Author: jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Since it’s the end of the month, I’m sharing the books I read in May.

I had a really great month of reading which has me excited to have a bit more time to read this summer.

This month I read:

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

Finlay Donovan is Killing It:

Summary:

Finlay Donovan is killing it…except, she’s really not. A stressed-out single mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay’s life is in chaos: The new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written; her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her; and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors.

When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet. She soon discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation.

Quick Thoughts:

This book was on my “to read” list for a while. It was a quick and fun read that included humor, motherhood, and suspense. I hope to read the other books in the series too.

Rating:

Love and Other Words:

Summary:

Macy Sorensen is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new pediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.

But when she runs into Elliot Petropoulos—the first and only love of her life—the careful bubble she’s constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macy’s entire world—growing from her gangly bookish friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her mother…only to break it on the very night he declared his love for her.

Told in alternating timelines between Then and Now, teenage Elliot and Macy grow from friends to much more—spending weekends and lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco devouring books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. Although their memories are obscured by the agony of what happened that night so many years ago, Elliot will come to understand the truth behind Macy’s decade-long silence, and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love.

Quick Thoughts:

I really liked this book. It reminded me a bit of Every Summer After by Carley Fortune. I loved that the plot moved back and forth between the past the present. Elliot and Macy’s relationship was interesting to follow through the years. I did feel like the ending seemed a bit unrealistic. This book had some suggestive/R rated scenes…just FYI.

Rating:

The Paris Library:

Summary:

Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.

Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them.

Quick Thoughts:

I LOVED this book. I enjoy books that share different point of views. This book is based on the true story of librarians at the American Library in Paris during WW2. There were literary quotes/references sprinkled in as well as Dewey decimal references too. (I know–I’m such an English teacher nerd!) I was so intrigued by Odile’s story. Odile and Lily both had so much heartache to overcome and I enjoyed reading as their relationship blossomed and how they ended up being there for each other.

This book had it all– history, love, family and friend relationships. You should definitely read the author’s note at the end. I’m sure this will be a top read for me in 2023.

Favorite quotes:

You know I love a book if I share a few favorite quotes.

• “People are awkward, they don’t always know what to do or say. Don’t hold it against them. You never know what’s in their hearts.”
• “We all have books that changed us forever…one that let us know that we’re not alone. What’s yours?”
• “Libraries are lungs…books are fresh air breathed in to keep the heart beating, to keep the brain imagining, to keep hope alive.”

Rating:

Daisy Jones & The Six:

Summary:

Daisy Jones & the Six follows “a rock band in the 1970s from their rise in the LA music scene to becoming one of the most famous bands in the world and explores the reason behind their split at the height of their success.

Quick Thoughts:

This book had also been on my “to read” list for a while. Even though I’ve loved the five books I’ve read by Taylor Reid Jenkins in the past, I think since I’m not really a music/band person, I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book. Well, once I saw that it was a series on Amazon Prime, I figured I should read it before watching.

I loved the interview style and how it was organized album by album. Of course, this book at musical references, love, and drama. I could really visualize what these characters looked like, and it was a quick read that I enjoyed.

Yesterday, I came home from school and decided to start the series. I’m one episode in, and I like it so far too.

Rating:

Tomorrow, I will share the books I hope to read this summer. I’m excited for days reading by the pool.