Happy Summer!! May was CRAZY as it is every year for any parent of kids in school and all teachers. Plus, trying to really soak in my final days with just my 5 year old before our 10 year old is also home for the summer and then they are BOTH in school in the fall. I cannot overstate how many feelings I have about that. Just a lot. BUT...still have 2 months of summer and trying to soak it in! Which also doesn't translate to a lot of reading time!
Not a great month, quantity wise but liked pretty well everything I did read, quality wise. So that's something! Also, really cutting back on my blogging until school starts back up, something had to give and the blog was it. So no other book posts in the past month! But it does feel good to still write occasionally.
I'm very active on Goodreads here, somewhat active on Instagram here, and linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy on the 15th!
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
A little maybe murder in Australia? Or at least a non-rescue. I don't do much in terms of suspense, this is about as suspenseful as I get. Told from multiple points of view. Not quite as gripping as some of her past books but still hard to put down until the end and knowing what happened. 3.25 Stars
Coronation Year: A Novel by Jennifer Robson
I purposely saved this book to read over the coronation weekend of King Charles III. About the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, 70 years ago. Told from the point of view of three different observers of that coronation (although the same gold coach was used for both!), all of whom are at a small hotel along the procession route. Made history a bit more personal but also relateable. Enjoyed it, especially reading it at that time. 3.5 Stars
The Only Game in Town by Lacie Waldon
A game set in a small town, with the winnings being many millions of dollars. A deceased leader of the town set this up in order to see who would get his fortune. There are complicated rules and he paired everyone with someone they didn't get along with. I don't know this kind of small town personally and have a bit of a hard time stretching my belief on some of it but charming. And there's a romance between the dead guy's grandson and one of the contestants. It was fine. 3 Stars
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
Set at a knock-off of Saturday Night Live, follows a more "normal" writer who befriends a musician who comes on the show as a musical guest. Plays with the idea that frequently (on the book and apparently in real life) famous, beautiful women will fall for the "normal" male writers but it doesn't happen that hot men will fall for the "normal" female writers. But in this case it does and the romance gets drawn out a bit. Would actually fit in my book flight for Roomies that I did a few months ago quite well with the musician making it big. Also, a decent part of this takes place in the height of COVID which was a tiny bit eye-rolly but also just a reminder of "wow, that was a TIME we lived through.". Appreciated the behind the scenes of an SNL type show too even though I haven't watched it regularly in a very long time. 4 Stars
Happy Place by Emily Henry
The 4th book of hers that I've bought before reading (although the first hardback! That price hurt a little more). A group of college friends reunite in Maine for a week even though the rest don't know that two of them broke up. So those two fake it for the week even though MAYBE they still have romantic feelings for each other. Loved the Maine setting although wished they had gone to Acadia instead of just getting thwarted in their plan to go. Not my favorite of hers but solid middle of the pack. 3.5 Stars
The Love Wager by Lynn Painter
There were two books I had to look up the plot to even remember anything about them this month and this was one of them. A hook-up goes a bit badly (not terrible, nothing traumatic, but just not life changing love) but then the couple decides to be wing-people for each other in their hunts for "the one". And maybe this leads to something more. 3 Stars
Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune
I pre-ordered this one after enjoying Every Summer After so much last year. This one was about a late 20s/early 30s guy and girl who had spent one day together nearly a decade earlier. They meet up a year after that magical day like they had planned but then their lives connect a decade-ish later. Their magical day unfolded interspersed with their reunion which doesn't go great. Also set at a New York State resort, ala Dirty Dancing (which also reminded me of Last Summer at the Golden Hotel, which I read last year). Liked it but not as much as Every Summer After. 3.5 Stars
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
Honestly, I was surprised I gave this 4 stars, I don't remember liking it that much. The second in a series, following the friend from Part of Your World. This one works in a hospital and has a not great first impression with a new fellow doctor. Then the new doc donates a kidney to the friend's brother and that changes things. I think it fell apart a bit in the final parts but liked the first 3/4. But this might also be with when I take breaks and pick-up and put down. 3.75 Stars
The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs by Laura Tremaine
The trouble of finding and keeping friends is not a challenge I expected of adulthood but it seems to be one many of us have. Just so much different than the school years, through college! This book was celebrating the many different kinds of female friends, from the old friends to business besties to daily duty. All friends shouldn't have the same weight and influence in all aspects of life! Just interesting and made me really think about where my friends might fit in and what holes I might have. But also just a celebration of female friendships. 3.75 Stars
P.S. We Made This: Super Fun Crafts That Grow Smarter + Happier Kids! by Erica Domesek
Quick book showing different crafts to make with your kids. More aimed at my 5 year old than 10 year old although I think there are some the 10 year old would enjoy doing to. If we had a big appliance box we could do more of them, there were a lot for one of those. But I still marked quite a few that I am interested in doing. 3.75 Stars
Read with Luke and/or Sam
Better Together: Heartwood Hotel #3 by Kallie George
My third time through this book but the first time with Sam. He didn't like this one as much as the first one in the series but has still enjoyed it. This was the "spring" set book that we finished on Luke's last day of school! 3.75 Stars
What have YOU been reading lately?
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