I know it has been a while since I published a book list. I’m embarrassed to say that the last one was published in August 2019. #solame However, I have done a lot of reading recently, so now I have a backlog of books to share! Here in no specific order is my book list volume 4. Enjoy!
Next Year in Havana – Chanel Cleeton
I’ll be honest it was a bit of a struggle to get into this book. It was one of Reese Whitherspoon’s book club picks in 2018. That isn’t why I picked it. I have read a handful of her picks and I don’t always love them. Anyway, It’s about a wealthy Cuban family who fled Havana as Castro was coming to power. It jumps between two plot lines. One being the Perez family’s departure from Cuba in the 50’s and how it shapes 19 year old Elisa Perez’s future. The other story focus on Elisa’s granddaughter Mirasol in present day Miami. Her grandmother has passed away and Mirasol is tasked with returning to Havana to spread her grandmother’s ashes. The premise was really interesting, and I liked learning about Cuba and some of its history. But it took a little while to get invested in the characters and some of the story was predictable. Overall it was an interesting book and I’m glad I finished it. A sequel was published last year called When We Left Cuba . I haven’t read it yet, but I’ll probably check it out this summer.
Dark Matter – Blake Crouch
I Loved this book! I’ll say this right now, if you are not into science fiction than move along. This is probably not the book for you. However, it is one of the best books I have read in a long time.
My Husband read this a few years ago and said he didn’t really like it. I ignored his opinion and I’m so glad I did. #sorryhoney Jason Desson is a mediocre college physics professor who lives in Chicago and is married with a teenage son. One night after leaving a local bar he is abducted and wakes up in an alternate world. He is still in Chicago and its’ still present time, but his entire life is different. I don’t want to say anything else and spoil the story, but if you like science fiction please read this book! Blake Crouch has written another book call Recursion that I haven’t read yet, but you better believe it’s at the top of my summer reading list!
The Rosie Project – Graeme Simsion
This was a fun, easy, very enjoyable book! It’s about a socially awkward genetics professor Don Tillman (think Sheldon from the Big Bang) who has decided it is time to find a wife. So he creates a questionnaire to give to potential candidates in an effort to find his perfect mate. He calls it “the wife project”. As he conducts his search he meets Rosie someone who in Don’s scientific opinion is definitely not a good candidate for the wife project. However, the strike up a friendship as Don helps her to find her biological father. This was a very sweet and funny read. I highly recommend. Sony picture bought the rights to make this into a movie, but that was in 2014, and still hasn’t happened so we’ll see. There are also two sequels called The Rosie Effect and The Rosie Result.
American Royals – Katherine McGee
This is a very fun Gossip Girl kind of indulgent YA book. I really loved the premise. What would modern day America be like if the founder fathers had made George Washington King instead of Preside of the United States?The book revolves around the current America Royal family. King George, Queen Adelaide and their three children, Princess Beatrice, the oldest and the twins Prince Jeffery and Princess Samantha. Drama and heartbreak ensue as the three teenage royals are forced to make choices that shape their futures as well as the future of America. This was such a good, fun, juicy book. There is a sequel coming out in september called American Royals II: Majesty , and I’m looking forward to reading it.
The Light Over London – Julia Kelly
While this book had potential I didn’t love it. I am a big fan of WWII historical fiction this one kind of fell flat. There is a duel plot line which focuses on 19 Louise Keen in 1941 London and Cara Hargraves in modern day London. Cara works for antique dealer and comes across Louise Keen’s diary in a house that is about to be sold. The book shifts back and forth between each character’s perspective as you learn more about them. Cara is recently divorced and trying to move on with her life. Louise runs away from an essentially arranged marriage to someone she doesn’t love and joins the Women’s Auxiliary branch of the British Army. She is selected to be a part of the anti aircraft gun unit and is know as a “gunner girl.” This is what I found really interesting. Only the brightest girls were selected for this job and it was very scandalous as they worked side by side with men which was unheard of during the war. I wish the author had given us more information about this. You can read more about the “gunner girls” here if your interested.
Next Time
So that’s it for book list volume 4. I hope you are finding some good books to read this summer. If you need more suggestions you can check out my other book lists here and here.
I just started this and I’m really liking it. I also just ordered this an this and and have heard great things about it. Can’t wait to read both!
Thanks for reading hope you have a great weekend!