Such a good month in books! While I didn't rate everything highly, they were all pretty enjoyable reads - no real dud in the bunch. I also love realizing that I read only books written by women. What'd you read this month? And what's next on your list?
Siracusa by Delia Ephron
I kept putting off reading this book because the name seemed very... serious. Once I finally started it, though, I was so glad I had. Two highly unlikable couples & one possibly sociopathic 10-year-old travel to Italy together, & significant drama ensues. It's mostly an in-your-head psychological novel, not a lot of actual action, but I love books like this, where each chapter is told from another character's point of view. This one was no exception. ★★★★★Good as Gone by Amy Gentry
Anna has spent eight years wondering what happened to her daughter Julie, who was kidnapped from their home at age 13 while her younger sister looked on. When Julie appears at their doorstep one day, the family is overjoyed - but is Julie who she says she is? I was excited to read this "thriller within a thriller," but this book was a little much for me. It was enjoyable enough, it just felt like it was written to be made into a movie - though, frankly, it would make for a good one. ★★★☆☆Sex Object by Jessica Valenti
Valenti, the founder of Feministing.com & a well-respected, highly visible activist, which is why I expected more from this book. What I got was a lot of disparate essays about her drug use & sexual escapades, which eventually, finally, turned into a few great essays about motherhood & having a family. She's a good writer & a brilliant mind, but I wish this book had felt a little bit more cohesive, educational, &, well... meaningful. ★★★☆☆Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton
Based on this book's touchy-feely title, I spent a decent amount of time trying to figure out, in advance, whether the memoir was a Christian one. When I found no evidence that it was, I dug in - & while I was wrong (lots of God & church references), it wasn't done in a way that made me uncomfortable. Melton, a recovering bulimic & alcoholic & a mother of three, is one of the most incredible writers & most insightful humans I have ever had the pleasure of knowing via memoir. ★★★★★It Was Me All Along by Andie Mitchell
A friend recommended this book to me, & it was already on my to-read list, so it got bumped up. Mitchell is a food blogger who lost 135 lbs., & this memoir about how struggling with her weight impacted & overlapped with issues with her family, relationships, & more. She's an incredible writer, but I found her to be fairly unlikable, which made it tough for me to enjoy this book as much as I think I otherwise would've. ★★★★☆Waiting to Be Heard by Amanda Knox
I didn't following Knox & Sollecito's murder trial when it was happening, but when the documentary about it came out on Netflix this fall, I watched it right away. After watching, I couldn't decide how I felt about her involvement in the murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher, so I picked up this memoir to learn more. My verdict? I don't find Knox particularly likeable, but I also don't think she had anything to do with her friend's death. ★★★★☆I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
Former Book of the Month Club selection that I found for $1.99 on BookBub! After a hit & run accident that kills a young boy, Jenna moves to a cottage in the woods to escape her previous life & to mourn the child she's lost. In the vein of books like Gone Girl & Girl on the Train, this novel doesn't have quite the same caliber of gasp-inducing twists & turns, but it's one of the best in the genre that I've read in a long time. This is a painful, emotional read done in a very engaging way but not too tough on the heartstrings or the anxiety levels. ★★★★★Comment to tell me what you're reading! Then add me on Goodreads to keep in touch & see what I've read in months past.
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