Recent Reads August 2021
The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes - Xio Axelrod
I was drawn into this book because it was set in Philly, but the story is what kept me going. Right off the bat I was hooked. I admit the length of this book intimidated me to start; while not as long as some of the books I’ve read, I’m just so proud of how many books I read last month that I wanted to be able to keep pace this month! The story follows Toni, an up-and-coming musician in Philly who gets the chance of a lifetime while at the same time having a blast from the past that she was not expecting. She does the one thing she didn’t feel like she was meant to do, in hopes of being able to earn the money she needs to actually live her dream, while at the same time dealing with all kinds of ghosts from her past. I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t wait for bed so I could read it each night!
If The Handmaid’s Tale, The Hunger Games, and The Crucible had a love-child, this book would be it. This book was our book club book for this month, and very different than anything we’ve read so far. I really enjoy dystopian-type stories, so this was definitely up my alley. I liked the bit of a twist that was thrown in with the Grace Year girls and what was going on with them, but I was also a bit disappointed at the way some things turned out, mostly because it made me sad for Tierney, the main character. I feel like this story went on a little longer than it should have though, things that happened after the Grace Year ended kind of dragged the story out - I feel like it was maybe building itself up to have a sequel? Overall I really liked this book though, and if you’re into the dystopian genre, this is definitely one for you!
The Apothecary’s Daughter - Julie Klassen
I’m not quite sure why I didn’t realize this book was a historical fiction, but I was surprised when I started it and that’s what was happening. I started listening to this book while doing some yardwork, so I admit I wasn’t 100% into it right away. I’m not one to start a book and finish it, so I trudged along. I’ll be honest, I was kind of annoyed the whole time that every single male character in the story seemed to have a thing for Lilly, the main character. I also felt like the ending came completely out of left field and had nothing to do with where the story actually began. I didn’t necessarily hate this book, but I don’t think I would recommend it to anyone, either.
Spellmaker - Charlie N. Holmberg
So of course when I found out Spellbreaker, which I read last month, was a series, I had to buy the second book right away. Having read a previous series by this same author, I could kind of see where things were going from the beginning of the story, and I felt the same way starting this second book. It took be a little bit to get into the story this time around, not sure why. I did, however, enjoy the story overall, and I love the relationship development that happens throughout the book (though it was definitely predictable). Overall enjoyable, but I wasn’t as into as The Paper Magician series.
The Lost Apothecary - Sarah Penner
I apparently have a bit of a theme going on with my books this month, two books with apothecary in the title. I started listening to this because it was the first book on my to-read list that came up in my library app, but I was not looking forward to it when it started because I really wasn’t in the mood for another historical fiction. This book surprised me, however, as it goes back and forth between the past and present-day. I very much enjoyed how the two timelines were tied together, and I really like the main character and felt for her struggles.
Flowers on Main - Sherryl Woods
This book was suggested to me on the library’s audio book app, so I figured what the heck, I’ll give it a listen! The image of the cover said it was a Hallmark series, and listening to the book, I could definitely see it - girl moves away from small town, hooks up with guy in big town, comes back to small town after issues with career and reunites with her old small-town love; it’s the recipe for pretty much every Hallmark movie there is. It went on a lot longer than most Hallmark movies do, and ended exactly how you’d imagine. It certainly wasn’t terrible, but like all Hallmark movies, if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all, and I feel like this was very much a cookie-cutter love story.
After all the historical fiction sprinkled with a bit of mysticism, this nitty-gritty real life novel was a breath of fresh air this month! I am so into books set in Philly, and I feel like this one really got the tone of Philly right. It is set in the current-day and touches on a lot of topics regarding race and class that we often find uncomfortable to discuss. Emira is a mid-20’s black woman working as a babysitter for the rich, somewhat famous, Center City couple, the Chamberlain’s. There is an altercation where she is accused of kidnapping, someone gets it on tape, and the story just goes on a wild ride that will keep you gasping each page. I was a bit disappointed at the ending, but real life isn’t always happy endings, so I’m not mad that it didn’t go the way I was hoping it would because it is real. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it!
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V.E. Schwab
This is a book that has been sitting on my to-read list for a while, so when it came up on my recommendations through the library app, I immediately borrowed it without evening re-reading the synopsis. I had no idea what to expect when I started listening, and I was happy for the surprise! I really loved this book; it follow the life of Addie LaRue after she prays to the wrong gods and winds up with a life she didn’t expect. The story flip flops between “present” day and the past, there is love and heartbreak… it’s just an all-around really good story that kept me intrigued and listening non-stop because I wanted to find out where the story was going to go! I did a much more in-depth review for MomsBeyond.com where I will being doing a monthly article called Reading Moms Monday on the second Monday of the month, as well as submitting other mom-life articles here and there. Be sure to check it out!
What have you read this month? Share in the comments below!
