Quick Lit: Mini Reviews of Some Recent Reads – June 2019 Edition

I’ve returned from two trips, one to Minnesota and the other to Florida. I haven’t done a lot of reading since I was busy with graduation and preparing for these trips. But I do have a —– to tell you about.

I’m trying to read more books that I choose for my own reading enjoyment. Not for review, but because I’ve been wanting to read them or they caught my attention. Most of them have been talked about ad nauseam or have been on my to-read list for a long time so they don’t really need a full review. But, I’d still like to give them some space here on the blog, so instead, I’m offering mini-reviews of the books that won’t get full-page space here.

I’ll be linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy and her monthly Quick Lit link up. Be sure to head over to see others link up their Quick Lit posts.

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WHEN WE WERE WORTHY

By: Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

Narrator: Joshilyn Jackson

Published: September 12, 2017

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Format: Audiobook

I chose this as my audiobook during my 7+ hour drive each way to my cousin’s in Minnesota. It was the perfect book to keep me awake and interested. It was narrated by well-known Southern Fiction Author, Joshilyn Jackson whose southern accent was perfect for this story. This fairly small town of Worthy, Georgia, not too far from Atlanta, puts all their love and pride into their high school football team. When a tragic accident claims the lives of 3 cheerleaders, the ripple effects on the town are wide and devastating. From the substitute teacher to the cheerleader who was supposed to be in the car, from the boy whose car hit the girls to the mom of one of the cheerleaders we hear all their stories as they come to grips with this new life. Each chapter features a character and their life in the days following the accident. Readers get their perspective and inner thoughts as they grapple with the deaths. 

Listeners will love Joshilyn Jackson’s southern charm as she reads. Worthy is a town much like the one I live in where Fridays mean football, everyone knows what you’ve been doing, and the friendships you have will last a lifetime! 

This isn’t marketed as a YA novel but I think it could be. There are some mature themes but the incidents are not described in detail. Teens, parents of teens, and anyone who grew up going to football games on Friday nights will enjoy this story. 

LOVE WALKED IN

By: Marisa De Los Santos

Published: December 29, 2005

Publisher: Dutton

Format: Paperback

This series has been on my to-read list forever. So many authors and fellow readers have raved about this series that starts with the lives of Cornelia, Martin, and Clare. I chose this for our book club read last month and unfortunately, it wasn’t a hit with any of us.

It was an okay read but didn’t give us anything exciting to talk about. There were some surprises thrown in that we weren’t expecting, but mostly it was a bit too predictable. It was slow in some parts and caused me to do a bit more skimming than I would like.

I was a bit uncomfortable with Clare’s resolution in the story but happy for Cornelia. Those two scenarios left me a bit curious about their futures and since I do own the next book in the series, I will probably give it a read.

This is good for a light read that needs little concentration and has some uplifting moments. I liked the characters which made the story a more enjoyable read than if I hadn’t liked them. I appreciated the message that love may not play out in the way that you imagined and that love comes in all kinds of different relationships.

BORN TO RUN

By: Bruce Springsteen

Narrated by: Bruce Springsteen

Published: September 27,2016

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Format: Audiobook through the library

I love celebrity memoirs and I had heard this was a good one, especially on audio since it is read by Springsteen. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into this one. It is quite a long book at over 500 pages. It was a busy week when I started listening and I only got to 20% before my library time ran out and I just didn’t feel like putting myself back on the list.

I was fascinated by his childhood and the poverty and lack of family support for his music. He didn’t have the easiest life and his music career started with the cheapest of guitars with money that should have been going towards food, but instead, his mom helped him get a guitar.

I wouldn’t say I’m a huge Springsteen fan and maybe that was why I lost interest. But, I also think there was maybe too much detail to keep the reader interested. If you are a music fan or huge fan of Springsteen, I’m sure this would be interesting, but for me, it was a bit too long and not enough to keep me reading further into his story.

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