Month: September 2021

September 2021 Reads

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This was a such a fun read. Anna and Keane slowly falling in love and working through the stages of grief together was so beautifully done. I had to Google several of the places they visited while they island hopped, because I just wanted a clearer pictures. The book made me want to sail around the Caribbean, even though I’m severely afraid of water. I wish there was about a hundred more pages so I could spend more time with Anna and Keane.

4 Stars

A touching book about traumatic brain injuries in pro football players told from the point of view of the twelve year old son of one. Written in verse, you won’t be able to get through this book without crying at least once. 

4 Stars

This was a pretty slow read for me, but mostly because I kept stopping and looking things up since I’m unfamiliar with the history of China. The book is very much a slow burn, but it’s totally worth it. The last 1/3 of the book was definitely my favorite and I read it quicker than the rest, and I will definitely be picking up the next book when it is released.

4 Stars

What a good book. Jane Igharo is officially on my auto buy list. This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and it warmed my heart. My only complaint is that it was too short. I could easily read a whole other book about the Jolades. (BOTM)

4 Stars

What a great rom com. I learned pretty early that this started as Reylo fanfic, and other than Adam very clearly being inspired by Adam Driver, I didn’t find that knowledge distracting (it actually made me love the book more tbh). I loved the pacing and characters. And the romance between Olive and Adam was swoonworthy. Ali Hazelwood has been moved to my auto-buy list. (BOTM)

5 Stars

I don’t know what it was, but this book just didn’t click with me. There was something about the style of writing that just really turned me off. I felt at arm’s length with the characters throughout the whole book. I really loved the concept, but the execution could have been better. 

2 Stars

This book was SO WEIRD, but SO GOOD. I love Frank Herbert’s world building, and I love the way he makes you root for characters who have questionable morals. And aren’t even completely human. The most frustrating part was how he didn’t fully lay out what exactly the Golden Path was. But I got it. Just like I figured out what the ultimate goal would be. Yes, I sort of predicted what would happen, but it didn’t ruin the book for me.

4 Stars

This book was so good. The characters were great and really leapt off the page. I loved Annabelle and her spirit. And Sebastian was striking. The history was amazing, and I had to look up when women could finally own property in England, and was quite disappointed in the result. Overall this was a very enjoyable read. (BOTM)

4 Stars

August 2021 Reads

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A Rom Com set in Belize, The Layover was a perfect summer “beach read.” The banter between Jack and Ava was top notch. This was a fun, light read, and I loved every second of it.

4/5 Stars

A You’ve Got Mail type book, To Sir, With Love was another fun rom com I read in August. This time set in New York in a champagne store. This one was fun, but the romance was way too slow of a burn. I wish they had gotten together quicker.

4/5 Stars

There are no words I can use to describe how much I loved Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. This is a book that will stay with me for years. A story about coming of age and coming out, the book read like prose. Narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the book was perfect. He made Aristotle come to life. He made me fall in love with Dante.

Saenz wrote a book about teenage boys who had a beautiful relationship with each other and with their parents. Everything about this book made me so happy.

5/5 Stars

My book club’s pick for August, Transcendent Kingdom is a wonderful look into the life of a woman struggling with her brother’s death, her mother’s depression and father’s abandonment. This is a story of strength and faith in tragedy. I’m not usually fan of lit fic, but I really enjoyed reading this book.

4/5 Stars

The Personal Librarian tells the story of JP Morgan’s personal librarian, a Black woman, Belle de Costa Greene, who passes as white. The book does an amazing job at bringing you into Gilded Age New York City. The fact that I needed to keep Googling key players really slowed down this read, but I really liked it, and it made me wish they deviated a bit from the history just slightly. If you read it, you’ll know what I mean.

4/5 Stars

It’s always sad when a series comes to a close, and it’s even sadder when it feels like the series really could continue after the end of the final book. Any Way the Wind Blows ends Rainbow Rowell’s Simon Snow series, something that started off as a parody Harry Potter story that someone was writing fanfiction about in Fangirl.

I will say, if we have to say goodbye to Simon, Baz, Penny and Agatha, this was the way to do it. If you’re like me and have been waiting TWO BOOKS for just nothing but Simon and Baz being in love, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU! The book ended with everything being wrapped up nicely, but not too nicely there couldn’t be possible continuations, and I for one am hoping Rowell chooses to write something more with my favorite boys.

5/5 Stars

I love alternate history books, and I love mysteries, and The Yiddish Policemen’s Union combined both of those things. My favorite things about this book were the fact that I honestly had no idea who committed the crime until it was revealed, and the fact that Michael Chabon just sprinkled in the alternate history and didn’t just bombard you with it. This book was a really good read.

4/5 Stars

What a disappointing read The Plot ended up being. I had been looking forward to reading this book ever since NPR did a piece about it at the beginning of the summer, and then Jimmy Fallon picked it for his summer read. Once I finally got my hands on it, I was looking forward to this thriller. However, the book turned out to be very slow, very predictable, and I really didn’t like the ending.

3/5 Stars

Everyone should take some time and read The Reading List. A beautiful book which reflected my love of both reading and libraries, it was at once both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Aleisha and Mukesh were amazingly written characters whose growth you rooted for throughout the book. Even as tragedy struck about three fourths of the way through the book, you couldn’t help but root for them to succeed. Plus, this book caused my TBR to grow just a little.

5/5 Stars

A sweet love story set in a small village in England, you can’t help but fall in love with Roane right along side Evie. Not only do you root for the main couple throughout the book, you fall in love with the village and all of it’s inhabitants. A wonderful feel good read.

5/5 Stars