[35] Wool by Hugh Howey
Fiction / Dystopian, Lorena told me about it, listened to on Libby

Synopsis: An entire society lives in a giant silo underground, but nobody knows why, and nobody dares ask to “go outside.” If you leave the silo, you don’t return. When Jules Nichols is selected to be the new sheriff, she starts to look into the why, and immediately meets hostility.

Review: I can totally see why this was made into an Apple+ show – there’s a lot of movement and action that would translate wonderfully to film. Listening to it… let’s just say I got sick of them going up and down the silo stairs so many freaking times. But with that small complaint aside, this book is really interesting. I’m a sucker for a dystopian novel, and loved all the detail about how the silo operates. There’s a lot of characters, but they’re well developed, easy to keep track of, and likable (except the bad guy, who is very hate-able). Lorena told me the second book (it’s a trilogy) goes into the why of being in the silo, which I’m curious about – I’ll definitely read the next one at some point.

Recommend? Yes

[36] It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, heard about from Lauren (& my snis told me she loved it too), read on Kindle

Synopsis: When socialite Piper Bellinger throws an LA party that lands her in jail for the night, her stepfather decides enough is enough, and sends her to Westport, Washington, to run the bar her deceased birth father left behind for her, and learn some responsibility. Piper and her sister Hannah look extremely out of place when they arrive, and the locals are skeptical they’ll last there, but none more so than sea captain Brendan, who is outwardly mean to Piper. Piper tries to forget the encounter but it’s a small town and she keeps running into Brendan, and they both realize there’s more to each other than meets the eye.

Review: What’s crazy is that when I started reading this book I thought I was going to be annoyed with Piper, but she ended up being one of the most loved characters I’ve ever read. Sure, she likes fashion, makeup, and having a good time, but she has a heart of gold. I loved reading this and seeing how she and Brendan came together. Of course there had to be a silly conflict at the end, but we always have that, right? Also worth noting – very steamy open door!

Recommend? Yes!

[37] Hook, Line ,and Sinker by Tessa Bailey
Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, next in the series, listened to on Libby

Synopsis: Hannah is back in LA after spending the summer in Westport, Washington, and has developed a texting relationship with Fox, one of Brendan’s sea mates that she spent time with while in Westport. When the director (and her long time crush!) of the movie she is working on suggests they find a new location to shoot, Hannah blurts out Westport before she even realizes it. She’s stoked to (SPOILER) spend more time with her sister, who’s moved there, only to find out her sister can’t house her because her future in-laws are in their guest room. But… Fox has a spare room! Hannah stays with Fox and plans to keep things platonic – she still has a crush on the director and Fox is a well known manwhore, but, well, we all know that isn’t going to happen.

Review: I enjoyed this, but not as much as It Happened One Summer. It could be because I listened to it on audio, or because I like Piper and Brendan better. The conflict for this one felt even more far-fetched than in the first book, but again, romance novels. Shrug. All that being said, I devoured it in a couple days, and was entertained, so it’s still really good!

Recommend? Yes