Books Read in May 2023

 

Books Read This Month

1. The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris (April book club read)--Well-written, intriguing, with a surprisingly hopeful ending (and finally, finally historical fiction set after the Civil War--so glad to get away from WWII and mid-war in general). 
2. L.A. Weather by María Amparo Escandón (May book club read)--Terrifying depiction of current climate change in L.A. (as of 2016), and a calendar year in the life of a telenovela-esque family drama. The weather-related secret is the best though.
3. Have I Told You This Already? by Lauren Graham--I read Graham's last book, Talking as Fast as I Can, since I'm a Gilmore Girls fan, and her writing style is entertaining and breezy. This is a collection of essays about her life in showbiz, ranging from the present to different past eras; a quick, easy enjoyable read. 
4. The Cloisters by Katy Hays--Modern Gothic novel set at one of my favorite museums, the Cloisters. This was absolutely every atmospheric, twisty, intricate Renaissance detail I could have wanted!
5. The Villa by Rachel Hawkins--I thought this was also going to be modern Gothic but that was really just the start of this fictional palimpsest set in the 1970s and the modern day with overt themes and characters inspired by the life of Mary Shelley, at an Italian villa. A light, fun read that gives you just enough to think about.
6. Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card--I read Ender's Shadow years ago, and Ender's Game even longer before that, but I finally picked up these easy reads from my husband's section of our library, and I'm racing through. Easy reads, great banter between characters, some religious weirdness, not a bad way to spend an afternoon or two on a long weekend. 
7. Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card--See above :-)