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If December always flies by, January is basically the opposite in that it drags on and on. With lots of gray cold days and lack of holidays to look forward to, I mostly look forward to settling in for good read at night or a bingeworthy TV show (our most recent was The Morning Show!). Have to do both of these things while wearing my favorite pajamas of course 🙂 If you are looking to add something to your “To Be Read” pile, take a look through the below for some of my recent reads- a historical fiction novel with royal flair, a juicy tell-all, two romances and a coming-of-age story set in New York City during the 1940s. I’m sure one of these will catch your eye!
The Gown–I’ve shared before how much I love anything and everything royal so when I spotted this book in the new arrivals at the library with a stunning shot if Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown on the cover, I knew I had to read it. Quite literally I judged the book by its’ cover. Well as a fan of both the royal family as well as historical fiction, this book did not disappoint. Heather is on a mission to find out more about her grandmother’s past after she passes away and leaves her some beautiful embroidered lace flowers. Turns out her grandmother, Ann, was one of the women to work on Queen Elizabeth’s wedding dress. The novel follows Heather’s quest to find out more about her grandmother with Ann’s story of working on the dress, her close friend Miriam and why she kept it all a secret from her family.
My Friend Anna-I was totally sucked in to the news stories about Anna Delvey who pretended to be an heiress for months living in the lap of luxury in New York City and all over the world. This book is a memoir by her former friend Rachel. Rachel tells how she met Anna, more about her daily habits, the extravagant trips they went on, her behavior and the event that changed everything and ultimately led to Rachel’s arrest. If you are a Daily Mail or gossip mag reader, you’ll be super intrigued by this story that offers a bit more insight into Anna. There were a few parts of the book I felt like it dragged on, but this is Rachel’s real life story so if anything I think it adds to some of the anxiety and uncertainty she felt as things went on with Anna.
One Day In December- On her way home from work a few days before Christmas, Laurie spots a handsome stranger out the bus window. She isn’t even sure if she believes in this, but she is pretty sure it is love at first sight. After months of searching for her so called “bus boy” with her roommate and best friend Sarah, Laurie basically gives up. Cut to the next Christmas where Sarah introduces Laurie to her new boyfriend, Jack- and guess what? He is bus boy! Laurie’s unsure what to do, but decides it is in the best interest of her best friend to stay quiet. The book follows through ten years of Decembers for Laurie and Jack, through friendship, love, marriages, and so many ups and downs. The ending as you can imagine is quite emotional. Though a lot of the book takes place around the holidays, it can definitely be appreciated any time of year. If you loved The Light We Lost, you should definitely read One Day in December.
The Wedding Party-Â Another fun read from Jasmine Guilroy! If you’ve read The Wedding Date, The Wedding Party is set during Alexa and Drew’s engagement and what happens when two members of Alexa’s wedding party, her best friends Maddie and Theo, have a one night stand that ends up to be quite a bit more. Maddie and Theo decide they must keep their fling and steamy sex a secret from Alexa. As the wedding gets closer and closer, feelings between them start to change. A quick read that would be perfect for a beach vacation or if you are just looking for something fun.
City of Girls–I will be very honest and say for probably the first half of this book I was pretty unimpressed- not with the writing or the story, but with the main character. I just couldn’t feel myself connecting with her and I was feeling a little judgemental of some of her decisions so impacted how I felt about it. If I took my personal feelings away from things and focused just on the writing, the amazing character development and very interesting premise, I’d give the book a top grade. Just felt I had to be honest with my review since that is the whole reason I share them. City of Girls takes place in New York City primarily during the 1940s. Vivian’s parents send her to live in the city after she is kicked out of Vassar. Vivian arrives a little bit adrift, but soon finds a home at the playhouse her aunt runs, filled with actors and showgirls. She soon starts helping out at the playhouse by designing costumes and the course of her life is changed by her involvement there and the events of one night. Despite my initial reaction, the book is very well written and explores the theater world in New York in such an interesting way.
What have you read recently?
xoxo, Jenna
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