I'm on Goodreads here where I keep my book lists very current and on Instagram here where I usually post about books at least once a week. I'm linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy so Welcome if you found me there!
First, a couple other book posts in the past month:
And everything else I've been reading!
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
I heard about this one from many people - it's the first in a series of modern day retelling of classic fairy tales, this one, obviously, being Cinderella. The main plot points are there but I just couldn't get into the story. There was the threat of ailiens from the moon and I just...wasn't interested. I finished the book but I doubt I'll pick up the rest of the series. Not too interested in fantasy-ish/alt-world retellings. 2 Stars
I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations by Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers
This book was fantastic (I highlighted it on Instagram here). The authors also co-host a podcast (which I do not regularly listen to because I feel maxed out on the number I am subscribed to already) where they talk about politics and issues. They self-identify as one from the right and one from the left which I totally understand would make for interesting discussions! This book didn't get much into specific issues but did give many (wonderful) suggestions for us all to approach politics and political conversations with more grace and nuance. Fantastic read, especially for anyone fed up with politics in the US. 4 Stars
Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery
I've been (slowly) rereading the whole series and this one was not one of my favorite. Anne is away for 3 years, while Gilbert is in medical school, teaching and/or being a principal at a school somewhere not in Avonlea. Part of the book is in letters Anne is writing to Gilbert (where parts of the letters are "redacted"...I'm really curious what needed to be redacted in 1936) and parts are just the stories about Anne but largely about the people she was interacting with. Anne is just a delightful character but I cared more about her story than these other people. 3 Stars
Educated by Tara Westover
I had heard and seen this book hyped all over the place last year but waited to read it until the library hold list wouldn't take months (I am stingy with my library holds, I only get 5!). It definitely lived up to the hype. Tara grew up without any formal education, hardly education at all, but went on to go to college at Cambridge and eventually get a PhD. What surprised me the most when I picked it up is that she is younger than me! Born in 1986. The story was fascinating and heartbreaking. This is probably not the first you've heard of it. 4.5 Stars
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
VERY DIFFERENT from the previous book but also enjoyable. Middle-grade fiction based on the author's real life experiences. Mia is an immigrant from China who is living in the motel her parents manage. She goes to school, makes friends with some of the people who live at the motel, and tries to fit in in America. I really rooted for Mia and just found the story pretty charming and delightful. I would definitely read a sequel, if there was one. 4 Stars
Domino: The Book of Decorating: A Room-by-Room Guide to Creating a Home That Makes You Happy by Deborah Needleman
I read a decent number of house decorating books but this one was not my favorite. It's over a decade old so it felt dated but also expensive. I like looking at pretty home pictures but very very few in the book felt like anything I'd like in my own home. Home decor books probably don't age well. 2 Stars
The Friends We Keep by Jane Green
I won an ARC in a giveaway on Goodreads and was pretty excited when my copy showed up about 6 weeks before the book is released! Free book mail is my favorite kind of mail. I've read all of Jane Green's books and really enjoyed quite a few, but more in the middle of her whole collection. This one was fine, three friends who meet in college and live together for part of that. Go their own ways after college and all have their own problems and difficulties. It didn't feel like one of her typical books until about halfway through. I couldn't super relate to any of them but I did root for them to get their lives figured out. 3.25 Stars
The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis-Graves
This was a really enjoyable read. Also starting in college from multiple (two) perspectives. A boy and girl meet and start dating. Flashes between both of them in college and both of them about 10 years later when they bump into each other again. Annika is on the spectrum (as stated in the book) and reading her parts of the book was very interesting and informative. I really enjoyed this one. 3.75 Stars
The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff
My World War II novel for the month, this one about a group of British women who are trained and sent as spies into Nazi occupied France towards the end of the war. The story is about the woman who trained them, one of the women who was sent, and then another woman who finds their pictures in an abandoned suitcase in Grand Central just a couple years later. Based on real woman who were trained and sent behind enemy lines, another part of the war I had no idea about. Interesting and captivating (I basically read it in 2 days). 3.5 Stars
The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life by Joshua BeckerI probably read more than my share of minimalist/decluttering books but it is something I am very interested in. That probably means I still think we have too many things? Anyways, the approach is pretty similar in all of these but what I appreciated about this one was that it focused on the freedom that you have with having less. Your kids should be able to easily get their bikes out of the garage and you shouldn't be spending a lot of time looking for missing items. There is a freedom of mind and also just in the ability to move easier through this world. It was a worthwhile read and gave me ALL NEW motivation to finally get our garage cleaned up for good. (Will that actually happen? Stay tuned.) 4 Stars
The Editor by Steven Rowley
The Editor, in this case, is Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who really did work as a book editor in her later years. In this case, she is editing a novel based on the fictional author's relationship with his mother. I was interested in this book because of the Jackie O plotline but the book really focused more on the protagonist's relationship with his mother and all the strife it has brought him. It was not what I was expecting but fine. That cover is aces though. 2.5 Stars
Chapter Books with LukeToys Come Home: Being the Early Experiences of an Intelligent Stingray, a Brave Buffalo, and a Brand-New Someone Called Plastic by Emily Jenkins
This is the final book in a three book trilogy about three toy friend who "come to life" when their owner isn't around, ala Toy Story. This was their origin story, how they all came to belong to the girl but it was helpful having read the other two first. Luke enjoyed these although these chapters get a little long - like it took us 25 minutes to read the first one. Not exactly quick pre-bedtime reading but we enjoyed these. 3.5 Stars
What have YOU been reading lately? I'm SUPER excited for what I plan to read this summer!
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