Happy Tuesday! It is the last Tuesday of the school year which means that I am 4 days away from endless reading time in the sunshine and I am so excited! Our pool also officially opens today! Hooray – more reading time!

If you are looking for brand new books to read, check out today’s Tuesday Book Release post.

Keep reading for the books I’ve read this month! I’m linking up with Steph and Jana to Show You My Books!

Eliza Starts a Rumor by Jane L. Rosen ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️

I thought this book was an interesting, fun read. Eliza runs an online group for women in the Hudson River Valley. She finds out that the local moms think her board is outdated and they’ve started their own. In an attempt to get readers back, she starts a anonymous rumor about her neighbor. The rumor brings 4 women together and makes all of them examine their relationships and the direction they want their life to go. **ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.**

The Unteachables by Gordon Korman ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️
Kids Book

I have been a Gordon Korman fan for almost 30 years. He just gets kids and writes in a way where kids can see themselves and enjoy it. This book is about a group of 8th graders that are deemed The Unteachables. The teacher assigned to them has all but given up and is trying to coast through the year to an early retirement. Through a bunch of ups and downs, the kids come together to support each other and their teacher. They are a little sassy, but I am still encouraging Jack to read it.

The Cactus by Sarah Haywood (listened on Hoopla) ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️

I was looking for a book to listen to while I was walking and this one jumped out to me on Hoopla. It was a Reese’s Book Club selection so I thought I’d give it a try. It is a good family story (my favorite) in which Susan Green has to navigate the recent passing of her mother and her estranged relationship with her brother. She also finds out that she is going to become a mother, not according to her plans. It is a story of friendship, self-discovery, and family and I enjoyed it.

Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️

Another family story, but this one is about composers and professional musicians. Bridget has just left NYC for her summer home in Connecticut and finds out her boyfriend is leaving her, her grown children are coming home for the summer, and her elderly father is getting married. Her house if falling apart and she needs a third musician for her trio. Will, the second member of the trio, has been her best friend since college. The two of them are trying to figure out the future of their trio and what their personal futures will look like. **ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.**

Operation Frog Effect by Sarah Scheerger ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️
Kids book

I loved this book. The students in Ms. Graham’s class each have to write in their journals frequently and Ms. Graham promised not to read them. The school year started with one student bringing a frog to school and the class adopting it as a pet. The story is told from the point of view of 8 students through their journal entries. The students are facing some big problems – homelessness, illegal immigration, friendship drama, and learning to form and speak their opinions. It sounds like a really heavy book, but it is told in a way that I feel good about kids reading. It is a good way to start conversations with kids about the struggles that their friends or classmates be facing.

The Lion’s Den by Katherine St. John ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️

Summer inviters a few friends onto her mega-rich boyfriend’s luxury yacht to celebrate her birthday. Belle agrees to go with some reservations because even though she has been friends with Summer for a long time they’ve grown apart recently. Summer’s boyfriend is extremely controlling and Summer has definitely changed as she spends time with him. The book goes back and forth between the current day and a few months ago. As it jumps back and forth, the events of the past start to melt into the current day. Things that seemed totally unrelated start to click and reveal the very twisted world of Summer and her boyfriend. I figured some of it out as I was reading, but was still surprised by some of the connections at the end.

Camp by Kayla Miller ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️
Kids book

I loved this graphic novel about going to sleep away camp. It started out as a fun story, the second in a series, but it also deals with problems that kids have as they try to make new friends and expand their groups. I loved the way it navigated a friendship where one girl, Olive, wanted to branch out, make new friends, and try new things. Her friend, Willow, is super homesick and doesn’t want to make any new friends or try anything without Olive. I bet it will be a favorite in my school library.

Rocket to the Moon by Don Brown ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️
kids book

I thought this graphic novel was perfectly timed to read right now. It is covers the complete timeline of space exploration to the moon. THe graphic novel format was perfect for sharing a lot of information in an easy to consume way. There is a great timeline in the back too. If your kids loved the recent rocket launch, give them this book.

Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ ☀️
(Summer Beach Reads book)

Oh my goodness! She did it again! I look forward to Mary Kay Andrews books every single summer and this one did not disappoint. I loved the story, the setting, the family drama. Reporter Conley Hawkins comes home because she has no where else to go. Her spitfire grandmother convinces her to work for her sister at the family paper until she can get back on her feet. She happens to be the first person on the scene of a single car crash at 3 am where a senator is killed. Conley is determined to figure out what caused the crash and to answer all the questions surrounding the senator’s life. I loved the setting and how MKA brings the Florida Gulf Coast alive on her pages.

Have a great day full of sunshine and books!