Early Summer Reads


Road trip reading time is my favorite - I finished five books in the last couple weeks of May because of a road trip we took to see our dear friends a few states over! I’m definitely in a thriller/suspense phase right now. Here are my opinions on my most recent reads.

Worst Case Scenario by T. J. Newman

In this book, a plane crashes into a nuclear power plant. The resulting damage threatens a nuclear disaster that would wipe out the United States, and it’s up to the everyday people of the town and workers at the plant to prevent that from happening. There was alot of heartbreak in this book, but I thought it was really beautifully done and life-affirming. It also lead to an interest in Chernobyl for me, so I’ve been reading more about that since finishing this book.

Content Notes: Lots of peril, disturbing descriptions of radiation poisoning, some bad language.


The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

Avery is a year-round resident of Littleport, Maine, and Sadie is just a summer resident. But one summer Sadie strikes up a friendship with Avery and changes her life…until a few years later when she is found dead, and Avery is left wondering if there was more behind their apparently spontaneous friendship. Megan Miranda always paints such a vivid setting in her books, and the town itself almost becomes a character that affects what all the main characters do - this book was like that as well. If you like small-town suspense, this book was pretty intriguing.

Content Notes: Moderate bad language, two characters sleep together (not described).


Sunrise On The Reaping by Suzanne Collins

I just read The Ballad Of Songbird And Snakes in order to get this book next. This follows Haymitch’s hunger games - how his family is ripped apart when he is chosen for the games, and the dire consequences he suffers for not playing by the rules. This one made me cry, but I loved how we got a peek into the “ever after” of all the characters from the other books in the last chapter.

Content Notes: Descriptions of violent deaths.


The Selected Poems Of Wendell Berry by Wendell Berry

After reading an article about where to start with reading Wendell Berry, I decided to try picking up a book of his poems. I have tried reading Jayber Crow before, but Berry’s writing style and way of viewing the world is so different from other books I’ve read, I’ve had a hard time getting into it. This poetry collection remedied that for me - I think I understand his philosophy and worldview better just after reading these poems. There were several poems in this collection that I saved to read again later. I will always have a harder time with poetry that doesn’t actually rhyme, but this book went a long way in helping me to see the appeal.


(No photo, I read this next one on Kindle.)

The Watcher Girl by Minka Kent

I needed a quick read for the last stretch of our recent road trip, and this book captured my attention pretty quickly. Grace discovers that her ex-boyfriend has a new family - but he has moved to Grace’s childhood home, married a women that looks alot like Grace, and his daughter is also named Grace. Something weird is going on, and Grace returns to her hometown to figure out what it is. I may have suspected a little bit of where this book was going, but the ending was surprising enough to be satisfying.

Content Notes: Moderate amount of bad language, two characters smoke marijuana.

I’ve got some great books going for my summer reading right now, so keep an eye out for another book roundup soon!

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