If you’ve been following Four Points Mom for awhile, then you know that I love sharing my Four Points Mom & Books posts with you each month. I’ve always been a reader, but since I’ve become a mom I’ve spent much more of my “down” time enjoying books. Most days you can find me listening to an audiobook while I’m cleaning the kitchen or walking the loop in my neighborhood. Or, maybe you’ll find me reading a book on my iPad’s Kindle app. Regardless, I’m reading much more than I am watching on tv these days. Getting to share the books I enjoy (or don’t enjoy so much) has surprisingly become one of my favorite parts of this whole “blogging thing”.
This month’s post is even more exciting for me because I get to tell you about 6 books (and many of them I recommend for your summer reading list). 🙂 Get ready to add some to your Amazon shopping list … here we go!
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
We Were the Lucky Ones follows a Jewish family living in Poland before the beginning of World War II. I’ve read several books set in this timeframe (I’m a glutton for punishment obviously), and this book is one of my favorites. I liked The Nightingale better, but this one is thisclose to tying it as my favorite in the time period. The author bases the characters off of her actual family during the war.
The atrocities experienced by the many characters are gut-wrenching. No matter how many times I read about Europe in World War II, I still can’t begin to fathom that all of this actually happened. It’s just horrible. Sorry, I digress. Back to the book … The characters were very well-developed. As the war gears up, they mostly go their separate ways and the author spends time following each one across the globe. She wonderfully painted the picture (although stark and bleak) of their experiences. Plus, this is my first time to read about what actually took place in Eastern Europe and Poland. I didn’t realize that it could get worse than what I’ve read about occurring in France and England. Sigh …
Somehow I missed the “based on a true story” information at the beginning of this book. I can only imagine how differently I would have experienced the story if I hadn’t missed that. So, don’t make my mistake – knowing the stories are based on experiences of REAL individuals just takes it to a whole new level.
I don’t want to dive too much into the story because I want you to experience it yourself. I recommend this one (if you’re up for a deep read).
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
I LOVED Magpie Murders. When I finished this book this morning, I tried to remember how I even heard of this book. I can’t for the life of me remember, but I’m so glad I read it. I love classic “whodunnit” novels, and this one fits the bill. It’s unique in that you start with a narrator who tells you that you’re about to read a book without an ending. You then dive into the classic English mystery novel … all the while wondering what that initial narrator was talking about. Is this a book within a book? Hmmmm…. 🙂
If you like mysteries, read Magpie Murders. You’ll enjoy it!
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
This was probably my least favorite book of the month. It received amazing reviews and I was really sad to not enjoy it. I mean, it was an Oprah Winfrey Book Club book! It just didn’t live up to my expectations.
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
I thought Commonwealth was a very unique and enjoyable read. As the winner of many awards, I knew there would be a 50/50 chance that I would like it. Does anyone else find themselves reading award-winning books and wondering “why am I forcing myself to finish this book?” I recently convinced myself to stop reading books I don’t like even if they are award winners. Sorry, I digressed … Anyways, I actually enjoyed this award-winning book! Initially it was a bit confusing to keep the many characters straightened out in my mind. However, I’m glad I stuck with it because it was a sometimes-funny and sometimes-heartwrenching read.
Lie To Me by J.T. Ellison
Wow! Lie To Me was a great read! The story begins with an anonymous narrator who tells you he or she is beginning to spin a giant web that the main characters will get tied up in. And I, the reader, definitely got spun up in the giant web too. This book had me gasp out loud a few times – I did not see any of it coming. I read a review of this book that compared it to Gone Girl, and I agree. It is very Gone Girl-ish. I loved Gone Girl, so I think I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to fellow Gone Girl fans.
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
I highly recommend The Couple Next Door! A couple’s baby is kidnapped from their home and you are quickly taken on a journey as the detective tries to figure out who was involved and how it happened. There were so many twists and turns, and I didn’t expect most of them. As a quick read, you should definitely throw it in your beach bag on your next vacation or even just for your next trip to the pool. I’ll be looking for more books by Shari Lapena because I love short page-turners.
Alright, have you read any of these books? Do you have any I should add to my to-read list! And don’t forget to follow me on GoodReads to see what else I’m reading.
If you want to check out my previous reviews, you can always enter books in the search bar above. Or, you can just click on January, February, March, or April to check out my 2018 reviews. Plus, you can see ALL the books I’ve remembered to track on my GoodReads page.
