5 books that will suck you right in
May was a weird month for reading - between traveling (!!)/driving a ton and a lot of stuff I started but did not finish, I only have a few to highlight for you…
Revival Season - Monica West — Miriam is the daughter of a famous Black Evangelical preacher who does the revival circuit each summer and heals people. When Miriam sees him commit violence, she begins to lose faith in him and, maybe, in God. (Until she starts being able to heal people herself…) I know so little about this religious tradition so found this deeply interesting.
The Soulmate Equation - Christina Lauren — Jess is a single mom and data analytics nerd with no time for dating, until through a series of mishaps she gets tossed in as a sample for a DNA-based matchmaking company and gets paired with the company’s hot founder, Dr. River Peña. The company pays her to give him a chance as a marketing gimmick, and off we go. The chemistry between them is high and all the characters are charming.
People We Meet on Vacation - Emily Henry — A perfect homage to When Harry Met Sally, one of my all-time favorite movies. After a rocky meeting, polar opposites Poppy and Alex have been best friends since college, each summer spending time together on a big trip. When something (no spoilers but LOL you can guess) happens that splits them up for years, Poppy finds a way to bring Alex along for one last chance to reconnect. I picked this up and really didn’t want to put it back down until I finished.
The Girl With Stars In Her Eyes - Xio Axelrod — Toni is a hard-rocking guitarist struggling to make it big until she accidentally ends up in a band being managed by her childhood best friend/long-lost love, Seb. (You can guess what happens next.) There’s some really good “behind the scenes of the music biz” stuff in this that sets it apart!
Somebody’s Daughter - Ashley C. Ford — The story of Ashley’s childhood, raised by her abusive/complicated mom and not-raised by her incarcerated dad, who was convicted of rape. Ashley herself is raped and sexually assaulted as a teenager, which further complicates her feelings about her dad. Just gorgeously written and tender, and the rare memoir that I wish was longer.
My full reading list is, as always, in my spreadsheet. If this was forwarded to you, please subscribe! I might actually send more than one book list in June!