April was a mixed bag for my reading list. I read listened to a really good audiobook and read three good non-fiction books. The rest of the books were either okay or I wouldn’t recommend them. I’m hoping May has better books in store for me. Here’s what I read in April:
Natalie thought she found love after being widowed, but he ended up being a con artist. After losing her belongings, she felt lost. The detective on the case and her best friend that she moved in with are the only two people keeping her sane. When she finally decides to move on with her life as it looks like the con will never be found, she remembers her husband owned a cabin in the Virginia forests. She moves there, but in keeping in touch with the detective, she realizes moving on also means opening up her heart. And Then There Was You is a sweet, clean romance, but a bit predictable.
I’ve read about all of DiCamillo’s books and have really enjoyed just about every one. Her latest book, Ferris, is a sweet children’s book about a girl named Ferris who is discovering the love stories in her life. She was born under the Ferris Wheel at the fair and during the summer before fifth grade, her grandmother sees a ghost and starts getting sick. Her uncle is living with them as his wife kicked him out. But, love is in the air as every story is a love story.
A true tale about a ship that wrecked and left its passengers shipwrecked on an island for more than 100 days, The Wager is a tale of adventure and intrigue. A group of ships sets off from England in search of the Spanish Galleon ship loaded with treasure. As they travel around the tip of South America, they encounter seas like they’ve never seen before. Ships disappear and The Wager is shipwrecked. More than 100 days pass before they get a boat together enough to leave, but by that time, there is mutiny, disease and starvation. Three separate groups make it back to England finally – all with different stories of what happened on the seas and during the shipwreck. This books aims to set the story straight.
So, I realized when I read the third book in the Beartown series that I had actually never read the second book (face palm!). I decided to read Us Against You to fill in the gaps I may have missed and to make sure I knew the nuances of the entire story. I still think the series is a great story, although about hard lessons. Hockey, loyalty, family, crime, “boys will be boys,” small towns, rivalry, child abuse, hard childhoods … it could be story set in any small town. (Book discusses hard themes.)
Sharing Too Much is Richard Paul Evans’ latest book. It’s a collection of short stories and essays about his life. It’s a quick and easy read, but also inspiring. We all have stories to tell about our lives and when we share them with each other, we can connect and empathize. Fans of Evans will really enjoy this book.
There’s a gang of women thieves in London, and their leader, Diamond Annie, has big plans for the group. However, not everyone in the group is as dedicated as her and gets distracted easily by the men in their lives. Even Annie takes in an orphan runaway, but then chides herself for getting too soft. As they plan their biggest heist, one of London’s few female inspectors is on their tails. When having a conscious and soul can be a downfall, can Annie find a way to succeed? Queens of London is an interesting story told from the villian’s point of view.
Elon Musk is a fascinating biography about a man who is currently influencing our world in great ways. The book reveals his difficult childhood with an emotionally abusive father, his roller coaster relationships and friendships and his wildly swinging moods. However, his mother even recognized his genius at an early age. I learned a lot about the man behind SpaceX, Twitter and Tesla.
The Wharton Plot is based on a true story and I think the author tried to make it more non-fictional than fictional. Edith Wharton is an author struggling to write her next great book. She meets David Graham Phillips, a fellow author, just days before he is murdered. He has a novel set to publish soon and she is asked to read and assess it. He is known for pushing boundaries, but she is known for not loving her own husband. The book tries to approach some non-moral themes without really talking about them. She solves the murder in the end, but the book wasn’t very exciting.
I wanted to enjoy this book, but I didn’t. Some characters in Hello Beautiful are vivid and then others feel very stiff. The story focuses on four sisters and their lifelong relationships. After their father dies, their mother moves to Florida (they’re all adults), but it rocks their world. Their mother wouldn’t talk to one daughter anymore because she had a child out of wedlock. After she leaves, the oldest sister has a child which forces her husband to face his dark past. Then, family lines get really messy. The book has one sister come out as a lesbian and also has some very anti-religion themes and deals with a suicide attempt. I wouldn’t recommend it.
