Share your shelf: the May edition

 

Happy Thursday, friends, and happy bonus post day! I cannot even believe that it's June 6th already; have you gotten started with your summertime activities yet? I'm in full swing over here! This post is just in time for that kind of thing, and you all know how much I love beach reads in the summer. Here are the books I read in May; just click on the picture to be redirected to an Amazon link in a separate window.

First up was this one that I finally got around to reading, the one that was all the rage in 2022.

I love the wonderfully charming and eccentric protagonist in this book, Molly Gray. Molly takes great pride in her work as a diligent maid in a fancy boutique hotel; when she finds a guest dead in one of the rooms her world is turned upside down. Molly is unlike anyone else; she struggles with social skills and always misinterprets the intentions of others. Her grandmother used to be the center of her world, but since she died, Molly has had to navigate life on her own. Unfortunately, after finding Mr. Black dead in his suite, Molly becomes the number one suspect since she has such unusual behavior. Before long, friends she didn't even know she had start coming around to help her solve how the guest died. The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart. 

I dearly love Fiona Ferris' books! This one is no different, and it's actually my first time to buy the physical book from her. I love that her books are always very inexpensive and inspiring. I almost immediately employ her tricks to living a chic life. Don't let the title fool you! She gives great advice in this book with things like "be kind to yourself and to others at all times, be yourself, journal lists of ways you'd like to be, write down some goals for each and every day, reset daily, be positive minded, look for ways to be delighted", and so on and so forth. I always read these books with a journal nearby. 

Next up was was another non-fiction one that I loved:

We've often heard statements like, "don't let your emotions get the best of you"; what if instead of ignoring our feelings, we noticed them, named them, and let God use them to draw us closer to Himself and others? Jennie Allen uses scientific research, biblical insight, and her own story to help you exchange minimizing your emotions with knowing what you feel and what to do about it. She helps you to debunk the myth that feelings are sinful by learning how emotional maturity leads to deeper connection with God and others, and she tells us how we can live emotionally healthy by applying biblical wisdom to our lives. 

This book resonated so much within me that I bought the accompanying study guide to go with it, and I joined an online community Bible study that will happen over the summer. It's that good, and I cannot recommend it enough. It was perfect in timing with all the things I was feeling regarding my son moving hours away from us, and also because of menopause. I'm rolling my eyes at myself.

Next up was this one by Nancy Thayer.

When the father of Arden, Meg, and Jenny dies, his last wish is to see his daughters reunited on the island of Nantucket, and the way he gets them to agree to this is by mandating it. The relationship among the sisters is strained, to say the least; thanks to jealousy, resentment, and misunderstandings. It's a delightful surprise when they start to learn that they can trust each other, but how long will it last when their mothers descent on the island? (The three sisters are stepsisters.)

This one had all the Nantucket feels, but it fell a bit flat for me with the verrrrryyyyyy slow and long beginning. 

Next up was another bust, The Paradise Problem. 

Anna thought she was marrying Liam for access to subsidized family housing while studying at college; she also thought she signed divorce papers when the graduation caps were tossed, and they both went their separate ways. Three years later, Anna is a starving artist in need of money to help her dad, who is very sick. Liam "West" Weston is now a Stanford professor. He comes to her to ask for a favor: he needs her to pretend they've always been happily married when he has to be around family for a month leading up to the wedding of his sibling. 

I'll be brutally honest here: I only listened to this book because I needed a distraction from taking Noah to Dallas and driving back home without him. If it weren't for that, I'd have quit this book at chapter four. The entire book was nothing but unrealistic fantasy (which they called reality), extremely predictable outcomes, bad language, and rated R content. At one point, I had skipped through so much of the book that I quit reading it before finishing the book. I'm still counting it, because I made it past 75% of the way through. If I ever say I'm going to read a book by the two authors that make up Christina Lauren, go ahead and slap me. 

Lastly was a book by Beatriz Williams. 

It was Memorial day of 1938: New York socialite Lily Dane has just returned with her family to the oceanfront community of Seaview, expecting just another summer among the traditions and friendships that helped her through heartbreak...until the Greenwalds decide to take up residence for the summer, that is. Nick and Budgie Greenwald are unwelcome friends from Lily's past; her former best friend and former fiancé are now married...under the summer sun, some unexpected truths begin to show up regarding their past. 

This book was was enjoyable, for the most part. I don't love historical fiction, and I need to remember this from now on, but at least I tried something, right? This one was a book that had a lot of hype, but I don't really get all that.

It's your turn! What have you been reading this month? I can't wait to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all! 

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