Educated (Tara Westover)

Why I have this book: I bought the Kindle edition in the last year or so. I've actually read it before (borrowed), but I wanted to read it again. 

Last time I read it, I gave it four stars. This time I gave it five stars. (If you read it more than once, the rating you pick on the most recent read for Goodreads is what goes for the book every time you read it. For instance, the fact that I rated it five stars makes it five stars on both times I reported reading it even though I had rated it four stars before. It's too bad they don't let you rate it each time because sometimes your opinion changes, and it would be nice to note that.)

ANYWAY... I still really loved this book. This time I actually looked up Tara's family online since they own an essential oils company, and there they were. It was interesting to see pics of them and see their company after reading the book. They even have a bio of Tara linked to their company page, so that's interesting. I'm not sure what to think about that.

Such an interesting book. It's hard to know what the entire truth is since some in her family deny her perspective. Other family members seem to support her side. Families are complicated!

I can't remember, but I think there was some swearing. There were descriptions of domestic violence and graphic descriptions of injuries. My previous review of this book might be more accurate since I'm writing this review a couple weeks after I finished it.

Across the Winding River (Aimie K. Runyan)

Why I have this book: Someone online recommended it, so I bought it when it went on sale for under $2. I think I also got the audio version for a good price, but I didn't end up actually listening at all.

I gave this four stars on Goodreads. I honestly don't know how the story falls in line with historical accuracy, but I enjoyed it. I don't feel the need to research it. 

Some was a little confusing with the switching back and forth of dates and characters, but it wasn't too bad once I got into it. I would have liked to get to know a couple of the characters better, and I think there could have been a little more depth with some of the characters and storyline, but overall, it was a good read.

Mostly clean. Maybe some swearing. One sexual encounter outside of marriage, but not really descriptive.

What the Dog Ate (Jackie Bourchard)

Why I have this book: I enjoyed another book by the author earlier this month, and since this was an inexpensive one, I bought it on Kindle.

I gave this one four stars on Goodreads. I liked it a bit more than the first one I read. There were a few editing issues that could have been cleaned up, but overall, it was a smooth read that kept my interest.

If I remember correctly, there was profanity, inlcuding the F-word. There is sex outside of marriage (including mention of adultery), but not descriptive. This is going off of memory when I've read another book since, so... 

The Matchmakers of Minnow Bay (Kelly Harms)

Why I have this book: A friend recommended it, so I bought the Kindle version when I had some Amazon credit. I also borrowed the audio version when I was ready to read it. It was nice to go back and forth depending on what I was doing.

I liked this book and gave it three stars on Goodreads. I would have liked it more (and maybe given four stars) except there was a gross scene near the end involving the old boyfriend. I also felt like the ending didn't tie things up super well. (Did she ever get what she was owed? What happened with all that?) And I didn't like how things ended in general. I might have even dropped it to two stars except I liked the rest of the book.

The gross scene toward the end with the old boyfriend was surprising compared to the content of the rest of the book. There is unmarried sex (nothing descriptive besides the precious mentioned scene, which wasn't really that descriptive, but still gross). There was swearing, but not as much as in other books. Still, the F-word was there, I think. It's hard to remember the details when profanity has become so "acceptable" in most books these days. In all honesty, I'm kind of getting tired of being the profanity police. I might change up how I add these content sections. I'll have to think on that.

The Year of Less (Cait Flanders)

Subtitle: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life Is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store

Why I have this book: I bought the Kindle a while ago, and then borrowed the audio version to help me get through it. 

I gave this book two stars on Goodreads. The parts about what she actually did to change her life (get rid of things, stop buying, etc) were interesting. I wasn't as interested in the other things going on in her life, but maybe that's because I don't follow her blog or anything. I thought it was just going to be a book on living a minimalistic lifestyle, not a memoir. You know?

Anyway, that's it.

Clean. I don't remember any swearing, but there may have been. She talks about her experiences with drinking to excess.

The Drowning Woman (Robyn Harding)

Why I have this book: I saw it recommended online, and since I don't usually read thrillers, I thought I'd give it a chance. I bought the Kindle version.

I gave this one three stars on Goodreads. If I had the option, I'd maybe go with 3.5 or 3.7, but I couldn't quite get it to a four-star rating. While the book completely kept my attention, there were some implausibilities and a few random "wait, what?" editing moments that were a distraction. (For example, the police took a character's phone, then shortly after, her phone rings and she uses it, then shortly after, the police return her phone. Wait, what?)

Otherwise, I did enjoy the book as long as I suspend my disbelief.

There were a handful of F-bombs, as well as some other swear words. Sex happens, although not graphically described, and as the book is a thriller, you know there is murder and other death (including suicide) as part of the story.

The Last Bookshop in London (Madeline Martin)

Why I have this book: I've had it for a while on my Kindle, but borrowed the audio version so I could switch between listening and reading. (I mostly listened, and the narrator did a good job.)

I ended up giving this three stars on Goodreads. I liked the story, but felt like it got a little corny at times, especially at the end. I did appreciate the description of how WWII affected Londoners with all the bombing raids they endured. It's hard to imagine that level of destruction.

The writing was smooth, and it was easy to get sucked into the story. I just thought things were maybe a bit unrealistic toward the end. Am I too cynical about human nature? Maybe things were different back then with how people treated each other. There was a bit more praise/hero worship than I think was realistic for the situation, but I could be wrong. It was a sweet ending, though. 

Clean.