books on tap: more, more, more

The to-read list is dwindling, but I still have stacks of books from the Really Good, Really Big, Really Cheap book sale, as well as other shelf-sitters that I haven't gotten around to reading. Trust me - you're not getting off that easily. The moment I don't have at least one book in the works is the moment I meet my Maker. So enjoy, and trust me - the reviews will keep coming.
 
xoxo,
E

P.S. You'll notice there are significantly fewer books this month than in the past few. It's because I got so hung up on one of the books below that I started re-reading all the other books by the same author to see if they all got stuck in my head or it's just this one (turns out it's just this one, although I did enjoy the re-reading).

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Round Ireland With a Fridge, by Tony Hawks. A guy loses a bet and hitchhikes around Ireland with a refrigerator, and this is the chronicle of his adventures - what about this wouldn't be hilarious? Hawks has the dry wit (my favorite kind!) of Bill Bryson and Peter Mayle, making this an immensely enjoyable book. It's also heartwarming - once word gets out about what he's doing, the entire country of Ireland seems to rally around the fridge, and subsequently Hawks. The descriptions of Ireland are beautiful without being overdone and wordy, and you're guaranteed to laugh. Cheers to Hawks for a great book.  4/5 stars.

Hey Harry,  Hey Matilda*, by Rachel Hulin. Told in a series of emails between twins Harry and Matilda Goodman, this book is...interesting. I'm sure some people will love it, but it wasn't for me. The emails between these twins, while frequent, is very stiff and formal. I don't talk that weirdly with people I email for work. And both twins seem a little irresponsible and immature. I had a hard time relating to or liking either main character, and I didn't really care what happened to them. And if it ended how I think it ended, it's really sketchy and kind of gross. 2/5 stars

Sirius*, by Jonathan Crown. I've read a lot of books about the Holocaust and WWII, but never one from the perspective of a...dog? Formerly named Levi, Sirius escapes with his Jewish family to California. His owner works for a movie star, and Sirius suddenly finds himself on the big screen. And then in a circus. And then as Hitler's dog, all before being returned to his family. While it's cute, and there's a lot that happens, there's no urgency to this book, nothing that makes you desperately flip the pages to find out what happened. It wants to be 4, but I can only give it 3/5 stars.

A Good Year, by Peter Mayle. A washed-up financial guru in London is fired from his job, only to find out that his uncle died and left him a farm and vineyard in Provence. An unexpected American half-cousin shows up, and it turns out there are some underhand dealings going on in the little French town. There's even a touch of romance. But while the writing was good, the story lagged. I could not make myself be interested in this. It was very...generic and blah. Mayle's nonfiction accounts of his time in Provence are incredible, but if this is any indication of his fiction, it leaves a lot to be desired. 3/5 stars.

The One and Only, by Emily Giffin. Because of low reviews on Goodreads and plot points that were...iffy, I expected to hate this. But I'll be damned if I couldn't stop reading - and thinking about - this book. I didn't think I'd like the main relationship here (not to give away spoilers), but WOW. I absolutely could not stop thinking about it. As soon as I finished, I wanted to flip it over and start reading it again, right then, from the beginning. Yeah, there's a lot of football talk (and some mentions of Wake Forest, Giffin's alma mater), and certain characters could be better developed, but overall this is one of the best fiction books I've read lately, and I so didn't want it to end. Sequel, please??  5/5 stars.

Greater Than Gold*, by David Boudia. I am ashamed to admit (but only a little) that I mostly requested this book because we had just seen him dive in the Olympics, and, um, he has very, very nice abs. I mean, I was just hoping for photos. The book is about his quest for glory, hoping it would fulfill him (spoiler alert: it doesn't). He talks about how one of his coaches helped him cultivate a relationship with Jesus and how his faith has changed his life. The writing is a little simplistic, but his message is strong and important, and will greatly inspire his fans and many others. 4/5 stars.

Since You've Been Gone, by Morgan Matson. Young adult books are hit-or-miss. Done wrong, they're awful. But done right? Well, they're like this. It's the story of shy, socially awkward Emily (hey, it's me!), who only feels comfortable in the company of her best friend, Sloane. When Sloane disappears without explanation, Emily is lost...until a "to-do" list from Sloane shows up. Emily sets upon the list, hoping it will lead her to her best friend, but makes some new friends and learns some things along the way. Plus no sex, no drugs, no sparkly vampires. All the praise hands. 4/5 stars.

Jonathan Unleashed, by Meg Rosoff. You can see the immediate draw here, right on the cover: the furries. Unfortunately, the cover is about as good as it got. None of the characters were likeable, or even understandable, and the plot was out-there. Not the good out-there, but the "wtf just happened?" out-there. I drew the line when the main character, Jonathan, started speaking on tongues after melting down in a client meeting and panicking about his upcoming wedding. I would have given this only one star...but the dogs kind of redeemed it - as dogs always do. 2/5 stars.

Rising Strong, by Brené Brown. Everybody gets knocked down. Brown looks at what the most successful people do to get back up. No matter whether it's a perceived slight from a friend, a failure at work, or the dissolving of a relationship, Brown offers a series of steps to work through to help understand what went wrong by getting in touch with your behavior and emotions. She warns it's not easy work, but the steps themselves are at least clear. This is a valuable resource for anyone who struggles with...well, anything. Ever. If you're human, you should read this. 4/5 stars.

First Comes Love, by Emily Giffin. If The One and Only was the height of Giffin's writing - suspenseful, tension-filled, and addictive - this book is basically the opposite. It's about warring sisters whose relationship has been impacted by a long-ago family tragedy, but there's zero urgency to the novel. Also, the ending was weird and didn't appropriately wrap things up. Giffin needs to stick to her metier of sexual tension due to inappropriate relationships that ultimately wind up working. I didn't say I'm asking for reality here - I want to be entertained, and this one just didn't quite do it. 3/5 stars.

Grace, Not Perfection*, by Emily Ley. I decided to review this book after an acquaintance from college, who knows Emily personally, posted about it on social media. It's a good book, if a little simple. It seems like a more one-dimensional version of Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist. Ley owns her own company, as well as mothering three children under the age of five (have mercy), so she knows how crazy life can get. And much like her famous Simplified Planner, Ley helps you mitigate your chaos while still embracing whatever season of life you find yourself in. 4/5 stars.

Love Warrior, by Glennon Doyle Melton. This book is a memoir of Melton, who is the founder/owner/something of Momastery. It's a hard, hard book to read - her pain is so raw and real and she writes about it so eloquently that I could only read a chapter or two at a time. It's one woman's story, yes, but it's also full of lessons about learning to love and trust yourself and how to be true to yourself when life explodes, pulling you in all different directions. Melton is an encourager for the underdog, and her stories will resonate with anyone who's ever felt like she (or he) doesn't fit into this world. 5/5 stars.

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bonus

Extraordinary, Ordinary Moments*, by Jorey Hurley. This isn't a book, per se, but I did request it from Blogging for Books. It's instead a journal designed to help you notice the little things. At the top of each page is written a heading such as "something on your street" or "art you love." You simply have to answer the question, preferably with what's actually in front of you, not what you wish would be. It's accompanied with colorful, simple illustrations, making this a beautiful book. It would make a phenomenal gift - especially to yourself. 5/5 stars.

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*Disclaimer: The titles notated with a star (*) above were given to me for free by either NetGalley, BookLook Bloggers, or Blogging For Books, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
**Also - the books linked in this post are affiliate links, meaning that if you click on any of the book links and order one (or any) of them through Amazon, I may earn a small commission. B thanks you in advance for helping to support my psychotic book-buying habits.