Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart
Plot: Imogen is a runaway heiress, an orphan, a cook, and a cheat.
Jule is a fighter, a social chameleon, and an athlete.
An intense friendship. A disappearance. A murder, or maybe two.
A bad romance, or maybe three.
Blunt objects, disguises, blood, and chocolate. The American dream, superheroes, spies, and villains.
A girl who refuses to give people what they want from her.
A girl who refuses to be the person she once was. -via goodreads
Favorite quote: “For anyone who has been taught that good equals small and silent, here is my heart with all its ugly tangles and splendid fury.” (That was the dedication, but still my favorite thing from the book).
My thoughts: I loved We Were Liars, so I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, I didn't love it. I don't really know how to say why without giving anything about the plot away, but the whole story (literally, all of it) felt like it was happening for completely random and unnecessary reasons. I loooooved Liars, but I'd skip this one.
Should you read it? No.
Once and For All by Sarah Dessen
Plot: Louna, daughter of famed wedding planner Natalie Barrett, has seen every sort of wedding: on the beach, at historic mansions, in fancy hotels and clubs. Perhaps that's why she's cynical about happily-ever-after endings, especially since her own first love ended tragically. When Louna meets charming, happy-go-lucky serial dater Ambrose, she holds him at arm's length. But Ambrose isn't about to be discouraged, now that he's met the one girl he really wants. -via goodreads
Favorite quote: “You can’t measure love by time put in, but the weight of those moments. Some in life are light, like a touch. Others, you can’t help but stagger beneath.”
My thoughts: Sarah Dessen is my favorite author, so anytime she writes a new book, I basically hold it as a personal holiday. This book was SO GOOD. I feel like it was marketed as a sweet love story, but it was so much more than that. It dealt with deeper issues and current events and anxiety in a beautiful way. It might be my favorite one of her's yet.
Should you read it? Yes!
The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti
Plot: A teenage misfit named Hawthorn Creely inserts herself in the investigation of missing person Lizzie Lovett, who disappeared mysteriously while camping with her boyfriend. Hawthorn doesn't mean to interfere, but she has a pretty crazy theory about what happened to Lizzie. In order to prove it, she decides to immerse herself in Lizzie's life. That includes taking her job... and her boyfriend. It's a huge risk — but it's just what Hawthorn needs to find her own place in the world.-via goodreads
Favorite quote: “Don't talk then. Paint. Dance. Write. Just don't hold your feelings inside. The longer we let pain hide in our hearts, the more it turns to poison.”
My thoughts: Do you ever finish reading a book and just kinda sit there and think, "What? Why? Why was that a book?" It wasn't that it was bad, it was just weird. There were a lot of things happening that really just made no sense to me. I stuck it out and finished it, but this was a weird freaking book.
Should you read it? I'd skip it.
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
Plot: You go through life thinking there’s so much you need…
Until you leave with only your phone, your wallet, and a picture of your mother.
Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend, Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit, and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart.
Favorite quote: “I could say the night felt magical, but that would be embellishment. That would be romanticization. What it actually felt like was life.”
My thoughts: I sat on the beach and sobbed as I read this book. Not because it was sad, but because it was so deeply beautiful. I made my best friend read it, and she sat and the beach and sobbed, too. It is truly one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. It was so well written. Nina LaCour truly has a gift, and I look forward to reading everything she writes, ever.
Should you read it? YES.
Hello, Sunshine by Laura Dave
Plot: Sunshine Mackenzie has it all…until her secrets come to light.
Sunshine Mackenzie is living the dream—she’s a culinary star with millions of fans, a line of #1 bestselling cookbooks, and a devoted husband happy to support her every endeavor.
And then she gets hacked.
When Sunshine’s secrets are revealed, her fall from grace is catastrophic. She loses the husband, her show, the fans, and her apartment. She’s forced to return to the childhood home—and the estranged sister—she’s tried hard to forget. But what Sunshine does amid the ashes of her own destruction may well save her life.
In a world where celebrity is a careful construct, Hello, Sunshine is a compelling, funny, and evocative novel about what it means to live an authentic life in an inauthentic age.
Favorite quote: "It's easy to pretend I made a deal with the devil. But he genuinely didn't think we were doing anything wrong. And somewhere inside, I think I knew we were. So which one of us was the devil?"
My thoughts: This was a super interesting story that I just couldn't get into, for some reason. I have some friends who loved it, so it could just be the mood I was in when I read it, I'm not sure. But it wasn't my favorite. And I truly hated the ending, so...
Should you read it? Meh.
Good as Gone by Amy Gentry
Plot: Thirteen-year-old Julie Whitaker was kidnapped from her bedroom in the middle of the night, witnessed only by her younger sister. Her family was shattered, but managed to stick together, hoping against hope that Julie is still alive. And then one night: the doorbell rings. A young woman who appears to be Julie is finally, miraculously, home safe. The family is ecstatic—but Anna, Julie’s mother, has whispers of doubts. She hates to face them. She cannot avoid them. When she is contacted by a former detective turned private eye, she begins a torturous search for the truth about the woman she desperately hopes is her daughter.
Favorite quote: “Maybe once you’ve been left by the most important person in your life, you can never be unleft again.”
My thoughts: This book was a RIDE. After seeing it on a Buzzfeed list titled something like "20 plot twists that will make you scream out loud" I listened to it on my last road trip. It went something like: "Okay, so they basically give away the plot twist in the description, but it's still a pretty good story. Wait. What? Oh wow, that was the plot twist. I mean, I kind of saw that coming, but I like it. W A I T. What is happening? I am scared. WHAT?" Safe to say, I enjoyed it.
Should you read it? Yes. I highly recommend it as an audiobook!
Turtles All The Way Down by John Green
Plot: "Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.
Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.
In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship." -via goodreads
My thoughts: This was the best book I've read in a long time. It was an incredibly unique story, and it dealt with serious subjects (anxiety, mental health) in a way that felt honest and refreshing. It was so obvious that he had a deep connection to what he was writing about, and that made the story so much more relatable and beautiful.
Favorite quote: "Your now is not your forever."
Should you read it? Absolutely yes!
Of Mess and Moxie: Wrangling Delight Out of This Wild and Glorious Life by Jen Hatmaker
Plot: "Jen Hatmaker believes backbone is the birthright of every woman. Women have been demonstrating resiliency and resolve since forever. They have incredibly strong shoulders to bear loss, hope, grief, and vision. She laughs at the days to come is how the ancient wisdom writings put it.
But somehow women have gotten the message that pain and failure mean they must be doing things wrong, that they messed up the rules or tricks for a seamless life. As it turns out, every last woman faces confusion and loss, missteps and catastrophic malfunctions, no matter how much she is doing "right." Struggle doesn't mean they're weak; it means they're alive.
Jen Hatmaker, beloved author, Big Sister Emeritus, and Chief BFF, offers another round of hilarious tales, frank honesty, and hope for the woman who has forgotten her moxie. Whether discussing the grapple with change ("Everyone, be into this thing I'm into! Except when I'm not. Then everyone be cool.") or the time she drove to the wrong city for a fourth-grade field trip ("Why are we in San Antonio?"), Jen parlays her own triumphs and tragedies into a sigh of relief for all normal, fierce women everywhere who, like her, sometimes hide in the car eating crackers but also want to get back up and get back out, to live undaunted "in the moment" no matter what the moments hold." -via goodreads
My thoughts: I listened to this on my way to Atlanta last month, and pretty much silent laughed (you know the kind where you're laughing so hard that you're just making no noise?) and ugly cried my whole way through it. The way she writes about friendship was so beautiful (we need our people!), the way she writes about changing is so relatable (you don't have to be who you've always been), and the way she writes about faith is challenging. So, so good.
Favorite quote: “You can care about new things and new people and new beginnings, and until you are dead in the ground, you are not stuck. If you move with the blessing of your people, marvelous. But even if you don’t, this is your one life, and fear, approval, and self-preservation are terrible reasons to stay silent, stay put, stay sidelined.”
Should you read it? Y E S.
Braving the Wilderness: The quest for true belonging and the courage to stand alone by Brené Brown
Plot: "In Braving the Wilderness, Brown redefines what it means to truly belong in an age of increased polarization. With her trademark mix of research, storytelling, and honesty, Brown will again change the cultural conversation while mapping a clear path to true belonging.
Brown argues that we're experiencing a spiritual crisis of disconnection, and introduces four practices of true belonging that challenge everything we believe about ourselves and each other. She writes, "True belonging requires us to believe in and belong to ourselves so fully that we can find sacredness both in being a part of something and in standing alone when necessary. But in a culture that's rife with perfectionism and pleasing, and with the erosion of civility, it's easy to stay quiet, hide in our ideological bunkers, or fit in rather than show up as our true selves and brave the wilderness of uncertainty and criticism. But true belonging is not something we negotiate or accomplish with others; it's a daily practice that demands integrity and authenticity. It's a personal commitment that we carry in our hearts." Brown offers us the clarity and courage we need to find our way back to ourselves and to each other. And that path cuts right through the wilderness. Brown writes, "The wilderness is an untamed, unpredictable place of solitude and searching. It is a place as dangerous as it is breathtaking, a place as sought after as it is feared. But it turns out to be the place of true belonging, and it's the bravest and most sacred place you will ever stand." -via goodreads
My thoughts: I have a lot of feelings about this book, but they're hard to put into words. This was something I read at a time I needed to read it, and it felt like I was listening to a friend talk about deeply personal things. If you've ever felt left out, or if you've ever felt like your life wasn't full of life, then you need to read this one.
Favorite quote: “True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.”
Should you read it? Yes.
What have you been reading?
Let's just get this out of the way: I've never read the Harry Potter books.
I know, I know. Please don't unfollow me.
Last year, Helene read all of them for the first time, and I decided that I was going to read them this fall. So here we are.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Plot: "Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he's a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry.
Though Harry's first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it's his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined." -via Goodreads
Favorite quote:
via
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
My thoughts: I'll be honest, I was a little worried this book was going to feel very young. I mean, at the end of the day, it's a book about an eleven-year-old wizard. But it was, as everyone has been telling me for the last two decades, magical. The best books fully transport you to another life, another land, and that's what this one does. Even though I'd never read it, it somehow felt nostalgic. I can't wait to read the next one.
Should you read it? I mean, I'm guessing you already have. But if you haven't, yes, it's worth it. Even as an adult.
Everything All at Once by Katrina Leno
Plot: "Lottie Reeves has always struggled with anxiety, and when her beloved Aunt Helen dies, Lottie begins to fear that her own unexpected death might be waiting around every corner.
Aunt Helen wasn’t a typical aunt. She was the author of the best–selling Alvin Hatter series, about siblings who discover the elixir of immortality. Her writing inspired a generation of readers.
In her will, she leaves one last writing project—just for Lottie. It’s a series of letters, each containing mysterious instructions designed to push Lottie out of her comfort zone. Soon, Lottie’s trying some writing of her own, leaping off cliffs, and even falling for a boy she’s only just met. Then the letters reveal an extraordinary secret about the inspiration for the Alvin Hatter series. Lottie finds herself faced with an impossible choice, one that will force her to confront her greatest fear once and for all." -via Goodreads
Favorite quote: "I'm fine," I said quickly, because we are taught as children that automatic response: I'm fine, when we are not. I'm fine, when we are anything but. I'm fine, when we can't stop thinking about death, about dying, about ceasing to be."
My thoughts: This book was adorable. It was magical and relatable and left me feeling so happy. If you're a bookworm (or a writer!) you'll love this one. It does read a little young in parts, and is a smidge predictable, but I didn't mind. Bonus points: It had a really good representation of anxiety, which I always appreciate. All in all, a lovely little read. I loved it.
Should you read it? Yes!
You Are a Bada**: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life
Plot: "In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up 27 bite-sized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word. If you're ready to make some serious changes around here, You Are a Bada** will help you: Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want, blast past your fears so you can take big exciting risks, figure out how to make some damn money already, learn to love yourself and others, set big goals and reach them - it will basically show you how to create a life you totally love, and how to create it NOW.
By the end of You Are a Badass, you'll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can't change, how to change what you don't love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious a**." -via Goodreads
Favorite quote:
via
“You are perfect. To think anything less is as pointless as a river thinking that it’s got too many curves or that it moves too slowly or that its rapids are too rapid. Says who? You’re on a journey with no defined beginning, middle or end. There are no wrong twists and turns. There is just being. And your job is to be as you as you can be. This is why you’re here. To shy away from who you truly are would leave the world you-less. You are the only you there is and ever will be. I repeat, you are the only you there is and ever will be. Do not deny the world its one and only chance to bask in your brilliance.”
My thoughts: Guys. GUYS. I don't know why it took me so long to read this book. For some reason, I just assumed it was an overrated self-help book. But I FREAKING LOVED IT. It had the same effect on me that Big Magic did, and if you know me at all, you know that's about the highest praise I can give a book.
I am so happy I read this. I feel like I can confidently say it changed my life. It was like having coffee with a friend who sees the best in you and isn't going to let you settle for anything less. I already know I will be re-reading this book many, many times.
Should you read it? I'm probably going to buy everyone I love copies of this book and send them weekly quizzes to make sure they read it, so there's your answer.
What did you read this month?
When You Find Out the World is Against You: And Other Funny Memories About Awful Moments by Kelly Oxford
Plot: Kelly Oxford likes to blow up the Internet. Whether it is with the kind of tweets that led Rolling Stone to name her one of the Funniest People on Twitter, or with pictures of her hilariously adorable family (human and animal), or with something much more serious, like creating the hashtag #NotOkay, where millions of women came together to share their stories of sexual assault, Kelly has a unique, razor-sharp perspective on modern life. As a screen writer, professional sh*t disturber, wife and mother of three, Kelly is about everything but the status quo.
Perfect for anyone who ever wished David Sedaris and Mindy Kaling would just finally write a book together already, When You Find Out the World Is Against You is filled with the biting, wise, and laugh-out-loud insights that have won Kelly legions of fans. When You Find Out the World Is Against You is Kelly at her most honest and disarmingly funny best. Her comedic skill, down-to-earth voice and bull’s-eye observations on the absurdity of modern life mean there is nothing quite like seeing the world through Kelly’s eyes. -via goodreads
My thoughts: My knowledge of Kelly Oxford was limited to her hilarious tweets and snapchats, so when I saw this book being hailed as a must-read, especially for anyone with anxiety, I ordered it. And I didn't finish it, because I decided this year that life is too short to make yourself finish books you don't like.
I think had I been a big fan of hers and known more about her life, I would have enjoyed it. Instead, it felt like a really choppy, introspective bounce between childhood memories and adulthood stories. She does write with great candor about having anxiety, which I appreciate, but I wasn't a big fan of the rest.
Should you read it? If you're already a fan of hers, you'd probably love it. Otherwise, skip it.
All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
Plot: It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.
The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic’s younger neighbor and the group’s alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic’s return, Annaleise goes missing.
Told backwards—Day 15 to Day 1—from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor’s disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.
Like nothing you’ve ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you’re walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love. -via goodreads
Favorite quote:
“People were like Russian nesting dolls - versions stacked inside the latest edition. But they all still lived inside, unchanged, just out of sight.”
My thoughts: On our road trip up to Virginia, Sam and I listened to this book. This is the first book I've ever read that was told backward, and that took a little bit of getting used to. We both said we were trying to build on what we knew about the story, but then would realize you couldn't do that, because you were going back in time. We also both agreed the backward order would have been easier to read than it was to listen to. In hindsight, I really like it and think it was a super creative way to write this story.
Here's my personal criteria of what a good mystery is: I want the ending/big reveal/solution to be something that I wouldn't have guessed, but once I find out, I think, Ohh that makes sense! This one did that.
Should you read it? Yes! Read, not listen.
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
Plot: A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged.
Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother's sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from—a place to which she vowed she'd never return.
With the same propulsive writing and acute understanding of human instincts that captivated millions of readers around the world in her explosive debut thriller, The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins delivers an urgent, twisting, deeply satisfying read that hinges on the deceptiveness of emotion and memory, as well as the devastating ways that the past can reach a long arm into the present.
Beware a calm surface—you never know what lies beneath. -via goodreads
Favorite quote: “The horrors conjured up by the mind are always so much worse than what is.”
My thoughts: The woman who died. The characters in the book that the woman who died was writing. The woman who died's sister. The woman who died's daughter. The daughter's best friend. The daughter's teacher. The detective. The detective's dad. The detective's wife. Another detective. These are all main characters.
I really enjoyed this story, but there were SO many people essential to the plot that it made it hard to put down and pick up without getting confused. I feel like there were seven or eight stories jammed into one. But it's worth the read, and I liked how the story was revealed a little bit at a time. It definitely kept me hooked.
Should you read it? Yes.
What did you read last month?
I only read two books this month, which is really low for me. My work really kicked into high gear this month and Jack kicked it into toddler gear and I just really favored sleep over reading. But still, two good books-I can't complain!
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Plot: An international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love.
Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical—most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.
Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent—and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.
The Rosie Project is a moving and hilarious novel for anyone who has ever tenaciously gone after life or love in the face of overwhelming challenges. -Via Goodreads
Favorite quote:
My thoughts: This book was so adorable. It was a quick and easy but super entertaining read. I don't think I've ever read a book similar to this, and the main character (narrator) was one of my favorites ever. It goes into deep things, reminding us that being ourselves really is the best, flaws and all, but still manages to stay light and hilarious. I loved it.
Should you read it? Yes!
The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty
Plot: Ellen O’Farrell is a professional hypnotherapist who works out of the eccentric beachfront home she inherited from her grandparents. It’s a nice life, except for her tumultuous relationship history. She’s stoic about it, but at this point, Ellen wouldn’t mind a lasting one. When she meets Patrick, she’s optimistic. He’s attractive, single, employed, and best of all, he seems to like her back. Then comes that dreaded moment: He thinks they should have a talk.
Braced for the worst, Ellen is pleasantly surprised. It turns out that Patrick’s ex-girlfriend is stalking him. Ellen thinks, Actually, that’s kind of interesting. She’s dating someone worth stalking. She’s intrigued by the woman’s motives. In fact, she’d even love to meet her.
Ellen doesn’t know it, but she already has. -Via Goodreads
Favorite quote:
My thoughts: We all know I have a (very healthy) obsession with Liane Moriarty. However, if you compare this book with her other thrillers (The Husband's Secret or Big Little Lies), you're going to be disappointed. I kept waiting for a big twist or scary mystery (because Liane, duh) but it's not that kind of book. I still really enjoyed it, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I hadn't been expecting it to be like her other books.
Should you read it? Yes.
What have you read this month?
Eat, Pray, Love
by Elizabeth Gilbert
Plot: In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want—husband, country home, successful career—but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she was consumed by panic and confusion. This wise and rapturous book is the story of how she left behind all these outward marks of success, and set out to explore three different aspects of her nature, against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence. -via Goodreads
Favorite quote: “Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it.”
My thoughts: On paper, this should have been my new favorite book. Everyone raves about it, it's about ignoring traditional success and going after happiness, it's full of travel and good food and yoga, and-the biggest reason of all-it's the woman who wrote Big Magic. If you've been around here for any amount of time, you probably know I am obsessed with Big Magic and feel like it actually changed my life.
I'll say this: I have never related to an author so much as I did the author of Big Magic. I have never hated an author so much as I did the author of Eat, Pray, Love. The fact they are the same person is very confusing (and frustrating to me).
I enjoyed reading about the experiences she had, but I couldn't get past the selfishness and self-centeredness of it all. I realize not everyone is meant to be married and have kids. I realize not everyone will only love one (or two, or three) people for their entire lives. But my goodness, you cannot just keep setting people's lives on fire and burning them down while you run away in search of happiness and call it "the right thing." I mean, I guess you can, but it's not a story I want to read.
Should you read it? Honestly, I don't think it lives up to the hype.
The Girls
by Emma Cline
Plot: At the start of summer, a lonely and thoughtful teenager, Evie Boyd, sees a group of girls in the park, and is immediately caught by their freedom, their careless dress, their dangerous aura of abandon. Soon, Evie is in thrall to Suzanne, a mesmerizing older girl, and is drawn into the circle of a soon-to-be infamous cult and the man who is its charismatic leader. Hidden in the hills, their sprawling ranch is eerie and run down, but to Evie, it is exotic, thrilling, charged—a place where she feels desperate to be accepted. As she spends more time away from her mother and the rhythms of her daily life, and as her obsession with Suzanne intensifies, Evie does not realize she is coming closer and closer to unthinkable violence, and to that moment in a girl’s life when everything can go horribly wrong. -via Goodreads
Favorite quote: "All that time I had spent readying myself, the articles that taught me life was really just a waiting room until someone noticed you - the boys had spent that time becoming themselves."
My Thoughts: Ugh. This is complicated. First: I picked this book up thinking it was a completely different book (that I knew nothing about, but was still excited to read) and they had close enough plots that I read a lot of this book before realizing I was not reading what I thought I was reading. So, there's that. I think had I known I was reading about the Manson cult (unofficially) from the beginning, I would have enjoyed it more.
This author is definitely one to watch. This book was incredibly well-written and gives an eerily accurate portrayal of how a normal 14-year old who's had a good life with no big problems could find themselves willingly pulled into a cult. It was fascinating. It enthralled me, made me uncomfortable, and when I finished it, I kind of wished I hadn't read it because of the sad and empty feeling it left me with...and I think that's exactly what she was going for. Someone please tell me that makes sense to you.
Should you read it? Yes and no. It's fascinating and well-written and sucks you in, but it's also about a young girl in a cult and murders. So I'm gonna leave this one up to you.
The Swimming Pool
by Holly LeCraw
This was the book that made me decide that I'm not going to finish books I don't like this year. This book is a mystery that never gets solved.
You should pass.
The Playdate
by Louise Millar
Plot: In a quiet London suburb, a group of mothers relies on each other for friendship, favors, and gossip. But some of them shouldn’t be trusted, and others have dark secrets.
When Callie moved into her new neighborhood, she thought it would be easy to fit in. The other parents have been strangely hostile, though, and her frail daughter Rae is finding it impossible to make friends. Suzy, with her rich husband and her three energetic children, has been the only one to reach out, although their friendship has recently felt inexplicably strained. Now the police have suggested that someone dangerous may be living in their neighborhood, and the atmosphere feels even more toxic. Then there’s the matter of Callie’s ex-husband, and the shocking truth behind their divorce . . . a truth that she would do anything to hide. -via Amazon
My Thoughts: This was a light psychological thriller, meaning I read it in a few afternoons by the pool without having to put too much thought into it. It has some really interesting plots, a few not-quite-believable twists, and a satisfying ending. Exactly what I needed after The Swimming Pool.
Should you read it? Yes!
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What did you read this month?
by Elizabeth Gilbert 
by Emma Cline
by Holly LeCraw
by Louise Millar