The Last Letter From Sicily

Last Letter From Sicily was a really sweet, beautifully written, very enjoyable historical fiction novel (with a dash of long-lost-lovers romance) set around WWII in Italy (specifically Sicily) & the US (specifically Milwaukee WI - I had no idea so many Italian immigrants went there in the 1900s!). Oh and the novel was based on the author's grandparents' story - how sweet is that!? 

The WWII time period is probably my top favorite historical fiction time period to read about, but this was the first one I've read from the Italian/Axis perspective, and I found it absolutely fascinating and I definitely learned new things (I know more about Mussolini now than I did before!) . Honestly I couldn't put the book down, it was a gripping story! I loved all the Italian phrases and the beautiful descriptions of Sicilian scenery and life. It was interesting to read about immigrants coming to the US from an Italian perspective too (not to mention heartbreaking; what a tough time so many people went through!). 

I do wish there had been character names at the top of each chapter, as occasionally we got the story from Concetta's dad (Enzo) or little sister's (Giuseppina) pov. I also wish that since we WERE getting multiple characters povs that we had been able to dive a little deeper into their characters. I think Enzo got a quick ending and resolution to all his character flaws, but we were left hanging a little bit with Giuseppina...what happened to her? Was the baseball guy a good thing? An epilogue might help tie up some of the lose ends! 

September Reads

 

Top favorites this month: 

Before Green Gables (the cutest prequel to one of my fav series - all 7 of which I reread at the end of last year! - the backstory of Anne, written in such a similar style.)

Queens of Crime (ARC. Love me some MB - this one was so fun about a group of female mystery writers in the 1930s who come together...and solve an actual mystery!). 

Anxious Generation (made me feel more than ever that we need to focus on a play-based-childhood & stay away from technology as long as we can!)

Pink Glass Houses (not fabulous, but hilarious! About the glamorous life and drama of wealthy PTA moms in Miami)

I also really enjoy's Kendra Adachi's newest - The Plan. So pumped to see her in person in a few weeks!

Evvie and I finished another Little House books...another one of my top FAV series!!

May Books

Nothing like a week in Hawaii (and two 12-hour travel days) to give you LOTS of time to read! And the 4 books I finished on our trip were all GREAT!! 

Paradise Problems was probably my top fav of the week. Spicy summer novel set on a gorgeous island...totally perfect as we were sitting at a beautiful Hawaiian resort! A couple has to pretend to be married in order for the guy to get his inheritance....and of course, after much drama, they fall in love for real. A few of my book club gals and I actually met the authors a few weeks ago when they came to Dallas for a book signing event so it was extra fun to read after hearing them talk about the book!

The next three were tied for me. Husbands was such an interesting concept (don't like your current husband? send him up into the attic and down comes a new one! interesting to think about what could happen if you really could turn your life upside down and start over that easily...and all the issues that come along with doing it!). 

Just for the Summer was a cute light read...lots of focus on mental health and family baggage. The characters were a little irritating to me for not being *quite* realistic enough, but in general it was a sweet book. 

Book club picks...The Fury was our May book (my pick! really liked it, didn't LOVE it. The style of writing was probably the most interesting part...written as a Greek tragedy, which was pretty cool.) 
The River We Remember is our June book (serious mystery....a little too serious for me!)

Top favorite book this month is Jodi's Picoult's new's book coming out on 8/20 - By Any Other Name. It was SO good!! It's a historical fiction and apparently a little different than her usual style. Alternated between two timelines, present day and 1500s. Super well researched. Feminist/sisterhood struggles in both times! In a nutshell: did Shakespeare actually write his works!?

Two non-fiction reads this month: Until the Streetlights Come On & Chasing Slow. Both really great reminders on the importance of kids getting enough time to just play outside and be free and unstructured & then just slowing down in life.

Two more in the Hawthorn drama...I'm just hooked on these. They're cute!

Two readalouds: another Poppy adventure (this was one of my favorites in the series so far - Mama Poppy goes on a trip home & takes her teenager with him....learns how to stand up to her family and majorly bonds with her kid by meeting him where he is). And the a sequel to a favorite of ours, In the Year of Ms. Agnes. Miss Agnes and the Ginger Tom wasn't quite as good as the first one, but we still loved it.