These are some of the books I read in April. Several other of my reviews can be found on Reeding Between the Lines, the new podcast my daughter Sara and I launched recently. Click on the button in the right sidebar to connect to the podcast if you wish.
I am going to try to keep these reviews to a brief synopsis this time!
Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadarajan was a fun book. Suresh and Lata are recently divorced after 36 years of a dutiful but arranged marriage, and find that their lives are turned upside down. Suresh has dived into internet dating and Lata is trying to find herself in a new job at the library. Son Nikesh is keeping secrets in his supposedly perfect marriage, and daughter Pryia has involved herself with a married man. The book explores what happens when everyone's secrets are uncovered and how these four characters can find happiness as individuals and as a family. 3.5 stars
How Not To Drown In a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz was just delightful. When Cara Romero loses her job at the lamp factory she is in her mid-50's. She is set up with a job counselor and the book evolves over twelve interview sessions with the counselor. Cara seems confused as to the purpose of the counseling sessions and instead begins to recount the story of her life. Be prepared to have Cara move right into your heart. In turns hilarious and heartbreaking, her story will keep you entertained until the last page. 4.5 stars
The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin was not what I expected. It was an Oprah Book Club Pick and Oprah describes the book as "Once you start reading, be prepared because you will not want to stop". I read this over two days and can attest that the story is a page-turner. Read the book to learn about the author's journey from soccer mom to opioid addict to credit card fraudster to jail inmate to rehabilitated successful author. It's quite a wild ride. 4 stars
Tana French is one of my favorite Irish authors, and her new book The Hunter did not disappoint. Cal Hooper retired early from the Chicago police force and moved to a remote village in Ireland to gain some peace in his life. Continuing the story begun in the author's previous book, The Searcher, Cal has now found love with Lena, a local woman, and is influencing the life of a local teenager for the better. Of course, things get complicated and Cal finds himself once again called upon to get to the bottom of a murder mystery. 4.5 stars
Good Material by Dolly Alderton is hard to describe. It isn't exactly a romance, in fact, it is pretty much just the opposite. Our main character Andy has been dumped by his girlfriend. The majority of the book is from Andy's point of view, as he details all the reasons Jen left him. He seems to have the emotional bandwidth of a bucket of nails, and his moaning and groaning started to get on my nerves. We follow along the course of Andy's recovery from being dumped and laugh out loud at some of the characters and situations he finds himself in. The final part of the book is from Jen's point of view, which brings satisfying clarity to her decision to end the relationship. 3.5 stars
The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer. I don't think I have ever read a book like this one. Clover is a death doula, living in New York City. A death doula is someone who assists the dying in having the best possible experience of death. Similar to a birth doula who helps mothers have the best birthing experience, the death doula comes to one's aid at the end of life. Clover spends so much time with the dying that she has shut herself off from friends, experiences, and personal growth. A new tenant moves into Clover's apartment building and she finds herself with a new friend, a new client, and a lot of questions regarding how she has experienced her own life. (Free on Kindle Unlimited) 3.5 stars
The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez is the rom-com follow-up to her previous book The Friend Zone. Some of the same characters are featured in both books. I enjoyed this book more than I did the first one, and found the characters much more likeable. Grieving Sloan finds a stray dog named Tucker who helps her begin to find joy in life again. Tucker's owner Jason, an up-and-coming musician, finally returns from a trip to Australia to reclaim his dog, which doesn't sit well with Sloan. The romance that develops between Sloan and Jason is very sweet and their story is light-hearted, warm, and entertaining. This would be a great summer beach read! 4 stars
The Intern by Michele Campbell started slowly but finally took off and overall was an entertaining book. Harvard law student Megan Rivera lands a fabulous internship working for Judge Kathryn Conroy. Unfortunately, Megan's brother Danny has been arrested for drug trafficking and wouldn't you know, Conroy is the judge assigned to his case. Danny accuses the judge of corruption and then goes missing. Is the judge crooked or a victim of circumstances? Lots of cat and mouse activity in this book, which ratchets up to a fever pitch by the end. (Free on Kindle Unlimited) 3.5 stars
Hope you enjoy these books if you choose to read them! Let me know if you do.
I'll definitely tune in! Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Jan | May 08, 2024 at 03:45 PM