Happy Monday! I am really happy with my decision to read based on my mood. I really love not being tied to my TBR list and just picking a book that feels good to read in the moment. Who knows—maybe this will become my new way of reading! Ah, no need to make decisions about that just yet. 😉 All I know is that it’s working for now. Exciting! Last week, I finished three books and one of them might be the best celebrity memoir I’ve ever read. Ooh!
Books Finished
A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams (★★★★☆)
One-sentence synopsis: It’s the summer of 1938 and Lily is spending it at the beach with her family, but things get much more complicated when her former best friend and former fiance—now married to each other—arrive.
I really, really enjoyed this novel! It was a delight from start to finish. Beatriz Williams really knows how to write the 1930s socialite scene so, so well. The novel culminates with a cataclysmic hurricane that adds another layer of drama to an already-dramatic story, but it raised the stakes in an interesting way. A great read if you’re looking to take your mind off things, and since it was published in 2013, you may be able to download it from Libby right away!
Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann (★★☆☆☆)
One-sentence synopsis: After Alice tells her girlfriend that she is asexual, her girlfriend dumps her, causing Alice to wonder if she’ll ever find true, lasting, romantic love.
Asexuality isn’t something we get to read about in books, especially with a main character, so I had high hopes for this novel. Unfortunately, it didn’t really meet my expectations. I found Alice to be almost childlike in her approach to romance, which does a disservice to the representation of the Ace lifestyle. I was also horrified at the toxic friendship between Alice and her best friend, Feenie. The friendship was billed as being a “soulmate” kind of friendship, but it felt unhealthy and unrealistic and damaging. Meh. Not a book I’d recommend, unfortunately.
We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union (★★★★★)
One-sentence synopsis: Actress and activist Gabrielle Union pens essays about her life in Hollywood, her marriage to Dwyane Wade, her life as a Black woman, and much more.
I think I might have a new favorite celebrity memoir! Gabrielle Union has always been one of those actresses I know of, but don’t really know about. I remember her iconic role in Bring It On… but couldn’t really tell you what she’s done since then. (Which is my own whiteness showing.) In this essay collection, Union gets real about her life both as a young Black woman growing up in Omaha and as a Black actress trying to make it in Hollywood. The title is perfect because it truly did feel like sitting down with a glass of wine to hear stories from a girlfriend. Gabrielle is brutally honest in this memoir, especially about sexual assault (she was raped when she was 19) and the macro and microaggressions she has endured as a Black woman. I found Gabrielle’s voice to be fresh and sharp and funny, and I really hope she writes more essay collections because this one was truly a standout.
What I’m Reading This Week
Time for another Anna Karenina update. I’m a little more than halfway through this tome and I’m really enjoying it. There are definitely sections that are kinda boring to me and I slog through them, but then things get exciting again (like scenes with Anna and Vronsky! And Kitty and Levin! <3). I love the honest way relationships are written in this novel.
In other reading updates, I started The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid yesterday. I’m reading this to fulfill May’s challenge for the 2020 Unread Shelf Project, which is to read a backlist title. I am a TJR superfan, so I can’t believe I’ve yet to read this book but I’m about 60 pages in and loving it.
I’m also reading Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn, a contemporary romance set in NYC. At times, the pace of the novel is slow and a little boring, which aren’t two adjectives I’m normally use for romance novels, but not so much that I’m not invested in the lives of the characters. I’m willing to see how it all plays out!
What are you reading?
I heard about Love Lettering on the Sarah’s Book Shelves Live episode from last week and was going to ask if you listened to that episode! Too bad it’s a little slow. I hope it gets better! I wanted to know what the little hidden details are she put in when she knew the guy’s marriage wouldn’t last.
A Hundred Summers sounds good! And yay for being available on LIbby! I’ve had some weird experiences with LIbby lately where a current book comes in but I can only read it on my phone 🙁 No Kindle version available. Has that happened to you?
I need to read We’re Gonna Need More Wine! I love memoirs and haven’t read many this year.
I am reading From Sand and Ash.
I am glad you are liking The Seven Husbands. That was my book club pick a year or 2 ago and everyone really liked it. TJR is such a great author! I’ll read anything by her!
I’ve been wanting to check out “We’re going to need more wine.” I need to add that to my request list at the library!
I finished Mrs. Kennedy and Me, which I loved! I am a huge fan of Jackie Kennedy so I loved reading a memoir about her time in the White House, written by her secret service detail. Next I started “The Names They Gave Us.” I was recommended on the “From the Front Porch” podcast, which is hosted by a bookshop owner in GA. My reading tastes are similar to hers so when she raves about a book, I check it out. I was happy to see this was available for immediate download. It’s probably YA as it’s about a 17-yo girl whose mom has breast cancer. She spends the summer as a camp counselor for kids going through difficult things. So there are some heavy aspects but I love reading about a camp setting. It’s been a fast read for me so far! Next I am going to read “Know My Name” by Channel Miller. She was the victum of the high profile rape case that involved a college swimmer. I know that is going to be a heavier read so that’s why I decided to read this camp book first!
I will be interested to see what you think of Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in the end. I’ve seen a lot of folks rave about it but for some reason, I just have not picked it up. Also, confession: I have never read a TJR book. I KNOW.
I’m currently reading Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman. I’m about 100 pages in and so far, I’m really enjoying it. That said, I really, really love his writing in general, so I’m not surprised.
I read Let’s Talk About Love for my Forever YA book club last year and gave it 3 stars. I thought it was pretty good, but definitely agree that the childish personality seemed a little off. All in all, I thought it was cute but not a favorite.