There’s no better way to escape reality than with a good book. I’m excited to share a couple of my favorite reads this month with you!
This month I stuck to all fiction books, ranging in different topics: historical, suspense/thriller and comedy. These books made me laugh and cry; they made me hug my babies a little tighter; they reminded me to appreciate my relationships; most importantly they kept me going while I rode the bike and vacuumed the rugs.
I hope you enjoy these reads as much as I did. I would love to hear what you’re reading as well – leave some suggestions in the comments below!
I started the year with The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer, and I’ll be honest it was a really hard one to follow. This a dual narrative between a Grandmother, who endured loss and heartbreak during WWll in Nazi-occupied Poland, and a Grandaughter, who is just trying to make it through the day during the modern world. Rimmer creates an emotional and detailed narrative that leaves the reader feeling as if they are going through the same emotions as the characters. This is one of those books that’s stays with you. Don’t forget your tissues.
I started and stopped 3 different books after finishing The Things We Cannot Say; the hole felt too big to fill, ha! I knew I needed something light, but something with a bit of substance. The Overdue Life of Amy Byler was the perfect fit. We follow along with a single Mom, Amy, as she tries to remember who she is as an actual person, aside from being a Mother. The setting is New York City, which allows the reader to fantasize about all the yummy restaurants, shows, fashion and shopping that can actually happen sans kids. There is an element of romance, but this is mostly a love story about a Mother falling back in love with herself.
I don’t normally gravitate toward suspense/thrillers but there was something about Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney that intrigued me. At first, you think you’re trying to figure out why Amber is in a coma, and who put her there. Then the plot totally shifts gears when journal entries start to appear. My favorite part of this book was that everything that happens is so unexpected like there’s no way to predict what’s going to happen next. All of the twists and turns and endless possibilities would make this the perfect bookclub book! If you’ve already read this I would love to hear your thoughts on the ending …
I finished out the month with a book that made its way into my top 10 reads of all time. Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner is such a beautifully written story that spans the lifetime of two sisters who are trying to figure out how to be true to who they are and to find solace in the fact that being different isn’t the worst thing. Wiener makes the characters so relatable that it was hard for me to spend too much time away from them. I finished this in 2 days, and I was so sad when it was over. With a lesson on life’s expectations, this book reminds you to give yourself and others around you, grace.
