Book Report: June 2015

I've been reading for pleasure a lot more now that school's out for summer (actually, school's out for the entire next year! I'm taking the 2015-16 academic year off from teaching to stay home with the baby).

Thought I'd round up what I've read in the past month or so and share it here, book report-style. I always find the best recommendations for new books by sharing and talking to other people who have similar tastes.

1).  All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood (Jennifer Senior): This is one that I find myself picking up and reading a few chapters here and there instead of all in one sitting. I especially enjoy the snippets from real-life case studies of how having children changes us as people. It's a book about parenthood, more so than parenting.

2). The Girl You Left Behind (Jojo Moyes): Much like everyone else, I'm currently on a Jojo Moyes kick. I love her writing style and commitment to historical story-telling. This one chronicles two parallel story lines: one in war-torn WW1 France and the other in present day England. If you like romance, art history, mystery and intrigue, this novel will suck you right in. I loved it (and the characters!) so much.

3). Eeny Meeny (M.J. Arlidge): I happen to adore thrillers and crime novels. Tiho doesn't understand my fascination with psychologically disturbing movies and books, but I can't get enough (even if I need to leave the lights on after reading at night). This was a quick read for me: A female detective investigates a string of murders in which a pair of people is kidnapped and then left in an abandoned place with no escape, food or water. They are given a gun with a single bullet by the kidnapper and one of the two is let free--but only after the other dies. Ah! Super intense, with a good ending, in my opinion.

4). The Girl on the Train (Paula Hawkins): I feel like most of you are familiar with this one: it's all over every book club and best seller list! Another psychological thriller with a similar feel to Gone, Girl. I got sucked right in and read it in two days. I started to figure out the ending a bit before the twist was revealed, but still found it highly satisfying. As someone who commutes by train every day, its premise was especially intriguing!

5). The Husband's Secret (Liane Moriarty): I recently discovered Australian author, Liane Moriarty, and am thoroughly enjoying reading through her collection of books. The Husband's Secret starts out with a letter only to be opened in the event of its writer's death. It reveals a horrible secret that ends up weaving together the lives of three main characters. I found it to be surprisingly addictive (couldn't put it down!). It has an overall light-hearted tone but deals with some heavy subject matter: I both laughed and cried at various points throughout.

/

Any recommendations on what to read next? We're headed to Cape Cod this weekend and I am so pumped to pound through at least five more books over the course of several days (I often spend hours doing nothing more than reading and lounging in the hammock. Bliss!).