This month was kind of a bummer when it comes to reading. I had to set aside 3 books and there were several I had high hopes for that I just didn’t love as much as I wanted to. Still, the books that I loved this month, I truly loved, so I’m excited to share them with you here. I am currently reading what will likely be my final book of the year and I expect it to be a 5 star read as well. You can see the first half of my December reading here and I will share the rest of my December reads next week. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.
Title: Once More With Chutzpah
Author: Haley Neil
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA, 2/1/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 5 Stars
“You’re not weird; you are living your own story.” My first 2022 book was Once More With Chutzpah by Haley Neil and I loved it. This book is about discovery, identity, Judaism, sexuality, anxiety, and grief. Tally wants to help her twin brother Max heal after a car accident that injured him and killed the driver. The two embark on a winter break exchange program to Israel, where Tally hopes Max will meet new friends and get himself back on track. But what she’s not ready to address is her own feelings about what happened and how the trip will also help and heal her.
“When high school senior Tally and her twin brother Max head off on an exchange trip to Israel over their winter break, Tally thinks it will be a good distraction for Max; he might be trying to hide it, but she knows he’s still struggling in the wake of a car crash that injured him and killed the driver. Maybe this will help him get back on track and apply to college the way he and Tally always planned. But as the group travels across the country, Tally realizes her plan might not be working, and that her brother might not be the only one with a lot on his mind. When a new relationship gets complicated in the face of her own anxiety-about her future, her sexual and romantic identity, and her place within the Jewish diaspora-Tally must grapple not only with the past, but also with what life will be like when they get back home.”
I loved this book so much. The Jewish pride, the setting, the friendships, the queer representation, the chapter titles being songs from musicals, etc, etc! Such a great YA debut.
Title: The Collective
Author: Alison Gaylin
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: William Morrow, 11/2/21
Source: Book of the Month
Why I Read It: Heard it was good.
My Rating: 5 Stars
I finally found a thriller that I loved – it was a page turner and I read it in a day! The Collective by Alison Gaylin was my November Book of the Month choice.
“Camille Gardener is a grieving—and angry—mother who, five years after her daughter’s death, is still obsessed with the privileged young man she believes to be responsible. When her rash actions draw the attention of a secret group of women—the collective— Camille is drawn into a dark web where these mothers share their wildly different stories of loss as well as their desire for justice in a world where privilege denies accountability. Fueled by mutual rage, the collective members devise and act out retribution fantasies via precise, anonymous, highly coordinated revenge killings. As Camille struggles to comprehend whether this is a role-playing exercise or terrifying reality, she must decide if these women are truly avenging angels or monsters. Becoming more deeply enmeshed in the group, Camille learns truths about the collective—and about herself—that she may not be able to survive.”
The Collective reminded me of both The Chain and They Never Learn, which were thrillers I also loved. The Collective is a group of mothers who lost children and set out to avenge those deaths. Everything is laid out so that no one person does all of the things needed to take revenge, so the chances of getting caught are slim. It was like a scavenger hunt – Camille had to go buy certain items and mail them or leave them for someone else, etc. Of course, she looked into what was happening maybe more than she should have and that lead to trouble! The book does contain typical content that many thrillers contain, including deaths of children and teens.
Title: The Last House On The Street
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, 1/11/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review / love her books.
My Rating: 5 Stars
Diane Chamberlain is a must read author for me and I’m happy that her newest book, The Last House on the Street, out on 1/11, was another win. In 1965, Ellie wants to be an ally to Black people and joins a program called SCOPE to help encourage them to register to vote. She ends up becoming close with a fellow volunteer, a Black man. In the present, Kayla and her daughter move into a house and finds there are those who would rather she not live there.
“1965 – Growing up in the well-to-do town of Round Hill, North Carolina, Ellie Hockley was raised to be a certain type of proper Southern lady. Enrolled in college and all but engaged to a bank manager, Ellie isn’t as committed to her expected future as her family believes. She’s chosen to spend her summer break as a volunteer helping to register black voters. But as Ellie follows her ideals fighting for the civil rights of the marginalized, her scandalized parents scorn her efforts, and her neighbors reveal their prejudices. And when she loses her heart to a fellow volunteer, Ellie discovers the frightening true nature of the people living in Round Hill. 2010 – Architect Kayla Carter and her husband designed a beautiful house for themselves in Round Hill’s new development, Shadow Ridge Estates. It was supposed to be a home where they could raise their three-year-old daughter and grow old together. Instead, it’s the place where Kayla’s husband died in an accident―a fact known to a mysterious woman who warns Kayla against moving in. The woods and lake behind the property are reputed to be haunted, and the new home has been targeted by vandals leaving threatening notes. And Kayla’s neighbor Ellie Hockley is harboring long buried secrets about the dark history of the land where her house was built.”
These two stories are connected and the mystery surrounding the house and what happened in the past make for a wonderful page turner. It contains racism, the KKK, violence, etc.
Title: Weather Girl
Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 1/11/22
Source: Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review / love her books.
My Rating: 5 Stars
Rachel Lynn Solomon continually writes amazing stories that include both Jewish and mental health representation and Weather Girl is no exception!
“Ari Abrams has always been fascinated by the weather, and she loves almost everything about her job as a TV meteorologist. Her boss, legendary Seattle weatherwoman Torrance Hale, is too distracted by her tempestuous relationship with her ex-husband, the station’s news director, to give Ari the mentorship she wants. Ari, who runs on sunshine and optimism, is at her wits’ end. The only person who seems to understand how she feels is sweet but reserved sports reporter Russell Barringer. In the aftermath of a disastrous holiday party, Ari and Russell decide to team up to solve their bosses’ relationship issues. Between secret gifts and double dates, they start nudging their bosses back together. But their well-meaning meddling backfires when the real chemistry builds between Ari and Russell. Working closely with Russell means allowing him to get to know parts of herself that Ari keeps hidden from everyone. Will he be able to embrace her dark clouds as well as her clear skies?”
Ari is a meteorologist (so is my brother!) and her life outlook is sunshine and silver linings. However, she is hiding her true self, which also includes clouds. When she and sports reporter Russell team up to reunite their divorced bosses, they get to know each other too. Their relationship is sweet, steamy, and real. Rachel doesn’t shy away from describing the effects of depression and medication on intimacy. Russell may be the first plus sized male protagonist that I’ve read and I loved that aspect of the book as well. And of course, I loved the Jewish representation in this book!
Come back next week for the rest of my December reads – and possibly more favorites!
Do you have a favorite book you’ve read this month?