Well, we are in full swing of summer here!
How is it July already?! Naiya gets home from youth group camp later this afternoon, and we have no plans for the weekend, other than being by pool! Although, Alexia’s summer social life has kept me on the road dropping off or picking her up from one thing or another.
My June book lineup was chalk full of fun summer beach reads!
We’ve been enjoying our first summer with our pool and patio and I’ve had ample time to read by the pool. I started out with…
Island Girls by Nancy Thayer.
I dream of going to Nantucket with my family! I love going on ferries, and the idea of walking around this quaint, magical island is on my bucket list. This summer chick-lit was the perfect way to start my official summer reading list!
This novel is about three sisters who were forced to live together in their Nantucket family house for the summer, in order to receive their inheritance. All three sisters had differing personalities, but were all strong and opinionated, adding their own unique presence to the complex family dynamic. Each girl is on their own journey with love, career, and family. A window into their work life was so creatively inspiring, and such a great representation of the nuances of working hard and playing hard. The restaurant and food scenes transported me to the beach and summer nights. I just loved this sweet little beach read!
Next in line was…
Out of the Clear Blue Sky by Kristan Higgins.
Another beach read to add to the lineup. I found myself laughing out loud at the wit of the main character’s comments toward her ex-husband who left her for a much younger woman, just as their only child left for college. (She gave him the nickname of “Bridiot”, a mix of Brad and idiot). I loved the Cape Cod setting, because again, I’m looking for ways to transport myself to the New England region. I loved the community around the scorned wife who was left by her husband, they rallied around her, stayed loyal to her, and everyone (including her son) responded to the situation in a way that I had hoped. Much of the book flips back and forth between the wife’s perspective and the new wife’s, who by the end, seems to come to the realization that acquiring someone’s husband is not all it’s cracked up to be. While the setting and humor and community aspect was all cute and entertaining, there were many character developments that I just thought were unnecessary and I wish she would have left out. I want to check out some of this author’s earlier publishings and see if these were left out and therefore less distracting from the main plot.
Midway through the month, I took a sharp turn from lighthearted beach reads to a rather dark and gritty memoir…
The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner.
Woah. This one was intense. A couple of times I almost forgot that this wasn’t a novel, because it was hard to believe so much insanity and trauma happened throughout one chid’s life. Ruth brilliantly and honestly tells her story of what it was like to grow up in a polygamist colony in Mexico back in the 80s. As one of ten children, she explains her experience of suffering from the effects of her mom’s decision to move away from safe and loving family in California to poverty and abuse in Mexico. Ruth paints the picture of Sister Wives’ hierarchy and the lack of care, connection and protection that is a result. She also touches on family life with siblings that have mental health issues, developmental disorders and physical disabilities. However, her story also is one of hope, grit, and triumph. I am always shocked by the power of one woman’s spirit that chooses to rise above and change the trajectory for an entire family. I loved how the impact of Ruth’s grandparents love, protection and relentlessness provided pockets of a normal, carefree childhood for her and her siblings when they had the opportunity to visit. Which this then paved the way for Ruth to give herself a new vision for what her life should and could be, apart from the choices her mom and stepfather made. This book shook me a bit, I’ll be honest. It was one that I had a hard time moving on from. I needed a couple days to just sit and reflect before jumping into a lighter summer novel.
Once I gave myself that space, I picked up my final read for June…
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune.
This book was a perfect chick lit to end the month of June reading. This one starts off with a teenage girl whose parents buy a lakehouse for the summer to get out of the city. They wind up moving in next door to two brothers who live there year round. The story is told from then and current day, flipping back and forth until they finally meet up. It was unpredictable and at times, rated R, but a fun, beach read. There were heavier real issues, but mostly this was a lighthearted summer read. I recommend this one, and am definitely interested in reading some of her other books.
Total side note. Does anyone else feel like their book choices are on trial with their children? I’ll find them reading the back cover or flipping it open and reading a random page and raising an eyebrow at me. To be honest, there are many issues, aside from my leisure book list, where I have responded to them with, “I am a grown forty three year old woman!”.
Am I alone in this?
That wraps up my JUNE BOOK REVIEW!
Let me know what you’re reading this summer! What should I add to my beach read list?! Comment below here or on Instagram!
If you’re interested, to see what I was reading last summer in 2022, click here.
To see what I read last month in May 2023, click here.
Have a happy and safe fourth of July!
