In June, I finished three books but it sure felt like I read a lot more! It’s probably because all of my library borrows came in all at once and I was racing to finish them before they automatically returned. It never fails the one book I’m dying to read suddenly becomes available when I’m smack in the middle of something else I’m trying to finish. #suchislife
What felt like reading five books actually equated to three and I liked all of them. One of them I absolutely loved, one I really liked and one I liked but had higher expectations for. So let’s get into it.
The Two Lives of Lydia Byrd – Josie Silver
I’m not sure where I picked up this recommendation, but I’m glad I did. I adored Silver’s first book, One Day in December, so reading this was a no-brainer. While I enjoyed her first book more, the story of Lydia Byrd does a great job of grabbing the reader’s attention from the beginning and holds it until the end. Lydia loses her fiancé at the beginning of our story (not a spoiler) and is able to carry on a relationship with him in a parallel world. As much as she loves getting to continue her life with him, her actual real everyday life requires her attention. Little by little, she begins to feel the tension of trying to live two very different lives. Ultimately, she has to choose between the two. The plotline is unique and the characters are so well developed, suspending disbelief to engage with this book comes easily. This one is a buy or borrow, but don’t spend too much.
This book has been on every summer must-read list. It has all the parts of a book I love: a fun meet-cute, an engaging premise, two characters so opposite they’re bound to get together, and a fun setting. That said, while I liked this book, it was just okay. I had a hard time connecting with the main characters, January and Augustus. I did like how the author played off each of the character’s own writing focus, pitting a romance writer against a literary one. The idea of each trying to write the other’s style was an intriguing part of the plot. The setting was a quaint town in Michigan set on a lake and it makes for a wonderful backdrop. I liked the book, although I never understood how the title fit. Maybe it’s just me? This one is a borrow don’t buy for me!
If you haven’t already figured it out, this is the book I LOVED! I have BIG love for Elin Hilderbrand books so it’s rare when I find one of her’s I don’t like. This one, as usual, did not disappoint. This book catalog 28 summers of Mallory Blessing and her “same time, next year” relationship. While this isn’t a relationship type I would recommend or choose for myself, the characters are so endearing and relatable, the reader won’t mind having a glimpse into the love story they share. Journeying with Mallory and Jake as they independently make life choices and manage to keep their annual promise to each other is the perfect easy read for the summer. Plus, a Hilderbrand book is almost always set on Nantucket. Not being able to physically get there this year due to the pandemic, 28 Summers gave me my Nantucket fix and is just the right mental vacation. This is definitely a buy for me (or borrow if you can)!
I’m already three books into my July reading. Hopefully, I will actually read as many books as it feels like this month.
What should my next borrow or buy read be?