Since I last shared a reading round-up, I have had several work trips (& associated airplane time) and other opportunities to just sit and read.
Looking at Goodreads, these are the books that I read throughout April & May.
- All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – A wonderful WWII story that deserves the accolades it has received. A richly woven tale that had me longing for an evening with my Chicago book club to discuss the story and life in the way that this sort of story would spark.
- The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim – After wanting to read this for so long, it was a good April read this spring. Filled with wit and charm and the lush Italian countryside, I greatly enjoyed this tale.
- The Travelers by Chris Pavone – The latest thriller from this author – a so-so read for me. I think I need to realize that this author isn’t one I need to prioritize in my unending list of books to read.
- The One in a Million Boy by Monica Wood – A new release getting a lot of buzz. A thoughtful story of “those left behind” when a young boy suddenly dies – his absent father, his struggling mother, the elderly lady whose yard he was working in for a series of Saturdays.
- Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem by Kevin DeYoung – Indeed, a short and quick read on the busyness that consumes us all. It paired well with the next read from the Kindle…
- The Sound of Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey – An interesting reflection on nature, sparked by the authors confinement to bed with a health issue and the world she discovered when a friend brought her a wild violet plant which housed a common woodland snail. As the snail explores her confined room, she becomes wrapped up in the observation of the snail and his world. This book is a tale of resilience & survival wrapped up in a treaty on the common snail that we all have seen (& probably ignored) many a time.
- Wrapped in Rain: A Novel of Coming Home by Charles Martin – Another good Martin story of self discovery and family secrets and redemption set in a vibrantly described Southern landscape.
- The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society by Darien Gee – A cute story in the vein of The Friday Night Knitting Club set in small town Illinois. Scrap booking is “the thing” that anchors these stories of women. In a similar vein to “The Friday Night Knitting Club,” it was a charming escape into the world of these women. My scrap booking activity is non existent these days & the book had me fondly remembering scrapbook times with friends in Chicago.
- Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter – A crime thriller set in a small Georgia town where the coroner is also the local pediatrician. It was an ok read – nothing compelling enough to make me seek out the rest of this series.
- Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave – A quick chick-lit of a young woman on the verge of a wedding and moving halfway around the world who flees home to the family winery when she discovers her fiances “betrayal.” Once home, her world continues to be turned upside down by her parents and their decision to sell the winery after the harvest. It read like a movie – a fluffy diversion.
So far, June has yielded 4 complete reads & 1 should be finished this evening. As the summer reading season kicks into gear, I’ve challenged myself to read 15 books – and I want to focus on books I already have on my shelves, including several “heftier” reads.
Linking up with QuickLit hosted by Anne at Modern Mrs. Darcy.
What are you reading these days?
