I read 15 books in June. The books I read were:
1. The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy
2. After the Eclipse by Fran Dorricott
3. The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
4. The Liar's Child by Carla Buckley
5. Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand
6. The Better Sister by Alafair Burke
7. There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon
8. Meet Cute by Helena Hunting
9. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
10. Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan
11. The Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine
12. Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
13. The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth
14. Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center
15. Her Daughter's Mother by Daniela Petrova
The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy - I was quickly engaged in this book within the first chapter. I enjoyed reading about all of the different characters. They all were likable and good characters with various secrets that they were hiding. I liked how we alternated perspectives and got insight into these various characters as they began motherhood for the first time.
After the Eclipse by Fran Dorricott - This was an amazing book that also hurt to read at times. While officially a mystery/thriller, it was also an emotional contemporary read. Every character was well-drawn and it delved deeply into their feelings. I cared greatly for so many of them, especially the main character Cassie. Throughout much of the book, the emotional pain that she felt was palpable, and she was a character that I really wanted to give a hug to. This was an emotionally poignant read that I highly recommend and can see myself rereading in the future.
The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand - This is my third Elin Hilderbrand book that I've read. She does a good job weaving the stories of many different characters together. I never would have guessed how many secrets the family members and members of this wedding party could possibly be hiding. I liked getting to know all of the various characters involved in this wedding.
The Liar's Child by Carla Buckley - This was an interesting book. I would have liked more closure at the end of the book since some ends were left loose. I didn't really like most of the characters in this book or feel any strong attachment to them. I would have liked to have cared about them more. But overall, it was still a fast-paced and interesting read.
Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand - This is my 4th Elin Hilderbrand book and possibly my favorite of hers that I've read so far. This was a lovely story set in the summer of 1969 as you can guess from the title. I loved most of the characters and enjoyed following their various plotlines and uncovering any secrets that they were keeping.
The Better Sister by Alafair Burke - This was a stellar mystery with interesting character relationships that kept me guessing. I especially liked reading about the sister relationship. The premise of a sister who married her sister's ex-husband was a unique one definitely.
There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon - After enjoying both When Dimple Met Rishi and From Twinkle, With Love, I was excited to read Menon's next book. And this was just as cute as the first two, and possibly my favorite of her books so far, though I would have to revisit the others to be sure. Ashish and Sweetie were a really cute couple and I loved the development of their relationship and how supportive they were of each other.
Meet Cute by Helena Hunting - I loved this book a whole lot and sped through it in less than a day. This book had a lot of emotion and heart and was perhaps a bit more sad than I expected. I think my favorite part of the story, despite it also being an adorable romance, may have been the relationship that Dax had with his sister Emme and the relationship that Kailyn built with her too.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren - This had a fun setup and was a cute read. I loved the idea of the maid of honor and best man who didn't like each other having to go on a fake honeymoon. It is the type of setup when you know the two characters will end up together, but the journey to getting there is fun. That being said, there was some stuff near the end that I didn't like, especially with some things Ethan's character said. But I still liked the book overall.
Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan - This book was cute and fun with some serious stuff sprinkled in. I felt a bit bad for Seeley who was always getting dragged into Elouise's schemes. Elouise made several questionable decisions but she is young and was learning how to be better at the end of the book so her decisions weren't enough to detract from the story.
The Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine - This was an engaging mystery/thriller. From the beginning, I was invested in both Kate and Blaire, and in finding out what happened to Kate's mom. There were several characters throughout that I didn't want to trust and it was interesting seeing how the entire mystery ended up unfolding.
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney - If you are looking for a book with surprising twists and turns, this one is chock full of them, so don't hesitate to pick it up. I wasn't particularly attached to any of the characters in this, but the storyline was good enough to keep me invested and turning the pages.
The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth - I loved this story and the characters. I really appreciated that the relationship between Lucy and Diana was nuanced and not stereotypical. Diana may have been made out to be a villain in the synopsis of the book, but in reality, she was a complicated person trying to make the best decisions for her family. Everyone in this family was hiding something and it was interesting to see all of the various secrets come to light throughout the story.
Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center - This was my second book by Katherine Center that I've read (the first being How to Walk Away) and while I didn't love it quite as much as that one, I still did love it a lot. I was rooting for Helen and Jake from the beginning and I also appreciated Helen's development throughout. I'm excited to read my next Katherine Center book which is one of my BOTM picks next month. And I need to read more of her backlist as well.
Her Daughter's Mother by Daniela Petrova - This was a unique story, with the premise of someone meeting their egg donor who then goes missing. There were a lot of twisty plot threads to this story. It kept me engaged and reading. I enjoyed how it was told between a few different perspectives, mainly Katya and Lana and how it went between the present and the past.
Monday, July 1, 2019
Saturday, June 1, 2019
May Wrap Up and Mini Reviews
I just finished student teaching, and am on my summer break, so I am able to read more books than I was able to during this semester. I have already checked out and put on hold a bunch of books from the library, and also am reading books that I own.
I read 13 books in May. The books I read were:
1. Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson
2. The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
3. Heroine by Mindy McGinnis
4. Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus
5. Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf
6. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
7. The Wife by Alafair Burke
8. The Neighbors by Hannah Mary McKinnon
9. Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart
10. The Au Pair by Emma Rous
11. Necessary People by Anna Pitoniak
12. #fashionvictim by Amina Akhtar
13. The Night Before by Wendy Walker
I will also include in this post mini reviews of the books that I read this month.
Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson - If you are looking for a good, emotional contemporary read about friendship, love, and more, do not hesitate to pick up this book. The book spans the girls' entire time at West Point, as well as a couple years after they graduate. There are parts that were very sad to read, and I won't spoil them, but I will say it's a very good, powerful read with strong friendships. I loved Dani, Avery, and Hannah, and the bond that formed between them.
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang - I have not read The Kiss Quotient, but it is now on my list of books to read this summer after having read this good book. The story was reminiscent of romantic comedy movies that I like to watch, but with some more serious themes included as well. The set-up is rom-com gold, and you just know that feelings are going to somehow develop between these two characters, despite how much Khai may not want them to. This was a cute romance that also involved themes of characters creating new lives for themselves in a new country. And the lead male character is autistic as well. There is a lot to love in this book, and I think it would make for a great summer read.
Heroine by Mindy McGinnis - A lot of this book hurt to read, but that doesn't keep it from being one of the best books I've read this year. So much of it was painful to read because as a reader you can see Mickey's downward spiral into addiction, and you want someone to figure out what is going on with her and get her help before she spirals further. While I (or anyone close to me) haven't personally dealt with the issues highlighted in this book, I think the portrayal seemed to ring pretty true and seemed realistic. Nothing seemed overblown or sensationalized. This book shed some light on something that is a major problem in this country today.
Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus - I enjoyed this second mystery by the same author who brought us One of Us is Lying. I really liked the two main characters, Ellery and Malcolm, and how they move had personal connections to different parts of some of the past events that had happened in the town. I was not expecting many of the resolutions of the various mysteries. McManus did a good job writing a mystery that was twisty and not predictable.
Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf - Wow, what a book! This book is not YA, but does have sections from the POV of a 12 year old character, which I personally liked, but some people may not. I liked the way that this story was told - from several different perspectives, as well as including journal entries by Cora, police interview transcripts, and text message threads between some of the preteens and teens. I was not expecting the final ending to the central mystery. There was a lot going on in this story and it was powerful and emotional, especially the way it was connected to a real case, which I then read about online. That case was truly a sad story and so were the occurrences in this book.
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas - I think this book was as good as Thomas' first book. I did not personally agree with everything that Bri said or did, which isn't surprising given that I am not someone who really likes rap to begin with, so it is unsurprising that I don't like everything about her rap lyrics, for example. But I still liked her as a character overall, and thought it was an engaging read.
The Wife by Alafair Burke - This was a gripping thriller where I truly didn't know who to believe. I spent most of the book wanting to believe one character in particular, but I had doubts sometimes. I was torn between wanting to trust Angela's husband, Jason, since she was the narrator, while also wanting to trust the woman who was accusing Jason. There were so many twists and turns throughout and it was impossible to know who was to be trusted. I highly recommend this book for a quick and engaging read that you won't want to put down. I'm excited to check out Alafair Burke's other books now.
The Neighbors by Hannah Mary McKinnon - When the main character's ex-boyfriend moved in next door, I knew from the start that that was a key setup for a lot of drama. Especially considering that they hadn't ended their relationship on a good note. I was not expecting some of the main reveals through this good story.
Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart - While this book has some mystery/thriller aspects, it was much more of a contemporary story about family and motherhood and I loved it for that. The characters were lovingly written with care. I especially loved Quinn as she tried to build a relationship with young Lucy, despite not really knowing anything about where Lucy even came from. My least favorite perspective to read from was that of Quinn and Nora's mom, because it sometimes dovetailed away from the main plot and I wanted to know what was going on with the sisters. But I can see why the author included her perspective.
The Au Pair by Emma Rous - This is an atmospheric mystery that takes place in two time periods. I was not expecting the resolution that occurred. I had some thoughts throughout about how the mystery could end, but it was more complicated than I was able to figure out, so it was definitely not a predictable story.
Necessary People by Anna Pitoniak - I don't think I was expecting to love this one as much as I did. I didn't realize how interesting the inner workings of a cable news network could be. While billed as a thriller, it was more of a gripping story about a probably toxic friendship and ambition. The thriller aspects didn't really kick in until closer to the end, and by then, I was already totally caught in the story and the world shown in this book. The book grabbed me and didn't let go until I had gotten to the final page.
#fashionvictim by Amina Akhtar - It was interesting reading this book right after Necessary People, because there are some similarities in general plot theme, though #fashionvictim was less serious and very satirical. Both books involved main characters who let their ambition rule them and weren't likeable. There were not really any likable characters in the entire book, but it was obvious that the author did this by design.
The Night Before by Wendy Walker - This is my first Wendy Walker book that I've read and it definitely won't be my last. I currently have Emma in the Night checked out from the library too, so I'll definitely be getting to that one soon. This book had a lot of twists and turns that I wasn't expecting, and I also really liked both Laura and Rosie and unraveling the stories of their pasts. I enjoyed how the book was told alternating between Laura's POV from the night of the date, and Rosie's POV from the next day when Laura was discovered missing. I would certainly recommend this for fans of good thrillers.
Katie
I read 13 books in May. The books I read were:
1. Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson
2. The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
3. Heroine by Mindy McGinnis
4. Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus
5. Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf
6. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
7. The Wife by Alafair Burke
8. The Neighbors by Hannah Mary McKinnon
9. Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart
10. The Au Pair by Emma Rous
11. Necessary People by Anna Pitoniak
12. #fashionvictim by Amina Akhtar
13. The Night Before by Wendy Walker
I will also include in this post mini reviews of the books that I read this month.
Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson - If you are looking for a good, emotional contemporary read about friendship, love, and more, do not hesitate to pick up this book. The book spans the girls' entire time at West Point, as well as a couple years after they graduate. There are parts that were very sad to read, and I won't spoil them, but I will say it's a very good, powerful read with strong friendships. I loved Dani, Avery, and Hannah, and the bond that formed between them.
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang - I have not read The Kiss Quotient, but it is now on my list of books to read this summer after having read this good book. The story was reminiscent of romantic comedy movies that I like to watch, but with some more serious themes included as well. The set-up is rom-com gold, and you just know that feelings are going to somehow develop between these two characters, despite how much Khai may not want them to. This was a cute romance that also involved themes of characters creating new lives for themselves in a new country. And the lead male character is autistic as well. There is a lot to love in this book, and I think it would make for a great summer read.
Heroine by Mindy McGinnis - A lot of this book hurt to read, but that doesn't keep it from being one of the best books I've read this year. So much of it was painful to read because as a reader you can see Mickey's downward spiral into addiction, and you want someone to figure out what is going on with her and get her help before she spirals further. While I (or anyone close to me) haven't personally dealt with the issues highlighted in this book, I think the portrayal seemed to ring pretty true and seemed realistic. Nothing seemed overblown or sensationalized. This book shed some light on something that is a major problem in this country today.
Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus - I enjoyed this second mystery by the same author who brought us One of Us is Lying. I really liked the two main characters, Ellery and Malcolm, and how they move had personal connections to different parts of some of the past events that had happened in the town. I was not expecting many of the resolutions of the various mysteries. McManus did a good job writing a mystery that was twisty and not predictable.
Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf - Wow, what a book! This book is not YA, but does have sections from the POV of a 12 year old character, which I personally liked, but some people may not. I liked the way that this story was told - from several different perspectives, as well as including journal entries by Cora, police interview transcripts, and text message threads between some of the preteens and teens. I was not expecting the final ending to the central mystery. There was a lot going on in this story and it was powerful and emotional, especially the way it was connected to a real case, which I then read about online. That case was truly a sad story and so were the occurrences in this book.
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas - I think this book was as good as Thomas' first book. I did not personally agree with everything that Bri said or did, which isn't surprising given that I am not someone who really likes rap to begin with, so it is unsurprising that I don't like everything about her rap lyrics, for example. But I still liked her as a character overall, and thought it was an engaging read.
The Wife by Alafair Burke - This was a gripping thriller where I truly didn't know who to believe. I spent most of the book wanting to believe one character in particular, but I had doubts sometimes. I was torn between wanting to trust Angela's husband, Jason, since she was the narrator, while also wanting to trust the woman who was accusing Jason. There were so many twists and turns throughout and it was impossible to know who was to be trusted. I highly recommend this book for a quick and engaging read that you won't want to put down. I'm excited to check out Alafair Burke's other books now.
The Neighbors by Hannah Mary McKinnon - When the main character's ex-boyfriend moved in next door, I knew from the start that that was a key setup for a lot of drama. Especially considering that they hadn't ended their relationship on a good note. I was not expecting some of the main reveals through this good story.
Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart - While this book has some mystery/thriller aspects, it was much more of a contemporary story about family and motherhood and I loved it for that. The characters were lovingly written with care. I especially loved Quinn as she tried to build a relationship with young Lucy, despite not really knowing anything about where Lucy even came from. My least favorite perspective to read from was that of Quinn and Nora's mom, because it sometimes dovetailed away from the main plot and I wanted to know what was going on with the sisters. But I can see why the author included her perspective.
The Au Pair by Emma Rous - This is an atmospheric mystery that takes place in two time periods. I was not expecting the resolution that occurred. I had some thoughts throughout about how the mystery could end, but it was more complicated than I was able to figure out, so it was definitely not a predictable story.
Necessary People by Anna Pitoniak - I don't think I was expecting to love this one as much as I did. I didn't realize how interesting the inner workings of a cable news network could be. While billed as a thriller, it was more of a gripping story about a probably toxic friendship and ambition. The thriller aspects didn't really kick in until closer to the end, and by then, I was already totally caught in the story and the world shown in this book. The book grabbed me and didn't let go until I had gotten to the final page.
#fashionvictim by Amina Akhtar - It was interesting reading this book right after Necessary People, because there are some similarities in general plot theme, though #fashionvictim was less serious and very satirical. Both books involved main characters who let their ambition rule them and weren't likeable. There were not really any likable characters in the entire book, but it was obvious that the author did this by design.
The Night Before by Wendy Walker - This is my first Wendy Walker book that I've read and it definitely won't be my last. I currently have Emma in the Night checked out from the library too, so I'll definitely be getting to that one soon. This book had a lot of twists and turns that I wasn't expecting, and I also really liked both Laura and Rosie and unraveling the stories of their pasts. I enjoyed how the book was told alternating between Laura's POV from the night of the date, and Rosie's POV from the next day when Laura was discovered missing. I would certainly recommend this for fans of good thrillers.
Katie
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