Damn, it's been exactly three months since my last Recent Reads post. That's not to say I wasn't reading, but I guess I'm just behind on blogging. I've got some good stuff to share with you today so follow me!
Snobs. This book follows the life of Edith who is a British socialite in the '90's looking for love. The book is from the perspective of an unnamed narrator who is close friends with Edith when she meets the Earl of Broughton. Edith is then thrust into the snobbish world of British aristocracy and isn't sure how she feels about it. This book is by Julian Fellowes who was the creator of Downton Abbey and because of that I thought it would be fantastic, but I was a little let down. You don't really like any of the characters and the story is a little meh. Would I recommend: no.
Fitness Junkie. I heard about this book from Grace and when she mentioned it was by the same authors of The Knockoff I added it to my list because I enjoyed that book. I knew from her review that it was a light and pretty satirical book about the fitness world. Janey Sweet is the CEO of a bridal gown company and her partner tells her to take some time off to lose weight. Can you imagine?😂 Anywho, then Janey wants to get in shape and gets all caught up in $15 juices and secret fitness classes and all sorts of other new agey shenanigans. This was a quick read and pretty entertaining. I think you would enjoy it even if you were into fitness (unlike myself) despite how it mocks that world at times. Would I recommend: yes! It's very funny.
What Happened. This is Hillary Clinton's latest book and obviously quite political, so if you're not into that just skip to the next book! In this book Hillary details her thought process and rationale throughout the campaign as well as including a lot of anecdotes, which I always love. She also lays out what she think she failed at and what she ultimately thinks led to her losing the 2016 election. I saw a lot of negative coverage about this book and how she lost and needs to go away and that's just so infuriating because most people who lose presidential elections write books afterwards. I really enjoyed this book, although I'll admit that I did get a bit bored during the Russia section. So much happened there and I just couldn't keep up! Ultimately, I liked hearing her side of things and was reminded that she's a real person. Would I recommend: definitely.
Eligible. Remember how I talked about American Wife in a previous post and how much I loved it? Well this is by the same author and I also loved it. Eligible is a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice that takes place in Ohio present day. I never loved Pride and Prejudice but really got into this book. Would I recommend: yes! Add this to your list.
Vanishing Girls. Dara and Nick are high school sisters who were inseparable until they got in a terrible accident and now they don't talk anymore. It's one of those stories where it switches perspectives from one sister to the other and you gradually piece together the accident and what happened. There's a huge twist at the end that I literally did not see coming at all and didn't want to accept. Ha! It wasn't the most well written book but it kept me wanting to read and wanting to find out what happened. Would I recommend: yes if you're looking for a good mystery that's not gruesome. Side note, why are all of the good thrillers so messed up? It's getting to be too much.
Hillbilly Elegy. I had heard really good things about this book and it's currently being made into a movie. I had mixed feelings about it though. It's a memoir by J. D. Vance, a self proclaimed hillbilly who grew up in Appalachia. J. D. details his childhood and the hillbilly community he grew up in. He has since graduated from Yale law school and so he looks back on what helped him get there when so many people in his community suffer from drug addiction and poverty. While the book was interesting and made for a good story I just didn't love it. I can't quite say why. I do feel like I learned a lot about that part of the country and the people there that I didn't know or understand before. Would I recommend: yes, because I think it was eye-opening even if I didn't especially enjoy it.
I also finished The Bride Wore Size 12 which is the last book in the Heather Wells series that I've been reading over the last year or so. I haven't featured any of the other books from the series on the blog because they're pretty silly. The books are by Meg Cabot, who I've always loved but they never felt worthy of mention. They were always ones I could count on to be available at the library and would rent while I waited for other books to become available.
Right now I'm in the middle of Secrets in Summer, which makes me long to go to Nantucket and for it to be summer! So far so good though. What's on your list or have you read recently?
xo Catherine
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