May Reads

This month my reading was a bit all over the place, including YA, 2 non-fiction books and a beach read.  One of them I loved, one I hated, and then the others are good depending on what your reading mood is.  So without further ado, here are 5 reads to kickoff your summer reading list.

The Hate U Give :: This should be on everybody’s reading list. It’s a YA novel but the message resonates with all. It tells the story of Starr Carter, a black high school girl, who is pulled over one night with her friend and then witnesses her friend being killed by a white police officer. What I loved about this book so much is that is does what all true great books do... it provides you a perspective into a life that you would otherwise know nothing about.  I also felt that the author did a great job of speaking to the perspectives of ALL the characters, white, black, old, young, male, female, etc.  It was a good through-provoking read and I think our nation would be a better place if we all took the time to read it. 5/5

SIDE NOTE: I highly recommend listening to this one on audio. I feel that so much of the tone and emotional intensity of the main character's perspective were enhanced because I could hear it.

The Summer Wives :: I put this book in the beach reads category. It is easy reading with interesting characters and a fun, non-heavy story line.  It is about a group of women that live on Long Island and how their lives all woven together in serendipitious ways. So if you are looking for a good read to ease into summer mode, this would be a good pick. 3.5/5

This is Where You Belong - The Art and Science of Loving The Place You Live :: How do you learn to love your city even if it was not love at first site? The premise of this book had me intrigued.  I do like so much about my own city, but also sometimes find it lacking in a few areas. I like how the author took this idea and applied it to her life and adventures in her new city.  The book is a mix of tactical suggestions and introspective reflection.  I didn't walk away with any ah-ha moments, but I did enjoy purusing each section, reading the data and feeling a bit of comraderie with author in her quest to bloom where you are planted. 3/5

The Winner's Kiss :: Okay, let me preface this next bit by saying that I enjoyed the first two books of this YA series - The Winner's Curse and The Winner's Crime.  I listened to this series while I was stitching and gardening.  And I like the first two books because the story kept my mind busy while my hands were busy doing other things. However, I did not like this book at all.  I was bored through most of it and I felt like the characters were really dumbed down.  1.5/5

Bad Blood ::  Goodness. This book.  I listened to this one and I think I might have liked it more if I would have read it the old-school way.  I think that is because there was a lot data listed and I would probably have skimmed some of it.  With that said, I still enjoyed it.  Such a fascinating account of the Theranos Scam.  Intriguing, Ambitious and Delusional are the words that come to mind when I think about Elizabeth Holmes and her company Theranos, the subject of this book.  If you like non-fiction stories about corporate BS in Silicon Valley, then you are going to LOVE this one. I probably would bump this to 4 stars if I had read it instead of listened to it. 3/5