97: Summer Reads

These are the summer reads I have read so far:  

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

Good:  This book is almost a bit too descriptive.  I found myself skipping lines to cut to the chase.   As with any Karin Slaughter book, her descriptions don't hold anything back (as in you may be a bit disturbed) and you are sure to be on the edge of your seat trying to figure out 'who done it'.  

"Here was how a chain ripped flesh.  This was the damage wrought by kicking feet and punching fits.  Here is what a human being looked like when they wandered off into a world that did not cherish them, did not love them, did not ever want them to go home.  
Your mother was right.
The details tore me apart."

Glitter Baby by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
(reread)

Fantastic:  This is a reread for me (about my third).  I just love the story of Fleur Savage who is pushed into a world of fame by her mother.  This story has all the components I love- old glamor, romance, reinvention, and family drama.  

"The Glitter Baby was back.  She paused inside the arched entrance to the Orlani Gallery so the opening night guests would have time to recognize her....
Six years has passed since hers was one of the most famous faces in America.  The Glitter Baby wondered if they'd still remember... and what she would do if they didn't."

The Great Escape by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

OK:  This is my least favorite story.  I've actually set it down a few times and then returned to it.  I enjoyed the side stories more than the main storyline. 

"For more than ten years, every since Nealy's first presidential campaign, she'd tried to say the right thing, do the right thing, always smiling, forever polite.  Now she, who'd long ago mastered the art of small talk couldn't think of a single thing to say.
He jerked his head toward the rear of his bike 'Wanna go for ride?'"

Rose Gardner: Thirty Three and  Half Shenanigans by Denise Grove Swank

Good:  I only have three more to go.  I started this series last summer.  I love the evolution of Rose Gardner from country bumpkin to top detective (who also happens to get wacky 'visions' that really get her in deep trouble).  A fun/funny read for any true, blue southern gal. 

"'So why doesn't your aunt go out to Billy Jack's herself to see if Dolly Parton is out there?' 

 We were almost to Pickle Junction and I couldn't help thinking we were about to hop into a hornet's nest.

'Well... she can't an account of the squirrel jerky incident. '  Nelly Kate tried to hid her cringe, but she wasn't fooling me. 

.....'Neely Kate, what exactly are you draggin' me into?'"

A Funeral for My Fat:  My Journey to Lay 100 Pounds to Rest by Sharee Samuels

Good:  To be honest I purchased this book because I have been following Sharee Samuels Tumblr for years and I wanted to throw my support her way.  You can learn all about her and more on her Tumblr page here.  She shares everything from her book-  diet plans, her weight loss, surgery, and more.  She is a true inspiration. 

"Change does not happen in our comfort zone.  Change happens when your body is forced to work harder.  Losing weight and creating a healthy life take work... but it's worth it."  

It Was Me All Along:  A Memoir by Andie Mitchell

Fantastic: First, this girl can write.  Second, this was just a very moving and touching book that brought me to tears numerous times.  I could relate on every. single. level.  

"Eating made me forget.  The flavors, the textures, and smells entertained me enough to mute my other senses.  Filling my belly stuffed my mind so completely that no space existed for sadness.  Packing myself with sweet until I ached created a new sensation that had nothing to do with intense loneliness and broken homes."

Thinspired by Mara Schiavocampo

Meh:  After Andie Mitchell's memoir this book was very lacking.  I read this book in a few hours and learned very little about the author and her journey. She pretty much learned how to eliminate processed foods.  

"What actually happened is that I started making small, incremental changes in my life, things that in some ways were almost imperceptible. Once I got used to one, I’d make another. All the while, I went on about my life. I wasn’t agonizing."