I’m sharing books that I chose for my own reading enjoyment in my monthly Quick Lit posts. Not books 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 share their Quick Lit posts. This post contains affiliate links. Click here to read more about that.
My current reads are ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL and THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY. I’ll be starting SOLD ON A MONDAY on audio on Monday since I have a 4-hour drive. I’m also reading a middle-grade novel, THE BUTTON BOX for review.
Some of my recent reviews include HOW TO FIND YOUR WAY HOME which was a really good sibling story, WAVE which is an excellent YA written in verse, THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES which I LOVED, and a historical fiction novel, THE ROAD WE TOOK.
I’ve also been sharing a lot of excellent children’s books lately, See them all, HERE.
As I have mentioned, I am trying to read more books off of my shelves, but it’s hard to do that when review books come in the mail and new books are constantly being released. So, I added some of the books from my shelves to my Libby audio holds. Then I can read faster by dual reading…reading the physical copy and listening to it on audio. I’ve now read ten books from my shelves and moved them out of the house. Here are three that I read and listened to in the last month.
PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION
By: Emily Henry
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Published: May 11, 2021
Publisher: Berkley
Fiction
Format: Audiobook through library/Hardcover
If you haven’t seen or heard about this novel, then you are definitely in the minority. This book has been everywhere in the last year. Even my daughter and her teen friends want to read it. (It’s a little bit open door, so use your own judgment.) So, I decided since Julia Whelan was the narrator (she’s one of my favorites), I would give this one a chance.
It was a bit too romancy and predictable for me, but I did enjoy it. Poppy and Alex are the best of friends and have been for years. Since Poppy writes for a travel magazine, she gets all the best trips. She often takes Alex along and they have so many good memories except for their last trip which caused them to barely speak to each other ever since. It’s a classic guy/girl friend-with-benefits that goes wrong and you aren’t sure their friendship can ever recover. The story is told a little choppy going backward in time to some of their previous trips and then back to the present. I was glad I had both the physical copy and the audio because I needed to refer to the hardcover to make sure I understand the timeline or reread a few pages to make sure I knew what was happening.
This is a great summer read due to the time frame (summer vacations) and the romance piece. I can see why so many have raved about it and it was mostly a win for me too.
LAST SUMMER AT THE GOLDEN HOTEL
By: Elyssa Friedland
Narrated by: Julia Whelan
Published: May 18, 2021
Publisher: Berkley
Fiction
Format: Audiobook through library/Hardcover
I was thrilled that Julia Whelan also narrated this book. She is truly a skilled narrator and does all the voices which couldn’t have been easy in this novel with multiple family members.
If you are a fan of Dirty Dancing or The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, then run and grab this book. If you love family drama or nostalgia, this is one for you. The Goldman family and the Weingold family have owned The Golden Hotel, a Catskills resort that has been a favorite summer spot for elite and celebrity families, for decades. But, summer visits to the Catskills have been declining and the family has been approached by a Casino developer to purchase the property. So, the two families gather for one last summer weekend to decide the fate of the hotel. Of course, family secrets come out. There are fights and drama. But, ultimately, the two families have to come together as one to make the best decision for themselves and the hotel.
It’s a quick read and one I really enjoyed. It was light-hearted with enough family drama to keep me interested. I previously read and reviewed Friedland’s MISS COMMUNICATION and was anxious to check out more of her work. A perfect read if you are looking to create your summer reading list.
DEAR EVAN HANSEN
By: Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul
Narrated by: Ben Levi Ross, Mike Faist, and Mallory Bechtel
Published: October 9, 2018
Publisher: Poppy
YA Fiction
Format: Audiobook through library/Hardcover
I decided I should get this book read before my daughter and I see the musical on Broadway in June. I knew the general story from listening to the music on Spotify but not all of it. I wasn’t expecting to get as wrapped up in the story as I did. My daughter had already read it so each time I got to a certain point in the book, I had to go to her and talk about it, which was fun.
The general gist of the story is a misunderstanding turns into lies and more lies and more lies until eventually, everything comes out in a big wave of destruction. As a mom, I read this story differently than our daughter did. I grieved with Connor’s mom who lost her son to suicide. I ached with Evan as he felt ignored by his mom and chose to continue to lie to Connor’s family. It was one of those books that made my stomach hurt because I knew it would turn out badly, and then…it really didn’t. There is redemption at the end that surprised me and I can’t wait to see it played out on stage.
The multiple-person narration was excellent and I also loved that music was added to the narration.
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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Posted Under audiobook, Ben Levi Ross, Benj Pasek, Book Review, Elyssa Friedland, Emily Henry, fiction, Julia Whelan, Justin Paul, Mallory Bechtel, Mike Faist, Quick Lit, Steven Levenson, Val Emmich, YA