Mid Summer Check-In

I'd like to believe that it's only midway through summer, but the reality is I have just a few weeks left of freedom until another school year is underway.  I shared these nine titles earlier this summer that I planned on reading.  (Of course there are plenty of other books I've read that aren't on any list).  So far I've read four, but am midway through two others.

I'll admit that I haven't loved all of these books that I intentionally planned on reading. In fact, although a lot of my summer reads have been five star reads, nothing from this group of nine has been a five star read for me yet.

Here are my thoughts on what I've read so far:

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston is a fun read.  It was geared toward more of an adult audience than I initially thought, and I am not so sure I enjoyed the idea of the First Son and royal prince hooking up, but overall the storyline was one that kept me reading, and since I like reading about royalty and first families anyway, it would be hard for this one to bomb.  

The Guest List by Sarah Blake - I loved Blake's first book, The Postmistress, and was really looking forward to The Guest List, but this one was pretty slow. I read it all, but felt like the plot could have been condensed into many fewer pages.  I like novels that move back and forth in time and this one moves between 1936 and 1959 and a WASP family on the East Coast.  I loved the setting - place and time- and the idea of family secrets that were finally revealed.

Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner- I love Weiner's work, but when several friends rated this latest book 2 out of 5 stars I didn't hold out a lot of hope for it. I went in with low expectations and ended up loving this one.  I had also seen Weiner interviewed where she explains how her own mother raised her family, doing what was expected of her, and then left eventually to have a relationship with a woman.  That background information may also have aided my enjoyment, but I did thoroughly enjoy this book which spans the lifetime of sisters Jo and Beth Kaufman.

A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny - I am definitely late to the Penny party, but am trying to jump on board. This is the second in her Three Pines series and I like both that I have read, but still am not as attached to characters or this series as her fans.  I also would like to note that I was able to determine who the killer was in this story, a rarity for me.

I've got two more from this list of nine in progress, and despite the fact that time is running out, I still plan on getting the rest done.  

How is your summer reading going?