May was a wonderfully book-filled month! I read nine titles in total—two intriguing autobiographies and seven works of fiction that spanned a variety of genres and styles. From powerful personal stories to imaginative escapes, each book brought something different to the table. Some captured my heart, while others missed the mark. My ratings range from 1 star to a glowing 5 stars. In this post, I’m sharing quick reviews, standout characters or moments, and my honest take on whether each book is worth adding to your own TBR list.

Leaving Time By: Jodi Picoult

Summary: Jenna is a young teenager tired of not knowing what happened to her mother ten years ago. Her mother, Alice, and father, Thomas, dedicated their lives to studying and protecting elephants. It was in their elephant sanctuary that Jenna’s mother, Alice, was found unconscious near the body of an employee of the sanctuary. Alice was taken to the hospital, where she vanished and had not been seen in 10 years.

Jenna is driven to determine why her mother left her and if she is dead or alive. She spent her childhood searching for answers but found no clues.  She enlists the help of Serenity, a psychic who once specialized in locating missing people, and Virgil, a former detective who was the last person to see her mother.

Review: I usually don’t read books with a psychic as the main character, but the book was recommended by several people in a book club, so I gave it a try. The psychic aspect works well in this book, and I didn’t find it distracting.

The elephants were my favorite characters in the story. Picoult provided a great deal of information about these beautiful giants, but what she did so well was develop specific elephants as main characters in the book.  Maura, an African Elephant, was the star of the book for me. In the author’s notes, you will find that the elephant characters in the book were based on actual elephants housed in sanctuaries around the world.

This book was filled with twists and turns, and I ended up loving it!

Audio Book

Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

Whose Names Are Unknown By Sanora Babb

Summary: Babb’s book was initially scheduled for print in 1939, but John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath was published first. The leadership and Random House determined that there was not enough room in the market for another book about the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. So, the story of the hardship and grit of the Dunne family remained unpublished until 2004.

In the novel, Babb writes about the journey of the Dunne family from the Dust Bowl of western Oklahoma to the migrant camps of California. The fact that she grew up in Oklahoma and worked in the migrant camps in California provided her with a perspective that Steinbeck did not possess.

Review:

This is a must-read book for history buffs. This book is much shorter than The Grapes of Wrath, but you feel as though you are seeing the desperation and suffering through the eyes of the characters. Babb used parts of her mother’s journal entries that documented her own experiences during the Dust Bowl. The use of these firsthand accounts always allows Babb to transport the reader to the farm in Oklahoma.

Audio Book, Book club

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classic

Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl By: Renee Rosen

Summary: This is a fictional account of Estée Lauder’s life, told by Gloria, a woman who befriends Estée in 1939 at the start of her career.  The novel incorporates elements from Estée’s real rise to fame but also takes liberties when creating the character of Gloria. Gloria is a socialite whose father lost everything when he was convicted of running a Ponzi scheme. Down on her luck, with no money and no skills, she finds herself in the same beauty parlor where Estée sells her creams. From that point on, their lives are intertwined.

Gloria and Estée have a love-hate relationship that covers many decades. Each woman must find her way through the end of the Depression, World War II, the 1960s, and the 1970s. Both women face hardships in their personal lives and careers.

Review: I was drawn to this book by its beautiful cover, and after reading it, I can confirm that the cover is indeed perfect. Now, to the actual story. Rosen did a lovely job of creating beautiful imagery for this time period, allowing me to visualize the significant settings in the storyline.

Clearly, the character of Estée is based on the real-life story of this skincare pioneer. It seems that the Estée we meet in the book is very much like the real Estée. I dislike the way Estée treats her husband, but from what I can tell, it is based on their actual relationship. Gloria, on the other hand, is a fictional character, but her circumstances are based on real-life events of the 1920s and 1930s.  I liked the character of Gloria better. It seems that the Estée we meet in the book is very much like the real Estée, but I wanted Gloria to develop more throughout the story.

Audio Book

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classic

Educated By: Tara Westover

Summary: In this memoir, Tara shares her experience of being raised in a family of survivalists in the mountains of Idaho. It is a story of family struggles that are exacerbated by the isolationist’s ideas and fears, first her father and later her mother. This isolation allows Tara to experience both mental and physical abuse.   Due to her parent’s beliefs, she has no formal education until she is 17, and so she must educate herself to break the changes that bind her to this cycle of abuse and isolationism.

Review: Clearly, I was late to the game in reading this book, which is highly recommended by a variety of prominent people. As an educator, I thought I would be drawn to the storyline of her educating herself and the success she found at several outstanding institutions of higher learning, but that was not the case. I was more interested in the mental aspects of her story. The abuse she endured, the mental illness in the family that was ignored, and the lasting impact her childhood trauma had on her adult life no matter how far she was from Buck’s Peak.

Audio Book

Memoir, Autobiography, Nonfiction

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave

Summary & Review:

This is a beautiful book about an extraordinary man in the most horrific time in U.S. history. In his autobiography, Douglass shares with the reader the story of his life, from birth as a slave to his emergence as a free man in his 20s. Much of the story is heart-wrenching to absorb as he tells of the evil dealt out to the men, women, and children who were slaves. The hardship and pain that they suffered every day is something no human should have to endure.

The book also shows just how brilliant and strategic he was from a very young age. He used every scrap of knowledge to first learn, then plan and finally succeed in escaping to freedom. It was a journey that took many years and suffered failures along the way. Finally, once free, he tirelessly worked to help slaves escape and fought to end slavery.

“The [Liberator] paper became my meat and my drink. My soul was set all on fire. Its sympathy for my brethren in bonds—its scathing denunciations of slaveholders—its faithful exposures of slavery—and its powerful attacks upon the upholders of the institution—sent a thrill of joy through my soul, such as I had never felt before!”-Frederick Douglass

This is a book that everyone should read at least once!

Audio Book

Memoir, Autobiography, Nonfiction, Historical

The Couple At Table Six by Daniel Hurst

Summary:

Hannah, a waitress at an Italian restaurant, becomes obsessed with a couple, Max and Nadine, who sit at table six every Friday night. Her obsession leads her to discover that Max and Nadine have secrets as well.  This novel takes many twists and turns as the lives of Hannah, Max, and Nadine become intricately intertwined in the most unexpected ways.

Review:

I found the plot to be farfetched, with twists and turns that did not flow well. Additionally, I did not find the characters to be well-developed or interesting. On a positive note, it is a short read or listen. I listened to this book on Audible, and towards the end, I adjusted the speed to 1.5 to reach the conclusion.

Audio Book

Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery

When Stars Align by Melissa de la Cruz

Summary:

This is a coming-of-age story that follows the lives of three child stars, Germaine, Miranda, and Sicily, who all starred in the same kids’ television show and remain friends after the show ends. In fact, they party together so much that they are nicknamed the “3 A.M. Girls” by the press, but then their fame begins to fade, and family problems bring even more drama to each of their lives.  The story captures the ups and downs they face when their fame starts to fade.

The book follows them from their teenage years in the limelight through the next turbulent 20 years as they work to determine who they will be as adults. Their friendship has the ebbs and flows that come with being friends for so long.

Review:

This book missed the mark for me. The storyline started out okay but then seemed to continue a downward spiral. I found the storyline and characters to be monotonous and boring. The main characters were underdeveloped and lacked depth, so I had no connection to them.

The younger members of the book club seemed to like the characters more than those of us who are older but still stated that the plot was repetitive.

Kindle, Book Club

Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Coming of Age

Echoes of Camano Island #1: Waves of Reckoning By: Kimberly Thomas

Summary: Over 20 years ago, Nikki had a falling out with her family. During those 20 years, Nikki only sees her estranged sister, Tara, at her parents’ funerals. Nikki receives a call that Tara has been in a terrible accident and is in a coma. Nikki immediately heads to her sister’s bedside and learns about what her sister has been up to on Camano Island. It is a story of regrets, healing, and building new bonds.

Review: I certainly disagree with most of the scores I see for the book reviews. The writing style reminded me of books that were published in the romance genre in the 1980s. I would not have finished the book if it was not for a book club.

Kindle, Book Club

Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

The Olive Tree: By Lucinda Riley  

Summary: Set in Cyprus at Pandora, a house left for Helena by her godfather. Helena was last at Pandora twenty-four years ago but has now brought her family to this special spot for the summer. Unfortunately, this return has opened Pandora’s box for her family, friends, and an old flame. Long-held secrets will come to light on the sunny days of summer that will tear some families apart and pull others together.

Review: I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read that had enough intrigue to keep me engaged in the book and one plot twist that I did not see coming. I recommend it for a summer reading list. It will make you want to visit Cyprus.

Audio Book

Fiction, Romance, Contemporary