I read 6 books in June. That number is down from my usual. I read 2 books that were a little longer than I normally read. One was 496 pages and the other was 416. We also took 2 trips - one to Nevada to see our granddaughters and their parents. Needless to say, there wasn't a lot of reading while there. The other was a trip to Louisville for a few days. One of my friends met us there, so there again, not much reading. I tried reading in the car, but found it made me sleepy. Sandwiched in between the trips, we had Vacation Bible School and I taught the 3rd, 4th, 5th graders 3 of the nights and helped the other 2.
On top of being busy, I didn't find a book that was excellent. However, I did have 2 - 4 Star books, both bordering on the 5 star read. 3 were in the average category and 1 disappointed. I'm looking forward to a better month in July.
Jessica Strawser
⭐⭐⭐⭐
A neighborhood in Yellow Springs, Ohio, is surprised when one of their residents, Kristin, and her two children disappear one weekend. Just a couple of nights earlier, some of the women had gotten together and had drank wine, visited and spent time around the firepit. They had discovered that all of their nursery monitors would reach that far and they felt a sense of freedom and friendship. Monday morning when Kristin was discovered missing, they found themselves in the midst of the investigation since they were the last ones to see her. The neighborhood is split into sides of sorts - those who don't trust Kristin's soon to be ex-husband, and those who support him. And of course, they are all dealing with things in their personal lives too. The question remains - how well does anyone really know anyone else?
I enjoyed this story and getting to know the ladies of Yellow Springs. Ms Strawser unraveled the truth of what happened through telling the story of each characters as they continued to live their life afterwards. We get glimpses into the past of some of them and get to see how they interacted with each other. It was an easy read that kept me engaged all the way through.
Even though I only gave it 4 stars, it was close to 5 and was my favorite of the month.
Karin Slaughter
⭐⭐⭐
Andrea has spent her whole life in the beachside town of Belle Isle. She is living with her mother, Laura, and working as a dispatcher. Andrea thinks she knows her mother, but when they are caught in a shooting in a mall restaurant, she begins to questions if her mom is truly the person she has always thought she was. As things unfold, Andrea discovers secrets of her mothers that leads her trying to follow the trail and figure out who Laura really is.
This book had some twists and turns and for the most part is interesting. The story is revealed little by little. I felt it started to drag as the book went on, but near the end it picked up again.
I know this is a small complaint, but in one section, there is a reference to an university and their sports team that is not correct. It really has nothing to do with the story, just part of the scene, but that bothered me the rest of the book.
I liked the writing style for the most part and will probably try another one of Ms Slaughter's books. This one just didn't wow me.
Jane Igharo
⭐⭐⭐
Azere is a Nigerian woman living in Canada after her family moved there when she was younger. She works for a marketing company and is stilled closely tied to her mother. Her mother has a fear of her daughters straying from the Nigerian way of life and is constantly setting Azere up on dates with the perfect Nigerian man. When Azere meets and falls in love with Rafael Castellano she is torn between him and her mother's resolve for Azere to not abandon her Nigerian heritage.
I expected this story to be a little more detailed. It all seemed surface and while it is about the tug and pull between the mother's wish to uphold their heritage and Azere's desire to honor that while still seeking happiness, it really could have been about a number of differences. I wanted more about the culture and the clashes. It is a sweet enough romance, just not the depth I expected.
This is not my normal genre and anytime I read a romance novel, I find myself wanting a little more it seems. I'm sure that affects my rating so if romance is in your wheelhouse, give this one a try.
Sue Miller
⭐⭐
A novel about love, happiness, family, marriage and sorrow. Graham and Annie have been married for nearly 30 years. They live in Cambridge where Graham owns a bookstore and Annie is a photographer. On the surface, they are opposites - Graham more outgoing, curious, full of life, always wanting more. Annie is more reserved and introspective. When Graham suddenly dies, Annie is left figuring out how to live life without him. In the midst of her sorrow, she discovers that Graham had been unfaithful to her which leads her to wonder if she really knew Graham at all.
Overall I found this book depressing. I knew it would lean toward darkness, but this one just kind of swallowed me up in it, There are redeeming parts and happy things, but overall there is just a sadness that settled in. I also never got a good grasp on the characters. I'm sure part of it was due to the time in my life that I read it. The sadness of losing a spouse has been on my mind due to friends finding themselves in that situation. They aren't in the same situation, but they are dealing with the loss, sadness and things that have to be taken care of by themselves.
This book was a little more open door than I like. (Yes, I'm Prudy McPrudy) If you think you would be interested in reading this book, just be aware.
David Hill
⭐⭐⭐
This book's summary is told in the title. It is an account of Hot Springs back in the day when almost everything was illegal but the law looked the other way. A time when the mob saw an opportunity and took it. And it talks about the forces that worked against all of this.
This book was given to my husband to read by one of his friends. After he read it, he passed it on to me. Having grown up in Arkansas this was interesting. I remember a time when my dad thought he was going to get transferred to Hot Springs with his job. I wasn't very old, but I remember hearing my parents discuss it. They were trying to decide what to do - not wanting to move to "the sin city of the world" but having a family to support on a single income. I think they even talked about my dad commuting which would have been about a 2 hour drive each way. He ended up getting to stay put and they were thankful for that I know. Later when in High School, our band would go to State Festival there. We had rules for walking downtown. Certain points we weren't suppose to go past, etc. This was in years past the time frame of the book, but Hot Springs reputation still lived.
In the years since, I have been to Hot Springs several times. Most of the vices that were illegal then, are now legal. There are fewer bath houses, but there are other attractions for people. Mostly outdoors, I enjoyed reading about a time in history that help make it the city it is. I did find myself a little confused at times as to the connection between the people. I had to flip back to figure it out at times. Otherwise, overall an interesting story.
Kelly Rimmer
⭐⭐⭐⭐
In the spring of 1942, Elizabieta, is young in years, but has seen tragedy in her own life. She is unaware of the tragedy that is occurring in the Jewish ghetto just behind the wall. That is until she meets her neighbor, Sara, a nurse who also lives on the same floor in their apartment building. Sara knows suffering and is determined to help ease the suffering of the Jews. Elizabieta becomes committed to do the same thing. It's dangerous - both physically and emotionally, but something they neither one can turn their back on.
Ms Rimmer does an excellent job telling this story. She takes us through the streets and into the lives of the characters, We get to know them and care for them. Being such a violent time, you don't know where the story may take you. It doesn't sugar coat the time and the things that happened to people and I could feel the tension at times.
This was my 12 Books in 12 Months Challenge book. Thanks to my niece, Amy, for suggesting this one. I really enjoyed it.
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