Happy Monday, my friends! What a weekend. Between Lila’s appointment at the vet (she did beautifully!), baby snuggles, catching up with Lisa over lunch, a reading date with a friend, and a birthday party for my nephew, it was quite a busy weekend. So it goes! 🙂 It was a weekend that really filled me up, though, so that’s always wonderful.
I finished four books last week, what! Two romances, one audiobook, and a long character-driven novel. All were wonderful, so let’s dive into the reviews:
Books Finished
Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren (★★★★☆) – I loved this contemporary romance, mostly because the majority of the book took place on a film set and I found that setting to be fascinating! Twelve years ago, Tate was betrayed by Sam, a boy she met during a trip to London after graduating high school. They fell in love during that trip… until he sold her story (about how she’s the daughter of a legendary actor) to the gossip rags. In the ensuing years, Tate became a household name in the entertainment business, starring in TV shows and movies. She’s ready to start filming her next movie… until she finds out that the screenwriter is Sam. It’s a beautiful story about second chances, the power of family, and trust.
A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson (★★★★☆) – This was an inventive thriller that’s told in three parts. In Part I, we get the point-of-view of the father whose 18-year-old daughter has just been accused of murder. In Part II, we get the point-of-view of the daughter while she’s in prison awaiting her trial. And in Part III, we get the point-of-view of the mother during the trial. I enjoyed all three sections equally, although I felt like Part III was the weakest and I wanted more showing, less telling. But definitely add this one to your list if you love a good family drama/thriller!
This Must Be the Place by Maggie O’Farrell (★★★★☆) – Man, I really loved this novel! It wasn’t what I was expecting at all, following the lives of two people—Claudette, a reclusive movie star, and her husband, Daniel. Together, Claudette and Daniel have two young children. Claudette also has an older son from a previous relationship while Daniel has two older kids from his first marriage that he hasn’t seen in years. The novel is essentially a series of vignettes with different protagonists, sometimes Claudette or Daniel, sometimes one of their children, and sometimes a completely random person (like Claudette’s assistant), but all with the centering focus of describing who Claudette and Daniel are, both together and separate. It is a character-driven novel, which isn’t typically my favorite, but I found myself able to sink into this story and fall in love with these incredibly flawed people. The writing was phenomenal, too, and I’m so excited to read more of O’Farrell’s work!
Good Guy by Kate Meader (★★★★☆) – I loved this book, especially the way it dug into misogyny and sexism in pro sports. The novel follows Jordan who is a sports reporter and podcaster who finally gets her big break—interviewing the “oldest rookie in the league,” Levi Hunt. Hunt has joined the Chicago Rebels, a pro hockey team, after a stint in the military, and he was deployed with Jordan’s husband, who died overseas, so there’s an extra-special connection there. It was a fun read but also an impactful one because misogyny in pro sports is a real issue and I’m glad Meader explored it in this book.
What I’m Reading Now
I’m currently listening to the audiobook of How the Light Gets In, the ninth book in Louise Penny’s incredible Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. We’re back in Three Pines in this book and it’s so lovely to be reunited with my favorite characters.
Last night, I started Black Man in a White Coat: A Doctor’s Reflections on Race and Medicine by Damon Tweedy, MD. I’m only about a chapter in so I don’t have much to say about it right now, but I imagine it will be a really eye-opening read. And since I know I’ll probably need to take some breaks with that book, I’m going to pick up Under Fire by Scarlett Cole sometime this week. It’s romantic suspense and I’ve really loved Cole’s other novels so I have high hopes for this one.
What are you reading?
I’m glad you enjoyed “This Must be the Place” – that was a really unique novel but I also really really enjoyed it. I think it was one of my favorite books the year I read it!
I finished “Conversations with Friends” by Sally Rooney. I was not a fan. I should have given up on the book probably but after liking Normal People so much I felt like I needed to read the whole book in case it got better. Now I am reading “The Bookish Life of Nina Hill” which is a nice light read after a darker novel! On deck is “My Glory was I Had Such Friends” which is a memoir by a woman who needs a heart transplant. She has to move to CA for 9 months or something like that and a bunch of her friends take turns helping her/taking care of her. It was recommended somewhere – I can’t remember where, though! I need to be better about keeping notes on where recommendations come from!
Aww, I am glad you had such a good weekend and that Lila did so well!
The character driven novel sounds right up my alley! Twice in a Blue Moon sounds really fun, too.
I am reading the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I am liking it but feeling impatient with how slowly I am reading it.