I know everyone knows this, but man, this last month has been weird. To go from feeling very busy/very overscheduled to INCREDIBLY “LESS BUSY” and told to stay at home constantly but to still have a busy mind and become a full-time WFH employee, parent, and homeschool teacher basically overnight? PHEW. I know you all know. We are all in this together. It is hard, but at moments it is easy. It feels natural and SO unnatural. My feelings ebb and flow. Sunday I cried off and on all day missing my family at Easter. Monday, I was mostly happy and all good. Ups and downs!!!
Anyway, it makes me feel very much like I’m living my normal life when I link up with Steph and Jana for Show Us Your Books, so that’s what’s happening today! Yay!! I’ve seen with most of the bookworms I know that some people have THRIVED during quarantine and others have not. I feel like I fall a bit into that second camp because my brain is having a hard time focusing on books right now. Anyway, here are the books I’ve read and listened to in the past month!! Not a bad mix but not what I was expecting to have read in March/April either.
You Deserve Each Other by Sarah HogleMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because this was such an original concept. At first, I was a bit confused and not sure if I liked this book, but overall I think it could be a realistic portrayal of a relationship in which the parents and in-laws are difficult and things maybe move a bit too fast without both sides being on the same page. I loved how the tables turned mid-way and things got hilarious and fun. I read this in almost one sitting and it held my attention and made me chuckle more than many books I’ve read in the past month or so. If you enjoy enemies to lovers as a concept, this might be fun for you 🙂 I LOVED the idea that the house could heal their relationship and of course, I adored the ending and the last few chapters. It was super fun overall.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John MandelMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book was really hard to get through for me, partially just because of the timing when I was reading it and partly just because I felt like not much happened. I did push through to the end and I know some people will end up loving it but it just wasn’t for me. I did really like some of the characters overall, like Vincent, but not enough to bump it up past 3 stars.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManusMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Despite not remembering One of us is Lying *super* well except the ending, I had no difficulty picking up with the characters in this book and getting myself immersed in their (rather intense) teenage/young adult lives and mysterious drama. This definitely held my attention without any difficulty, particularly on audio, though I read half of it too. Figured it all out a little bit before the end but it didn’t change my enjoyment at all. Highly recommend and could be read as a standalone but would spoil the first in the series.
Lakeshire Park by Megan WalkerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
First of all, this book completely drew me in with its comparison to one of my favourites, Edenbrooke. There was an adorable meet-cute. There were fun and interesting and a couple of less lovable misunderstood characters. There was some adorable romantic tension and swoony moments.
I adored Amelia and her love for her younger sister. I felt for her situation. I REALLY adored Peter and how sweet he was despite not seeming that way at the beginning.
This group of proper romance regency novels rarely lets me down and this book was no exception. Plus…have you seen a cover this gorgeous around anywhere else lately?
Thank you to Shadow Mountain and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby JimenezMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book comes out today!! I was overjoyed to be chosen in Abby’s reader group to read a paperback ARC that had travelled around the country. This book was a bit lighter overall than its predecessor so I enjoyed that about it. I really, really liked this. I would have gobbled it up in one sitting if my attention span lasted longer than 5 minutes these days. It was fun to read about Kristen and Josh (from The Friend Zone) again but also to read about Sloan and Jason AND Tucker. If you enjoy contemporary romance, loved The Friend Zone, or enjoy humorous love stories, this one is a good one.
Beach Read by Emily HenryMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’d read a few reviews around of people who absolutely loved this book and I kind of thought I’d probably like it too, but I actually really enjoyed it SO MUCH MORE than I expected to. Basically, I ignored my entire family for about 24 hours (don’t worry, not actually, I still did some parenting) to finish this. These characters, this setting, and the entire plot were just so fun and good to read. Two authors who knew each other in college (and had a bit of a love-hate but mostly hate relationship) end up living next door to each other in the middle of nowhere and slowly decide to try to write in the other’s genre. SO fun right!?!? This isn’t a light and fluffy book, there is some serious subject matter in it and some family drama/past history that lingers throughout but I did find it compulsively readable and probably one of the closest books I’ve found to compare to my beloved The Hating Game.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline WinspearMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
3.5 – I really liked these characters, especially Maisie and Simon and all their friends. I just found the pacing a bit off and hard to follow. I will for sure continue the series especially since the audiobooks are all on Hoopla and I’ve read much worse characters than Maisie between the wars!
Lost Hills by Lee GoldbergMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book was exactly what I needed at the time I read and listened to it – fast-paced, excellent and exciting police procedural with high stakes. It was a bit more gory and gruesome than I might prefer, but I adored Eve Ronin and I will probably pick up the next in the series sometime. The ending was also very exciting and nerve-wracking and my interest was held throughout. This short book is worth a try for sure if you enjoy this genre!!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’NealMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was excellent. I half read/half listened to it via Kindle Unlimited and it held me so captivated trying to piece together their family history and all of its sadness, resolution, and reunion. So good and cannot wait to check out other books by this author.
Nothing to See Here by Kevin WilsonThis book was really interesting because it was so unique. It was a short, quick, read and the audiobook was well done. The children were loveable and the entire plot was really very sweet especially at the end. It was missing just a tiny little something to make me love it more but overall I don’t regret reading it at all.
I also finished reading Wonder to the kids (they both absolutely loved it, even my 6 year old), a wonderful book about bees and growth mindset called Lucy the Bee and the Healing Honey (honestly, the main bee was named Lucy and her best bee friend was named Molly, can you say perfect for our family?! Thank you Netgalley!) and now we are almost finished up with Harriet the Spy.
Read a few other romances including the first in Maya Rodale’s Gilded Age series (really enjoyed it). Grateful for audiobooks while I am taking so many walks around my neighbourhood these days.
Just last night, I started All the Devils are Here, Louise Penny’s September 2020 release which was downloadable for me a couple of weeks ago and MADE ME SO HAPPY. Also working on the first in the Kate Daniels series.
What are you reading? Are you having any trouble engaging in books? As I said, I think it’s because reading really gives me a break from my over-socialized busy “normal life” but now this is my normal life so I want to socialize whatever way I can, which is via the internet, constantly. LOL. Surprisingly, my 8 1/2-year-old even felt like she “just didn’t want to read” about a week ago but I think we’ve all settled back into our regular reading routine now.
The Maritime Reader 
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