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First of all. Can I please get a FIST BUMP for getting my darn post up on time this month? I mean…I just got my April recap up two weeks ago, so I’m pretty proud of myself.
May was a reading month with lots of ups and downs. I read two books I loved, one book I hated a little bit, and several books I was mehhh about. I also started and abandoned three books. Oh well, you win some you lose some! The wins were well worth the losses this month.
Here’s what I read:
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins- 1.5 stars. This one just fell flat for me. It was kind of all over the place and I never connected with any of the characters at all. NOTE. If you do read it, pay close attention at the beginning and maybe even take notes. There are a ZILLION narrators to keep straight.
Marlena by Julie Buntin- 1.5 stars. I didn’t love this one. It was so anti-climactic. And good gosh… All of the characters were just horrible people for the most part. I just feel so…ugh after reading it.
This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel- 5 stars. Oh did I love this gem of a book. On the surface it’s about Rosie and Penn’s son announcing he thinks he’s a girl. But it’s about so much more than that. The overall theme is LOVE. Real, true, abiding, unshakeable love. Parental love that simply cannot be put into words…although Laurie Frankel still managed to do so somehow.
I especially loved the SPOT ON descriptions of a family with five children…I have five too and oh boy did Frankel nail it.
My favorite passage from the book- one that brings tears to my eyes just typing it- is this:
These kids, her multitudes, they could grow up. They could move away. They could- they would- become new, become changed,become actual adult people in progress,people she wouldn’t recognize,people she could not imagine. People remade. They would undergo miracles. They would transform. They would make magic. But they were her story, hers and Penn’s, so however wide they wandered, they would always be right here.
MAGIC.
Closer Home by Kerry Anne King- 2.5 stars. This one was just a sort of vanilla read. I listened to it on Audible. I have to say that I get really irritated when characters in books a. don’t figure out the truth until the end even though EVERYONE READING HAS KNOWN FROM THE FIRST PAGE and b. characters in books are in love but not together even though there’s really no good reason to be apart.
That said, I felt that Lis and Dale had good chemistry and I did enjoy the story overall.
The One in a Million Boy by Monica Wood- 5 stars. Oh, my heart did I love this one. I loved every single thing about it. It was absolutely heartwarming. I love it like I loved Ove, Arthur Pepper, and Lillian Boxfish. It was just magical and charming.
Little Deaths by Emma Flint- 2 stars. I found this one to be a quick rather engrossing read (at the beginning, at least) with a somewhat satisfying surprise ending. I found parts of it really odd though. I mean- the reporter is a CREEPER. And I thought I might scream if the author described Ruth’s smell one more time. I mean…I get it. It was an exploration of shame?? But ew.
Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Ed Tarkington- 2 stars. I just never really connected with this one. I don’t know if it was the time period (I honestly don’t ever like books set in the 70s) or the personalities of the characters or what. First of all, the big incident at the beginning really isn’t a big incident at all. The book barely covers what happens… Just a few sentences. I thought that was weird. Second of all, I just found the entire plot really odd. I did find the last few paragraphs to be quite beautiful though.
I have some really exciting news, y’all. Well at least it’s exciting to a massive bookworm like me. I’m joining BOTM as an ambassador! Every month I will have a chance to read three of the selections early. This is good because I can give y’all guidance as to what you should order. It’s also good because I LOVE BOOKS!
Here are the three books I chose this month:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – I am halfway through this one and LOVING it, y’all!! I mean it. I stayed up until 1am reading it last night. I love love love Taylor Jenkins Reid.
I also had a book credit so I ordered David Sedaris’ new book. I adore David and have read everything he’s ever written multiple times. I’ve been known to read his stories out loud to Jimmy while we both laugh our butts off . He’s amazing.
Here’s a great infographic to help you choose what to order:
Right now y’all can sign up for a one, two, or three month membership for $10 a month.
I’ve never been disappointed. And I’ve been saying that since I joined BOTM, waaaay before this ambassador opportunity came along. It has changed the game for me, reading wise.
And last but not least, here’s what I’m working on now (in addition to my three BOTM choices above).
ScreamFree Parenting // Hal Runkel
Siblings Without Rivalry // Adele Faber
NOTICE A THEME HERE? Sigh.
The Paying Guests // Sarah Waters
Just Mercy // Bryan Stevenson
The Fall of Lisa Bellow // Susan Perabo
Bad Feminist // Roxane Gay
As always, TALK TO ME! What are you reading? Listening to? Loving? Hating? Feeling meh about?
Big love, sweet friends!
xoxo
S
First…YEAH YOU! BOTMC could not have found a better ambassador!!
I’ve read two books since your last post: The Handmaid’s Tale (wanted to read it before watching it on HuLu) and Born a Crime. Both were good, but probably won’t make my Top 10 list. Next up for me is: The Woman in Cabin 10, Ginny Moon (author is coming to my local library) and The Alice Network (won a copy through a Goodreads contest). I will let you know how they are!
And finally, for the FIRST TIME EVER, I have to thank you for NOT adding to my TBR list. I actually took a few books off thanks to your reviews. And after hearing that both you and my niece did not like Into the Water (she said the same thing about there being too many characters) I suspended my hold. Happy reading!
That info graphic did…not…help….I still want all four!!! Dang it!!
I recently read The Sun is Also a Star and LOVED it.
I gave Into the Water three stars because I felt like the narrative didn’t flag and there were sufficient story lines to keep my interest. I thought the author did a good job creating the murky, creepy atmosphere for the events to take place. I completely agree about the multiple narrators — for the first section of the book I kept having to flip back to remind myself who the heck people were.
Thanks for the review-in-progress on the Taylor Jenkins Reid book — it sounded like a bit of a departure for her so I wasn’t sure if it would be as good as the others of hers I’ve read.
So glad you will be a BOTM ambassador! I think I heard about its modern iteration through you. This month I ordered Chemistry and Startup as an add-on.
I’m currently reading The Trespasser by Tana French. i am a little over 1/2 way through And am enjoying it. I’m also listening to Heavier than heaven a kUrt kobain bio. ITs interEsting. Up next is i see you thEn moonglow. Congrats on being chosen as a book ambassador. Super exciting!
Every time you do your reading recaps, I open a second browser window with my library account pulled up so I can add them to my queue! I’m in a reading rut, the last three books I’ve started were left unfinished.
Thank you for these posts!
I do the same thing, LOL!
Beartown! just read it last night, it’s wonderful! So much tension, from the first page. Great characters, some tough plot lines, but so well done.
I love BOTM — how cool that you get to be an ambassador! I’m a little jealous. 😉
I’m so glad you loved Laurie Frankel’s book. It was my favorite book of May and I already want to read it again. I actually listened to the audio version and the narrator was AMAZING. I loved the quote you shared, but my favorite line of the entire book is: “Story is the best magic there is.” Gah.
I’m reading This is How It Always Is right now and am liking it so far 🙂
The Stars are Fire – Anita Shreve. Loved it and anything she writes.
I’m interested to know how you like Roxanne Gay’s book……….I started it and moved on. Maybe I’ll go back, maybe not……I’m trying to remember what turned me off…….
k8
Can’t hold on to this recommendation until next month. I just finished Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig. Read it in two days, which is a miracle for me! What a brilliant, moving story! I think you will LOVE it! Met the author last night a t a book discussion at my local library. He is as authentic as the book. The REAL DEAL! I can not recommend this book enough!
I live in the town that Tarkington’s book is based from. His sister is one of my dearest friends. But it’s interesting to hear an outside perspective on this book. I haven’t read it, it’s in my pile, but I will say your description of the personality and the “issue” is spot on to what the personalities and issues are still like, here in our town. “Old money” in a sense is the best way to describe it, but our town has this quirky snobbery about it if you are born raised and grew up here and come home after college to live etc….. very odd. I didn’t grow up here and have often felt completely on the outside, wrought with characters that are fake, or whose personalities I can’t break or take….lol. So fascinating to hear your perspective for sure! I’m actually looking forward to reading it.
It’s funny – I have always been a mystery/suspense/thriller kind of girl, but lately I have been going through a series of Debbie Macomber books. At Christmastime I like to read holiday-themed books and when I did a search at the local library, a couple of her books came up. I flew through them and decided to start reading her other books. I am really enjoying them. I am also always looking through books about different crafts to get new ideas for my girls (I leave them lying around so they can look through them). I also love looking into things about organizing. I guess that as long as I am reading something, I am happy (just like when I was a kid). My girls are huge readers – my 8 year-old is reading at a Grade 4/5 level and my 5 year-old started reading chapter books at age 4! This is one proud momma who loves that her girls share her love of reading.
I’ve been going back & forth about starting up a BOTM membership… but I finally took the plunge 🙂 I used your link so I hope you get some credit for the new membership!! Thanks for sharing, I’m looking forward to my first delivery!
Summer is so hard for me – GAH! think I’m reading 10 books at one time!! Started David Sedaris last night – so good. Currently reading Wine Dork, Don’t Let’s Go To the Dogs Tonight, The Dry and I’m just going to make time this week, find a quiet place and read Darling, I’m Going to Charlie. Recently finished Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?…really enjoyed it, while on the fiction side I adored Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.
Wish I could just stuff books into my head or drink them like Prosecco 😉
I just read Beartown and it’s the best book I’ve read in a long time. I actually love all Fredrick Bachmans books.