Recent Reads

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I've always been a huge bookworm. When I was little my head was always in a book, and unfortunately usually a bucket hat too. These days I have a lot of time to read during my daily commute into River North, and I usually go through about a book a week. I had a little more time over my break from work plus had a couple of overlapping library books that I had to finish in a hurry, so I've gotten through a lot of books over the past couple of weeks. Here's what I've been reading:

The Mothers: A story about two best friends and how decisions can ripple through your life for years to come, The Mothers was a book that really stuck with me. The book follows two girls who have both suffered loss as they grow from high schoolers to adults, and find that their lives are more intwined than they could have imagined. I thought the characters were really relatable and the writing compelling, and I found it really interesting that the story was told through the eyes of "The Mothers," the church ladies in their community. This was one of my favorites of the year. 

Secrets of a Charmed Life: I should have known from the cover that this wouldn't be my favorite, but I have a soft spot for historical fiction about WWII, so I decided to give it a chance. The story takes place in London, where two sisters have to be evacuated to the countryside ahead of the Blitz. One girl's ambition takes her back into the city, which has unintended consequences that tear their family apart. Ultimately, I could see every twist coming a mile away and thought the conclusion was a little too far-fetched, making it hard for me to love it. If you're looking for an easy historical read though, this still may be your jam. 

Losing It: If you're looking for a fun, easy read, this is the one! Losing It follows the life of Julia, a twenty-six year old virgin, as she moves in with her aunt for the summer with the goal of losing it. I actually ended up reading the whole thing in one flight, and kept holding myself back from laughing out loud at Julia's awkwardness and the situations she keeps getting herself into. The story was hilarious but also touching, and Julia was so relatable and fun that I was definitely rooting for her and her v-card the whole book! 

Heroes of the Frontier: I so, so wanted to love this since some of Dave Egger's other books have been my absolute favorites, but I thought Heroes of the Frontier just missed the mark. The story follows a single mother, Josie, and her two children as they run away from reality to Alaska, where they drive through the wilderness in a rusty old motorhome narrowly escaping one disaster after another and, of course, finding themselves. Ultimately, Josie and her mid-life crisis felt forced and unrelatable, and the situations she got the family into implausible - I literally laughed out loud at how crazy the ending was. Maybe next time, Mr. Eggers, maybe next time. 

So tell me, what have you been reading lately? Any good recommendations? 

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