It’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted here, huh? How long can I blame it on the baby without looking lazy and neglectful of my own blog? A year? Cool!
OK SOoOO!! the last book I felt driven enough to post about was Tara Westover’s Educated back in April. Since then, I’ve finished close to 20 other books… which means lot’s of posts to come. However, they currently live in my head, and until I put pen to paper (or errrm fingers to keyboard?) here are a few that you don’t want to miss this summer.
FIVE Books to Read This Summer
DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid
TJR is the master of historical fiction. I loved her style in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and picked up Daisy Jones & The Six because the internets would not stop raving about it. My god, I still have a book hangover from it. It was… brilliant. It followed no rules. The tone, format, and style was a one of a kind. It felt like reading a Behind the Music. Daisy Jones and every single member of The Six felt like real people, a real band. I laughed, I cried, and it still sits heavy in my heart, in all the best ways. This story was perfect.
BEFORE SHE KNEW HIM by Peter Swanson
This is the third Peter Swanson novel I’ve read (other two: The Kind Worth Killing and Her Every Fear, I rated each one 4 stars) and I have to say, he did not disappoint! Before She Knew Him had so many unexpected twists and turns, I felt invested in the story early on, and felt like it was exceptionally well paced. If you’re looking for a wonderful thriller, this is it! And if you haven’t read Swanson’s other two novels, listed above, I recommend them as well.
THE SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller
Madeline Miller does it again! I read Circe last year, which was exceptional. And this year, I decided to pick up The Song of Achilles. Miller gives our already known characters rich backstories and adds complexity and raw emotional perspectives from minor players, ones who didn’t get much face time in their well known roles. She does a superior job of fleshing out characters and adding new dimensions we didn’t even know we wanted. If you’re even the tiniest bit into Greek classics, this one is for you. Oh, and Circe too. Couldn’t recommend more.
THE WORD IS MURDER by Anthony Horowitz
I’ll start off by saying I love Anthony Horowitz. I think he’s a fantastic writer with an exceptionally high attention to detail, and a master at plotting out a murder. Not just a murder, anyone can do that. What Horowitz does is almost magical. He weaves very complex threads together with a delicate touch of a seasoned and gifted writer. I LOVE his work and The Word is Murder is as wonderful as I was hoping it would be.
THE WIFE by Meg Wolitzer
So powerful. This book perfectly encapsulates the oppression in the workforce women have been fighting for-freaking-ever, but The Wife specifically takes us back to the 1950’s as our main character comes of age. It was a beautiful story of sacrifice and resilience, and even more so the struggle of a talented women, having to hide her gifts within her marriage. It was recently turned into a movie, and it was excellently done as well.
Glad to be back. I say this every time, but I really missed this space. Thanks for being here.