Looking back, the theme of the books I read in May was relationship. I read about love during WWII, a marriage that ended just 9 days later, family secrets, broken families, emotions and grief. None of us are here alone, so it makes sense that most books are about some kind of relationship. Here are the books I read in May:
Set just after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Radar Girls tells the story of the women who helped run the radar stations in Hawaii during WWII. Daisy Wilder works on a ranch, but after losing the owner’s favorite horse, she takes a job at the radar station. Awkward at first, she finds a way to relate to and create relationships with the other females she works with. And, then there’s a boy … who flies planes … The book was a bit predictable, but I also learned a few things about life on Hawaii during the war. They still expected air raids at any time. Historical fiction lovers will enjoy Radar Girls.
Just when I thought I had guessed the plot to Apples Never Fall, the author surprised me – again. Joy Delaney has gone missing and her four grown children can’t get a straight answer out of their father as to where she has gone. The story looks more and more suspicious, especially when Joy and her husband recently had a stranger as a houseguest for weeks. Maybe that woman is behind the disappearance? Maybe the dad got angry? Maybe Joy is getting revenge for the times her husband just disappeared for hours or days at a time? You’ll have to read this thriller to find out.
The Echoes is the fourth book in Montgomery’s Kinship series. Sheriff Lily Ross has a murder and a missing child on her hands in this book set in the middle of Ohio shortly after Prohibition. She has to balance being a single mother and her sheriff duties, but the community pitches in to help her when needed. Some twists and turns make this an enjoyable mystery.
Nine days. That was all Elsie and Ben had as a married couple after only dating for six months. Forever, Interrupted tells the story of how they met and fell and love and how Elsie finds a way to move on. It takes her a long time, but her love for Ben was so deep. Forever, Interrupted was a heartbreaking story of how we need people to help us deal with grief.
April is trying to find her place in the world after being practically abandoned by both her mother (left when she was little) and her father (lives with his girlfriend instead of in motor home with daughter). After being pushed too far, she leaves town as a 16-year-old and lies to get a job in a new town. Just as she thought she could settle down there, her cover is almost blown and she leaves again – playing music where she stops for a bit and then moving on. It’s a story about the craving to find a place – and people – to call home. The People We Keep is bit predictable, but interesting.
The Reading List is a book aimed for people who love to read. The characters all find a reading list (the same one) and the book shows how the books they read help them in their real-life situations. There is a lot of sadness and grief in the book. While the idea for the plot was interesting, the characters felt a little too flat for me.
Lauren and Ryan have known each other since college and have been married almost a decade when they begin to despise one another. Rather than stay unhappy (or get counseling), they decide to split up for a year with absolutely no contact and they’re allowed to see other people. While the premise sounds a bit drastic, the book is about exploring what marriage is really all about and how we should see the people right in front of us. We should also be honest and know ourselves well enough to share our true self with others. After I Do is a good summer read.
Atlas of the Heart is a book that explores human emotions and tries to define them. Emotions are grouped together – about six – in each chapter and they are broken down in to how they show themselves in our lives. It’s an interesting read, but definitely geared toward someone interested in this subject instead of just a casual reader.
The Trial is on the list of books people should read with 1984, Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World. It’s set in a frightening future where a man can be accused and arrested of something and have to fight the charges without ever knowing what the charges are. Fighting tends to create ways to actually commit a crime and everything just seems to end in despair. It’s not a complete work as it was published after Kafka’s death, but you can get a definite sense of the story (and warning) he wanted to share.
I’ve always enjoyed reading Niequist’s books since she has a way of sharing her good and hard times in a way that you can relate. I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet is about her most recent years – moving to New York City, creating a new way of life, losing/gaining relationships and recovering from her father’s scandal. I don’t completely agree with her worldview, but I do appreciate her heart and having someone lead the way to being honest and open.
What did you read in May?
Please leave me a comment about a book you would recommend I read!
