Maybe this is just a book blog now? It seems like these are the only posts I can really keep up with.
That said, it was a pretty good month for reading. I got six books in—two that were five-star-worthy. That’s a pretty good month!
The Dilemma by B.A. Paris • ★★★☆☆
B.A. Paris sucks me in every time. I don’t think the books are outstanding by any stretch, but they are definitely page-turners.
As with a few of her other books, this one rehashed details and thought processes a few too many times. Like, we get it, the characters are in a dilemma.
All this being said, it was a quick and satisfying read. Sort of like binge-watching a season of Drag Race All-Stars (which I’m doing now).
The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell • ★★★☆☆
The Silent Companions remains one of my favorite Halloween reads of all time. Since then, I’ve picked up every Purcell book I could get my hands on.
While The Shape of Darkness isn’t quite as good as its predecessor, this book was still a fantastic spooky read. A silhouette artist teams up with a medium to contact the dead and solve a spate of murders? That’s some spooky perfection right there!
That being said, maybe this deserves 4 stars, but let’s settle on 3.5.
The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner • ★★★★☆
I took a brief departure from domestic thrillers and gothic-y novels for this memoir about Wariner, the daughter of a religious sect’s prophet, growing up in rural Mexico (and later bouncing around the US).
I’ll be honest, this was a really difficult read in terms of subject matter. Wariner is a solid writer and her story was compelling, but what she suffered through as a child was traumatic and could definitely be triggering (so be careful).
The Umbrella Lady by V.C. Andrews® • ★☆☆☆☆
V.C. Andrews is a major throwback for me. I have vivid memories of all the book covers on display in Walmart and thinking I can’t wait to read a book like that because they just looked so so cool.
Eventually, I picked up Flowers in the Attic like every other 16-year-old and devoured it in two days. And then I read a handful of her other books.
But it’s been a long while since I’ve seen a new V.C. Andrews release (now with ®). When The Umbrella Lady came into my inbox as a cheap audiobook, I bit. And holy moly, this one was awful.
It had a lot of the V.C. Andrews signature elements: abandoned children, terrible parents, mysterious caretakers. But it was absolute trash (in a bad way). Nothing really added up. It didn’t build to any satisfying or scandalous conclusion. Also, I realized so much of the book was telling not showing (a big no-no for us writers).
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid • ★★★★★
I’m a bit late to the party on this one, but late is better than never with a five-star read like this.
I won’t say too much because you’ve probably read it! But I loved how this book followed a magazine writer as she chronicled the life of a Hollywood legend. How this all tied together was perfect and the story was beautiful along the way.
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland • ★★★★★
This just might be my favorite book of the year and one of the best summer reads on my list.
Let me say this: If you wish the Catskills episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel lasted forever, this is the book for you. Set in the Catskills (duh), this book follows members of the Goldman and Weingold families as they debate selling their once-great Borscht Belt resort.
This book was part nostalgia, part family drama and all wonderful. There were a lot of characters here—the story spans about 60 years—but they were so well done. Each was unique, interesting, flawed and loveable—like all our favorite family members.
As always, you can follow along with my progress and see what I’ve read over on Goodreads!
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