May Reading Roundup

In May I read a few buzzy books that I had been looking forward to, most of which fell short of my expectations. This year continues to be one of great nonfiction!

Happy Reading!

Fates and Furies, Lauren Groff | Fiction, 4.5/5

I think if this book had found me in another season it would have been five stars, but I didn’t have the headspace to fully lock in. The writing was beautiful and the last third broke my heart. This is the story of what makes a marriage, it is sad, contemplative, and very slow. If you don’t like character driven books, this will not be for you.

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American Fantasy, Emma Straub | Fiction, 3.5/5

I have read a few books this year that have taken place on a cruise. This was a lighthearted read where nothing is really that deep. Great for nostalgia and the beach.

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A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II, Sonia Purnell | Nonfiction, 5/5

This was an absolutely incredible story of a woman who shaped the Second World War. It is extremely well researched and I could not stop listening. I was shocked that even after living in France I had not heard of Virginia Hall. I highly recommend this book.

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Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage, Belle Burden | Memoir, 2.5/5

It’s difficult to give a memoir a star rating. This book wasn’t for me. While the writing was lovely, I found myself asking what the point of this book was. I empathize and am sad that Belle’s marriage ended, but I think this story could have used a bit more distance. To me, parts of this were extremely out of touch and very privileged (her husband finally being able to buy the twelve Rolex watches he wanted, for example) that it was even more difficult for me to connect with the story.

I also know I’m in the minority, so overall good writing, but not for me!

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Yesteryear, Caro Claire Burke | Fiction, 3/5

I feel very conflicted by this book. I thought it would be dripping in satire and dark humor and would act as social commentary. Instead, I thought Nathalie was an underdeveloped character and found her inner monologue to take away from my reading experience. Instead of being a satire, I found this book to be extremely cynical. I’m not sure if I can recommend this one.

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Homeschooled: A Memoir, Stefan Merrill Block | Memoir, 5/5

A mix of EDUCATED and I’M GLAD MY MOM DIED, I could not stop listening to this mother and son memoir. I will be thinking about it for a long time.

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Meet the Newmans, Jennifer Niven | Historical Fiction, 3/5

I loved the first half of this book, but by the middle it felt like it was trying to do too much. While I appreciated the themes of this book, it felt too heavy handed.

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The Burning Side, Sarah Damoff | Fiction, 4/5

This was a beautiful and heartbreaking book about two marriages. I loved it, but got a little lost in the back and forth in moments.

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Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better, David Epstein | Nonfiction, 5/5

I found this to be an interesting listen. While reading I found myself taking stock of my own habits and thinking about where I could make adjustments. I really enjoyed the antidotes he shared and found the whole book to be really fascinating.