I am late as usual posting my monthly round up but here we go! July reading for me was really pretty great! Summer reading is in full swing over here. I read some fun titles, some sweeping family dramas and also a nonfiction gem on civic engagement. I definitely need to get back to picking a few titles from my 2024 reading goals list, but perhaps I will get a few of them in during August. I did cross one off though! Here are the books that I read in July.
Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives – Sami Sage & Emily Amick
I was familiar with Amick and Sage prior to this book release (@emilyinyourphone and @sami on Insta – I follow both on my personal Insta page of @Lscheer) and I was excited to get my hot little hands on it. This book is completely aimed at the feeling of hopelessness many Americans have felt and feel, that our political landscape is an absolute $hitstorm and they just don’t know what to do about it. It is filled with actionable items for everyone to learn about the system, find engagement opportunities to match your interests/values and feel like you too can make a difference. I would recommend that you also get your hot little hands on it pronto and find ways to break through the dismal polarization in your own circles. This is a gem. Note – I would go with the physical copy this time instead of audio book and ebook. There are a variety of workbook type exercises designed to help you identify your core values and find your passions that will lead to personally meaningful civic engagement. This book has helped me identify 2 new ways for my own civic engagement that I am starting immediately and a few others I am considering and looking into.
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The Wedding People – Alison Espach
This book is really hard to review for me. In the end, it was really good, great actually – however the beginning and premise rubbed me so wrong that it took me a bit to get past that and I came close to putting it down.
Phoebe arrives at a Newport, RI mansion inn dressed to impress to end her life just as Lila’s wedding guests have descended upon the inn for her 6 day wedding event. Phoebe has dreamt of visiting this inn with her now ex-husband and takes it upon herself to choreograph this ending of her life. Lila is not at all happy she is there, everyone was supposed to be with her wedding party and how in the heck did Phoebe get the best suite? Phoebe spills the beans on why she is here (I really am not spoiling anything, this is all in the first pages of the book) and Lila is even more annoyed that this too will spoil her wedding. This premise is what almost caused me to stop reading. I was disturbed about the somewhat flippant discussion of suicide and that once Phoebe told Lila, she did nothing to stop her immediately.
However, continue I did and my gosh, this book is wonderful. Phoebe starts to mix in with the wedding people as she and Lila develop a comical yet very sweet friendship and Espach’s writing shines. The absolute tongue in cheek mockery of today’s wedding industry made me laugh repeatedly with gathering after gathering and complete understanding of the money pit in which it has become. The tender relationship that develops between Phoebe and Juice, the groom’s daughter, was a lovely welcome surprise and shows Espach’s versatile understanding of characters.
Please don’t miss the afterword either, it was moving.
Favorite quote – “Nobody can take care of you the way you need to take care of yourself. It’s your job to take care of yourself like that.”
Upon reflection, I still think the abrupt start of the book was just a bit too shiny, if that makes sense? I do understand it a bit better now but I almost missed out on a gem due to that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Co for an advanced copy in exchange of my honest opinion. The Wedding People is now available.
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The Best Lies – David Ellis
I first discovered Ellis in 2022 with Look Closer and loved it, a favorite for me that year. I was excited to receive an ARC of his latest, The Best Lies, and it did not disappoint. We meet Leo Balanoff, a pathologic liar who is quite a character. I found his inner dialogue often laugh-literally-out-loud funny and appreciated the thought that went into developing his personality. Leo is an attorney with many secrets and will often do whatever it takes for his clients and himself to make things right. He gets very tied up when a drug dealer is murdered and there is overwhelming evidence to arrest Leo for the crime. And then we go on a very big ride from there. Ellis is so witty and so smart – in fact I would say perhaps one of the smartest crime writers out there today. And it’s no wonder, he is a judge in the Illinois Appellate Court. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the twists and turns in The Best Lies and while I did have an early inkling where it was going, I didn’t fully commit to it so he still got me by the end. I hope you enjoy Leo as much as I did.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion. The Best Lies will be out on 8/23/24.
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The Lion Women of Tehran – Marjan Kamali
I was pretty engrossed in this story of Ellie and Homa throughout their childhood in Iran. Ellie is from a wealthy family but when her father dies she and her mother must move “downtown” to continue to live on their own. She is enrolled in school and meets Homa who is not shy and brave with a very different upbringing. The Iranian culture and beliefs regard jealousy and the evil eye are very much in play as they grow into ambitious young women. In their college years Homa gets very involved in political protests and it effects the trajectory of their lives greatly. I love reading historical fiction and learning about different places and different times. While I was quite familiar with some of Iran’s history, this dove so deeply into pre-1979 and post and it was woven seamlessly into the story. It was an excellent reminder of how fragile freedom is. I have also read The Stationery Shop by Kamali and enjoyed that as well. The Lion Women of Tehran is now available.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advance e-copy in exchange for my review. The Lion Women on Tehran is now available.
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Real Americans – Rachel Khong
I started Real Americans blind, I didn’t read any of the reviews in depth nor the summaries. I knew it had been popular, but had no idea what to expect- content wise. But I was expecting something really great. This is a generational story of Lily, Mei and Nick, a family of Chinese descent. There is a large science theme here that I had no idea about and did enjoy. We visit Lily’s life as she meets and falls in love with Matthew, a wealthy heir to a pharmaceutical empire. We spend time with Nick at the end of his high school years and into college and beyond. Mei’s story is mostly a recount of what happened in the past and the choices she made as she began her career in China amidst a revolution, fled and began anew in America.
I did really like the book overall but I think with all of the hype, I expected a little more. Khong captured the culture of growing up Chinese American and there was so much – the food, language, culture, secrecy, racism, and much more. But even with that, I felt like she scratched the surface and I wanted even more. I felt very similar on other topics such as the science and gene therapy, I was surprised we didn’t dive even deeper here. I even was longing for more on the betrayal and forgiveness front. I definitely strongly liked the book, but it did fall short of becoming a top read of the year.
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Solito – Javier Zamora
Zamora’s memoir, Solito is the story of his month’s long experience of migrating to the U.S. from El Salvador. Told from his childhood perspective, there is a lot of very deep child-like description, and of course there is – because he was a child – 9 years old! I had to repeatedly remind myself of that as every detail passed upon the page -this boy is nine! It was a difficult read and discussing it with my bookclub after did prove interesting to hear other’s perspective. I do plan to do a little research to find out what Javier Zamora is up to today.
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Mary Jane – Jessica Anya Blau
Mary Jane was my own pick for one of my book clubs and I did enjoy it – but geez – 14 year old Mary Jane sure had some really odd/terrible parents! It’s the 1970’s and she lands a job as a summer nanny with the family of a Dr – a “respectable job” according to her mother. The family turns out to be quite eclectic & filled with clutter of many kinds and the Dr is a psychiatrist that has allowed a rock star and his wife to move in with him to help him overcome his addictions. Mary Jane falls in love with them and it’s mutual. A mostly delightful coming of age story (minus her parents).
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Sylvia’s Second Act – Hillary Yablon
Sylvia’s Second Act was a lighter palette cleanser that I enjoyed on audio throughout a few days of driving and cleaning my house. The narration was excellent and added to the story. Sylvia has walked in on her husband cheating on her with a woman she can’t stand and she’s had enough. She’s off to start her next chapter in NYC with her best friend Evie. I found both of their characters charming and lovable and really enjoyed how this one came together.
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Worst Case Scenario – T.J. Newman
Worst Case Scenario is another nail-biting page turner by once flight attendant T.J. Newman. The difference here is I felt like she has fallen in the trap now of writing for the screen and movie-goer instead of the book reader and this may be a rare case of the movie will probably be better than the book. There is no lack of action but it was just too much thrown at me all at the same time. Is that how a disaster like this would unfold – too much? Yes, of course. But it just didn’t really work that well for me on the page. I found myself skimming chunks at a time trying to find the meat of the story. There was a story buried in the rubble and an underlying theme of community but I know I will enjoy the movie more than the book. While the main story here was on the ground after the plane falls from the sky, I hope Newman considers a bit more straying from the topic she has started her writing career with. If you are a very focused disaster genre reader, you will likely enjoy this one more than I did. Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Worst Case Scenario will be available on 8/13/23.
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House of Glass – Sarah Plekkanen
This one was not for me. Stella is an attorney that determines the best interest of a child in a case of divorce. Still haunted by her own childhood and a bit of a mess due to her own divorce, she is thrust into a case involving a girl, Rose, who has witnessed the murder of her nanny – but she’s now mute and now sharing anything. Did one of her parents kill her? Or did Rose do it? Rose is odd in many ways including her obsession with collecting sharp items of glass. There is just so much going on here that it was a bit too much for me. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my review. House of Glass is now available.
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