My current book goal for 2024 is 37. In the first quarter of 2024, I read 16 books, and this quarter, I read nine, sitting me at a grand total of 25 books read in 6 months.
I am going to talk about those nine books from the past three months 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.
Let me know if you have read any of these or want to discuss more! I have added some paid Amazon links to all of these books if you are interested in getting any yourself. You can always add me on GoodReads too at @c.pathofgrace . I might be setting a new goal if I keep up this pace!
Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver
Dates read: March 28 – April 9
Stars: 5
Let me start by saying I think this is one of the best books I have ever read. I was truthfully a little worried at first because I could feel it taking me a little bit to get used to the style of writing, but once I fell in, it was hard to put down.
This book made me emote and kept me hooked start to finish. It was a nice break for me from thrillers, and I truly could just relax and enjoy the story telling of Demon’s life without feeling like there was an endpoint or end goal like in a mystery. I kept wanting to know what would happen next or where it would go. I am really glad it ended the way it did. Such an amazing read. 10/10 would recommend!!!
The Floating Girls, Lo Patrick
Dates read: April 9 – 16
Stars: 3.5
I have had this book on my list since 2022 and was excited to finally read it. I really enjoyed it and read most of it in the last 2 days. It was a very compelling story, kept me hooked, and was an easy read, as it is in the POV of a 12/yo.
I think the book description of it being a similar POV to Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird was a really good description. I completely felt that throughout the story. At the same time, that POV was what bothered me. The ending was totally vague. I know in some books it’s cool and fun to have to guess “who done it”, but this felt like I just had no clue.
This could be due to it being in the POV of a 12y/o who truly had no idea what was going on, but still. It felt like a good tried and true “unreliable narrator” book. I still feel so unresolved with the ending, but I don’t think that means I did not enjoy the read. The storytelling and world building was great, I loved the visuals that Lo Patrick created.
Great read, just left me frustrated and unsatisfied at the end.
Let That Sh*t Go, Nina Purewal and Kate Petriw
Dates read: January 10 – April 21
Stars: 3
I had picked this book up back in 2022 and was excited to give a book of this “self-help” nature a try. I did enjoy it a lot! Parts were super helpful and I for sure practiced calming my chatty mind and being more present because of reading this.
I think though that this genre just isn’t for me. I am not a book annotator, but this had so many good tips that I felt like I had to take notes the whole time just to soak it all in. I often felt like I had to go back to reread something so I could fully understand it and absorb it. I just feel like it’s always so hard for me to read through books like this. I just struggle with the genre, but the content and things I was able to absorb were really powerful and helpful!
Redwood Court, DeLana R.A Dameron
Dates read: April 12 – 25
Stars: 5
Now this was undoubtedly a five star read from me. I absolutely loved this book! Way to go, Reese’s Book Club!!
I am giddy with having finished this book. I think about it so much after finishing. I think it could have gone on forever, like Demon Copperhead, and I would have sat there and kept reading about their lives generation after generation.
There were so many parts that reminded me of my own childhood, time with my family, and most importantly, my grandpa. I felt such a strong connection to Mika and her relationship with Teeta, her grandpa. I had a very strong connection with my grandpa at that age too, and it just made me smile so hard. I know this is a book I will read again and I cannot wait!
Dear Girls, Ali Wong
Dates read: April 25 – May 4
Stars: 3
When I was browsing different celebrity books a while back, I came across Ali Wong’s. I’ve always enjoyed her standup, so I was excited to read this book.
I really laughed and felt connected to her storytelling. It was so fun and amusing to hear her voice explain her experiences and talk about her life. I really enjoyed the format being letters to her daughters.
I felt like I was glad to have read about her life and experiences. I think these kinds of books help us feel less alone when we learn about another person’s experience. That is absolutely how I felt reading this. Ali has a really fun way of connecting with and engaging her audience – no different in her writing!
Bel Canto, Ann Patchett
Dates read: May 6 – 14
Stars: 4
Wow. I had a great time reading this. It was a really interesting take on multiple perspectives, as they all really flowed into one another. It never felt like there was a clear main character, until maybe the end.
I have truly been thinking about this book since I finished it. It really kept me hooked the whole time. At first, I was a little frustrated by the random and unclear perspective changes, but I felt like it was a really good story about the human experience.
I was not a fan of the epilogue, which is the only reason this is a 4/5. I would absolutely read this again.
Anita de Monte Laughs Last, Xóchitl González
Dates read: May 14 – 28
Stars: 3
Once again reading a Reese’s Book Club pick!
I enjoyed this story and message a whole lot. I felt like I was in the thick of a slump midway through, and felt like I was only still reading because I wanted to get to the end. I felt like there were a lot of plot points that only went nowhere or were abandoned, so that was annoying. I feel like I can absolutely see this getting adapted to a movie in the future. The plot was great, just lost my interest and felt choppy at times.
However, every time I head Graceland by Paul Simon, I do now think about this book and about Anita!
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire *mild spoilers*
Dates read: March 25 – June 1
Stars: 4
So happy to be reading these again. They once again add so much story and characterization to the plot. Very happy. I did for sure have to google a few things that they changed in the movie, some did not make sense and some I did not remember happening.
However, some of the things changed in this book, i.e. characterizations of characters’ backstories, didn’t really make sense to me. I can understand leaving out certain B plots for time in the movie, but the way a character is written or the fact that Beauxbatons in the movie was an all girls school but coed in the book was weird to me. Also the omission of whole characters and relationships/interactions between characters that absolutely deepened the readers understanding of them made no sense to me.
Nonetheless, I can’t wait for book 5!
Everything I Know About Love, Dolly Alderton
Dates read: May 29 – June 12
Stars: 5
This book made me feel so many things. I think it will stay with me for a long time. I highlighted so much. I saw so much of my own youth and experience in this book, more than I have with any other book or person or podcast. I feel like I will be rereading this in the future.
I felt really seen and comforted and good. I know we all live different lives with different experiences, but I think that by reading about Dolly’s trials and tribulations, I felt more okay in my own skin and my own life decisions up until this point, which for a long time, I was unable to do. I can’t wait to read more of her writing.
Highly recommend!
Up Next…
Currently, I have just finished The Disaster Artist by Greg Sostero and The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang, Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay, Stolen by Lucy Christopher, Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum, The Unwedding by Ally Condie, November 9 by Colleen Hoover, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, No Bad Parts by Richard C. Schwartz, The Cliffs by Courtney J. Sullivan, and whatever the next 2 Reese’s Book Club picks for August and September are!!
After a slower second quarter, let’s see what reading the summer brings!
Caroline's Path of Grace 
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