May Reading Round-Up

Poolside reading is finally upon us! In May, I read a book that I know will be in my top five books of the year (Fredrik Backman, LOML).

I hope June finds you by a pool reading a tattered paperback.

Happy Reading!

Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned While Staying Put, Annie B. Jones | Memoir, 5/5

I have been a longtime listener of Annie’s podcast and was so excited when she announced this book! As someone who has spent a lot of time “leaving” (leaving Washington state to move to France, then to Virginia), I found this collection of essays to be really grounding. Annie tackles complicated issues like faith, motherhood, and friendship with tender grace. I really enjoyed this book.

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The Tell: A Memoir, Amy Griffin | Memoir, 4/5

This is an extremely vulnerable memoir. I thought it was really well structured, and I think it works well on audio. If you like memoirs and books like SHE SAID and RUN TOWARDS THE DANGER, I think you would enjoy this one.

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Every Sweet Thing Is Bitter, Samantha Crewson | Fiction, 4/5

This book is a twisty family drama. I had a hard time putting it down. The content is rather heavy (I had to skim a few bits) and I wish there had been a tad more character development, but overall I really enjoyed this book.

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Proto, Laura Spinney | Non-Fiction, 3/5

This book was fascinating and extremely well researched. Overall, it was a little too academic and in the weeds for me. I love languages and history, but at times this felt too granular. There were a lot of interesting tidbits that I will remember!

Thank you to libro.fm for my ALC.

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The River Has Roots, Amal El-Mohtar | Fiction, Novella, 4/5

This was a book when as a reader you have to decide to go with the flow and let the rules of this world take you. As this book is so short, I was so impressed by the amount of world building wrapped up in this novella. Great if you love myths/fairytales. Loved on audio.

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My Friends, Fredrik Backman | Fiction, 5/5

No one writes about humanity like Fredrik Backman. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with the characters. I loved this book.

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Lulu Dean's Little Library of Banned Books, Kirsten Miller | Fiction, 4/5

Book banning is one of the issues I am most passionate about. I loved the way this book handled the topic. Satirical and funny I fell in love with Troy and all of its residents. Really good on audio.

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Frog: The Secret Diary of a Paramedic, Sally Gould | Memoir, 4/5

If you enjoyed THIS IS GOING TO HURT, FROG will be for you. This is a reflective, at times funny, book about the life of a paramedic in Australia. I loved Sally’s story.

Thank you to libro.fm for my ALC.

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Home of the American Circus, Allison Larkin | Fiction, 5/5

This is a beautiful coming-of-age novel about an aunt and her niece. This book is messy, and beautiful, and hopeful, and great if you love a family saga (where not a ton happens). At times it felt a little long but overall I loved this book.

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Fair Play, Louise Hegarty | Fiction, 3/5

This was such a uniquely told story. It took me a bit to understand what was going on, and as other reviews have stated, it’s super meta. If you like books like EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE, I think you will enjoy this one.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy.

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Outspoken: My Fight for Freedom and Human Rights in Afghanistan, Sima Samar | Memoir, 5/5

This is such a powerful memoir. This is a must-read for understanding the history and current reality for women in Afghanistan. I wish this book had gotten more buzz.

Thank you to libro.fm for my copy.

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Lime Juice Money, Jo Morey | Fiction, 4/5

This is a really fun summer read! I loved the Belize setting and the family dynamic. At times, I found it hard to follow the various side characters, and the story could have been a little tighter, but a great book for the beach!

Thank you to the publisher for my ALC.