March 2016 Reads

Yes, it’s time once again for Steph and Jana’s Show Us Your Books linkup.  March was a pretty decent reading month for me with a total of eight books read.  I have ordered them from least to most liked and surprisingly, most of my books this month were 4 star reads.  A very good reading month indeed!  Looking forward to stopping by lots of other blogs today and adding to my to read list!

2 Stars

Pretty Happy: Healthy Ways to Love Your Body by Kate Hudson – I have always liked Kate Hudson.  I’ve seen an increasing trend of celebrities writing books and unfortunately, like this book, they are not always very good.  I didn’t really get much out of this book, which touches on cleanses and the four pillars of health.  I borrowed this book from the library, but if you own it, it is very interactive with questionnaires and other writing activities.  I also didn’t like all of the pictures of Kate in the book.  They seemed a little unnecessary and didn’t seem to serve a purpose.

The Winter Girl by Matt Marinovich – Elise and Scott are taking care of her dying father, Victor at his house in the Hamptons.  After seeing the neighbor’s bedroom light come on at the same time every night Scott becomes obsessed and ends up breaking into the house.  He eventually convinces Elise to come with him and things get crazy from there.  Strange? Absurd?  Twisted?  These are some of the words that come to mind after reading this book.  This was so not my type of book and am not sure why I finished it.

3 Stars

My Fringe Hours by Jessica N. Turner – I first learned about Turner from a podcast in which she was a guest on.  Even though I haven’t read it, I recommend reading The Fringe Hours, versus this book, My Fringe Hours.  This book was more of a journal.  It’s a great resource for those who are trying to find more “me” time in their lives, which amazingly, isn’t me at this moment in my life.

4 Stars

The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian – The only other book by Bohjalian that I read was the Midwives, which I didn’t really like.  This book was surprisingly enjoyable.  Richard Chapman offers his Bronxville home to host his younger brother’s bachelor party.  Spencer, the organizer of the “entertainment” unknowingly hires two Armenian sex slaves.  The night ends with the shooting of the girls’ guards which ends up being a nightmare for all involved and greatly impacting Richard’s marriage.  The book is told through three different points of view – Richard, his wife Kristen, and one of the Armenian girls, Alexander.  The book takes place in New York City and Westchester County, so I was familiar with the setting, living in Westchester County.

No Ordinary Life by Suzanne Redfearn – Struggling with money problems, Faye Martin’s 4 year-old daughter Molly is “discovered” on a YouTube video at just the right time.  For Faye, who is jobless and abandoned by her husband, this feels like a dream come true.  But Faye has two other children who are greatly impacted by the move and changes their sister’s fame brings.  This was an enjoyable read and I enjoyed the glimpse into the world of child acting and the work that goes into producing a television show.

Party Girls by Rachel Hollis – I read this book for Cait’s monthly book club read.  You can read my full review here.

The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth – Anna Forster is 38 when she’s diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s.  She’s put in an assisted living facility where there’s another young person, Luke, with a form of dementia.  Eve Bennett ends up getting a job at the facility as the cook when she’s left in a desperate employment situation and needs to support her daughter.  The book is told through Anna and Eve’s alternating points of view and takes place in both the present and flashbacks as we see the events leading up to their current situations and what happens after.

Year of Yes  by Shonda Rhimes – I have been a huge fan of all Rhimes’ shows so I was excited to read this book.  And it did not disappoint.  This non-fiction book details her year of yes, which ended up being life-changing for her.  This book was written like she’s having a conversation with just you, the reader, telling it like it is.