I continue to crush it when it comes to reading!! My plan of reading one book while listening to another is really working. Here are the books that I have finished since my last update.
This Could Change Everything by Jill Mansell
SYNOPSIS: All it takes is one email to end her relationship, get her kicked out of her apartment, and just about ruin her life. Essie Phillips never meant for her private rant about her boss to be sent to everyone in her address book, but as soon as it goes viral, her life as she knows it is over. Solution: move to a new town, find a new job, make new friends. If only it were as simple as that…
MY REVIEW: This is a fun summer read. It will not change the world but it’s fun and funny even while being somewhat predictable.
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
SYNOPSIS: When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle. Assume nothing.
MY REVIEW: This book is definitely captivating. It’s written in two parts and during the first you think you know what’s going on. Even being set up to know that all is not as it seems, you do not know what is going on. I don’t want to say more because I don’t want to give anything away. It’s definitely worth a listen or read.
The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell
SYNOPSIS: Imagine that you live on a picturesque communal garden square, an oasis in urban London where your children run free, in and out of other people’s houses. You’ve known your neighbors for years and you trust them. Implicitly. You think your children are safe. But are they really? On a midsummer night, as a festive neighborhood party is taking place, preteen Pip discovers her thirteen-year-old sister Grace lying unconscious and bloody in a hidden corner of a lush rose garden. What really happened to her? And who is responsible?
MY REVIEW: I’ve read other books by this author and will likely read more. I enjoyed about 90% of this book. The suspense is good. She does an excellent job at making it possible that the culprit is any number of possibilities. I was annoyed by a parallel story line. When the reader discovers what happened in that story line, it’s a bit anti-climactic. Still, I would recommend this book. If you like Liane Moriarty, I think you’ll enjoy this author as well.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
SYNOPSIS: For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.
MY REVIEW: This book was wait listed for a long time and when I got notice that it was mine I jumped and am I glad I did. This book is so good!!! The story is captivating and fascinating and I again, don’t want to say too much. Just read it-you will not be disappointed!
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
SYNOPSIS: The Carls just appeared.
Roaming through New York City at three a.m., twenty-three-year-old April May stumbles across a giant sculpture. Delighted by its appearance and craftsmanship—like a ten-foot-tall Transformer wearing a suit of samurai armor—April and her best friend, Andy, make a video with it, which Andy uploads to YouTube. The next day, April wakes up to a viral video and a new life. News quickly spreads that there are Carls in dozens of cities around the world—from Beijing to Buenos Aires—and April, as their first documentarian, finds herself at the center of an intense international media spotlight.
Seizing the opportunity to make her mark on the world, April now has to deal with the consequences her new particular brand of fame has on her relationships, her safety, and her own identity. And all eyes are on April to figure out not just what the Carls are, but what they want from us.
MY REVIEW: This is not typically the kind of book I would read-mostly because it is sci-fi which generally is not my jam. I read this book for one of my book clubs. It’s pretty good. It didn’t wow me but it did keep me interested. I wanted to know what the deal was , what was happening and why. I was not crazy about the main character. She is annoying and frustrating and whiny. The book was published in 2018 and it deals with many issues that we struggle with today in terms of social media, “fake news” and information overload. It’s the type of book that some will love and others will despise. This book seems like it would be for parents and young adolescents to read together and discuss what they might do in this type of situation-did the characters make the right choices, what might they do differently.
I’m interested to hear what my book club thinks about the book.
Where I Get My Books
I haven’t mentioned it for awhile so I thought I’d remind you.
I get ebooks or audio books from three sources.
1. Audible-I have been a member for a number of years. I am on the silver plan which is getting a credit every other month.
2. Hoopla app-This app connects to your local library and requires that you have a library card. You can borrow ebooks, audio books, music, and movies. I am allowed to borrow up to 20 titles per month. Nothing will ever be overdue. The item automatically returns when it’s time. Books can be borrowed for 21 days and movies and music for 7 days.
3. Axis 360-Same as Hoopla. If I can’t find a title on one app, I can usually find it on another. This app allows you to place items on a “virtual hold” and they tell you the estimated wait time. This is great for the newest titles or the very popular titles. Both apps allow you to allow maintain a wish list. When I hear or read about well reviewed books, I put them on my wish list so that I don’t forget.
Since I pay for the Audible app, that is my source of last resort. I will also borrow a physical book from the library if I can’t get it digitally.
See you next month with a new list! Happy Reading!
