May Book Reviews

May Book Reviews

Book Lovers by Emily Henry 5/5 Stars
I love Emily Henry! I’m not even really a fan of the romance genre and I got into reading her books through A Million Junes, a magical realism book, but I’ve loved every book of hers that I have read. I don’t relate to the choices Nora makes but Emily takes the time to explore the reasons why her characters make the decisions they do and I SEVERELY appreciate that. It’s the difference between understanding a character you don’t relate to and hating characters because they make dumb choices. This book is hilarious and, well, has some quite steamy parts. I loved it and am already on the lookout for the next book by Emily Henry to preorder.

A River Enchanted (Elements of Cadence #1) by Rebecca Ross 3/5 Stars
I enjoyed reading this book while I was reading it and when I finished it left me wanting another book like it but… better. Everything was okay: the characters, setting, plot. No real issues with the book it just didn’t excite me. It seems to be the author’s first adult book after writing young adult and that feels true to me. It’s like a less dramatic YA novel (which is good) but it doesn’t have that spark to pull me in like an adult novel should without the drama of a YA novel.

Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff 4/5 Stars
Overall, I found this to be a great read and I am so appreciative of the wisdom shared. As far as the presentation goes, I don’t think it does the messages in this book justice. Michaeleen discusses parenting in “Maya families in Mexico, Inuit families above the Arctic Circle, and Hadzabe families in Tanzania.” She starts with Maya traditions, has a lot of detail and description along with the great parenting advice we are all here for. Then she starts sprinkling in Inuit and Hadzabe stories. I wish there would have been clearly defined sections for each location covered. She also doesn’t talk about the Hadzabe much. That aside, I nod to her for her bravery in sharing nightmare parenting stories of her own, letting us know that we’re not alone in making bad choices. Many of the points in the book really clicked for me and have already made parenting easier for me, like including your kid(s) in whatever you’re doing rather than trying to get them to go off by themselves. It’s something we’re still working on, but the fact that we are working on it is a step in the right direction. I highly recommend this book!

A Witch in Time by Constance Sayers 3.5/5 Stars
This book certainly gets huge points for being unique. Sayers was able to bring a complete refresh to multiple timelines, historical fiction, and the love story. I love how unique each timeline is and how each rebirth of Juliet feels very different and new. She does a great job of making them all their own while still being undeniably the same person. I feel that the story went on too long in a few parts and especially towards the end, which is the reason for my lower rating.