Hello everyone! I’m back with another set of mini book reviews! This post will feature People We Meet on Vacation, Take My Hand, Girls with Bright Futures, A Lot Like Adios, Taste, When We Cease to Understand the World, Officer Clemmons, Wild Things, Potato Pants!, and How the Word is Passed.
Every time I think I’m almost caught up, I fall behind again with these! I just read too fast! But these are still fun to post, so it works out pretty well.
Note about my ratings: I’ve switched to using the StoryGraph to track and rate the books I’ve been reading. This site uses 1-5 stars, 5 being the highest, in 0.25 increments. Feel free to friend me on the StoryGraph – my username is StarringPamela there!
One more promo, I started a Bookstagram! Follow me at Instagram.com/StarringPamelaReads!
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
I picked this book up for a friend’s recommendation. In this one, the two main characters go on vacation, after years of not speaking to each other. The vacation is a last ditch effort to save their friendship, which was based around an annual vacation together.
I was wary to read this one as I’d heard that the two main characters don’t actually meet on vacation. And they don’t! Seems silly but it would make more sense if they had. Either way, it was a cute little rom-com book. Not my favorite I’ve ever read but not too bad either!
I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
I read this book after seeing people praise it so much in one of the reading groups I joined on Facebook.
This book features a young nurse who takes it upon herself to be an advocate and social worker for two of her young patients. When she makes a medical decision to take them off birth control without approval, the two young girls are forcibly sterilized and the nurse is forced to simultaneously bear the guilt for their procedure and fight for their justice.
This book was not for me! I found the main character to be unbelievable how she just decided she knew best and didn’t think through the consequences. The entire story just drove me nuts!
I gave this book 3.75 out of 5 stars.
Girls with Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman
I read this book since it was the pick for the online Readheads book club!
This book follows three seniors at a prestigious, private high school and their mothers. All three girls want to go to the same college but are soon told there is only one spot left. This news kicks off a dramatic frenzy of competition which quickly escalates to attempted murder.
This book was honestly pretty intense at times! Overall it wasn’t my favorite as I thought it was a bit much, but it was still pretty entertaining. Before the college admissions scandal I would have honestly said it was too unbelievable but actually I do think it could happen, which makes it all the more wild!
I gave this book 3.75 out of 5 stars.
A Lot Like Adios (Primas of Power #2) by Alexis Darla
I randomly checked out this book on Libby! I didn’t even realize it was part of a series!
This novel is a fun little rom-com, featuring two childhood best friends who lost touch for years and recently have reunited. For both of them it starts as a business partnership but, of course, ends up being much more.
This was such a sweet read! I was rooting for the two main characters instantly and loved every second of their journey together. Also, love it when the main characters are Hispanic!
I gave this book 4.25 out of 5 stars.
Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci
I read this as the May pick for my library’s non-fiction book club! Somehow I forgot to include it in the order when I read it so it didn’t make it onto the last mini book reviews but better late than never!
This celebrity memoir by Tucci is told through the dishes most important to Tucci. Favorite childhood recipes, favorite restaurants around the world, and important meals all tell the story of his life.
This book was honestly so fun to read! I am not a foodie but even I was pulled in by the fabulous descriptions and storytelling. It was honestly quite sad how the restaurants Tucci mentioned pretty much all closed for good during the pandemic. It really brought to light how devastating the pandemic was to the restaurant industry. Also, Tucci’s battle with cancer was absolutely heartbreaking to read about. Overall, it was an excellent read!
I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.
When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut
I read this as part of President Obama’s 2021 book list!
This book took real life discoveries, then told a fictional story about how those discoveries were made.
To be honest, this book was not at all memorable for me. I had to look it up to see what it was about and still thought to myself “did I actually read this?” It just wasn’t for me!
I gave this book 3.75 out of 5 stars.
Officer Clemmons by Francois S. Clemmons
I read this book because of the Mr. Rogers tie in!
I read the biography on Fred Rogers last year, then watched the documentary recently on Netflix. Clemmons shares his story as a singer and actor, but also as a gay black man cast to play a police officer on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. He told how his work and friendship with Mr. Rogers shaped his life and what his perspective on the iconic show was throughout his life stages.
I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children’s Literature as an Adult by Bruce Handy
This was the June pick for my library’s non-fiction book club!
This book aimed to explore children’s literature from an adult’s perspective.
I did enjoy the book, but it was different than I expected! I totally expected a more contemporary or overall analysis of reading children’s literature as an adult. Instead, the author focused on books he remembered reading as a child or books he remembered were popular in his youth as well as today. He spoke about everything from Little Women to Little House on the Prairie and more. I did learn quite a bit, of course, but just felt like I expected more.
I gave this book 3.75 out of 5 stars.
Potato Pants! by Laurie Keller
I read this book because a teacher who attended the book club meeting in June recommended it!
This is a children’s picture book which features Potato and his quest to buy Potato Pants! Potato really wants to go to the store and buy some Potato Pants, but upon arrival realizes his nemesis, Eggplant, is at the store. Potato, in an effort to avoid Eggplant, lingers out the store. But Potato Pants are in high demand, so what is Potato to do???
Oh, this was a delightful story! It’s so fun to read children’s books and see how cleverly the author conveyed their message. I had a great time reading this book honestly!
I gave this book 4.25 out of 5 stars.
How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith
I read this as part of President Obama’s 2021 book list!
This book explored how African American history was told, or lost, during slavery and how historians are working to keep their history from fading. Smith visits museums and former plantations owned by former Presidents, racist gatherings, and even visits Senegal to see where captives were imprisoned before they were shipped across the ocean to be slaves.
This was a really interesting book. It’s crazy to imagine there are people out there who idolize the white men that created the country, without knowing any of their history as slave owners. Or who want to keep confederate landmarks and statues in place. Pure insanity. This book was wild from start to finish and I am really glad I read it.
I gave this book 4.75 out of 5 stars.
So those are the mini book reviews for ten books I’ve read! I’m still very, very behind so I might have to post another of these soon!
Thanks for reading!
Pamela
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