I normally wouldn’t be too pleased with a 50 percent, but when it comes to giving perfect grades to half of the books I read in a month, I’m a happy girl.
I read eight books in May. Of those, I gave four—one non-fiction and three fiction—perfect scores. You can read my reviews below.
Girl, Wash Your Face
I loved Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis so much that I followed her on all social media right after I finished her book.
It’s difficult to describe what I loved so much about this book. Rachel is the writer behind The Chic Site and the owner of her own media company. But I didn’t know anything about her when I started reading her book. I just knew that some of my friends liked the book and I’d seen it recommended on a few lists.
Rachel’s book focuses on lies she once believed that left her feeling like she wasn’t good enough or doing anything well. All I could think as I was reading it was “Wow, she’s really real.” Obviously I don’t know Rachel personally, but I just felt like her book was really honest. Even though I couldn’t relate to all of her specific struggles, I related to the lies we tell ourselves that belittle and destroy us.
Every Note Played
Lisa Genova wrote Every Note Played, which should tell you everything you need to know about the book. Genova writes about illness in a compassionate, detailed way that seemingly no other author can. Her latest book is about a Richard, a famous concert pianist who is diagnosed with ALS. In less than a year, Richard finds himself unable to play the piano or do many of the other day-to-day tasks it takes to care for himself. Richard knows he won’t be able to live on his own much longer, but his fame and ego meant he burned most of the people in his life at one time or another.
When Richard’s ex-wife Karina finds out about his illness, she must determined what (if any) responsibility she has to help him. And, together, they have to figure out how to minimize the stress his illness might put on his already damaged relationship with their college-aged daughter.
The Neighbor
Did Jason Jones kill his wife? He’s certainly hiding something.
The beautiful, young teacher and mother disappeared from the couple’s home, leaving their 4-year-old daughter as the single witness to whatever happened. Her body hasn’t been found, but her husband also isn’t acting like he’s overly concerned about finding her.
Det. Sgt. D.D. Warren investigated the disappearance and the host of characters who may be responsible in The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner. The book is one of Gardner’s series about Det. Sgt. Warren, who I’ve come to enjoy reading about.
Then She was Gone
Ellie Mack disappeared when she was 15 years old. Her mother, Laurel, has spent the last decade trying to put her life together after her daughter’s disappearance and the location of her remains.
When Laurel begins dating a man she met in a cafe, she is struck by how much his youngest daughter, Poppy, reminds her of Ellie. Poppy even looks like Ellie.
Then She was Gone by Lisa Jewell is about Laurel trying to come to terms with the loss of her beloved daughter and form stronger bonds with her family, some of whom she didn’t even know existed.
There they are, my favorite books of May! I hope you find something on the list to read and love.
As always, happy reading!
