I just got back from my yearly summer vacation yesterday; it always goes far too fast! Before I left, I shared the books that I was bringing with me. I ended up including another read, Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the book with which I started my trip and shared about on Instagram. Here are my brief reviews of the others!
People We Meet on Vacation: 2.5/5 This is a romance that follows the story of Poppy and Alex, two very different people who meet in college and go on a summer trip together every year as friends — but of course, it’s more complicated than that. I wasn’t super impressed with this book and just think it’s overhyped. It was cute at times, but for me it lacked substance and dragged on. I finished it and thought, meh.
Such a Fun Age: 3/5 This debut novels begins with an incident in a grocery store — Emira, a Black babysitter, is looking after Briar, the white child of Alix Chamberlain, when she is detained and accused of kidnapping by a security guard. This is a quick read with funny moments (I especially loved Briar!) that examines race and privilege through the relationship between Emira and Alix. I enjoyed reading it, until the end, which was disappointing. Overall, it is reminiscent of Little Fires Everywhere (which I loved), but less complex and compelling.
That Summer: 4/5 [TW: sexual assault] This book tells the story of two women, Daisy and Diana, who unexpectedly become friends — They are, in fact, linked by something that Daisy has to discover (which I was able to predict very early on, so not much of a mystery). A good part of it takes place on the Cape, and I enjoyed reading about Diana’s life there in the middle parts of the book; it reminded me so much of our summers in Rhode Island. The final third of the book becomes much more serious, but in the end, I loved seeing the women united and empowered.
Early Morning Riser: 5/5 This book is about Jane, a second-grade teacher who moves to a small town in Michigan, and it tells the story of her life there across the years, the friends she finds and the unconventional family they form. This book is tender, heartwarming, and witty. I found myself laughing out loud and falling in love with every quirky character, and it ends beautifully. This was the best writing and storytelling of any book I read this summer, and I recommend it highly.
Since I’ve been home, I’ve started The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller and will let you know what I think! I’m also interested in purchasing Her Last Flight by Beatriz Williams; I loved reading her novel The Summer Wives a few Julys ago. What books are your favorites this summer?
P.S. More books to read and 3 New England day trips.
100% on People We Meet – another over-hyped book and when I read comparisons to When Harry Met Sally you’ve raised an incredibly high bar that can’t be tipped. Meh as well. Such a Fun Age was trying to rip off from Nanny Diaries and failed. Character development was so poor I wasn’t invested at all. Confirms why I read more non-fiction than fiction I guess.