May, June and July - Quick recap-style

Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy - there are no words to tell you how bad this book was. For reals Maeve? Is it possible that Circle of Friends was this bad and I just didn't notice because I was 15?

Some other book my Mom gave me that sucked slightly less than Nights of Rain and Stars. I can't remember the name or find the book.


Swamplandia! by Karen Russell - and yes, the exclamation point is a part of the title. Loved this book, maybe my favorite from our year of book club reads.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford- local book by local author about the internment camps during WWII. It was a sweet romance with interesting history about that period of time in the northwest.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain- A book about Earnest Hemingway's first wife Hadley and their time in Paris. How great is the name Hadley btw? The book was pretty good too. Despite it making me like Earnest Hemingway slightly less than I already did. The Sun Also Rises? SNOOZE alert.

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon- Loved. But then again, I also loved his first book Shadow of the Wind. Complicated and confusing, but in the best sort of way.

Bossypants by Tina Fey - Double loved. Despite the fact that it's a bit disjointed/rambly at times, it's still brilliant. I particularly loved the chapter about her father, Don Fey and the suggestions she makes for beauty and grooming. Oh, and the ideas of how to gain more "me time" when you have a baby. I ask you, is there anything funnier than self-deprecating humor? I don't think there is.

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht - Did I already mention this one? I don't think so. Mostly I felt annoyed reading this book that someone who is approximately 10 years old wrote it and somehow manages to sound like someone with 50 years of wisdom under her belt. It's too late for me to be a child prodigy! Sigh.

Just Kids by Patti Smith - One time, I got to see Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye perform in a tiny room with only like 30 other people. It was awesome. She is so FASCINATING! And while punk rock isn't really my bag, it's hard to deny that Patti is a bad ass chick. She talks about her early days in New York City, living in the Hotel Chelsea and hanging out with Janis Joplin. This book is good stuff.

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen - You guys. As I type this list, I'm realizing how many great books I've read this summer! Many. This is another one of them. Don't be scared by it's bajillion pages, or by the fact that The Corrections was hard to slog through (for me, maybe not for you). Franzen is a bit of a relentless downer, but his writing is so smart and cutting that I was willing to ignore that.