My Week in Books (7/10/19)

(#partner #freebooks: All books noted by asterisks (***) indicate I received the book for free from the publisher, the author, or another promotional company to review. All opinions are my own.)

After what felt like a slow start to July, we’re suddenly already to the middle of it! I blinked and here we are! My kids start school again in just 30 days and my mind is blown! I sort of feel like we haven’t really had a summer and I think the cooler temps of June are to blame for that. It’s been a weird summer, and sadly, it’s almost over.

Do you have any last minute summer vacations planned?

Last Week’s Reads:The Editor by: Steven Rowley (Putnam) – Pub Date: April 2, 2019

I was so pleasantly surprised by this one. I had no idea that Jackie O was an editor, so after finding this out, I went down the internet rabbit hole and tried to learn more about her fascinating life. (I wrote a fuller review here.) I enjoyed Rowley’s writing style and learning about the book publishing process. I’ve seen lots of mixed reviews for this one, but I fell solidly on the side of love and enjoyment!

*** A Year Without a Name by: Cyrus Grace Dunham (Little, Brown & Company) – On Shelves: October 15, 2019

Don’t let the small size of this book fool you! It’s not long but it’s packed. It didn’t take much time before I was reaching for my pen to underline ALL THE LINES. Sadly, it’s not out until October (2019), but it’s definitely worth the wait!

*** The Gifted School by: Bruce Holsinger (Riverhead) – Pub Date: July 2, 2019

I definitely am not as crazy about this book as the rest of #bookstagram seems to be, but I did enjoy it. With Big Little Lies and Gossip Girl vibes, it was a highly entertaining ride! It dragged on a little long for me and I struggled to finish. Also, I really didn’t prefer the ending…it left me a little dissatisfied. 

*** The Chain by: Adrian McKinty (Mulholland Books) – Pub Date: July 9, 2019

Holy moly…what did I just read?!?! Remember those chain letters when you were a little kid? They always ended with the threat that if you’re the one to break the chain, dire consequences would happen. Now imagine this same concept where you have to kidnap a kid in order to get your kidnapped kid back! It’s intense and so much better than I was expecting! I read this one in a day and literally had the hardest time putting it down. I think it’s the perfect summer thriller!

Three Women by: Lisa Taddeo (Avid Reader Press) – Pub Date: July 9, 2019

This seems to be the IT book of the summer. I was happy to get a copy through my Book of the Month subscription (sign up here, if you haven’t done so already! It really is one of my favorite bookish treats to myself each month!). I finished this one yesterday, and there’s a lot I need to wrap my brain around before I can be truly honest about my feelings. (Warning: graphic sexual content) #reviewtocome

Currently Reading:

*** Waiting for Tom Hanks by: Kerry Winfrey (Berkley) – Pub Date: June 11, 2019

#bookstagrammademedoit! This one is everywhere and after the heaviness of Three Women, I’m ready for something a little less intense. These aren’t always my go-to genre, but every now and again, I enjoy a book from this category (most recently, The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary, my review here).

*** Wild Words: Rituals, Routines, and Rhythms for Braving the Writer’s Path by: Nicole Gulotta (Roost Books) – On Shelves: October 15, 2019

Still { s l o w l y } making my way through this one! I like it, it’s just not a page turner for me!

DNF:Naturally Tan by: Tan France (St. Martin’s Press) – Pub Date: June 4, 2019

I saw multiple rave reviews of this one, but Tan just kept coming across as pretentious to me. I didn’t enjoy his voice at all and ended up DNFing it.

*** Star-Crossed by: Minnie Darke (Crown) – Pub Date: May 21, 2019

I think this one could have potential, but it was taking more brain power than I was interested in investing to understand the astrology verbiage associated with each character.

What did you read last week?