This month, I really slacked off. Like didn’t read for several days throughout the month. But let’s get into it. 6 books. 2,270 pages. An average of 73 pages a day (or 95 for the days I actually read)
The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman (378 pages). The last of the Practical Magic series. For 300 years, Maria Owens’ curse had affected the Owens women. From secret weddings to never living together, the women have found a work around. But it still ultimately claims the men they love. But Jet learns the secret of how to end the curse. And begins to set that into motion with her death. When Sally’s youngest daughter Kylie’s longtime love is in an accident, Kylie learns of the curse and is determined to break it. So she travels to England to seek the true beginning of their curse. As Franny, Sally, Gillian and Vincent follow her, they encounter left hand, dark magic that they have never encountered before. This was a beautiful ending to the series. And now I’m even more excited to see how the movie sequel turns out. I finished in 4 days.
Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape by Jenna Miscavige Hill (395 pages). This book was for my gym book club. Jenna was literally born into Scientology in 1984. Her grandparents joined in the 1969 and her uncle was David Miscaviage, the man who took over the “church” when L. Ron Hubbard died. Throughout her time in Scientology (from birth in 1984 to her escape in 2005), Jenna experienced family upheaval, manual labor that no child should endure, and mental/emotional manipulation of the highest degree. At 8 years old, she signed a contract to join Sea Org, the most senior staff of the group. A contract for one billion years. Because in Scientology, your Thetan (spirit) never dies <insert eye roll here>. Eventually, Jenna, her two brothers, her parents, and her grandfather (you know, the FATHER of the head of the organization) all left Scientology. Y’all- i knew Scientology was crazy. But I had no idea HOW crazy. Learning about the requirements of this group just reinforced every belief that I have that it is a dangerous cult. I finished in 3 days.
The New Girl by M.I. Hattersley (277 pages). Jade Fisher just started a new job at Beautiful You! Incorporated, an eco-friendly lifestyle brand. Working for THE Rebecca Burton-Webb. But Jade isn’t working there for the experience. She’s there for revenge. Because she and her sister are convinced that Rebecca has stolen their legacy. And Jade plans to prove it by working her way into Rebecca’s trust. But this world is more than Jade thought it would be. And the hidden secrets could be deadly. I finished in 4 days.
The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin (468 pages). The year is 1876. 20 year old heiress Charlotte Baird, an avid photography hobbyist, has been invited to spend time in the English countryside during hunting season. While there, she meets Bay Middleton, one of the greatest horseman in England (but not a nobleman). And Charlotte immediately falls in love. But Bay has been asked to pilot the Empress Elisabeth of Austria during the hunting season. She is staying at Easton Neston with the Spencers (yes, THOSE Spencers. The ancestors of Princess Diana). And Sisi is well-known as the most beautiful royal in all of Europe. She is also a fearless horsewoman. And thus began a wild royal love triangle. Y’all know I love some historical fiction. And I do love historical fiction about rumored relationships. This one took a few liberties with history (like the fact that Charlotte and Bay were engaged for 7 years rather than the elopement that ended the book). But on the whole I rather enjoyed the story. Sisi’s story is pretty tragic, so it was kind of nice to see her happy for a moment, even if it was because she was cheating on her husband. I read somewhere that Sisi was the Princess Diana of her day. And that tracks. I finished in 5 days.
The Chanel Sisters by Judithe Little (379 pages). Y’all know I love historical fiction (as declared literally with the immediate prior book). Everyone in the world knows the name Coco Chanel. But what about the woman herself? Gabrielle “Coco” was one of three sisters (older sister Julia-Berthe was a year older and younger sister Antoinette was four years younger). They also had two brothers. But when their mother died, the girls were left at a convent orphanage. And the boys just kind of disappeared. Gabrielle and Antoinette eventually met their young aunt Adrienne and the three became inseparable. Despite their humble beginnings and upbringing, they know they are meant for Something Better. The girls all learn how to sew, but Gabrielle is convinced that her future is on the stage. She earns the nickname of Coco from her songs. Eventually she realizes that she doesn’t have a future on the stage. And she and Antoinette open a hat shop in Paris (backed by one of Gabrielle’s lovers). Eventually they expand into resort wear. Then WWI hits and they switch to simplicity. And thus, the House of Chanel is born. Coco did not like to share her past. In fact, she lied about it. But I loved this story. Obviously, embellishments were made. But it seems like this truly was the gist of her origin. I finished in 4 days.
The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn (373 pages). In September of 1815, Rachel and Liam arrive in London. Not from Jamaica, as they tell people. But from the future. Their mission? To befriend Jane Austen, recover a suspected unpublished novel simply referred to as The Watsons and possibly save Jane’s life. But 1815 is a difficult time for women, especially a woman like Rachel who is a doctor and highly independent. She begins to wonder if she is losing herself as she begins to develop romantic feelings for Liam (who is supposed to be her brother in 1815) and true friendships with the Austens. They have one year to achieve their goal and leave history unchanged. This was an interesting concept and I really liked the idea of would you change history if you could. I finished in 4 days.
This month’s favorite was…The Chanel Sisters. Honestly, because I knew so little about Coco herself.
