The 11 Books I Read This Month

I had another great month of reading (with plenty of extra time to read). I found so many fun and interesting books; many that were recommended to me by bloggers, friends, and family alike-- so thank you!

1.  Golden in Death by JD Robb-- In this latest installment Eve Dallas is on the hunt to find a killer that is mailing golden eggs full of toxic chemicals to their recipients.

2.  The Dressmaker's Gift by Fiona Valpy-- Harriet arrives in Paris hoping to find some sort of connection to her grandmother and family.  Following a photograph she found in her mother's belongings Harriet takes a job working in the same building where her grandmother lived during the war.  Told in alternating storylines we learn the fate of Harriet's grandmother and two best friends while also learning how Harriet is dealing with all the tragedy in her own life.

3.  Summer of '79 by Elin Hilderbrand-- This short little novella re-visits the Levin family 10 year after the Summer of '69 when they're on Nantucket saying goodbye to the matriarch of their family. It was an alright story but since it was a novella it just seemed to sort of end with no real resolution for any of the characters. I liked it but wished it was longer.

4. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng-- When I saw that Hulu was coming out with a series based on this book I just knew I had to read it.  It starts out with the Richardson home catching fire with suspected arson and then backtracks to when Mia and her daughter Pearl moved to the area. They rent a house from the Richardson family.  These two families become intertwined and the stories that unfold have all sorts of little twists and turns.  It was a cute story and so far I just don't think the Hulu show is doing it justice..

5.  Essential Oils: All-natural remedies and recipes for your mind, body, and home by Susan Curtis and Fran Johnson-- Now I didn't read the whole book as I wasn't quite ready for mixing up recipes but I did want to try and understand how and why essential oils work, which oils would be most beneficial to us to start out with, and just grasp the basics.  With bright beautiful pictures and easy to read text I thought it was a good book to start with.. so good that I bought a copy of my own.

6.  Regretting You by Colleen Hoover-- Morgan and her daughter Clara struggle to find common ground after the unexpected death of Chris (Clara's dad and Morgan's husband).  His death sets off a series of repercussions that draw the two even further apart... so far they aren't sure they'll ever find their way back to one another.   It was a great story; I could not put it down.

7.  The Weekend Girlfriend by Emily Walters-- While I thought this was a cute enough story I'm honest to admit it wasn't the best.  I felt like there should have been more time spent on character development and story line. The premise was really cute but I was just disappointed it wasn't a great page turner.  Jess is talked into pretending to be her boss' girlfriend for his sister's wedding weekend and sparks fly as soon as they move their relationship beyond the office walls. I guess I am just not a novella type of person!

8.  Spy by Danielle Steel-- Alex and her brothers sign up to help out with the war effort as soon as war is declared.  Working in London during WWII Alex attracts the interest of the SOE and is recruited to be a spy for them. Once the war is over MI6 approaches her to continue spying and reporting back to them as she follows her husband around the world with his job as ambassador. I thought this was a pretty good story but I thought it began to drag once the war was over.

9. Nantucket Nights by Elin Hilderbrand-- A very typical Elin book that I had not read before.  My mom recommended it to me and I really did love it. Three friends Kayla, Antoinette, and Val have always gotten together for a Night Swimmers meeting (where they skinny dip in the ocean and catch up on one another's lives) but one night Antoinette does not return from the swim and as repercussions of her loss reverberate around Nantucket Island secrets are revealed that threaten to destroy everything.

10. I'd rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel--  I loved this delightful book about what it's like when you are an avid reader.  I often felt like this author and I could best friends if we actually knew one another in real life because so much of what she said resonated with me and my love of books.

11.  The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys-- I have really enjoyed all of Ruta's books so I was anxious to dive into this one; another aspect of history I knew nothing about! At 512 pages it is her longest novel to date and I thought it was fantastic.  I never knew anything about life in Franco controlled Spain.  Daniel is an 18 year old  aspiring photojournalist who accompanies his mother and father to Spain during Franco's dictatorship.  Through his camera lens he sees more than most tourists.  Ana works at the hotel where Daniel is staying and her family is suffering in this troubling time but they do their best to keep working hoping for some way out of poverty.

Linking Up With: Thinking Out Loud, Morning Cup of Joe,