The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Spirit Run by Noe Alvarez A Burning by Megha Majumdar Writers & Lovers by Lily King Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine White Ivy by Susie Yang The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams The Son of Good Fortune by Lysley Tenorio The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons
I particularly enjoyed Writers & Lovers, Queenie, and The Son of Good Fortune.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett Getting Naked: A Business Fable by Patrick Lencioni Finding the Edge: My Life on the Ice by Karen Chen I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittany Cooper
The Vanishing Half and Eloquent Rage were my favorites from this month’s reads.
I read 3 books: Anxious People- great book. Highly recommend. If I Had Your Face- meh. Not Like In The Movies (waiting for Tom hanks #2)- very cute fluffy read.
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Long Way Home (Season 8, Volume 1) by Joss Whedon The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
I really enjoyed all of those but would probably recommend When No One is Watching.
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam - DNF very early in. The writing style and vocabulary was pretentious for lack of a better word. I couldn't handle it.
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Long Way Home (Season 8, Volume 1) by Joss Whedon The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
I really enjoyed all of those but would probably recommend When No One is Watching.
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam - DNF very early in. The writing style and vocabulary was pretentious for lack of a better word. I couldn't handle it.
This was my experience exactly. I think I made it 5% in on my kindle and quit.
I'm about to start When No One is Watching. Looking forward to it!
Black Widow: A Sad-Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Normally Avoid Books with Words Like ""Journey"" in the Title by Leslie Gray Streeter
The Secrets She Keeps by Michael Robotham
Gold in the Air (also seems to be called "Early Morning Riser"?) by Katherine Heiny (I always really enjoy her books)
Women in the Kitchen: Twelve Essential Cookbook Writers Who Defined the Way We Eat, from 1661 to Today by Anne Willan
Hints of Heloise by Laura Lippman
A Million Reason Why by Jessica Strawser
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (great)
The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan
I Know You Know by Gilly MacMillan
Having and Being Had by Eula Biss (a little odd but I liked it)
Sisters by Daisy Johnson
Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch (cute YA with a fun setting)
Odd Child Out by Gilly MacMillan
His & Hers by Alice Feeny
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw (not great as an ebook—it was hard to tell when one story ended and another began but I did enjoy the book)
Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett (I thought it would be fun and easy but it was so loooong)
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam - DNF very early in. The writing style and vocabulary was pretentious for lack of a better word. I couldn't handle it.
I powered through because I couldn’t figure out what was going to happen and the book was very short but his writing was so stilted and obtuse for no reason. Everyone talked and acted the same.
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai ***** - loved this SO much. Highly recommend!
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson **** - read this with my 9 year old daughter and it was really sweet. It's in verse so definitely better to read aloud or listen to the audiobook.
Troublemaker: Surviving Scientology & Hollywood by Leah Remini *** - easy read and interesting but came across as petty he said-she said type stuff a lot. This is really about her personal experiences in scientology and acting, and has a lot of insights about Tom Cruise being a weirdo. I thought her TV series on scientology was a lot more informative on Scientology as a whole, which interests me more.
The Last Flight by Julie Clark *** - Probably more like 3.5 stars, really enjoyable thriller and interesting concept.
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abby Waxman ** - I don't get the hype over this book. I thought it was dumb. I love romance but never connected with any of these characters because everything is so completely based on stereotypes.
Miracle Creek - Angie Kim - 4.5 stars Uncanny Valley - A Memoir - Anna Weiner - 4 stars Eliza Starts a Rumor - Jane L. Rosen - 4 stars The Beauty in Breaking - A Memoir - Michele Harper - 4 stars Afterlife - Julia Alvarez - 4 stars The Scribe of Siena - Melodie Winawer - 4.5 stars This is Going to Hurt - Secret Diaries of a Medical Resident - Adam Kay - 5 stars A Woman is No Man - Etaf Rum - 3 stars Beautiful on the Outside - Adam Rippon - 4 stars Haunted House Murder - Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, Barbara Ross - 3 stars
Anxious People - Fredrik Backman 4* (liked this but was expecting to love it) The Secret History - Donna Tartt 4* (I heard about this on a podcast and was excited to see if I enjoyed it as much as the podcaster, I did not) The Most Fun We Ever Had - Claire Lombardo 3* (too long) One by One - Ruth Ware - 3* (formulaic thriller) Thick as Thieves - Sandra Brown 3* (generic suspense) The Searcher - Tana French 2* (way too long and no payoff)
Lame month; it took me awhile to get through The Secret History and I wanted to follow it up with a fun book but none of the ones I chose were as page-turny as I wanted. Anxious People was the winner this month.
The Color of Air by Gail Tsukiyama DNF Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams 3.5* Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin 4* The Switch by Beth O'Leary 4* Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao 4*
5* The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey
4* The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
3* God Shot by Chelsea Bieker-3.5* Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton
2* Class Mom by Gelman- 2.5* Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker- 2.5*
I was underwhelmed by Hidden Valley Road. I felt there was a great story in there, but it was lost in the horrible writing. I wish it had had a better editor. I wasn't sure about reading The Love Story of Missy Carmichael, but I loved it.
Hollowpox by Jessica Townsend 5* — such a great middle grade series The Queen of Sorrow by Sarah Beth Durst 4* (reread) The Last Flight by Julie Clark 3* The Hers by Andrea Bartz 2* A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas 4*