Number of Books Read: 7
Top Moods: Emotional & Adventurous
Paced: Mostly medium; some fast; seldom slow
Length: Mostly 300-499 pages
Most frequent genre: romance, contemporary, young adult
Format: 100% print
The Idea of You // Robinne Lee
5 stars
I will start off by saying I came into this book thinking it was going to be a complete joke. The entire reputation of this book is that it’s Harry Styles fanfiction, and while I would say that’s accurate, this story is SO MUCH BETTER than that. Whatever degrading title you think fanfiction might be . . . do NOT apply it to this book.
Solene is such a likable lead. She’s classy, sophisticated, and self-aware enough that you don’t just find her irritating for this entire story. The book is told through her eyes, and she’s a devoted mother, friend, and career woman. I think if she didn’t have her life together, largely, the plot would be much less enjoyable. However, because Robinne Lee does an excellent job of making Solene open-minded and just selfish enough to want what she wants, damn the consequences, her dalliance with Hayes is believable and not just the mid-life crisis you might expect after reading the back cover.
Hayes is a dreamboat. Unrealistic from a boy his age, but still. When you’re reading, you don’t FEEL like the age gap is insane (because, let’s face it, even most 29-year-old men do not have the confidence that Hayes does).
I highly recommend this book if you want an escape from reality, a good love story, and an emotional rollercoaster. I cried for an hour at the end.
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows // J.K. Rowling
5 stars
First off, I have been a HUGE Potterhead for basically the entirety of my reading career. The only series that I remember being obsessed with pre-HP were Junie B. Jones and Series of Unfortunate Events.
I recently re-read this series along with the Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast. I haven’t read it in quite some time before then, and I seemed to remember a lot of angsty forest-wandering without much else. However, on this read, I realized what a work of art this book is. The crown jewel of the series, truly.
There’s a lot of death and pain, but there’s also a very satisfying ending, tons of adventure, some funny moments, and the warmth, joy, and authenticity that we expect from Harry Potter books. I read this book as slowly as I possibly could so that I could savor every minute.
If you’ve never picked the Deathly Hallows up before, you’re in for a treat. And it’s SO MUCH BETTER than the movies.
American Spy // Lauren Wilkinson
3 stars
This was a good read. I enjoyed the story, and though it was fiction, it didn’t necessarily feel that way. I had no idea what to expect going into this book, as I was reading it for a book club and did approximately zero research before diving in, but it ended up being a historical fiction account of the governmental coup in Burkina-Faso from the perspective of an American spy (hence the title). There was a lot of action, political intrigue, internal subterfuge, lies, and secrets. I give it three stars only for a few reasons. I found the romance plotline underdeveloped, to the point where I’m not sure why it was included at all. I also did not feel like the story had any real conclusion.
The story was also generally told to the audience of the spy’s children. A cool concept, in theory, but it didn’t really sit right with me when there seemed to be no real reason that they needed all of the detail in the story. She was leaving to go finish the task that the coup she’s describing created for her, but did your kids need to know about your love affair to understand why you’re leaving? Probably not.
That being said, the story was interesting, the writing itself was wonderful, and I did want to know how it ended (despite being disappointed in how it did). Thus, 3 stars. Also, it knocked Burkina-Faso off my global reading list (one book per country) which was a nice surprise that I was not expecting.
3 stars
This one was HEAVY. This is probably the first nonfiction book I’ve read that reads like fiction. It follows three women’s respective stories about women’s desire: Sloane, Lina, and Maggie. Sloane and her husband are swingers, Lina is stuck in a sexless marriage and carrying on an affair with her highschool sweetheart, and Maggie is in the midst of a trial centering around the sexual relationship she had with her teacher when she was 17.
This book has received all sorts of attention, and I really wanted to like it. At times, I did. It made me think a LOT about the types of women I empathize with and those I don’t, and it was convicting at points for that exact reason. I found Lina annoying and whiny, Sloane sympathetic but timid, and Maggie frustrating and pitiable. I don’t think any of the women were particularly likable, and I wouldn’t want to be friends with any of them. Is that a good gauge of the characters? Probably not, but that’s also because they’re real people.
I don’t like giving star ratings to nonfiction, as it largely feels like I’m rating someone’s experience. Maggie, particularly, walked through something that is absolutely unimaginable. So, my star rating reflects how much I enjoyed reading rather than the actual content or writing of this book. Lisa Taddeo did an excellent job of shedding light on these women’s stories, and I am grateful to her for devoting so many years to make sure that their voices were listened to.
American Royals // Katharine McGee
5 stars
I am very selective about what books I give 5 stars to. This deserves every bit of it. The book is over 400 pages, and I ate up every. Single. Word. It was fun, entertaining, unpredictable, and just the right amount of unsupervised teens running around causing mayhem. I love multi-POV books too, and apparently I am a sucker for royals. Who knew?
The concept is essentially, “What would America’s government look like today if George Washington had become the first king of America rather than the first president?” So yes, it’s fiction, but the very best kind in the sense that you can truly imagine a world in which it’s true. Katharine McGee’s imagination is my favorite.
Samantha was probably my favorite character, but I loved every single one of them (except you, Daphne. Eff off). I had to physically stop myself from rushing to the bookstore and buying the sequels immediately, partially because the series isn’t done and I want to pace myself and partially because I have like, 97 other books to read as is.
Read this book. Run, don’t walk.
People We Meet on Vacation // Emily Henry
4 stars
This is my first contemporary Emily Henry novel, and I really liked it! I thought the banter was fun, I found the characters generally likable, and getting to visit each travel destination with the characters was interesting. However, I wasn’t a huge fan of the conflict, which essentially centered around a complete lack of communication between two allegedly best friends. Obviously close friends can have miscommunication, but for it lasting for . . . years? Unrealistic.
That being said, I enjoyed reading this book (although it felt a tad long at points), it was witty, and it had a nice ending wrapped up with a bow. Would I recommend it? Sure. Would I read it again? Probably not.
4 stars
Superb. I wouldn’t consider myself a HUGE fantasy reader, but this one did it for me. It took me a few chapters to really get absorbed, but once I did, I was off like a herd of turtles. The characters were all incredible lovable, and I just need Kaz and Inej to be together forever, for some reason. I feel VERY strongly about this.
I only give 5 stars to books I literally cannot put down, and due to the slight stall in my interest at the beginning, this one gets 4.75. I loved it, though. If you’ve been in a fantasy slump for awhile, this is an excellent place to get your groove back.
Also, I love books with maps in the front cover. It gives great context.
Eff you, Pekka Rollins.