Welcome to Quick Lit, where I share short and sweet reviews of what I’ve been reading lately on (or around) the 15th of the month, and invite you to do the same.
For the past several months the 2024 Summer Reading Guide has largely taken over my reading life, and for the past week it feels like it’s taken over my life as well! My 42 new-for-2024 selections for this year’s Guide are now finalized, which frees me to explore more backlist and finally share a handful of books I thought might be in the Guide but which, for reasons I share below, do not appear in its pages.
That means our new edition of Quick Lit includes a 2013 release I’ve been meaning to read for ages (Meg Wolitzer’s The Interestings), a terrific March 2024 release I’ve already made time to reread, this time in a different format (Percival Everett’s James), two bestselling April 2024 romance releases (Abby Jimenez’s Just for the Summer and Emily Henry’s Funny Story), another audiobook reread, this time a nonfiction title for MMD Book Club (Ada Calhoun’s Also a Poet), and a moody 2018 short story collection (Lauren Groff’s Florida).
The Summer Reading Guide drops TOMORROW: I encourage you to make sure your copy is on the way as it is PACKED with an eclectic mix of standout selections for your summer reading consideration. We also pack in a whole lot of backlist in our special features, so you will have plenty of new and old options in your hands. Click here to get your Guide.
I hope you find something that looks intriguing for your TBR on this list (and in these comments), and I look forward to browsing your recent reads below. Thanks in advance for sharing your short and sweet book reviews with us here!
Welcome to May Quick Lit
The Interestings: A Novel
Florida
James
Also a Poet: Frank O’Hara, My Father, and Me
Just for the Summer
Funny Story
What have YOU been reading lately? Tell us about your recent reads—or share the link to a blog or instagram post about them—in comments.
P.S. Pictured above: the new release table at my local indie Carmichael’s Bookstore. Please note the Louisville puzzle in the bottom of the photo; you won’t find that at just any bookstore. I spy several books from our MMD 2024 Spring Book Preview and one 2024 SRG selection on that table!
43 comments
If I had to be stranded on a desert island, these are the books I’d toss in my bag …
https://lindastoll.substack.com/p/my-desert-island-bookshelf
I’m sharing my reviews of a few new releases from my favorite authors, including Emily Henry and Sarah Adams!
https://neverenoughnovels.com/2024/05/15/may-2024-mini-book-reviews/
Books #27-32 of the year. https://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/2024/05/reading-update.html
I do enjoy a good Emily Henry romance and the premise of her new one sounds great! I’ve also been meaning to try an Abby Jimenez book since everyone always raves about her romances.
Here’s what I’ve been reading:
https://readeatrepeat.net/2024/05/15/books-in-progress-may-2024/
The Dearly Beloved is one of my all-time favorites, so appreciate that nudge towards The Interestings.
This month’s reading included a few “Anne made me do it” books; THANK YOU ANNE for the many nudges to read Crossing to Safety over the years. I finally gave it a chance, and it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year! Other books this month included a celebrity memoir, some history-adjacent nonfiction, a delightful rom-com, some faith inspiration, and a couple of cute middle-grade novels.
https://kendranicole.net/quick-lit-may-2024/
Crossing to Safety is one of my all time favorite reads! SO happy when someone else discovers it!
I agree! One of my favorites, too!
Hmmm, I also loved The Dearly Beloved but I read Wolitzer’s The Ten Year Nap and it was a big miss for me. But if the vibe is similar, maybe I should reconsider…as always, thanks for the recommendations.
Florida is where we vacation, so I should look into the book you recommend on it!
Two favorites I read this month are “How to Know a Person” by David Brooks and “Supercommunicators” by Charles Duhigg. So good! My favorite novel I read is “It Starts with Us” by Colleen Hoover.
Here are all 6 books I recommend:
https://lisanotes.com/books-i-recommend-april-2024/
This month I had two 5-star nonfiction reads and a 4-star YA I’ve been meaning to read forever: https://cocoonofbooks.blogspot.com/2024/05/what-ive-been-reading-lately-quick-lit.html
I just realized that the Interestings has been on my TBR too. Now I am going to have to read it. Here is what I read this past month
https://myviewofthehoneypot.blogspot.com/2024/05/what-i-read-may.html
I’ve been meaning to read The Interestings for just as long! 🙂 I loved The Dearly Beloved, so that’s even more of a nudge to get going.
My month included a (now very dog-eared) gardening book, a nature read Ann Patchett called “a howling love letter to the world”, and a dual storyline that takes place in 1885 and 1984 in NYC’s first luxury apartment building.
https://carolinestarrrose.com/quick-lit-what-ive-been-reading-lately-36/
I was wondering if The Interestings would show up on this list after yesterday’s podcast!
Here’s my list for March and April 2024, and a flashback to 2019.
http://www.allthebooksihaventread.com/blog-1/2024/5/9/show-us-your-books-may-2024
I just finished the audiobook Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy. It’s a sweet story about community and the family we choose.
I adored The Interestings and so appreciate you mentioning The Dearly Beloved as in the same vein. Adding to my list. And maybe a reread of The Interestings?😍
I have been looking forward to sharing Marilynne Robinson’s Reading Genesis because Robinson’s intent is clearly not to quibble about textual details or rehash the same old arguments.
https://michelemorin.net/2024/05/08/use-great-gift-given-to-all-believers/
And today I shared links to 25 of my favorite podcasts. Naturally WSIRN was included as well as others of special interest to readers! https://michelemorin.net/2024/05/15/25-favorite-podcasts-and-why-i-listen-to-them/
I love The Interestings! I also read James and Just for the Summer (it felt young to me as well), as well as a number of excellent books–April was a great month: https://www.mindjoggle.com/april-2024-book-reviews/
What do you both mean by it felt young? Like geared towards a younger audience? Its my TBR next!
Here’s what we’ve been reading in our house lately! https://talesofabookworm.com/reading-lately-adult-middle-and-young-readers/
The Abby Jimenez is next on my list~
So glad to hear about The Interestings! It has been sitting on my shelf since 2017 waiting for me – sounds like this may be the perfect summer for it!😊
So glad you enjoyed The Interestings! Like Ginger, I consider that one of my faves, and it’s nice to see it be appreciated. (Now I feel like I should give it a reread…)
I read James in print for my book club, and I loved it! We were supposed to meet on Monday, but only two of us had finished, so we bumped it a week (we meet on Zoom, because it’s a bi-coastal group, so we can be a little more flexible), and I decided I’m going to try to listen to an audiobook version of The Adventures of Huck Finn between now and then. 🙂
First, though, I’m finishing the audiobook The Husbands — another from the Spring Book Preview. I’m curious how it’ll be wrapped up, but I’m loving the ride. (Fantastic on audio, BTW!)
I listened to the recent WSIRN episode yesterday and literally gasped when you said you hadn’t read The Interestings. I loved it and am so glad you did too. I do have a thing for summer camp related stories. Can’t wait to see what will be in SRG. I also just finished Emily Henry’s Funny Story. I thought it was fantastic and loved the story with all the fun places in Michigan. Interesting you thought the tone was similar to Happy Place. I’m debating whether to read James with my eyes or ears. My past few great reads have been The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza; Beyond That, The Sea by Laura Spence-Ash. And I’m currently reading The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl which I’m loving. Looking forward to tomorrow!!!! SRG BABY!!!!
Loneliness and Company is a well-written and thought provoking book. It takes place in the future, when people have forgotten how to engage with others in a meaningful way. A small company is trying to create an AI that provide support to people who are lonely. Only 297 pages, it is a quick read whose lessons will linger with you. Recommend!
Recently loved Annie Bot and The Force of Such Beauty. Could be companion reads. Strong female leads at the mercy of men they love.
I completely agree about the audio for James! The narrator was so very good. I responded so much more viscerally.
I was doing a tandem read.
There is so much to unpack in that book! Percival Everett is pretty brilliant!
Just finished reading A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. Excellent! The kind of book that sinks in and has more meaning as time goes by.
The book is now out as a miniseries on Paramount. I hope it doesn’t disappoint. Ewan McGregor is cast as the main character, Alexander.
I recently finished The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson for one of my in-person books clubs. Can’t wait to discuss it this weekend! I started The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. After that will be a non-fiction read, The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science by Kate Zernike. Happy Reading everyone!
Funny Story was a HUGE WINNER for me and I loved the vibe. Read it.
IG: @bookbimbo
I’m reading Kristen Hannah’s The Women. It’s the story of a nurse serving in Viet Nam during the Viet Nam war in the 1960’s. An amazing account of the heroism and the experiences of our military during war, and of the difficulties military women experience.
I just finished The Women. Other than a couple of implausible plot twists I didn’t quite buy–to say more would be venturing into spoiler territory–I really thought it was well done. A welcome break from the onslaught of WWII fiction over the past few years. And not quite as grim as Kristin Hannah’s last book.
I added The Interestings to my TBR based on the podcast conversation between Anne and Ginger and am looking forward to reading it! My recent reads have been all over the place mood-wise; the mix has been intriguing:
* The Dictionary of Lost Word by Pip Williams (audiobook, 4 stars) – I enjoyed the story of the collecting of “words used by women,” which parallels the narrative of the development of the Oxford English Dictionary in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. Strong female characters and the audiobook was very well done.
* The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh (4 stars) – I’ve had this on my TBR for a while and saw a sequel has just been published, so now was a great time to read this mystery set in a small lake village on the border of Wales and England. I found myself using Google frequently to get the Welsh pronunciations right, which presumably would not have been an issue for audiobook listeners.
* Chorus by Rebecca Kauffman (4 stars) – The structure of this book is a little jarring, since each chapter is told by a different family member, and the sequence of the chapters jump all over the timeline of the novel. It’s not a gripping, action-filled novel, but it deftly explores the impacts of two huge family events on the Shaw siblings, and taken as a whole, the chapters provide a complete picture. As an aside, the book cover is gorgeous…
* The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay (audiobook, 4 stars) – I picked this book after seeing it recommended on MMD last month. This is a period of time and a perspective that I haven’t read about much. The story covers the events in Berlin at the end of WWII when the Berlin wall is erected almost overnight, separating families and friends for years. The story continues through the Cold War era, to detail the ripple effects of the German division in to East and West. I thought some parts were a bit far-fetched, but this was a great read overall.
Current reads are A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh (sequel to The Last Party), and None of This is True by Lisa Jewell (audiobook).
Happy Reading!
My favorite recent title was Clear by Carys Davies. LOVED it. Set in the Scottish Isles of the 1840’s, a minister takes the job of informing the last living resident of an island that he is being evicted…but before he can make contact, he suffers an accident which leaves him dependent on a man who does not share his language. My notes upon completion: Wow! Unexpected! Timeless! Powerful interactions! (A title I never would have picked up on my own, which makes me even more thankful for Bookshelf Thomasville’s Shelf Subscription service.)
Also read:
* The Connellys of County Down (family turmoil and healing after one sibling is released from prison)
* Today Tonight Forever (set at a Florida wedding but a book about grief, forgiveness, faith journeys and strangely, Houston)
* 10 Truths and a Dare (lovely YA novel set around graduation and a large Louisiana family, companion to 10 Blind Dates which I was introduced to here)
* Anita de Monte Laughs Last (power struggles in relationships and in the art world, a question of whose voice matters and how that is changing)
I’m reading Just for the Summer right now and recently finished Funny Story! (At least my library copy had a typo on page 10, a character had the wrong last name.) EVERYONE who I know who reads, reads Emily Henry especially. I literally see people reading her newest every year!
I read fairly widely (for me) in April! Romance, magical realism, time travel, parenting, books with murder, and finished a few chapters books with my kids! April Reading Recap
I LOVED funny story and I’m getting into audio books more so I’ll have to check out James. Speaking of audio books i recently finished ‘come and get it’ on audio that was a delight to listen to! And I just started Hello Beautiful on audio and it’s got my SO hooked. I’m also reading the The House on Biscayne Bay and it’s giving spooky vibes but I’m enjoying the dual narratives.
The Women, Kristin Hannah | 4/5 ⭐️s
Frog and Toad All Year, Arnold Lobel | 5/5 ⭐️s
Daniel’s Duck, Clyde Robert Bulla | 4/5 ⭐️s
Last House, Jessica Shattuck | 4/5 ⭐️s
Amelia Bedelia, Peggy Parish | 5/5 ⭐️s
Nate the Great, Marjorie Weinman Sharmat | 5/5 ⭐️s
Astrid the Unstoppable, Maria Parr | 5/5 ⭐️s
The Wager, David Grann | 3/5 ⭐️s
The Big Balloon Race, Eleanor Coerr | 5/5 ⭐️s
Check out our website for tiny reviews and story summaries:
https://theshoreystories.com
Hi Brooke, I was trying to comment on your blog, but wasn’t able to find the comment box (it was only allowing me to subscribe), so I just wanted to say I love Frog and Toad All Year as well. My 4 year old and I get a hoot out of the stories. Speaking of “hoot”, Lobel’s Owl at Home is also really fun if you haven’t read that one!
The most powerful book I’ve read thus far in 2024 is Wounded: A New History of the Western Front in World War One, by Emily Mayhew. The world should read that book, weep, and repent. War is stupidity at a level that defies imagination.
Other favorites from the first five months of this year are:
*Tomorrow Will Be Better, by Betty Smith
*The Invisible Woman, by Erika Robuck
*A Mosaic of Wings, by Kimberly Duffy
*A Tapestry of Light, by Kimberly Duffy
*The Rescue: A True Story of Courage and Survival During World War II, by Steven Trent Smith
*Sunrise at Normandy series, by Sarah Sundin
*My War, by Andy Rooney
*Rabbit Cake, by Annnie Hartnett
*The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages, by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Interestings has been on my kindle for years! Maybe this is the nudge I need to read it.
Here are my recent reads: https://avikinginla.com/2024/05/what-ive-been-reading-lately-april-2024/
Among them is Abby Jimenez’s Yours Truly which I loved, and one reason was that the characters were mature. I already have Just for Summer in the house and am curious how I’ll like it since I’ve heard it described as “young” more than once.
I’m absolutely RAVING about Leif Enger’s new book, “I Cheerfully Refuse”!!! I love Enger, I loved the voice and character of Rainy, the hero of our story, and I loved this odyssey! Rainy is a bear of a man in a somewhat vague dystopian landscape (infrastructure and government has broken down, but people still live in villages, have police forces, shops, bands, enough food, and the planet is still livable) and Rainy LOVES his wife Lark, above all else. Lark is a book lover (yay for book lovers!) who collects used books (none seem to be published anymore) and sells them in her shop. The prize she’s been looking for is called “I Cheerfully Refuse”, hence the title of this book. But they take in a boarder, who brings trouble and Lark dies! Poor Rainy is numb with grief, but has to flee from the bad guy (who is like a Fairy Tale villain) and goes out on Lake Superior in his sailboat. The scenes on the water and the storms, and Lake Superior itself were superb. It’s a dystopian fairy tale! But not filled with magic or anything—anyway, it’s just wonderful! It’s the writing and the characters more than anything. I hope this book is on the SRG list!!!
I haven’t heard of any of those titles, but I am so behind on new releases, I am not surprised!
Here are my recent reads: https://elle-alice.blogspot.com/2024/04/march-and-april-book-reviews.html
I recently read Just for the Summer and Funny Story. I think I understand Anne’s review of Just for the Summer feeling “young”. In the first several chapters I may have felt that, too. As I read further, the burdens and challenges the characters faced pushed the “young” feeling away. Both Abby Jimenez and Emily Henry deliver great love stories that have depth.
I listened to Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister, so many twists, at least a couple of which literally had me gasping, without totally scaring me.
I just finished listening to Anne Youngson’s Meet Me at the Museum. This short epistolary novel was excellent on audio, with narrators that were perfect for correspondents. Such a lovely and thoughtful book.
I have already read and enjoyed James but want to recommend Three-Inch Teeth by C.J. Box — a THR (part of a series, that I drop everything to read when a new one comes out.) Also enjoyed the Wife App, a book that has been on my list for awhile. First Ladies was so great, I have purchased two and sent them off to friends… wonderful HF). Go as a River, I listened to on Audible and it was excellent not sure how to categorize it. World of Wonder was my NF read, short but some of the essays were just magical. Under 200 pages.
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