Books

On My Bookshelf: Both Ends of the Spectrum

December 3, 2017 by Michelle Leave a Comment

I promised to tell you about the books I cheated on Thea Devine with. So, after failing miserably at trying to read books I had at home rather than library books and realizing that if I don’t have a good book in my hand I’d rather not read, I went to the library. I decided, ok let’s test this theory. Am I just burned out on reading or is it the books that just aren’t that good?

So, at the library I picked up P.S. I Still Love You, The Girl on the Train, and Lola and the Boy Next Door. I figured that two of the three were sequels to others I’d read and enjoyed and Girl on the Train I’d been wanting to read forever.

First up, I decided to read P.S. I Still Love You first. It is a sequel to To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which I talked about in this post. I started this on June 14th and finished it three days later. This book helped me determine that my reading slump was book-specific. I easily zipped through this book, enjoying every page of it. It was just as good as the first one, if not better. Recommend.

After that I decided to give The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins a go. I picked this one up on June 18th. I’m probably six months behind everyone in reading this, but it was worth the wait. This book was well-written and kept me guessing right up to the end.

I was afraid this book was going to be a watered down version of Gone Girl, but it wasn’t. There is a similar feel to the story (in a “if you like Gone Girl, you’ll like Girl on the Train” kind of way), but it is a very different book. I highly recommend this one and will look forward to reading more from Ms. Hawkins. I read this one in five days, finishing it on June 23rd.

And finally, I read Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. I picked this one up on June 26th. This book is also a sequel (to Anna and the French Kiss that I reviewed here). I so enjoyed this book. While it didn’t have the benefit of being set in Paris like Anna & the French Kiss, it more than made up for it. I read this in three days because I couldn’t put it down. And strangely, aside from being a good story with excellent writing and great characters, the book gave me food for thought – how I can balance those different parts of myself that seem so incongruous, how you can live out loud in vibrant color but still feel small inside, and how the people that care about you can see past the mask and really know you.

These books spanned both ends of the spectrum – young adult romance to a suspenseful thriller. And thank goodness they also showed me that nothing stands between me and a good book, but if given a not so good book I’d rather do anything than read.

On My Bookshelf: Landlines and Lifelines

July 21, 2017 by Michelle Leave a Comment

I’m back to share more from my bookshelf with you today. When last we left our heroine, she’d put herself on the wait list for Rainbow Rowell’s Landline because she’d pulled it out of her TBR jar. And then she waited. And waited. And finally, the day came when the email arrived saying her book was ready to pick up!

I started Landline on May 9th (remember this is 2016 we’re talking about – because our heroine is behind on her blogging) and finished it on the 14th. I really enjoyed this book. Rainbow’s books are always so well-written and enjoyable. And, they are all so different. This book reminded me more of Attachments and less like Fangirl or Eleanor & Park. I love her complex but relatable characters and this storyline. Well worth a read!

After finishing up Landline it was time to pull another book from my TBR jar.

And out of the TBR jar came…one of my wildcard free slips. So, since I had checked out Feverborn (read my review of it here), I went ahead and counted that as my wildcard. Then I decided that since I was on such an awesome reading streak, maybe I should try to read some of the books I have sitting at home. So, I picked up a book that had been luring me – A Café on the Nile. I started it on 5/24. The author is a member of The Explorer’s Club, which I am fascinated by, and the book is set in Egypt. What could be better?

Well, yeah. Notsomuch. I tried. I really did. My reading slowed down to a snail’s pace. So slow in fact that I think I’d pretty much given up reading. So, after a couple of weeks I decided to give something else a try. Maybe I just wasn’t into this book?

So, I picked up another book on my bookshelf at home – Beyond Desire.

I started it on June 8th and attempted to read it for about a week. This book was supposed to take place on the Orient Express, it was supposed to be steamy, it was supposed to be good. Well, I ended up taking a break (more on that next time) and then picked this back up around the 29th of June. Finished it on July 7th.

Once I picked it back up, re-energized, I enjoyed the story and it kept my attention. I enjoyed the journey by Orient Express and eluding the followers and the search for clues about the bracelets. I think this book would have been much more enjoyable without the sex scenes. They were ridiculous, and overburdened with words like transmogrified, termagant, profligate. I also found that I occasionally had a hard time following whose thoughts and feelings she was describing because they flipped back and forth. I think Thea Devine’s writing would be better served with more attention to how the erotic scenes fit within the whole of her story.

If there’s one thing that these last two books taught me, it’s that my reading appetite is voracious, when given a good book. When given a book that isn’t doing it for me – I’d rather not read. But, I have found over the past months that reading for me is indeed a lifeline – I need it. It keeps my brain working and my creativity flowing. It keeps me well-fed.

More next time on the books I cheated on Thea Devine with.

On My Bookshelf: Burning Love

February 24, 2017 by Michelle Leave a Comment

I’m back to share my May reads from 2016 with you. My library streak continued and I was excited to pick up Burned. Feverborn had already been released, so I was itching to get through Burned and jump into Feverborn. Burned was so good! I started it on May first and finished it up on the 8th. And I was glad that I checked Feverborn out of the library to have on deck when I finished this one. Moning has a way of blowing my mind even when I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. It took me way longer to read this one than it really should have, but that’s what a busy schedule does to my booklife. I do feel like I should have gone back and reread Shadowfever before starting this one, since there was such a big gap between when I read that one and this one. Although Iced was a recent read, there were definitely things about Mac and Barrons that I was a little fuzzy on, so a refresh probably would have helped.

And I just have to share this photo from @greenletterday on Instagram. She posted up these fantastic skeins of yarn with the caption: “Some of my favorite book heroines in yarn form: Miss Lane, The Mega, and Smokin’ Jada by the lovely @houseofalamode.” When I first saw this post I thought “ok, but who’s Jada?” After reading further I left her the comment: “So…when you posted this I had no idea who Jada was. I’m currently reading Burned. So when I got to Jada, I was like ok now I know who Jada is. But a few chapters later…and now my mind is blown about Jada!!!! Now I seriously need this yarn trio.”

Well, needless to say, I could not start Feverborn fast enough.

And, as is often the case with KMM’s books, I find that she has the ability to pierce right through to the truth of things that goes beyond this story, beyond these books, and I nod my head and think “girl, I feel you.”

But seriously, I read this book (and it’s a thick one!) in about a week. Why do I have to wait so long for the next book???? Love KMM, love this series, love the characters. This book was no different from the others in that my reading of it was complete and utter engagement – they make me cry, they make me miss my own sister, they make me want to throw the book across the room, they make me gasp in surprise, they make me talk back to them (and as much as Dani annoyed me in Shadowfever, these books even have me yelling “Dude!” at them). If you haven’t read these books – go right now and read them. Seriously. If you gave up after Shadowfever and had no interest in reading Iced (that was me), suck it up and go read Iced so that you can read Burned and then this book. Seriously, go.

On My Bookshelf: Mysteries, Love, and Tasting Stars

February 20, 2017 by Michelle Leave a Comment

I’m excited to share the rest of my April reads today! So, after I finished Eleanor & Park, I went ahead and drew another slip out of my TBR jar. I think I only had two Rainbow Rowell books in there, and I pulled them both back to back?!? So, yes, Landline. I went online and checked to see if it was available at the library since I hadn’t seen it there when I went last time. Sure enough, it was checked out. So, I placed a hold on it and figured I’d just wait until it popped up. Meanwhile, I decided that maybe I should actually read something I own. So…I picked up a book I’d started (barely) and never finished. Someone recommended the Aunt Dimity books to me a thousand years ago and I went on a quest to find them at used book stores and actually think I have most of them. So, I thought this would be a quick, enjoyable read and I was not disappointed.

I read this in a little under a week. Although the book was written in 1992, it’s really rather timeless. This was the perfect cozy mystery for the rainy days we were having here – a great book to curl up with. I definitely recommend this read, and I’m definitely saving Beth’s oatmeal cookie recipe to try. Plus, I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

No word on Landline yet, so I headed back to the library to pick up a couple more books. Since I seem to be reading them in about 3-5 days, I thought I was safe checking out three this time. I can’t even begin to tell you what finding the library has done for me. It’s like the library opened up this whole world for me that I’d forgotten existed. It renewed my love of reading. It awoke that voracious reader I used to be. So, I went back to the library and here’s what I got…

I started with The Fault in Our Stars. I pulled it first so that in case I didn’t like it I had two more choices. So…this book.

I had really written this book off some time ago because what I knew of the plot was not something I really felt I had the emotional energy to deal with. After losing my dad to cancer, the last thing I really was interested in doing was reading about people with cancer. Ultimately though, FOMO may have prompted me to pick it up at the library and give it a shot. I attempted to reserve judgment throughout the first third or so of the book and even posted that I wasn’t sure how I felt about the book yet.

John Green ensnared me with the language and the dialog between Hazel and Augustus. I loved the way they spoke and interacted. But, despite my best intentions to keep the characters at arm’s length and to keep my emotions firmly disengaged, I failed miserably. This book is so well-written and definitely worth the emotional investment.

“My thoughts are stars I can’t fathom into constellations.”

After being completely and utterly wrecked after reading The Fault in Our Stars, I decided that something lighter was in order. I’d heard really good things about Jenny Han’s books, so when I stumbled upon them at the library I quickly added this one to my stack. I’ve previously read a short story by Jenny Han from the book My True Love Gave to Me. I really enjoyed this book, and Han’s writing. It’s full of sweetness, teen angst, learning to venture out into the world, and the bonds of sisters. Looking forward to reading the next book.

In my next post I’ll share my May books, including Burned.

On My Bookshelf: Library Love

December 21, 2016 by Michelle Leave a Comment

In April, it occurred to me that I was getting nowhere fast on my TBR jar or on my Goodreads Challenge to read 25 books in 2016. Four months into the year and I’d read…three. And while I love buying books, I have way more than I really need and hate to just continue adding to the problem. And then, it hit me. What about going to the library? I’d half-heartedly looked into the possibility of being able to check out ebooks through my libray, but didn’t really understand how it worked and it looked suspiciously like my library wouldn’t actually be able to do that. But, surely I could check out actual books, right? So, off I went. I got my first library card in like twenty years and went directly upstairs to the YA section to see if I could find any Rainbow Rowell books. And lo and behold, they had some! And lo and behold they had Eleanor & Park! Woohoo!

I came home with two books that day. I wanted to check out all of the things, but figured if I’ve only read three books in four months I should probably assume I can’t get through more than two books in the three weeks I had to read them. Of course I started with E&P first. I’ve read a couple of Rainbow Rowell books before (Fangirl and Attachments) and loved them.

“Eleanor was right: She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn’t supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.”

I read this book in basically three days. Rainbow Rowell may well be one of my favorite authors. I love her writing, I love her characters, I love that she makes me feel like I felt at sixteen. I love that she made me dig out mix tapes I haven’t listened to since high school/college. I love that although her books are shelved with the YA books and that at first glance they appear to be nothing more than a simple romantic love story – it’s the complexity of her characters and their inner thoughts and feelings and struggles that speak to me. Each book I read of hers becomes my new favorite. If you haven’t read her books, you should start one today.

After finishing Eleanor & Park, I started Anna and the French Kiss. So many people had recommended this book to me (probably because of my love of all things Paris and romances), so I was happy to find it at the library.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it in about three days because I had a hard time putting it down. A story of an American girl sent to the American School in Paris who begins to fall in love with the city and a boy. I loved her passion for cinema (a passion I share) and the exploration of Notre Dame, the Latin Quarter, etc. made me long to return there. I have so many regrets about my time in Paris – so many things I didn’t see or do – and this book just made the city come alive for me again. This one was well worth a read and I’m looking forward to reading her others.

I’ll be back next time with more books!

On My Bookshelf: My TBR Jar and First Finishes

December 10, 2016 by Michelle Leave a Comment

At the end of 2015 I started thinking about my plans for my 2016 reading and decided I would try something new and fun. Enter the TBR (To Be Read) jar. I’d seen this marvelous invention on Instagram and loved the idea so much I had to do it too. I’d set my annual Goodreads challenge at 25 books for 2016 (we won’t talk about that’s been my goal for the last several years and I’ve not even come close), so I wanted to keep my TBR jar selections around the 15-20 range. I chose a mix of books that have been sitting on my shelves forever (including one that I’ve started but never finished), books I don’t own but really want to read, and I gave myself a **Free** selection (meaning I can pick any book I want to read whenever that one gets drawn). My plan was to draw my first book on January 1st and get started. Oh, and I made myself a fun Harry Potter-inspired jar too!

I ended up holding off on pulling my first selection from the jar on January 1 because Eric bought me Lara Casey’s book for Christmas, which I’d been dying to read. As you already know from my previous posts, I worked my way through this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. I actually started it on January 1 and fully expected to zip through it because it’s not a very lengthy book. This book, as Lara says herself, is an action book rather than a reading book. It took me awhile to work my way through it because it does require a lot of introspection, questioning, actioning, and praying. This book is part autobiography, part guidebook to really focusing on what matters. What makes Lara’s guidance so valuable is that not only has she been where you are, but she shows you how she started to make things happen in her own life – making changes that sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t. Her authenticity and continued journey that comes through on her blog and on Periscope really strike a chord with me. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to start making things happen in their own life. Not only did this book help me define what matters most to me, it also provided me with clear and actionable steps to move toward those things.

I took a small break from Make it Happen to read something light. Despite being a freebie ebook, I really enjoyed this. It reminded me a bit of Rainbow Rowell’s writing. A story about being awkward, which I think we can all relate to, and learning to love what makes each of us unique. Once I finished up Story of Awkward, I decided to go ahead and pull the first selection out of my TBR jar. My first draw was Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. Since it wasn’t a book I own I was going to have to procure it, so I wouldn’t be able to start it immediately. I sat that aside and went back to Make it Happen.

After going back to Make it Happen and finishing it up – more about that book in my other posts – I picked up The Lake House by Kate Morton. Lake House wasn’t a book that was on my list to read and I actually hadn’t ever heard of it. I was watching a knitting podcast (Fiber By Design) and this was the Feb/March book for the Oh Loops! book club on Ravelry. I decided to jump in and thought it would be fun to discuss the book, so I grabbed the kindle edition and got started. I haven’t read any Kate Morton previously, but I will definitely be reading her other books. This book kept me guessing, as all the best mysteries should, while carrying me along with the storyline. I loved that the story was woven between the 1930s and the 2000s, with Alice fusing the two timelines together. I really really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

So, those are the three books I started off my 2016 with. I’ll share more next time!