“Slow Horses” by Mick Herron (audio book)

 This was my first audio book. It was quite an enjoyable read, and very close to the tv series.

“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid

 I cannot say that this book is beautifully written. I found the writing style to be a bit harsh for my taste. And yet, it is the most compelling book I’ve read in ages. I honestly couldn’t put it down. Initially it seemed to be a mundane Hollywood tell all. But it quickly evolved into a story about the complexities of how and who we love, and about the morally gray area of motivation. And at its very heart, it is a beautiful love story. 

Of course, the Hollywood press usually gets it wrong in the book, because they are so cleverly manipulated by their subjects. It’s quite amazing, the wide gulf between truth and “press” and what we tell ourselves. I admired the ruthless honesty of Evelyn Hugo.

“Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus

 I enjoyed this book quite a bit and it was an easy read. Elizabeth Zott is an interesting and very independent heroine from the 1950’s and 60’s, at a time when women were horribly downtrodden. There was more sadness and less satire than I expected, but the ending was nice. I guess this was a bit of a fairytale, but the world needs more of those.