The summer is FLYING by and usually it's the season that I get the most reading completed. This month I had a tough go at it... I started and abandoned 4 (FOUR!) books - which rarely happens - and beyond that found that I didn't have as much time to read as I usually do. Have you ever been in a reading slump? They are the worst and to be honest I can't even remember a time it's been this bad! I'll talk about it more as I chat books below... but I'd love any and all tips about how to get past this bad stretch of reading. I am definitely missing the feel of getting lost in an amazing book.
Even though I didn't read a lot this month... I did read a few books that are definitely worth mentioning. So let's dig in!
Monsoon Mansion: A Memoir by Cinelle Barnes
Book Blurb: Cinelle Barnes was barely three years old when her family moved into Mansion Royale, a stately ten-bedroom home in the Philippines. Filled with her mother’s opulent social aspirations and the gloriously excessive evidence of her father’s self-made success, it was a girl’s storybook playland. But when a monsoon hits, her father leaves, and her mother’s terrible lover takes the reins, Cinelle’s fantastical childhood turns toward tyranny she could never have imagined. Formerly a home worthy of magazines and lavish parties, Mansion Royale becomes a dangerous shell of the splendid palace it had once been. In this remarkable ode to survival, Cinelle creates something magical out of her truth—underscored by her complicated relationship with her mother. Through a tangle of tragedy and betrayal emerges a revelatory journey of perseverance and strength, of grit and beauty, and of coming to terms with the price of family—and what it takes to grow up.
My Review: Reminiscent of some other truly fantastic memoirs like The Glass Castle and Educated this is another almost unbelievable story of resilience. I absolutely love getting sucked in to stories like this one. This riches to rags memoir is one that will stick with me for a long time. It's both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I rate this book a 7/10 - it's a fairly quick read if you want something quick and very interesting.
My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
Book Blurb: Set amidst the breathtaking beauty of Oxford, this sparkling debut novel tells the unforgettable story about a determined young woman eager to make her mark in the world and the handsome man who introduces her to an incredible love that will irrevocably alter her future. American Ella Durran has had the same plan for her life since she was thirteen: Study at Oxford. At 24, she’s finally made it to England on a Rhodes Scholarship when she’s offered an unbelievable position in a rising political star’s presidential campaign. With the promise that she’ll work remotely and return to DC at the end of her Oxford year, she’s free to enjoy her Once in a Lifetime Experience. That is, until a smart-mouthed local who is too quick with his tongue and his car ruins her shirt and her first day. When Ella discovers that her English literature course will be taught by none other than that same local, Jamie Davenport, she thinks for the first time that Oxford might not be all she’s envisioned. But a late-night drink reveals a connection she wasn’t anticipating finding and what begins as a casual fling soon develops into something much more when Ella learns Jamie has a life-changing secret. Immediately, Ella is faced with a seemingly impossible decision: turn her back on the man she’s falling in love with to follow her political dreams or be there for him during a trial neither are truly prepared for. As the end of her year in Oxford rapidly approaches, Ella must decide if the dreams she’s always wanted are the same ones she’s now yearning for.
My Review: This is the perfect summer read! I laughed and cried and completely fell in love with this book and these characters. It's well written, fun to read and a total page turner. I rate this book an 8/10. If you have other books set in London/England - send them my way! I loved this setting.
I Miss You When I Blink: Essays by Mary Laura Philpott
Book Blurb: In this memoir-in-essays full of spot-on observations about home, work, and creative life, Philpott takes on the conflicting pressures of modern adulthood with wit and heart. She offers up her own stories to show that identity crises don’t happen just once or only at midlife; reassures us that small, recurring personal re-inventions are both normal and necessary; and advises that if you’re going to faint, you should get low to the ground first. Most of all, Philpott shows that when you stop feeling satisfied with your life, you don’t have to burn it all down and set off on a transcontinental hike (unless you want to, of course). You can call upon your many selves to figure out who you are, who you’re not, and where you belong. Who among us isn’t trying to do that? Like a pep talk from a sister, I Miss You When I Blink is the funny, poignant, and deeply affecting book you’ll want to share with all your friends, as you learn what Philpott has figured out along the way: that multiple things can be true of us at once—and that sometimes doing things wrong is the way to do life right.
My Review: This is a FANTASTIC set of memoir-eque short stories that I could not put down! It is somewhat reminiscent of Shauna Niequist's writing in that 'girl next door' way. There were parts that made me laugh our loud and so many moments where I said to myself "same, girl, same!" I loved the authors honest truth about tough things to talk about. And since it sounds like we are both the same age there was SO much I could relate to in these pages. I rate this book 9/10.
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Should we talk about a few misses too? I hate to talk badly about books, but sometimes timing is everything. These are a few books I picked up and they just weren't for me right now. Summer is SO busy for our family so I really need something that sucks me in right away.
The Guest Book - I waited FOREVER for this book from the library so I broke down and bought it on kindle for my vacation. This book is LONG and about 150 pages in I still couldn't figure out where the story was going. It was SO slow for me.
The Huntress - This is another book that I waited forever for from the library and the start is so slow and the plot seemed 100% predictable to me. I had to put it down I was so bored.
Red, White and Royal Blue - I love a rom com like everyone, especially in the summer and double-especially when Royals are involved. This is another one that was a slow start for me and I could guess the ending just a few pages in - which is kind of a pet peeve of mine: predictable story lines. So I quit.
The Unhoneymooners - I actually made it pretty far in this book (halfway or so) when I realized that this book was fun but totally ridiculous at the same time. There were so many holes in the story that the whole thing just became completely unbelievable.
What I am reading now...
I just started Time After Time and so far I am really enjoying it! It's something different - which is perfect after a book slump - and so far the storyline is moving quickly. I'll report back next month!
