WHAT I READ IN JUNE 2022

Lots of books to cover this month, so let’s just dive right in.

THE SOULMATE EQUATION by Christina Lauren

4/5 Stars

This was a solidly cute book. A startup promises that it can match you with your genetic soulmate after analyzing your blood type… Jess, our main character, happens to have an unheard of match with the startup’s founder. It’s a little cheesy, and usually I don’t care for these kinds of books, but I found myself really liking the characters (especially the female friendships and sweet connection with her daughter).

FLYING SOLO by Linda Holmes

3/5 Stars

Linda Holmes’ Evvie Drake Starts Over was one of my favorite books and I was so looking forward to Flying Solo. It fell so flat for me though. A single woman, about to turn 40, volunteers to help clean out her aunt’s house after she passes away and mystery (and love!) unfolds after she discovers a wooden duck hidden under a pile of quilts. I couldn’t get excited about the plot at all. I kept thinking, “it’s a duck.”

MEANT TO BE MINE by Hannah Orenstein

4.5/5 Stars

I’m a big fan of Hannah Orenstein’s rom-com novels. Edie’s grandmother has been predicting the specific days when people would meet their soulmates, and now Edie’s day is here and she meets the love of her life, just as her grandmother predicted. But how far can “fate” go? I really liked all the Jewish traditions and Edie’s grandmother because my own Jewish grandma was born and raised in Brooklyn, too!

CLOUD CUCKOO LAND by Anthony Doerr

4.5/5 Stars

Okay. So this one took me two tries to get into and at first, I was like, “What?” and then I was like, “Whoa.” This is an absolutely brilliant book. I almost think it needs to be read twice to fully appreciate it. I don’t even know how to describe it so I’m just copying the book’s description. (Though honestly, you might want to go into it blind??? Just stick with it. I was confused at first and then was swept away into the stories.) “A triumph of imagination and compassion, a soaring story about children on the cusp of adulthood in worlds in peril, who find resilience, hope–and a book. In Cloud Cuckoo Land, Doerr has created a magnificent tapestry of times and places that reflects our vast interconnectedness–with other species, with each other, with those who lived before us, and with those who will be here after we’re gone.”

BETTER THAN THE MOVIES by Lynn Painter

3/5 Stars

A “cute” young adult rom-com– it just didn’t do it for me (and I think I’m just too old for it). A lot of people loved it though, so don’t necessarily take my word on it! I think it was just a little too cheesy and predictable for me. The boy-next-door has been a menace towards Liz since childhood. Now gearing up for their senior prom, he helps her try to get together with her all-time crush.

LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus

3/5 Stars

I kept seeing people rave about Lessons in Chemistry. I was so excited about it and then just couldn’t get into it. I was so bored throughout it. It’s the 1960s and Elizabeth Zott is a chemist forced out of her job from sexism. After losing the love of her life, she becomes the surprising star of a cooking show, winning the love of women across the country. (It has a bit of an Eleanor Oliphant vibe!)

HELLO MOLLY! by Molly Shannon

4/5 Stars

Molly Shannon’s memoir is a good one. I loved all the stories about how she got her start on SNL and hearing all the celebrity encounters. But her stories about her family and her challenging childhood were quite powerful. It’s an interesting dichotomy between her comedy and the tragedies she faced so early.

COVER STORY by Susan Rigetti

4/5 Stars

I don’t want to give anything away about Cover Story, other than to say I hated it… and almost didn’t finish it multiple times… and then I loved it. Can’t stop thinking about! If you’ve been swept up into all the stories about scams lately (think: Anna Delvey), definitely give it a try. I listened to it as an audiobook, but think I would have preferred reading a physical copy.

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