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I don’t even want to TALK about the fact that it’s mid May/close to the end of May and I’m just now getting this up. DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. What is wrrroooooong with me? Oh I know what’s wrong with me.
I have a husband who’s been living in Norfolk for the past seven weeks while I deal with
*sports
*stomach viruses
*doctor’s appointments
*field trips
*orthodontist
*dentist
*5 filthy animals and the craziness that ensues and I THINK I’M LOSING MY MIND.
So I guess that’s where I’ve been. Nevertheless…I’m HERE! Better late than never, yes?
April was a heavy month. I read a couple of books that will probably stick with me forever. One of them will for sure. And as a result, I had to read a couple of emotional palate cleansers too.
Here’s what I read and some brief thoughts on each one. As always, you can keep up with me on Goodreads or Instagram. Also, as always, I am not a deep literary critic. I don’t usually notice discrepancies or mistakes. I don’t break down the tone or the narrative or the literary devices. I just talk about how a book makes me feel.
That said, let’s get started.
The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay- 4.5 stars.Oh how I loved this book. Parts of it were a little stereotypical and frustrating for me – I really hated sunshine being so sexualized by the boys and dragged around by Drew all the time. But I loved the characters and fell in love with all of them for different reasons.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara- 4.5 stars. I honestly don’t know how to put my feelings into words. I have never in my life read anything so brutal. But at the same time I’ve never read anything so beautiful. The love in this book was so pure that I think …THINK… it made up for the agony I felt while reading it. I’m not sure I’ve ever cried so much in a book. It made me feel much like watching the film Moonlight made me feel. My eyes are still swollen.
The parts talking about abuse made me cry, made my stomach hurt, made me want to stop reading. But Oh… The parts about love and friendship and devotion… OK I’m going to try to stop explaining it now. I simply can’t put it into words. I can’t.
I think that it comes down to this. I had some issues with this book. It needs major editing, it felt a little emotionally manipulative ,and it got a bit ridiculous and excessive at points. However. The prose was astounding and I know I’ll think about this book for a long long time.
Perfect Little World by Kevin Wilson 2.5 stars- nteresting concept but I had a really really hard time connecting with the characters and parts just dragged for me.
My (not so) Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella 3 stars- Cute, light, sweet, and fun. Exactly what I needed as a palate cleanser after reading A Little Life. My heart was feeling very heavy.
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood- I still don’t know how I feel about this one and I still haven’t rated it on Goodreads or left a review. Some find this to be a love story. Some think the main character wasn’t a pedophile. I’m stuck somewhere in the middle. I’ll tell you that reading it made me feel highly uncomfortable, as gray area novels often do. I’ll also say that you should NOT read this if you are triggered by or sensitive to heavy emotional and sexual content.
Under the Harrow by Flynn Berry 1.5 stars- Meh and blah. This one did nothing for me. The story seemed super disjointed and anticlimactic. Honestly, reviewing it now…I’ve already forgotten it.
All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg 4 stars- I really enjoyed this one. It was witty, dark, sad, funny, introspective, and deep. Jami Attenberg has a way with words – the prose was quite beautiful. I connected with some storylines more than others, but overall I loved it. I even laughed out loud in a few places and got teary in one spot.
The Year We Turned Forty by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke 2 stars- This one was just… OK for me. I can so appreciate a light read and I can also easily suspend disbelief. However, something about this just felt rushed and never really clicked for me. What a fun concept though, especially since I turn 40 this summer.
Now let’s discuss my Book of the Month for May.
I ordered the Leavers and bought Paula Hawkins’ newest novel and another YA read. Not to spoil next month’s review, but MEH for both.
There are some great BOTM deals happening right now!
BOTM Deals:
Gift a BOTM sub, get a free month
Receive a free copy of Paula Hawkins’ Into the Water with a 3 month plan with code WATER
3-months membership for $9.99 per month + free BOTM tote
Here’s what I’m reading now- guess it’s only a few weeks until I review these, HA!
This is How It Always Is // Laurie Frankel
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend// Katarina Bivald
Little Deaths // Emma Flint
The Leavers // Lisa Ko
Selection Day // Aravind Adiga
The Most Dangerous Place on Earth // Lindsey Lee Johnson
So what about you? What are you loving and hating lately?
Happy Friday! xoxo
My favorite read from last month is Lilac Girls. I think it is your type of book, Stephanie! I was even lucky enough to attend an author talk at my local library. Another book that stands out is Christina Baker Klein’s new historical novel, A Piece of the World. It was really very good.
I have on audible but keep forgetting to listen to it!
Oh I really really hope you like this is how it always is as much as I did!! I can’t get myself to read a little life, I am worried it might make me sad for months. My current toread pile is not super inspiring to me. Maybe there will be a pleasant surprise in there.
I love it so far – just had to take a little break to read a library book that’s due Monday!
I’m reading Colm Toibin’s newest, House of Names. It’s the story of Agamemnon coming home after the Trojan War. So good!
Last month I loved This Must Be The Place, by Maggie O’Farrell. She’s one of my very favorite writers!
I’ve checked out A Little Life twice but it hasn’t felt like the right time yet.
Yep. I’d put it off for many many months for the same reason. XO
I read and liked Hallelujah Anyway by Anne Lamott. Some of her stories feel ordinary and then she makes a connection I didn’t see coming. She’s both deep and accessible. American War is next on the agenda since it’s due at the library next week. I joined BOMC and picked up The Leavers and Into the Water — that three-month deal with the free book hooked me.
I go back and forth on my feelings about AL. thanks for the rec!
I’m in the middle of a cross country move, so I haven’t read very much lately…how do you do it!?!?! Love reading your reviews of the books you finish..I have a bunch in my Amazon cart and I joined Book of the Month because of you! Would love to see you do an online book club!
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things was such a hard read for me. I did love the book — mostly because the writing was beautiful — but as the mother of two daughters in that age range, I found it so difficult to get through.
I hope you love the new Laurie Frankel book. I finished it this morning and was cry laughing like a loon. I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read (listened to).
I liked The Woman on the Orient Express.
I’m currently reading The Circle by Dave Eggers. It’s good. Makes me want to use social media even less than I do now though, that’s for sure! LOL
Two of my recent favorites are The Love that Split the World (I saw on Goodreads that people seemed to either love it or hate it), and A Thousand Pieces of You.