Alison’s May Reads
Turns out the thing I needed to get out of my reading slump was a string of very gloomy and chilly days in May. While the rain drizzled down the windows and my kids watched too much television, I got lost in my most favorite hobby once again!
Say You’ll Remember Me - Abby Jimenez (4 stars). How lucky I was to get a new release so quickly through my local library! Abby is one of my favorite authors and I thought I’d be waiting months to get my hands on this book, but thankfully it didn’t take long for the book to land in my hands and I got lost in her beautiful writing. Say You’ll Remember Me is just as lovely as her other books, and I particularly loved the importance placed on family (even when dynamics are challenging).
Great Big Beautiful Life - Emily Henry (4 stars). And favorite author #2… I felt like Great Big Beautiful Life was a little different from Emily’s other books, but just like her other books, it was tough to put down! However, I did think the relationship between the two main characters developed suddenly and it just kind of felt odd for a bit. I liked the “twist” in the storyline, and loved reading about the family history of Margaret Ives.
The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins (4 stars). Girl on the Train was May’s book club pick, and I won’t lie, I didn’t have high hopes for this book. The thriller genre is not my cup of tea, and I was over depressing British stories. While the book could definitely be labeled as “depressing”, I also found it a very captivating storyline, and it wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be! I figured “it” out quickly, but predictability never is a turn off for me.
Anne of Manhattan - Brina Starler (3 stars). This past winter, my oldest daughter and I binge watched “Anne with an E” on Netflix and that has led her to read numerous spin offs of Anne of Green Gables. Anne of Manhattan is also a spin off of the classic, following Anne and Gilbert into graduate school where they reconnected and fell in love. While the book was ok, I think I would have liked it more had I not known anything about the original Anne of Green Gables. There was conflict between modernizing the characters while keeping them with their original personalities and it made it a little challenging to get through at times.
The Summer Girl - Elle Kennedy (2 stars). I think I was too old for this book. Or maybe too conservative? Whatever the cause, I simply did not relate to this book at all. About half way through there started to be a bit more depth to the storyline and the characters so that was the saving grace of this book - the only reason I finished it. Also, I learned that I really don’t like the name Tate (sorry if I’m offending anyone by stating that opinion).