Hi, friends! Life has been crazy, as of late. I haven’t been on here too much, but I have been reading plenty, so I thought I’d share a monthly round up. đ
Summertime Guests by Wendy Francis: This is a book that I bought probably five years ago and only just now ended up reading. It follows several characters that were in attendance for a death at a hotel. As the reader, we have no idea who died, we only know when and how. I really enjoyed Francis’ writing style and I was engaged with several of the characters’ stories, but there were just too many narrators throughout. To avoid spoilers, I won’t say which character, but one character could have been completely removed and it would not have made any difference whatsoever. This book is marketed as a beach read and I definitely think that is accurate. It’s a pleasurable read, but I wouldn’t reach for it again. I gave it a 3/5 and will be donating it.
Oh! You Pretty Things by Shanna Mahin: This is a book that I was given when someone was decluttering and it’s one that I would not have read otherwise. I found this book to dragggggggggg. It follows a girl in Hollywood who is aimless and does not know what she wants to do with her life. She gets a job as a personal assistant to a celebrity and the book takes off from there. I found this book tedious and the narrator to be overly sarcastic and cynical. That’s definitely a reflection of the time it was published, but I personally don’t like characters that feel too meta or cynical or anything of the like. It takes away from the story and makes the stakes feel much lower. I was so ready to be done with this book. I gave it a 1.5/5 and will certainly be donating it.
The List by Siobhan Vivian: This is a book that I loved as a teenager. My aunt is a retired teacher and recently started getting rid of her classroom books and this is one that I rediscovered and absolutely loved it! It’s probably not as great as I think it is, but the nostalgia I felt was so great that it may have inflated my appreciation for it. It’s a fun read and I loved the characters. They all felt like real, flawed teenagers. It centers around high school students when “The List” comes out. The List is a breakdown of each grade’s prettiest and the ugliest girl. (Isn’t that absolutely terrible???) It follows those who were voted for and the effects it has on their lives. It’s not a life-changing book, but I would definitely read it again. 4.5/5
Eleonor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman: I did not care for this book initially. I had tried to read it a few years ago and only got ~40~ pages in before abandoning it. That almost happened again, but I pushed through, and am glad that I did.
For me, I didn’t start enjoying it until around 100 pages in. I was struggling with Eleanor’s voice and was not enjoying being in her head but as the book continued, I began to enjoy her story and was invested in her making human connections and trying new things.
This book also had such amazing side characters that you fall in love with because of the kindness that they showed to Eleanor, especially as you learn more and more about how troubled her past was. I was just so tickled and delighted how kind people were to her, especially when she began opening up to them.
Her past was so troubling and really made her as a person make sense when you were given each new detail scattered throughout the book. There was one bit of information revealed at the end that I had to reread because I was so shocked. It made you go, “Oh”, Or at least I did. And it wasn’t a twist that felt cheap, it simply felt like the final puzzle piece was placed. Or for Eleonor, the final clue solved in her crossword puzzle.
Mrs Everything by Jennifer Weiner: I have read this book three or four times and I love it every single time! I’ve written about it on here before. It follows two sisters throughout their lives and it’s amazing every single time. I’ve linked my previous write up about it.
That’s that, my friend! I’d love to hear what y’all are reading.
XOXO,
Mattie Mae
Midwest Mattie 