I'm late with my May books, and have condensed my reviews. I haven't put a summary of the books. As always, you can click the link to get a synopsis. Things just got busy and I have just got around to finishing up this post.
My favorite book in May was "The Lioness". "Once There Were Wolves" was a pleasant surprise and the most useful book I've read in a while, without being a dry read was "Laundry Love".
Rosie Walsh
⭐⭐⭐
This is a book that was passed on to me by my sister. For the most part, I enjoyed it. I became invested in the characters, especially the husband, Leo. I wanted to have resolution and know where Leo and Emma's relationship ended up. The downside is that most of the characters seem to have the same emotion as motivation behind their actions. While reading it, they almost all blended into one person. Plus I kept thinking that over the years it seemed that as least one of them would have been able to work through it. There were also a few too many "what are the odds?!" moments.
This is a slow developing domestic story. There's a mystery to it, that isn't too hard to piece together. It was a story that kept me engaged. It was a quick read and overall I enjoyed it.
Riley Sager
⭐⭐⭐
This is my first Riley Sager book. At points of this book, it was bordering on a 5 star, but by the end, I had as an average read. The writing is top notch. I was drawn into the story and engaged the entire book. I was never sure who the killer was, even though I had a gut feeling about it that turned out to be correct. There were several twists and turns in the story. While some of them were enjoyable and added to the story, there were others that left me completely rolling my eyes. They were just a little too unbelievable. I can stretch and accept one or two of those twists, but this book had too many for me. I can't really say much more about them without spoilers.
The writing and story did keep me turning the pages. I wanted to stay on the ride until the end and I'm glad I did. I will read another Riley Sager book.
Tara Conklin
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I enjoyed this book. It is a character driven story about an extremely dysfunctional family. The writing is poetic and the characters are memorable.
The story in and of itself is nothing new. It's a theme that you can find in various forms in several books. It is a dual timeline though most of the book is in the past. The current day part of the book - which is actually in the future - was a little confusing to me. I kept wanting to learn more as to how the world got to where it was. But that has no bearing on the story and overall I would recommend this one.
Michelle McNamara
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I think most everyone seems to have heard of this story, watched the documentary and/or have read the book. But for those of you late to the party, like me, here goes.
This book was written by a person obsessed with finding who the Golden State Killer (her name for him) was. Her obsession with finding this serial killer goes back to when she was much younger and a person in her neighborhood was killed. This sparked her interest in solving murders. Ms McNamara had a great way of presenting her research and findings. She actually had figured out the best way to find out who he was before she passed away. An interesting book for those interested in "the hunt" for a serial killer.
Patric Richardson
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Don't we all love doing laundry?! Patric Richardson has made a name for himself in this area of expertise. This book is surprisingly engaging. There are stories of Patric's family, personal laundry stories and even recipes. The main star though is the laundry tips - the "how to's". I have already followed a couple of his tips and plan on slowly transitioning to follow his instructions. This is a book that I will save as a reference. I liked it so much that I bought one for my daughter.
Chris Bohjalian
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Chris Bohjalian is one of my auto-buy authors. He tells a story that really speaks to me. It's hard to put him in a box as far as topics and he just keeps delivering.
This latest book of his kept me engrossed. The people, the atmosphere, the action - everything was perfect. Chris Bohjalian takes us on a safari that goes wrong. The year is 1964, so pre modern day technology. We get to know many of the people, and there is a slow reveal as to what is really going on. A suspense filled story told by a master storyteller! A book that left me hugging it when it ended.
M O Walsh
⭐⭐⭐
This was an impulse check out from the library. Written by the author of "My Sunshine Away" and based in Louisiana, how could I resist? After an intense read of "The Lioness", I needed something light and breezy and this book delivered that. I enjoyed getting to know the citizens of Deerfield, especially Douglas Hubbard. The plot is predictable, but it will leave you thinking a little about the "what if" as far as the path you chose for your life.
I enjoyed this book, but I think a lot of the reason I did was because of the timing of when I read it. Nothing heavy, nothing earth shattering - just an enjoyable, easy read.
Maggie O'Farrell
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book was my 12 Books in 12 Months Challenge book for May. I had it on my wish list when it was suggested, so was glad to have the nudge to get it read. This book was a little slow at the start, however the writing is very lyrical and it did draw me in to the story.
I was thrown off a little bit because I expected the book to be about Hamnet. The main character in the story is Hamnet's mother, Agnes. Hamnet and his influence is there in the background throughout the story, but the main focus is Agnes. I also could have done without a whole chapter about a flea being responsible for bringing the plague to the Shakespeare family.
Otherwise, this is an interesting historical fiction. It draws you into the time period and family. Thank you Carole for suggesting this book. I'm glad I finally read it.
Dodie Smith
⭐⭐
Literary Fiction
This book was my Book Club read for the month. We had decided to read a classic and this one sounded good. While I was reading it, I kept wondering what makes a book a classic. I just never really got into this story.
I did like that the story was told through the protagonists diary. There were parts of the story that left me laughing our loud and it does a good job of contrasting the lifestyles of various classes in the 1930's. That was the positives.
On the other hand, I found the book to start slow and then it just drug along. I did not find any of the characters interesting and I just didn't care that much. I don't have to like the characters of a book, but if they aren't interesting, then I struggle.
Dodie Smith is also the author of "101 Dalmatians". By the end of the book, I was wishing we had picked the dog book instead.
Lindsay Cameron
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a quick read that kept me engaged. For the most part, I enjoyed this thriller. It was an interesting premise and the characters were interesting - even the unlikeable ones. What knocked the star off was that some of it just didn't ring true. There were things that just didn't fit "real life" as far as how some things work. I don't want to give away any of the story, so I'll just leave it at that. I'll also add it is likely that it wouldn't bother most people. Overall, worth the read.
Charlotte McConaghy
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a different story from what I expected. I had heard the hype, but was still unsure. It is a well written story that is about more than wolves. The story is interesting and there are a few mysteries to be solved. I enjoyed all of the story, even though there were a couple of situations and solutions that just really aren't believable to me. Overall, the story was so engrossing though that I was able to accept that and still enjoy this story.
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