Did I really only read two books in April? I didn’t even realize that until I began to prep for my book review. In fact, I am still trying to finish one book as I write this. Spoiler, I won’t finish it. It’s an audiobook, and I have seven hours left. 😭 This one will be short and sweet.
***Full disclosure, when I started writing my book review, I was only 75% of the way through “Keep Sharp” and didn’t think I would finish it. Thanks to the loveliness that is 1.25 speed, I finished! As for “Spare”….five more hours.
I Have Some Questions For You, Rebecca Makkai ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Imagine you’re a fish out of water, attending a boarding school where you don’t fit in, and then, in your senior year, your roommate is murdered. Imagine you know who is accused and convicted. Imagine you don’t think the justice system got it right. Imagine you have your own justified theories on who did kill your roommate. Imagine you get invited to teach for a mini-semester at your school, and you get the chance to expose the real killer. Then imagine everything you have been so concretely sure of gets shaken. And that’s just the beginning of what it’s like for Bodie Kane in this gripping, twisty, you-don’t-know-what-you-think-you-know novel. Run, do not walk, to buy it in your format preference. This book will make you question everything.
I’ll Stop the World, Lauren Thoman ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I feel suckered by Mindy Kaling. This book is a Mindy’s Book Studio recommendation, and I had high hopes. They were dashed. Lauren Thoman is a great writer and has created a group of well-developed characters in this book. She endears each of them to you. However, the plot line takes longer to develop than I prefer. Where there was a lot of detail and drawing out at the beginning of the book, it felt completely different in the end. The last third felt a little thrown together to ensure everything ties up nicely. Also, it’s a time-bending book that was a little heavy on sci-fi for me. And, for a book where the 80s feels like it should be a character in itself, the story was ripe for way more ’80s references. The beginning of the book pulls you in and makes you want the best for the characters, but the finale is underwhelming. If you like time travel and sci-fi, I’d say this book is a borrow. If that’s not your jam, it’s a bypass.
Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age, Sanjay Gupta, M.D. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I take health and wellness very seriously. While I’m thankful to have no one in my family who struggles with dementia or Alzheimers, I do know people with loved ones who have lived with and through these diseases. In Dr. Gupta’s book, he’s forthcoming about the role genetics play in determining whether we are at risk for dementia but goes in-depth about all the ways we can be proactive in our lives to combat cognitive decline. The best part: each step is easy and applicable to things we do every day. He lays out the five pillars of keeping sharp: discover, relax, nourish, connect and move. Then he dives deep into each, even providing a 12-week program at the end of the book to kick off your path to keep sharp. A double feature of his Keep Sharp program is that not only does it help to protect against cognitive decline, but it’s also an excellent foundation for improving your overall health and wellness. Regardless of your experience or relation to cognitive decline, I highly recommend Keep Sharp. It’s a BUY!