May: What I Read

5 months into 2018-- like, 5 months are OVER ALREADY OH MY GOD I AM SO OLD-- and I have read a whopping 91 books.  If I were you I would put the top 4 or 5 from this list on your library holds list RIGHT NOW.

17.  Pure Hollywood by Christine Schutt:  Not for me.

16. Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder: I would have LOVED this more had I not read Prairie Fires.

15. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck:  Well, shit.  I have a fixed mindset.

14. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan:  This was just kind of meh for me.

13. Catastrophic Happiness: Finding Joy in Childhood's Messy Years by Catherine Newman:  Okay, so.  This book was nicely written, but almost too nicely written, you know?  Like every word was calculated to make the reader think Damn, girl.  You're good.  Also, this book is SMUG SMUG SMUG SMUG and then once you have imagined all that smugness, think just a pinch smugger.  But!  It was LOL funny and also very sweet.

12. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein:  This is from the perspective of a dog and yet it is not horrible.  Quite  a feat.

11. Daphne by Will Boast:  This book is engaging, and the main character is well drawn, which pains me
to say because the author is a dude.  Set in San Francisco during Occupy Wall Street, the book is richly written and compelling.

10. The Optimistic Decade by Heather Abel:  This book has super good characters who are compelling and unlikable, a combo I always enjoy.

9. The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory:  Sometimes I need to read chick lit, you know?

8. Sophia of Silicon Valley by Anna Yen:  Loved this quick, breezy read.  Love the Steve Jobs parallel character and the cute masking of Apple (Quince!).

7. Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin:  Yikes.  This title is super accurate, and this book is creepy as creepy can be.  Super tense, and I finished it in like 45 minutes-- so check it out.  Even if its not your fave, you won't invest a ton of time.
6.
Tangerine by Christine Mangen:  OH MY GOODNESS.  This was like a Daphne Du Maurier and Donna Tartt collab for Target.  READ IT.

5. Every Other Weekend by Zulema Renee Summerfield:  This is about an 8 year-old in the 80s whose parents are divorced.  I wish it felt more anchored in the 80s, but it's great, and the characters are wonderful.  Loved it.

4. Other People's Houses by Abbi Waxman:  YES YES YES.  So good and quick and entertaining.  The perfect read heading into summer.

3. This Could Hurt by Jillian Medoff:  Oh wow.  This is so sad and entertaining-- about an office family.  It's great.

2. The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo:  WHAT A LOVE STORY.  All about the one that got away but full of real gritty day-to-day living.  And the characters are rich and glamorous. I loved it.

1. Janesville: An American Story by Amy Goldstein:  If you, like me, are late to the party on this one READ IT RIGHT NOW.