May started out really strong. I picked some really great books that I read through quickly but then reality set in and I could not get through the last couple of books I was trying to finish before the end of the month. Nevertheless, I’m really glad I read 3 good books and I’m almost at my goal with only 7 more books left to read.
This post contains affiliate links (read my disclaimer). Thanks for helping me adult!
REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES BY SHELBY VAN PELT
Let me preface this by saying I don’t typically reach for books with animals as main characters. Not that I don’t like animals, it’s just not the genre I reach for. However, this book had soo many great reviews on Goodreads that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see if it was worth the hype. Spoiler alert: It absolutely was worth it.
After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors–until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova. Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.
This is a heartwarming book that I didn’t expect to enjoy. Honestly, this book is probably one of the best books I’ve read this year. The way the author weaves the stories of Tova, Marcellus, and Cameron throughout the book is amazing. Once I realized the connection, I was anxious that it would be too late for everyone. I absolutely loved the ending and would definitely reread this again.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
STATE OF TERROR BY HILARY CLINTON & LOUISE PENNY
When I saw how long this book was, I was a bit weary that it would be a slow book that I would regret – speaking from a previous experience. 😩 What I also found out after finishing the book is that apparently, people were reviewing it without reading it just to tank it? Because they dislike Hilary Clinton that much? Lol. It never ceases to amaze me the length people would go just because they’re bored or wanna be bold on the internet. 🥴
A novice Secretary of State who has joined the administration of her rival, a president inaugurated after four years of American leadership that shrank from the world stage. A series of terrorist attacks throws the global order into disarray, and the secretary is tasked with assembling a team to unravel the deadly conspiracy, a scheme carefully designed to take advantage of an American government dangerously out of touch and out of power in the places where it counts the most.
A thrilling book that was very easy to get through. As I was moving through the book, I was increasingly alarmed at how real this could actually be. The previous president did many things that I’m sure we’ll find out too late. I hope, for the sake of everyone, this book is all fiction and not something that has happened or will happen. This is for you if you’re looking for a thrilling, almost realistic book.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE BY GAIL HONEYMAN
**TRIGGER WARNING: THIS BOOK MENTIONS PHYSICAL ABUSE**
This was a book that I randomly added to my tbr list and finally grabbed it up at the library. I remembered that I added it because I was intrigued by this character, Eleanor, that struggles with social skills. As someone who can sometimes be awkward in social settings, I was excited to read how she navigated the world.
Eleanor Oliphant struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding unnecessary human contact, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy. But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen, the three rescue one another from the lives of isolation that they had been living. Ultimately, it is Raymond’s big heart that will help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one. If she does, she’ll learn that she, too, can find friendship—and even love—after all.
This book was quite entertaining and very easy to root for Eleanor. The author takes you on a journey with Eleanor as she learns more about her strength to handle new experiences and finally deals with her childhood trauma. There were many times that I laughed out loud because Eleanor was so funny, even when she wasn’t trying to be. This was such a good book and I recommend it if you’re looking for a feel-good book.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
