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Show Us Your Books: September

It's Show Us Your Book Time! 



Here's what I added to my conquered books piles in September: 



Commonwealth by Ann Patchett - This was probably the most buzzed about book on my to-read list and I was a little disappointed. It was enough to hold my interest in order to finish the story and held so much promised but it was wasn't developed enough. It started out with two families, the Cousins and the Keatings, who are all attending a party. Bert Cousins and Beatrice Keating end up kissing in a bedroom... and that kiss sets off a mudslide of events that leave to two families separating and scattering across the United States, sending children this way and that unattended on red-eyes. I think that the balance and intricacies of that life would have been enough of an interesting story but then Patchett writes in a tragedy that happens to one of the children and that's where it started to unravel. I wish she would have focused more on the lives of the adult children and how their lives were effected by the actions of their parents. However, most of the story was just vague references to the tragedy, the details of which are being covered by most of the children. A lot of build up, but not enough to keep the momentum. 

In a Dark Dark Wood by Ruth Ware - This was an easy read, especially for a thriller. I liked the suspense, the interesting characters, the witty banter and the chilling, creepy setting. 

Leave Me by Gayle Forman - I was at first really fed up with the mother. How could you live through a heart attack and not want to make the most of your life? Especially with two beautiful twins to take care of? Instead, Maribeth flees. She's sick of her husband not helping around the house. She is sick of no one helping her in her recuperation. Everyone expects her to just pick up where she left off and she basically throws her her hands up in the air and says "I'm out!" It's very unimaginable, to take $20,000 out of your bank account, get an apartment in another town and try to find yourself, while your husband takes care of the children and doesn't hear from you for months. It's a little silly to even consider that, but that's what she does. Where she ends up will surprise you, but happily so. 

The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown - Loved listening to this on audiobook, if not only just for the Parisian accents and the descriptions of Paris in the 1920s, through the eyes of a young woman discovering herself as a writer, with her French artist lover. Intermixed with her story is that of her granddaughter, Meredith, who is struggling with an unhappy marriage, reading her grandmothers diary 70 years later. Her story wasn't as interesting, I could have read about Margie in Paris all day, but the two women's stories were beautifully intertwined. 

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover - I have seen Hoover's  books everywhere on Goodreads and Instagram so I thought I would give this one a try. I made it through but I thought that this was an ill attempt at making a dire situation seem sexy. It was pretty unbelievable and I didn't love it. I probably won't be reading any other. Too Lifetimey. 



The Marriage of Opposites  - Oh, this story was my favorite. It was 1824 in St. Thomas and Rachel Pomie is a girl who dreams. Dreams of Paris, of a world where women can be educated and run a business. But her reality is much bleaker than her dreams. This is the story about her long life as a very young widow and mother, forced into the rule of subservient woman in a very strict religious community. But Rachel's life takes many interesting  turns. It's a beautiful story that is based on true events and people. 



This month, I meant to also read The Underground Railroad (Thanks so much to Steph and Life According to Steph for sending me her copy!) But alas, it will have to wait. I can't wait to get started though! I started Behold the Dreamers but was so overwhelmed by the foreign language and talk of immigration trials that I lost interest pretty quickly. If you've read it and feel I need to give it another go, please tell me! 

This month was a GREAT reading month for me. Especially because I had this gal right there next to me, diving into her books as well: 



Thanks so much to Steph and Jana for hosting such an amazing link up for so many of us bookworms to get together and chat. I love it and look forward to it each month. Cheers to 2 years of Show Us Your Books! 




Comments

  1. I think I got a chapter or two into Commonwealth and then it went back to the library and I'm back on a super long hold list, but I'm still excited to read it eventually. I've had Behold the Dreamers on my iPad for a while, and have heard really great things about it, but haven't started it yet for some reason.

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  2. I also very much enjoyed In a Dark, Dark Wood. I think Ruth Ware definitely writes a fun, easy-to-read thriller, because the same can be said about The Girl in Cabin 10.
    I usually find the books that create a lot of buzz tend to not live up to expectations (like Commonwealth). I felt the same way about the book The Vegetarian by Han Kang.

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  3. leave me sounds super interesting... but really unrealistic lol. i requested it off netgalley when it came out but they rejected me, rude. i have read a couple of colleen hoover books, some i loved and some i really disliked, but yeah they are all pretty much like that i think - dire situations made sexy.

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  4. I so love that your family reads together.

    I think I'll hold off on Commonwealth. Sounds like another Fates & Furies/The Nest to me.

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  5. Leave Me and It Ends With Us are both on my TBR! I am glad you enjoyed Leave Me. I am still going to try It Ends With Us but I am a little less excited about it now. I am skipping CommonWealth. I read about it in several magazines and stuff but I just feel like it might be over hyped not my jam.

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  6. I might read Commonwealth later this year or next year, but so far I am not loving Bel Canto by Ann Patchett so unsure how I feel about her writing. I hated Leave Me but I know a lot of people really enjoyed it!!

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  7. The Marriage of Opposites sounds so interesting, and since it's your favorite from the month I definitely need to check it out. I read The Woman In Cabin 10 which is another Ruth Ware book but I didn't love it like everybody else. I think that I'll still check out In A Dark, Dark Wood because I've heard that people still loved this one more than The Woman In Cabin 10.

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  8. I've been wondering about the Marriage of Opposites, so it was great to read a review on it. It sounds like a book I would enjoy so adding it to my TBR. And love the picture of your daughter reading. It always warms my heart to see little kids reading. My Mom brought me to the library every week, starting when I was a toddler and it was one of the greatest gifts she gave me.

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  9. I read The Marriage of Opposites last year and really loved it too! Such a beautifully descriptive book and a very interesting story. It Ends With Us is on my list from last months link up...I'm sure it will be ages before I ever get to it though lol. I can't believe it's high rating on goodreads though!

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  10. I enjoyed Dark Dark Wood way more than Cabin 10 (I need your address so I can mail the copy back to you).

    The Marriage of Opposites seems like a book I'd want to read but probably won't since it's historical fiction.

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  11. I finished Leave Me last week, and I LOVED it! I completely identified with Maribeth. I think I would have done the same thing (given I had the money). She knew her life couldn't continue as it was, and she was afraid of dying, and her husband was not helping at all! My review should be up on Friday, but I gave it 5 stars. I think every mom should read it.

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  12. Interesting what you said about It Ends with Us. I want to read it, but I will prepare myself to be in the right frame of mind for it.
    I've decided to give Ruth Ware books a pass. Too many mixed reviews, and I've got soooo many others that I want to read first.
    Your pictures are pretty :)

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