I’m so excited that I can finally share with you all the books I’ve read this month. Despite being crazy busy, I’ve managed to listen to a few audiobooks and actually read a book. This is probably due to the fact that when I’m feeling overwhelmed I tend to ramp up on things to do instead of pause and take some downtime when I get the chance. #youliveyoulearn
In case you’re new, I read (okay, mostly listen via Audible) many books and I love to share my thoughts with you guys every month. If you’re curious and want to check out previous posts, you can start by clicking here to view last month’s Four Points Mom & Books post. Also, since these posts are some of my most popular ones, I decided to go ahead and create separate pages for all of my 2018 books and 2017 books. So, if you’re quickly trying to find ideas for books you can go to one page and click directly to the books on Amazon. Hopefully this helps you a bit when you’re in a bind.
Alright, let’s go ahead and get to my books this month. I have a couple good ones for you!
Still Me by Jojo Moyes
Oh, I just loved this book! I’m sure many of you have read Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, and some of you have likely read the second in the trilogy, After You. And I know a big group of us actually went to see Me Before You in the theaters … yeah, I was the bubbling idiot practically sobbing. Well, this one just might be my favorite of the trilogy. Louisa Clark is a lovable character (hence the success of the first two novels). I didn’t enjoy After You really at all, so I wasn’t too excited to read Still Me. However, it was available at the library so I snagged it. Well, I’m so glad I did because I can rave to you all about it. Louisa moves to New York City to become somewhat of a personal assistant to the new wife of a gazillionaire. I enjoyed the characters, the story was entertaining, and I’d read the next book in the series if there was one.
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
I’ve had The Alice Network on my to-read list forever! I finally got around to reading it, and I loved it. There’s a reason everyone raves about it. It is another historical fiction novel set in Europe in the 1940s, but it’s not quite as depressing as some of the other ones from that period that I’ve recently read. You follow two women–an American socialite searching for her lost cousin and a former spy from World War I. Together they tear off across Europe two years following the end of World War II, looking for the cousin. Oh yeah, there’s even a bit of a love story thrown in there. I loved this book and highly recommend it.
Summer House by Nancy Thayer
If you’ve been following my Four Points Mom & Books posts for awhile, you know that I frequently enjoy summery beach reads from Elin Hilderbrand and Nancy Thayer. I actually have two of these for you this month. Summer House is set in Nantucket (shocker as both Hilderband and Thayer usually set their stories in Nantucket). :). In Summer House you follow the story of Charlotte, a thirty-something woman who is trying to find something to do that she’s passionate about and Helen, her mother, a woman who is trying to get past a secret she recently discovered. This was a light read, but not my favorite light read this month.
The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
Okay, here’s my Elin Hilderbrand read of the month and this one goes to the top as one of my favorite Elin Hilderbrand books. I’ve probably read about 10 – 15 of her books, so that’s really saying something! You start off learning of the death of a woman who was the maid of honor of a high profile wedding on the island (yes, Nantucket again) scheduled for that evening. As you’re introduced to the various wedding guests, the bride, and the groom, and so many more you fall into the tangled web wondering how she died. I really liked the characters of this book and I thought the story was really entertaining. If you’re looking for a light read over Labor Day weekend (or have an upcoming trip scheduled), download The Perfect Couple. You’ll enjoy it!
The Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca Raisin
This is a cute, quick read. The premise was interesting, but I spent a lot of time wanting to scream at the character. Sarah, the main character, runs a bookshop in a small town in the states. When her friend, Sophie, suggests they swap bookshops and run each other’s for a short time, she excitedly agrees. Having been to Paris recently, I did enjoy hearing about places I’ve been and could envision myself in her shoes living in Paris. However, I was SUPER frustrated about how Sarah handled (or actually didn’t handle) some conflicts throughout the story. Maybe this is because I was just unusually stressed this month. Maybe it’s the actual story. Also, I didn’t realize it was the second book in a series until I started to write this review. So, maybe that’s the problem – ha!
The reviews are mostly positive, so if you like Paris, I do suggest you check it out. I do want to visit again now … girls trip anyone?
Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews
Okay, I’m going to finish up today’s post with another light beachy read. It was cute. It was a little hokey. I didn’t absolutely love it, but it kept me entertained. Three best friends from childhood meet up to spend a month at a beach house in a tiny North Carolina town. While there, they meet a woman who is running away from something, but they haven’t quite figured out what exactly. Plus, there’s a potential love interest thrown in there. So, this isn’t a strong recommendation from me, but it was pretty cute.
Don’t forget to follow me on GoodReads to see what else I’m reading. See ya next time!
