April and May Confessions

What a great two months it has been for reading!  I've read some fantastic beach reads and truly no book really disappointed me, which is a rarity.  I can tell already that it's going to be a great summer for reading.

Books Read in April and May: 
1.  Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett (YA Realistic Fiction) - 4 out of 5 stars
2.  When We Left Cuba by Chantel Cleeton (Adult Historical Fiction) - 4 out of 5 stars
3.  The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves (Adult Fiction) - 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.  The Winter Palace by Eve Stachniak (Audio Book/Adult Historical Fiction) - 3.5 out of 5 stars
5.  The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren (Adult Fiction) - 4.5 out of 5 stars
6.  Drawing Home by Jamie Brenner (Adult Fiction) - 4 out of 5 stars
7.  The Southern Side of Paradise by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Adult Fiction) - 4 out of 5 stars - Review to come!
8.  You, Me and the Sea by Megan Donohue (Adult Fiction) - 4 out of 5 stars - Review to come!
9.  The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen (YA Realistic Fiction) - 5 out of 5 stars - Review to come!

Chapter Books Read:
I have really enjoyed revisiting some of the Beverly Clearly books from my childhood with my oldest son.  They are started to get a little dated, but I love that they take place during a simpler time.
1.  The Haunted Library by Dori Hillestad Butler
2.  Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Clearly
3.  Henry Huggins by Beverly Clearly
4.  Ramona the Pest by Beverly Clearly
5.  Henry and Beezus by Beverly Clearly

1.  Favorite Book: I have a tie! The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren was such a delight! It was so just so much fun and the PERFECT beach read. The witty dialogue had me laughing out loud.  The Rest of the Story was also an amazing read. It tugged on my heartstrings and solidified why I read Sarah Dessen every summer.

2.  Biggest Surprise: The Girl He Used to Know was my biggest surprise. When I found out the main character was on the spectrum for autism, I wasn't sure if I would be able to connect with her like I did.  Boy, was I wrong! It was a fantastic and heartwarming read that's perfect for summer vacation!

3.  Biggest Disappointment - The Winter Palace had some rave reviews and it had been on my TBR list forever. The audio book was just ok for me. I wanted to learn more about Catherine the Great, but the story was from someone else's point of view and that got tiresome.  There was lots of court intrigue though, which kept me entertained.

4.  Favorite Post: My 8th Annual Summer Kickoff

5.  Favorite Part of the Month:  We made it to Cape May, New Jersey for Memorial Day Weekend and we had a blast. The weather was perfect and we spent some quality time with family.  My only regret was that I didn't read on the beach.  One day soon, right?


What was your favorite book that you read this past month? Which one was disappointing? Let me know in the comments.