What I'm Reading - June

This month I have been reading more books that I agreed to review - and have a varied collection to talk about.

Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella - I Need a Lifeguard Everywhere but the Pool

I love Lisa and Francesca's line of humorous books and eagerly try to get my hands on the next one. Which is why I was quite excited when I got a copy of this book from NetGalley to review.

In the same vein as the others in the series, this book was a quick, fun read. In fact, I found myself trying to read it slower so I could drag out the experience. Reading the essays makes you feel like you know the Scottolines and want to get to know them more. I like to think that if I were to meet Francesca at a party, we would hit it off (if I were the partying kind, that is). And that Lisa is like the fun, slightly eccentric, next-door neighbor I would like to have. 

This book is a little bit more political than the earlier ones, and has less of a focus on family. While there may be obvious reasons for that, I did miss the family anecdotes from the earlier books. Overall though, a great beach or in-bed-with-cookies read.


Sandra L. Richards - Rice and Rocks

I haven't read a children's book in at least a decade, but something about this book made me want to read it. From the book description: "Giovanni’s friends are coming over for Sunday dinner, and his grandmother is serving rice and beans. Giovanni is embarrassed—he does not like “rice and rocks” and worries his friends will think the traditional Jamaican dish is weird."

Not only is it beautifully illustrated, Rice and Rocks is a light-hearted, fun story about an important topic - accepting ourselves and others and embracing differences. I highly recommend this book to children of all ages and commend the author for her unique approach to this subject.

Eliza Green - Feeder

The book was initially hard for me to get into, but a couple of chapters in I was hooked, and raced through the book as quickly as I could. I really liked Anya and Dom, and was rooting for them, and I was really intrigued by the world.

On the downside, I found the change of viewpoints jarring, although I understood the need for them, and some chapters dragged and could probably have been tightened.

I am torn by the ending - I was kind of disappointed, but also quite intrigued, and I definitely want to read the sequel. So, I guess in the end, I would recommend the book quite highly. The author is clearly a gifted storyteller and definitely draws you into the world of the story, leaving you wanting more.

Sarah Morgan - New York, Actually 

I have been meaning to read one of Sarah Morgan's books, so was delighted when I got the opportunity to read an advance copy of her latest, New York, Actually. It is all that I hoped it would and more. The only reason I didn’t tear through it in a day or two was that I had tons of work around the time I started to read it, and I used the book as a reward for getting through a lot of it.

I loved the characters - obviously Sarah Morgan really understands the importance of characterization, and even her minor characters were memorable and well-crafted. Although after a certain point I could predict where the plot was going and what issues were going to come up, the journey itself was tons of fun and I loved every page. The lead characters were believable and well-suited to each other, and of course, I found myself rooting for them to work out. I would happily recommend this book to anyone looking for their next summer read!

Karen McManus - One of Us is Lying

This is my new favorite book! I got hooked from the first page, and sacrificed sleep and work and real-life responsibilities to tear through the book in a couple of days. One of Us is Lying by debut author Karen McManus is a perfect combination of YA and thriller, written in a compelling style. The plot is far from cliché or predictable, and the characters are interesting and believable. I can't wait for more from the author!