With a trip to the beach for a week and it being fully pool season, y’all knew your girl would get more read this month, right? It was 10 books. 4,174 pages. An average of 135 pages a day. So let’s get to it!
American Gods by Neil Gaiman (522 pages). Why, oh why, did I pick up another weird book by Gaiman? Shadow is about to be realized from prison when he learns that his wife has died in an accident. With nothing keeping him in Indiana, he takes a job with the enigmatic Mr Wednesday. As they travel all over America, Shadow learns the truth. America is a land of gods. The old gods who came to America with every soul who has come from another land and are slowly dying. And the new gods who are created all the time- technology, media, etc. And the gods must battle. Honestly, I didn’t like this book at all. And I will NEVER pick up another Gaiman book. Some people worship the religion of Gaiman- I find him to be not worth the hype. I finished in 4 days.
Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes (435 pages). Samantha Kemp is having a hard time. Her boss is horrible, her husband is depressed and she feels like life is passing her by as she reaches middle age. Nisha Cantor is also having hard time. Her wealthy husband has decided he is done with their marriage and locks her out of their hotel penthouse with nothing, leaving her to figure out how to survive. An accidental mixup of gym bags one day means that Nisha has no clothes. And Sam now has a custom pair of red Louboutins. Turns out that walking a mile (or more) in someone else’s shoes can give you a second chance at life. Sam becomes more confident. Nisha becomes more self reliant. And both of them learn that life is easier to get through when you have friends by your side! Super cute. I finished in 2 days.
Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham (223 pages). If you have ever spoken to me for more than about 10 minutes, you know that Gilmore Girls is one of my all time favorite shows. I literally watch it every night to go to sleep. This was Lauren’s memoir. Honestly, I was in it for the Gilmore Girls stuff. Which did NOT disappoint. She and I agree that the final 4 words are really more of a cliffhanger than an ending. I teared up when she talked about Ed Hermann making his presence known on set during A Year in the Life. It wasn’t too deep. It was fun. It was cute. It was very Lorelai. I finished in 2 days.
A Great Marriage by Frances Mayes (291 pages). October 1994. North Carolinian Dara Willcox is in New York for a weekend trip. While at an art gallery, she meets British Austin Clarke. And sparks fly! By the following May, at their engagement dinner, everyone is excited about the upcoming nuptials. Especially Dara’s mother Lee and grandmother Charlotte, both of whom are experts on marriage (heck, Charlotte even wrote a book about it!). But when news from home comes to Austin, the wedding is cancelled. And Austin and Dara have to pick up the pieces of their destroyed lives. I finished in 3 days.
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (434 pages). The sequel to Beartown. After everything that happened last spring, Beartown is falling. The hockey club is closing. And the residents are still reeling from the lies and truths that emerged. But it’s summertime now. And a different violence has come to Beartown. One that will again rock the town and end a life. But it’s always Beartown against everyone else. In hockey and in life. Especially against their rival town Hed. Y’all- this series! It’s so beautifully written. I finished in 2 days.
The Winners by Fredrik Backman (670 pages). The third and final book in the Beartown series. It’s been 2 1/2 years since the scandal that tore through Beartown and Hed. But a truce finally exists. Or so they think. But underneath the surface lies the hatred of one boy. Hatred that will claim lives. But show Beartown and Hed that they can co-exist. Hockey will go on. And greatness will come out of this town. Y’all- again. I cried at this one. It was a beautiful ending to a series. Absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking. I finished in 2 days.
The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas (410 pages). Josie Moore, mayor of the small town of Green Oak, NC, spent most of her life not knowing who her father was. Turns out, he’s millionaire Andrew Underwood. And when that truth comes out, Josie becomes a PR nightmare for him. Because she has left four, yes four, men at the altar! When her sister’s best friend Matthew shows up on her front porch in the middle of a misunderstanding with Andrew’s publicist, Josie states that he is her (fifth) fiancé. Matthew is willing to play along. But when a wedding date is set, it gets harder and harder to admit that this is a fake relationship. Honestly, I didn’t care for this one. And y’all know I love a good chick lit. At least there was no third act misunderstanding that caused a breakup. It was just kind of boring. And I didn’t find myself caring about the characters. I finished in 4 days.
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (427 pages). It’s the winter of 1789 in Hallowell, Maine. A frozen body is pulled from the ice of the River and midwife Martha Ballard is called to examine the body. The body of Joshua Burgess. Martha knows he has been killed but the new doctor in town declares his death accidentally. But Joshua Burgess and Judge Joseph North have been accused of raping the minister’s wife. And Martha was a witness to the aftermath of the rape. As court hearings occur and more babies are born, Martha wants to learn the truth. I was fascinated to learn that this book was based on the real life diaries of Martha Ballard. A midwife who never lost a mother. The great-aunt of Clara Barton. And the great-great-grandmother of Mary Hobert, the first female physician in America (who amazingly enough specialized in obstetrics)! The author took liberties to make the story more whodunit. But I loved the story! I finished in 3 days.
Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon (395 pages). One of my favorite musicals is The King and I. Amazing songs, amazing sets, amazing cast. Anna Leonowens became a teacher for the court of King Mongkut of Siam in 1862. She was a widow and needed to provide for her children Avis and Louis. Avis was sent to England for school and Louis went with her to Bangkok. The musical either combined stories and characters or omitted them entirely. This book went into much more detail. There were funny stories, heartbreaking stories, political stories, religious stories. Anna lived a very fascinating life for the five years she was in Siam. And had quite an effect on the Crown Prince Chulalongkorn- she introduced him to the life of Abraham Lincoln and inspired him to free the slaves of Siam when he became king. All that to say, upon further study, Anna Leonowens was perhaps a little loose with the truth in her own diaries. Which were the inspiration for this book. Doesn’t make me love the story of The King and I any less! Shall we dance indeed! I finished in 6 days.
The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand (367 pages). Hollis Shaw loves her life- she’s married to a handsome surgeon, she has a wonderful daughter in college and she has a successful food blog. But when her husband dies in a car accident and her daughter begins to distance herself, Hollis doesn’t know what to do. Until she reads about a widow who threw herself a five-star weekend- a girls weekend with a friend from childhood, from college, from prime of life and from middle-age. And she asks her daughter to be the videographer. But the weekend isn’t the perfect weekend she planned. But it is the perfect weekend. Secrets are revealed, grudges are forgiven. And each woman has a nice story. I finished in 3 days.
This month’s favorite is……..Fredrik Backman. I will not choose one over the other though.