Project Read || April & May

Hey, everyone!!  I skipped my Project Read wrap-up for the month of April, so I decided to combine April and May into one post…(Project Read? you ask…click here for more info)

I have some how managed to stay on track for my 35 book goal.  It was a bit touch-and-go there for a minute when I only read two books in April.  However, in May I rallied and brought my total back up to where it needed to be...

The Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas – Did you ever watch the Veronica Mars series?  I was a huge “Marshmallow”!  When the movie came out last year, I was beyond excited.  And then when I found out there were books written by the creator of the show, Rob Thomas, I got even more excited!  This mystery picked up where the movie left off (although, you don’t have to be familiar with the movie to understand the book) and has Veronica investigating the disappearance of two girls visiting her town during Spring Break.  Definitely an entertaining and quick read!

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion – I have had this book recommended to me a few times, so I decided to try it out and I’m quite glad I did.  This book is told from the perspective of Don Tillman, a very socially awkward professor at a university.  Don is in search of the perfect woman to be his wife and develops a model to try to find her.  Rosie is looking for her biological father and Don, a genetics expert, offers to help.  Rosie is definitely not what Don is looking for in a partner, but he can’t stay away from her.  The book never comes out and says that Don has Asperger’s Syndrome, but he does display quite a few signs and his unique perspective on everything makes for quite an interesting read.

The Rosie Effect by Grame Simision – I liked the first one so much that I read the sequel.  I won’t tell you the premise of this one because then you’ll know how the first book ends.  This was another cute read, but I didn’t think it was as good as the first.  I found myself getting really frustrated with the characters in this one and found the book to be dragging in a few places.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple – I’ve had this one sitting on my bookshelf for a while.  Initially, the premise didn’t interest me – a mother leaves her family and her daughter follows a paper trail to try to find her.  In the end, I’m so glad I gave it a try.  This book was entertaining and funny.  It tells the story of Bernadette, a mother who rarely leaves her house and has a hard time getting along with the other mothers in the community.  When her family begins planning a trip to Antarctica, life throws her a few curve balls and she leaves her family without any warning.  Her daughter, Bee, knows her mother couldn’t have just left without leaving any clues and begins a search to find her.  This book kept my highly engaged and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read and a good laugh.

Save the Date by Mary Kay Andrews – This is one of two books that I read in May that Stephanie Howell recommended on her Instagram feed.  I was looking for a light-hearted, feel good chick lit and this book definitely fit the bill.  Cara is a divorced florist who is trying to hit the big time in Charleston with the local wedding scene.  When she has a chance to design the flowers for one of the biggest weddings in town she jumps on it, even though she has very little time and has to act as the wedding planner as well.  There is also another florist who has moved to town and is intent on putting Cara out of business.  Add in the handsome, yet frustrating, man who always seems to be popping up at her weddings and you’ve got an entertaining read -  one that I mowed through in a day!

The Singles by Meredith Goldstein – This was the second book Stephanie recommended that I decided to try.  Bee decided to allow everyone she invited to her wedding to bring a date, but five of her guests RSVP’d as coming solo. This book tells the story of those five.  I wouldn’t necessarily classify it as a romance novel, although there is a definitely a romantic theme throughout.  The book is told from the five different perspectives and follows their separate wedding experiences.  It was good enough, but it didn’t really leave me wanting to find out what else Goldstein had written, you know what I mean?  I would classify it as an average book that I could really take or leave, but it is a quick read if you’re looking for a few hours to kill. (I know, I know, not a resounding endorsement there!)

As always, leave a comment letting me know if you have any good books to recommend!!