Monday Confessions, A few Recent Reads
It’s the first Monday in August of 2020, are you feeling glass half-full or half-empty at this point? I confess I am definitely at the half-empty phase of 2020. One thing though that has helped me some with surviving in this crazy coronavirus world is to keep reading! Quoting the great advocate of literacy Elenanor Roosevelt, “The greatest luxury I know is sitting up in bed reading.” Don’t miss out on the joy and escape of diving into a good book!
The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal was a great summer read. It’s a story of a family over time, specifically women and how their worlds intertwined with the world of brewing beer over a couple of generations. I think a lot about this story set in the mid-west reminded me of the work ethic expected in that part of our country, as well as the commitment to family. There are some fun surprises along the way! Definitely recommend.
2. Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes was another very enjoyable read. This story set in Appalachia in the days of the pack horse librarians is full of relationships, trials and adventures. The setting of the rural Kentucky hills is all new territory for the main character who arrives as the new bride of a well known son of business owner in their small town. There were some answers I kept wanting that I never got in some instances but you definitely find yourself rooting for the main female characters and the ending was not a disappointment! Definitely recommend this one!
3. The Sea Wife by Amity Gaige was a good adventure story intertwined with some poignant writing about life, love, grief and loss. The basic premise is a family of four embarking on a year of sailing, while letting go of their suburban Connecticut existence. You know early on in the book that the sailing adventure did not end well. This book is written from the current voice of the wife and the journals from the husband. It does jump back and forth both in time and voice, so if that bothers you that this one might not be for you. I think there were lots of moments of really beautiful writing in this story but I have to say, the overall arc of the story wasn’t the best, in my opinion. I can’t say more without giving too much away but this is a good summer read. I can’t say this is a must read, but it’s a decent read.