Three Books I Highly Recommend
Are you in the mood for some fascinating women? The first book is an insightful memoir, and then there’s a fun chick lit read!
If you loved the Royal Wedding, and The Crown, you will also enjoy the biography of Wallis Simpson.
Happy Reading!
Educated by Tara Westover
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the author’s memoir. She learned that she must tell her own story, not her sibling’s story or her father’s story, but her own. And in her own story she also came to know what it meant to be part of a family- “how a person ought to weigh their special obligations to kin against their obligations to society was a whole.”
The author uses beautiful, somewhat complex language, which will inspire you to think and ponder, to paint her life as a young girl in rural Idaho and how this sheltered soul earned her PhD from Cambridge. Many of the scenes are focused on the mountain, Buck Peak, near her Idaho homestead, which guided her life.
Her father was like the feral horses that roamed this mountain. He could not be owned, and he could not be tamed. Her father was the incarnate of the Mormon prophets that he revered. He loved his family with the love and wrath of the Old Testament God.
Prophets in modern America have it hard and their families suffer even more. The author and her siblings lived the life that the early Western pioneers would have recognized- hard physical work, serious injuries, no formal schooling and limited contact with others. This Spartan life became another mountain for the author to overcome.
She was fortunate to be taught by world-class professors. One even called her his “Pygmalion” because she was basically a blank slate. While she achieved academic renown, she never reached a high point of hope. Her mountain always loomed larger.
“First find out what you are capable of, then decide who you are.”
More than just a “coming of age” story, this is a “coming to be a new person” story. Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC. This is my honest review.
Messing with Matilda by Cat Lavoie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Author, Cat Lavoie, tells us in her author comments at the end of the book that she loves writing fun and quirky romantic comedies. I’m glad because I know that I loved reading this book!
Matilda, only a few people are allowed to call her Tilly, has become one of my all time favorite chick lit characters now. When we met up with her in NYC, she has achieved her dream of being a professional organizer in her favorite city. She’s the type who has been tidying her dollhouse since she was a toddler. “I don’t believe in serendipity. I believe in hard work and moving forward.”
To that I say, “You rock, Tilly!” But her boyfriend Arthur isn’t as dazzled by her ability to rearrange a pantry. One night at dinner, he delivers stunning news to Matilda. “You don’t have a spontaneous or adventurous bone in your body.”
This leads Matilda to leave her cute apartment and best friend behind so she can go back to her small hometown in Connecticut, see her folks and regroup. Was Thomas Wolfe right or wrong? Can you go home again?
What can and does happen is that we readers get to read about adorable, friendly and funny Matilda’s ups and downs. Matilda is pretty, pleasant, and while she’s buttoned pretty tight, she may surprise you! All the other characters in this book have their own charm, Silas and his crazy mission, Amy, the childhood friend of Matilda, and Amber and her wedding will all delight you. There is even a Mom who bakes chocolate chip cookies, and a cat who deserves her own book.
The author writes in an upbeat, sincere way and there is always something amazing happening. “All of this happened in one evening?” asks her friend Evie.
Will bridezilla Amber West win again? Does Matilda get to happy ever after? You’ll love finding out! I highly recommend this book!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is my honest review.
Wallis in Love: The Untold Life of the Duchess of Windsor, the Woman Who Changed the Monarchy by Andrew Morton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Before there was reality TV, and social media influencers, and before there was television, let alone the NetFlix drama The Crown, there was Wallis Simpson. How did a down on her luck Baltimore gal create the love affair of the century? She became famous for being famous through sheer force of will.
Was she a “socially ambitious viper, who would do anything, walk over anyone, to get what she wanted?” Possibly, but after reading this people-filled saga, I’m not sure even Wallis herself knew what she wanted. She did know what she didn’t want- she didn’t want to be poor, or ordinary.
I only knew the basic story about Wallis, so for me it was fascinating to read about her early life, her marriages and then her meet-cute with the clueless Prince. I especially enjoyed reading about their life in World War II and possible Nazi sympathies. I wish I could have attended one of their dinner parties or soirées.
Andrew Morton is one of the world’s best-known biographers and I highly recommend this readable and fast-paced book, crammed with interesting tidbits.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for letting me read this book. This is my honest review.
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