This year, I set a goal to read 35 books. So far, I am at 15, nine of which were read this quarter. I am going to talk about those nine books and give my rating, the dates read, and a brief description of what I liked about the book. I tried my best to give a spoiler warning for any descriptions I felt really gave parts of the book away. I have added some paid Amazon links to all of these books if you are interested in getting any yourself. Let me know if you have read any of these or want to discuss more! You can always add me on GoodReads too at @c.pathofgrace .
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
Dates read: March 27 – April 24, 2023
Stars: 5
I really enjoyed this read! It was so sweet and wholesome and took on perspectives of seemingly unrelated characters. It was so fun to realize how some of these character perspectives may have just been people passing by each other in the street, yet somehow impacted the trajectory of another.
Just showed me how related everyone is to each other no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. You deciding to hold the door open for a stranger on the train one day could somehow make them on time for an interview that changes the whole trajectory of their career. It was for sure a sad book, but I love a coming-of-age story about finding yourself and blossoming friendships to help you come out of your shell.
Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci
Dates read: April 24 – May 7, 2023
Stars: 5
I will start by saying I am a big ole fan of Stanley Tucci. So I added this book to my list last year and finally took the time to read it. It was so wonderful to listen to him detail and document his whole life and career through different meals and food experiences. I have his cookbook at home and it is so wonderful to hear all of his Italian family recipes. Makes me feel right at home!
I also learned he grew up in Westchester, so it was cool to hear him talk about his memories of the local area.This book was so delicious and made me eager to read about the next meal or shoot he was doing. I don’t typically read non-fiction because I find it hard to keep up with a “story” and plot when there really isn’t one – it’s real life. Yet, an autobiography of a celebrity’s life whom you really treasure was spectacular.
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
Dates read: May 7 – 12, 2023
Stars: 4
This book had been on my list since August 2022 when I first got my Kindle, so I was excited to read it. I find myself particularly drawn to this genre; mystery, horror, murder, dark secrets, etc. I love being able to figure out the story. I like that this was written jumping from past to present, so you got to piece the story together little by little. The ending made me very sad, but I was ultimately happy with how it wrapped up. The reason I have it 4 stars was it was a little too dark for subject matter for me particularly. That said, really well written and kept me hooked start to finish.
Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner
Dates read: May 12 – 23, 2023
Stars: 5
I absolutely loved this story. It fit my similar type of genre or mystery and a spunky female lead. I loved getting to watch Frankie go through her issues with alcohol. This really resonated with me and gave the recluse/loner of a lead a really human and meaningful backstory. This was such a good mystery and I loved getting the little insider scoop on her past. I didn’t feel like I missed out on her back story, since the story wasn’t technically about her. I was much more focused on the mystery getting solved. Reminded me a little of Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (which I LOVED). I will definitely be reading the sequel!
Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up by Selma Blair
Dates read: May 23 – June 2, 2023
Stars: 5
I have wanted to read this book since 2022 when Selma Blair was on Dancing With The Stars. I knew a little about her battle with MS, but I had never really paid attention. I just adored this book. She was so real and it was so hard to hear about her battle with alcohol. I liked her approach to the book too, talking about her whole life and symptoms but not knowing there was an actual reason or diagnosis until much later in her life. She talked a lot about her need for alcohol to make her comfortable and fight off her anxieties, and it makes me so sad to hear about all of these celebrities that struggle with this.
As someone who has used alcohol to fight off anxieties and make themselves comfortable in a group, on a much smaller scale, it breaks my heart to know how badly this affected her. I love hearing about all the celebrities she had special relationships with, and I loved hearing her write about her son and her present state of being. Big fan of yours, Vivian Kensington.
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
Dates read: June 5, 2023
Stars: 5
This is the first book in a WHILE that I plowed through in a day. I think I was up until 11pm the night before leaving for Mexico to finish this book. It felt a little short to me, but perhaps that is because I read it so fast. I was hooked from the beginning. The story took you all over the map unraveling a mystery about who Owen is. I am not even sure I was completely satisfied with how the third act came and went. It almost felt like the last season of Game of Thrones, I was still going to watch through to the end, but it did feel like it wrapped up loose ends a little fast and a little weird. Such a great mystery though overall. I hear it is also an AppleTV series, so I may need to watch.
The People We Keep by Allison Larkin
*Some Spoilers*
Dates read: June 6 – 9, 2023
Stars: 5 (can I rate it higher??)
This by far is my favorite book of the year, and absolutely on my top 10 books I’ve ever read. Not my typical genre, no mystery or thriller here. It was so beautiful to follow April through her years on the road and learning to trust people, even if they were not deserving. I loved how by the end she was able to come to peace and stop running. She had found people who were as stubborn as her and had faith and trust in them. Every time she thought things were going well and she let her guard down, something would happen and she would take off. It broke my heart for her when she found someone good to be with and ultimately left them.
It really resonated with me when she was able to become a mother and give to her baby what she never had from her own family. She could finally rest and take care of another human who depended on her. I was actually so sad when the book ended. I will absolutely read this again.
The Maid by Nita Prose
Dates read: June 9 – 18, 2023
Stars: 3
I heard that this was a big book of 2022, but it really didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t really like how exploitatively it was written. I’m not sure if it was intentionally left out that Molly was neurodivergent, but I almost didn’t like how she was depicted. The mystery itself was pretty easy to figure out, but since it was told through Mollys perspective, you had to follow along as she figured it out in her own way. It made me sad that things she believed about others were obviously just for exploitation. However, it was nice to see that some of those friendships were very real and genuine. Overall, I don’t think I would continue to read the sequel, ultimately left unsatisfied.
What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding by Kristin Newman
Dates read: June 19 – 23, 2023
Stars: 5
Another book that is not my typical genre! Someone recommended this to me, although I cannot remember who.
This book was an autobiography of a woman navigating her twenties and thirties being single and traveling while everyone around her was settling down. She talked about how on one hand traveling and having all of these single girl experiences all over the world was so liberating and eye-opening, but on the other hand, you could tell she wanted someone to fall in love with – but like a love-at-first-sight head over heels type love. People in her life were not living up to that expectation, so she found peace and escape in traveling, subsequently getting to know herself and falling in love with herself in the process.
I really enjoyed this read, despite being in a happy healthy relationship in my mid twenties. For a long time, I wanted that same kind of love too. But just as Kristin discovers the same thing, the feeling of someone accepting you and loving you for who you are fills your cup more than you can imagine. Coming to that place of loving yourself and self discovery at your own pace just opens the door to attract other people who are also going to love all of you for who you are. Loved this read!!!
Up Next…
I have about 9 more books to read in the upcoming 3 months. I am trying to read the following: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (currently reading), Bones and All by Camille DeAngelis (currently reading), It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover, Survive the Night by Riley Sager, Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo, The First Husband by Laura Dave, and The Divorce Party by Laura Dave.
Let’s see how much I can do!!
Caroline's Path of Grace 
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