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Book Review--Summer Reading Ideas

 Happy Tuesday friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful long weekend and a good start to your short week! I thought I'd jump on here today and review some books that I've read recently. I mentioned these in my Friday Favorites post last week and that I'd do an actual review of them soon...so here we go! Four VERY different books, but all GREAT reads!

#1 Not A Happy Family


Ok, I REALLY loved this book! It's suspenseful, but not scary. It hooks you right from the beginning, as it really is a "who done it" type read. I truly had no idea how it would end until I got there. I have read a couple of Lapena's books, and this one really made me interested to read more.



This is the second Beatriz Williams book I've read and I really enjoyed it. I read A Hundred Summers last year and I really LOVED that one. I listened to that one on audiobook so maybe that was part of the reason I loved it so much, I don't really know. This historical fiction novel is hard for me to describe because I'm not very knowledgeable in Cold War terminology. LOL But even if you're like me, I think anyone can enjoy this book because of the story line. Think Cold War time period, spying, intelligence, London, United States, Twin Sisters (one of whom falls in love with a Russian United States embassy official). It's a complicated plot, but very well done!

This was probably my most favorite book I've read all year so far! First of all, I love reading memoirs, they are probably one of my top favorite genres. Fun fact, when I taught elementary, every year the students would have to write a memoir, and it was probably one of my favorite things to teach as well. Anywho...if you watched the Today Show back in the 90s and very early 2000s I think you will find this book fascinating. Couric basically gives us her life story, her early days of journalism, and how she rose in the ranks to eventually co-host the Today Show, first with Bryant Gumball and then of course Matt Lauer. Lauer and her were very good friends and she details what happens with there relationship once he was ousted from the show (we all know what went down there...) I found the whole book completely fascinating and couldn't put it down until I was done.

Oh, I really loved this one too! I have always loved Kathie Lee Gifford, and how open she has always been about her faith. This book is a collection of interviews that she has done with close friends of hers, who tell their stories of coming to faith in Jesus. Some of the stories are really very fascinating. I enjoyed the fact too that some of the people she interviews are very well known, but others are not. And the people in this book are not what I call "Famous Christians" or "Christian Celebrities"--meaning they didn't become well known because they are preachers, speakers, book writers, etc. That being said, I didn't necessarily agree theologically with every person she interviewed, but overall, I just really enjoyed reading all their stories.


Ok, that's all for this post. I hope to be able to share more book reviews here--hopefully at least once a month. I'm currently reading Musical Chairs and I'm enjoying it so far, so I'll have that review in the next one. 

Leave a comment and let me know if you've read any of these books and what others I should be reading! 

And I'll see you guys back here on Friday for Friday Favorites! Happy reading friends!
--Tess

**Some links are affiliate. Thank you for supporting my blog! 

Comments

  1. I typically like Beatriz Williams books. I haven't read this one!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I was just talking to a co-worker about how much I enjoy celebrity non-fiction, so thanks for some new additions to my to-read list!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I own Not a Happy Family but still need to read it!

    Lauren @ www.shootingstarsmag.net

    ReplyDelete
  4. I really liked Katie Couric's memoir too! I loved her stories about traveling to the Olympics and interviewing celebrities.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I loved Not a Happy Family
    http://www.kellydenisereads.com/

    ReplyDelete

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