Spare by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex

 

Hardcover and Kindle edition

I have to admit that I usually don't read books like this. I don't really get excited about pop-culture drama-riddled people/stories. I just don't care. Everyone has drama. Everyone has problems. What makes a "star" any more special than anyone else?

I became interested in this book after seeing Prince Harry's interview on 60 Minutes with Anderson Cooper. All I can say is, holy shit. A lot of shit went down, and continues to go down with Prince Harry and his family. After watching that bit, I decided I wanted to read the book. I got on the wait list for the book from my library - it said it would be a "long wait". I happened to mention it to my friend at work and she just finished the book and said she'd bring it for me to read! Score!

So, I wear glasses. I need them to read. I sometimes pretend that I don't need glasses, then I'm squinting and moving the thing I'm trying to read all around to try and find a distance where I can read it (and often I can't). So, I got the book from my friend at work and tried to start reading it. Even with my glasses, the text looked like ants on the page. I could barely see it. This was also during the time where I was in constant pain and couldn't lay down without excruciating pain. So, it was tough to get into this book because 1 - even with my glasses I couldn't see anything very easily, and 2 - pain. 

I didn't get very far very fast - I started the hardcover version on February 26. But then the Husband and I got new library cards for the new city we live in now (since October 2021) and they have WAY MORE kindle books available to borrow and I got on the list for this one and instead of the "long wait" from the other library, it was like a 2 week wait. So I got it on kindle and could read it comfortably with the big font setting! SCORE! I finished the kindle edition April 13

All I can say is, holy shit. This is some shit. There is so much in this book that had me shaking my head in disbelief, in astonishment. How can people treat each other this way? It's truly unbelievable. And sad. So much drama punctuated by a life that is a spectacle in the most public way.

Post written on April 28. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

It's In His Kiss (Hyacinth's Story) by Julia Quinn

 

Kindle edition

Definitely on the Bridgerton bandwagon - loving every book. I started Hyacinth's story on April 6 and finished it on April 9. Like all of the others in this series, it was a quick read.

Julia Quinn's books definitely have a formula. That's not necessarily a bad thing. If the formula works, don't change it. And this formula definitely works.

Hyacinth, the youngest of the Bridgerton brood, has her moment in this book. Another unexpected (expected) match and a story with lots of twists and turns that I really enjoyed. I love Lady Danbury - she is so witty and sarcastic. She's kind of like the Oracle, the all seeing eye. She know's what's up and things usually end up the way she knew they would. I love that people are afraid of her, including the Bridgerton men. 

Bottom line: if you are a Bridgerton fan, this will not disappoint.

Now, they need to hurry up already and make all of these books into the series. Can't wait for season 3 to drop!

Post written on April 28. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

The Fortunes of Jaded Women: A Novel by Carolyn Huynh

 

Kindle Edition

I learned of this book, The Fortunes of Jaded Women, from Real Simple magazine. Real Simple described it as "fun fiction" about a group of sisters "cursed to live without love, happiness, or sons." I started this on March 24 and finished it on April 6.

The description in Real Simple goes on:

"The bad luck seems to extend to one sister's adult daughters, so she consults her psychic for help. What happens next might finally bring this over-the-top family together."

I agree with their assessment that this story is hilarious and heartwarming.

This is another book with deep character development and descriptions. Much of this book takes place in Orange County, a place I'm familiar with. So it was easy and fun to be able to imagine and "see" the places that were described in the book. Most books that take place in places I'm familiar with really pull me in in a different way than books that don't. 

The sisters and their families in this story are complex, funny, and colorful. I enjoyed learning about them all and how all of the drama came to be and how it played out. A fun read!

Post written on April 28. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell'Antonia

 

Kindle Edition

This is another gem I learned about in Real Simple magazine. Sometimes I think that I don't need that magazine any more, but then I remember that I find a lot of the books I read in the magazine and that I do really enjoy flipping through and reading the magazine. So, it stays.

I started this somewhere around March 7 and finished it on March 24. This one took a little longer for me to read. During this time in March, I was suffering from near constant pain from a back injury and wasn't sleeping much. It was near impossible to get comfortable laying down (which is how I usually read - in bed before going to sleep). This one was a little slow going.

This book follows two sisters, who are sort of estranged, and their dueling family chicken restaurants in a small town in Kansas. One sister is much more cosmopolitan - she moved to New York, was on a talk show, married, kid. The other sister, is more rural - she stayed in Kansas, married, 2 kids, widowed, works in one of the chicken restaurants. This sister had the brilliant idea to apply for a reality TV competition show (something you might find on the Food Network) pitting the 2 chicken restaurants against each other. Sounds like a great, idea, right? Ummmmm, no.

This book follows what happens when the show comes to town. As Real Simple put it, this book is "a delightful look at sibling relationships and the unbreakable bonds of family." Lots of family drama. Lots of secrets. I enjoyed this book.

Post written on April 28. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

On the Way to the Wedding: Bridgerton (Bridgertons Book 8) by Julia Quinn

Kindle Edition

I read the last two Bridgerton books out of order. I thought they went in alpha order with Hyacinth being last, but turns out Gregory's was last. Oh well. I still loved it.

I started this book on February 15 and finished it on February 21. As with all of the other Julia Quinn books, this was a quick read. And, as with books 3-8, I can't wait for them to be added to the Netflix series. Hurry up already, Netflix!

This book follows Gregory in his love journey. Like all of the others, there are twists and turns, follies and missteps.

I can't remember all of the details now (I'm writing this on April 28 though finished the book back in February). I can remember that I liked the book, it was entertaining, and a quick read.

If you've invested in all of these books to this point, you should finish it out.

I can say that I have loved the 2nd epilogues that have been in all of the kindle books. They offer a glimpse of "what's next" for the characters that we love.

 Post written on April 28. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

American Royals: Inheritance (A Prequel Novella) by Katharine McGee

 

Kindle Edition

What if... America lost the revolution and had a monarchy? That's the premise of this book series by Katharine McGee.

I started this on February 12 and finished it 2 short days later on February 14th. Talk about a fast read.

This book started to offer insights into how things came to be in the first book in the series. There's a king of America with three children - Beatrice, Samantha, and Jefferson. All with different (and sometimes) intertwining drama they call their own.

I don't want to give too much away, though read any of the reviews of this book and you'll get them anyway. This is a light-hearted, easy read. It's fun to imagine how things would be different if America was... different. A monarchy. What do you think it would be like? Take a look at some of the other royal families around the world, and you'll have a good idea. 

Navigating, avoiding, and managing the prying eyes of the press. Dealing with competing and often unscrupulous actions of "friends", family members, and random people. Trying to have a private life in the public eye. Living with family knowing you are either the "heir" or "spare", and the list goes on and on - see "Spare" by Prince Harry. Except this is the fictional version.

If you like "Royal" things, you'll like this series.

 Post written on May 3. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.

Firefly Lane: A Novel by Kristin Hannah (Book 1 / part 1)

Kindle Edition

In mid-January my hairdresser told me about the Firefly Lane series on Netflix (had never heard about it) and The Husband and I binged it in about 3 or 4 days. It is SOOOO GOOD! I didn't know when we began the series that it was based on 2 books.

I requested the Kindle book from Libby / my public library and started it on February 1 and reluctantly had to put it down on February 12. Not because I finished it. Not because it was bad. But because the first book continues beyond where the series ended. 

It was a major conundrum - finish the book before the series? Or finish the series before the books? Ultimately, I put the book down and wanted to finish the series first. Bummer because we didn't know how long we'd have to wait for the series to come back. 

As I'm writing this months after I finished the book, I can tell you that the series came back in late April and we finished it. So, I'm ready to finish book 1 and now can't get it from the library for a few months. Ugh.

So, the story. It's great. It follows two girls from when they met in middle-ish school throughout their lives. In the series, the adult main characters are played by Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke and their younger selves are played by Alissa Skovbye and Roan Curtis. That's neither here nor there in book-land though. 

The girls grow up in a suburb of Seattle called Snohomish in the late 1960s. They go through the typical things that kids go through - like boys, parent & family drama, school drama, first kisses, first jobs, college, heartache, and more. We see their relationship bloom, ebb, flow, fight, and make up.

The characters are deep and believable, and the story is easy to follow and relatable. It's funny. It's sad. It's deep. It's shallow. Good characters. Good writing. It may have helped that I watched the series first so had visuals to go along with what I was reading in the book. There are some differences between the book and the series. Let's be honest, when isn't there? The differences, so far, aren't that much and aren't detracting from the reading or watching experience.

The cutoff in the series was heart-wrenching. And the series ended satisfactorily. I can't say more.

I'm really looking forward to finishing the first book and reading the second.

The series is worth a watch - just decide if you want to watch or read first. 

 Post written on May 8. Publication date reflects date I finished the book.