Maybe because I was in VH without my husband, I was happy to be able to knock out 5 books this month (plus one I read in February/March, but I didn't want to share because we didn't share about our pregnancy/miscarriage yet!). There's nothing better than curling up with my book after my workday (and the dog walks!) are done. If I can, I sometimes sneak in 30 minutes or reading or so in bed in the morning before getting started on work. Usually I only allow myself to do that on Mondays and Fridays, when I'm not as stressed about my to-do list yet.
After having a reading slump in April, the books seemed to overall be better for this month, which always makes me happy! There were still quite a few mediocre books with just a few standouts though. However, the first one I started out with was quite the let down...
The Next Wife by Kaira Rouda- ⭐⭐
I love love loved Kaira Rouda's previous book. In fact, it was one of my favorites of the year a few years ago. She brings to life the most intriguing, unreliable and untrustworthy narrators. She creates the best voice for psychotic characters. However, this one was uneventful, repetitive with the plot and word choice, and failed to be suspenseful and full of surprises. I hope she isn't going downhill! She has one released after this one too (that I haven't read yet), and both that newest version and this one are only available in paperback and few of my libraries have them...not a good sign.
The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Oh gosh, where do I begin? This one was so heavy. All WW2 books are heavy, but some are heavier than others...and this one definitely falls into that category. It's just so hard to comprehend so much of what happens here, based off of true historical events, of course. It's so hard to relate to and to ponder what I would do in similar situations. This is the first book in a long time (or ever?) that truly put a pit in my stomach and made it hurt. The suffering just kept on coming and coming for the lovable characters. I just wanted them to catch a break! I used to have a hard time getting into WW2 books, but I am definitely on a WW2 kick (saying that with all due respect) lately. This one isn't a sequel but it is connected to The Things We Cannot Say. I think I would say The Things We Cannot Say is unarguably better, but this one still was 5 absolute stars. This book had a unique viewpoint that I hadn't otherwise read about for WW2.
The Summer Place by Jennifer Weiner- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hmm, what to say about this one? I've loved Jennifer Weiner's recent books, and this one was good, but it wasn't great. There were so many narrators and perspectives, that it almost seemed like a bunch of well-developed short stories that were put together into a book. I do love how she tells the story of a life, or multiple lives, in her books- but I don't think this one executed that in the best way. It was hard to keep all of the characters straight. She is incredible at pulling out and drawing attention to the good ole everyday details, which I love. However, this one seemed to have a bunch of "soap opera" plots; some of them were a little far-fetched and absurd. She did a great job of encapsulating a little bit of the early days of quarantine. Overall this one was enjoyable, but it wasn't one of her best! It wasn't as beachy as I would have liked. I feel like that's the theme of my reading life with my favorite authors lately?
Thin Girls by Diana Clarke- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wow wow wow. This could very well be one of my favorite books of the year. This book is NOT for everyone. It's rated R (or rated X?), raunchy, and revealing at times. BUT, if you can get past that, this is a knockout of a book. It's a complex literary style of a book for sure; it's extremely introspective and smart. It is SO well done. It's depressing, dark, and defeating... while also having some laugh out loud moments. It's very deep. There is so much symbolism. Twins, anorexia, abuse, etc. There's so much to unpack here. I loved the interesting facts that were interspersed throughout. I can't write a review that does this book justice, but it was recommended by a favorite author and a favorite blogger, and I'm so glad I got around to reading it.
My Summer Darlings by May Cobb- ⭐⭐⭐
What goes better with this book than a La Croix and flamingo pajamas? Again (I feel like this is a very common trend for me/the books I read recently) this one wasn't as good as this author's previous book, but it was good enough for me to finish, at least. This book is definitely a summer read. It's sassy, has desperate housewife vibes, very soap opera-ish, a little trashy, and focuses on bored and basically alcoholic moms. It's superficial, gossipy, and punchy. It's a quick read and if I put myself in the right mindset, it was pretty captivating. I can see this being a guilty pleasure for so many of the wealthy moms I used to be a camp counselor for their kids. It has a slight classic and gothic feel. I loved that it takes place in Texas, of course. Something that annoyed me in her last book and continued to irritate me in this one was that one of her only detailed descriptions throughout the book is of the sky- over and over again. They're different descriptions, but still- give me some setting beyond the sky!
Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth by Jenny McCarthy- ⭐⭐⭐
So, now that I've shared about our miscarriage, I'm comfortable with sharing that I read this a few months ago. This was recommended from a few bloggers and friends, but I have to say that I didn't think it was as great as it was hyped up to be. It all seemed to be written at surface level and was very extreme with her symptoms (although maybe I just think they were extreme because I didn't get that far to experience in that craziness in my pregnancy.) She tries to be bold without holding anything back, and there was funny wording, but I could tell this was outdated. Overall, I wouldn't recommend...it was just average.
Have you read anything great lately that I should add to my TBR for June? (Also, how in the world are we already at June?!)
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