Below are all of the books that I've completed in April, May, and June of 2018. They are organized by star rating - all of the books in this quarter received a 2, 3, or 4 out of 5. Please note: I am a tough rater! A book has to really touch me in unique ways in order to receive 5 stars. Even though no books this quarter have received a 5, the books with 3 and 4 stars are still great books!
I've provided links to Amazon for each of these books, but please support your local, independent book stores if possible. I read all of these books through rentals from my local library or by purchasing or renting on Kindle.
Do This For Me by Eliza Kennedy (listened on audiobook)
Do This For Me is about Raney Moore, a successful lawyer whose life takes a turn when she discovers that her husband has cheated on her. The story follows her self discovery, which takes many twists and turns, while experiencing this trauma. Raney is such a badass, especially in the first and last 10% of the book. In between, the story gets a little bit repetitive and dry. If you love a self discovery story and you're interested in reading one about a type A, career driven woman, then give this a shot. Overall, though, it just didn't work for me.
The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton
I mostly just wanted to read this because of the cover. Sue me. The story takes place in an enchanting (both figuratively and literally) Northwestern town. The setting is incredible - a town of eclectics with a history connected to a family of witches. The story? Not so incredible. It's readable, so if the setting interests you then you make like this, but the story is just meh.
The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close (listened on audiobook)
Beth, a NYC journalist, and her husband Matt, an aspiring politician, move to DC to follow Matt's political aspirations. Beth is unhappy in DC, confused by the "smallness" and the "who knows who" nature of the city. Things begin to improve when they meet another couple, Ashleigh and Jimmy, transplanted in DC from Texas. The Hopefuls is told through Beth's point of view and is the story of her relationship with Matt and friendship with Ashleigh and Jimmy. Listening to this on audiobook had major appeal as I loved the narrator's voices for the different characters. It was charming, but sometimes boring, and a bit banal.
The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle
Cara's family endures one month out of the year where more accidents happen, and accidents that should be no big deal end up worse than usual. The whole story isn't about accident season, though - that's just the framing. This is really a book about facing your past and how it defines your future. It's a book about relationships and acceptance and secrets. Trigger warning: there is abuse. I don't remember all of the details of this book, but I do remember speeding through it, absolutely having to know what happened next.
Thanks for the Trouble is the story of Parker, a 16 year old boy who has been mute since his father's death. Instead, he communicates through writing in a journal, and he also enjoys creative writing, specifically fairy tales. He meets Zelda, another girl close to his age who claims to have been alive and the same age for hundreds of years. It's the story of their adventures and facing truths that aren't easy to face. I read this book in one sitting - the story was perfectly charming and sarcastic all in one! I loved the lead character to pieces. I've heard some critiques that Zelda is a manic pixie dream girl archetype, but I didn't read her that way.
The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir
I picked this book up primarily because I liked the cover - the contrast of the simple portrait with the glitter letters totally spoke to me. In addition, I chose it because the content (televised Christian mega-family with pregnant teen) just sounded like an enveloping read. The book follows Essie Hicks and her determination for independence from her televised family. I liked this book, but nothing with it has stuck with me after I completed it. Nevertheless, I read it in 3 nights flat, and I was constantly racing to pick it up to discover what happened next.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
This story follows a travel journalist who has the opportunity of a lifetime - a weeklong trip on a luxury liner. Unfortunately, the unthinkable happens - she hears someone being thrown overboard. When she investigates, there is no one missing accounted for. I love a good thriller, and this one did not disappoint. The ending was a total surprise to me, even if some parts were frustrating to read because the characters clearly had options that could have solved their predicaments. Either way, I read this book in only a few sittings and couldn't get to the next page fast enough.
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne Valente
Even though I gave this an official 3 stars, I think it may be closer to 4. September is a 12 year old girl who gets whisked away by the Green Wind because her help is needed in Fairyland. This book is less about the story itself and more about the general whimsy and writing style that make it truly extraordinary. The writing style is beyond incredible and some of the scenes are so beautiful that it left me astounded. Although it wasn't a book I was racing to pick up (I wasn't overly invested in the story), I truly enjoyed every second of reading it because the writing was just that good. I've already picked up the second installment in this series.
The Good Daughter by Karen Slaughter
This is a book that I was racing to read every chance that I got. The Good Daughter is about Charlotte and Samantha, the daughters of a small town defense lawyer. Their mother is killed in a traumatic incident, which was the result of "revenge" for her father's willingness to defend anyone in court. When a school shooting occurs, Rusty and Charlotte are sure that the culprit is innocent. Without telling too much (and while still leaving a ton of plot out), if you're a fan of psychological thrillers, you HAVE to pick this one up.
The Circle by Dave Eggers
The Circle is a major technology conglomerate that combines all of your accounts into one. When Mae gets a job there, she feels that she couldn't be luckier. Eventually, though, things start to get a little bit weird, and her role at the company becomes increasingly... public. I absolutely loved reading this book, and it's relevance a time when all of us are grappling with the price of convenience at the cost of our privacy was outstanding.
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Some people have described this as "Harry Potter for grown-ups." I'm not sure that that description is entirely accurate... To me, this is the story of how characters (with many, many flaws) face those faults and grow - in a world filled with magic. To me, this book is primarily character driven, while combining many elements of fantasy books that we all know and love - particularly Harry Potter and Chronicle's of Narnia. This book is wildly polarizing - the characters are very unlikable and it takes everything you expect out of a fantasy book and flips it on it's head. Those are the reasons that I love it (but also the reasons why many don't). If you're a fan of fantasy and you enjoy character driven novels, you have to give this a try. Also - I LOVE the magic system here. If Lev Grossman is good at one thing, it's describing what it actually feels like to do magic, which is incredible.
The Magician's King by Lev Grossman
This is the follow up to The Magician's where Quentin and his friends are exploring the magical land that they thought was only in their childhood fantasy books but is actually real. The pacing in this one is much better than in the first one, and the characters truly grow and develop. I like each book more than the next, and I immediately got a copy of the final installment in the trilogy. If you have read The Magician's and weren't sure what you thought, The Magician's King only improves upon what Lev Grossman already started.
Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think?
Did any of these books stand out to you as something you'd like to pick up? If so, which ones?
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