Round-Up of My First Quarter Reads

The Villa is a fun read. I just finished it over the weekend. It is about betrayal, and sisterhood with a bit of murder-mystery mixed in. Plus it all takes place in Italy in a picturesque villa. In the 70s a murder had taken place at the Villa. Enjoy the ride as the friends unravel the mystery deep in the walls of the villa plus secrets about the friendship. I give this 4.2 stars.

I had heard the mention of The 5 am Club mentioned several times and was a bit intrigued. I am not much of a self-help book reader. I think we can all use a bit of motivation sometimes whether in work or life in general. I would not by any means be one to wake up at 5 am on purpose but thought it couldn't hurt to see what the hype was all about. I did listen to this one.

My first thought was, this is cool! I liked the way the book read as a novel. I found that aspect to be very unique. There is a lot of good advice and tips that could be incorporated into your morning routine to accomplish so much more. I think it can apply whether you are in the 5 am or 7 am Club. Ha, ha!

The book, while some good advice was given, was too drawn out. Plus it borders on cheesy.

Mauritius is an island where a lot of the book takes place. Boy, how I'd love to visit what sounds like a magical place. Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island nation, is known for its beaches, lagoons, and reefs.

Due to the cheesiness and drawn-out nature, I give it 3.5 Stars.

I have always been aware of Truman Capote and the novel In Cold Blood, which is now on my reading list. I didn't know much about him until I watched The Swans on Hulu. This captivated me so I listened to Captoe's Women which the TV show is based on. Wow! I enjoyed this. It feels like an original Housewives from Bravo except with class. It is unfathomable that Truman would befriend these women then do the unthinkable. He was a huge part of their lives. Then he writes about their secrets. It's pretty low. Answered Prayers was supposed to be the story he was writing, but he never published it. He supposedly destroyed it. Laurance Leamer tells the fabulous story of it all. I recommend reading the book first and then watching the TV show. I give this 4.2 Stars.

I was pretty excited to read this one. I am a member of several book Facebook groups, and this book is constantly shared. Tom Lake did not disappoint. I listened to this one because you will never guess who narrates it… None other than Meryl Streep! I listened to it with my Amazon Audible membership. This is a wonderful story about family, love, and growing up. It follows the life of a young woman and her brief career in acting. It is told by her recounting to her daughters the story of her life and meeting their father. Meryll does such a wonderful job with the narration. You feel transported to the time. I give this read 4.7 Stars.

I have read several of Lisa Jewell's books through the years, and she is a favorite author of mine. None of This is True is so realistic which makes it crazy creepy. Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, Alix Summer crosses paths with a woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins. Josie infiltrates the life of Alix through a series of lies. What Alix discovers is such a dark deranged life that Josie lives. It's fun to throw in the occasional thriller. I give this one 4.3 Stars.

This was a book that I was a bit unsure about in that an octopus is a character in the story. Remarkably Bright Creatures won my heart over. An older lady cleans a local aquarium in the evenings when all things are quiet. She befriends a fun and aging octopus. Her son disappeared many years ago and is presumed dead. Believe it or not, the friendship with the octopus leads her to solve the sad mystery. It truly is a great read! I promise the octopus element is not stupid, but heartwarming. I give it 4.6 Stars.

I have read quite a few historical fiction novels that have taken place during WW2. This book is full of all the things that make for touching historical fiction. I am always enormously touched by the Jewish stories of WW2. This one will truly pull at all of your heartstrings. The ending……I give this one 4.8 Stars.

This book was wonderful! I am a sucker for novels that take place in beautiful European towns. One Italian Summer is so well-done. As soon as I finished it, the first thing that I did was text my daughter and tell her to add it to her list. Katy's mother passes away. They are very close. Her parent's home and life feel like a Nancy Meyer's movie home. Katy takes a journey to Italy where her mother, Carol, once lived. As soon as Katy arrives she befriends a woman. This woman ends up being her mother back at the age she was when she lived there all those years ago. Many mysteries about her mother are answered in this sometimes heartbreaking story. Such a great summer read! I give this one 4.8 Stars.

Of the fiction books that I have read thus far in 2024, this is my least favorite. I found myself waiting for it to just be over. The concept is pretty cool, but I found it depressing.

“Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe, there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?”

It is a wildly popular book but fell short for me. I give it 3.8 Stars.