Reviews | April 2019

April started off as a really good reading month, but ended up not being so great towards the end because that's when I went into a reading slump that I couldn't really get out of it. I spent this month trying to catch up to my Goodreads goal so I read a lot of shorter books. It would've worked out if I kept it up but unfortunately, life had other plans. But, reviews!

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Reviews

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Bossman
by Vi Keeland

I don't know what it was about this book that didn't do it for me. I really thought this was going to be another one of those steamy books I love, but for the most part, it was okay. I think the past vs. present story line wasn't something I really enjoyed. While I get that the author was trying to show the tragic past of the male protagonist, I felt like it was dragged on too long. It could've been told as a prologue and then I would've felt more attachment seeing his side of the story as well. I found this to be a little predictable and overall meh in the sexy scenes.

Rating: ★★★

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We Should All Be Feminists
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I feel like this was waaay too short to make such an impact on me. I get why people love it and want others to read it, and in the moment of reading it (listening to it) I agreed. But now, I couldn't even tell you much about it. I think it would work better if it was expanded, but that's just my opinion.

Rating: ★★★

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Five Feet Apart

by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, Tobias Iaconis

I read this book only because I was going to go watch the movie. I don't know much about CF, but I knew far less before I read this book, and while it may (or may not be) the most accurate representation with those struggling with CF, it shed some light into the difficulties CFers deal with on a daily basis and I think that's important. The story was, overall, cute and possibly a little unrealistic (but a lot of cutesy YA romances are). I think I did shed a few tears while reading it, and possibly while watching the movie, but I don't really remember why now. I enjoyed my time with it and I am glad I picked it up and went to see the movie after.

Rating: ★★★

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The Ocean at the End of the Lane
by Neil Gaiman

I was mostly thinking "what is going on" during the entirety of this book. It was weird (which I expected) but also a little boring. I listened to it on audiobook and had a really hard time concentrating on what was going on and why things were happening. I know Neil Gaiman is very popular, but I definitely don't think his work is for me.

Rating: ★★

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And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer
by Fredrik Backman

I think I would've liked this better if I had read it. I didn't feel that sad while listening to it and got a little confused in some parts of it, trying to figure out who was who. It also was a little forgettable to be honest. I get why so many people love it but I guess I was just not one of those.

Rating: ★★★

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Faithful (The Mountain Man's Babies #10)
by Frankie Love

I kind of feel weird being one of the few to give this book such a low rating, but to be honest, I found this romance to be pretty ridiculous. I've never read any of the other of The Mountain Man's Babies books so I wasn't sure if reading this one (the last one) was such a good idea, but I gave it a shot. But as soon as the couple meet and basically fall in love in under 10 minutes, I found myself internally rolling my eyes. I think I would've enjoyed it if the couple spent more time together before deciding they were in love. I don't know, this whole book was rushed and the sex scenes were kind of jarring. I read the whole thing to see where it went, but I wasn't a fan and I am not sure if I will pick up another book by this author any time soon. Just wasn't for me.

Rating: ★★

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Reviews | March 2019

March was a good reading month for me and I actually finished 9 books, but am only reviewing 8 here. I spent the month trying to get rid of all those 'Currently Reading' books on my Goodreads shelf and did a pretty good job. I also got through quite a few audiobooks which always helps increase my reading stats for the month. Onto the reviews, which are short and sweet since I am playing catch up and just adding whatever quick thought I had on Goodreads.

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Reviews

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

What a story! I can't believe I didn't think the hype would live up to this book, but it certainly did. This book follows a fictional actress who rose to fame in the 1950's, but she felt so real that I couldn't believe this wasn't someone's actual life story. I was captivated from the start, and couldn't stop listening to it once I really got into the story. This is definitely a new favorite and I am looking forward to reading more by TJR soon.

Rating: ★★★★★

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I Want to Eat Your Pancreas

by Your Sumino

I was really excited to read this one because it was my first standalone manga and the story sounded really heartbreaking (my fave). I was a little let down and ultimately found this to be just okay. This was cute, but not really as heart wrenching as I was hoping. The ending was a little surprising, but not in a good way. I enjoyed the art work, and am glad I read this but it was mostly just whatever. 

Rating: ★★★

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Siege and Storm (The Grisha Trilogy #2)

by Leigh Bardugo

Ugh, this was one was okay. It felt like we went in a giant circle in the story and basically ended up where we were trying to get out of in the first book. Okay, so the story picks up right after book one ends and then is nonstop for our protagonist Alina. But like I said, and not to spoil things here, but she goes through so much and were back at square one by the end of the book. Its made me not want to pick up book 3 right away. 

Rating: ★★★

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The Year We Turned Forty
by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

I'm going to be honest, this book drags. I struggled to get through this one, not because it was bad but because it wasn't very interesting. The ladies go back in time 10 years to change their lives, and once they get their old lives back I kind of felt the book got a little dull. I kept taking breaks from it, and finally pushed through. The ending was lackluster, but it wasn't a bad book. It was okay for what it was, but not really something I'm glad I picked up.

Rating: ★★

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Defy the Worlds
by Claudia Gray

I loved the first book because of the relationship between the two main characters. Was a little disappointed they didn't spend much time together in this book, and while it was fast-paced and entertaining, I wasn't as interested in the story as I was during the first book. I am looking forward to the next book (and hopefully conclusion) and will be checking it out as soon as it's available on audiobook.

Rating: ★★★

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Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture
by Roxane Gay

An important book that I think everyone needs to read to gain some understanding on how rape (and rape culture) affects people. I only knocked a star down for this one because the stories did not flow well together, and I think that could've been edited better.

Rating: ★★★★

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True (True Believers #1)
by Erin McCarthy

This was mostly okay for me. Forgettable, in my opinion, seeing as I can't remember much about it a little more than a month after finishing it. It was a quick read and I am glad I gave McCarthy another shot, but I don't think this author is for me.

Rating: ★★

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Heretics Anonymous
by Katie Henry

I was expecting to really enjoy this, but this was just an okay read for me. I liked it, yes, but it is also a very forgettable story and I think the book is a little over-hyped for no particular reason. It's a quick, fun read with a nice group of friends but there wasn't much substance to the story and I really don't know why I picked this up.

Rating: ★★★

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Another break.

In late March, I started noticing I was feeling depressed. I didn't want to do most of the things I enjoyed, and felt tired all the time. I started just laying around when I got home and those feelings intensified the more I wanted them to go away. By April I was crying a lot, sleeping a lot, and doing a lot less. But I got through every day and then went on vacation.

My vacation was a lot of fun, don't get me wrong, but I know we missed out on a lot of fun things during our trip because I constantly felt tired and in need of a nap. At least I didn't cry. I felt really down when we got back home and then a few days after returning to work, I got horribly sick and had to take a week and a half off work. It was the last thing I needed, to be honest, but spending time at home trying to get better made me feel like I was finally getting the rest I needed. I did some research during my free time and read up on what might be causing my depression. I made some changes and they helped.

After getting better, I went back to work for a few days, then went on a shorter cruise with my grandma. This one was spent more relaxed and doing more things. When I got back home, I noticed my moods had improved. I felt myself returning back to normal and wanting to do things I had missed. I spent a lot of June just focusing on being happy.

Now that the days are warmer and the sun is out more frequently, I definitely feel a lot better. And that's where I'm at now. Coming back to doing things I enjoy, such as blogging. So these last few months haven't been the greatest, in my head, but otherwise I would say things are going well. I'm working every day and enjoying my weekends by working out and doing things I want. I still haven't completely gotten back to reading or filming YT videos, but I'm slowly getting into the swing of things. And I am glad to be back :)