[70] Out of the Woods (Out #2) by Hannah Bonam-Young
Fiction / Romance / New Adult, second in series, Audio
Synopsis: High school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb Linwood have weathered seventeen years together, but Sarah is beginning to question who she is outside their marriage. Determined to prove her independence, she throws herself into organizing a gala in honor of her late mother—only to watch it flop and have Caleb swoop in to fix it. The fallout dredges up years of unspoken frustrations, prompting them to join a rugged couples’ hiking retreat despite their mutual dislike of the outdoors.
Review: This is really a deep-dive into how Sarah is still grieving the loss of her mother, and how much it’s affected her marriage and life choices. Her mother passed when she was eighteen, and some (not all!) of Sarah’s maturity level seems stuck at that level, understandably. In that regard, it’s an interesting look on the effects of grief and how you always carry it. All that said, I really liked Sarah as a side character in the first book, but didn’t care for her as much as the main character. So she kind of annoyed me for a lot of the book. Oops! And I forgot to mention this when I reviewed the first book, but the author writes “I couldn’t help but wonder” a lot and hearing that over and over took me out of both books (and made me think of Sex and the City).
Recommend? Take it or leave it!
[71] Cat’s People by Tanya Guerrero
Fiction / Women, heard about from snis, Kindle
Synopsis: This story follows Cat, a lovable 11-year-old black stray in Brooklyn, and the eclectic group of people he encounters: Nuria, who feeds him daily; Collin, the neighbor whose alley he lives in; Omar, the cheerful mailman; Bong, the grieving bodega owner; and Lily, a new transplant from Georgia looking for her sister. Through Cat, their lives unexpectedly intertwine.
Review: Okay, this sounds hella cheesy, but it was so cute and touching—something mostly light-hearted to make you feel good about community, found family, and kindness. I adored it. The ending brought me to tears (on the train on the way into work, sigh) and made me bump it up from a 4 to 5-star read.
Recommend? Yes
[72] Master of Me: The Secret to Controlling Your Narrative by Keke Palmer
Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts, for WWM bookclub, Audio
Synopsis: Keke Palmer shares thoughts from her journey through career shifts, motherhood, and personal growth. With reflections and guided questions, she invites readers to set boundaries, trust their voice, and turn challenges into growth.
Review: What a strange book. It felt like it was too long, in that it meandered and talked about nothing, but also, that it was too short, in that it didn’t get too deep on anything. The gist is be true to yourself, figure out your passion and work for it, and your work is not your life. Which is a message I agree with. But the way the examples were given, nothing stuck with me and listening to it felt like an uninteresting waste of my time. I guess I did want more?
Recommend? No
