It's officially summer reading season! I've had a good reading year so far, quite a few books I've really enjoyed and a few too many I haven't. Haven't been reading quite the quantity I would prefer but hoping that changes with no homework or school runs on the schedule for the next 2½ months!
I'm very active on Goodreads here, somewhat active on Instagram here, and linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy on the 15th!
A few other book posts in the past month:
And now everything else I've been reading!
The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
This read very much like a Liane Moriarty book, with a hinted at mystery, multiple points of view, and set in Australia. There is the man getting remarried to a much younger woman, even though his first wife is still alive (and has dementia and living in a home). The adult daughters, older than the new wife, aren't sure what to make of this development other than being protective of their mother. And then there seems to be an accident at the wedding. What actually happened? A bit twisty. 3 Stars
Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott
I enjoyed her previous book, I Miss You When I Blink, and was looking forward to picking up this one. It was about aging (which I related to the most) and a health scare her son was going through, and just living life in her 40s. Some parts were deeper than others and I remember reading parts aloud to Matt and telling him about others. It really resonated with me. 4 Stars
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
This was a fun an engaging romance about a woman who is, somehow, the black sheep of her family despite being an ER doctor (because the rest of her family is surgeons) at the hospital her family helps found. She's on a drive home from a funeral when she has car problems outside a small town and gets help from the mayor, who happens to be a decade-ish younger than her and who comes from a long family line of the town's mayors. Will they be able to be together?!?! A bit cheesy but the ending wasn't quite what I was expecting. It was fun (and a bit open door at times). 3.5 Stars
Subpar Parks: America's Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors by Amber Share
This was a fun read about all the National Parks, and a bad review each has gotten. The author illustrated a picture for each one and then talked about how the review was wrong and how great each of the parks actually are. It made me want to visit many more than I had barely heard of before this. 3.75 Stars
Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close
I appreciate a good, juicy, family story and that's what I was hoping this was, and it largely was that except it was set back in 2016 so there was way more politics than there needed to be. The story is set in Chicago and the Cubs won the World Series that year which I'm sure is why it was set then...but we lived through all the division in our country around then, I just really don't need it popping up in fiction. BUT, otherwise, lots of adult family members and the restaurant that's been in their family for decades and how none of the next generation seems to want the responsibility of it after the death of their patriarch. 3.25 Stars
Year on Fire by Julie Buxbaum
This was a YA book and those just haven't been clicking for me lately, maybe I'm finally, 2 decades out of high school, too old. I can't remember all the plot details, just that I was annoyed with many of the characters and wanted to tell them to grow up. Which is probably the whole point because they are in high school and their brains aren't fully developed yet. 2 Stars
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
It feels like everyone who I know that reads, reads Emily Henry (my sister sent a picture of catching someone reading it in the school pick-up line). This was as much fun as her previous two books, more Beach Read than People You Meet on Vacation. Former "enemies", both in the book industry, who end up in the same small town for an extended period of time. They had a bad meeting years ago but now seem to be getting along much better. It was just fun to pick-up every time, I looked forward to reading it (heads up for a few open door scenes). It's just so lovely to have a book be as enjoyable as you hope. 4 Stars
Birds of California by Katie Cotugno
I heard this billed multiple places as a "post 'me too' Hollywood romance" so I kept waiting for something to come up that we Me Too related which put me a bit on edge the whole time? (It was like 80% through before the reveal). Former costars from a family show are reunited when the network wants a revival show and they start a romance. More casual drug mentions and such than I prefer but there were parts I did enjoy. And it was very short, under 300 pages. 3 Stars
The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Who Were There by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey
I have been listening to The Office Ladies podcast since it came out 2½ years ago and so of course I was going to buy the book (it may have been a mother's day gift). It was as delightful as the podcast, felt like two best friends chatting and, surprising, not much was a repeat of stories shared in the podcast. Some were but the large majority were not. I loved this, it was so fun to pick up. 4.75 Stars
The Island by Elin Hilderbrand
I just finished this for the 10th time and it was as delightful as every other time. It's my Memorial Day weekend tradition. Sisters, mom, and aunt on a remote island with no hot water (unless you heat it on the stove) and groceries only showing up when delivered by their caretaker. This book just feels like summer. 4.75 Stars
Read with Luke
Caleb's Story by Patricia MacLachlan
We read this partially because we had enjoyed the previous two in the series and also because I was looking for something shorter to read with him before we start another long one. It still took us awhile to get through but a nice continuation of the story. 3.75 Stars
What have YOU been reading lately?
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