I’ve been on a reading spree lately. I’ve been reading more than watching late-night reality TV, and I’m loving it. (Can you believe I haven’t even caught up on The Bachelorette yet??) I’ve also discovered that I hate audio books. I’ve rented several from our local library (four completely different genres) and couldn’t get into any of them. I think it says more about my attention span than the books themselves.
The Lake House This was my second Kate Morton book (I read The Secret Keeper first), and although I liked them both, this one drew me in faster. I am the world’s worst at figuring anything out ahead of time, which is probably why I enjoy her books. I will say the ending was very (almost too) tidy, if that makes sense. If you like an ending with closure, you’ll like this one. (Need a good book to take to the beach or pool? It’ll be available in paperback in just a few days.)
The Light Between Oceans I really loved this one. No perfect ending here—just an impossible situation having to do with a baby that literally washes ashore in a boat and a woman who desperately wants a child of her own. Read this. I promise you’ll like it.
Fearless I read this one as part of my morning devotion, taking only a (short) chapter a day. Max Lucado is such a great writer, and this book was good for this momma’s fearful heart. He addresses a specific fear in each chapter with Scripture and personal stories.
A Painted House Believe it or not, this was the first John Grisham book I’ve ever read. It’s been out for a while and is not one of his usual law novels. This one came highly recommended by my dad. The narrator is a young boy growing up in the South, and I just loved him. Poor guy has a lot of secrets put on him to keep during one Summer. . .
Fast Girl Well, this one was a change of pace. It’s a memoir by Olympic runner turned Las Vegas escort Suzy Hamilton. Ummm. . . . They say reading is an escape, and this one felt about as far removed from my life as you can get. (The escort and the runner part. Ha!) She’s eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Before reading it, I thought the book was more about her mental illness, but it doesn’t say a whole lot about it. Definitely interesting. I’ll leave it at that.
The Nightingale This was a great book! A bunch of you have been telling me to read this, and it was just as good as I wanted it to be. I’ve read a lot of books set in WWII lately, but this one is my favorite so far. I felt like I was there. Heartbreaking and wonderful all at the same time.
Everything I Never Told You I’m going to say this was so-so. It’s an interesting story of family dynamics before and after a teenage girl is found dead. The book was okay, but I didn’t love the ending. (Have you read it?)
Patron Saint of Liars I liked this one. It’s set in a home for pregnant girls (in the 1950s or 1960s, I think), run by nuns. One girl (well, she’s actually a married woman) goes there to have her baby secretly away from her husband and never leaves. . .
Fates and Furies This is a big book and it won a bunch of awards (including Amazon’s book of the year for 2015), but truthfully, it wasn’t my favorite. It’s an interesting look inside of a marriage (from beginning to end). The first half of the book is written from his perspective and the second half, from hers. I would not feel completely comfortable recommending this book to my mother, if you know what I mean, and I felt like both of the characters were a little melodramatic—about everything.
Want more book reviews/recommendations? I posted some here and here.
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