Quick Lit - April

I don't know if I just hit a lucky streak lately but when I was making the collage I thought "Wow, I've really enjoyed a lot of books lately." AND this doesn't even include my favorites which will (ideally) be getting their own post in the coming weeks.  I've found it's getting too easy for me to write about books and I don't want to overwhelm anyone with just that so I'm trying to space it out a little!  As I say every month, I'm very active on Goodreads and keep it very current with what I'm reading, plan to read, have read so friend me over there!

Linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy to share what I've been reading!

Other book posts from the last month:

Book Love: Grace Not Perfection
Book Love: Pioneer Girl
{5} Books Set in NYC (historical fiction)

Books Luke Likes - 4

 And here's (mostly) books I enjoyed recently!

Small Admissions by Amy Poeppel
This was a story set in the admissions office of a fancy NYC prep school.  It included a young woman going through a bit of a quarter-life crisis and the people around her including her boss, co-workers, potential future students, sister, and friends. The format took me a few (dozen) pages to get a hang of with all the changing perspectives but it was mostly enjoyable.  It was good if you like NYC or just light ready.  Also, the author's name is very close to Amy Poehler so I may have been expecting it to be funnier, just on that basis. 3 Stars

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
This was a cute YA novel about a young girl, Jessie, who suddenly moves to Southern California when her Dad remarries, following her mother's death.  She doesn't feel like she fits in at her elite preppy high school and then an anonumous guy started e-mailing her (in a cute, not creepy way)and giving her hints on how to survive.  She makes some friends, tries to figure out who the guy actually is as they becomes pretty good friends, but not face-to-face.  It was a quick, enjoyable read.  3.5 Stars

Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
Like All the Light we Cannot See, this is a book I've heard mentioned as AMAZING multiple times.  And they two even look a bit like each other (that might just be my soft spot for all things blue).  I liked this better than the aforementioned book but it still wasn't AMAZING for me.  This was more a straight forward novel, following 4 friends through the London Blitz and on the front lines of World War II.  It was good but I think I had too high of expectations.  3.5 Stars

The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon
I really enjoyed this book, much more than I was expecting.  I was expecting a dull historical novel about a real life disappearance but it wasn't that!  It is the fictionalized story of a real disappearance in the 1930s, as seen by the wife, the maid, and the mistress.  Their stories overlap in surprising ways and I was fascinated reading what was real and what blanks the author filled in.  I had a hard time putting it down.  3.75 Stars

The Futures by Anna Pitoniak
This is the story of  Julia and Evan who fall in love as undergrads and then move to NYC to begin their careers.  They come from very different background and end up in very different places and secrets and big things come between them.  It was set during the economic turmoil of the late aughts (how has nobody come up with a better name for that decade?) but didn't focus too much on boring financial stuff.  I really enjoyed this one and had a hard time putting it down.  3.75 Stars

The Wanderers by Meg Howrey
I picked this up as a potential "maybe I can get Matt to read this" book.  It's about 3 people who are preparing for a trip to Mars but simulating the whole journey there, days on Mars, and the trip back while still in the US (or are they??).  It's a 17 month ordeal which is even shortened from what their real mission would be.  It also follows a family member of each as well as a staff member assigned to watch them (named Luke!).  I was thrown every time they mentioned being the first people on Mars because for some reason The Martian is real in my head.  And it was a lot about feeling and the emotional struggles than science.  I think I liked The Martian better but this was a good, different look.  3 Stars
 
A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
I first read this in college right before the movie came out and I remember crying SO MUCH.  I hadn't read it in years and so I did and even though I knew how it ended and that I'm (generally) tougher these days...I still cried.  I think this is his best book. 4 Stars

The Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction by Derek Thompson
This was a pretty interesting book that (as the title says) takes a look at the science behind what is popular.  It was more science-y than I expected but not really that science-y.  It covered "viral" internet trends, why remade and comic book movies are usually successful, how lucky breaks can really matter, and more.  It was only a little more than 200 pages which made it a quick read and about perfect for the topic - too much more could have bogged it down but enough that it had plenty of good information. 3.5 Stars

The Face on the Milk Carton, Whatever Happened to Janie?, The Voice on the Radio, and What Janie Found by Caroline B. Cooney
I read these at the suggestion of my aunt and was surprised at how good they still are!  I read the first two waaaay back in my early teen years and I remember watching the tv movie more than once (pretty sure we taped on a good old VHS).  Obviously there are dated references (Who still has a phone book?  Much less uses one?) but the suspense and the emotions still feel pretty real.  The series probably was drug on too long but the first two are really good.  First two: 3.75 Stars, The last two: 3 Stars

What have you read and enjoyed recently!  I never need book recs but am always open to them!  I've read many great books that way!