May Reading Round-Up

Seems like the only thing I can blog about with any consistency is what I've been reading. Of course, "consistency" implies regular, reliable content, none of which I've given the Babbler lately. All of a sudden it's June and I haven't blogged in over a month and there's nothing consistent about that, but if I'm jumping back in, at least I know books are solid content. Books never let you down. 

Except when they do, in fact, let you down with a subpar plot twist or disappointing ending or mediocre writing overall. My biggest book pet peeves, coming to a post near you. That's not a half-bad idea, so I'm going to put a reminder in my phone right now before I forget so when I go to blog next month and my mind is blank and I'm all what was that one idea I had for a post like five weeks ago I won't come up empty headed. 

May was a pretty good month for reading. I got some holds out of the library I'd been waiting on for what seems like a lifetime, and most didn't disappoint. May is a good time for reading in the grand scheme of things; it's starting to warm up, but not total outdoor weather yet, and reading in a sunny corner of your house with a cat on your lap is a near perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 

-Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Start Up, John Carreyrou

This story is insane; a Stamford drop-out has an idea for a way to detect diseases earlier without the old, painful way of drawing blood. She raises more than a billion dollars for her startup, convinces everyone she's going to change the future of medicine, and in the meantime, her company isn't putting out any kind of product. If you don't want to read the book, HBO made it into a documentary called The Inventor: Out for Blood. 

-My Lovely Wife, Samantha Downing

A suburban American couple whose lives have gone boring try to shake things up by adding murder to their date night repertoire. I feel like I've seen this a bunch lately, where characters are killing like it's nothing, whether they consider themselves a Dexter type, or are just curious if they can get away with it. This book kept me interested enough.

-An American Summer: Love and Death in Chicago, Alex Kotlowitz

This was kind of a disappointment for me. It wasn't a compilation of statistics and solutions, which is what I was looking for, and to be fair, he said that very early on. It was a steady stream of people who have been touched by gun violence over one summer in Chicago; their stories, their loss, nothing more and nothing less. 

-Run Away, Harlan Coben

I had this one on hold for a really long time and when it finally came in it was the large print version, so those extra hundred pages were fun to lug around on the train. The book has some far-fetched plot points, but overall I was entertained.

-The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides

I saw this sitting on the shelves at the library one day and I had seen it on some GoodReads lists, so I checked it out, hoping for the best. It wasn't the best thriller I've ever read, but it was a pretty quick read and interesting enough. 

-Inner Order, Outer Calm, Gretchen Rubin

This was another book I had on hold for a really long time, but I think it's because the book was just released. Honestly, don't waste your time; you can read it in about 45 minutes and it's absolutely no original content. I like Gretchen Rubin, but this was as if her publisher was like, hey, can you throw something together without putting any real time or research into it so we can get it out while this decluttering trend is still hot, and she was like, sure! 

-I Know Who You Are, Alice Feeney

I liked Sometimes I Lie enough to give this author another shot, but this book was a huge miss for me. The "twist" at the end was so far-fetched and ridiculous I was cringing. There was also way more animal and child abuse than I signed up for. 

-Fear: Trump in the White House, Bob Woodward

Full disclosure: I definitely skimmed this book, because it was getting too heavy for me after the first few chapters and I knew I wouldn't be able to get through it. It leaves you feeling a little scared and more than a little inspired for change, which I think is the point.

-The Editor, Steven Rowley

I absolutely loved Lily and the Octopus and put this book on hold immediately. It was a very clever concept and I love a well-written book about disfunctional families, so I can't complain.

-Girl, Stop Apologizing, Rachel Hollis

I am on the Rachel Hollis bandwaggon, hard core. After reading Girl, Wash Your Face and being completely caught of guard by the fact that it wasn't one glib platitude after another full of pop culture references by some obnoxious millenial trying to milk their fifteen seconds of fame, it took me a minute to realize that I actually enjoyed it. She may not be the voice of our generation, but she's honest, funny, genuine and gets two thumbs up from me. 

-A Woman is No Man, Rum Etaf

Oh. My. Gosh. What a way to end the month. The book spans a few timelines with different narrators, all women grappling with their own frustration and powerlessness in Palestine and America. It was absolutely heartbreaking and incredibly necessary.