enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

IMG_0650

So I did a book report at the beginning of the month…but then I read five books. And I'm not sure what it was but this was a REALLY good reading month. I couldn't put these down. More than twice I skipped post Ellerie bedtime TV watching to just sit on the couch and read.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart / okay, this was the slight fail of the bunch. I wrote down the books as I finished this month so I wouldn't forget and without that list I would have for sure forgot this one. It was Young Adult which I never really connect with but somehow still find myself reading (I should do a better job vetting books that I add to my library queue). It wasn't BAD at all, just (for me!) not something I would recommend over and over.

The Likeness by Tana French / I really enjoyed this. It's a murder mystery with a twist… woman turns up dead and happens to look just like a local detective who used to work under cover. There are no leads in the murder and so they pretend the victim didn't die and the detective pretends to be her to gain insight into the life of the victim before she was killed. Far fetched? Absolutely. Interesting? For sure. Couldn't put it down.

I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes / again, another win. This is a thriller in the truest sense. It starts out a little crazy but settles into a great groove. My only issue is I spent the first half of the book confused on what was "real time" and what was flashback. Even now, I am not sure how long after 9/11 the book was supposed to take place (relevant because the events of 9/11 play a role). But it was interesting and horrifying (I spent a lot of time telling Paul how we are going to be attacked next) and a crazy page-turner (like the kind where you're scanning the right page while you're reading the left page).

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty / this was my third book by this author and it proved just as interesting as her others. I love the links she creates between her characters. I think if I was picking favorites, I would stick this below Big Little Lies, but still, it's a fun (not sure if that's the right word, but it's what comes to mind) and quick read about a heavy topic. Just what I needed after the intensity of I am Pilgram.

Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan / this is a memoir about the important mother/daughter relationship and of course it hit all the right notes for me as both a daughter and a mother to a little girl. All the feelings with this one. Unlike most memoirs that tend to read more like short stories, this one tells one full story of her experience nannying for a family that had recently lost their mother to cancer. Quick read, good read. Recommend for mothers OR daughters (so basically, everyone who reads this blog.)

I am almost done with Reconstructing Amelia and then I have a long books on my list to take to Hawaii. What are you reading? Have you read any of the five I mentioned? Thoughts?

see all book reports (and the comments sections filled with great recommendations!) here.

Other posts you might enjoy: 

Posted in

58 responses to “april book report (part 2).”

  1. Dolly Avatar

    I think I Am Pilgrim is my favourite book ever!

    Like

  2. Delaney Avatar

    I am Pilgrim sounds great! I am back on a bit of a reading binge after a long hiatus, so I haven’t read any of this round of recommendations – this gives me lots to look forward to. I did just finish “The Light Between Oceans”. It was one of the best books I’ve read in a really long time. It’s one heck of a tear-jerker, but an incredible read. I’d highly recommend it!

    Like

  3. Eileen Avatar

    I will have to pay attention to your recommendations because I really disliked “We Were Liars”, lol.
    Is “The Likeness” part of a series? I have a Tana French book on my reading list, but haven’t had a chance to get/read it yet.

    Like

  4. Ann Avatar

    I loved the Likeness the most of her books.
    Eileen – it’s not part of a series, but some of the same characters show up throughout her books.

    Like

  5. Kelsey Avatar

    I keep eyeing The Husband’s Secret every week when I wander through B&N, but I’ve been so apprehensive because I see her other titles plastered all over the place and even though multiple works can mean an author keeps churning out work because s/he is really good, it can also mean the opposite and I’m always afraid I’ll get stuck with a crappy story. So. All that to say: I feel like I HAVE to read this now, which is not at all a bad thing. I picked up two books yesterday for May and I’m already finished with one! More books are in order for sure!

    Like

  6. Claire Avatar

    Haven’t read those but will add them to my own growing list. Here’s what I have read so far this year. http://elizabethclairewood.com/reading-recommendations/books-of-2015/
    I also recently found a list of the top 100 books of the decade so far and hadn’t ready hardly any of them (gasp!) I am in the middle of The Unnamed (from that list) and can’t put it down.
    Here’s the Oyster list. https://review.oysterbooks.com/p/CsJZWweDo3pnr3cFHXfu9k/100-best-books-of-the-decade-so-far?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=2015_04_16_100bb

    Like

  7. Anna Avatar

    I am currently on a huge Ann Patchett kick – I finished State of Wonder a little while ago and am now diving in to Bel Canto. She is an incredible writer!

    Like

  8. Amy Avatar

    I felt the same about We Were Liars. I’m getting more into YA this year, and have read some great ones (Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill sticks out – it was fantastic!) but this fell a bit flat with me. I just wasn’t that fussed about finishing it, which is never a good sign!
    I’m currently reading The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood – something I should have read a long time ago but for some reason never got around to. I’m kicking myself, because I’m loving it so far!

    Like

  9. Ann Avatar
    Ann

    I read “The Husband’s Secret” a couple of months ago. Her plot twists and turns kept me moving. The characters were well developed. And the ending surprised me. Just finished “Glitter and Glue.” I didn’t think the nanny story would encompass the majority of the book although peeling off her experiences as a kid and translating them to later in her life proved insightful. The “glitter and glue” line is worth the price of the book! As a “glue” mom, I appreciated the ways she celebrated those of us who keep things stuck together.
    I recently completed “Tiny Beautiful Things” by Cheryl Strayed. Not every essay is great, yet one or two of them are priceless. Her one on losing a mother is simply stunning. And I’m reading a much heavier book called “Banker To the Poor” about the Grameen Bank.

    Like

  10. Marina H Avatar
    Marina H

    Ooh! I just finished “The Royal We” (can’t remember author’s names) and it was so fun. Essentially a book about Will and Kate falling in love with changed names. Super duper enjoyed.

    Like

  11. Amy Avatar
    Amy

    I’ve been in a book slump. I’ll check books out from the library or download to Kindle and then not read them. Or start them, but not be interested enough to keep going. Ugh. But I’m putting a hold on The Likeness and I Am Pilgrim right now to get me out of my slump!
    My mom and I have a book club and we just finished The Language of Flowers. It sort of hurt to read, but I ended up really enjoying it. (You wrote about it several months ago.) Thanks for your reviews. I always like hearing your thoughts.

    Like

  12. Melissa Avatar

    Totally agree with you! I thought the Husband’s secret was good, but I liked Big Little Lies better. But really……all her books draw me in!!! I am putting I am Pilgrim on my list!

    Like

  13. Elizabeth Avatar

    Kelly Corrigan’s other books are even better : ) The Middle Place is one of the better books I’ve ever read, and Lift is short (a hour read) but heartwrenching (a weepy read)

    Like

  14. Molly Avatar
    Molly

    I’m reading and really enjoying The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez right now. It centers around the fictional love story of two immigrant teenagers and weaves throughout experiences and stories of real immigrants.

    Like

  15. christen Avatar
    christen

    I just finished Nightingale by Kristin Hannah and loved it!!

    Like

  16. Elizabeth Avatar

    AN hour read, I mean. And I should add that’s saying a lot because I also loved Glitter and Glue! : )

    Like

  17. lisa valinsky Avatar

    I just started the Nightingale! Seems like it’s going to be an excellent book.

    Like

  18. Hannah L Avatar
    Hannah L

    I haven’t read any of those yet. BUT I have read The Jolly Postman from your other post! I love it! Years ago when I was a teenage babysitter I used to read it to kids I sat for. Totally forgot about it- my kids are probably too old now, dang it! Maybe I should get a copy for visitors… 😉

    Like

  19. JB Avatar
    JB

    This was written by Heather and Jessica, aka the Fug Girls! They run a funny website called “Go Fug Yourself” – you should check it out!

    Like

  20. Sarah M Avatar

    I haven’t read any of these but right now I’m stuck in The Signature of All Things (it’s good, but I almost never read fiction, especially HUGE fiction books, so I’m trudging), and All Joy and No Fun: The Modern Paradox of Parenting by Jennifer Senior and I really like it!
    I almost always have to insert a nonfiction/cultural study-type book between my fiction reading. I don’t know why I find fiction so hard to stick with, but I did find out that Signature of All Things is going to be a BBC Masterpiece show, so I really want to finish it by the time that happens…haha.
    Sarah M

    Like

  21. heikeheadley@gmail.com Avatar
    heikeheadley@gmail.com

    Your description of The Likeness reminds me of the series “Orphan Black”. Have you watched it? Weird but so good!

    Like

  22. kayla Avatar
    kayla

    fun list! i also read “we were liars” and felt very meh about it. kind of an intriguing concept but then it feels like such a cop out when you find out the twist. also, goldens dying in a fire? no thanks, haha.
    i love liane moriarty books! just finished “three wishes” and it was as entertaining as the others that i’ve read of hers.
    “glitter and glue” is on my list! i think i need to add the others on here to my list as well. 🙂

    Like

  23. michelle t Avatar
    michelle t

    Great book, The Handmaid’s Tale, enjoy! Michelle t

    Like

  24. April Avatar
    April

    I am finishing up ‘Art, Inc.’ which is great, with tons of useful information. Its direct and to the point with lots of examples. I’m also finishing ‘The Happiness Project’ which is also a good read however for some reason it has taken me longer to finish than anticipated.

    Like

  25. michelle t Avatar
    michelle t

    I just read The Fringe Hours, based on Ali Edwards’ blog post about it couple months ago. I enjoyed it. It doesn’t really fit my situation, but I knew that going in and was still able to gain something from it. Good book. Next on my list is the new parenting teens book by Dr Kenneth Goldberg, the author of my go to, Letting Go With Love And Confidence, which I’m thinking I need to check out again. (Which would be the 5th or 6th time). Thanks for sharing your list. Michelle t

    Like

  26. Dottie Avatar
    Dottie

    I’m curious where you get your book inspiration? I’ve been in a reading rut and just picked up a book this am to try and kick off a change in the right direction! But I didn’t know if you just kind of pick and choose, or what. My brain needs more fun work!

    Like

  27. Mary Avatar

    Thanks so much for all the recommendations, Elise! Right now I’m reading Joseph Anton, Salman Rushdie’s memoir/autobiography- but I’m almost done aaaand I’m currently unemployed so books are more my best friends than usual! 🙂

    Like

  28. Louise Avatar
    Louise

    Dear Elise (& everyone else), you MUST read Stoner, by John Williams. (Oops – that just sounds bossy, I should say I highly highly highly recommend . . .) I read it for my book club, then immediately re-read it. It’s sad, desperately sad, I’ll warn you in advance. But the tears I cried on second reading were not so much for the novel itself as the knowledge that I might have lived my whole life and never have read it.
    Of course, it may not speak to you with the same passion with which it spoke to me. But it may. And for a couple hours of your life (it’s a slim novel & a quick read) it’s worth the risk. (And also very possible that you’re all way ahead of me & have read it already – it was published in 1965 and has been a best-seller over here (in the UK) since 2013 – so, as per usual, I’m rather late to the game . . .)

    Like

  29. Kathleen Avatar

    I actually really loved We Were Liars. But Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite authors right now. I’m currently listening to Big Little Lies on audio.

    Like

  30. Janet K Avatar
    Janet K

    This is next on my list!

    Like

  31. Candy Avatar

    Okay, I was in a bit of a reading slump and then suddenly read back to back books that were excellent.
    The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
    The Pearl that Broke its Shell by Nadia Hashimi
    I also just re-read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon after reading it 15+ years ago. And I enjoyed it just as much the second time around.
    Good luck finding some awesome books to read!! And have a fantastic trip to Hawaii!

    Like

  32. Veronica de la Cruz Avatar

    Elise, I noticed “The Likeness” is #2 in the series. Did you read “In the Woods”(#1 ) before this one? If not, would you recommend reading them in order? Thanks!

    Like

  33. Joelle Avatar

    I just finished reading Rip Tides, which is the 9th book of the Lei Crime Series. This series is SUPER fun read that follows a troubled female cop in Hawaii on crazy murder cases. The author, Toby Neal lives on Maui and is a good friend of mine. She self published her books and she’s been crazy successful. You should try one out. It’s a quick, easy, fun read that casts a more gritty light on Hawaii. The first few books are set on different islands, but eventually she settles on Maui. I normally HATE books set in Hawaii because they can get so cheesy. This is the one exception that I think gives a pretty authentic description of real life in the islands.

    Like

  34. Marina H. Avatar
    Marina H.

    Yes! I was commenting on my phone and didn’t have the ability to look them up. Apparently they also have a YA series. They did quite a bit of research for The Royal We. It was impressive. I’m hoping they do a second one about the recent Australian/NZ tour 🙂

    Like

  35. Lauren Avatar

    Oh so many wonderful suggestions from your post and in the comments! I am Pilgrim is on my to-read very soon list! I am putting together a post on the books I read this month as well – I have been reading on my Kindle so I don’t have a fun book photo like you do 🙂

    Like

  36. Melissa Marie Avatar

    I am reading Inside the O’Briens by Lisa Genova. Have you heard of it? I know you loved Still Alice, so you might want to give this one a try. So far it’s pretty good, but as always it’s so hard to read a book where a person is going though a illness or disease that cannot be cured.
    Also random question did you see Still Alice the movie? I haven’t seen it yet! 🙂

    Like

  37. Rachel Avatar
    Rachel

    The Husband’s Secret has been on my desk for months. I plan on reading it next! Yay! I scanned the comments, but didn’t see if anyone mentioned that Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman bought Big Little Lies. They are turning it into a mini series. So that’s always fun. Reese put this info out on an Instagram video last week, but she posts a lot of good book recommendations. Also, The Likeness for sure reminded me of Orphan Black like the above comment mentioned. Love that show!!

    Like

  38. Kristin B Avatar
    Kristin B

    The Handmaid’s Tale is one of my favorite books! If you like her writing and the clever way she comments on women in society, another fun read is the “Penelopiad” by Margaret Atwood. If you’re familiar with Homer’s classic “the Odyssey”, this is a retelling of the incident from Penelope’s point of view (Penelope being the wife of Odysseus). It’s a pretty quick read and it’s written in a creative way, mixing chapters of prose with chapters of “songs” from Penelope’s handmaids. I think the Handmaid’s Tale is still the best of the Atwood books I’ve read, but this one is a fun one and has been adapted for theatre performances.

    Like

  39. Kristin B Avatar
    Kristin B

    “(like the kind where you’re scanning the right page while you’re reading the left page)”
    YES! That’s what I’m currently doing with the fifth Song of Ice and Fire book: Dance with Dragons by George R R Martin. I’m trying to read it all before HBO releases new episodes so I don’t see Internet spoilers (even though I don’t watch the TV show, myself).

    Like

  40. EMILY Avatar
    EMILY

    I’m finishing up Rob Lowe’s autobiography, Stories I Only Tell My Friends (super fun to read about his career in the 80s and 90s), and The Girl on the Train (excellent thriller!)
    I’m about to start Still Alice!

    Like

  41. christi in ma Avatar
    christi in ma

    Elise, have you read Hawaii by James Michener? It was one of my favorite books as a kid. It’s multi-generational story and perfect for a long flight to Hawaii.
    I’m reading Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver – a light Agatha Christie-ish 1930s British murder mystery, Younger by Suzanne Munshower – an interesting thriller and A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman – about a quirky widowed Swedish man.
    I just finished The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard Morais and really loved it.

    Like

  42. Bethany Avatar
    Bethany

    Thank you for doing these book reports! I always find some good reads. I have read We Were Liars and I agree with you – it wasn’t necessarily bad, but it just wasn’t awesome, either.
    I’m currently reading The Bone Clocks by Robert Mitchell (the same guy who wrote Cloud Atlas, which is excellent, btw).

    Like

  43. Kristi Avatar

    Thank you for the book recommendations. Funnily enough, I just posted latest reads and The Husband’s Secret was on there, too.

    Like

  44. Kathy Ellen Davis Avatar

    I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t like We Were Liars…I’ve read it twice now for both my Adults read YA bookclubs, and it’s amazing on the second read to see how the hints are there all along. I do read a lot of YA though. I couldn’t stop thinking about that book and about how much work had to go into writing it.
    Good books I’ve read lately:
    Echo (MG/historical fiction)
    All the Bright Places (YA…so good!)
    An Ember in the Ashes (YA, coming out TODAY!)
    And I LOVE Make Money, Make Art, about Jim Henson’s approach to money and business.
    Oh! and for adults, The Lover’s Dictionary. Quick read with lots of great words. Almost reads like poetry. Hope you have fun with lots of books in May!

    Like

  45. marcela Avatar
    marcela

    Thanks Elise I have to add The Husband’s Secret to my list. Just finished The Stranger by Harlan Coben and loved it! Then again i love all his books hehe they always read well and with good twist.

    Like

  46. melissa Avatar

    I love that you do this. I just added a few reads to my list 🙂 Thanks!
    I also had to tell you that I totally agree that Big Little Lies takes the cake over Husbands Secret but I couldn’t put down either. They are both just too good! If you haven’t read it, I just finished The Girl on The Train which was similar and also great.

    Like

  47. Brittany Avatar
    Brittany

    How do you go about discovering new books to read?

    Like

  48. Serafina Avatar
    Serafina

    I felt the exact same way about “We Were Liars”, I just couldn’t get into it! It’s the only book I couldn’t finish so far this year!

    Like

  49. SarahJane Avatar
    SarahJane

    We did the Hundred Foot Journey for book club a few months ago. I liked the book just fine, but I must admit that I absolutely LOVED THE MOVIE WAY MORE than I liked the book!

    Like

  50. Samantha Avatar
    Samantha

    Thanks for the book report! I love your recommendations. I went to the library and got a copy of Glitter and Glue, can’t wait to start it!
    I recently read “The art of asking” by Amanda Palmer. She is an artist and writes about the difficulties of asking and accepting help and how she developed her community where she can ask for anything anywhere in the world. It is really good for artists and not artists too.

    Like

Leave a comment