Book #78:

The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty (495 pages). This is book 2 in the Amina Al Sirafi Adventure series. This one is even better than book one because you as a reader are more familiar with all of the players who were introduced in book one, and the author drops you immediately into the action in this installment. Here, Amina and her crew of pirates search for the second transgression, a magical talisman in the form of a spindle. The world created here is fantastical with rich details, especially surrounding the setting of this novel–a remote island. The plot is propulsive and you will root for all of the characters to make it through. Such a fun, fast read! Five stars from me.

Book #79:

Famesick: A Memoir by Lena Dunham (Length: 406 pages). I listened to this memoir, narrated by the author herself. Lena Dunham is the creator of the HBO hit show Girls. I picked up this memoir because it’s highly rated and I am familiar with the show. I will say this memoir is very well-written, which isn’t a total surprise as the author is a professional writer, but this memoir is entirely too much navel-gazing, even for an autobiography. The author recognizes her faults and is very self-aware. It’s a level of forthrightness here, however, that is almost to the point of causing discomfort to the reader. I am glad I read this one, however, if only to see what all of the fuss is about. The author suffers from a few serious auto-immune diseases and she is shedding much-needed light on those realities. 3.5 stars from me.

Book #80:

Abby Offsides by Anna McCallie(Length: 363 pages). This is a very cute rom-com, perfect for Ted Lasso fans. Abby is coming off of a failed engagement in the United States and wants to flee the scene as soon as possible, so she spontaneously flies to the UK and lands a social media manager gig for the Liverpool football team. Abby has very little familiarity with the sport, and a flirtatious friendship with the team’s star ensues very quickly. The couple’s banter here is hilarious: very quick-witted and LOL funny. The chemistry is fantastic and the romance is open-door, but not too much. I loved this one! 5 stars.

Book #81:

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus (Length: 332 pages). This is a wild ride of a novel where the author imagines a young man Jay, grieving the loss of his (difficult) father Mitt, becomes trapped inside a sperm whale while Jay was diving to retrieve Mitt’s remains. The writing quality here is great, the plot is obviously quite propulsive and cinematic (a movie has just been released based on this novel) and the tension is excellent. There is symbolism everywhere in what is essentially the author’s treatise on grief. Very interesting read! 4 stars.