Read with Us 2020: Three Books by the Same Author (#1)

Happy mid-July! I just realized I never posted about our June pick for the MMD Reading Challenge. Oops! For this month, we chose to read the first of three books by the same author. And as per usual, things didn't exactly go as planned for all of us ...


(Note: The title of each book links to its Amazon page. These are affiliate links.)

Becky's Pick: Fair as a Star by Mimi Matthews 

When I first plotted out my reading year (ha!), I planned to read three Mary Weber books for this category. As the year went on (and my reading plans changed), I thought I'd do three of Melanie Dickerson's Hagenheim YA novels ... after all, her Mulan retelling has been on my TBR for over a year. But, of course, life (and review books) got in the way, and I finally settled on Mimi Matthews. Technically, I've already read eight Mimi Matthews books this year, so I think I've met the requirement. And I did read her newest book in June, so there you go!

Fair as a Star is a Victorian romance novella (it took me maybe two hours to read), and it's so good! It deals with anxiety and depression in a way I can't recall seeing before in historical fiction. Plus, there's a great romance, and all of the characters actually act like adults (with the exception of Beryl's younger sister)—I thought that there would be more drama between the two brothers (Beryl's fiance Henry and his brother Mark), and I was pleasantly surprised when there wasn't. If you haven't read any of Matthews' books yet, this is a good one to start with. 5 stars. (See my review.)

Steph's Pick: The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkein

I grew up watching the movies and hearing random tidbits of the greater lore. This is my first time reading through the series. I figured what better time to jump into another world than amid the craziness in our own world. I was delighted and intrigued by the differences between the movie and the book. Delighted because the movies stayed so close that I can love them both. The work is exquisitely written, full of examples of persevering in the midst of evil, and highlights the beauty of true friendship. If you must go on a long arduous journey, it's best to take a hobbit. 5 stars.

Have you read either of these authors? Which author would you recommend we read multiple books by?


Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."