Images from Goodreads
[34] Your Perfect Year by Charlotte Lucas
Fiction / Humorous, free from Amazon for World Book Day
Synopsis: Jonathan Grief is meticulous, particular, and lives an extremely prescribed life. While he’s working out on January 1st, someone leaves a day planner with the handwritten title “Your Perfect Year” on his bicycle. The planner is filled out for the entire year with positive quotes and tasks, and mentions the name “H.” Jonathan tries to find the owner, but also begins to follow some of the agendas, and finds his attitude adjusting for the better.
Review: This story is told in somewhat dual timelines (which eventually meet up) between Jonathan and the person who created the planner, Hannah. Jonathan’s character is interesting, and his transformation throughout the book is inspiring. Hannah is going through some interesting (and heavy!) stuff, but her pollyannaish attitude is pushy and annoying, and I didn’t care for her half of the story as much! I wonder if you could just read Jonathan’s chapters, ha!
[35] I’m Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagán
Fiction / Contemporary Women, saw on Kindle Unlimited list
Synopsis: Penelope Ruiz-Kar is miserable working full time and taking care of her children and household. She’s in awe of her best friend, Jenny Sweet, also a mother, who seems to have the perfect life. When Jenny shockingly dies, Penelope realizes things were not what they seemed at Jenny’s home, and vows to make things better in her own life. Penelope and her husband, Sanjay, both share a list of changes they want the other person to make.
Review: Ha, I totally read the blurb on this book incorrectly. I thought the premise was Penelope and Jenny giving each other a list of changes to make, not Penelope and her husband. But since Jenny dies right away, that doesn’t quite work (or make sense?!). I am definitely NOT the target audience for this book, but I think it’s good for me to read things that are not from my perspective, and I ended up enjoying this!
[36] From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon
Fiction / Cultural Heritage, recommended on Sarah’s Bookshelves Live episode 51
Synopsis: Eva Rosselli, an Italian Jew, and Angelo Bianco, an American Catholic, were raised together in Florence and fall in love over time, but Angelo follows his father’s wishes and becomes a priest. Despite this, Angelo vows to Eva’s father that he will always protect her, even as Racial Law becomes effective, Nazis invade Italy, and raids begin happening. Angelo brings Eva to Rome, where he’s a priest, and hides her in a convent, but Eva does NOT want to hide, and their feelings for each other resurface, even during this extremely tumultuous time.
Review: It seems like WWII and a love story don’t belong together, but they work here. Harmon gives the appropriate seriousness to the war, while still sharing a sweet and forbidden love. Much of this book is based on real events (the Catholic church did harbor Jewish people in Italy) and real people – some of those real people even show up in the story. I appreciated that the book showed me what it might have been like in Italy during WWII, and I liked Eva and Angelo’s story.
Other reading updates:
- All three of these books had a main character whose mother left the family or died when the main character was growing up – Jonathan’s mom left, Penelope’s mom left, and Eva and Angelo’s mothers both died. Weird coincidence.
- Twice I’ve had Libby tell me a new-ish book is available, but when I try to send it to my Kindle it says “unfortunately your library has no version of this title that works with your Kindle device.” Womp womp. I don’t want to read a book on my phone. Luckily there are lots of other books available on Libby (and from other sources!).
- Our library posted on Facebook that they don’t have the infrastructure to do curbside pickup. I’m kind of sad, because I most often read newer books in print from the library… but I also don’t get book FOMO, so it’s all good. Those books will always be available for me to read, and anyone reading them now will want to talk to me about them whenever I get around to reading them myself!
Our library has been doing online reservations and then you can go in and pick your order up, but like you I haven’t used it yet. I still had enough reading material at home to keep me going!
The third book you reviewed about WW2 Italy sounds like something my mom would really like – she loves WW2 stories!
At the moment I am still working my way through “The Mirror and the Light”, the third volume in the Thomas Cromwell trilogy by Hilary Mantel – it’s so good!
That is great they are offering it! And that you have enough to read at home! Ours is not going to offer that. But I have a lot of content to read digitally, thankfully!
Oh yes! I bet she will like this one!
I need to look that series up!
I’m so impressed that you continue to find (or make) time to read! I’m pretty sure I say this every time I comment on a reading update post, but mine has just tanked and I cannot find the motivation to make time for it at all! Even though I’m loving Beyond the Point (you know, the whole 15 percent of it I’ve read thus far)! Maybe this weekend will be the weekend I ACTUALLY read, rather than just think about reading. Here’s hoping!
Aww thanks! And I am glad you are enjoying the book! But don’t read now if it feels stressful or not relaxing. I find it relaxing, especially right before I fall asleep, so that is why I am making time for it. Make time for what is important to you 😉 <3
That’s so frustrating about your library not having Kindle versions available. How else are we supposed to read e-books???
I’m a little burnt out on WWII fiction, but I think From Sand and Ash might be my next WWII read when I’m ready for it. 🙂
In the Libby app on our phones?! 🙁 It’s better than nothing but I don’t think I could focus on a book on my phone 🙁
Cool! And I totally get being burnt out on WWII fiction! There is just so much of it! I keep seeing it recommended and am not usually in the mood.