Recent Reads – SUYB June 2018

Linking up with Steph and Jana today for Show us Your Books June!! I’m going to try my best to reply to comments via e-mail despite blogger still not EMAILING ME any comments.

Here are some of the books I read in the past month since the last link up. I didn’t share every book here – you can check out my Goodreads for everything I read 🙂

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Despite hearing from several trusted bookish friends that this book was incredible, I put off picking it up for quite awhile because it just didn’t sound like my kind of book. I think I actually finally picked it up at EXACTLY the right time though because it held my attention the whole time and I absolutely loved this story.

Cyril’s character was so wonderful. The story of his life was at times heartbreaking to read but there was also so much happiness at times too. Overall, this was such an interesting look at a setting and time period I was completely unaware of, and I appreciated that so much for what it was. One other thing I loved SO much about this book was the way it was written. Often times, an entire chapter would start right in the middle of a different part of Cyril’s life and you could kind of guess or figure out how he got there until it was made obvious. That element was SO much fun as a reader.

This story was highly readable and although it *is* long, I was quite consumed by it, which isn’t always the case with this type of story. There are parts of it that are a bit racy/overly descriptive and a fair amount of swearing/talk about sex but it is all in the frame of a character trying to figure out his sexuality and what to do about it in a country where homosexuality is not accepted.

Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book absolutely took me awhile to get into, but at about 30% I was all in and finished the remainder of the book in a day. I think it was because it was a bit unclear at the beginning what (and who) the story was actually about. So if you’re a bit lost at the beginning, forge ahead!!! For some reason (probably the setting and the back-and-forth of the past and present) this book reminded me a tiny bit of Beach Music though it is not nearly the same epic as that one was. Still, the ending of this was superb and the whole storyline was unlike anything I’ve read lately so I really, really liked it. This will certainly not be my last book by this author. Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas-Nelson publishing for the complimentary advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

How Hard Can It Be? by Allison Pearson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It took me way too long to finish this book, but once I really got into it, I really, really liked it. I haven’t read the first Kate Reddy book but this one was hilarious and the parenting/relationship issues were spot-on and very funny. I’m sure this might have been even more funny if you were closer in age to Kate, but I still really related to her dilemmas. I had a bit of a feeling that one of the major plot points was coming, but it didn’t matter in the least because there were a few big surprises and the ending was quite heartwarming. Definitely appreciated the British setting and phrases too 🙂 This would make a great summer read if you like contemporary family type fiction. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of this funny book.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really loved this one – super fun characters, great pace, great chemistry – loved Stella and her personality and her interesting job. Michael was great too as the male lead – very different from others I’ve read lately, so that was quite refreshing. I listened to this and I think I would have enjoyed it a bit more in print but I *couldn’t* wait that long to get it from the library!! I will absolutely be buying this sometime.

A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved the characters and the set up of this novel. It was just so fun and different! Such a unique fictional cultural component. I figured a few things out ahead of time while reading this but it didn’t take away from the plot points. Highly recommend this one if you are looking for a bit of a departure from the usual royal romance reads.

The Thing About Love by Julie James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well, this was a super enjoyable way to pass an evening. I had forgotten how much I loved FBI fiction. 🙂 This had been on my radar for awhile and a friend mentioned it last week which gave me the nudge to read it immediately. These characters were so much fun – and I really liked their undercover project too. My favourite read from her so far.

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Although this book was inspiring at times, there were parts that I totally didn’t agree with. I listened to it and I’m grateful to have the kindle version too so that I can see some of her lists in print.

If you’re looking for a bit of extra motivation to change your life in some small way, this one is a good one to pick up. Just don’t paraphrase parts of it to your husband unless you want him to DREAM BIG and start talking about quitting his day job to follow his dreams. 😉

Listen to Me and Close to You by Kristen Proby
My rating: 3-4 of 5 stars

This might even be 4 stars based on enjoyment. These characters were adorable. I liked the second one a bit better than the first in the series even though both were fun and I will probably continue with it because my library has them all 🙂 Kristen, you will probably like this series!! (and the author’s name! haha) Total fluffy enjoyment perfect for the beach or pool or a random weekend night.

The Start of Something Good by Jennifer Probst
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This passed the time (literally one evening in one sitting) just fine but a friend asked me about it several weeks after I read it and I barely remembered it – so there’s that. It wasn’t bad, but I’ve liked a couple of her other books better.Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake Romance for the ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed here are my own.

The List by Patricia Forde
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This had been on my Netgalley shelf (thank you, Netgalley and Sourcebooks Jabberwocky for the ARC!) for WAY too long (like over a year?!) so when I saw it on audio on Hoopla, I downloaded it immediately. This wasn’t my favourite for this genre but it was definitely a unique concept and I appreciated that about it. It’s about a society in which words are limited to only 500 and Letta is a wordsmith who is responsible for sharing those words with people. It was an easy read and had some interesting ideas, but it fell a bit flat for me overall. Most of all, I am just super in love with the cover…isn’t it gorgeous?

And…the best reading experience I had in the last month was this one with my daughters (All the tears! All the emotion! What an amazing story!!!)

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Reading this with my children was such a joy, tears at the end and all. I had forgotten what an amazing book this is. Charlotte’s friendship is something that I wish to strive for in my own life. A few favourite quotes:

“Why did you do all this for me?’ he asked. ‘I don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything for you.’ ‘You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.”
― E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web

“It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.”

I also re-read The Royal We this month after watching the royal wedding and THAT WAS LOTS OF FUN!!! :):)

Currently reading: Spin the Golden Light Bulb and Everything I Never Told You <— finding this one a little bit heavy but still good so far.

By the way, I can’t stop talking about how incredible Us Against You is and it came out last week, so if you’ve already read Beartown and enjoyed that, you should definitely consider picking this one up. If you haven’t read Beartown yet, what are you waiting for? 😉 (I know we all have different tastes but these are books I *cannot* stop recommending).

Recent Reads (SUYB May!)

This past month of reading was good, but also weird. For awhile, I had about 5 books on the go and still wanted to pick up another one. Haha. It was a good mix of fluffier enjoyable chick lit books and some more serious DEFINITELY amazing books. There were a few duds and a DNF too. Linking up with the wonderful Steph and Jana to chat books for the show us your books link up today!!!

BOOKS I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND depending on your tastes

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 6 of 5 stars

I actually raved about this book in my post yesterday – long story short – Beartown and this book are absolutely worth anyone’s time in my humble opinion.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the advanced review copy of this book. It exceeded my expectations which were already remarkably high and I can’t wait for the third in this trilogy.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The audiobook version of this was very well done -I enjoyed it immensely although it did take me a little while to get into it, which is often the case with these types of books. I will admit that this book wasn’t really what I was expecting it to be – but it was definitely thought provoking and I felt torn at times about what I wanted for the characters. The characters absolutely made this story though…as the reader, you get to know the characters so well through their letters while Roy is in prison, and their parents both play important roles in the story as well. This deeply moving book will stay with me throughout the year.

Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I’ve read book 1 and now book 9 in this series and I need to read all the ones in between. Kate Burkholder is a wonderful character and the Amish setting makes these books extremely interesting. This particular mystery was emotional and intense. Although I do recommend this book, it’s probably better to read the series in order if you can get your hands on them.

Thank you to Minotaur and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It took me awhile to get into this book because it had been almost a year since I’d read the second one, but then I started it on audio after awhile and I was ALL IN. Switched between audio & print and really enjoyed that. This world is so complicated but so fascinating and I love these characters. Great conclusion to a fantasy series. I’m not always this invested in fantasy books – they are hit or miss for me, but this trilogy was so well done.

(Also – some extremely sad moments in this book :()

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another audiobook that was VERY well done. I enjoyed the full-cast performance immensely. The story itself was also very good and I liked it a lot. Katsa and Po were great characters, and the whole Graceling realm is very interesting. I felt like a few things were a bit easier than they should have been for them, but I know it’s supposed to be that way because of Katsa’s grace. I will for sure pick up the others in this series at some point.

This is a very approachable fantasy book too – maybe because I was listening to it? The world didn’t feel quite as complicated as some of the other fantasy I’ve read.

Roomies by Christina Lauren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was super fun to read (in less than a day :D) and made me laugh out loud a bunch of times. Of course, parts of it were absolutely predictable and also pretty far-fetched but it was cute and fun. I love the whole NYC setting, particularly the Broadway part because that is one of my favourite parts of the city. I also have a bit of a thing for Ireland so the Irish character was so great.

Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh it was so good to be back with Mariana Zapata’s words on the page. I had purchased this ebook last fall after loving a few of her other books and then when I read From Lukov with Love, a friend pointed out that Ruby in that book already had her own book which is this one. I really liked Ruby in Lukov and she was wonderful in this book too. She was upfront, and a bit innocent but brave, so friendly, and so well-meaning. Aaron was great too. I felt a bit nostalgic reading this book because I used to love those days (high school/university age for me) of getting to know someone via e-mails and instant messaging (my own husband and I met online and it was so fun to read about a couple that got to know each other via 21st century letters :)). The ending came a bit too quickly for me, but fortunately Mariana Zapata excels at epilogues 🙂

PS – it was fun to read about Ruby’s family from her perspective after getting to know them so well in Lukov.

Dating-ish by Penny Reid
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Marie is such a strong character and I was excited to read her story. I was also happy to revisit Matt from down the hall after reading Fiona and Greg’s book. The entire premise of this book was just too much fun – the story Marie was working on and how Matt fit into that story, and the way they got to know each other…it was really fun to read. Of course, it was also fun to see this story converge with the one before it near the end and to read about all of that from a different character’s perspective – I love how Penny Reid does that.

Also LOVED all the HP references in this book 🙂

Marriage of Inconvenience by Penny Reid
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Definitely one of my favourites of the series. Although I love the romance in these novels (all of them were different but awesome), I also really REALLY enjoy the female friendship aspect as well. This final book in the series felt like a LONG TIME COMING for Dan & Kat and the book definitely did their relationship justice!!
Things I loved:
1) Fun idea for a marriage of convenience
2) Dan the Security man (in general) + Dan’s family
3) The epilogue OF COURSE

Bottom line: if you like contemporary romance and you have not read this series, now would be a good time. Start at the beginning though!!!

Arrogant Devil by R.S. Grey
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I really, really liked Meredith and her hilarious self-talk and I loved the setting and the secondary characters in this book. Jack was great and their dynamic was also quite funny. I think I just had too high of expectations for it, maybe. I expected a bit more drama with Andrew and/or Helen. Overall though, this book made me smile and I really really liked it. Her books are always enjoyable reads in my opinion and this one passed the time nicely.

Thank you to R.S. Grey for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It is available May 10 but it’s available for pre-order as of yesterday for 0.99!

BOOKS THAT WERE ENJOYABLE

The Gamble by Kristen Ashley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is super highly rated on Goodreads and Amazon and Kristen Ashley is hugely popular. I liked this, but I didn’t love it. I found it a little bit too over the top (I don’t really love insta-love) and it was insanely long (or it felt that way). That being said, the characters were still adorable, the setting was so well described and sounded beautiful, and the supporting characters were overall hilarious so I liked all of that. I might continue with the series down the road but I’m not in a huge rush.

Bad Bachelor by Stefanie London
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a cute book with fun characters but it lacked a little something – I’m not sure what. I liked the idea of the app in the book and the library fundraiser and all of that was great. I think I just needed a bit more. Will try out some of her other books for sure though. This one is on Hoopla if you are wanting to give it a try! 🙂

It’s All About the Duke by Amelia Grey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this historical romance and particularly enjoyed Marlena’s character. Aspects of this certainly reminded me of Lady Whistledown in the Bridgerton series, so that was kind of fun and I chuckle a bit at the ways in which women entertained themselves back in that time period. The banter and fun between the two main characters was fun to read and of course the ending was what I had hoped for 🙂

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this read in exchange for an honest review.

DON’T BOTHER

Can’t Fight the Feeling by Sandy James

Nope – I guess I only like *some* new adult books.

Part 2: CHILDREN’S BOOKS WE HAVE LOVED LATELY
I’ve shared a few children’s books in the past in this link up but it’s been awhile. We are a huge reading household so my girls usually have a chapter book on the go that I’m reading to them, and dozens of picture books around. Here are a few favourites lately:

Red Is Best by Kathy Stinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of my daughter’s favourite books because she is a preschooler and her favourite colour is red. The writing is very cute and makes us all smile.

Chester’s Back! by Mélanie Watt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

These Chester books are absolutely hilarious and I love Melanie Watt.

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women by Elena Favilli
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My daughters are extremely fascinated by the stories in this book and we have read them a few at a time each evening and morning for over a week now. I’m learning a lot too! My favourite bio in this book is Jane Austen (of course). We also love the second book, which includes a short bio on J.K. Rowling that brought tears to my eyes. The fact that she was told Harry Potter would never succeed and then it went on to inspire MILLIONS of children to read is unbelievable and incredible.

We have also enjoyed the entire Heidi Hecklebeck series (Molly, 6 1/2, can read these on her own which is great).

ALSO – I wanted to mention that Audiobook Sync started back up again last week – free audiobooks for Overdrive all summer! They are mostly YA but there are some great choices there!! This week there is a Kwame Alexander book there. Once you download it, it’s yours forever on Overdrive! Just a bookish PSA.

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (Book Review)

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a good weekend!! Ours was busy, but fulfilling. We spent a lot of time as family at playgrounds and riding bikes. It was a true spring weekend with wind and sun on our faces and though it was a bit tiring, it makes me feel excited for the summer.

Even though tomorrow is the Show us Your Books link up with Steph & Jana and I’ll be sharing short reviews on all the books I read in the last month, today I wanted to share my thoughts on an amazing book I finished last night. This was one of my most highly anticipated reads of the year (along with Kingdom of the Blind which doesn’t come out until November!!) and I was overjoyed to read it prior to its publication.

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 6 of 5 stars <–at least!

Last year, I read Beartown and that was my first exposure to Fredrik Backman’s writing. To say I was impressed would be a huge understatement. I’ve read all of his backlog now except for Britt-Marie was Here (which is on my list!) and I have loved them all, but Beartown will always be special to me. That being said – this sequel was equally as good if not better in some parts than Beartown for me. The writing was gorgeous and he has such a way with words. Following along with all of the characters in the aftermath of the events of Beartown was heart-wrenching, but also hopeful. A few of the new characters were really interesting and the political aspect of this book added a new level of intrigue. Of course, hockey is another major part of this book as well though there is a new coach this time around.

Almost all of the characters from before are present in this book: Bobo, Amat, Benji!!!, Maya, Ana, and the Anderssons. What I loved about these characters: Bobo’s family (so emotional but so sweet), Amat: his strength and his values and his friendships, Benji – I can’t go into a lot of detail without spoilers but his character is what I live for when I read and he was SO good here, Maya + Ana and their friendship, Leo, Kira, Peter – they were all such interesting and flawed and realistic characters who were dealing with realistic problems. The way Backman writes these characters is amazing. Just when you start to really root for or “side with” one of the characters, he shows you things from another one’s point of view and then you’re unsure again about who to side with. I love that about this book.

I don’t even know what to say about this book besides the fact that it is 100% worth the read and So, SO exceptionally well done. I have friends who have tried to read Backman’s books and didn’t love them (understandable! to each his own!) and this particularly seems to apply to A Man Called Ove. I also know that Beartown wasn’t for everyone because of the focus on hockey in the plot (which again, is present here) but I implore all of you to give this trilogy a chance. I do like hockey, so I suppose I am a bit biased that way, but it is just such a means to an ends in this incredible book about a small community and the effects of rivalry and politics on all of the members of the community.

It was emotional, intense, and lovely. I cried several times and felt visceral reactions to some of the unbelievable events on these pages. I only recommend that you absolutely read Beartown first before picking this one up.

Thank you to Ariele Freedman of Atria Books and Netgalley for the advanced review copy of this book. It exceeded my expectations which were already remarkably high and I can’t wait for the third in this trilogy. This book hits shelves on Tuesday June 5.

14 book recommendations in different genres

Happy Friday!!

I am looking outside the window at snow right now — I’m so glad it’s the end of April, haha. This was a good week though! I finished a couple of books (but still have a bunch on the go – as always), looking forward to a few family activities this weekend, and Brian and I watched Wonder (SO good – almost as good as the book imho!)

This week for 14 Things Friday I wanted to share 14 random book recommendations. These are some I would recommend to someone as long as they tell me what genre they like. Unfortunately, most of my choices here are pretty popular so many people have probably already read them but I’m just using this as an excuse to share a bunch of books I’ve loved over the years.

I also had some colouring time with Molly yesterday in which I made some word art including a lot of my favourite books :

1) Classic: Persuasion by Jane Austen Although Pride & Prejudice is my favourite Austen novel, Persuasion is second and it is shorter and maybe a BIT more approachable and less widely read than P&P. And it is SO worth the read. ❤ Runner up: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

2) Thriller: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown I love Dan Brown’s books and I gobbled this one up in less than 24 hours 15 years ago. A bit gruesome in places though…Runner up: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

3) Mystery: A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny (the 4th in the series and where it “gets really good”) It’s not a secret that I am obsessed with the Inspector Gamache series and my favourites are probably #8, #9, and #12, but I really got super invested in these books around #4. Runner up: The Dry by Jane Harper

4) Romance: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne which was one of my favourites last year Runner up: The Knitting in the City series by Penny Reid OR The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata

5) General Fiction: Beartown and the upcoming Us Against You by Fredrik Backman I know not everyone loves A Man Called Ove but Beartown is 100% worth the read, in my opinion. Runner up: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

6) Historical Fiction: Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah I loved The Nightingale and The Great Alone, and Winter Garden was excellent too. Check it out if you enjoyed her other books…I liked the setting. 🙂 Runner up: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

7) Science Fiction: The Martian by Andy Weir <– this was my very first audiobook and it was SO excellent. The movie is also quite well done. Runner up: Red Rising by Pierce Brown <–I really need to read the other books in this series…

8) Memoir: Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. I love the thoughts in this book. Runner up: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalinithi on audio

9) Non-fiction: Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin this book still makes me think all the time. I have a whole post I’m working on about life as an Obliger 😉 Runner up: The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler <–I still think about this book all the time.

10) Children’s Picture book: Waiting is Not Easy by Mo Willems <– one of my favourite children’s authors 100%. Runner up: Press Here by Herve Tullet

11) Children’s Chapter book: The Magical Animal Adoption Agency trilogy by Kallie George I love this trilogy. Runner up: Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White <– I am dying to read this to Molly.

12) Middle Grade: Greenglass House by Kate Milford and The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

13) YA/NA fiction: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay This book was incredible and I am way overdue for a re-read. Runner up: Tell me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum this book was sad but such a fun concept.

14) Humor: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah – particularly on audio. This book was awesome. Runner up: Talking as Fast as I can by Lauren Graham

Read any of these?! What do you think of them?

Happy weekend everyone!!

What I’ve Been Reading Lately (Show us your books April!)

Time for one of the best days of the month – when I can look forward to virtually chatting about books ALL DAY LONG 🙂 Seriously though…I was at the library the other night and a group of women twice my age were gathered in a program room talking about Louise Penny and I was DYING to join them but it was kind of private. Rambling sentence short, I want to talk about books and here’s my spot to do it. PLEASE talk books with me!!! lol.

That being said, I have been reading A LOT for pure enjoyment/distraction/relaxation so far in 2018. I don’t regret it, and this happens to me a lot in the winter months when there is less socializing going on and the Canadian winter encourages me to curl up with a cup of tea and a book every night. That being said – most of the books I’m sharing here are not necessarily books I would blanket recommend to everyone because we all have our preferred genres etc. However – I still feel like I’ve read a lot of good books for my preferences lately so I want to talk about them!! 🙂

Linking up as always with Steph and Jana with some short reviews of books I’ve read since mid-March. Also linking up with Rachel this month.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND:

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wavering between 4 and 5 stars on this one. What an incredible memoir. It took me a little while to get into this, which is sometimes the case with memoirs for me in general, but the latter 75% of this book read like fiction (at least to me). I couldn’t believe it. Someone in a group I’m in mentioned that this felt similar (in some ways) to The Great Alone, and I can see that comparison – it’s just scarier because this one wasn’t fiction and this is a real person who experienced these things. Wow. SO well written. I have nothing but empathy for this author. Here’s an interview with her. Even MORE interestingly, here are some Amazon reviews about this book from her family’s perspective and other people who know the Westovers. TORN about my thoughts on this book after reading those.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for the advanced review copy of this highly readable memoir. It’s a “read now” book on Netgalley until April 23 so if you are interested in it, I would suggest heading over there to get it! It was very profound and so well written even if this genre is not one you normally seek out (like me).

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a short novella. In my opinion, Fredrik Backman can really do no wrong. Like The Deal of a Lifetime, this one was a bit too short for me :(, but it packs a very powerful punch. Can easily be read in one sitting. A bit confusing at the beginning, but SO so good.

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kristen recommended this book to me almost 2 years ago and I was dying to read it, but I couldn’t get my hands on it anywhere! I wasn’t sure if I would like the steampunk genre so I wasn’t willing to buy it on kindle. I recently found it on Hoopla via my library and was so excited to read it. I listened to most of it and the audiobook was very well done (I read the last 30% because I could NOT put it down). This genre is incredibly fascinating and I loved the characters, the setting, the ‘tons, the paranormal aspects…this book introduced me to things I didn’t know I liked. Lucy was such an interesting and strong character and the mystery aspect of this book made it quite fast-paced. I was unable to put it down until I found out who was causing all the trouble. Steampunk certainly won’t be everyone’s genre of choice though. I can’t wait to read the next one via Edelweiss!

This month I read MOST of the Knitting in the City Series by Penny Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love love love love love this series but I can also acknowledge that these books aren’t for everyone. An amazing friend lent me these on Kindle and I FLEW threw them. They are 100% contemporary romance but they are really funny and the characters are unique, fun, and different than one another. I have 2 books left in the series and I am going to wait just a little bit so that I can savour it. The addiction is real here though – each story is about another woman in a group of friends so it is just too much fun constantly revisiting the group again and watching the next relationship blossom. I am surprised by how she has managed to make each story so different from the others. I appreciate reading about these female friendships in such a humorous way and reading their completely (in my opinion) unrealistic love stories. This is super fun fiction for me so if you like contemporary romance, I highly recommend these 🙂

OTHER ENJOYABLE BOOKS:

Ashes on the Moor by Sarah M. Eden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have enjoyed many of the books in the proper romance umbrella published by Shadow Mountain (i.e. Edenbrooke), and this one was no exception. It was sweet and enjoyable. It was quite a quick read, and parts of it were heartbreakingly sad. It reminded me a little bit of the concept behind North and South. The people in the town really grew on me and Evangeline did too. If historical romance is your thing, particularly if you prefer it clean, this was a cute book. I read it in one sitting.

Thank you to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for providing me with an advanced review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book had been on my radar for awhile and when I finally got to it I gobbled it up in less than 24 hours. It wasn’t 100% amazing but I was REALLY into it while I read it and it was quite enjoyable, VERY funny, sooo snarky, and highly readable. I will definitely get to the next two in the series later this year.

On the Way to the Wedding by Julia Quinn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not my favourite of the series but I still do love those Bridgertons. Sad to say goodbye to this series but I will pick up some other books by Julia Quinn when I’m in the mood for sure.

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was pretty much exactly what I was expecting it to be, and I really liked it. It was fun to read and the characters were great. I love the pretend relationship trope so I knew I would enjoy this and I will be happy to pick up another book by Guillory in the future. It passed the time nicely and was fun to read – what more can you ask for in a Friday night read?!

You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Having only read Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld (and loving that one), I was excited to dive into this despite only sometimes loving short story collections. This was one of the better collections I’ve read and I think it will be quite well received this summer. These stories were quite readable, quite eye-opening, and there was a bit of a wow factor in most of the stories. The characters were very diverse and that was fun to read too. A lot of these really made me think about how you can make quick judgements about a person without being correct…the whole collection really embodies that saying of “assume = ass out of u and me”. Like many short story collections, I liked a few stories way more than others, but that’s the way it is! I recommend giving this one a chance 🙂

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the advanced review copy of this book.

Intermediate Thermodynamics by Susannah Nix
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was adorable. I enjoyed her first book last month and picked up this one on audio on Hoopla. I don’t usually listen to romance on audio but I kind of like it – the manly voice is interesting. Haha – and you can’t skim audiobooks. 😉 I love Susannah Nix’s characters so far and the L.A. setting is also kind of fun to read about – I haven’t read many books set there for some reason. I appreciate what she is doing with her women in STEAM fields of work too.

Don’t Bother:

Maybe Someone Like You by Stacy Wise
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

I skimmed parts of this and read it in one night over a holiday weekend, but I will admit that it was pretty forgettable – literally the next morning I could not remember the title or the main character’s name. Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

In summary: I definitely recommend almost all of these books depending on your reading preferences, but in particular EDUCATED, You Think it, I’ll Say it, Beauty & the Clockwork Beast, and Penny Reid’s books!!

CURRENTLY READING:

Graceling on audio, Down a Dark Road, and A Conjuring of Light <3<3<3

So, what have you been reading lately?!

Show us your Books March 2018

Yay, book chat day!! 🙂 We went without internet ALL weekend after a cable got disconnected during a snowstorm last week so I am rushing to get this posted today. My reading life has been all over the place – I’ve been trying to keep up with Netgalley and Erin’s challenge and books I have anticipated for months, but I also find myself craving some fluffy happily ever after stories on weekends when I’m relaxing. It’s a mix!

I can’t wait to see what everyone has been reading. Linking up today with Steph and Jana, our amazing hostesses 🙂 Here are a few books I read in the past month or so since the last link up:

HIGHLY RECOMMEND:

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This book comes out May 15. I had extremely high expectations for this book because I absolutely adored Happiness for Beginners and though I haven’t read all of Katherine Center’s books yet, I have enjoyed many of the others as well. This book was just as great as I expected it to be. I think it claims my second spot out of her books because I just have such a strong adoration for Happiness for Beginners but this was still so great.

I am not ashamed to admit that I read it in one sitting on a rainy Sunday evening and loved every minute of it. It was more emotional (for me, at least) than Happiness for Beginners because the reality that the main character finds herself in is so devastating and hope seems to falter for quite a bit there.

As with many of her books, I loved the cast of characters. Her writing is so great and I found myself laughing and crying and deeply rooting for the characters. And of course, I was quite happy with the ending and all the feels 🙂

I will absolutely be re-reading this one and adding a paper copy to my bookshelf in addition to this advanced copy provided to me by St. Martins Press and Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book and share my opinions before its May publication – I follow Katherine Center on Instagram and I had been following her progress with this novel and waiting with bated breath to have these words in my life.

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It feels like it’s been awhile since I read a psychological thriller after burning myself out on them a bit last year – but this one deserves all the hype. I spent most of the book not knowing exactly who or what to trust and the ending was particularly surprising to me – and intense too. The short chapters really make this one move quickly. I highly recommend this one if you like this genre – it was kind of a better version of The Girl on The Train (in my opinion) and the writing was very good.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This isn’t a popular opinion but this book was difficult to read. It took me forever because I just never connected with the overall story and the format. However, I did enjoy many of the stories and the writing was wonderful…it just wasn’t enough to hold my interest over other books. I do think this is an important book and I’m glad I read it, but it was difficult to connect with because I would just be getting into a character and then their story was over. (Read for “home in the title” category for Erin’s challenge).

Leaving Everest by Megan Westfield
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After loving Lessons in Gravity last year, I was really excited to see that Megan Westfield had a new book coming out. I was a bit hesitant about this subject matter because Everest is soooo grandiose and the magnitude of the mountain and the survival skills required to summit it freak me out a little bit BUT I needn’t fear because this book made me really appreciate and love the Everest life. Emily and Luke and the supporting characters were so fun to read about and I had read 60% of this book without even realizing it. I happily finished it off the next morning and am now looking forward to revisiting it soon. It was also great to see a slight mention of April and Josh from Lessons in Gravity.

Again, I was reminded that I like the new adult genre quite a bit, especially when it is done well. Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with a copy of this for an honest review.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this audiobook and finished it quite quickly. It was a cute story about a 12 year old girl and her friends and there were elements of time travel, A Wrinkle in Time, learning about friendships and family, and some growing up. It was great.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This audiobook was incredible. Woodson’s storytelling is so riveting and it was a joy to listen to. I was completely invested in it and if anything, I wanted more. I think the format of this really lends itself well to an audiobook too – the poetic nature of the writing was a bit harder for me to read in print although it is still lovely. This had been on my TBR list for way too long (and in my audible queue) so I’m glad I finally made time for it.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow – this audiobook was fantastic. This book will stay with me for a long time. I loved the language, the description of Barcelona, the mysterious story, the sadness, the emotions, and the love of books. This is an incredible story even though it was very dark at times. It reminded me a bit of The Book Thief for some reason (although meant for an adult audience) and it also reminded me a bit of The Count of Monte Cristo though that could be because the audio narration felt similar.

STILL WORTH YOUR TIME:

Force of Nature by Jane Harper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After loving The Dry (like many – it was so popular last year it seemed!), I was anticipating this book and it was another good one. I didn’t love it as much as her first book but I still found her writing to be absolutely captivating and all-consuming, particularly her description of setting. I really had no idea how this book would resolve and the ending was fast-paced and page-turning. I really like Aaron Falk as a character too and hope we see more of him in her future work.

The Phantom’s Apprentice by Heather Webb
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am very familiar with the musical of The Phantom of the Opera but have not read the original book. I’d say this novel did a wonderful job of encompassing the story and adding to it as well. It took me awhile to get into, and made me realize that probably my favourite part of the Phantom of the Opera is the music, because other parts of it are creepy (a ghost?! a stalker crazy ghost in an old building?! ahhh). I did really like this book though and if you are a huge fan of the original story, this would be worth your time to consider. It’s still set in historical times but the story is told a bit more from Christine’s perspective.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sonnet Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel for review. It is now available.

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While I still appreciate and admire Agatha Christie’s writing and I like Poirot as a character, this was not as good as I expected it to be. The cast of characters here was just unlikable to me and I found myself not really caring what happened to anyone. The mystery itself was also predictable. (Read for “setting = transportation” category of Erin’s challenge).

By the Book by Julia Sonneborn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had been anticipating this book for months because I love Persuasion AND I am generally a huge fan of many Austen retellings. While this fell a little flat for me, I still liked it. There were certain parts about it that I decidedly DID NOT like at all, but the ending was good and the characters were good enough and there were some cute parts. I liked the university setting and the supporting characters too.

Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This was really cute. I wouldn’t classify it as a P&P retelling at all but I did enjoy the mention of the book a few times. Way less drama than P&P in my opinion. haha. Passed the time nicely. Very similar to Dating You/Hating You in a lot of ways.

Other books I read and enjoyed but don’t feel the need to discuss in extreme detail:

I went on an R.S. Grey binge towards the end of my Kindle Unlimited free month and read Anything You Can Do, The Foxe and the Hound, The Allure of Julian LeFray, and The Allure of Dean Harper. Anything You Can Do is likely one of my favourites of hers – I love that type of love story and it was well done and funny. The others were all good and as I’ve said before, her books are like sitting down to watch a romantic comedy in book form. Somewhat forgettable after the fact, but so enjoyable in that moment. I also read Living Out Loud and it was 3/5 stars for me – I can’t wait for the second part of this S&S retelling. I read this book in one day and while it wasn’t my favourite, it was still cute. I also read and enjoyed the first in a trilogy by Susannah Nix (contemporary romance) about women who work in scientific fields. It was funny and cute.

What have you been reading lately?

I’m currently reading:

Educated by Tara Westover

Re-reading:

First time reading the illustrated version! This is one of my favourites in the series so I am loving it.

Short Book Reviews – Show us Your Books link up!

So happy to be linking up with Jana & Steph today for Show us Your Books!!! It feels like it’s been ages since the last link up and I can’t wait to check out the books that everyone has been reading. I’ve shared a few reviews here and there over the past month, but this post is still pretty long because I basically did nothing but read and be a hermit in January. Click to the end to see a basic TL;DR about all these books. Haha 🙂

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING BOOKS

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I talked about this book more here, and all I really have to say is that this book was excellent and deserves all the hype it is getting. It was so well done.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the review copy of this wonderfully exceptional book. 🙂 It will stay with me well into the future.

Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I by Hazel Gaynor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was all over my Instagram feed in December and I had heard so many good things about it. The cover is also gorgeous and the premise was appealing to me, but I was reluctant to pick it up when I finally got it from the library in January (did I want to read something Christmassy after just packing it all up?!) Don’t let the title sway you – this book has a lot of mention of Christmases over the years, but it’s not specifically related to Christmas in any strong way. This book reminded me so much of another book I loved, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society except that the individuals writing letters were already friends so they spoke of shared history. The literary references and insertions of Shakespeare’s works and other poets etc was wonderful, and I loved the way the story unfolded (even though I did guess at some of it – it was predictable, but I didn’t mind one bit).

This story reminded me of what it feels like to write and receive letters, which is a bit lost these days and something I would like to get back into this year. The characters in this novel are fun, strong, and real. The cast isn’t as large as in Guernsey, but I liked the focus on the two main characters and their family/friends as side characters. I can’t stop thinking about how much I enjoyed this book, hence the 5 stars. This book came to me at exactly the right time and I am so happy that I picked it up.

A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh, I just love these characters. They are SO fun to read about, and quite humorous. Although I predicted the ending to this mystery, I still really liked this book and there were a few twists and turns. This is some of the most entertaining historical fiction I’ve read for sure.

Followed up by:
A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

WOW. I am absolutely in love with this series. I found this one to be the quickest read of the three – I absolutely couldn’t quite put my finger on what was going on in the mystery. Stoker and Veronica were amazing as always in this third instalment and their chemistry just HAS to pay off at some point! I am already highly anticipating the next in this series – I HOPE IT IS SOON!!!

Thank you to Berkeley Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced review copy of this book which came out in January.

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This audiobook was excellent. I love Elsa’s character so much, and the entire cast of characters is quite fun. Elsa’s love for Harry Potter might have predisposed me to loving her right from the very beginning, but this whole book was just so well done. The mysterious aspects, the family ups and downs, and the true emotion here were so evident (particularly on audio, I think) and I am a Backman fan forever and ever. He has not yet written something that I didn’t enjoy immensely. (Read for Erin’s challenge: book written in another language)

From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kristen sent me a message when she found out that this book was out, and I promptly downloaded it immediately and read it until I was done. I really love Mariana Zapata’s books, and this one was particularly fun as a lead up to the winter Olympics when figure skating is featured a bit more prominently in the world in general. These characters were wonderful and I really really loved this book. Dear Aaron is next on my list by her after reading about some of those characters in this book.

Still Me by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Oh, it was so wonderful to read about Louisa Clark again. And Ambulance Sam. And a bunch of new entertaining characters. This was so, so enjoyable. Me Before You was absolutely sensational and a 5 star read for me. Unlike many others, I actually quite liked After You on its own. Still Me was better than After You and in some ways it felt like more of a continuation of Me Before You. There are some fun snippets of Will Traynor in this one. Louisa comes into her own in some ways. I love her as a character and I had forgotten that. I appreciate JoJo Moyes’ writing and need to get at her backlist soon. (In particular, The Girl you Left Behind is sitting on my shelf unread).

Greenglass House by Kate Milford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It took me a little while to get into this book, but the audio version was really very well done and I eventually could not wait to find out what happened at the end. The setting and the cast of characters were really interesting and unique and the story unfolded in a fun way. I can’t wait to share this one with my children in a few years – perfect middle grade book, in my opinion.

Enjoyable enough :

Dating You / Hating You by Christina Lauren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book reminded me quite a bit of The Hating Game, but there was a bit less angst. It was super cute and very funny – it was interesting to get a bit of a fictional inside look at the life of a Hollywood agent.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Winter is the perfect time to read this book, as I’m sure many readers would agree. At first, I wasn’t sure how much I liked this book – it seemed sad, and difficult to read during January. However, I stayed with it and really did end up liking it. I’d say it’s more of a 3.5 star rating but rounded up to 4 due to the lovely writing and interesting setting. This is ultimately a story of hope, growth, and belief. The magical realism and snow girl character made this really fun, and I really liked all of the other characters too.

Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined to Meet by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I talk about this book more here. My favourite short stories were: Click by Katherine McGee, The Dictionary of You and Me by Jennifer Armentrout, and The Unlikelyhood of Falling in Love by Jocelyn Davies.

The Beau & the Belle, The Duet, and The Design by R.S. Grey
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

These books were super easy to read and they passed the time just fine. I love curling up with one of R.S. Grey’s books on the weekend and just passing an evening with some smiles and the knowledge that a happily ever after moment is coming. It’s like watching a romantic comedy in book format, and I love it. Overall, they didn’t have quite the depth that I seek out in some books, but they were funny and the characters were great. The Duet was probably my favourite of the three of hers I’ve read so far and I talk about The Beau and the Belle more here.

Neanderthal Seeks Human and Truth or Beard by Penny Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Penny Reid’s books are VERY funny. I read the first in each of these series and like R.S. Grey’s books, these pass the time sooo nicely. In particular, in Neanderthal Seeks Human, Janie is a one of a kind character, and so much fun. I will slowly read the others in this series although they’re not at my library so I am keeping an eye on kindle deals.

Not recommended overall:

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This wasn’t my favourite Austen adaptation. I’ve heard that it does follow the Youtube series pretty closely. It’s funny because in some ways it felt similar to Eligible, which I loved, but I think it lacked the humour of that book…or something. Anyway, it wasn’t too bad but I am off Austen retellings for a little bit after this one. (probably until next week or something – haha). Read for Erin’s challenge: book with a person’s name in the title.

As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

The premise for this book is quite captivating and unlike anything I’ve read before, so I was initially quite taken with it. I read the first third of it quite quickly and was anxious to find out what happened. However, Eldon’s character soon got pretty old and he never seemed to do much. He was also so angsty and difficult to read about. I will say that the author strung me along quite nicely in that I wanted to keep reading to find out what his wish was – and what others had wished for – but overall, this book wasn’t quite as good as I expected it to be. The ending did redeem it in some ways, and this might be better received in its target YA audience but for me it was a bit of a flop. Freebie for Erin’s challenge.

If you’ve read this far – yay, thank you!!!

TL;DR – I highly recommend The Great Alone, Last Christmas in Paris, From Lukov with Love (if you like romance), and Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series as well as all of Fredrik Backman’s books. 😉 Still Me was wonderful too.

Currently reading in some capacity: The Shadow of the Wind (loving it on audio), Brown Girl Dreaming (almost done on audio), and Homegoing. <–taking my time with that last one and have taken it out from the library 4 times now :S Needing to start another Netgalley book too. I tried Ensnared last week and had to take a major pause – might be a DNF but I hate to do that with ARCs.

What have you been reading lately? My Netgalley shelf and my library holds are both exploding but I’m trying to keep up OR just let some go until later. Too many books, too little time!!! 🙂

Books for Review (January-February)

All of the books listed in this post were provided to me from the publisher or author as an advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

I’ve read a few REALLY great books lately, and since a few of them are recent publications, I wanted to highlight them! I’ll also share short reviews in the Show us Your Books link up next week. The Great Alone came out yesterday, The Beau and The Belle came out on February 1, and the other three books came out in January or December.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, this book was so powerful and thought-provoking. The tension and plot-building in this story reminded me of Beartown. Both books take place in remote locations that are cold and have tight-knit (and opinionated) communities. The description of the setting in this novel was absolutely incredible and I am certain this will be on many people’s must-read list this year. A trigger warning for some domestic violence, so beware of that if this might not be the right time to read this book for you. I had previously only read Winter Garden and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, both of which were amazing and I found it so interesting to see her writing in a more modern (still, 1970-80s) time period. She certainly never fails to bring tears to my eyes in her work (that’s 3/3 right now – haha – I will have to continue to test this). Leni and her family and friends will be in my mind and heart for the rest of the year and I can undoubtedly say that this will be in my top reads for 2018 already.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the review copy of this wonderfully exceptional book. 🙂 It will stay with me well into the future.

PS: Read an interview with Kristin Hannah about The Great Alone here.

The Beau & the Belle by R.S. Grey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have read and loved three R.S. Grey books in 2018 and this one is lovely. The characters are adorable and humorous, and I loved the setting. I loved the initial meeting as well as the reconnecting down the road. The side characters were also great – including both the mothers and the other friends etc. Also…how gorgeous is the cover? If you are looking for a lighthearted romance, I can’t recommend this author enough.

Thank you so much to this lovely author and her marketing team for sending me the advanced review copy of this novel.

Longbourn’s Songbird by Beau North
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I really, REALLY liked the time period that this re-telling was set in, and I enjoyed the progression of the plot that was somewhat close to the original, although there were some very with obvious changes that didn’t seem TOO ridiculous to me (as in other adaptations). Better yet, if you haven’t read the original P&P, this is still a nice little story to read and it was quite well written. I like Beau North as an author quite a bit and I’m looking forward to reading her other work now that I’ve enjoyed two of her Austen retellings.

Thank you to Netgalley and Beau North for the review copy of this wonderful book.

As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the advanced copy of this novel for review.

Meet Cute: Some People Are Destined to Meet by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I often find it quite difficult to rate short story anthologies, so what I did here was provide a star rating for each story and then averaged them 😉 *nerd alert*

The concept of this whole anthology was super fun – I LOVE reading about first meeting, first falling in love etc. Although I enjoy and really love the stage of marriage that I’m in, I think it is fun to reminisce about those early days and reading about them is just so fun. The butterflies, the wondering what to say… it’s all amplified in this anthology because it features young adults 🙂 This is a fun book to read around Valentine’s Day too if you want to experience some lovey-dovey ness.

SIEGE ETIQUETTE by KATIE COTUGNO
This was a story about a boy and a girl at a party who had known each other for years but never spoken. It was okay but nothing too exciting and reminded me why I sometimes find short stories hard to read. (2/5 stars)

PRINT SHOP by NINA LACOUR
A cute story about a teenage girl starting a job at an eccentric print shop and how she goes out of her way to offer customer service to another teenage girl over Twitter. Cute and modern. (3/5 stars)

HOURGLASS by IBI ZOBOI
A story about a high school senior who wants to get out of her small town and move on. (3/5 stars)

CLICK by KATHERINE MCGEE
A cute story about a program for online dating that takes your entire internet history and matches you up with someone based on your compatibility. Packed a punch and I really, really liked this one. (4.5/5 stars)

THE INTERN by SARA SHEPARD
A story about a girl who spends a part of her day entertaining a rock star and learns a bit about herself in the process. (2/5 stars)

SOMEWHERE THAT’S GREEN by MEREDITH RUSSO
A story about a transgendered girl and some of the issues she is experiencing in high school due to one girl’s public stance on her. (3/5 stars – very interesting)

THE WAY WE LOVE HERE by DHONIELLE CLAYTON
A story about an island in which all of the inhabitants know when they will meet their true love. A look at future destiny. Cute and unique. (3/5 stars)

OOMPH by EMERY LORD
A cute story about a girl meeting another girl while waiting for her flight at the airport. (4/5 stars)

THE DICTIONARY OF YOU AND ME by JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT
One of my favourites in the anthology – this one is about a girl who works at the public library and spends quite a bit of time trying phoning a guy to return the dictionary he took out months ago. I can’t resist a good library setting 🙂 (4.5/5 stars)

THE UNLIKELY LIKELIHOOD OF FALLING IN LOVE by JOCELYN DAVIES
As someone who has studied a lot of statistics and works with them daily, I loved this. Such a cute story about a girl who does a high school stats project on the likelihood of seeing a stranger on another subway train in NYC. So cute. (4/5 stars)

259 MILLION MILES by KASS MORGAN
Super interesting premise but the ending didn’t live up to it for me. (2/5 stars)

SOMETHING REAL by JULIE MURPHY
Not my favourite, unfortunately. Was not super impressed with the whole reality show concept. (2/5 stars)

SAY EVERYTHING by HUNTLEY FITZPATRICK
Cute. (3/5 stars)

THE DEPARTMENT OF DEAD LOVE by NICOLA YOON
such a cool concept (4 stars)

Thank you to Netgalley and HMH books for young readers for the copy of this book.

Read any good books lately? Are you dying to read any of these??

Show us Your Books: The first of 2018!!

The weeks surrounding Christmas are notoriously bad reading weeks for me; this year was a little better than in the past, but I still felt like I never had any time (or energy) to read. That being said – I didn’t have much time to blog either. Those kinds of things just fall by the wayside when we are with our families and I’m busy parenting, cleaning, and celebrating 😉 Being home for 10 days straight with my family and visiting all of our families and friends just doesn’t leave much time to poke my nose in a book…but I did finish a few books over the last month and I am feeling back into a big reading groove!!! January-March are usually big reading months for me because it is SO FREEZING OUTSIDE that all I want to do is curl up and read books. Haha. Anyone else?!

Linking up with Jana & Steph today to chat about books for the first Show us Your Books link up of 2018!!!

Heir to Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had asked my husband for Edenbrooke for Christmas, so I wanted to read this one in case I ended up re-reading Edenbrooke sometime over the holidays. This was SO CUTE. Loved it. It was fun to read Philip’s perspective and know just how much that meeting with Marianne changed his life. SO fun, and definitely a quick and enjoyable read if you love Edenbrooke. My only complaint was that it was not long enough!!!!! I wanted more. If you haven’t read Edenbrooke yet, I implore you to do so if Regency romance is your thing. It is SO SO good.

Mr. Dickens and His Carol: A Novel by Samantha Silva
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this SO much more than I did. I am not a huge fan of A Christmas Carol, but I don’t mind Dickens in general. This was interesting at times, but it fell a little flat for me. I will say that if you are ever looking for a good book to read around Christmas time that has minimal romance and is not Hallmarky, this might be up your alley…

How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I sat on the couch and read about 90% of this book in one night. I had started it the night before, and was liking it, but I just plowed right through. It was really cute, and also very emotional at times. Can I just say that I love that books about bookshops and book lovers are so popular right now? I love the bookish themes in these books. A few I can think of off the top of my head that I loved: The Bookshop on the Corner, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, Words in Deep Blue, Tell me Three Things (in the background), Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, A Murder for the Books. Even books that I didn’t completely love about bookstores were mostly redeemable because a setting of a bookstore is SO GREAT. Anyway, enough of that tangent – How to Find Love in a Bookshop is adorable and sweet. I loved it. It did remind me a bit of Fikry in some ways, especially the father-daughter aspect.

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow, this was quite the book. It was easy to read, since it is middle grade, but it was quite powerful. It’s about an 11 year old girl in a wheelchair who has SO MANY THOUGHTS and is sooooo smart but unable to speak (and has cerebral palsy). Melody was quite funny at times, and witty, and a normal pre-teen but with so many more challenges in life than many of us have. Parts of this were tough to read but it was so eye-opening. I definitely cried like a baby near the end. (I read this for Erin’s challenge for a character with a debilitating physical illness).

Kulti by Mariana Zapata
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn’t love this QUITE as much as The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, but it was still very good and it made me realize that I kind of like books about sports – in this sense. Haha. Parts of it were quite swoonworthy and I really appreciated Sal’s confidence and strength to stand up for what she believed in. This was a cute, quick, read that left me with a smile on my face and passed a winter’s night quite nicely. I am enjoying Mariana Zapata’s books a lot – they probably aren’t for everyone, but they are quite enjoyable if you like the genre.

Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun book to pick up here and there over Christmas. The alternating perspectives and short chapters really lent this book to scattered reading, although I did read the last half of it in one sitting quite quickly. I did not see the end coming and it hit me like a ton of bricks. The family drama and contrast between different careers etc was good and if you like family drama books, this is a good one to consider. It’s not all drama all the time though – I wouldn’t compare it to The Nest, for example.

This was a cute YA book – totally predictable, but it was still fun. A bit too YA for me, but that’s my own age showing 😉

Longbourn’s Songbird by Beau North
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5/5. I really, REALLY liked the time period that this re-telling was set in, and I enjoyed the progression of the plot that was somewhat close to the original, although there were some very with obvious changes that didn’t seem TOO ridiculous to me (as in other adaptations). Better yet, if you haven’t read the original P&P, this is still a nice little story to read and it was quite well written. I like Beau North as an author quite a bit and I’m looking forward to reading her other work now that I’ve enjoyed two of her Austen retellings. Kristen, you’ll like this one 😉

TL;DR: I highly recommend Longbourn’s Songbird, How to Find Love in a Bookshop, Out of my Mind, and Heir to Edenbrooke. Seven Days of us might be a good one to keep in mind for next holiday season, too. 🙂

Currently reading: The Snow Child (LOVING IT) and Greenglass House (on audio, LOVING IT). I’m carving out more time to read so I can finish these books off and continue on with Erin’s book challenge 8.0. Speaking of which, here are my choices for her challenge, which runs on Facebook and Goodreads from Jan 1-Apr 30, 2018:

Freebie: As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti via Netgalley
Book that Starts with ‘L’: ~~Longbourn’s Songbird by Beau North via Netgalley~~
Book with a Red Cover: The Alchemist’s Code by Martin Rua via Netgalley <— this was literally one of the first books I was ever approved for on Netgalley and I have yet to read it 😛
Book with a Character’s Full Name in the Title: The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennett by Bernie Su
Book with a Plot Twist: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz
Book with the word House or Home in it: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Book in which the author’s first and last name are alliterative: Renegades by Marissa Meyer (but I might go with that ~~Jenni James~~ book above instead)
Book that is written in a different language than the one you speak: My Grandmother sends her regards and apologizes by Fredrick Backman
Book that takes place on a form of transportation: Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
Book that has a character with a debiliating physical illness: ~~Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper~~

The Best Books I Read in 2017 (SUYB link up!)

I’m here to (belatedly) link up with Steph & Jana to share the best books I read this year.

I read 39,597 pages across 118 books Img bookstack 360

I love all of the best-of lists that come out at this time of the year because I always end up adding tons of books to my TBR list and finding lots of new gems to check out next year.

I plan to post a bit of an analytical post about my reading life in 2017 early in January 2018 but I wanted to link up today with Steph and Jana for a December bonus Show us Your Books post with the best of 2017. I am sharing the best books I read this year whether they were published this year or not.

As usual, I gave a lot of 4 star reviews this year. I think I have gotten a bit stingier with 5 star reviews, but four stars feels like OMG I loved this book and it is highly likable and recommendable.

Here are the books I rated 5 stars and would highly HIGHLY recommend if they sound like something you’d like:

Beartown by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have thought of this book at least once a week since I read it, which is rare for me. I need to read it again sometime to absorb the story again. I am beyond excited that there will be a sequel coming out in mid 2018!!! This isn’t *really* a feel good book, but the writing was incredible, and I know it has been quite well-received this year so I’m sure this is not news to anyone but this book was SO, so good.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book. The audio was especially fantastic – I’m not sure if I would have enjoyed it as much in print. The narrator was wonderful. Loved all of the supporting characters and can definitely appreciate Ove’s views on life: simple and profound at the same time. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. I sent it to both of my grandmothers in the past few months, but I think it is great reading for anyone.

This one was also incredible in a completely different way:

Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There was so much that I wanted to highlight and re-read in this book. I loved all of these whimsical and interesting observations about the world. AKR’s writing is so positive and fun. I can’t wait to read her first memoir now.
Reading this book was quite bittersweet knowing that we will never read her beautiful words again.

Of course, I expected my beloved Louise Penny’s 2017 book Glass Houses to be awesome, and it was all that and more. The icing on the cake for that one was reading it early via Netgalley and then MEETING HER in person and getting my copy signed. ❤

Glass Houses by Louise Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Glass Houses was unbelievably good. The style was a bit different as many parts of it were told between two time periods (about 9 months apart so not a major time travel type book). As always, the residents of Three Pines featured prominently in the book, and there were a few newcomers too. Gamache’s character made some very tough decisions and some actions in this book that really caused me to pause and think. I don’t want to say much more about it but I do understand all of why it had to happen. All of the corruption in the past books really led up to the major plot in this particular story. I recommend this series ALL THE TIME, but start with book 1!!! It really hits its stride around book 4.

This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a story that needed to be told. As a mother and a wife, I absolutely loved this book. It was so uniquely told and the writing was fantastic. Favourite quote from the book: “If you give all your worry to one thing, soon you’ll realize that’s way too much and worry about it less and you’ll feel more in control of it for keeping it at the front of your mind and that will help you worry less too.”

Children’s/Middle Grade/YA that I really enjoyed:

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this beautiful book.

Emily of New Moon and A Wrinkle in Time were also two re-reads that I enjoyed profoundly on audio this year.

And here are a few 4-4.5 star books that I also loved:

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So cute. I actually read this book twice this year and bought it. One of my favourite YA reads ever. I also loved her other YA book which was new this year, entitled What to Say Next.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I fully expected this book to be incredible, and scientific, and intense, and it was all of those things and more. It was also a lot more heartfelt and hopeful than I expected. Some of it definitely went over my head, but I didn’t mind and felt like I “understood” it all enough to enjoy it immensely. The hype is real for this book.

A Thousand Letters by Staci Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this in one sitting and loved it. I enjoyed the Persuasion aspects of it, and I will absolutely be seeking out more books in her Austen adaptations series. Parts of this were absolutely heartbreaking and made me teary. Beautiful writing. Thanks Kristen for the recommendation!!!

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an extremely enjoyable reading experience. I read this book in one night because I loved it so much. I also thought about it all the next day. The characters were super fun. Definitely a wonderful addition to the romance genre.

A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell, #1)

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a fun book to read! Loved the characters, was quite invested in the story, and enjoyed the way it unfolded. Looking forward to continuing the series.

The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen Flynn
Born a Crime: Tales from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
The Lost Husband by Katherine Center – I love her books & can’t wait to read a new one in 2018!!
The Darker Shade of Magic series (I still have one more book to read in the trilogy)
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Books that were good and really, really made me think:

The Hate U Give – by Angie Thomas
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Count of Monte Cristo (no kidding – it consumed 4 months of my life/51 hours of audio)
The Casual Vacancy
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
The Crossover
Murder on the Orient Express

I also love that the first book I read this year was The Bookshop on the Corner and the last one I am hoping to finish up is How to Find Love in a Bookshop. 😉

I can’t wait to share more detailed stats in the new year!!! Check out what everyone else is recommending over at the link up (Thanks for hosting, as always, Steph & Jana!!!!)