When I Found You was a great read. It was quick and didn’t require much mental energy. Just what I was looking for at the end of a busy school year. The other nice thing was that this title was only $3.99 from the Kindle store or free for Amazon Prime members. Can’t beat that. Was it predictable? A little. Could it be sappy and a little too neatly tied up at the end? Yes, but it was just right for this time for me and I enjoyed the premise and the characters (mostly). I would recommend if you are looking for something not too deep or something for the beach.

I received a free excerpt of The Storied Life of A J Fikry and read it in the dentist’s office. And, I was hooked. This was a wonderful story, filled with good characters, who I liked, and a great storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it. It’s nothing deep, but it’s a delightful story about a bookstore and the people who surround it. A real treat is found on these pages.

A Tale for the Time Being is another book that had been on my list for a long time. I am not sure where the recommendation came from, but I began the book feeling like it was a great one. As the book wore on, however, I grew increasingly disappointed with the story. I loved the idea of the diary from Japan washing up on the shore of a remote island and found by an author who becomes intertwined with the writer, but it dragged midway through until the end. And, the ending was really disappointing. Surely, Ruth, who had invested so much time and energy into the story would have wanted to find the author and/or her father and make sure they were all right. And the epilogue, after all that writing, was a cop-out, I thought. I was sorry this book didn’t meet my expectations and glad to be finished reading it.

The Night Guest, by Fiona McFarlane was on the shelf at the library and I recognized the cover as one I had on my list (My book list of “want to read” books comes from a variety of sources, blogs, Oprah, booklists, etc., so I never know from where I have found the recommendation. I do always know that what I have read about the book intrigues me enough to want to add it to the list.). I am so glad I picked this one up. It was a short read, but a compelling and fascinating one. I am so very sad for Ruth that she ended up in the situation she was in and so angry with Frida. I wish the book had had a different ending, but this one worked. It’s an enjoyable book and I would recommend it.