June Books

Friday is a great day to have a book report because you can shop for books this weekend. And maybe even read one….I mean you have a whole two days so it is possible. I have five books for you this month. I liked them all but I LOVED one of them. Here’s what I read this month

Let’s just start with the favorite, because y’all it was sooo good. Whistler by Ann Patchett. I almost didn’t run to read it because well it has a horse on it. And while I have read a couple of great horse themed books (including Geraldine Brooks – Horse and Seabiscuit by Laura Hillendbrand), I wasn’t sure I was in the mood for horses. But this book is not about a horse. There is a horse in it, but this book is about family, relationships and having that connection with someone who you always look forward to seeing because they just get you. And no matter how long you are away from them, when you get together…..it clicks all over again. It is friendship, respect and oh….just so good. I knew I would eventually read it because I like all of Ann Patchett’s books. I am so glad I went ahead and got into this one. I am still thinking about it. Loved it!

Dorothea Benton’s Full of Grace – This is all about a girl named Grace from a very strict Catholic family straying from her religious roots and life detouring her back to them. There’s family drama, relationship challenges and then mixed in is a lot of Catholicism. It was entertaining, challenging, engaging and just interesting. I enjoyed it very much. If you have ever known what it is like for someone in the family to date someone the whole family questions, this book will resonate with you.

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue – I thought this would be interesting because of the unique premise. There is a girl who works in an office. She types emails with her real thoughts and changes the font to white so no one can actually see it. She then responds professionally to the email. Until…..the one time she forgets to change her real thoughts to white font. As part of her discipline, the IT department does some work on her computer. Unknown to anyone she is now receiving everyone’s messages. She uses some of what she learns to her benefit. She has to hold her tongue about a lot of it. But it such an interesting look at the workplace, what people assume about each other and just how wrong they can be.

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn – The Briar Club is a group of ladies boarding in a single parent household. All the boarders are very different and in need of this living situation for very different reasons. Anytime there is a group of women living together you know there is going to be drama. But the relationships they build here are very supportive and encouraging…..although nothing is really as it seems. I really enjoyed this one.

Lake Effect by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney – Okay this was a doozie. There’s a cozy neighborhood of families. One of the housewives becomes restless and starts an affair with one of the other husbands. Well they become so attached to each other that the decide to abandon their families so they can be together. The friendships for the entire neighborhood are impacted. The lives of the children severely impacted. This book does not leave you hanging though. We go all the way through the kids growing up and becoming adults with hard decisions of their own to deal with. I really enjoyed this one too.

I hope you are reading wonderful things. Got a beach trip?…..take any or all of these with you. You will not regret it.

Have the best weekend.