May was a great month for reading! Here are a few of my reads this month with a little review of why I liked/disliked them. I always love hearing from others about the books they are reading so sharing mine is a way to help you find something you’ll love or might not need to read.
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
This book screamed Pollyanna from the very first pages! Not necessarily about the glad game but young CeeCee is dealt an unfortunate hand. With her mentally ill mother and father who chooses to be absent, she must deal with it on her own. Until her aunt Tootsie shows up and welcomes her in the most Pollyanna way into her home and heart. It is a book about love and friendship and finding happiness in the chaos of life. You will root for CeeCee and hope she finds a true friend. 4 STARS
The Favorites by Layne Fargo
If you like sports reads, dramatic competition, and ice skating, than you’ll love this book! The Favorites is basically a documentary of two young friends who bonded over hard things but took their passion onto the ice rink. Kat and Heath began ice skating for fun but Kat realized that Heath is holding her back. How bad does she want to win and what are they both willing to do to win? It intermingles the competition drama, pressures to perform but the best part is the friendship and love formed between Kat and Heath. Will their relationship survive? You’ll have to read to find out! 4 STARS
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
“The world is full of miracles, but none greater than how far a young person can be carried by someone else’s belief in them.” This book has a powerful impact. It is a story about the transformative, timeless power of art and friendship. A group of young teenagers found family in each other as the connected and supported each other through each of their young personal traumas. They became family/friends and supported each other in a way that bound them together through life. I love watching how they looked out for others like them and included them in their circle of friendship. The most impactful part of this book for me was the impact one has in believing in the good/talents/abilities of another person. I love you and I believe in you are two phrases I am repeating often in my home because of this book. It is a must read! 5 STARS
Pack up the Moon by Kristan Higgins
This was a reread for me! Sometimes you just need a visit from a happy friend. This book did that for me! Don’t get me wrong, it is filled with love and loss and will make you cry but the power of believing in someone’s ability to change so powerful and so beautiful to witness. Josh looks at life a little differently but when he met his wife Lauren, she helped him navigate the social norms and feels like himself for the first time in his life. Newly married, Lauren is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Josh struggles with the pain of it all but Lauren has a plan to keep Josh moving forward. She begins writing a series of letters for Josh to receive after she passes. Each letter contains a task for him to accomplish to help him through his healing journey. You will see raw pain, anger but also a humility and gratitude for Lauren that will make your heart burst. It is a simple but profound lesson that sometimes the greatest joys in life are hiding right in plain sight. 5 STARS
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
This book reminded me so much of my cute grandma, the queen of letter writing. Sybil Van Antwerp has used letter writing to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings at half past ten she sits and writes letters. I love learning about her past and watching her impact on people in her present. When forced to examine on of the most painful moments of her life because of one of these letters, she discovers the need to forgive and heal. You will love her character and her delightful look at life. 4 STARS
A Love Letter to Paris by Rebecca Raisin
Lilou has been unlucky in love. A street vendor selling old letters decides one day that maybe she has the secret to helping others find love. She begins a secret matchmaking service called Paris Cupid where all interactions are done the old fashioned way, through written correspondence. As she starts to see success in the connections she’s been able to make, she wonders if she will ever find love because she has found lots of fails. Something unexpected happens as a mystery person begins to show interest in her. Who will it be? Will she get struck by cupid? 4 STARS
Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez
What would you do if you had the perfect date? Samantha meets X and they hit it off! Usually first dates are brief and simple but they don’t want the night to end. In fact, it doesn’t and they spend it in the most unusually funny way. It was perfect until Samantha tells X she’s moving to California in a couple of hours. What lengths would you take to pursue a good relationship? Samantha is returning home to help with her mother with worsening Dementia. The book is a balance between the longing for connection/romance and the responsibility of caring for family. It felt like a book that was also reality for many. I loved every bit of it! 5 STARS
