I read five excellent books during the month of May! I'm super excited for it to be summer and to have even more time to read. Last year I got rocking chairs for our front porch for Mother's Day. One of my favorite things to do is to sit on the porch, rock on my rocking chair, and read. Summer is almost here!
Book #1: "Reminders of Him" by Colleen Hoover
I read this book to start the month, and I absolutely loved it! This was my first novel I read written by Colleen Hoover and I think it was a great one to start with. The storyline passes between modern day and past time, and from a few people's points of view which kept it interesting. The main character, Kenna, is released from prison after serving time for a terrible accident with her boyfriend. She returns to the town where the accident took place and attempts to re-enter her daughter's life, who she gave birth to while she was in prison. In the epilogue, Colleen Hoover wrote about how she didn't set the story in a certain town, state, or part of the country. She felt like the main character could have been anyone in any town, and that our town could possibly hold a person with a similar story. This book definitely made me emotional towards the end, and I loved the happy ending.
Book #2: "Practising Parisienne: Lifestyle Secrets from the City of Lights" by Marissa Cox
I love to read these little French lifestyle books, and this was the third one I've read so far this year. French lifestyle books have a really easy way of inspiring you to make little changes in your life to become a more relaxed, present person. Even though I've never been to France, I love learning and reading about the European lifestyle and ways to bring the extraordinary to the ordinary. I love our country dearly, but we do tend to engage in the "rat race;" and spend our days in a mundane routine without much time for pleasure. These books make me want to eat a salad, buy some fresh flowers for my house and host a dinner party. :) This book was written by a British journalist who moved and lived in Paris for 8 years. The author gives fashion, beauty and ways to infuse positive changes in your life, big or small. It's not my favorite of the French lifestyle books I've read, but it's a fun, easy read.
Book #3: "28 Summers" by Elin Hilderbrand
This was my first Elin Hilderbrand book, and it had all the features of a great summer read. The story is set in Nantucket and made me want to buy a plane ticket ASAP. This book followed the story of a couple, Mallory and Jake, that meets by chance. They become each other's "same time, next year," and meet in Nantucket every year over Labor Day. Their story is kept a secret from significant others and children, despite Jake being a public figure. I liked a lot of things in this book. Every chapter started with the year, and gave a little description about what was current or happening at that point of time. This gave the reader a little background and really made me "travel" to that place in my mind. I liked a lot of things about this book, but it was very frustrating that they just couldn't figure out how to be with each other all year long; instead, they just continued life dissatisfied with their other partners. #sigh. Overall it was a great little read that kept me interested from start to finish!
Book #4: "Lilac Girls: A Novel" by Martha Hall Kelly
I really love books set during World War 2 and was super excited to read this one. This was an excellent novel, but it was HEAVY. I would not recommend this book if you are in need of an easy read. "Lilac Girls: A Novel," follows the lives of three young women: a New York socialite, a Polish teenager, and a young German doctor. Each chapter follows a different woman, which at first made it difficult to follow. I'd get really invested in the storyline of one character, and then it would switch to another character. Argh! In retrospect, I think this is what made this book so intriguing. I've read plenty of historical fiction books set during WW2, but none of them were this heavy. I had personally never learned about the experimental surgeries done to the concentration camp prisoners, who were called "Rabbits." It was so very difficult to read about, and definitely made me research the topic further as I read. The German doctor has a very traumatic past, which at first made you empathize with her. After learning what she did to the prisoners I could barely read the chapters from her perspective.
This book is long, but I think it needed to be so that justice and a happy ending could be found. When I finished this book I sent a message to my mom, aunts, and cousin (an active text thread that we share) and told them that I was so thankful that we lived in America, and that we lived in present time. The tragedies of WW2 are so very difficult to comprehend. If you're looking for a book that you'll truly learn from, this one is it!
Book #5: "Nantucket Nights" by Elin Hilderbrand
I didn't at all plan to read five books this month, but after finishing "Lilac Girls: a Novel," I needed a happy book. Unfortunately this one wasn't it either. Haha! It follows a story of three unlikely friends who share a night of champagne, decadent food, secrets, and skinny dipping once a year. They call their group the "Night Swimmers." Without giving too much away, they have a falling out, and their group begins to unravel with an unlikely connection found. This story wasn't so much a love story but a "who did it" mystery. It was a good book, it kept me entertained, but just wasn't what I was looking for. I found it really difficult to like the characters as they all had really intense faults. The charming setting is one of the redeeming qualities of this book. Better luck next month. :)
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