I have been on a roll knocking books off my list. I had a little issue with requesting a lot of books from the library and then they all came at the same time. After $6.20 in late fees, I’m happy to report that I cleaned up a big chunk of that in the last two months. And now I have quite a few to share with you.
Books I Wouldn’t Recommend
My Year of Rest & Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh (Amazon/Goodreads)
I know lots of people were into this book, but it was not my thing. It was just a little too depressing for me.
Books I Liked
The three books in this category were similar for me. The stories were good, the characters were interesting and I read them pretty quickly. They were all 3 or 4 stars for me and I would recommend any of them if you were looking for something to read, but there wasn’t anything that was extremely moving that stayed with me after I returned them to the library.
The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine (Amazon/Goodreads)
Other People’s Houses by Abbi Waxman (Amazon/Goodreads)
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena (Amazon/Goodreads)
The Ones I Loved
Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Penelope Bagieu (Amazon/Goodreads)
Buy this book and then gift it to people. It shares the stories of badass women in different comic strips/graphic novel style. It’s awesome. I will be gifting this to a few people this holiday season. Plus, it’s only $12 on this website.
Us Against You by Fredrick Backman (Amazon/Goodreads)
This is a sequel and it’s a good idea to read Beartown first. I didn’t love it as much as Beartown, but I loved learning what happened next for the characters. I love hockey, so maybe that adds to my love for this story, but I would definitely recommend Beartown and then this one if you liked the first. I also wonder if the relevance with what is happening in the news to this stories description of dealing with the aftermath of rape is one of the reasons I rated it like I did. It will stay with me.
Still Me by JoJo Moyes (Amazon/Goodreads)
Another sequel, but worth it. I love JoJo Moyes. This book takes Louisa’s story from England to the Upper East Side in New York. Her description of the city when she first moved had me a little emotional. It was just the book I needed after some heavier books. If you’ve been a fan in the past, I don’t think this one will let you down.
How to Walk Away by Katherine Center (Amazon/Goodreads)
I started this book on Saturday morning at 8:30 and closed it before noon. It’s a story about a woman that experiences something life altering and then how she heals afterwards. There is love, family drama, humor and I thought it was just wonderful. I wish I could remember where I learned about this book because I would have sent a thank you – it was just what I needed on a rainy Saturday morning.
That rounds up this volume of the Bookshelf. Like always, I’m linking up with my favorite book lovers – Steph & Jana. Go visit them for a whole bunch of books to add to your list.
