Mr. Splitfoot. 3 stars. Great writing, but the story went in a weird direction that didn’t grab me. Will definitely read more from her though.
Mrs. Fletcher. 4 stars. My mom once said that if you put Tom Perrotta’s novels in a time capsule, future generations would know exactly what our era was like. Nailed it, PB! This one resonated with me big time.
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore. 2 stars. I was kind of shocked by how bad this was. I must have been feeling really generous with my rating here, because I can’t think of a single good thing to say about it.
What We Lose. 4 stars. I feel like this ended just as things were getting good. Still a solid recommend, especially if you’re looking for something quick.
The Fifth Letter. 3 stars. This is a nice summer read if you go in with lowish expectations. Reads like a mini Big Little Lies, and guess what, she’s Liane’s little sister.
Queens of Geek. 3 stars. If you like YA more than I do, you’ll like this more than I did. Not really my thing but perfectly fine for what it is.
The Lonely Hearts Hotel. 3 stars. Ok, I really want people to read this, just so I can find someone who says, “Yes, this Bugsy Malone/ Sid and Nancy mashup is exactly what I want to read.” Who is the audience for this? I truly don’t know.
Goodbye, Vitamin. 4 stars. Well I said in my review that I didn’t think it would stick with me, and it didn’t. But I remember that it had a nice father/daughter relationship. Nice, quick, lovely read.
The Party. 4 stars. Exactly the kind of thing I love to read. Class struggles, marital tension, imbalanced friendships, yes, please. Kind of a weak ending though.
The Impossible Fortress. 2 stars. Again, I must have been feeling generous, because I hated this. Did you love Ready Player One, but wished it had been even more problematic with its female characters? Well, I didn’t.
New People. 4 stars. I loved this! I wish it had been longer though. I felt like I was left wanting so much more. Read it anyway.
Are You Sleeping. 2 stars. This was a cool idea, but ended up being a very dopey thriller. I know I don’t usually like thrillers anyway but I think this one is especially bad.
The Refugees. 3 stars. A lot of hype for this story collection, but I thought it was just okay. Good writing but nothing was very memorable.
Time’s a Thief. 2 stars. Incredibly overwritten, should have been a novella about a third its length. Torture to read.
The Sarah Book. 3 stars. This was not for me, but it might be for you. He’s described as “the Appalachian Bukowski,” which is extremely not my jam.
Motherest. 5 stars. This is a perfect novel. Great writing, great characters, so much that I could relate to here. Main character and I even went to the same march for reproductive rights in DC. Loved this.
Emily, Alone. 4 stars. Really a five for me, but I’m being fair enough to admit that not a whole lot happens in this book. I did not care, I could read about this character eating breakfast every day for a year.
Who Is Rich? 3 stars. Ugh. If I wanted to listen to midlife crisis navel gazing, I’d go to Burning Man. J/k, I would never do that.
Stay With Me. 5 stars. Ended the month on a serious high note! Loved every page of this perfect perfect book. I’m getting teary just thinking about it. Such a standout.
Top picks: Stay With Me, Motherest, Emily Alone
