Is this not the most calming and idyllic park scene??
I am going to brag about life in Iceland for a second and tell you all that I enjoyed this scene while sitting on a bench reading in the sunshine. Ya, it was basically wonderful.
But don’t feel to jealous, this morning we woke up to snow…
Thankfully it is melting away as I type this, waking up to your yard covered in the cold white stuff is not exactly what I want to see in April. But the late Spring snowfall is not what this post is suppose to be about so I will stop this rant before it begins.
On to today’s topic, books.
So last year I set myself the goal of reading 50 books. The main purpose of setting the goal was to bring reading back into my life. It was a success and so this year I decided to set another goal of 50 books. I will admit, this year has not gotten off to the best start, something about curling up to a good book during the Icelandic winter makes me just fall asleep. But, thanks to the brighter days I have gotten my reading mojo back and am finally back on track with my reading goal.
I have read some great (and not so great) books so far this eyar. If you are looking for some new books to add to your reading list I definitely recommend adding (most of) these books to your list!
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All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - ★★
I wanted to love this book, I really did, and thought I would after reading so many wonderful reviews about it. But it literally took me months to make it past the first chapter, and the only reason I pushed on was because we were reading this book for bookclub. I know that everyone has loved this book, but I could just not get into it. The entire time it was a struggle to read, and while I agree it is a beautiful story there was just something about it that didn’t click for me. I also have to mention that my bookclub agrees, only two of us actually read the whole book.
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty - ★★★★
I could not put this one down, which is how I always feel about Liane Moriarty’s books. Ever since I read my first Liane Moriarty book this one has been on my reading list and it did not disappoint. I love how Moriarty writes stories that are the perfect mix of real life topics with a touch of suspense and humor. I have now read all of her books and am ready for her to write more!
The Good Neighbor by A.J.Banner - ★★★
A sudden tragedy changes everything in Sarah’s life and makes her doubt everything she once thought to be true. This story caught my attention right away, I was so intrigued by the mystery surrounding everything and had to know how it would end. The ending for me fell flat, I really had expected more. Overall it was still an interesting read, I mean I read the book in less than two days so it wasn’t all bad. But, the ending, if it had been a bit better this book would of been amazing!
The Girl You Lost by Kathryn Croft - ★★★★
The first sentence on Goodreads was enough to intrigue me to read this book. “Eighteen years ago your baby daughter was snatched. Today, she came back.” I could not put this book down, it held my attention from start to finish, and the ending, I am still just shocked at the ending. There were a few times throughout the book where I had some guess to how it would end, and while a few of them were right, most I was totally wrong. When you can’t figure out the ending until the actually ending, that is a good mystery book!
The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck - ★★★
After reading “The Girl You Lost” I was in need of a light easy read and the Wedding Dress was just that. This book is about one wedding dress that has been worn by four different women spanning over a century. It reminded me a bit of “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”. I loved the different stories about each woman who wore the gown, from the challenges they had to overcome in their own time period to finding out how they are all actually connected, this is the perfect beach read for the upcoming summer months.
War Brides by Helen Bryan - ★★★
A story about four different women, from different parts of the World, who all end up in the same small town in the English countryside during WWII. The summary from Goodreads perfectly sums it up, “Together they will face hardship, passion and danger, forming bonds of friendship that will inspire a desperate plan, And, fifty years later, an act of revenge.” While I found the story to be a bit slow at times it is definitely a book I would recommend to those interested in reading about life in this era.
Bossypants by Tina Fey - ★★★★
After reading Mindy Kaling’s book and thinking the whole time it would be so much funnier if it was in her voice I decided to try out my first audiobook with Bossypants. I had read the first few chapters of this book before switching to the audiobook and I was right, it was so much funnier listening to Tina Fey read her book than me trying to imagine her voice in my head while I was reading it. I thought Bossypants was not only hilarious (as I knew it would be, I am a big Tina Fey fan) but I also found it so inspiring listening to her stories about her career and struggles to make it as a woman comedian. If you are looking for a fun and inspiring book add Bossypants to your list. And if your a fan of audiobooks I definitely recommend listening to this one!
War of the Wives by Tamar Cohen- ★★
When Simon passes away unexpectedly two woman show up to his funeral only to discover they were both married to the same man. I wanted this book to be good, I mean two women married to the same man that didn’t know about each other, how was that possible?! Unfortunately I felt like the storyline didn’t really go anywhere after the initial discovery that they were both married to Simon and found myself a bit bored with this book.
Losing the Light by Andrea Dunlop - ★★★
A story about two American girls doing a year abroad in France where they find themselves caught in a strange love triangle that consumes them both. This book made me want to head down to the south of France asap just as much as it made me happy I was past those confusing insecure college days. I enjoyed this story, and often found myself relating to some of the experiences they went through adjusting to life abroad. I did find the whole love triangle (and one other story twist that I won’t mention for spoiler reasons) a bit strange, but overall I enjoyed the book.
Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave - ★★★★
Georgia has grown up on her family’s Sonoma vineyard which she left as soon as she graduated to move to LA. Now with her wedding a week away and a shocking secret discovered about her fiance she flees to her family’s vineyard seeking the comfort of home. What she finds is that it isn’t just her fiance who has been keeping secrets. This book made me miss my family like crazy and dream of opening up my own vineyard, and while it was a bit predictable I thought it was a fun read.
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With the summer months coming up I foresee many wonderful days spent outside reading away, I can’t wait! I need some recommendations to add to my list, any great books or series you have read lately let me know in the comments!
To see all the books on my reading list follow me on Goodreads .
Question of the Day?
What books are on your summer reading list?