I have a lot of emotions about our country right now. Just thinking about legislatively what has gone down (and what hasn’t) since January is A LOT to handle. When I’m stressed, sad, and angry I turn to books to calm down. Reading before bed is the only way I am able to turn my brain off from current events. But selecting the right book at the right time is important for your mental health too. Here are my four book reviews for the month of May. I hope you find something to help you momentarily escape reality.
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Reckless Girls is a great beach book as long as you are not on a secluded beach. It’s an easy, quick read and I wouldn’t say scary or even very suspenseful. There is murder and mystery but not a book that is likely to keep you up at night.
Two college girls hire a young man and his girlfriend to sail them from Hawaii to an extremely remote island with a tragic and mysterious past. When they arrive, another boat is there too. The two groups make fast friends and spend their days swimming, laying on the beach, drinking, and exploring the jungle.
Then things start to go sideways. From an unexpected and unwanted visitor to sexual tension within the group, the vacation absolutely does not end in a picturesque way.
The story reveals itself over time as it jumps back in time to when the couples initially met and when the two college girls bonded after loss. Plotting and motive become very clear as the story progresses.
I quite enjoyed Where The Grass Is Green and The Girls Are Pretty because I needed a lighter read at the time. The drama that unfolds in this book is not violent nor scary. In fact, the drama is completely unrelatable and a little ridiculous. An easy, breezy book.
A well-known news anchor in NYC is trying to stay on the top of her game professionally when all hell breaks loose. Her husband is arrested for giving a monetary bribe in exchange for their daughter’s acceptance into Princeton.
Meanwhile, her sister is feeling a little lost having given up her teaching job in Harlem to be a stay-at-home mom in a wealthy suburb. A charity project is the only thing that is keeping her feeling motivated and the progress on the project has stalled.
Will the celebrity news anchor get to keep her job? Will her marriage survive? Will their daughter ever forgive them? Will the sister ever complete her project? Will Princeton rescind the daughter’s acceptance?
The story progresses as the extended family spends time together during summer break.
I wasn’t sure what to first think of The Reading List when I started it but I ended up loving this book.
The basic plot is a few different people find copies of the same reading list. A handful of classic books are listed in the order in which they are to be read.
Each character ends up needing this list of books for different reasons and it has an impact on their lives. One main character is bored working at her summer library job. She’s very lonely from helping her mentally unstable mother any time when she isn’t at work. Another main character is an elderly man struggling to move on from his wife’s death. These books bring people together from different walks of life when they need connection the most.
I love that I have read most of the books on the list and I think that made my reading experience even more enjoyable. Now, I very much want to read the books on the list I haven’t read yet.
I have enjoyed a number of books written by this author, this one included. Apparently, this book is number 18 in a mystery series but I had no idea while reading it. This story definitely can stand on its own.
Although a mystery, Lightning Strike isn’t a page-turner nor scary. It’s an interesting story that explores themes of racism and prejudice surrounding Native Americans.
A local, well-known Native American man is found hanging from a tree by two young boys with empty liquor bottles at his feet. The apparent suicide is questioned by his Native American community especially since the man gave up drinking a long time ago. The community is upset that the police are quick to rule it a suicide instead of looking into other possible explanations. As the story unfolds, it becomes more clear that this could be a potential murder.
The book is told through the eyes of one of the young boys who found the deceased man. The boy’s mom is part Native American and his dad is the sheriff.
Want more book reviews? Take a look at my April Book Reviews and Recommendations!
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