Thoughts on 3 summer favorites : The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Crazy Rich Asians – Love & Gelato
I don’t review all the books I read – and too often, I end up not reviewing some of my favorite reads, too worried I won’t be able to do them justice.
But really, it’s never too late to talk about your favorite books! And so, with a new summer beginning, I wanted to talk about three very different books I read and adored last summer. If you are looking for a great read this season, maybe one of these will work for you!
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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre : Historical fiction
Stand alone
About the Book :
Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?
Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ’80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.
My Thoughts :
What can I say about this book that hasn’t already been said? This book has received so much praise, and in my opinion it was well deserved. Evelyn Hugo was such an interesting character. Complex, flawed, mysterious, determined, I loved her from beginning to end. The author managed to create an Hollywood star I believed in, and to transport me through the years with an incredibly compelling story.
I also really enjoyed the format. The story is being told to Monique rather than to us, the reader, and it gives it an additional layer of mystery. I feel like this is a book that could be enjoyed by readers of different genres (chicklit, general fiction, romance, historical fiction). If you haven’t read it yet, I encourage you to give it a try.
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Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Genre : Fiction
Stand alone
About the Book :
When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country’s most eligible bachelor.
On Nick’s arm, Rachel may as well have a target on her back the second she steps off the plane, and soon, her relaxed vacation turns into an obstacle course of old money, new money, nosy relatives, and scheming social climbers.
My Thoughts :
I wanted to read this one before the movie came out, which I did, and I really enjoyed it. It was a bit like a dessert in book form; the fat, totally unhealthy (but delicious) kind of dessert.
If you’re only familiar with the movie, I’d say you have to prepare for something slightly different : I also loved the movie, but I found it to be sweeter, nicer, while the book felt a lot more melodramatic and a lot less sweet. However the characters were well developed and I adored their interactions, how any subtle comment meant three different things, none of them usually nice! It had a certain humour to it that made it compulsorily readable. I also appreciated the footnotes and all the details about Chinese culture, though I’ll admit all the brands and fancy names didn’t do much for me. I immediately bought the next two books after reading it, and I can’t wait to continue on with this colorful story this summer.
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Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
Narration : Rebekkah Ross
Genre : YA, contemporary
Stand alone
About the Book :
Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.
But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.
My Thoughts :
That was adorable, and honestly quite refreshing compared to other YA contemporaries or YA summer books. There is romance, and it is a big part of the story, but there’s a lot more to it, too. I would say it’s mostly a story about Lina herself; discovering her parents’ history, and where she came from, and what family means for her. By far, the family aspect was my favorite of the book, but I’d say the story is well balanced – and the love and the gelato parts were also quite good! The story was both heartfelt and heartwarming – the perfect combination for summer.
They all sound like winners to me.