July was a good month for reading. I read a wide range though none was too serious. I enjoyed them all and recommend them.
Big Lies in a Small Town-Diane Chamberlain-Last month, I read another book by this author that I also enjoyed. This book is no exception. Chamberlain is good at keeping you on the hook without dragging things out too long and throwing in some unexpected surprises along the way. Like the other book, the story takes place in two different eras. I think I enjoy these stories because I find it interesting to see how acts of the past impact the future. Often times, these characters make decisions hoping to lessen the negative impacts (& they always fail)!
A Woman Last See in Her Thirties-Camille Pagan-Ultimately, I really liked the story but I had to get used to the narration. I listened to this book. The narration was not bad but I thought the narrator sounded too young. The protagonist in this story is a woman in her 50’s but the narrators’ tone reads much younger. Once I got over the voice, I really got into the book even though there was one part involving the husband that I found a bit far fetched.
This Won’t End Well-Camille Pagan-Because I did enjoy the last book, I decided to give this one a try even with the same narrator. This main character was in her late 20’s and the narration was perfect. It solidified for me that I wasn’t being too picky with my reaction to the narration in the first Pagan book. This story was fun and funny and I enjoyed the hi jinx.
A Good Neighborhood-Therese Anne Fowler-This book deals with some heavy issues-racism, socio-economic status, and death to name a few. Even so, it’s a good read. I did not expect some of the things to happen and when they did I was stunned. The book starts off at a funeral so you know going in that someone of significance in the story dies. I want to say more about how relatable it is to present times but i don’t want to give too much away.
The Last Book Party-Karen Dukess-This book was a little different from the others. This one is less mystery and intrigue and is more “slice of life”. A young woman coming into her own in the early 1980’s. She wants to be a writer, spends a lot of time around writers and editors and idolizes them. She soon discovers that all is not as it seems.
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane-Lisa See-This is your typical Lisa See book which is not a bad thing! It’s another book that flips back and forth between current times and the past as well as different countries. It deals with the plight of an Asian girl both in the past and current times as well as the issue of cross-cultural adoption. Lisa See books are all very grand and cinematic and it’s easy to get lost in her descriptions of rural villages and rituals.
It’s Not All Downhill From Here-Terry McMillan-This is the latest gem from Terry Mcmillan and is a perfect summer beach read. The book deals with heavy issues in a fun and funny way-like you might with friends. This is a book about life but most notably it’s about female friendships and how they sustain women throughout our lives. It is very fast read because you don’t want to stop. I forced myself to ration and would only read a few chapters at a time. I still finished the book in about 4 days! Lots of fun!
First of all, I can’t believe it’s already August (it’s July when I’m typing this but August when it’s published). In spite of the pandemic and needing to be inside a lot, time continues to fly!
Any good reads? Share in the comments!
