheri S. Tepper over the weekend. I've been meaning to read some Tepper ever since my boyfriend's mom recommended her science-fiction to me, and this one has the added bonus of being set during the onset of a plague (one of my Books on the Nightstand bingo squares!).