I got a lot of reading done this month. 9 books at a total of 3,542 pages. That’s an average of 118 pages a day. I chalk it up to several days spent reading a whole book in a day by the pool. So without further ado, here’s my rundown of June’s books.
The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer (416 pages). There are literally no words for this book. I cried about 4 times. It was so beautiful. Alina Dziak is 15 years old when the Nazis begin their occupation of Poland. Her fiancé, Tomasz Slaski, has been in Warsaw for college. But he has always said he will come back for her. They have a love that will defy distance, time and the Nazis. Alice Michels is a frazzled mother of two, dealing with the fading health of her beloved Babcia, Hanna. When Hanna sends Alice to Poland with just a few words, names and addresses, Alice has no idea the story that she will uncover. I literally bawled for the loast 50 pages! Thanks to perfect pool weather and inability to put this book down, I finished it pretty quickly. This might be the second month in a row of the month’s favorite being the first one of the month! I finished in 1 day.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (455 pages). I decided to head back to an unread classic. Again, I feel like I knew this book before I even picked it up. It’s the story of the Joad family and their quest to find a better life in California in the 1930’s when the dust bowl and machines destroyed the small farms of the Midwest. It was oh so horribly depressing. But beautifully intriguing and written. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I finished in 5 days.
The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper (405 pages). I’ve read Little Women (and seen about 3 different movie versions at least). I don’t think I realized that Louisa May Alcott based the March sisters on herself and her sisters. In fact, I’m not really sure I gave too much thought to Alcott’s life in general. One sister, May (yes, same name as her sister), did not appreciate being the basis for spoiled Amy March. So she set out to make a name for herself as an artist, out from under the name (and financial support) of her famous sister. She was bold and brave. And had a heartbreaking end to her fascinating life. I finished in 8 days.
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan (332 pages). Librarian Nina Redmond is the victim of the downsizing of libraries. Which is a shame, because her true gift is finding the right book for every person who crosses her path. But it also allows her an amazing opportunity. She uproots her life when she buy a van. And moves to a small town in Scotland to open a mobile bookstore. She learns that life is about living, not just about reading. She meets new friends and becomes a part of a community. It was a sweet book. And perfect for poolside (which is where I read it). I finished in 1 day.
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate (339 pages). Another one that left me speechless. Starting in the 1930’s, there was a horrible woman named Georgia Tann. She ran the Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage. And by ran, I mean she literally kidnapped and sold children. This was the fictional version of those children. In Memphis in 1939, Rill Foss has the life of her dreams. She and her 3 younger sisters and baby brother are river gypsies with their beloved parents. But when their mother has complications with a pregnancy with twins, Rill and her siblings are carted off to one of Tann’s “homes” to await adoption. In modern day Aiken, Avery Stafford has a life of privilege. She’s the daughter of a senator, happily engaged to her best friend. But when a family health emergency calls her home from DC, she learns some family truths in some long hidden history. After finishing the book, I read some stories about Georgia Tann. What a horrible woman. Truly horrible. Some of the families she destroyed were never reunited. Some children died simply because they cried too much and were left alone without food and water. The damage inflicted is beyond what I can imagine. I finished in 1 day.
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (316 pages). Another classic I’d never read. And the first Pulitzer Prize book written by a woman! The novel begins with the elite society of New York in the 1870’s. Newland Archer is engaged to the lovely May Welland. He faces a known future of perfect domesticity with her. But her cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, returns from her disastrous marriage in Europe. And Archer finds himself drawn to her. He feels that he must make a choice between the two women. What he doesn’t realize is that the women actually hold the cards. I really enjoyed it. It was surprisingly forward thinking (in some respects) for a novel written in the 1920’s. I finished in 6 days.
Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand (504 pages). Three women and two boys arrive on Nantucket for the summer. Vicki is dealing with her cancer diagnosis and the possibility of leaving her young sons motherless. Her sister, Brenda, is dealing with the demise of her career in academia (all her own fault). And her her friend, Melanie, is dealing with a much wanted pregnancy colored by her husband’s infidelity. College student and local Josh enters their life as the boys’ summer babysitter. And helps each woman come to terms with her personal struggles. It was mindless and easy. Legit, a perfect beach read (I had to make do with the pool). I finished in 3 days.
Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld (397 pages). Kate and Violet are identical twins who could not live more unidentical lives. Kate is married with 2 kids. Vi is a free spirit. But both of them have senses. Only Vi truly embraces hers. When Vi gets a premonition of an earthquake in their town of St Louis, Kate gets a premonition about a date. And they immediately assume that’s the date the earthquake will hit. Turns out both of their premonitions are a little bit off. It was a perfectly fine book. And one that had been on my shelf for a while. I finished in 4 days.
The Centurion’s Wife by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke (378 pages). Janette Oke is one of my favorite authors ever and definitely my favorite Christian author. However, this is the most Biblical of all of her novels that I’ve read. It takes place during the time from the Resurrection to Pentecost. Leah is a servant in Pontius Pilate’s household. Albany is a centurion. In fact, he is the centurion who’s belief in Jesus’ power allowed his servant to be healed from afar. Leah and Alban are betrothed, for somewhat political reasons. Pilate will allow the marriage to go forward if Alban can find out the truth behind the disappearance of Jesus’ body from the tomb. Pilate’s wife sends Leah out to track down the truth as well. Through their separate interactions with believers, both Leah and Alban come to faith and experience the miracle of Pentecost. I finished in 1 day (because there was only one day left in the month!)
This month’s favorite was ... The Things We Cannot Say. I will say this month had no bad books. I did enjoy all of them.
