What I read: The End of Summer Edition

BOOK COUNT FOR THE YEAR: 73

• January: 14
• February: 5
• March: 12
• April: 8
• May: 7
• June: 12
• July: 15
• August:
• September:
• October:
• November:
• December:

WHAT LITTLE BUN READ

• Ivy & Bean series – He finds them very funny
• The Adventures of Sophie Mouse – He loves her too

If anyone can give any other book series recommendations, let me know! As long as they’re fun and interesting.

WHAT I READ

TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON

[ MYSTERY, THRILLER, SPY, FICTION ]

Pavone writes good spy books but doesn’t know how to develop his characters with personalities and lives, with the nuance and depth of other writers. I don’t know what it is, but his characters feel like flat 2D people on pages, rather than real people I could imagine and talk to. Still, the mystery is good, and the story keeps me enthralled. I just wish he knew how to make them come alive off the page as well.

HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES

[ HISTORY, LIFE, NEW YORK, 20TH CENTURY, SLUMS, POVERTY ]

An EXCELLENT book. It goes into depth, and horrific detail about how “the other half” lives in New York. This is the book that caused people to sit up and take notice, and enact change to help better their lives. I have also been following IG accounts that talk about little parts of New York City history, like about Minetta River, and how Collection Pond was eventually destroyed in the name of expansion, which is where Five Points was built upon, the most notorious neighbourhood in NYC. I really enjoyed this book.

THE PLAZA: THE SECRET LIFE OF A HOTEL

[ HISTORY, NYC, PLAZA HOTEL, ARCHITECTURE, LIFE OF A HOTEL, RICH PEOPLE ]

I knew nothing about this hotel except it was considered iconic in NYC, and people had their weddings there if they were super rich and posh. This book goes into the detail of the history of the hotel, which you would think is quite boring, but with all of the characters, and little tiny insights to the way people lived back then (and how the rich behaved), this was anything but boring. Of course, Eloise is a fictional kid character who made the hotel famous, but I am surprised at how plagued it is by financial matters. At any rate, a very enjoyable read if you like history and reading about rich people foibles.

Then she was gone

[ MYSTERY, ABDUCTED CHILD, CREEPY, THRILLER ]

This was one of the most unsettling, creepiest books I have ever read. I think it stems from being a mother, and finding this mystery upon the disappearance of this girl, very painful to read. Still, it was well written, the mystery was certainly there and I did enjoy reading it. Just wish the plot was less… creepy. Or something. It’s very odd and unsettling.

All of these books by TASMINA PERRY

[ CHICKLIT, FICTION, MYSTERY, TRAGEDY, LIVES OF OTHERS ]

• The Singles Table
• Private Lives
• Deep Blue Sea
• Friend of the Family
• Perfect Strangers
• House on Sunset Lake
• Yacht Party
• Kiss Heaven Goodbye
• Poolhouse
• Last Kiss Goodbye
• The Proposal

All of her books are excellent. Some slightly better than others, but none I have been disappointed with at all. Her stories always have a bit of mystery and/or tragedy surrounding them. The Proposal is the one I found the saddest and hardest to read of all, because it was just so tragic. I also like how deep her characters become, and how interesting they are, rather than just a slapdash “BOY MEETS GIRL” sort of nonsense. It has depth to the story, interest, and villans as well