Author: jgalvinwhite

Hello!

It’s book day where I am sharing the books I read this month. It’s been really nice to have a solid start to reading this year!

This month, I read/listened to three books. And, as you’ll see, it was an interesting month with a 3, a 4, and a 5 star book (In my opinion, of course!)

{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}

Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Age:

Summary:

Brooke Shields has spent a lifetime in the public eye. Growing up as a child actor and model, her every feature was scrutinised, her every decision judged. Today Brooke faces a different kind of that of being a ‘woman of a certain age’.

And yet, for Brooke, the passage of time has brought freedom. At fifty-nine, she feels more comfortable in her skin, more empowered and confident than she did decades ago in those famous Calvin Kleins. Now, in Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old, she’s changing the narrative about women and ageing.

This is an era, insists Brooke, when women are reclaiming agency and power, not receding into the shadows. These are the years when we get to decide how we want to live – when we get to write our own stories.

With remarkable candour, Brooke bares all, painting a vibrant and optimistic picture of being a woman in the prime of her life, while dismantling the myths that have, for too long, dimmed that perception. Sharing her own life experiences with humour and humility, and weaving together research and reporting, Brooke takes aim at the systemic factors that contribute to age-related bias.

Quick Thoughts:

Ok, so I shared in last month’s What’s Up Wednesday post that I’d started listening to Brook Shields’ new book, and I wasn’t sure if I would finish it. Well, once I looked, I’d realized that I’d already read 25% of the book…so why not finish the rest?!

That being said, in order to finish the nine hour book, I picked up the pace and started listening at 1.75x speed in order to get through it. I did enjoy hearing her read and share her story…and it did make me, as a listener, be able to hear the tone in her voice or the sarcasm with responses because it was I do think reading some of what she said could be taken the wrong way.

She has an ego, but you can tell her girls and her husband have softened her and she’s raising them in a far different way than she grew up. There were parts like when she said that she there were times that she had trouble getting ensemble cast jobs because of spotlight being on her that kind of shocked me with how bold and egotistical that sounded…but if it’s true, and she just sharing it.

There was a lot of “research shows” and “so and so says,” but I guess you can’t take Princeton out of the girl 🤣

She’s honest though and obviously been in the spotlight her whole life. She’s a strong, educated woman who’s lived a lot of life. It was interesting hearing about motherhood, acting and Broadway and other endeavors.

Rating:

3.5 stars.

The Underground Library:

Summary:

When the Blitz imperils the heart of a London neighborhood, three young women must use their fighting spirit to save the community’s beloved library in this heartwarming novel from the author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir.

When new deputy librarian, Juliet Lansdown, finds that Bethnal Green Library isn’t the bustling hub she’s expecting, she becomes determined to breathe life back into it. But can she show the men in charge that a woman is up to the task of running it, especially when a confrontation with her past threatens to derail her?

Katie Upwood is thrilled to be working at the library, although she’s only there until she heads off to university in the fall. But after the death of her beau on the front line and amid tumultuous family strife, she finds herself harboring a life-changing secret with no one to turn to for help.

Sofie Baumann, a young Jewish refugee, came to London on a domestic service visa only to find herself working as a maid for a man who treats her abominably. She escapes to the library every chance she can, finding friendship in the literary community and aid in finding her sister, who is still trying to flee occupied Europe.

When a slew of bombs destroy the library, Juliet relocates the stacks to the local Underground station where the city’s residents shelter nightly, determined to lend out stories that will keep spirits up. But tragedy after tragedy threatens to unmoor the women and sever the ties of their community. Will Juliet, Kate, and Sofie be able to overcome their own troubles to save the library? Or will the beating heart of their neighborhood be lost forever?

Quick Thoughts:

You won’t be shocked that I loved this book.

It was based on true story, and I typically enjoy books written from the point of view of multiple characters. These three women were so different and their narrative each drove the plot of their own stories, but the common thread for them was the underground library.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

• “To me, books are like old friends, telling us great truths, holding our hands through the difficulties, showing us light and joy at the end of every tunnel.”
• “Life isn’t always straightforward, though, “Irene said, her pale blue eyes glistening. “Sometimes we have to find the courage to try something new, not worry about how it might turn out.”
• “A book isn’t just a physical object; once you’ve read it, it becomes a thought, a story, a memory that is alive inside you forever.”

I definitely recommend this book!

Rating:

Another historical fiction book earning five stars from me!

The Night We Lost Him:

Summary:

Nora Noone’s father, Liam, was many things to many people. To the public he was a self-made hotel magnate, whose luxury boutique hotels were among the most coveted destinations in the world. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving yet distant family man who managed to keep his finances—and his families—separate. But to Nora, her father was always a mystery—especially after his suspicious death at his cliffside home.

Though the authorities rule Liam’s death accidental, Nora and her estranged brother, Sam, believe otherwise. As they form an uneasy alliance to unpack the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father’s past and uncover a family secret that changes everything.

Quick Thoughts:

Who am I listening to audio books now? This is officially the first audio book I’ve listened to with a plot! When I started listening to books last summer, I only focused on memoirs. I tried listening to one fictional book, the narrator threw me off, and I quit listening before I really even started.

I stumbled upon this book while scrolling the Libby app because I wanted to find a book to listen to, and thought I’d try another fiction book. I’d read Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, so I gave it a try.

Obviously, the narrator didn’t annoy me, and I saw this book through to the end.

This book felt very similar but different to Last Thing He Told Me. I typically enjoy mystery books, and Nora’s estrangement with her brother who she then depends on to try to figure out if her father’s death was more than an accident was one layer or the story. Someone of the chapters were from Liam’s point of view sharing about his relationship with someone fifty years prior, forty, thirty, etc., and that element added to my interest in the plot.

Rating:

I’m hoping to keep up with my 3-4 book reading average, and so far so good. Right now I’m listening to a book while reading another book on my Kindle.

Please let me know if you have any recommendations for audio books…both fiction and non-fiction!

Happy reading,