May was a bit of an unexpectedly slow month work-wise.
Ryan spent much of the month away for work, and I spent a lot of time home on standby for my job.
So, when I wasn’t wedding planning, I had a decent amount of time to read.
(As a reminder: I always track my reading on Goodreads.)
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HOMESEEKING by Karissa Chen
Recommend
This book is absolutely beautiful. It’s a slow, character-driven book about Suchi and Haiwen, two soulmates from Shanghai, China, torn apart during the Chinese Civil War only to find themselves reunited in California decades later in the twilight years of their lives. I learned a lot about China post-World War II, and about the Chinese diaspora while reading this novel. While I didn’t love the non-linear timeline and felt like the ending left quite a bit to be desired, I believe the character development and absolutely stunning writing made up for both of those minor flaws.
HOW TO AGE DISGRACEFULLY by Clare Pooley
When Lydia takes a job volunteering at the failing senior center a few days a week, she expects she’ll be sipping tea and playing bridge with a crew of geriatrics. So, she’s incredibly surprised to find herself with a wild cast of characters with dodgy hobbies determined to do anything — anything! — to save the senior center from getting shut down. This was a fun, quick and satisfying read. This book had me giggling at points. It was wholly unexpected and witty, and I absolutely loved all the quirky characters. I love that the beginning actually starts and ends with the same scene, so you have the ability to start piecing together context as you get to know the unique characters and their backstories.
LOVE WITH A CHANCE OF DROWNING by Torre DeRoche
20-something Australian Torre DeRoche is set in her plans to spend one year living and working abroad in San Francisco before heading home. But, when she meets 30-something Ivan — an Argentinian American sailor preparing to embark on a year-long Pacific Ocean excursion to French Polynesia and beyond — she decides to scrap her plans, stifle her “Jaws”-induced fear of the sea, and join him for the sake of love. I really love a good travel memoir, and this one was no exception. DeRoche is a fantastic writer. The pacing of this book was fantastic, and while I was worried it would lean too heavily into the romance aspect, I definitely felt like it felt more like a travel memoir than anything else, and it definitely made me want to sail across the Pacific Ocean.
THE WORRIER’S GUIDE TO THE END OF THE WORLD by Torre DeRoche
I loved DeRoche’s “Love with a Chance of Drowning” so much that I immediately delved into her second travel memoir, which is set a few years following her sailing trip after her father dies and Ivan leaves her. Torre decides to join her friend Masha on a pilgrimage journey, walking hundreds of miles across first Italy, and then India. This book was much more introspective than DeRoche’s first and I found myself highlighting quotes and bookmarking pages on my Kindle left and right. I (unsurprisingly) adored this book.
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