Reading Lately – October
You would think 2020 would have given me the chance to really up my average number of books read but it just hasn’t been so. It’s been awhile since I’ve shared what I’m reading lately and there have been some decent reads so I’m sharing what I’ve been reading and/or listerning to in October!
Amazon: With her deceased sister’s Route 66 bucket list in hand, California girl Joy Evers sets out on a cross-country road trip to meet up with her fiancé, checking off the bullets along the way.
Singer-songwriter Dylan Westfield has a serious case of wanderlust and a broken-down car. Stuck at a diner between LA and Flagstaff, he meets Joy, his complete opposite. She’s energetic. He’s moody. She’s by the book. He’s spontaneous. She believes in love at first sight. He thinks love is a complicated mess. But Joy has a brand-new convertible.
They strike a deal. She’ll drive him to New York. He’ll pay for gas. Only three rules apply: no exchanging of last names; what happens on the road, stays on the road; and if one of them wants to take a side trip, they both must agree.
A heart-stirring love story that spans a decade, Side Trip explores what-if. What if Joy and Dylan had exchanged last names? What if he’d told her she made him believe love was worth the risk? And what if they hadn’t made that second deal when they couldn’t say goodbye?
My thoughts: I have shared this author many times and it is beyond me how her books always end up free on Kindle Unlimited. Her writing style really appeals to me and her stories always end up with a twist I’m not expecting. Side Trip was no different. I could not put this one down! Such a sweet little love story.
Amazon: Six years ago, Kitty Valentine took the book world by storm when her sweet debut romance hit number one on the New York Times Best Sellers list, which was followed by a string of successful releases.
Her latest novel, however, totally bombs, causing her editor to suggest she write much sexier books. To Kitty, writing smut is the literary equivalent of stripping. But with no advance coming in and her royalties dipping to an all-time low, Kitty has no choice. Armed with a hot-guy spinning prize wheel, made by her best friend, listing all the different types of men she will date and then write about, Kitty will be spinning–not stripping–her way back onto the best-sellers list.
My thoughts: It was free on kindle unlimited and I’m glad I didn’t pay for it. Ha! It initially drew me in but then fell a little flat for me.
Amazon: Cleo McDougal is a born politician. From congresswoman to senator, the magnetic, ambitious single mother now has her eye on the White House—always looking forward, never back. Until an estranged childhood friend shreds her in an op-ed hit piece gone viral.
With seven words—“Cleo McDougal is not a good person”—the presidential hopeful has gone from in control to damage control, and not just in Washington but in life.
Enter Cleo’s “regrets list” of 233 and counting. Her chief of staff has a brilliant idea: pick the top ten, make amends during a media blitz, and repair her reputation. But there are regrets, and there are regrets: like her broken relationship with her sister, her affair with a law school professor…and the regret too big to even say out loud.
But with risk comes reward, and as Cleo makes both peace and amends with her past, she becomes more empowered than ever to tackle her career, confront the hypocrites out to destroy her, and open her heart to what matters most—one regret at a time.
My thoughts: This was my most recent read and I really loved it! I love a could “finding yourself” story and felt this had all the feels of someone turning things around to become a better person.
Amazon: In 2014, Kimberly Williams-Paisley revealed a tragic secret: Her mother had been diagnosed with a rare form of dementia called primary progressive aphasia at the age of 61.
In Where the Light Gets In, Williams-Paisley tells the full story of her mother’s illness, from diagnosis through the present day, drawing on her memories of her relationship with the fascinating, complicated, and successful woman who raised her so well. She describes educating herself on her mother’s condition, letting go of the shame and secrecy that surrounded it, and finding unexpected humor and grace in a terrible situation. Her book also chronicles the ways in which her family’s bond was strengthened by the experience, to becoming an awareness advocate, to accepting the woman her mother has become. It is a heartrending and inspiring reminder of how unbreakable our relationships with our mothers are.
My thoughts: I actually listened to this one on Audible and it was such a timely listen for me and so impactful in her own voice. Where the Light Gets In wrecked me and gave me hope all at the same time. I laughed, I cried and I took lots of notes on how to navigate through a crappy diagnosis I personally wasn’t ready for. If you are walking through any sort of dementia with someone you love I would highly recommend.
Amazon: With passion and heart-pumping hope, Jess shows that being the girl for the job doesn’t depend on your capacity. Rather, it has everything to do with God’s capacity and our willingness. It has everything to do with believing we are who God says we are, and quieting any inferior word spoken against us. Are you ready?
My thoughts: I’m also listening to You are the Girl for the Job on Audible and it is taking me a bit to get through it because I want to soak up every little morsel Jess offers. I love her voice and feel like she is a personal cheerleader. This book would make a great gift for the women on your gift list!
