Mini Book Reviews: June 2023

 Disclaimer: I received an ARC of La Vie, According to Rose from Amazon First Reads. This post contains affiliate links.

After my first book this month, I fell into a slump. Is it just me or are a lot of the new releases lately kind of a slog? After reading several books this month that were highly reviewed and wondering what I was missing, I decided to dig into my TBR and found an absolutely delightful romance story. I ended the month with another backlist book that was recommended by Erica and it was a winner. 

I did have 2 DNFs this month. After making it to the 50% point with both, I called it quits. I just can't waste time reading a book that doesn't draw me in. There are too many books out there for that!

When I picked up Sea Change, I expected more of a Remarkably Bright Creatures vibe--a story about an octopus--but instead, I found myself reading a coming-of-age story about a young Korean woman struggling to reconcile the disappearance of her father when she was a young girl, a breakup with her boyfriend, and the impending marriage of her best friend. She works at an aquarium where yes, there is an octopus that she cares for. Learning that a wealthy man is purchasing the octopus for his home aquarium sends the young woman into a tailspin. Her journey of self-reflection is something that many people will understand and relate to. I think the author captured the struggle of young adulthood perfectly. The writing is absolutely beautiful. 

Every once in a while, I pick up a romcom just to cleanse my reading palate. Abby Jimenez is always a reliable author and with Yours Truly, she takes the usual romantic attraction and gives it a twist. The main characters are both ER physicians who pretend to be involved with each other. They take the act really far and I kept hoping they would finally succumb to their desires. But no. This act carries on for many, many pages. Personally, I grew tired of the charade. But I saw it through to the end and even though I knew what was going to happen, I got my reward, of course. Because isn't that why we read these books? For the happy ending?

The Half Moon is an introspective marital drama that tells the story of a husband and wife who struggle as they pursue their life goals. The gregarious husband buys the bar where he always worked. His more reserved wife's dream is to be a mother, but after spending a small fortune on infertility treatments, the couple is struggling financially. Their marriage takes a toll as well. The story is told in parallel narratives and there are a lot of interesting characters to spice up the story. I loved Keane's last book Ask Again Yes, but this book fell flat for me. The writing was gorgeous, but there were a lot of meandering and deep thoughts, during which I couldn't help but wonder what was the point? 

La Vie, According to Rose was such an unexpected delight! A young woman, Rose, whose mom and sisters treat her like Cinderella, takes a spontaneous trip to Paris. This is so out of character for her that her family freaks out. She naively stumbles into good fortune, meeting a kind Frenchwoman on the plane and rents an apartment from another gem. She befriends an American expat who just oozes with slime, but as naive as she is, she doesn't see it. Rose also runs into an old childhood friend and that is when things really get interesting. Predictable? Yes. Satisfying? Also yes. Great character development and a fun storyline made this a winner for me.

A few weeks ago on Global Running Day, I did a Go Run Tour along the Chicago Lakefront with Erica. She took us through the AIDS garden, which opened last summer as a memorial to all those who died from AIDS. I shared with her that back in the early 1990s, I was a home infusion nurse, providing care to many who were diagnosed with HIV. She recommended that I read The Great Believers, an epic novel set in the Chicago gay community in the late 1980s. The author does such a great job with time and place and her story took me back to that time when I spent my days visiting my patients in their homes. The writing is spectacular and this is not a book you want to rush through. My only quibble is with the present-day alternating storyline of one of the characters searching for her missing daughter in Paris. It does tie in with the main theme, but for me, it was a distraction. Overall though, this is a must-read!

The DNFs

I tried so hard to love The Celebrants, but I really struggled with it. The premise is that a group of college friends make a pact to throw each other 'living funerals' as a way to boost each other up when they need it. Fast forward 5 years, and I made it through the first living funeral--barely. I think maybe I wasn't the target audience for this one. The author is a really talented wordsmith and I regret not being able to finish this one. Happy Place is about 2 people who broke up 6 months ago but never told their friends because they would be devastated. WHO DOES THIS? Obviously, it happens because this is the second book I picked up this month with this theme. Much like that book, it started off cute and funny but went on way too long. So many readers have given it great reviews, but this was not the book for me.

What did you read this month? Have you read any of these books? Do you DNF books if you struggle to get through them or do you finish them? 

I'm linking up with Kim and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics.