Jerusalem as a Second Language by Rochelle Distelheim - A really wonderful book exploring what it means to find yourself in a new place. It's about a Russian family that makes aliyah. Each family member experiences the change differently. My book discussion group loved this one!
If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy - The first of a new series of Disney-movie-based romance novels (this one is Cinderella) and I found it so fun! A clever and delightful retelling of an incredibly familiar story.
By the Book by Jasmine Guillory - The second of the Disney series, this one is Beauty and the Beast. Each one is written by a different author (she's one of my faves) and she did such a great job of working so many fun Disney details into the great retelling.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus - I think this is one of my favorites of the whole year, and we're only five months in! It was just....wonderful. Set in the 1960s, it features a woman-scientist-turned-cooking-show-host who bucks all the gender stereotypes handed to her. I couldn't put this down.
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff - Apparently, this is a classic AND a classic movie, and I loved it. It's a set of letters between the author and the whole staff of a bookshop in London. Delightful!
French Braid by Anne Tyler - I really enjoyed this woven-together family tale from the 1950s to the COVID-era. Figuring out what makes each family member tick is really a gift of this book.
The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams - the premise of this book made me giggle and it was well-executed. I think my only issue was that it felt like it was actually written to be a movie!
Far From the Tree by Robin Benway - a little sad, a little sweet, and really a good story that I couldn't put down. Three siblings, all separately fostered or adopted, reunite and realize that family is both blood AND choice. (National Book Award winner)
Book Lovers by Emiily Henry - Yes, this was just as good as it should have been. It sorta made fun of its own genre a little but it totally worked! And there was a little fakeout at the end and I should have seen it coming but I was totally caught and therefore I loved the ending even more.
I'm feeling a little behind on my reading goals for the year, but this month had so many good reads, I think I feel like I'm back on a roll. I have a whole "to read" list but it never hurts to add more....what should I read next?