Welcome to August’s My Month is Booked linkup! Any good books you’ve read lately? Check out what I’ve read below + go through the linkup for more ideas to add to your to-read list! :]
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Hold My Girl, by Charlene Carr – I actually wrote a review on a book by this author wayy back in 2014 (how tf was that a decade ago…), so when I saw this pop up, I added it to my TBR list. Two women undergo IVF at the same fertility clinic — one seems to “have it all” after 7 difficult years of trying + failing to conceive while the other’s daughter is stillborn. Almost 2 years later, they find out that their eggs were switched. This book follows them in the aftermath of this discovery.
Although I could in no way relate to anyone in here given that I am so staunchly child-free, the book made it difficult for me to not to pick a side. It also almost gave me Jodi Picoult vibes (I’m generally a big fan of her books, hehe), but less fleshed out, and it wrestles with a lot of questions about what’s the “right” decision in a difficult scenario like this.
Apples Never Fall, by Liane Moriarty – A family drama involving 2 parents with 4 children — one night, Stan and Joy (the parents) get an unexpected visitor named Savannah at their door and they open their home to her as a kindness. When Joy goes missing, her children are concerned, but reluctant to report it to the police because their father is the prime suspect. As the police do start questioning, it becomes clear that everyone has secrets to hide.
Having read some of Liane Moriarty’s books before, I figured whatever I thought would happen would not, in fact, actually happen, and I was quite correct, haha. It was an interesting listen (this was another audiobook read for me!), but if you’re looking for a major, life-altering “twist” at the end, this is not that sort of book.
Sometimes I Lie, by Alice Feeney – “There are 3 things you should know about me: I’m in a coma. My husband doesn’t love me anymore. Sometimes I lie.”
This was an interesting read, to say the least, following a main character who is in a coma and cannot recall the events leading up to her ending up in this predicament. There are definitely some twists + kept me figuratively turning the page (listening — this was another audiobook “read”)!
Before the Coffee Gets Cold, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi – This was my book club’s most recent pick! It’s about a coffee shop that offers its customers the chance to travel back in time. It’s split up into 4 sections about 4 different customers who make use of the shop’s unique powers.
It was a thought-provoking read for sure — if you had the ability to go back in time, who would you want to go back to speak with? (This is part of a series, so I’m hoping to read the rest of the books in the series at some point this year!)
The Collected Regrets of Clover, by Miki Brammer – Clover dedicates her life as a death doula to help her clients to peacefully navigate through their end-of-life process, so much so that she barely has a life of her own. When she embarks on a road trip to uncover a forgotten love story for a feisty old woman, she is forced to examine what she really wants out of life.
If you’ve read Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and/or are looking for a book that encourages you to celebrate life, I’d recommend this one!
Under the Whispering Door, by TJ Klune – When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, he begins to suspect that he may be dead. The reaper brings him to a peculiar little tea shop whose owner promises to help him cross over. But having never really ever even lived his life while he was living, Wallace doesn’t feel ready to “cross.”
Despite being about death, this was a cozy read and felt like a warm hug. If you’re a fan of “found family” and books that have Studio Ghibli vibes, I’d definitely recommend this one!
Got any book reviews from this month? Link em’ up below and make sure you visit others in the linkup too for reading inspiration! :]
- What did you read this month? Interesting how 3 of the books I read this month ended up centering around the dead and dying.
- Got anything on your list for this upcoming month?
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I’m such a fan of quirky characters and I loved The Collected Regrets of Clover! I also liked Apples Never Fall–did you see the series on Hulu? Annette Benning plays the mom. Not sure I would want to read Hold My Girl since both my boys were conceived through IVF–thank goodness they resemble both of us, but there were a lot of fears about embryos getting mixed up and the like.
Thanks for the linkup!
I sadly (well, I guess might not be the worst of things) don’t have any subscription services anymore other than Amazon Prime, but I did hear it was a series! (I feel like a lot of her books have turned into series — I enjoyed Big Little Lies!)
Hold My Girl definitely had a lot of trigger warnings — I think it did a good job bringing up topics that aren’t often discussed overall! Thanks for linking up! :]
I love Liane Moriarty’s novels. Thank you for hosting the link-up! :)
Thank you for joining in!! :]