Tag: books

I promised book reviews for two beach reads weeks ago but am just getting around to it.

As y’all know I’m frugal & typically stick with the library or paperbackswap to receive books. But when I saw the latest Mary Kay Andrews‘ book Summer Rental at Costco, I couldn’t wait. I have adored everything she’s written. Southern, quick light reads but with a little more depth & punch than your average “chick lit”. As you can guess by the title & cover, it’s about friends who put aside their normal everyday lives for a month & take off to Outer Banks. Loved that it’s set in NC & the women are my age so I can definitely relate. I’m even considering hanging on to this one for a re-read {which I rarely do due to lack of space}. Also due to fact that before I’d even open the cover, I spilled a tiny bit of water into it while in my beach bag {thus making it ineligible for PBS}.

If You Were Here is Jen Lancaster‘s new book. This one is harder for me to review because I have triple puffy heart *loved* each & every one of her memoirs. Like laugh-til-I’m-hysterically-crying-&-Moe-&-Husband-are-looking-at-me-funny loved. I wanted so badly to get that with If You Were Here which is her first go at fiction. I heard Jen’s distinctive voice loud & clear, but I kinda missed something. Hard to put my finger on it. While I was fine with it, even enjoyed it, I definitely didn’t love it & for me it fits into that big pile of average “chick lit”. I wanted so badly for this to be more but it just wasn’t for me. But if you’re looking for light-hearted summer reading, it’s fun & Jen’s funny still shines through in parts. I will definitely read what’s next from her though so don’t think I’m off the Jen Lancaster wagon ~ whether or not it’s another stab at fiction.

My book club’s June book was Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. I finished it Memorial Day weekend at the beach after staying up a couple late nights the week before because I just could not put it down. We’d read a few other novels set in WWII this year. This one is the only work of non-fiction & by far my favorite.

Laura definitely did her research. So much so, that a few of the group didn’t realize it wasn’t fiction until a little way into the book. I say that meaning that it read like a story, not like a boring History textbook. I had not really heard of Louie Zamperini before reading this book. My dad {who’s a bit of a history/war buff} had seen a couple History channel documentaries, but I was reading & learning about his life for the first time.

Louie’s life was can’t-put-down interesting to me from the start. I enjoyed his running stories, how he got into the war, & hearing about life in the Air Force. It was from the plane crash on though that had me hooked. I won’t give much away past that other than say read it. It’s worth the long wait at the library or getting it in hard back if you like to own your book. I’ve already told both my parents to read it soon & my WWII vet grandfather had already been given a copy.

Up next, reviews of the two more fluffy summer reads, If You Were Here & Summer Rental.