A couple nights ago, I was nursing Pria while listening to an episode of The Chalene Show during which the host briefly mentioned her horrific recent experience with plastic surgery. (For the record, this is very out of character with what Chalene normally shares; her podcast is usually fantastic and inspirational.) It was basically a teaser leading up to several hour-long episodes describing her experience in detail. And although I did have a (normal?? Am I normal?) morbid curiosity about her experience, I also knew that that I didn’t want to spend hours of my life listening to her next episodes just to learn more. She didn’t share much in the teaser, but she did say that she had left a detailed Yelp review for this unnamed doctor in Orange County, CA. So I thought, “Oh, I’ll just search for her Yelp review, read the story there, and save myself some time.”
And that’s how I ended up at 1:30 AM, long after Pria had gone back to sleep, poring over random people’s stories of botched plastic surgeries in Laguna Beach. And I never even found Chalene’s review. Ouch. A tremendous waste of time? YES. (Although I did learn that if you ever think you need plastic surgery, just read a few stories of botched jobs. I promise that will convince you that you’re perfect as is.)
So that’s one of the things I’ve spent time reading while on postpartum bed rest this past month. Here are some that are more worthwhile!
(Linking to Amazon for descriptions, but, as always, support your local bookstore or library.)
American Dirt
American Dirt: Definitely the best book I’ve read this month. American Dirt is about Lydia, a woman who owns a bookstore in Acapulco, Mexico, and her son, Luca. (!) Lydia becomes good friends with Javier, a man who regularly visits the store; they bond over books and philosophical conversations until Lydia’s journalist husband publishes an exposé on Javier. Unbeknownst to Lydia, Javier is the leader of the newest drug cartel in Acapulco. When the piece is published, Javier’s gruesome retaliation forces Lydia to flee Acapulco, their home, with eight-year-old Luca. Overnight, the two find themselves worlds away from their comfortable life, from everything they’ve ever known. They’re now migrants on the run, Lydia fighting unimaginable battles every single day to get her son to safety.
American Dirt wasn’t actually a pleasant read for the most part. Some truly horrifying stuff happens. But it was totally engrossing, beautifully written, and relevant. It’s an important book. Anyone who questions the migrant experience should read it. I flew through it, thoroughly transfixed and unable to put it down.
The Woman in the Window
The Woman in the Window: Anna Fox is a 38-year-old child psychologist who, following a traumatic event, has transformed into an agoraphobe, secluded for months alone in her home in New York. She spends her days playing online chess, drinking wine, popping different medications, and watching her neighbors. When the Russells move in across the street, they seem like the perfect family, until, through the window, Anna witnesses something she isn’t supposed to see. From then on, the book moves shakily between what is real, what’s imagined, and what secrets lie just beyond the door to the world outside.
I loved this book! I didn’t know that they had made it into a movie, and I’m so glad I read the book first. I watched a little bit of the movie after I had finished the novel, and oh my word, the book is so much better. I was truly riveted. “I can’t fold laundry tonight; my book is too gripping!” I shouted to Ben (not kidding), as I stayed up way too late finishing it. I called a few of the plot twists along the way, but the ending took me very, very much by surprise. So. Good. Stephen King deemed The Woman in the Window “unputdownable,” and I could not agree more.
Oona Out of Order
Oona Out of Order: This one had a super interesting premise: Oona Lockhart is celebrating the eve of her 19th birthday in 1982, but when the clock strikes midnight, she passes out and wakes up as her 19-year-old self living in her own 51-year-old body. She’s living in a gorgeous home and has more money than she can believe, but she has no memory of her life past 1982. A friendly stranger living in her house informs her that from then on, every year on her birthday, she’ll wake up living in a different year of her life. Oona must piece things together from her past (and future) experiences and navigate each year with different friends, relationships, and mistakes.
Oona Out of Order was pretty melancholic and kind of strange, but I loved reading about all the different technologies, fashion, music, and slang as Oona jumped through time. Each year was like a whole different life in a whole different world, and it was crazy to imagine what that would feel like. There was also a twist near the end which I totally didn’t expect. Overall, it was a pretty interesting, easy read.
The Last Thing He Told Me
The Last Thing He Told Me: Hannah Hill and her husband, Owen, are newlyweds living with Owen’s 15-year-old daughter, Bailey. Out of nowhere one day, Hannah receives a note from her husband that simply says, “Protect her.” And then he disappears. Hannah knows the note can only refer to one person: Bailey. But what does it mean? What does she need to protect Bailey from? Why has Owen disappeared, and where has he gone? Who was Owen, if not who he seemed?
Sounds great, right? Compelling! But…
This book gets rave reviews, and I truly don’t understand why. I didn’t love it. The plot is basically driven by a 15-year-old girl’s hazy memories from when she was four years old. As the mom of a 4-year-old… no. Just no. Four-year-olds’ memories? Not so reliable. And eleven years later?? I don’t think so. Not only was that totally unrealistic, so was the HUGE, life-changing decision Hannah makes for herself and for Bailey in the end. I just don’t buy it.
However, I know lots of people have really enjoyed this one, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
East Coast Girls
East Coast Girls: This book centers around the close-knit friendship of four young women: Hannah, Maya, Blue, and Renee. The girls grew up together, more sisters than friends. They spent many happy summers together in Montauk until, one summer night, something devastating happened which altered their relationships forever. Twelve years later, the foursome agrees to meet again in Montauk, some with excitement, some with reluctance, and some with trepidation. Inevitably, the past resurfaces and new details are brought to light; details which will again impact their relationships irrevocably.
I liked, didn’t love, East Coast Girls. The characters each seemed to have a unique personality trait which the author hyper-focused on. Their uniqueness could have made the character development really interesting, but instead each girl sort of hit one note and then fell flat, not veering from that personality trait all. People in reality are much more dynamic, so I was bugged by this. It was also pretty sad; weeks later, I’m still thinking about the tragic event that occurred. But it was another quick, easy read, and overall, I enjoyed it.
In Five Years
In Five Years: Dannie Kohan has her life all planned out, and everything seems to be going according to that plan. She’s a high powered lawyer with a great fiancé, living life by her own meticulous rules. Until one night, she has a dream that’s not a dream, and she spends one hour living her own life five years in the future. She finds herself in a different apartment, with a different man, and a very different diamond ring on her finger. It’s an hour that will alter the next five years of Dannie’s life, no matter how she tries to run from it.
This book sounds like such a superficial chick-lit read, but it wasn’t at all what I expected. It was MUCH sadder than I was prepared for (I read this one while I was still in the hospital, and that setting certainly didn’t help), and it was a lot deeper and more thought-provoking than I expected. I still find myself thinking about this one from time to time; how much our lives can change in such a short time, and what we truly have control over. It wasn’t the easy read I thought it would be, but I liked it much more because of that.
Shari Lapena Books
I’m combining these Shari Lapena books (and I’m not even including descriptions) because, frankly, they’re all kind of the same. Different plots, sure, but all of them cheap little whodunnit stories. If you’re looking for a way to kill a few hours, any of these would make a decent pick. Definitely nothing profound in here, not a trace of good literature or eloquent writing, but these are all quick, easy, fun reads.
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And currently, I’m reading The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley, which is turning out to be almost an exact replica of The Guest List, also by Lucy Foley (which I did enjoy, although again, no great literature here). Confusing? Yes. Should I pick something more substantial for my next book? Also YES.
Any suggestions?? What’s the best book you’ve read lately?
xo!
Playful Rooted 
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