Book #32:
Sister, Sinner by Claire Hoffman (Length: 384 pages). In an effort to round out my reading with more non-fiction, I picked up this biography of Aimee Semple McPherson because I had heard that it reads like a novel. Since narrative non-fiction is more my speed this time of year, I picked it up and was fascinated to learn about the life of one of the first female evangelists in the early 1900s here in the United States. The author covers her early life, a 35-day disappearance when she was at the height of her fame, as well as a few criminal trials that were held post her disappearance. Semple’s Four Square Church is still going strong today, and the road to its establishment is truly wild. The first 25% of this book dragged a bit for me but I’m happy I pushed through as this is a truly memorable read. 3.5 stars from me.
Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito (Length: 202 pages). This is a truly bonkers, very satirical, horror novel about a psychotic governess in the Victorian era in England. Winifred Notty stalks her prey in this VERY graphic novella, but there are some truly LOL moments. This is super-fast-paced (I read in one sitting) and is written by a very self-aware narrator/protagonist. Think the movie Serial Mom mashed up with the classic novel The Turn of the Screw. Well-written and obviously quite memorable. 4 solid stars from me.
Book #34:
My Favorite Bad Decision by Eliabeth O’Roark (Length: 300 pages). My daughter has Kindle Unlimited and I’ll occasionally hear about a few KU picks and will ask her to let me borrow them. This particular rom-com was mentioned by a Bookstagrammer I follow (Beach Reads & Bubbly) who raved about it so I gave it a try, and I’m so glad I did! Set mostly on a luxury guided hike to Kilimanjaro, Kit (the daughter of a billionaire) and Miller (Kit’s older sister’s ex-boyfriend) are the stars of this enemies to lovers’ trope. This is well-written, the setting is fantastic, and the pair’s chemistry is believably written and off the charts (open door but the scenes aren’t chapters long). This is more memorable than most thanks to the mountain climbing setting and makes for a great, 5-star beach read.
Book #35:
The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett (Length: 363 pages). Going on a road trip this summer? Definitely grab this (sure to be a hit this summer) adorable but with depth novel. PJ is a grumpy Gus with a big heart and an alcohol problem, and ends up taking his grandnephew (Ollie), grandniece (Luna) and his semi-estranged adult daughter Sophie on a cross-country road trip. A death-sensing orange cat Pancakes goes along for the ride. Deep and sensitive topics (suicide, child death, child and domestic abuse and alcoholism–none of it is exploitative or too descriptive) are balanced by a lot of humor (and LOL scenes) and a lot of heart. This is a fantastic novel, and I definitely plan to explore this popular author’s backlist next. 5 solid stars from me.
Lora Terrill 