2020 was rough and then 2021 opened up with chaos and a devastating mob attack. Anyone else turning to books to find some comfort? Check out my book reviews below to see which books to read and which ones to stay away from. There’s one below that will definitely not help your mental state!

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Big Summer

I thought Big Summer was okay but it was too unrealistic for me to get invested in. The plot moved too fast to be believable at all.

A plus-size influencer is approached by her former best friend begging her to be in her wedding.  They had a big falling out a number of years ago but the influencer still idolizes her gorgeous, wealthy friend.  The night before the wedding a tragedy occurs and the main character ends up being a suspect.  Her goal becomes to clear her name by finding the actual culprit with the help of her roommate and a one-night-stand. See, pretty unbelievable.

Actual Parenting

The author of Actual Parenting is the woman behind the homeschool preschool curriculum I have been doing with my daughters this year.  She is all about sensory bins and how play is so important for development. The author is a former teacher and mom to three. The book shares parenting advice as well as many easy activities to do at home with young kids.

The only reason I didn’t give the book 5 stars is that it would have been better to read when I first became a parent.  I am already successful at a lot of the topics covered in the book.  For example, I rock at big outings with multiple children by myself so some information wasn’t beneficial to me.

I really enjoyed all the simple activities for young kids that are included. I also gained a lot from the emphasis she places on exactly what we should be teaching young kids and what doesn’t need to be stressed at this age. 

Pull of the Stars

Stay away from the popular book Pull of the Stars if you want an escape from current events. I’m sure this is probably a good book but the plot hits a little too close to home after the year we’ve had.

In 1918, the influenza pandemic is overwhelming the hospitals in Ireland. The book follows a nurse who is in charge of expectant moms in the hospital who also have the flu. The hospital is currently very understaffed and quickly running out of room to put patients (sound familiar?). The nurse gains a helper and forms a quick friendship with her.

I want to warn you, the book goes into detail with bodily fluids and procedures, women lose babies, women struggle with births, and patients die from the flu. If you are pregnant – do NOT read this book!

Friends and Strangers

Friends and Strangers is about a woman from NYC who recently moved to the suburbs with her husband and baby to live by his parents.  She is having a difficult time working on her new book and relating to the neighborhood women.  Instead, she ends up forming quite the friendship with her college-aged babysitter. 

I found the relationship with the babysitter odd. Another storyline is the babysitter’s long-distance relationship with an older man.

The book is slightly boring but it did bring up topics including; marital issues, family problems, motherhood, racial/economic disparities, etc.  Personally, I would skip this one.

Check out my favorite reads from last year for more book recommendations!