Somehow I missed posting an April reading wrap up. So that sucks… big giant fail on my part! SO how about I make May’s wrap up a joint month wrap up and mention the books I’ve read in the past two months! This is my blog so I make the rules…. Don’t I?! Ok so that’s my first rule, I make the rules. So following that, here is my monthly (plus one more month) wrap up!
I read 12 books in the past two months and I can honestly say I enjoyed all of them! No duds in this bunch (thank God). I don’t think I can pick a favorite because I managed to read a really good variety of books, everything was unique.
Simon and the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
I think this is an awesome YA book because it touches on issues that people will deal with in some capacity throughout their youth. Especially in high school. I remember high school being a particularly brutal time for me so I was able to really relate with some of the characters. I envisioned the story taking place in my old high school which made the story even more realistic. I’d recommend this book to younger readers.
The Secrets She Keeps By Michael Robotham
Amazon compares this book to In a Dark, Dark Wood (see my review below) but I don’t really see it. I liked this one a lot better. Probably because the story is unique! I found myself sympathizing with the protagonist in this which, in my opinion, means the author did an awesome job captivating the characters. He made them more human and relatable which I appreciate in a book with a storyline like this. I loved the ending, I think it was the only way the book could have ended but the journey to get there was even more captivating. I think this is a must read!
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
I read Jenny Lawson’s first book, Lets Pretend this Never Happened, and I loved it. She is hilarious and has such a great way of pulling her readers into her stories. I felt this book was a little more patchy than her first but it still had me laughing out loud. I think this is a great book to read alongside another book. It doesn’t follow a true storyline so you can pick it up and read a chapter when you need a laugh here and there. Jenny Lawson is freaking hilarious, and painfully honest about the shit-show that is life… you won’t be disappointed.
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
When I first started this book I thought I wouldn’t like it. I’ve never been a big hockey fan and all of the hockey jargon had me a little wary. But as the story progressed, the sports terminology and hockey references fell a bit to the way side and the story came out. I loved the story! It touches on a difficult subject but Backman writes the story in a sensitive way that kept me wanting to continue reading.
Night Road by Kristin Hannah
This was great! Kristin Hannah remains my favorite author because she’s just so good at story telling and tying all loose ends together. This story was really touching and focused on forgiveness in the most difficult of situations. As far as I know this isn’t one of her most popular books but I think it should be! It’s a different story than other authors are telling right now and I think reading about forgiveness is something we should all do more of.
The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro
This was my first read by Kathleen Tessaro and half way through this book I was ordering two more by this author! I recommended this book to a number of people and gave my copy to my mom. It’s so beautifully written and Tessaro has an uncanny ability to take you to the scene of the story and make you feel you are there. The way she describes Paris from the scenery to the food to the Parisian characters I felt I was in Paris along with them. This is a must read!
The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman
This was another book I didn’t know much about. I think the best way to describe my reading experience with this book was content. I finished it in just a couple of days because I was comfortable reading this. The story flows beautifully and the author does a great job keeping her reader interested. This wasn’t one I felt I needed to stay up late to finish but I always enjoyed picking it up! It’s a really interesting story that makes you think long and hard about the adoption system.
The Safest Lies by Megan Miranda
This was a bargain audiobook download so I assumed it would be just so so but man, I was HOOKED! I didn’t like the woman who read the audiobook but that’s not the author’s fault. This had twists and turns I didn’t see coming! I found myself sitting in my garage on numerous occasions because I had to know what happened next. The love story that is intertwined is romantic and captivating. The book is full of action and suspense and leaves you wanting more! This is also the second book I’ve read this year that talks about agoraphobia which is not something I was familiar with. I learned a big lesson with this book; never judge a book by it’s price tag!
The Flirt by Kathleen Tessaro
This was one of the books I ordered while I was mi-read in The Perfume Collector. This is a modern setting with a 21st century storyline as opposed to the mid 20th century plot of The Perfume Collector. I did like The Flirt but I think Tessaro does such a wonderful job of writing a storyline from a different era. This story was well written and very interesting but I think I would tend to pick up more of her books written in an earlier time frame.
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Wire
I enjoyed reading In a Dark, Dark Wood but it wasn’t my favorite of the month. It is a suspenseful thriller lacking a bit in the thrill department. When I think of this book I think it’s a good starter book for teens or young adults looking to get comfortable with a suspenseful genre. I think all of my Stephen King reads have jaded me a bit!
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
Initially I didn’t like the style of this book but I’m a creature of habit and sometimes it takes me a while to get comfortable with new layouts. This book doesn’t have specific chapters, it just has page breaks. I got used to it and found myself comfortable reading it within a day. I think this is a really important book to read. As mental illness becomes a better understood topic I think reading books with a heavy focus on mental and emotional healing is important. I appreciate that we have books like this or Simon vs the Homosapien’s Agenda for younger readers these days. When I grew up I never would have picked up a book with these topics because they would have been considered so controversial. I’m thrilled we are living in a time where these books and topics are celebrated and encouraged.
Cress (The Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer
The third book in the series was very good but I didn’t like it as much as I liked the first and second. I like that there are a number of love stories tied into these books and that the plot continues throughout them but I found this book to be a bit slower and less exciting than the first two. I’m hoping the final books in the series will be a little more captivating but I think I’ll take a break on them for a little while and try a new series!