Quick Lit: Mini-Reviews of Some Recent Reads – June 2023 Edition

Welcome to Quick Lit where I share books that I chose for my own reading enjoyment in a mini-review format. These are not books I received for review, but books that I’ve been wanting to read or that have 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 share their Quick Lit posts. This post contains affiliate links. Click here to read more about that.

My current reads are REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES on audio (Finally!), THE GALVESTON DIET in hardcover, and SAVE WHAT’S LEFT on Kindle.

I’ve also shared a couple of books for review in the last month CHASING GIANTS and THE FAVOR. Fans of the National Geographic show Monster Fish should check out CHASING GIANTS and fans of friendship stories that aren’t what you would expect will love THE FAVOR!

I’m so delightfully thrilled to be back into my reading groove. Summer reading has commenced and I am loving every minute of it. I shared a list of 22 books I’m hoping to read this summer, HERE. You’ll notice that I’ve already finished one book off of my list and after today a couple more that I plan to finish up! Today, I’m sharing 9 books I’ve read and or listened to in the last month.

A GIRL CALLED SAMSON

By: Amy Harmon

Published: April 1, 2023

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Historical Fiction

Format: eBook purchase on Kindle

I loved this story the farther along I got. It was our book club choice for May and I think each of us loved it and maybe even more so after we discussed it. Set in 1760, and through the Revolutionary War, Deborah Samson has to live a life where she is told what to do or frankly, what she can’t do. As a woman and an orphaned one at that, she has little choice about how to live her life. She has been dropped off by her mom on a farm where she is forced to work for the family. This family feels like her own and the ten boys she helps raise, feed, and clean up after, become like family to her. But, as each one heads off to fight in the war, she longs for that same type of adventure and purpose. She decides to flee and fight in the war under the disguise of a young man. While not easy (think bathroom visits, the monthly visitor, having breasts) she finds herself fighting with young men and feeling like she has a place in the world.

While at war, she comes in contact with someone from her past and is quite shaken by how this person has affected her life. But, due to her secret, she can’t share her true self with him. This novel is based on a real woman in our history and her story reminds us to appreciate our freedoms, our rights, and that it is okay to fight for what we want out of life. I’ve never read any of Amy Harmon’s books before, but I will definitely read more of her books.

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

By: RevereAmy Hnd Barbara Rose Furman

Published: April 29, 2023

Publisher: Xulon Press

Christian Memoir

Format: eBook purchase on Kindle

The author, Barb Furman, is a friend of our family. Her daughter let me know about her book and I was happy to read it. If you have ever felt like you weren’t on the right path in life or questioned your faith or God’s plan for you, then I highly recommend Barb’s book. Her faith journey was a rocky one, full of mistakes, shortfalls, and wrong turns, but I can honestly say she is one of the strongest and Godliest women I know. She has come through on the other side with God right next to her. She hasn’t had it easy and yet, every day she wakes up praising Jesus. Her memoir is short and I wish there was “more”, but there is a lot to learn from Barb and her strong faith in our Savior.

HAVE I TOLD YOU THIS ALREADY

Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember

By: Lauren Graham

Narrated by: Lauren Graham

Published: November 15, 2022

Publisher: Ballantine

Memoir/Essays

Format: Audiobook through Libby

I recently finished Gilmore Girls and enjoyed her memoir TALKING AS FAST AS I CAN a few years ago. This one is much shorter and seems a bit more disjointed. This didn’t flow as well for me and was more a jumble of random thoughts and stories that maybe she forgot to include in her previous book or a collection of things that happened while filming Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. If you are a fan, you will enjoy it, but I didn’t take a lot from it.

SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE

By: Claire Keegan

Narrated by: Aidan Kelly

Published: November 30, 2021

Publisher: Grove Press

Historical Fiction

Format: Audiobook through Libby

Anne Bogel and a few guests on her podcast have raved about this short story and I can understand why. This historical fiction story focuses on Bill Furlong who just tries to live a good life and provide for his wife and daughters. It’s Christmas and his job is to make sure the families and businesses in the area have coal to burn to stay warm. One such visit haunts him and he makes a decision that will change everything for his family.

This is less than a 2 hour listen, so it is perfect for a day trip or for a day of doing chores around the house which is how I listened.

THE PUZZLER

By: A. J. Jacobs

Published: April 26, 2022

Publisher: Crown

Non-Fiction

Format: Hardcover

This was a Literati Book Club choice (the LIterati Book Club unfortunately no longer exists). I started reading it right away and then put it aside for a while. Each chapter focuses on a different type of puzzle so it is easy to read a chapter and then come back later. I absolutely love puzzles. Word puzzles (ummm Wordle fan here) like fill-in-the-box word puzzles I did as a kid, Scrabble, and Words with Friends now as an adult have always been a favorite of mine. I grew up in a family that played Scrabble for fun. As an only child in the house, I loved doing puzzle books (remember Highlights Magazine) because I could do them on my own in the car or while my parents were visiting family or friends. I still play Wordle and Words with Friends every day as well as other word games on my phone when I have time. I have also enjoyed playing Sudoku. Even though it isn’t my favorite, I do still enjoy the challenge of putting the right numbers in the boxes. Jigsaw puzzles have been a long favorite of mine and especially in the winter, there is always one out on the table. So, as you can imagine I enjoyed reading and learning the history of some of these types of puzzles, “meeting” the creators, as well as learning about many more puzzles than I’ve ever thought about. Jacobs even created a puzzle inside his book for readers.

This book includes numerous puzzles to work through so I recommend reading a physical copy.

THIS IS HOW I LIED

By: Heather Gudenkauf

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley

Published: May 12, 2020

Publisher: Park Row

Mystery

Format: Paperback

Iowa author, Heather Gudenkauf, has always been a favorite author of mine. She lives near me and I still hope I will run into her at a store or event sometime. I seem to always be busy whenever she is doing a book tour or reading at a library or a bookstore near me, but I’m still hoping to meet her. Even though I don’t typically read mysteries, I find I can enjoy Gudenkauf’s mysteries, because I can trust she isn’t going to make anything too graphic or scary for me to read. Even though her books deal with tough topics, I can manage these tough topics once in a while.

Her story of Maggie, the small-town Iowa detective who 20 years later is still trying to find the killer of her best friend is one that kept me on my toes. I did a dual listen/read on this one because I had to know what happened. I was second-guessing who would be found to be the murderer and then when I thought it was revealed, a new twist had me dumbfounded again. I like Gudenkauf’s Iowa settings, her relatable characters, and her storytelling that keeps me guessing all the way to the end.

BOOK LOVERS

By: Emily Henry

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Published: May 3, 2022

Publisher: Berkley

Romance

Format: Audiobook through Libby and Paperback

Again, I’m not usually a romance reader, but I have enjoyed Emily Henry’s other novels, and readers seem to feel this one is her best one. Plus, it is a bookish romance so that makes it even better. Nora and her sister, Libby take off on a vacation to the romantic small town of Sunshine Falls, North Carolina. Libby is hoping this is just the place for Nora to find the love of her life, just like in all the romance novels Libby reads and Nora sells as a literary agent. What Nora doesn’t expect to find on this vacation is the cranky editor, Charlie, who she knows from the city. Why is he here and why does she keep running into him?

Of course, this romance novel has all the tropes because it is about romance novels, which makes it even more fun. Libby, the sister, may have been the best part of this story, however. This one was loads of fun and the narration by Julia Whelan is delightful as expected.

FIVE DAYS AT MEMORIAL

By: Sheri Fink

Narrated by: Kristen Potter

Published: September 10, 2013

Publisher: Crown

Non-Fiction

Format: Audiobook through Libby and Paperback

This has been on my shelf for a very long time and I never felt like I had the right mindset to read it. Then I realized I probably never would so decided to try a dual read/listen and see if that would help. Hurricane Katrina seems like forever ago, but reading about the horrors of this weather event brought it all back. I’ve read a few books set during this time, both fiction and nonfiction, and all of them leave me feeling incredulous as to how this could have been so horribly mismanaged. This book focuses mostly on what happened with Memorial Hospital and its patients and medical staff. I was shocked by how much of what happened in New Orleans mirrored what happened in hospitals during COVID. The crazy thing is that a pandemic is even mentioned in this novel and how NYC needed to find a way to start planning for a pandemic because of the lack of enough ventilators to handle one….back in 2013. Sadly, I don’t think they did anything about that problem.

This was not an enjoyable read as it really mostly made me angry and sick to my stomach. I was conflicted in my feelings regarding the doctors and medical staff as well as the government’s response. I just don’t think there was a plan in place for this type of catastrophe and there should have been. I do recommend anyone in healthcare leadership (nursing homes or hospitals) read this and make sure your business is prepared for the next catastrophic event.

IN CONCLUSION, DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT

By: Lauren Graham

Published: April 3, 2018

Publisher: Ballantine

Memoir

Format: Hardcover

I didn’t realize that Graham had given a graduation speech or had written a book afterward, but when I did, I ordered it immediately for our daughter for graduation. I had to give it a quick read myself. Graham’s brief advice for graduates and her focus on the reminder that “You are enough!” is a great gift for fans of Graham or for anyone looking to move forward into a new chapter of life.

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What good things have you been reading? I’ve also read books that I reviewed for publishers. Check them out, HERE.

You can see all my other Quick Lit posts by clicking, HERE.

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