We Went to the Woods by Caite Dolan-Leach
Publication Date - July 2, 2019
3 stars



A group of five twenty something individuals decide to move to a piece of land in upstate New York and live off only what they can produce.  Their ideals are immediately tested by the difficult life and the neighboring commune whose politics are more extreme.  Told by Mack, whose failed social experiment brought her to this point, the novel examines the different personalities with a keen eye.  I did like this book even though the characters are at times insufferable. Mack’s explorations into the history of communes and how it relates to her own situation was an interesting twist.   Toward the end, I felt like the story started to lose steam, but this was an entertaining read.  I received a digital ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Smart TV

I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution by Emily Nussbaum
Publication Date - June 25, 2019
4 stars

To be honest, I don’t watch a ton of television, mostly because I have three kids that monopolize that time but I do love to read about pop culture.  While I have not seen many of the shows she discusses, I did enjoy her take on the themes and subtle ideas presented in the different episodes.  The essay about shows, such as South Park, that foretold the 2016 elections was mesmerizing and also horrifying.  These were all solid essays and great critiques of recent and current television shows.  I received a complimentary ARC of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful and Moving Book

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
Publication Date - June 18, 2019
4.5 stars



Roya is a teenage girl in Iran amidst the political turbulence of the 1950's when she meets Bahman in the Stationery Shop.  They fall deeply in love and plan to marry when Bahman disappears and fails to meet Roya at a designated spot.  Roya is heartbroken and confused but eventually moves on with her life and moves to America.  She doesn't think she will ever hear from Bahman again until a chance encounter in another Stationery Shop while she is in her seventies brings her into his orbit again.  This book will stay with me for a while.  It beautifully explores time and how though it passes, experiences and emotions are carried throughout, and sometime time circles back around in unexpected ways.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

One Giant Leap

One Giant Leap: the Untold Story of How We Flew to the Moon by Charles Fishman
Publication Date - June 11, 2019
4 stars



As always, I jump on any opportunity to read about the early years of the space program.  This was one of the better books.  Chock full of interesting tidbits and well organized, this was definitely worth the read.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Fun Fantasy World

Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publication Date - June 11, 2019
3.5 stars

I’m a fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout because she just writes fun books, regardless of writing or dialogue, they are just plain fun…and steamy.  I actually started out not liking this one quite as much.  Maybe because I didn’t read the companion series and was just getting introduced to the world.  Or maybe because I found Zayne a bit dull.  However, the last third upped my rating of this book by half a star.  It ended with a bang and I will definitely be reading the next book now.  I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Mind-Bending Fiction

Recursion by Blake Crouch
Publication Date - June 11, 2019
4 stars



I have so many questions.  Mostly, what did I just read?  This book was insane and I read the entire thing with a headache and a sense that I was just on the verge of really understanding it.  Don't get me wrong, this was really good and I foresee this being a big book of the summer.  In essence it is about memories and traveling back to specific memories and changing them.  I'm not going to go into the summary too much...this is going to be a much reviewed book...but besides a couple of plot holes that I didn't feel were addressed well, this is a fun and fascinating read.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.