During this time I also got more than 50% through The Candy House by Jennifer Egan and couldn’t keep going. Each chapter was in a different style about a different character in the story and they were getting too outlandish in style. 

[56] The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther
Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Dating & Sex, saw on Available Now on Libby, audiobook

Synopsis: It’s the summer between senior year of high school and college, and Meredith is headed to Martha’s Vineyard with her family for their annual summer vacation, which will end with a family wedding. Meredith is uneasy though – it’s been eighteen months since her older sister Claire unexpectedly passed away and Meredith isn’t sure she can handle being in a place with so many memories of her, especially when the family elects to play Assassin – Claire’s favorite summer family game. Meredith wants to win the game for Claire, but finds herself distracted by a certain groomsmen who agrees to form an Assassin alliance with her.

Review: Ha, I should have read that this was YA before I checked it out. That’s on me. The story was cute, but it was very YA. I finished it because it wasn’t horrible or annoying it was just… very YA.

Recommend? No

[57] A Winter in New York by Josie Silver
Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, saw on @rocknreader’s account, Kindle version

Synopsis: Gosh. This premise is so stupid I’m having a hard time describing it seriously. Iris fled a horrible relationship in London and headed to the city her late mother loved – New York City. She misses her mother terribly, especially the super top secret hush hush gelato recipe her mom would make her. While at a street fair with the one friend she’s made in NYC, Iris sees a gelateria she swears is in a photo of her mother’s. She checks the photo and confirms it, then heads back there the next day to check it out, and meets handsome Gio, who runs the gelateria, but can’t make gelato anymore because the one family member who knew the recipe had a stroke and forgot it. Iris figures out her mother’s recipe is the same as the family recipe (gasp!), and offers to help them figure it out, without giving it away that Gio’s dad gave his mom the recipe. Sorry, that was the best I could do.

Review: Did I mention how dumb this premise is? This entire book is based off of Iris telling lies and knowing she needs to tell Gio the truth but putting it off. I HATE THIS PLOT LINE. HAAAAAAAAAAATE IT. Also, why would they want a random stranger (who, yes, happens to be a chef) to come every day and try to help them crack their family gelato recipe? Gawd, this book was just dumb. Iris is weepy and makes dumb decisions, Gio is underdeveloped, and the loud Italian family is the only sort of saving grace. Also, some things are left unresolved, and the ending is completely silly and unbelievable. Just, no.

Recommend? Um, no

[58] Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci
Biography & Autobiography / Culinary, saw in “Available Now” on Libby, audiobook

Synopsis: Stanley Tucci shares snippets of his life through food – his mother’s Italian cooking, dining on the cheap when he was a poor actor, eating on set, trying different restaurants all over the world, cooking at home, and his relationship with food while he was treated for and recovered from oral cancer.

Review: I picked this out because I wanted something to listen to and thought it would be nice to listen to Stanley Tucci. It was. I enjoy his voice, the way he read his book, and his sense of humor. However, it’s, um, mostly about food, and I’m not a foodie, so it was a bit boring (especially listening to the recipes), and there were some descriptions of killing animals that I didn’t enjoy. I did enjoy the little stories from his life and time on sets, but mostly, it was just not for me. I need to stick to non-food based memoirs.

Recommend? If you love food, yes