Back to drama
This month’s books and shows leaned more women’s fiction than domestic thriller.
And really, that’s a good thing if I want to sleep well at night.
Trust me, I want to sleep. Grouchy Carole is no fun.
Here’s July’s lineup.
🎧 The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave
I read the first book in this series, The Last Thing He Told Me, a few years ago. I also watched the Apple TV series. More on that in a minute.
You don’t need to read book one to enjoy book two. Yes, the first book gives you the background on why Owen disappeared from Hannah and Bailey’s lives. But The First Time I Saw Him can stand on its own.
And I enjoyed book two more than the first one.
I think that had something to do with the first book putting children in peril, which is not my favorite reading category. See also: me wanting to sleep at night.
I’ve heard mixed things about the second season of the show adaptation (which is titled The Last Thing He Told Me). I haven’t watched it myself yet, so I can’t officially weigh in. But I will say this: sometimes a story works better for me on the page than on the screen.
And sometimes my dogs do not appreciate my television reactions. More on that shortly.
🎧 The Quitter’s Club by Jessica Strawser
This one landed solidly in the realm of women’s fiction.
The title sums up the premise. Four friends make a pact to quit something that is no longer serving them.
Sounds liberating, right?
Well, it is.
Until it isn’t.
What starts as a fresh-start story takes a few turns, and I flew through it quickly. I’m planning to read it again for book club, which feels like a pretty solid endorsement.
Any book I’m willing to revisit gets bonus points. My TBR pile does not leave a lot of room for repeat visits.
My dark comedy attempt, part three
I keep trying dark comedy.
I keep learning things about myself.
Mostly that I enjoy the comedy part and remain a complete baby about the dark part.
📺 Widow’s Bay
This one actually had comedy in it, so progress was made.
I blew through the ten episodes in season one and breathed a sigh of relief when I heard the show had been renewed for a second season.
The concept is that Widow’s Bay, an island town off the coast of New England, may be cursed.
The mayor does not buy it.
Naturally, this goes about as well as you’d expect.
The comedy is dark, but the show kept my attention. I admit I screamed once, though.
The dogs were not impressed by my lack of bravery.
In my defense, they bark at delivery trucks, squirrels, and occasionally nothing at all, so I’m not taking their judgment too seriously.
📺 Running Point
Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
This light-hearted show about a female owner of a professional basketball team was so easy to watch.
The second season brought fun fashion, secret love affairs, family drama, and families sticking together even when they are very much making things harder for themselves.
In other words, exactly the kind of fictional chaos I enjoy.
And yes, it has been renewed for a third season, which is excellent news for those of us who appreciate drama in cute outfits.
If you missed any of my previous What to Read segments, you can find them all in my monthly reading archive. 📚✨
Until next time…