May Wrap-Up and Mini Reviews

 1. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave (Thriller) - This was a good thriller, but the best part of the story was the developing relationship between Hannah and Bailey, stepmother and stepdaughter who didn't want a relationship with the stepmother.  As they searched for their husband/father, it was powerful to watch them get closer and watch Bailey gradually open up and trust Hannah more.  There were twists in this story, but I love when stories have strong characters more than when they are twisty and this one had great characters.

2. Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips (Literary Fiction) - This was a literary story with a mystery at its core.  The book was essentially a novel-in-stories, where each chapter focused on a new character but were interconnected.  Characters reappeared between stories but many of the connections from chapter-to-chapter were looser.  This story focuses on characters in the Kamchatka Russian peninsula, which is not a setting I had read about before.  They were a mix of Russian characters and indigenous Natives to the peninsula.  I found this to be an interesting and unique read.  As with any book with many characters, I was more invested in some than others.

3. Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi (YA Contemporary Fiction) - This was a powerful story about two sisters, Jayne and June.  They had a very complex relationship and I enjoyed reading about the developments in their relationship.  While this is officially marketed as Young Adult, a lot of the situations read as more adult, as June was no longer in college and Jayne was college-aged, but the book didn't focus much on college at all.  Both sisters are dealing with difficult things.  Jayne struggles with body image and eating disorders, while June struggles with uterine cancer.  They are both dealing with a lot and I liked how they were gradually able to lean on each other more and more over the course of the story.  I like when books make me feel a range of emotions, and this book did that well.

4. Shipped by Angie Hockman (Romance) - This was a fun, light, and cute read.  I enjoyed the tropical settings, and as a biology teacher, I enjoyed the mentions of Darwin and the Galapagos.  The hate-to-love romance and banter were cute.  Henley and Graeme had a lot of chemistry early on, and I liked watching them figure out their relationship.  I also liked reading about Henley's relationship with her younger sister, Walsh, who was struggling figuring out some things on her own.  This would be a great summer read!

5. How Lucky by Will Leitch (Contemporary Fiction) - This was a sweet, quick read! I thought it had a very strong voice from the beginning, and enjoyed getting to be in Daniel's head.  This book offered a perspective that I hadn't read before - that of a man with spinal muscular atrophy.  It was interesting to read his positive outlook on his life, despite his condition and that he likely would have a shorter life than average.  There was a mystery aspect to the story as well, as Daniel may have been the only witness to a kidnapping.  I enjoyed getting to see how this mystery played out, and was not sure of the results.  

6. Impostor Syndrome by Kathy Wang (Thriller) - This was an interesting novel that was mostly a quick read.  There were some parts where I wished the perspective had stayed more focused on Alice and Julia, rather than jumping around to some other characters.  I can see why some of the side perspectives needed to be included though.  I think this book was better in the beginning/middle, when it was more character-driven, and I wasn't as interested in the end, probably because spy stories are less my thing.  Overall, it was still a good read.

7. Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur (Romance) - This was a thoroughly cute story.  I loved Annie and Brendon together.  At times, the romance moved a bit too fast, but that is understandable in a romance book.  I also enjoyed the focus on Annie's friendships in Seattle as well.  I liked getting to revisit Darcy, Elle, and Margot.  I look forward to getting to read Margot's story next year!

Rereads:

1. Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers (Contemporary Fiction) - I enjoyed this book just as much the 2nd time!

April Wrap-Up and Mini Reviews

 1. Under the Rainbow by Celia Laskey (Literary Fiction) - I read most of this in March, but finished it up at the beginning of April.  This was a quick read that can best be described as a novel told in stories.  Each chapter was a new character, some that we had heard of previously, some that were new.  This helped really develop the small-town vibe of the novel, and get us into the head of a kaleidoscope of characters that live there.  There were a few shocking moments in the story.  Some of the characters were likable, and some were not, but they all felt real, with realistic flaws.

2. Kept Animals by Kate Milliken (Literary Fiction) - This was a good, slow-burn story (no pun intended, as the story involved a forest fire).  It had a literary feel and strong character development.  I really liked Rory and Vivian and their stories and felt for them.  This had a coming-of-age feel, with most of the characters in their upper teen years.  I also liked the aspects of Rory's daughter learning about the past in the present timeline.  This was not a major part of the story, as most of it was in the past timeline, but I liked both sections.

3. What Comes After by Joanne Tompkins (Contemporary Fiction) - I loved this book! This was a super quick read for me despite being over 400 pages.  The biggest compliment I can say about a book is that I am so invested in it that I want there to be more pages, and that was absolutely true for this book.  At the end, I didn't want to say goodbye to Isaac and Evangeline.  There is a minor mystery at the center of the book, but we learn what happened pretty early on and it is not the focus of the story.  The focus is very character-driven, and I felt connection to the people in the story quickly.  I loved the emotions and love showcased between characters, even in unexpected relationships.  Isaac becoming like a father to Evangeline was one of the most heartfelt parts of the story.  I felt a lot for Evangeline and her being left by her mother and pregnant at 16.  This is definitely one of the best books that I have read so far this year, and this story and characters will stay with me.  I am sure I will revisit this one sometime in the future.

4. Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (Mystery) - A cozy mystery isn't a genre I've read much of.  I have read a lot of mysteries and thrillers, but usually darker.  I enjoyed this light-hearted read with a strong focus on family and friendship.  I would definitely like to check out the next book and read more about Lila and crew.  There were some surprises in the end, and I didn't figure out who the culprit would be and how everything would play out.  I also enjoyed getting to read about Lila's Filipino culture and all of the food at the various restaurants.

5. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (Romance) - This was a great romance! I loved Alex and Poppy as individuals, and also as friends and a couple.  I enjoyed how on paper they were opposites that didn't necessarily make sense together, but they actually made a lot of sense in reality.  I did like that this book was only told from Poppy's perspective, because that increased the tension by not knowing what Alex was thinking.  I enjoyed the vacations and various locations traveled to in the book.  We got to see vacations from the past as well as their current trip.  While I really enjoyed Beach Read last year, I think I liked this one even better than that.

6. When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain (Mystery) - I really liked this book! Anna Hart was a strong character with some tragedy in her background.  I was impressed by how McLain made me care a lot about Cameron (the missing girl) without having actually ever met her on page.  I felt invested in her safety and had to read the book quickly to see if she ended up being okay.  I liked Cameron's mom, Emily, a former famous actress who cared a lot about her daughter.

7. Caul Baby by Morgan Jerkins (Literary Fiction) - This is such an interesting novel.  The themes included a strong feature on motherhood.  It took a bit for me to be fully invested in the book.  I got fully invested when Hallow and Amara's storylines began to collide in the present day.  For a while, the reader knows their relationship without them knowing it and we are waiting for the moment that the discovery will be made.  I felt for Hallow's relationship with the Melancons (her adoptive family) and the Melancon complicated relationships with each other.  Definitely a good, worthwhile read!

8. The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley (YA Thriller) - Overall, I liked this book, though there were a few times where it was slower and I felt it was a bit long for the story.  I enjoyed learning about the Native American culture of Daunis' tribe.  I did not understand the words in their language, but that was not necessary to understand the story.  I thought there were some aspects that were especially well-explored.  I was sad about the murder that occurred early on in the story, and wish that I could have gotten to know that character more.