Just wanted to share the books I have read this month with you all! Pretty decent line up this month! I have really just loved reading so much lately, I’ve always enjoyed reading but it’s like I can’t get enough of it the last couple of months. I posted about the books I read last month here, and you can go to the Books tab above if you want to catch links to the individual books and also see previous book posts. You can follow me on Goodreads here.
You know, Nancy Thayer just never seems to disappoint. I’ve only read a couple of her books but I like how easy they are to get into and that they just don’t ever feel bogged down. I never have to push through to the end, and “Summer Breeze” was light and happy just like the one I read last month. I enjoyed the characters in this story, reading about the three women living on New England’s Dragonfly Lake, and how they again were navigating their futures and finding love…the girls form a unique friendship, coming from different backgrounds but all finding out what they truly wanted in life. It was one that was hard to move on from because I wanted it to keep going!
“Code Girls”. You all know I love a good WW2 story…and Code Girls kept popping up here and there as a book I might be interested in. Overall this book was extremely well researched and well written. Liza Mundy knew her stuff and obviously spent some time and effort learning about coding during the war, as well as delving into the lives of these women and their contributions. I loved reading about it all but this book was tedious and thick at times. I hate to say it but I felt like I was reading a research paper for most of this book. I pushed through, really wanting to put it down and move on, but I have a really hard time not finishing what I’ve started. I loved reading about the girls’ lives, and the progression of women’s rights during the war, but at the same time, the information about code breaking in itself was just overehelming at times for me to consider this a relaxing read, or one I would quickly recommend to a friend. I did enjoy just seeing the impact that these women had in WW2 and how their efforts helped in so many different ways, because they were obviously vital in the war moving in a positive direction for the U.S. and other countries involved.
I was really conflicted about reading “War Storm”… I was really annoyed at the end of her third novel, and actually mad that I hadn’t realized all along that she was pushing political agendas within her stories…but at the same time I was curious to see how she was going to end the series. I just am one that wants to read a story to read for pleasure, rather than underlying opinions about society. Surprisingly though, I actually enjoyed this book more than her second and third novels, and appreciated how she tied everything up at the end. It was nice to kind of see everything work out the way it did with her characters, and the message wasn’t quite as abrasive feeling as with her third story. I still wasn’t thrilled with the way Mare handled her relationship with Cal at the end, but it was definitely more positive than how the last book ended.
This was a GREAT book. I read about this online, and it really intrigued me, so I put it on hold at the library and then was able to read it this month. “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking” was so interesting to read… lots and lots of information on different personalities and personality needs when comparing introverts and extroverts, and also just history on how personality studies have evolved over the years. As someone with a lot (or mainly) introverted tendencies, it was refreshing and relieving to read about how positive an introverted personality can be and what others can learn from them. So much of the time our society makes us feel bad for wanting time alone or maybe not having a lot to say or not being interactive enough in certain situations…but what people don’t realize is that it is just a different way to operate, and there are a lot of other features that get overlooked. I highly recommend this book to everyone, just to help us understand each other better. I wish I could have read it as a teacher, to understand my students better, but I definitely have gained a lot of insight even in regards to my children through what Cain had to say. So grab this one and give it a read!
I loved “My Oxford Year.” It is a story about an American girl who takes a year to study abroad at Oxford. Of course she meets someone and falls in love, so this is a story about her adventures across the pond and how she handles certain devastating challenges that arise. There is some language in this one and some other things that definitely make it more of a PG-13 kind of book, but I didn’t feel like it was overwhelming. Cute, easy read but also prompts a lot of thought as to how we take care of one another.
“Maybe in Another Life” was also a cute book! It really caught me by surprise the way the author approached this book… I don’t know what I was expecting but after the first few chapters, she splits the story into what would have happened if this one instance happened to the main character and then what if it hadn’t. So each chapter bounces back and forth between the two paths her life could have taken. I really was sad when this one was over, and reluctantly started a new book hah! Again, kind of the same warning…some language and scenes that make this more PG-13.
I love fictional stories based on the lives of real people, that also incorporate real history into the mix. I always enjoy reading the acknowledgements at the end of the book, to learn about the real people behind the characters in the story. Cleave based this book off of his grandparents lives, and how they were involved in WW2 in Europe. A lot of this book took place in London, which I enjoyed because it is one of my favorite cities, but also because most of the books I’ve read have taken place in France and Germany, so this was a different change of pace. The writing in this book is quick humored at times and sarcastic, and overall I enjoyed reading this book. It took me a little bit to get into it, but then the story picked up and was really interesting and eye opening. WW2 was just so incredibly devastating and took so much from everyone involved…it makes me so appreciative of the sacrifices men, women and families are still making for our freedoms.
I hope there is something here that interests you, let me know what YOU are reading! I am always looking for new suggestions! Happy reading everyone!
