You might have noticed (probably not, who am I kidding) there was no “What I read” post last month.
Sad to say… that’s because I only read one single book in June. Whoops.
But, luckily, I did sneak in some time for some reading this month. Quite a bit of reading, actually, thanks in part to a trip back home to Michigan, which allowed for a lot of time with my Kindle. I finished eight books in July, which brings me past the halfway point of my annual goal of 50 books.
(As a reminder: I always track my reading both on Goodreads and via Instagram stories.)
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JUNE READING
“THE WIFE UPSTAIRS” BY RACHEL HAWKINS
Jane is new to Alabama, escaping her previous life in Phoenix. She’s been rebuilding her life while working temporarily as a dog walker in the ritzy neighborhood of Thornfield Estates, where she quickly meets Eddie Rochester: A recently-widowed bachelor who falls for Jane immediately. As Jane and Eddie grow closer, the rumors surrounding the “accidental” death of Eddie’s widow, Bea, begin to emerge… as do the secrets revolving around Jane’s past.
SPOILER ALERT: This was a generic popcorn thriller that I didn’t hate, but didn’t love. It’s a “Jane Eyre”-esque story told from three different perspectives: Eddie, Bea and Jane. It’s hard to spoil a book that literally has a spoiler in the title and touts itself as a “Jane Eyre” knockoff (I mean, even the main character calls herself Jane!) so nothing too ground-breaking or shocking. It was easy enough to finish and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for an easy-to-read thriller.
JULY READING
“INTO THE INFERNO” BY STUART PALLEY
Stuart Palley is a photojournalist who specializes in wildfire photography. In his memoir, he details almost a decade of experience shooting wildfires as a contract photographer and discusses the long-term implications of climate change and forest management.
This is obviously preeettyyy topically relevant to me given my day job. I thought this was a pretty good look into what the media does out on the fire lines — especially in the State of California, where media has unique access to fire lines that isn’t granted in other states, like the one I live in. As a former journalist, I tend to view the media a little more favorably than other PIOs might, and from my PIO perspective, it was cool to read about how seriously Palley takes safety. I will say that the book kind of felt like it was dragging on a bit at the end, but I was really appreciative of how well Palley communicated a lot of the same info I try to communicate daily at work.
“ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS” BY STACY WILLINGHAM
It’s been one year since Isabelle’s young son, Mason, vanished from his bedroom in the middle of the night without a trace. And — it’s been one year since Isabelle has slept. Sleep comes in brief naps and blackouts. How could Isabelle sleep when sleep is what led to the disappearance of Mason? Isabelle has taken to telling her story through any means possible, and when Isabelle meets Waylon, a podcast host who offers to help tell her story, she takes him up on it immediately. But, as Waylon starts to probe, secrets start to surface.
It took me a while to get into this book, but about a quarter of the way in, I was HOOKED. I read the final three-quarters of this book in one sitting and stayed up way past my bedtime devouring it. This is the second Willingham book I’ve read and while Willingham still relies on the trope of giving the main character an impairment that leads to her being unreliable, at least sleep deprivation and insomnia was a little more interesting than drugs or alcoholism.
“HEY HUN: SALES, SISTERHOOD, SUPREMACY, AND THE OTHER LIES BEHIND MULTILEVEL MARKETING” BY EMILY LYNN PAULSON
Emily went out to grab drinks with a long-lost friend… and ended up getting roped into a multilevel marketing scheme. Emily, who went all in, spent years working her way to the top of her MLM until she was attending convention after convention, driving her “free” luxury car and bringing home $40,000 monthly paychecks. After years of “girlboss” conventions, cold calls, persistent recruiting and an ever-evolving drinking problem, Emily started to slowly recognize the cracks in the foundation of her pyramid scheme.
I thought this book was a great combination of first-person experiences — Emily’s journey from fresh consultant to jaded team leader and convention speaker — and facts/ statistics that complemented Emily’s experience. I’ve always been wary of MLMs and the friends that try to sell them to me, and this book was a really good look into the psychology behind MLM retention and recruiting. I definitely recommend it.
“THE HOUSEMAID” BY FREIDA MCFADDEN
Millie is fresh out of a 10-year stint in prison, living in her car, and desperate for a job. So, when Nina and Andy Winchester hire her as a live-in housemaid, it’s a dream come true. But, as Millie settles into her job, Nina strays further and further from sanity, while Andy appears more and more broken. Millie finds herself avoiding Nina and drawing closer to Andy. One day, Millie finds herself dressed up and out alone in the city with Andy… only to learn that Nina has found out.
SPOILER ALERT: If you’ve read “The Last Mrs. Parrish” like I have, this is essentially the same plot. Exact same. I caught on pretty early… so no mid-way book twist for me. The only difference is that McFadden didn’t write Millie to be a despicable character, so the ending is slightly different than that of “The Last Mrs. Parrish.” With that said, this book did still hook me and kept me reading non-stop. I finished the whole thing in less than a day.
“THE MEASURE” BY NIKKI ERLICK
What if you had the option of knowing exactly which day your life would come to an end? One day, every single adult on earth wakes up to a surprise package: An indestructible box that contains a single silver string, indicative of how long the life of each recipient will be. “The Measure” follows along with the lives and journeys of eight individuals — both “long-stringers” and “short-stringers” whose decisions and fates intertwine with each other as they live out the known duration of their coming lives.
Wow this book sent me into an existential crisis and made me cry several times. I was sobbing my way through the last several chapters, but in the best way. This book made me think so deeply about life and death and all the unknowns. The ending was incredibly predictable, but I ended this book feeling both devastated and hopeful. Five stars.
“ATOMIC HABITS: AN EASY & PROVEN WAY TO BUILD GOOD HABITS AND BREAK BAD ONES” BY JAMES CLEAR
In this self-help book, niche “habits expert” James Clear details how to create — and stick with — meaningful habits while also handing out tips on how to break bad and destructive habits.
I liked this book! I’m a creature of habit so it was pretty validating to recognize some of my existing behavior laid out, and to see some tips for expanding my good habits as well as quitting my bad habits. I think I’ll definitely apply a little bit of what I learned in this book going forward.
“HELLO BEAUTIFUL” BY ANN NAPOLITANO
William Waters, unloved by his parents as a child following the tragic death of his older sister, finds himself marrying the ambitious, young Julia Padavano following college graduation. In addition to marrying Julia, William also marries the entire Padavano family, including Julia’s beloved three younger sisters. But, when the darkness from William’s past surfaces long enough to fracture some Padavano family relationships and strengthen others, can the four Padavano sisters overcome tragedy?
This was a gorgeous family drama that I ended up absolutely loving. The characters were wonderfully multi-dimensional and the relationships were so nuanced and beautiful. It was slow-moving but really rich to the point that it was so easy to immerse myself in. I also loved the Chicago backdrop of the novel.
“THE PERFECT MARRIAGE” BY JENEVA ROSE
Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful D.C.-based defense attorney — partner at her firm, actually. Her husband of 10 years, Adam, is a struggling writer who has turned to an extramarital affair with a waitress, Kelly, at Adam and Sarah’s second home. When Kelly is found stabbed to death in Adam and Kelly’s second home, Adam is arrested and Sarah soon finds herself defending her husband in the murder of his mistress.
Ugh, this book had such an interesting premise, and I ended up really disappointed. “The Perfect Marriage” was really fast-paced and enthralling which was just about the only good part of it. The entire book is centered around a massive conflict of interest and there are SO many ethics violations that it’s just so far-fetched I found myself rolling my eyes and thinking “really?!” every few pages. Very one-dimensional characters with zero character development, and Adam’s character was the absolute worst. This book has the same formula as “The House Across the Lake,” where half of the narration is just straight-up lying to the reader to create the twist… which then doesn’t work due to plot holes and inconsistencies due to the lying narration. It’s my biggest pet peeve with books that are trying to be “Gone Girl.” Additionally, this book had so, SO many plot holes and inconsistencies. I was so frustrated by the end.
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So, that’s that! I’m so glad that I had a chance to catch up after a really busy June that kept me away from my Kindle. I’m hoping August brings a little more summer reading, because I haven’t had enough just yet!
