I'm back with what I've been reading lately... I have to say I have been a terrible reader lately! I'm super behind on my book goal for 2020 and in general just in a book slump. I am finding that I crave books that are plot driven but still lighthearted. It's a weird time for a lot of people and my brain is all over the place right now. I'm not reading as much as I used to - I both miss it and also it seems like some days I just don't have the patience for it. I've got lots of mixed feelings! For the most part these books are light, fluffy and easy to read. I am finding my attention span can't muster more than that lately.
Conviction by Denise Mina
Book blurb: The day Anna McDonald's quiet, respectable life exploded started off like all the days before: Packing up the kids for school, making breakfast, listening to yet another true crime podcast. Then her husband comes downstairs with an announcement, and Anna is suddenly, shockingly alone.
Reeling, desperate for distraction, Anna returns to the podcast. Other people's problems are much better than one's own -- a sunken yacht, a murdered family, a hint of international conspiracy. But this case actually is Anna's problem. She knows one of the victims from an earlier life, a life she's taken great pains to leave behind. And she is convinced that she knows what really happened.
Then an unexpected visitor arrives on her front stoop, a meddling neighbor intervenes, and life as Anna knows it is well and truly over. The devils of her past are awakened -- and they're in hot pursuit. Convinced she has no other options, Anna goes on the run, and in pursuit of the truth, with a washed-up musician at her side and the podcast as her guide.
My review: Okay so I loved the podcast within a book idea here - but this book fell a little flat for me being completely unbelievable and at times just straight weird. The beginning was good, the middle was super slow and then end felt incredibly rushed. I don't know. Maybe I am being harsh. This book just wasn't for me. I rate this book a 6/10.
Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
Book blurb: Movie stars and paparazzi flock to Cannes for the glamorous film festival, but Grace Kelly, the biggest star of all, wants only to escape from the flash-bulbs. When struggling perfumer Sophie Duval shelters Miss Kelly in her boutique to fend off a persistent British press photographer, James Henderson, a bond is forged between the two women and sets in motion a chain of events that stretches across thirty years of friendship, love, and tragedy.
James Henderson cannot forget his brief encounter with Sophie Duval. Despite his guilt at being away from his daughter, he takes an assignment to cover the wedding of the century, sailing with Grace Kelly’s wedding party on the SS Constitution from New York. In Monaco, as wedding fever soars and passions and tempers escalate, James and Sophie—like Princess Grace—must ultimately decide what they are prepared to give up for love.
My review: This book was so sweet and such a fun escape. It felt like it would make a really cute movie too. I know very little about Grace Kelly - which is shocking, considering my love for the royals! - and loved getting to know her in this book. This is great escape book and a perfect summer/beach read. I rate this book a 8/10.
The Girl in White Gloves by Kerri Maher
Book blurb: Grace knows what people see. She’s the Cinderella story. An icon of glamor and elegance frozen in dazzling Technicolor. The picture of perfection. The girl in white gloves. But behind the lens, beyond the panoramic views of glistening Mediterranean azure, she knows the truth. The sacrifices it takes for an unappreciated girl from Philadelphia to defy her family and become the reigning queen of the screen. The heartbreaking reasons she trades Hollywood for a crown. The loneliness of being a princess in a fairy tale kingdom that is all too real.
Hardest of all for her adoring fans and loyal subjects to comprehend, is the harsh reality that to be the most envied woman in the world does not mean she is the happiest. Starved for affection and purpose, facing a labyrinth of romantic and social expectations with more twists and turns than Monaco’s infamous winding roads, Grace must find her own way to fulfillment. But what she risks--her art, her family, her marriage—she may never get back.
My review: Continuing my newfound obsession with Grace Kelly I read this book next! This was a really great follow up to Meet Me in Monaco because it was much more in depth about Grace Kelly. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend as a summer/beach read! I rate this book an 8/10.
The Queens Secret: A Novel of England's WWII Queen by Karen Harper
Book Blurb: 1939. As the wife of the King George VI and the mother of the future queen, Elizabeth—“the queen mother”—shows a warm, smiling face to the world. But it’s no surprise that Hitler himself calls her the “Most Dangerous Woman in Europe.” For behind that soft voice and kindly demeanor is a will of steel.
Two years earlier, George was thrust onto the throne when his brother Edward abdicated, determined to marry his divorced, American mistress Mrs. Simpson. Vowing to do whatever it takes to make her husband’s reign a success, Elizabeth endears herself to the British people, and prevents the former king and his brazen bride from ever again setting foot in Buckingham Palace.
Elizabeth holds many powerful cards, she’s also hiding damaging secrets about her past and her provenance that could prove to be her undoing.
My review: I loved every minute of this book! It combined my two favorite genres: historical fiction and the royals. This was a new angle on WWII historical fiction from the point of view of the Queen of England. Plus there were some 'juicy' secrets that I'm not really sure if they were true but they made for a great story line. This was one of my favorites this year so far. I highly recommend and rate this book 9/10. If you loved The Crown or the movie The Kings Speech this book falls right in between the storylines of those two.
Currently reading:
On audio I am listening to The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates and really enjoying it. The storyline moves quickly and the narration is great. I usually only listen to non-fiction on audio, but I am loving the switch to fiction.
On Kindle I am reading The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams. I love when one books piggy backs on another book like a chain - it's so satisfying! And this book takes place in the Bahamas during WWII featuring the Duke & Duchess of Windsor who were sent there on official business by the Kind of England at the time. The book I just read The Queens Secret filled us in on why they were there in the first place, so it's a fun little connection.
For non-fiction I have been slowly working through The Splendid and The Vile by Erik Larson I love Erik Larson books and this one is a little slow by very interesting. It's the story of WWII through the eyes of Winston Churchill. Again, there is a fun connection here with The Queens Secret and another great WWII book from a new perspective.
