I asked you all for your book recommendations before I went on my cruise in December and you all certainly delivered (you can find the post here) My cruise reading kicked off some fun library trips and I’ve been working my way through an interesting mix of books.
Here’s what I loved… and what I didn’t. I linked to each book on Amazon so you can click through and read the full description if you’d like. However, I always recommend trying your library first, because FREE BOOKS!
Books I loved:
The Real Doctor Will See Your Shortly: A Physicians First Year – Matt McCarthy
Find it here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2VTQWyI
I’ve never really been a big non-fiction reader, but I’ve found myself branching out a bit lately. This book was funny and touching and all around pretty fantastic. It follows the first year of Doctor Matt McCarthy as he stumbles through trying to be a ‘real’ doctor. McCarthy is immediately likeable and the book almost has the flavor of old-school Scrubs episodes.
Normally, This Would Be Cause for Concern: Tales of Calamity and Unrelenting Awkwardness – Danielle Fishel
Find it here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Fvy6s8
Here’s another non-fiction book that somehow fell into my book cart. You may remember Danielle Fishel as Topanga on Boy Meets World (and more recently on Girl Meets World). Like most kids, I thought Topanga was pretty awesome, so I was down with reading about her life in Hollywood. Fishel comes off as super relatable – and yes, somewhat awkward – in her memoir and I finished the book convinced that we could easily be friends.
The Storyteller’s Secret: A Novel – Sejal Badani
Find it here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MdxUiI
This book popped up on my free Kindle Unlimited recommendations, so I figured I’d give it a chance. It was immediately riveting as I followed Jaya through the unraveling of her marriage and concurrently followed her grandmother Amisha’s life in British-occupied India in the 1930’s. I thought the historic portion of the book was riveting and I enjoyed how it tied into Jaya’s modern day story. This one is still free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, so I highly recommend downloading it!
Books I liked:
The Lilac Bouquet – Carolyn Brown
Find it here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RRXQ8u
I enjoy Carolyn Brown books for little happy romances that don’t stress me out. This one was cute and frothy and an enjoyable read. There were no real shockers in the ‘mystery’ of the book, but I walked away at the end feeling overall satisfied with the story. This one was free on Kindle Unlimited too, if you have that subscription.
Small Town Rumors – Carolyn Brown
Find it here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Fz79nA
Another free Kindle Unlimited Carolyn Brown book that I enjoyed. This one centered around a woman who returns to her small town after a failed marriage. Yeah, we’ve all heard it before. Still, this one has some interesting stuff going on with budding friendships and parent issues. I liked this book and enjoyed some of the small town characters that became a part of Jennie Sue’s new life.
Fromage a Trois: Paris. Love. Cheese. – Victoria Brownlee
Find it here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RLV9VZ
I picked this one up at the library for no reason other than I liked the cover and the name of the book. Ella is unceremoniously dumped by her live-in boyfriend who decides he wants to “find himself” and has to move out of their shared apartment. So, she does what any reasonable human would do and decides to move to Paris for a year and eat ALL the cheese. I like Ella. I like cheese. This book made me hungry.
Books I thought were just okay:
Match Making for Beginners – Maddie Dawson
Find it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RQi4zy
This was another free one off Amazon Unlimited and it was fine. I mean, it was charming overall… but I had some issues with the plot and how it all wrapped up so quickly. I get that romances are ‘magical’ and in books when you know, you immediately elope and stuff. But, this one was just… okay.
The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee – Sarah Silverman
Find it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2AKVsXr
I like Sarah Silverman. I think she’s spunky and smart and adorable. I really wanted to love her book, but I was just left underwhelmed.
Do you have a book recommendation for me?
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I took out The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah. It is really a good book. I lost sleep, because I couldn’t put it down. Hang in there with the first quarter of the book, where you may be apt to put it down. The book really gets going after that. An interesting look at a family in Alaska, their relationships, and how strong you have to be to survive. Try it! At most libraries, probably.
Thanks for the recommendation!!
I was just looking at Match Making for Beginners on Audible and chose another book instead. Thanks for the heads up.
Glad I could help!
Hi Joules,
I’m very interested in reading the Storyteller’s Secret. It sounds just right for me. It doesn’t sound like historical fiction is your go to, but since you liked the Storyteller’s Secret, I’d recommend these for you to consider reading in the future:
Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner. Tale of two sisters sent from England to the countryside by their mother to live during WW2 and a current day elderly woman who has never shared what happened to her during those times and comes to decide the time is right to share her history with someone.
Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler is one of my all time favorites. It interweaves the story of a heartbreaking, forbidden love in 1930s Kentucky with an unlikely modern-day friendship.
For a historical novel, with some funny lines that I really got into, consider Mrs. Bird by A. J. Pearce. A novel set in London during World War II about an adventurous young woman who becomes a secret advice columnist.
I’m looking forward to picking up the Storyteller’s Secret!
Kim
Thanks so much for your recommendations!