Happy Monday, friends, and welcome to a brand-new series I’m starting on this blog. For a while now I’ve been reading at a crazy pace, finishing 2-3 books a week, and I thought it might be interesting to track my reads in real-time, rather than recapping everything at the end of the month. I’m not sure if I’ll continue the monthly book reviews (feels like that might be overkill!), but we’ll see.
With this series, I’m going to recap the books I finished over the past week with a few thoughts on the books, and then discuss the titles I’m reading or going to start reading this week. Hopefully, it’ll also give you a little glimpse into how I choose what I’m going to read next, too.
Books Finished
Title: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
Author: Gail Honeyman
Published: 2017
Reason for reading: Work book club
Rating: ★★★★☆
Format: Hardcover (from Book of the Month <– referral link)
Oh, this book was utterly charming and everything I needed after reading something heavy and emotionally devastating. It follows the story of Eleanor Oliphant, a quirky woman in her thirties who lives a very solitary life. She’s worked at the same job for eight years, lives alone, and doesn’t venture out very much. But when she meets the new IT guy at her work, a bumbling man named Raymond, her world opens up a bit and she starts to realize what life truly means when you have friends. It took me about 100-150 pages to truly fall into the story, but that wasn’t because the beginning was a slog or anything. I think the author just had to introduce the reader into Eleanor’s world and it took a bit to really know her and understand her. But once I did, I was completely captivated by her and wanted her to have all of the happiness. A truly feel-good story that may have you hugging your book to your chest when you finish like I did. (Add to Goodreads.)
Title: I Found You
Author: Lisa Jewell
Published: 2017
Reason for reading: For fun!
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Format: Library audiobook
Listen to this premise: a woman living in Yorkshire, England finds a man sitting on the beach outside her house with no memory of who he is or how he got there. Meanwhile, nearly 200 miles south, in Surrey, another woman has reported her husband of three weeks missing after he fails to come home. And that’s when she discovers that the man she thought was her husband never even existed. Crazy, right? And it was! It was really insane to figure out how everything was going to connect, and the story definitely took a turn I wasn’t expecting. Why did I give it 3 stars, then? I think it was just the slow pace of the novel – I definitely prefer my thrillers to be fast-paced – and the way everything was revealed in the end. I also found some of the characters supremely unlikable, but that’s to be expected from a thriller. (Add to Goodreads.)
Title: The Wedding Date
Author: Jasmine Guillory
Published: 2018
Reason for reading: Book club
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Format: Paperback
I had really high hopes for this romance, thinking it might be similar in style and tone to The Hating Game, which is my all-time favorite romance novel. Alas, it did not live up to my expectations. It was really apparent to me that this was the author’s debut novel, and I found most of the novel to be more “tell” than “show.” I also never really fully connected with the characters and didn’t think they were fully fleshed out. If you love romances, give it a try (just be prepared for cheesy language!), but if you’re not so keen on them, I’d steer clear. (Add to Goodreads.)
What I’m Reading This Week
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, which I’m reading to fulfill my yearly goal of reading four classic novels. I never read this one back in high school or college, but so many people rave about it so I have high hopes. I’m a little over 100 pages in right now and I must admit, I’m finding it to be a bit of a slog. Hoping it picks up soon!
- Holiday in the Hamptons by Sarah Morgan, which I’m reading simultaneously with A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. (How I do this: I read about 50ish pages of ATGiB and then switch over to the romance and read about 100 pages, then go back to ATGiB.)
- Nobody But You by Jill Shalvis, which I’ll start once I finish Holiday in the Hamptons.
What are you reading this week?
Oh I hope you enjoy A Tree Grows in Brooklyn! I listened to it via audiobook which may have helped me get through some of the slower parts.
It’s probably completely captivating on audiobook! I’m nearly finished with it and I’ll be sad to leave Francie’s world. There’s something so lovely about this novel.
I was pleasantly surprised by “Eleanor Oliphant”…. so glad you liked it too.
And I can’t wait to hear what you think of “A tree grows in Brookline”. I thought it was fantastic.
Eleanor Oliphant was so lovely and heartwarming. Her character just hit me right in the feels!
I just finished before we were yours which is the first book I have read since Paul was born. Hopefully I can fit more reading in as we adjust to being parents. The book was pretty good but not great. I found it easy to put down. But that might be the stage of life I am in right now and not the book itself.
I want to read Eleanor Oliphant!
Ooh, yes. It might be good to read some lighter fiction for the time being, stuff that doesn’t require too much of your concentration and is easy to dip in and out of! I’m impressed that you’ve already finished a novel after having Paul!
I think we already talked about this on social media, but I loved Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, too. It definitely took some time to get into the book and I spent the first 100 pages wondering why everyone was so obsessed with it, but the way it ended was so wonderful.