My Week in Books // 8-12-21

*** Nowhere Girl: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood by Cheryl Diamond

This is one of those books that fall under the category ‘Truth is Stranger Than Fiction”. I kept getting Educated and The Glass Castle vibes; one of those crazy coming-of-age tales that just blows your mind. I loved Diamond’s metaphorical writing and really sunk into the audiobook version of her story. I wish the momentum it starts off would have lasted throughout the entire book, but about halfway through, the story started to fizzle out for me. Regardless, it’s an incredible story and I’m glad I listened to it!

*** Golden Girl by Erin Hilderbrand

This was a quick read for me and I really enjoyed it. I liked the ‘in-betwee’ concept of the mother watching over her kids for a few months after she is killed in a hit-and-run. Maybe it’s because I’ve lost my own mom, but the thought that she can look over me and help ‘nudge’ me in the right direction every now and again gave me some peace. Besides these points, I just really enjoy escaping into Hilderbrand’s books – for me they’re the perfect summer, beach reads!

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Unpopular opinion alert…this was not my favorite. I usually really appreciate a grief memoir, especially one that’s about the death of the author’s mother, but something about this one just didn’t connect with me at all. I attempted to read it a few months ago and figured I was just in the wrong headspace, so I put it down for awhile. But after finishing it this time, I realize it just wasn’t the book for me. And while a lot of people loved the food references, I didn’t. I found it distracting and a huge takeaway from the real story. This is probably a me problem though…as I’m finding I’m never a fan of food memoirs (ie: Save Me the Plums…no thank you!). Lots and lots of people have sung high praises of this book, so be sure to seek out other opinions before deciding if you give it a try or not!

(#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.)