A Cozy Happy Life

Reading Review for NOS4A2

December 20, 2018 | Blogs

In October I read NOS4A2 by Joe Hill in hopes it would kick off a spooky reading month for me! I had such high hopes for this book because so many bookstagrammers that I follow love this book. I know people who reread this every year because they love it so much! Based on that I was ready to get to reading it. A few chapters in I was starting to enjoy it. There was potential for some horror with this book which I love in October. As I got deeper in the book, however, I realized it was mostly just really really weird. Probably the strangest book I’ve read (up there is Dead Path though) and I was just not into it.

I hate ditching a book once I start it and I was still going on the fact that so many people like it. So I continued reading but I found I was forcing myself to pick it up so I could finish and continue on with my large to be read pile. This book has so many different things happening that I found myself eyerolling as another oddity was brought into the picture. It has teleportation, fortune-telling scrabble pieces, a magical Rolls Royce, and a Christmas type theme that certainly ruins the magic of Christmas. The main character goes through hell constantly and I found myself thinking that if this was real she’d be dead a hundred times by now. I appreciate that the lead is a very strong female but I mean… come on. Although I suppose her survival is the most realistic thing in the whole book.

Certain parts of this books are gripping which I flew through, only to get to another part that made me want to throw the book across the room. This sounds like a super harsh review (and it is) but this is the second lowest rated book (by me) that I’ve ever read. I love fantasy type books and if this was written in that kind of world it would have been more enjoyable but trying to tie all the crazy into what is supposed to be the real world just doesn’t make sense for me! Despite this entire review I’m honestly not trying to deter people from reading it because so many other people loved it. Its just not for me. I think it set a really bad tone for October reading for me and I’m pretty sure it’s why I completed so few books that month. If you do read it, I think it would be a good read for December because of it’s christmasy theme. But fair warning it may cause you to be a little down on the holiday!

October and November Reading Wrap Up

December 4, 2018 | Blogs

I realized I skipped posting my October wrap up so I combined it with November. October was not a great reading month for me which was so disappointing because I was all set to read a huge stack of horror novels! Needless to say, my plans did not pan out. November was more successful with eight books read and I still have the momentum going into December. To reach my 2018 reading goal of 75 books I need to read 13 books this month. With all of the Hallmark Christmas movies going down I don’t know if it will happen but I’m going to try! Quite a few of the books I read were on audiobook so they aren’t pictured!

October:

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

Ugh! So many people like this and I did not. Its so biazarre. I mean kudos to Joe Hill for being so freakin creative but wow I don’t want to be in his dreams! This is such an odd book. I forced myself to pick it up every time I read it which I think is a main reason why October was such a bad reading month for me! I know plenty of people who would recommend this book but I am not one of them! Thinking of doing a full review on this one (this book is also not pictured because I can’t find it… I think subconsciously I “lost” it so I never have to look at it again… too harsh?!)!

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

This book is depressing. I had this on my TBR list for a while and was so excited to read it. I listened to in on audible but I don’t think it would have been less of a downer if I’d read it. There is not a part of this book that is uplifting. Even the ending, which I’m assuming was mean to be happy, was certainly not. Pair this with reading NOS4A2 and it’s no wonder I hated reading in October! I think this book can be skipped if it’s on your TBR list.

Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

AH FINALLY! A fantastic book read in October! I listened to this one as well and I’m so glad I did. The audiobook is read by the author which I love because she obviously knows the book better than anyone. Rachel is so open and honest about her life and I had so many “it’s not just me” moments! I have recommended this book (in audio version) to all of the close women in my life. I have used the term life changing many times when describing it to my family and friends. This book needs to be read by women, especially young women, experiencing all of life’s pressures. I can’t say enough good things about this book! And it got me back into enjoying reading after the first two October duds.

November:

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

I was really looking forward to reading this book. I’ve heard from so many people that it is their favorite King novel. Unfortunately, it wasn’t mine. I didn’t dislike it but I struggled through parts of it. It has a few parts that I just don’t quite get. I sort of thought there would be more dead animals coming to life ha! It’s funny to me that King says this is his most disturbing book, to the point where he left this locked up in a drawer for quite some time! I thought IT was much more disturbing but that’s just my opinion! Stephen King is still my favorite and I’m not turned off to his writing in the least but this won’t be listed as one of my favorites of his novels.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

This book was pretty funny. This was an audiobook for me and it was certainly an easy book to listen to. I’m anxious to read the sequels because the end of this one is left pretty open. I think I need the sequels to answer some questions for me. This wasn’t my favorite book of November but it’s an easy read which I appreciate after some of the tougher options I had in October.

Sunburn by Laura Lippman

My friend gave me this book after she read it. I read this while I was in Paris on vacation and I sped through it. Which should tell you something seeing that I wasn’t given too much opportunity to read! Anytime we were back at the hotel I was picking this book up to pass the time. I hadn’t heard of this book before my friend recommended it so I’m glad she did! There are so many twists and turns it’s easy to stay interested! The end makes you want to throw the book across the room but you can’t because you just can’t stop reading it!

Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks

I used to read Nicholas Sparks religiously! He is truly the king of romantic novels and this book did not disappoint. I took a break from reading his books for other authors but I’m glad I came back to this novel. It’s similar to his other novels in many ways: love story, location etc, but it did have differences that I appreciate. The forward and epilogue are written as Sparks’ in the novel which I love and it’s clear he invested a lot of time and energy in researching all that went into this book. He was an expert on the topics he wrote about and you can tell he put a lot of love into this book.

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

I had to put this one down halfway through because it was a little too close to home for me. The novel is so well written that it can be painful to read if you’ve been through a similar situation as these characters. I absolutely loved this book but I knew I would have to come back to the book when I was in the right mindset. I can’t help but think the author must have been touched by suicide in some capacity because she writes this book so beautifully and with a great deal of understanding. I’d definitely recommend this book but I don’t think some people will be as touched by the content as others.

You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott

This has been on my TBR for a long time. I love when I read a book and it’s so unlike anything else I’ve ever read. The storyline is unique and captivating. The author does a great job and making you guess but blindsides you in the end! I loved this book.

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

My mom gave me this book knowing I would love it. It’s such a sweet book you can’t help but love it. I actually started this book a few years ago but can’t remember why I didn’t finish it. I’m so glad I did this time because the ending gives you all the warm fuzzy feels. It’s definitely a moving and emotional book and I definitely recommend it!

September Reading Wrap Up

October 7, 2018 | Blogs, Books

Ugh! I’m so late on posting this! I even started typing this in September but life got busy and I forgot to finish! Boo. Anyway, here is my September reading wrap up!

September was my best reading month so far this year! I managed to complete ten books which is double most of my previous months. It’s helped me get back on track for my yearly reading goal of 75 books and I’m definitely in the reading spirit. I was able to read so much for a couple of reasons. First, I’m injured so I’ve been doing a lot of hanging on the couch lately with plenty of time to do some reading. Second, I LOVE reading scary books in October so I wanted to get some of the non-horror books on my TBR list completed before the month of the spooky books! I read a couple of duds this month but overall, I was happy with my September reading experience.

The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler

This book was great! It was sweet and the main character bonded with some really unique and memorable characters. When I went to enter my review in Goodbooks, I noticed it had received a really low rating from other readers. Others had issue with her passive nature and that fact that she was bullied and torn down by her boyfriend/fiancé throughout the novel. I suppose I understand what their rationale but having been a girl in college in my early twenties, I can say that I had my share of crappy, mistreating boyfriends so I feel the author was just hitting real life on the head. Despite their bad reviews, I still really enjoyed this book.

Then She was Gone by Lisa Jewell

This was my first audiobook for the month. I think it was a great book to listen to. It’s engaging and suspenseful but not so much so that I risked running off the road while driving to work! I loved the character development and I started guessing their relationships early on, even though I was only right about a few. The twists in this book are heart wrenching and surprising which kept me wanting to listen. I even ran a few extra errands this month so I could keep listening to find out what happened next. I would definitely recommend this to a reader who enjoys a suspenseful novel.

The Rooster Bar by John Grisham

I started this book three times before I really got into it. I think the first few chapters are a bit dull and seem to lag. I’m so glad I stuck with it though. This is a book unlike anything else I’ve read. The story line is incredibly creative. I’ve read so many books recently that seem to be written with the same prompt but this was so different. When I started the book I had no idea it was going in the direction that it did. I was interested throughout the entire novel (well, after the first couple of chapters) and the ending is totally satisfying!

Three Wishes by Liane Moriarity

I switch back and forth between Liane Moriarity and Kristin Hannah as my favorite author. After reading this I realize they have such differences that they are both my favorite. I’m allowed to do that! I love how real Liane Moriarity’s characters are. They are always dealing with real life problems that so many people can relate to. I loved all three women in this book and their interactions make me miss seeing my own sister everyday. There are twists in this book, as there typically are in her novels, but overall it’s just an easy, fly through it, read. I always blow through her books, no matter how long they are.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

I am SO behind on reading this! I even read this after the Netflix movie came out. I’ve seen the hype and needed to hop on the YA bandwagon again. This was an audiobook for me and it was a PERFECT audiobook choice! Like similar books, it’s easy to read and a fun, mindless novel to knock out quickly. I knew this came with two sequels, one of which I ordered halfway through my reading of this one. Basically, this book is cute. The characters are well developed and relatable and their interactions take me back to my own high school days. I did watch the Netflix version and I was a little disappointed with the differences in the book and the movie. I liked the book quite a bit better but I’m chalking up the differences to needing to keep the movie relatively short. Although, the end of the movie ruined the cliff hanger at the end of book so that’s frustrating.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Ok… I wanted to like this. I liked If I Stay a lot but this was nothing like it. This book felt like it was forced. A sequel didn’t need to happen and I don’t know if the publishers pushed Forman to write this or if she was trying to stretch her popularity after If I Stay. It took me a good twenty pages to figure out which character was telling the story! I think this was a big miss and I don’t recommend reading it because it ruined If I Stay for me.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone AND Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K Rowling

I’m lumping these two together because, lets be honest, I don’t have much to add to the million plus reviews that are out there for the Harry Potter books! The Harry Potter books are all they are cracked up to be. They are fun, imaginative and such a pleasure to read. I read both of these in two days. This series will be one I finish quickly and I will love every minute of it!

The Dead Path by Stephen M. Irwin

SO FREAKING WEIRD! SO SO WEIRD. I have little else to say. I think I liked this book but I’m not sure! Parts were incredibly interesting and engaging and others were really confusing. And OMG so many spiders in this book. I won’t ruin it by telling more but if even the thought of the eight legged creatures gets you squirming, you will be VERY uncomfortable reading The Dead Path. I’m thinking of writing a full review on this book, once I can figure out what the hell happened in it.

The Wife by Alafair Burke

This was an audio book for me. It’s good enough that I had this going in my office while I worked, before I went to sleep, in the car, and basically anywhere I could because I was so interested in what would happen. I wanted to punch the husband throughout most of the book so there’s that, but other than my pent up aggression towards cheating bastards I really loved listening to this. The lead character is powerful and pretty realistic. She stands by her man in tough times but she sure doesn’t get walked all over. The problem with this book is it doesn’t stand out for me because similar books were published around the same time. I think if that wasn’t the case this really would be a book I’d think about often and recommend freely.

Ok I’m so excited it’s October! I have so many spooky reads and a lot of time to read them! Check out my October TBR, coming soon!

July Reading Wrap Up

August 1, 2018 | Blogs

I just realized I completely skipped my June wrap up! Oops! I have a mid-year’s resolution (I made that a thing today) that I am going to blog more. I need to be better about getting on a schedule and being more accountable! You all have permission to yell at me and tell me to get it together if it seems that I’m falling behind! I’ve been reading a lot of book blogs lately and I’ve been trying to figure out what I should and shouldn’t do with my blog. Finally, I just made the decision that it’s my blog and I don’t think I should have any rules! So, here is my July reading wrap up and we are pretending that June didn’t exist.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

This has to be one of my best reads of the year so far! This book was really well received by people on bookstagram so I had a feeling I would enjoy it. But I didn’t just enjoy it, I LOVED it! It’s a really powerful read and definitely a book everyone should experience. I can see this becoming a required read for schools in the future because the message is so important! I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone!

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King

I think, similar to Joyland, this is a great read for someone starting to read Stephen King. It is suspenseful with a touch of gore but reads more like a fiction novel than one classified as horror. I was able to get through this book quickly because it’s a pretty fast read. It isn’t my favorite King novel, I think that’s because I started out reading his intense stuff so this seemed like a bit of a let down. I’d still recommend it to a new Stephen King reader.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

I “read” this book through audiobook and I think I would have preferred it as an actual book. The story was good, but it wasn’t captivating enough to keep me fully interested during my drive to and from work. I found myself needing to rewind occasionally because I felt I missed something big. I like the lessons behind this story, that you don’t always know how one of your actions can affect other people’s lives, and it did have me reflecting on how I’ve lived my own life. All in all, it’s a good read but didn’t blow me out of the water.

Full Dark, No Starts by Stephen King

My dad purchased this for me from an old bookstore in Denver on my birthday, so I think reading it gave me warm feels for that reason. Of course, this being written by Stephen King meant those warm feels turned to cold chills rather quickly! This book is comprised of four smaller stories, none having anything to do with another. I like reading his short stories like this because I feel I can read one of his creepy short stories, then take a break on another book. I’m not someone who can follow two consistent storylines at once so this allows me to read two books at once and feel like I have it together! He nails the gore in the first story and the creeps in the others. It’s not my favorite Stephen King read but I did really enjoy it.

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

I loved this book until the end and then it lost me. Usually, I am a big fan of Ruth Ware’s writing. I liked The Girl in Cabin 10 and In a Dark, Dark Wood a lot and this book had a very similar feel as these. Ruth Ware does an awesome job of building suspense slowly without giving away the ending. She starts making you think you know what happens but changes it up on you multiple times throughout the book until you have no idea what will happen. I do love the unpredictability of her writing. I have to say the ending left me with questions and it ended so abruptly that I felt like the final climax of the book was a bit of a dud. If she had added another chapter or so this would have gotten a better rating from me!

May (and April) Reading Wrap Up

June 5, 2018 | Blogs, Books

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 21^st century storyline as opposed to the mid 20^th 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!