enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

june book report.

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Here we go…sort of a mixed bag this month…

Girl Underwater by Claire Kells / I don't think anyone recommended this to me, I just picked it off the "new book" shelf at the library. It was fine and a cool plot idea but it was also Young Adult which is a genre that tends to bug me. With this book I finally figured out why … I am sick of YA novels where the main female character is awesome but she won't admit it and fights it and hides in herself until a guy pulls her out of it. I mean really. We need more Hermione Grangers. Where's that spin-off franchise?

Before I Go by Colleen Oakley / not the hugest fan of this one either. It was about a woman who's re-diagnosed with cancer and knows she won't get through it (that's not a spoiler, that's the book). The story is how she spends those last few months (and it drove me insane). Personally, I enjoyed PS I Love You (which I read YEARS ago) more than this one.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon / when I posted by stack of books on Instagram the majority of the comments were something along the lines of "OUTLANDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I felt very out of the loop as I didn't realize that this was a whole series that has been written for 25 years and that it has such a huge following. (Now I know.) I tore through this first book and really enjoyed it (though I didn't expect it to be quite so sex-scene heavy). I'm currently listening to the second book (as an audio book loan from the library) and I think I'll (slowly) work my way through the rest of the series.

What You Left Behind by Samantha Hayes / this was an odd sort of medium thriller. It was sort of young adult. Sort of murder mystery. Sort of strange. I was intrigued enough to finish but not blown-away.

…like I said, mixed bag. Please tell me you've got some good recommendations for me! I'm currently reading The History of Love by Nicole Krauss and I've got Girl on a Train up next.

ps…more book reports and when I read.

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74 responses to “june book report.”

  1. Ilyssa Avatar
    Ilyssa

    Cutting For Stone!! I am about halfway through and I can’t put it down. It is beautifully written and a very engaging story. It’s one of those books where I want to slow myself down because I know it will eventually come to an end.

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  2. Melissa Marie Avatar
    Melissa Marie

    I am reading the book Scary Close. It’s an amazing book! I would recommend to anyone! You should give it a try. 🙂

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  3. Laura Avatar
    Laura

    Burial Rites by Hannah Kent – brilliant. I’m LOVING Station Eleven – thanks for the great recommendations, I use them to help fill up my library queue.

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  4. Paula Avatar
    Paula

    Girl on a Train is amazing! You will tear through that one quickly. Went and looked through my recently returned at my local library and would recommend the following:
    All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr (definitely lived up to the hype!)
    At the Water’s Edge – Sara Gruen (by the same author as Water for Elephants)
    All the Bright Places – Jennifer Niven (young adult but excellent young adult, I am a junior high teacher and am always looking for great books to recommend to my students)
    The Nightingale – Kristin Hannah (wonderful historical fiction based on WWII in Paris, loved it!)

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  5. Ann Avatar
    Ann

    I am a bit of non-fiction groupie and this may not be your deal at all. I’ve read The Wright Brothers by David McCullough. I love the story of how the brothers methodically worked through all the problems of building the “flying machine.” Erik Larson”s Dead Wake about the sinking of the Luistania is not cheery reading, but the intrigue around what was going on around with governments and their communication and other falsehoods the shipping company told to its passengers is sad as well as compelling.

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  6. Liz Avatar
    Liz

    I am reading Song of Solomon at the moment by Toni Morrison and it is really good…I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it for some reason but I really have got it into it!

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  7. alexis Avatar
    alexis

    I second the person who said Burial Rites -it’s a great book. Iceland in the early 19th century is a totally strange world to be so enthralled by, but enthralled I was. I also just finished listening to “The Book of Strange New Things” which I thought was fantastic. I love sci-fi that’s not robot and cyborg filled but rather real humans, in the real world, slightly in the future, and this was that.

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  8. Rebecca Avatar
    Rebecca

    Have you read The Book of Unknown Americans or Everything I Never Told You? I’ve read both this summer and really enjoyed them!

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  9. Amy Avatar
    Amy

    Girl on a Train is excellent. Totally had me hooked!
    I recently read We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since – it was really thought-provoking and had an interesting premise that was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I’ve been recommending it to everyone!
    Totally agree on the Young Adult front, too. There’s some really good stuff in that genre but too often the female characters are a little disappointing.

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  10. Amy Avatar
    Amy

    I really liked Everything I Never Told You, although the ending bummed me out! Not enough to not recommend the book, though – it was really intriguing throughout.

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  11. Liliya Dimitrova Avatar
    Liliya Dimitrova

    I am currently reading All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr and the book totally grabs me from the beginning.

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  12. Misti Avatar
    Misti

    If you like non-fiction, I just read Eat & Run by Scott Jurek which was pretty decent. I tend to read a lot of non-fiction these days. I really liked 127 Hours by Aron Ralston and The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love by Kristin Kimball.

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  13. Terri Torrez Avatar
    Terri Torrez

    This is on my list. Moving it higher. Thanks.

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  14. Terri Torrez Avatar
    Terri Torrez

    Just finished Where a They Found Her (McCreight). A mystery from the perspective of four different women. I really enjoyed this because all of the characters were flawed. (But not nearly as depressing as Girl on the Train.)
    Really loved Rules of Civility (Towles). The characters were great and the twists and turns in the plot were unexpected and yet totally real.
    Also working my way through the mysteries of Louise a Penny. Very Agatha-Christie-murder-in-the-village but set in modern day Canada.

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  15. Christen Avatar
    Christen

    My recent favorites are All the Bright Places and The Nightingale. I liked the The Secret Life of Violet Grant as a fun summer-type book.

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  16. Christen Avatar
    Christen

    This is one of my all time favorites!

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  17. Melissa D Avatar
    Melissa D

    I felt exactly the same way about Before I Go. I ended up browsing the last third because I just couldn’t connect with any of the characters.

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  18. Cheryl Avatar
    Cheryl

    Love your book reports, and am always intrigued enough by at least one to make a purchase – this month, it will be Outlander (which even though I’m a HUGE reader, I hadn’t heard of either). I enjoyed Girl on the Train but (no spoilers of course) thought it was a bit obvious. (I can’t even say what I guessed as it will give things away). It was a great page turner, though. I’m currently obsessed with all things Margo Lanagan – I read “Brides of Rollrock Island” earlier this year, and have recommended it to everyone I know – haunting, mesmerising, and just beautifully written – about selkie-women, and magic, and love, and a tiny island and the people who live there. Part of what I love about your book reports is that you always get great recommendations in the comments section, so thought I’d add mine this time 🙂 Happy reading. Cheryl xxx

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  19. Anna Avatar
    Anna

    Another recommendation for The Dirty Life! I love gardening and occasionally daydream about doing it full-time, so this is a fun glimpse of what that actually looks like… it convinced me I am probably not cut out to be an actual farmer!

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  20. Grace Nixon Peterson Avatar
    Grace Nixon Peterson

    I know you lean towards the fiction side of things…but have you read Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar? It was SO beautiful and I read much of the book through glassy eyes ready to cry. It was real and raw and compassionate – highly recommended!

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  21. Meghan Andrews Avatar
    Meghan Andrews

    LOVE this picture of you Elise– the little baby belly is right there, making itself known– and great lighting– lovely reading picture! I am a book NUT and haven’t even tried it via Kindle– okay, latest reads:
    THE GRAPES OF WRATH by Steinbeck– I love the classics– this was as fantastic as I remember, more intense now that I’m a mother, and just so beautiful…
    THE GIRL YOU LEFT BEHIND by JoJo Moyes– I have not read anything else she wrote and I had a visceral reaction to this book– I loved the historic parts, as sad as they were, and HATED the modern parts and characters– the protagonist was so whiny and filled with self pity that it was irritating… not what I look for in reading! However, I liked Moyes’ style enough that I will try ME AND YOU…
    Anything by Sarah Addison Allen
    THE THREE JUNES by Julia Glass. I have yet to read anything I don’t absolutely love by Glass. Her style is lovely and intense, her characters are beautifully created, and this book is redeeming and kind of happy in the end. Very life like, because there is great sadness, and struggle with some of the characters’ spirits, but ultimately its peacefully ended. Loved it.
    Actually taking my girls to the library today for a new stack… thanks for your recommendations!

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  22. Suzanne Avatar
    Suzanne

    A dear favorite of mine for several years now: “The World to Come” by Dara Horn. Amazon says: “The World to Come, is an intoxicating combination of mystery, spirituality, redemption, piety, and passion.”
    Such a beautiful book 🙂

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  23. Armalite Avatar
    Armalite

    I recently was very impressed by “The versions of us”, a personal uchrony where the author explores three different versions of a couple’s life. It was very moving and thought-provoking at the same time, seemingly saying that whatever your choices, you WILL make mistakes in life, just different ones, which I found to be pretty liberating 🙂

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  24. Cathie Avatar
    Cathie

    Cecilia Ahern is a new-to-me favorite author. I would recommend more of her books, if you haven’t read them already. I’ve been working my way through her collection and they are all delightful.
    ps: I love looking through your book reports. thanks for sharing.

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  25. Ellen Schaefer Avatar
    Ellen Schaefer

    This month’s favorite so far is The Rosie Project …

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  26. Cortney Avatar
    Cortney

    Yes yes yes to Station Eleven!!

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  27. Stephanie Avatar
    Stephanie

    Where They Found Her is excellent. For YA novels that don’t follow the typocal format I love Sarah Dessen.

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  28. Karli Avatar
    Karli

    I feel the same way about Outlander! The first book was so good and I flew through it. But I was not a fan of all the sex-scene content. That stuff tends to take away from the rest of the book in the sense that it kind of ruins it for me. That stuff is not necessary, in my mind, to make the book good. But the second book isn’t too bad. I am slowly reading through it. It hasn’t quite captured me like the first did.
    If you are looking for a good classic, I suggest North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell. I saw the BBC series and am now listening to the audio book… hooked! It is a great love story and, like I said, a classic. So it is a good change from the novels of today.

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  29. Leanne Vanderhyde Avatar
    Leanne Vanderhyde

    Loved Girl on the train! If you ever get a chance to read the Bronze horseman, i really recommend it – i think i ignored all loved ones and found myself completely immersed in this 3 book series. Still number one book of all time, happy reading! X

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  30. Michal Lynn Avatar
    Michal Lynn

    I can’t get Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll out of my head. It’s very heavy…i had a lot of anxiety reading it, but it was so compelling. I have plans to read three particular books this summer: The Vacationers by Emma Straub, Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan, and Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead. Another great way to find new books to read is my new fave podcast, All the Books. It’s hosted by two awesome ladies who write for Book Riot. They will have you adding books to your TBR pile for sure. There’s a new episode every Tuesday!

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  31. Catie Avatar
    Catie

    I just finished Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. It’s non-fiction. I enjoyed it a lot, and had some really good takeaways. I thought of you a few times during the book because I think it aligns with lots of what you say on here about goals, priorities, etc. So while it would probably not blow your mind you might find it interesting.

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  32. Ruth Avatar
    Ruth

    I read that a few years ago with my Book Club and really, really enjoyed it. Much more than I thought I would!

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  33. Kat Avatar
    Kat

    All the light we cannot see – just finished this and loved it!!! Missing all the characters now.

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  34. Ruth Avatar
    Ruth

    I’m about a third of the way through The History of Love and can’t decide what to make of it. I’m now inspired to dust off my very old copy of Cross Stitch (Outlander to you guys in the US) and read it for the gazillionth time.
    I went to the library today with my son for the first time in years (I kid you not, our library cards had expired!) and was so overwhelmed by choice that I came away without choosing anything at all. Pathetic.

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  35. Michelle Avatar
    Michelle

    Recently I’ve read – and loved –
    The Godather and The Last Don – Mario Puzo
    Wild Mountain Thyme – Rosamund Pilcher. I still recommend her books if you have not read them. Especially Coming Home and The Shell Seekers.
    Currently reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes – part of OUTLANDER!!!!!! Lol
    Have you read the Clan of the Cave Bear and the rest of the series? I read them over and over.

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  36. Michelle Avatar
    Michelle

    Ruth! Talk to the librarian on duty! They do Readers Advisory and love to recommend books. Here in the US most libraries produce bookmarks or even sign that say, if you loved Outlandet, try these books: with a list. Or maybe not Outlander specifically but you get the gist.

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  37. Kelly Avatar
    Kelly

    Have you read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks? I think you’d really enjoy it. Historical fiction and very fascinating. It is older so you’ll probably find it easily at the library. Outlander 2 has been hard for me to get into, but I’m trucking along.

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  38. Maureen Avatar
    Maureen

    In general on the east coast, YA means for high school students. I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t like them.

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  39. Ashley Avatar
    Ashley

    Ruby – Cynthia Bond, heavy but so, so beautifully written.
    Orient – Christopher Bollen, smart murder mystery, also beautifully written.
    Everything Is Perfect When You’re A Liar – Kelly Oxford, hilarious collection of personal essays.

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  40. Katie Avatar
    Katie

    Loved your review of Girl Underwater – not because I’ve read but because you’re totally right about so many books, not just YA – but particularly YA.
    I loved Beautiful Ruins – can’t remember if you’ve read that one already, but it’s on my mind since I was recommending it to someone else recently.

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  41. lisa valinsky Avatar
    lisa valinsky

    Orphan Train. It’s historical fiction, set in the late 1920s through the 1940s, and is about orphan children who were sent on trains from the northeast to the midwest. The story focuses on two women: one teenager, and one old woman, and how their lives are surprisingly similar.
    I recommend it!

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  42. Darci Avatar
    Darci

    Love reading the comments…feverishly adding to my Good Reads shelf. Loved The Girl on the Train. Just finished Station Eleven and very much enjoyed it. I am currently reading Paper Town, a YA novel by John Greene. Very much enjoying. Heading out on vacation next week and have Yes, Please (I know late to the party) and several unfinished novels on my kindle app- Language of Flowers, All the light we can not see and The Invisible Man.

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  43. Jenna L. Avatar
    Jenna L.

    Anything by Tana French!

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  44. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    I’m reading Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber at the moment. Gorgeous literary work and fun to read.
    Mostly I just want Campaign “We need more Hermione Grangers” to a be a thing. I won’t even pick up YA novels because of my fear of squishy, boy-needing girl characters.

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  45. Sara Kiiru Avatar
    Sara Kiiru

    I should probably have checked all your previous book reports to make sure I don’t recommend something you’ve already read, but I didn’t. I recently read Love Walked In (Marisa de los Santos), which I didn’t like at first but ended up really enjoying. Also read Vintage (Susan Gloss) and Shotgun Lovesongs (Nickolas Butler), both of which were awesome. I just got Butler’s new book of short stories from the library and can’t wait to read it. Hope you make time to give these books a chance.

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  46. Sarah M Avatar
    Sarah M

    I’m currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir which is going to be a movie (with Matt Damon as the main character) out in a few months. It’s reallllly interesting and science-y and it’s got a pretty amazing plot line. I’m looking forward to the movie as well.
    Next up, I’ve got Jon Krakauer’s newest, Missoula.
    Sarah M

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  47. Kyriam Avatar
    Kyriam

    the circle! couldn’t put it down !

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  48. Henriettae Avatar
    Henriettae

    I just read Five days left, by Julia Lawson Timmer, and loved it!! Also, the whole Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear.

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  49. Kerry G. Avatar
    Kerry G.

    I just want to say a big AMEN for your call for more Hermiones in YA fiction. Yes please!

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  50. Sharon Avatar
    Sharon

    Not YA, but if you’re looking for a kick-ass heroine, try the Phryne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood – it’s set in Melbourne in the late 1920s and the closest analogy I can think of is that she’s a 1920s female James Bond who solves murders rather than spying. The Australian Broadcast Association has made a TV series of it too (costumes and cast are amazing) – I think it’s available in the US.

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