May, June and July weren’t the best reading months for me, and I only managed to read two books in all that time!
My time has been filled with birthdays, decluttering, a kid moving out, travelling, working on our new project, and the usual life stuff. So, taking the time to read has sadly moved way down my list of priorities lately.
All I can offer you right now are these two titles. Of course, I haven’t stopped saving books to my “Books I want to read” folder, so as soon as I get back into the swing of things, I’ll be back to sharing those goodies.
Great Big Beautiful Life – by Emily Henry
I’m a big Emily Henry fan, and this book is one of her best. In this story, two writers compete for the chance to write the biography of a former tabloid princess and heiress, Margaret Ives. Alice Scott, an up-and-coming writer waiting for her big break, and Hayden Anderson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, make their way to the island where Margaret lives and spend a month in a trial period, interviewing this woman who has been out of the public eye for many years. Margaret seems to be giving each of them only parts of the full story. And because of a signed NDA, they cannot swap stories. So, who will win the coveted job? Ooh, it’s a goodie.
My rating is 4/5.
Order on Amazon US | Amazon UK
The Creative Act – by Rick Rubin
I had heard that this book was so great, and it has a bit of a cult following, so I ordered it. (Influenced much?!) Also, the cover is gorgeous, let’s be honest. As for the content of the book, well, parts of it were great – lots of cliches, yes, but pearls of wisdom, nonetheless. Be warned, though – some parts were a little woo-woo and off-putting (his burst appendix and how he dealt with that), and the writing could become repetitive at times.
This is the type of book that is good to dip in and out of, in part because it’s good to think about each concept before moving on to the next. But also because a couple of chapters were all I could manage in one sitting. I did also enjoy the short chapters of only a few lines – to be fair, the design of this book is lovely. I think it’s worth buying, but please manage your expectations.
My rating is 3/5.
Order on Amazon US | Amazon UK
You may also want to read: All the great books I read in February 2025
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