Books I Read In May

I found some pretty good books to read this month; I am definitely thinking of summer and all our times spent outside so I downloaded a bunch of seaside/ beach read and just enjoyed them.  I tried to break up all that beachy-ness with a few other books thrown in here and there.  I felt somewhat limited to those books I already had on my Kindle or that I could download pretty cheaply.  Now that our library is opening up for curbside pickup I am really looking forward to next month's list!

1.  Nothing More Dangerous by Allen Eskens-- I picked this book up at the very end of April because I thought my reading challenge asked for a book set in the 70's... turns out I was supposed to read a book written in the 70's!  It is an OK book that I still have not fully finished...  and probably wont.  I keep thinking I probably would have really loved it if I was a boy or if I was in high school (guess what I'm suggesting to my boys next?!).  Boady is growing up in a rural town in Missouri, a freshman in a new high school where all Boady can think about is leaving town.  He has a plan, is saving money, and plans to leave at 16.  Then a new family moves in across the street.  Thomas and his family are a wealthy black family in a town where that has never been seen and the dynamics shift and change.  Boady is forced to adjust his thinking and learns a whole lot more about racism and how deeply seated it can be.  It just wasn't fast paced enough to hold my attention. DNF

2. Nantucket Inn by Pamela Kelley-- The first book of the Nantucket Beach Plum Cove series introduces us to Lisa Hodges and her family and friends.  Lisa husband has recently died and she's dismayed to find they don't have the money in savings she thought they did.  Faced with selling their family home and leaving Nantucket she decides to open her house up as a B&B.  I LOVED this book that reminded me a lot of old Elin Hilderbrand or Nancy Thayer books.  That Nantucket vibe sucked me right in and I read all 4 books in the series in just under 4 days!!

3. Nantucket Neighbors by Pamela Kelley-- The second book of the series focuses more on Lisa's daughter Kristen and her newest neighbor on Nantucket as well as Lisa's friend Paige and her newest neighbor too; who rumor has it is running a little "after hours" businesses that draws the attention of a lot of men.

4. Nantucket White Christmas by Pamela Kelley-- The 3rd book of the series shifts gears slightly and we find ourselves learning of a new character.  Angela Stark has been through the foster care system and is slowly putting herself through college.  She's struggling to make ends meet and can't believe it when she receives a letter telling her that a long lost grandmother she never knew about has died and left her Nantucket home and all of her savings for her.  The lawyer encourages her to move to Nantucket long enough to at least oversee the repairs needed on the cottage before she can put it on the market.  The house is just down the road from Lisa's B&B and her family welcomes Angela with open arms, helping her find work on the island, inviting her to fun events, and introducing her around.  Pretty soon Angela is falling in love with the island and this new family of friends.

5. Nantucket Affair by Pamela Kelley-- The 4th book of the series focuses more on Lisa's friend Sue who has always seemed to have the perfect marriage. But when her husband begins working on the Nantucket Affair; a huge charity event with all the trimmings, with the lovely Brandi Morgan rumors start flying.  The book also deals with the changes and challenges Lisa and her family have been facing but to go into them gives away a few of the plot points in a couple of the other books.  Suffice it to say I was so disappointed the series ended here!

6.  The 10 Year Reunion by Susan Wiggs-- Another fun and light, somewhat predictable, romance  that I enjoyed!  Twyla McCabe left her hometown to start a new life for herself, her son, and her mom but the ladies that frequent her hair salon all agree she should go back for her 10 year reunion.  More like friends than customers, a couple of the older, wealthier ladies decide to bid on a bachelor at a local auction to take Twyla to her reunion and they pull out all the stops to try and make it a magical weekend away.  Twyla, however, is still not convinced that returning home is a good idea-- date or no date.

7.  Here to Stay by Mark Edwards-- This book was a pretty good read; if a bit predictable at times.  When Elliot meets Gemma he's sure he's found "the one" their world wind courtship lasts just a few months and everything seems wonderful.  Until the day his in-laws show up... and refuse to leave.  They seem pretty determined to ruin his life and make no secret of the fact that they want his house.  The end of the book took a pretty dark and twisted turn but I really enjoyed it.

8. Sweet Beginnings by Nicole Ellis-- This first book in the Candle Beach series was really cute.  Dahlia inherits her late aunt's house and bookstore in Candle Beach.  The only stipulation of the will is that if Dahlia wants 100% of the profits from selling both the house and the store she must keep the store for 12 months and show a profit at the end. I downloaded this as an 8 book set and plan to read the rest of them real soon.

9. Born Survivors by Wendy Holden-- This book tells the true story of three women who arrived at Auschwitz, pregnant and scared.  In a remarkable turn of events all three ladies manage to keep their lives and that of their babies until liberation at the end of the war but their stories are just unimaginable tales of courage and perseverance. I haven't yet finished it only because I am finding it so heart breaking and need to set it aside now and then.  I will finish it though as it is a very compelling story.

10.  The Gown by Jennifer Robson-- A historical fiction novel told in two interwoven timelines and from three different voices dealing with the making of Princess Elisabeth's wedding gown.  Ann is an embroiderer at the design house where they are busy making the princess's gown.  Her granddaughter Heather finds embroidered samples her grandmother kept through the years and has all sorts of questions about her grandmother's life after the war including who made the samples and why her grandmother has them.  Miriam was fleeing Paris after her liberation from a concentration camp and found herself working with Ann in the design house.  They become roommates and friends.  Seeking answers, Heather travels to London and tries to unravel the mystery of her grandmother's life. I thought it was a really good novel; it reminded me quite a bit of the Dressmaker's Gift that I read in March.

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