These photos were from my book club in September so I thought I'd share them today while I tell you about some of the books I've been reading the last few months! These pics are making me miss the days of green grass and bare shoulders though, let me tell you. Our book for September was The Lost Vintage so naturally our meeting that month was a French-themed picnic.
The Lost Vintage: When I moved back to Minnesota my friends were kind enough to induct me into their book club and this was the pick for September. It splits between WWII and present day in France. Kate is studying to become a sommelier so she goes back to her family's vineyard in France to practice for the test and uncovers some old family secrets from WWII. It feels a lot like The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot see but with wine. Would I recommend: yes! It was beautiful and I just love a good WWII historical fiction book, plus there's a lot of wine sooo it's definitely worth a read.
The Selection Series: These were recommended by Grace who I always trust when it comes to books because we have very similar tastes. This is a trilogy set in a dystopian future when the US is no longer a country but is now called Illea and is ruled by a monarch. Every time a prince comes of age they have something called The Selection, which is basically like The Bachelor, for him to choose a princess. The trilogy follows America Singer who is a 16 year old contestant in The Selection, although skeptically. It's pure YA and I am here for it. It feels a lot like the Hunger Games in the sense that the classes (castes in this book/districts in HG) are your identity and the whole country watches and roots for certain girls. The series follows America's progress throughout The Selection while she tries to decide: does she really want to be a princess? Would I recommend: yes but only if you love a good bad book. This is pure YA brain candy but I love books like that.
Something in the Water: This was one of Reese's book club picks a few months ago so I quickly added it to my library list. I love how she's become the new Oprah of book recs! This one follows Erin and Mark on their honeymoon which quickly takes a turn when they find *something* in the water while scuba diving that brings nothing but danger and drama. I won't give any more away but it's definitely a psychological thriller with lots of juicy twists. Would I recommend: definitely! I thought this was a really interesting plot line and I didn't really guess the ending, which is always my favorite with this genre.
Royals: As you know by now I will read pretty much anything about the royals so any book that reads like royal fan fiction is right up my alley. Daisy's sister is getting married to a Scottish prince so she goes to spend the summer with them in Scotland and gets sucked into the world of Scottish royalty. There's drama, there's romance and most importantly there's lots of angst about having to adapt to be part of the royal world. Would I recommend: kind of. Ultimately, I thought it was worth the read but the main character is pretty annoying and immature which I found to be frustrating but all of the royal references outweighed that in the end.
First Comes Love: I don't read all of Emily Giffin's books, but whenever I do I immensely enjoy them. She has a way with bringing characters to life and really setting up their backstory well. This book follows Meredith and Josie, two sisters who could not be more different. When they were teens tragedy struck their family and they both coped (or didn't cope) in very different ways. The book has some flashbacks but mostly takes place years later when they're in their 30's and an anniversary of said tragedy is coming up. The anniversary brings up all of the pain and secrets are uncovered. I don't want to say much more as to not give anything away but just trust me that even though it doesn't sound like the most interesting plot line, it will suck you in! Would I recommend: yes! I really enjoyed this book and like I previously mentioned the characters were written so throughly which I appreciate.
Paris for One: I read this not knowing that it was part of a collection of short stories by Jojo Moyes (one of my favorites). It was on my kindle so it was hard to tell! Paris for One is the longest story in the collection and admittedly, the only one I read. Nell is living in London and not exactly known for being the life of the party. She's never really traveled and all of her decisions are very carefully weighted and measured. When she and her boyfriend decide to go to Paris and then he never shows up she decides to prove everyone wrong and really live it up. Would I recommend: kind of. I'm not really one for short stories as I want something longer I can get sucked into but despite that I really enjoyed this one!
I have lots more books to catch you up on since I took a few months off so I hope to have another Recent Reads ready to go soon! In the mean time you can find old RR posts here if you're looking for a recommendation!
xo Catherine
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