Four books this month!! and quite a variety. In order of most to least favorite -
One Night on the Island by Josie Silver is about finding oneself where you least expect it. Cleo is a London dating columnist (think Sex and the City) sent by her editor to a remote island to self-partner (a term coined by Emma Watson). Cleo sees one other passenger on the boat taking her to the island. Turns out both Mack and Cleo are on Salvation Island for solitude yet stuck in the same lodge due to a reservation mix-up. Amidst the tension, they find a way to tolerate each other. Cleo finds warmth and belonging amongst the islanders. Mack starts to come to terms with the fact that life is not turning out how he designed. Warm, romantic and fun. Loved - A++
Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan is the latest book by one of my favorite audiobook narrators. The story follows Sewanee (or "Swan" for short), a former actress who is now an audiobook narrator. There's a lot going on here, but it all works. A freak accident caused her to lose one eye and the related guilt/shame impacts all her decisions. She has a close relationship with her grandmother for whom she feels protective and responsible, especially since her father is a bit of a flake, She has a one-night stand with a charming Scotsman that she can't forget. She's given an amazing opportunity to narrate a romance book with the #1 male romance narrator, Brock - a genre she started out in but now hates. The anonymous banter between Swan and Brock is witty and sexy. The behind-the-scenes peek at the audiobook industry is fascinating. The only thing that felt a bit forced was the best friend relationship. A+
The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton follows three women in 1935. Three stories in one about Helen, a heavily pregnant local waitress, Elizabeth, a New York socialite whose family lost everything, and Mirta, a Cuban newly wed to a man with a reputation in New York and Florida. The Labor Day hurricane of 1935 (the strongest to ever hit the United States) is the ticking timebomb that drives the intersection between the women. This was an easy, good read.
Search by Michelle Huneven was recommended by a church friend. This is about a search committee at a Universalist Unitarian Church in California. According to Wikipedia, UUs " assert no creed, but instead are united by their shared search for spiritual growth". Search details the long, intense process of searching for a new minister and the snarkiness that accompanies a diverse panel of stakeholders with their own failings and biases. I didn't love the interspersion of food (main character is a restaurant reviewer) - fell flat for me, like she was trying too hard - I don't recall a single dish. I did love the back-and-forth amongst characters regarding what they were looking for in a minister and why, as well as the main character's introspection about her own biases.
TBR List
- Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
- Well Met by Jen DeLuca
- Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis
- Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen
- The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner
- Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi
- Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
- Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks
- The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
- Blue Love: Blue Valley High by MJ Fields
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