This summer has been so busy that I’m late getting my quarterly book talk posted, but here it FINALLY is! In April, May, and June I read 7 books. Most are fiction (one being historical fiction), one is a memoir, one could be considered a self-help book, and one is even a children’s book. I hope you find something you might want to add to your own list of books you want to read.
Everything Everything
by Nicola Yoon
I’m so glad I didn’t know ahead of time that this book is YA fiction, because I usually pass on YA books. I would have missed an enjoyable, interesting read. Last time my daughter was here, she brought me some books she was finished with so I could post them on Paperback Swap. As I was looking through them, this one caught my eye. When I flipped through it, I was intrigued by the unusual-looking pages with drawings and e-mails and such. So I kept this one to read myself before giving it up.
A girl lives most of her life confined to her house because she has a rare disease that makes her allergic to the outside world. She is now 18 years old and develops an interest in the new boy next door. The story is about their relationship, her relationship with her mother, and her relationship with her caretaker. It’s also about her coming to grips with life. I liked the way the author wrote. There are little gems in the book that make you stop and think. I also like that after the story has ended, the author shares a chapter she wrote but did not include in the book. Many of the ideas in that unused chapter were actually part of a chapter that was included. Kind of a neat behind-the-scenes look at what goes into writing a book. This book has also been made into a movie, so I’m putting that in my Netflix queue!
In the Midst of Winter
by Isabel Allende
I was expecting to like this book because it was recommended to me by one of my sisters. However, I found it to be a book I would not have chosen myself to read. The two main characters are around my same age, so that also made me think I would like it. But the story line was just so improbable. To me the story went from somewhat boring to bizarre. In fact, so bizarre that at times it was funny. Lucia is a 62-year-old from Chile who teaches at the same university as Richard, the man she lives below. By a stroke of fate, Richard becomes involved with Evelyn, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala. Soon Lucia, Richard, and Evelyn are trying to figure out what to do with a dead body in the trunk of a car. Besides being such a weird story, I found Richard’s character difficult to like. While 44% of reviewers on Amazon gave this book a 5-star rating, I cannot say that I recommend it.
Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie (Eleanor)
by Julie Sternberg
I bought this book to send to my 9-year-old granddaughter, and when I did I was informed that it was also a Kindle Unlimited book that I could get for free on my Kindle. So, of course, I did! This was such a sweet book. I thoroughly loved it and found the main character Eleanor so endearing. She is 8 years old and learns that her cherished babysitter Bibi is moving away. Bibi has been her babysitter while her parents are at work since birth, so this is a major change in Eleanor’s life. The author did a wonderful job of showing the reader how Eleanor gets through this emotional time and learns that change is part of life. An added bonus with this book review is that my granddaughter Helen emailed me her own review once she finished the book, and I am sharing that with you!
Helen’s Review:
reflection : Pickle juice on a cookie
Recommended for: 6 years – 1,000 years
2nd grade and above
I give pickle juice on a cookie a five star rating because I totally know how Ellie feels. I remembered the day adry moved away to college. I remember missing her so much but she was always in my heart. Having a connection to the book really makes it easy to understand. If the story is real or fiction I find it really interesting to read about a part of someone’s life. I recommended this book to kids and adults who are interested in biography books.
-Helen b.
After You
by Jojo Moyes
I really enjoyed this second book in the 3-book series by Jojo Moyes. The main character is recovering from loss and from a freaky accident. There is an unexpected romantic twist. The author does a good job of conveying to the reader the emotions Lou experiences as she works toward moving on. If you read Me Before You, then I recommend reading this one, too. The third one is on my list of books I want to read.
Educated
by Tara Westover
This was the only memoir that I read this quarter, and it was a good one. The events that this woman experienced as a child are hard to imagine. It’s remarkable that as a young adult, she overcomes them. I was most surprised that a lifestyle like this could occur in the the 1980s and 90s in the United States. One has to wonder how things might have been different for her if she had had the same opportunity of education afforded to her that most other U.S. citizens enjoy. I highly recommend this book.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
by Heather Morris
This book is historical fiction, but the author claims that the majority of it is factual. Somewhere I saw that 95% of it is based on facts. Regardless, it is an amazing read that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend. One of the things that made this book more meaningful to me is that I finished reading it around the anniversary of D-Day. The book prompted me to review more closely the unfolding of that day in history. I don’t think I ever before truly appreciated the enormity of the Allied effort and what all had to be in place on the many different fronts in order to overcome the enemy. It’s scary to think of what our world might be like today if the effort had failed.
Final Gifts
by Maggie Callahan and Patricia Kelley
This book was written by two hospice nurses. My sister Susan found it in a collection of books she was clearing out of her house. She read it on the plane when she flew out here in late April and finished it during her stay here. Then she left it for me to read. The authors recount their experiences with dying patients in an effort to help people who are closest to the dying. They hope their stories will make it easier for others to assist their dying loved ones on their journey. I found the stories to be very thought-provoking and worthwhile to read. My mother was very close to her own death, and I was hoping to finish the book before that happened, but I didn’t. I did finish it afterwards, though. My biggest takeaway was that it’s important to be honest and forthcoming with the dying. I often wouldn’t tell Mom when I found out that someone she knew had died, and now in retrospect after reading this book, I think that was wrong. The book gives many examples of how you can be truthful with the dying in a way that is gentle. And in the experiences of these authors, the dying are able to handle the truth and are in fact grateful to know it. While I do think some of the conclusions made by the authors in different circumstances are based on conjecture, I would still recommend this book, especially if you are close to someone who is dying or expect that you will be in the future.
So did any of these books strike a chord with you? Have you read some of the same books? If so, I’d love to hear your take on them. I’d also love to know of any other books you’ve read lately that you would recommend.