May 2022 was a strong reading month for me. While I did finally wind up with the dreaded Covid virus, I actually did not read very much that week until I started feeling better. But my reading time before and after that week was fairly active, especially at night. My selections were strong and I loved many of them. Two were even on my 2022 Goals and Hopefuls list. I did have two 5🍷 books and a few in the 4 range. Overall I completed 13 books and had one that I abandoned.
Lessons in Chemistry – Bonnie Garmus
Excellent!
I do get nervous to read a book with SO MUCH HYPE, but Lessons in Chemistry did not disappoint. Truth be told, I passed this one over when I first read the blurb a bit ago but I had to pick it up when I saw so many 5 ⭐️ reviews from my reading friends. I am so glad I did. Elizabeth Zott is a quirky chemist ahead of her time. Calvin is a prickly, lonely, award winning scientist that loves Elizabeth’s brilliant mind. Six-thirty is the best dog character I have ever read. Life takes an unexpected turn and Elizabeth finds herself as a single mom and the star of a cooking show that is about much more than cooking. Just read it. That is all.
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When Breath Becomes Air – Paul Kalanithi
This was an incredibly difficult memoir to read. Paul Kalanithi is a neurosurgeon in the making, until he is diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. He tells his story mostly as he is going through it – and it is about so much more than being terminally ill. On one day he is a doctor about to complete his many years of training and the next he is the patient. It is a love story of a not always easy relationship (which ones are?!?) and how everything they had hoped for changes in the blink of an eye. Poignant, deep and soul searching, this book touched me in every way.
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The Lies I Tell – Julie Clark
There is something special about a book written by Julie Clark. She expertly crafts strong female characters and makes you fall a little in love with them and cheer for them, even those with some major flaws. Meg is a con artist and she’s come back to Cali for revenge. Kat is the reporter that is determined to figure it all out and cover the story. Back and forth, back and forth, the chapters alternate perspective and it was very entertaining to see it all unfold from both of their points of view. There is a bit of time hopping as well and it all flowed quite nicely. Well done, Ms Clark.
There are some triggers in the book, so beware of that. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. The Lies I Tell will be available on 6/21/22.
🍷🍷🍷🍷1/2
Book Lovers – Emily Henry
Her wittiest yet. Such a smart, witty writer. And if you like banter, just go get this one right now. I think there were a few parts that she could tone it down the teeniest bit but overall, a pleasure to read. Nora Stephens is devoted to her career as a literary agent, but she is also devoted to her sister. Sometimes her unwavering devotion to her sister has gotten in the way of her career and life choices. She and her sister, Libby, set off on a month long adventure to Sunshine Falls, NC where she bumps into book editor Charlie from NY. Queue the banter x 10. This is a fun read about relationships of all sorts – professional, family, love and friends. The icing on the cake was for me was everything involving books and a strong female character that loves her professional industry.
🍷🍷🍷🍷1/2
The Change – Kirsten Miller
This one is somewhere between a 4 and a 5 – There are many parts that are worthy of a 5. In general, witches, witchiness and magical realism aren’t my vibe – for that to be such a large part of this book and for me to still say a 4+, it may be a 5 for you. Ultimately the length and amount of times I had to remind myself to “just go with it” kept it in the 4 range for me. Great book, great distraction. It also made me reconsider my garden.
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This Time Tomorrow – Emma Straub
Somewhat like the witchy world above, time travel isn’t always my thing. This one did work for me though, and I am sure traveling back to NYC in the 90’s is a huge reason why. I loved the NYC references, the setting absolutely made this book work for me. Being familiar with Manhattan, I ate up the location and the love for it 100%. Alice is about to turn 40 and much of her life is good but she gets to see it through different eyes as she travels back to her 16th birthday. I was deeply touched by her relationship with her father.
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One Italian Summer – Rebecca Searle
A very quick read with an amazing setting, which was what I enjoyed the most. I could not connect with Katy at all and found her completely unlikeable. It is hard to describe this one without giving it away but for reasons other books did work for me this month, this one did not quite as much at all. The one thing I could relate to was the grief that Katy experiences, setting her on a path of questionable choices. She takes off to Italy, a trip she had planned to go on with her beloved mother who had spent time there in her younger years. As soon as she arrives, she feels her mother’s presence amongst the senses overload of wonderful food, ocean, sights and people. It’s a beautiful setting for a story that fell a bit short to make it a higher ranking.
🍷🍷🍷1/2
One of Us is Dead – Jeneva Rose
I was browsing the Audible Plus catalog for free offerings to supplement my audio books this month and this popped out at me. I had seen some recent reviews from my other book friends so I knew it was a more recent release. We quickly learn that this will be the story of a friendship circle that resembles a soap opera. We’ve got money and lot of it, affairs, secrets, social clubs, and a hair salon where it all comes together. This one was mildly entertaining but in the end I didn’t really care enough what happened. Jenny was really the only character that I enjoyed.
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Can’t Look Away – Carola Lovering
This is a tougher one for me to review and summarize. I went into this thinking it was a thriller or mystery. It is most definitely not either. I would classify it more as a psycho-crazy drama. The first third of the book did suck me in and was the part I did like the most but I never got invested enough after that due to the path it was going down. Sometimes I seem to be able to completely engage in totally cray-cray, but this time it didn’t work for me as much as I expected as the story progressed. Molly and Jake are head over heels – Molly is an aspiring novelist getting her MFA and Jake is a singer in a band on the eve of becoming a star. We have to mention Sisi – Jake’s Ex that he left before Molly / for Molly. The difference of the reason is perception vs. reality. I did consider putting this one down a few times but like the title, I “Can’t Look Away”. Very good marketing on the team’s part there as it was a bit of train wreck but I did want to see how it wrapped up. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy in exchange for my honest option. Can’t Look Away will be available on 6/14/2022.
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Local Gone Missing – Fiona Barton
This is my 3rd Barton book, and again, it was just ok for me. I found the story line confusing and chaotic, coupled with too many characters. I enjoyed the first half more than the second half of the book.
The story takes place in a small seaside town that is made up of locals and weekenders. Elise is a detective, a local, that has been on a leave due to serious illness. She begins investigating a man’s disappearance. There is also a housecleaner that seems to know all as she roams around often forgotten.
I know that Barton is a very well liked author but I am starting to think this is a case of, it’s not you, it is me. I just don’t think we are a match with her style of writing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Local Gone Missing with be available on 6/14/2022.
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Greenwich Park – Katherine Faulkner
I had high hopes for Greenwich Park after reading multiple early reviews. Helen seems to feel very sorry for herself, yet she seems to have it all. She winds up in her prenatal class alone and meets Rachel and then bumps into her soon afterwards. It is immediately obvious that Rachel wants to be Helen’s friend and there has to be ulterior motives. Helen seems to be the only one oblivious to that. It was very hard to get invested in this book. It was chaotic, unrealistic and completely predictable. I did keep reading to see what happened.
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Last Breath – Karen Slaughter
This was my first completed Karen Slaughter book and I didn’t realize that it was a short Prequel to an earlier book. I probably should have read The Good Daughter first, but that was probably ok. Charlie Quinn is a lawyer and is drawn into to help teenage Flora Faulkner. It al felt too set up from the get-go and I never felt overly invested in the current story. I do want to now continue to read The Good Daughter and see how it all ties together. I did listen to Last Breath as part of the Audible Plus free catalog.
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The Woman In The Library – Sulari Gentill
This book didn’t really work for me. At first I had vibes from “The Plot” as it is a story within a story. However I quickly derailed from the similarities as this one completely confused me and left me scratching my head multiple times. I never felt it completely come together on various fronts. I had high hopes as reading about a murder mystery in the Boston Public Library sounded fantastic but ultimately it fell flat for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion. The Woman in the Library will be available on 6/7/2022.
🍷🍷1/2
DNF – Paper Wife: A Novel – I don’t often write about my DNFs but in this case I will. Putting this one down was likely much more due to timing. It became evident very quickly this would be a devastatingly unhappy book. I just decided it wasn’t what I needed right now. I may come back to it at a later time.
Book of the Month: Lessons in Chemistry – Bonnie Garmus
