Hello, lovelies! I haven’t updated on the books I’ve read in months, so there is a lot to talk about. Normally, I talk about other types of entertainment I’ve enjoyed, but I’ve watched so many great movies and T.V shows in quarantine that they’d fit in their own post.
My reading experience during quarantine has been pretty lukewarm. I normally enjoy very dark and diverse books, but all I wanted to read the first few months were light books about nothing. Well, not nothing, but you’ll get what I mean. I just wanted to reread things I already love or take my mind off of things with light-hearted books. I’ve gotten over that phase and am catching up on my classics list now and have a very fun TBR planned.
For the sake of not being too repetitive, I’m not going to talk about the books I’ve reread or read during the Reading Rush (which I reviewed here). With that said, here are the books I’ve read since April.
Last post – Books I Read In March (Plus Other 2020 Favorites)
//Rereads
- Am I There Yet? The Loop-de-Loop, Zigzagging Journey to Adulthood by Mari Andrew
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
- Sammy Keyes and the Wedding Crasher by Wendelin Van Draana
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
- Sammy Keyes and the Night of Skulls by Wendelin Van Draanan
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
//Reading Rush
- The Adventures of Tin-Tin: Prisoners of the Sun by Hergé
- Organize Yourself! by Ronni Eisenberg w/ Kate Kelly
- The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
- Push by Sapphire
Blog Posts:
- My Reading Rush TBR | 2020
- Reading Rush 2020 Recap | Day 1-2
- Reading Rush 2020 Recap | Day 3-4
- Reading Rush 2020 Recap | Day 5-7
//Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
When twenty-eight-year-old Lexi Smart wakes up in a London hospital, she’s in for a big surprise. Her teeth are perfect. Her body is toned. Her handbag is Vuitton. Having survived a car accident—in a Mercedes no less—Lexi has lost a big chunk of her memory, three years to be exact, and she’s about to find out just how much things have changed.
Somehow Lexi went from a twenty-five-year-old working girl to a corporate big shot with a sleek new loft, a personal assistant, a carb-free diet, and a set of glamorous new friends. And who is this gorgeous husband—who also happens to be a multimillionaire? With her mind still stuck three years in reverse, Lexi greets this brave new world determined to be the person she…well, seems to be. That is, until an adorably disheveled architect drops the biggest bombshell of all.
Suddenly Lexi is scrambling to catch her balance. Her new life, it turns out, comes complete with secrets, schemes, and intrigue. How on earth did all this happen? Will she ever remember? And what will happen when she does?
My Review
I was in the mood for very lighthearted literary fiction when quarantine started, and I knew that a Sophie Kinsella book would scratch that itch. As you read above, this book is about a 25-year-old girl who hits her head the day before her father’s funeral and when she wakes up, it’s three years later and she has a completely different life. The book is very cliche, as this girl whose name I can’t even remember (I realize upon reading the blurb that it’s Lexi) tries to figure out what happened to her life. Why is she married to this man? What happened to all her friendships? How does she do her job?
It was definitely cheesy at times, but the book went into some directions that I didn’t expect. And because it’s an adult contemporary, it actually goes into adult things like sex and finances. Things that don’t typically get brought up in YA.
//The Little Mermaid and Other Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Anderson
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
Nearly two hundred years after its publication in 1837, Hans Christian Andersen’s timeless fairytales continue to inspire young imaginations. This beautiful unabridged edition brings together many of the Danish writer’s favorite stories that have become literary classics, including “The Little Mermaid”, “Thumbelina”, “The Snow Queen”, “The Princess and the Pea”, “The Ugly Duckling”, “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, and more.
The thirteen stories in The Little Mermaid and Other Fairy Tales are illustrated with specially commissioned artwork and ten exclusive interactive features including:
A dial with six mermaids
A Duckling transforming into a swan
Mattresses that pull away to reveal a pea
The Snow Queen’s palace
Gorgeously designed, this keepsake illustrated edition—the fourth book in Harper Design’s series of reimagined children’s classics—will be treasured by readers of all ages for generations to come.
My Review
This was part of my list of classic books I wanted to read this year. (I definitely need to catch up on that list). I have a beautiful edition of Hans Christian Anderson Fairy Tales that I finished a few months ago. It has 12 short stories, so I tried to read one every single day to finish the book. I love the original Little Mermaid story, but my favorites were The Little Match Girl and The Red Shoes.
//Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother’s death, she leaves letters at her grave. It’s the only way Juliet can cope.
Declan Murphy isn’t the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he’s trying to escape the demons of his past.
When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can’t resist writing back. Soon, he’s opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they’re not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.
My Review
I think this is the only YA contemporary book I’ve read in quarantine. It alternates between the perspectives of a girl and a boy, Juliet and Declan. Juliet is grieving her mother, who was a photo journalist in the Middle East, and one of the way she copes with her mother’s death is by leaving letters at her grave site. Declan works at the cemetery, finds her letter, and writes back.
Juliet was not happy about this and wrote back a very angry letter, which started their correspondence. The book wasn’t just about their developing relationships. It was also about them struggling with their home lives, Juliet’s grief, their other friendships, etc. I liked it a lot. It had a lot of substance outside of the romance without the book being too depressing.
//The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
The fourth and final installment in the spellbinding series from the irrepressible, #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.
All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love’s death. She doesn’t believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.
My Review
I finished The Raven Cycle series a few months ago and need to find a new series to read. (I’ve mainly been rereading old favorites). Originally, I thought I would include a spoiler section and review the whole series here, but I think it’s been too long. So here are some of my spoiler free thoughts about the series.
I loved the friend group in this series. It had very well developed characters who had very distinct personalities, yet their friendship dynamic worked perfectly. I love how the author went about building their relationships and the little moments they shared with one another.
Para-normalcy/Urban fantasy isn’t typically a genre I read, but I was intrigued by all the plot lines. Hearing about Blue’s family of psychics and the different types of magic they do isn’t something I typically read about. (I also learned a lot about tarot reading)
The romances in this series were done really well. I loved how slow burn they were and the fact that even though the pairings were such different characters, I could see how well they would work once they got together long before they did. All the conversations and chemistry built everything up to actual healthy relationships (which we don’t see enough of in YA books).
I had mixed feelings about their being a new main antagonist in each book, but I think it was handled pretty well. It could’ve been a huge mess.
(And this is completely random, but I really loved Blue’s clothing. I enjoyed imagining their eclectic descriptions)
//I’m Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagán
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
Honesty is the best policy…except maybe when it comes to marriage in this brilliant novel about the high price of perfection from bestselling author Camille Pagán.
Wife. Mother. Breadwinner. Penelope Ruiz-Kar is doing it all—and barely keeping it together. Meanwhile, her best friend, Jenny Sweet, appears to be sailing through life. As close as the two women are, Jenny’s passionate marriage, pristine house, and ultra-polite child stand in stark contrast to Penelope’s underemployed husband, Sanjay, their unruly brood, and the daily grind she calls a career.
Then a shocking tragedy reveals that Jenny’s life is far from perfect. Reeling, Penelope vows to stop keeping the peace and finally deal with the issues in her relationship. So she and Sanjay agree to a radical proposal: both will write a list of changes they want each other to make—then commit to complete and total honesty.
What seems like a smart idea quickly spirals out of control, revealing new rifts and even deeper secrets. As Penelope stares down the possible implosion of her marriage, she must ask herself: When it comes to love, is honesty really the best policy?
My Review
I finished this book in two days. It was a fun read. My friend recommended this book to me last year because she thought I would like the concept this book is based on, which is about being brutally honest with your spouse about what they want you to change. The book was in the wife’s point of view, but I loved both of the characters. It wasn’t that they had a terrible marriage. They had just started going through the motions of life.
I really loved the diversity in this novel because it wasn’t the main focus of the plot. Every time I read a diverse contemporary, the plot is mainly about the struggle of being a person of color. This book was about a Puerto Rican woman and and Indian man’s marriage. Not interracial marriage. Just a marriage. And I loved that! There were little details here and there about the food they ate or how they called their maternal grandfather Abuelo that were just a part of their day to day lives. The book didn’t make a big deal out of their race.
//Disney Princess 5-Minute Princess Stories by Walt Disney Company
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
Each of the twelve stories in this collection is the perfect length for reading aloud in about five minutes, making them perfect for jam-packed days. This treasury stars all 12 Disney princesses, from Snow White to Moana, and features a padded cover and beautiful full-page and spot illustrations. The princesses’ latest adventures are the royal choice before bedtime, story time, or anytime!
My Review
I used this book to do “school” with my brother Mysoon. I bought it for my nieces in New York, but since I never went, it was just sitting on the table. I ended up reading him a story every day and asking him questions about it. I’m a huge Disnerd and enjoyed all the stories. Some of them were not what I expected (like Sleeping Beauty’s).
//The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.
The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.
My Review
I wrote a very long spoiler-free Goodreads review, so I’m just going to copy and paste that here. I actually really liked the book. Everything Suzanne Collins chose to do with it made sense (Making Snow the protagonist, making it about the 10th Hunger Games instead of the first one, etc.). My main complaint is that the ending felt too rushed.
(GoodReads Review)
I had very low expectations for this book, but now I think people are hating on it for the sake of hating on it. I don’t think it’s for everyone. It’ll definitely be a hit or a miss, but I really liked it. Here are my spoiler free thoughts:
Pros:
- The writing style was just like The Hunger Games, so it was very engaging.
- The world building was phenomenal. I understand why she chose to write about the 10th hunger games instead of the first. Things were very different back then. It was interesting to see the aftermath of the war and Snow’s flashbacks of it.
- It didn’t feel like a useless add on or cash grab. It added so much more to the story and I won’t reread the hunger games trilogy the same way again.
- Snow wasn’t a completely unsympathetic character. A problem I’ve had with villain origin stories is that they either redeem the antagonist too much or don’t flesh out a realistic character. It was a perfect balance in that we weren’t meant to see Coryo as a good person but understand his motives.
- It surprised me. I was expecting a predictable route considering it’s a prequel, but I was thrown in for a loop.
- The songs ♡ I would find myself singing while walking around my house making up tunes for the lyrics like I did in 6th grade.
- The philosophical discussions about human nature, chaos, and control (I kind of wish there were more)
- There weren’t any plot holes (maybe I didn’t notice). Honestly, first time readers could read this before the trilogy, and it would still make sense, which is a testament to how well thought out this book is. Suzanne Collins is a great writer.
Cons:
- The stakes didn’t feel high, but that’s more of a general problem with prequels than a con of this book. We know how Snow’s story ends because we’ve read the other books .(i.e. Anakin Skywalker wasn’t going to die in the Star Wars prequels because we know he becomes Darth Vader)
- I could read a hundred pages in one sitting and enjoy reading it but would be fine putting it down for a week. I’d have to force myself to pick it up again (and would enjoy it again from the first page I read.) That’s honestly why it took me so long to finish. (Though, to be fair, who wants to be reading a dystopian right now? I keep thinking of another book where an alien pandemic wiped out half the world’s population, but let’s not talk about that right now.)
- The ending was really rushed. I liked the turn the ending took, but there should’ve been more buildup. Especially since this book is 200 pages longer than all the other ones.
Things others have complained about that I’m fine with:
- The Romance: I thought it was fine. Could’ve been better (I’d say the same about the hunger games), but I enjoyed that element in the book. I was in the camp of “I don’t love it, but I understand it” in that I could see what these characters’ feelings stemmed from. I was meh about it till the ending. The ending made it all worth it.
- Action scenes: I get where people are coming from here. There were a lot of short action scenes, but that made sense to me since we’re not reading from the point of view of a tribute. I get why people are disappointed because Suzanne Collins writes great action scenes (and there were quite a few here), but this book was a lot more about world building and a character who was ambitious to a fault.
- Parts of it were predictable or convenient, but it didn’t bother me too much. I also enjoyed the meandering pacing because I didn’t expect it to be action packed like the other books to begin with.I understand if you didn’t like it or found it boring. I personally really enjoyed it (and didn’t expect to). The last thirty pages could’ve made or ruined the book for me, but it ended in a way where I can see how Snow got from where he was in this book to where he is 65 years later.
//Children of Blood & Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.
Now we rise.
Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.
But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.
Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.
Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.
My Review
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I thought this book was just okay. It takes place in a fantasy world based on West African mythology, which was really cool, but the book itself was very trope-y. The thing that did me in though was when I realized it was based on Avatar:The Last Airbender. I kept noticing little things that were extremely similar to the show, then I remembered that I heard the author speak back in 2017 when she was promoting her book. I went to Yall Fest a few years ago, which is a book festival, and in a panel, the author mentioned that parts of the book were based on her Avatar fanfiction.
And then so many parts of the book clicked for me. Whenever I read it, I’d be like “Oh, that’s like Zuko’s scar!” or “This is totally blood bending” or a scene would match up almost perfectly with a scene in the show. This simultaneously made the book more fun and less enjoyable. YA fantasy in general isn’t my thing, so you may like it. I thought it was just okay, even before I realized what it was based around.
//The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.
Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart
My Review
I have mixed feelings about this book because it normally isn’t a book that I would like. It’s a very environmental book. The plot went on the back burner and the setting was much more prevalent. It had really beautiful writing. I’d typically get bored with books like this, but I had fun reading it. I just don’t think it’s for everyone.
//My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate—a life and a role that she has never challenged… until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister—and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.
My Review
I enjoyed the premise of this book, but it had the potential to be so much better. The topic itself is so intriguing and the author could’ve spent so much more time talking about ethics and the court trial. Instead, she added many unnecessary plot lines and digressions. I’m not even joking with this example. When Anna finally approaches the bench to testify in court, it cuts to “Let me tell you about the time I did an oral presentation about kangaroos.” Yes. There were many digressions like that. Whenever the plot was actually going somewhere, the character would go on a random thought monologue.
We jump between a lot of different perspectives in this book: Anna, her parents, her lawyer, her older brother, etc. The thing is that this book could’ve been 25-40% shorter and nothing would change. There was this random romance with a long backstory about the lawyer that really didn’t need to be in the book (And don’t get me started on the firefighter/arsonist plot line). I just think the movie handled the story better with the changes it made. It focused on the important parts, and the characters were much more likable. I absolutely hated the mom. There was so much potential for nuance in her character, except she obviously didn’t care about her other two children. We see her point of view both in the past and present, and she barely gives Anna or Jessie a second thought.
I dunno. I both enjoyed and hated this book. My biggest problem is that it had so much wasted potential. I normally don’t say this, but just watch the movie.
//Wolverine Origins: Volume 1: Born In Blood
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
Picking up where House of M and Wolverine: Origins and Endings left off! Armed with the one thing that could kill him, as well as key clues to his very existence, Logan embarks on the first leg of a long and bloody quest for vengeance against those who once enslaved him. No longer feeling the need to play it quiet, Logan’s first strike elicits a Condition Critical response from the U.S. government. With no other choice, they drop their bomb – and you won’t believe who it is! When Logan hits D.C., someone’s going to be waiting for him.
My Review
I don’t really have much to say. I was in the mood to read a comic book and this was a fun one.
//Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now humankind’s most thrilling fantasies have come true. Creatures extinct for eons roam Jurassic Park with their awesome presence and profound mystery, and all the world can visit them—for a price.
Until something goes wrong. . . .
In Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton taps all his mesmerizing talent and scientific brilliance to create his most electrifying techno-thriller.
My Review
This book was good. I can’t wait till I get my hands on the sequel. The movie focused a lot more on the action packed scenes, so it was cool to see the back story of the park. The book goes into a lot more detail of how the dinosaurs were created, government restrictions when it comes to genetic engineering and just science in general, and why they made the decisions they did. It’s a sci-fi-thriller, but I wouldn’t consider it a character focused book. While I was on the edge of my seat when someone was about to die, the characters weren’t what kept me invested in the book. The plot and world building were much more important.
Also, I haven’t watched the movies in a long time, but I remember not disliking John Hammond. He was the worst in the books. Just a power hungry rich man who wouldn’t listen to the scientists’ warnings. Dr. Henry Wu is shown kind of as an antagonist in the films, but he definitely wasn’t in the books.
//Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
For all the ten years of her life, Hà has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, Hà discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food . . . and the strength of her very own family.
My Review
“No one would believe me
but at times
I would choose wartime in Saigon
over
peacetime in Alabama”
This book is written in verse, which I didn’t mind. It follows a young girl’s life in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, her experience fleeing it with her family, and her life in America. It’s based on the author’s own experience, which shows. My personal favorite part of the book was when she described learning English and the inconsistencies in the language itself. It’s a pretty difficult language to learn.
//Swear To Howdy by Wendelin Van Draanan
GOODREADS SYNOPSIS
A funny friendship turns serious in this haunting book about secrets, lies, and what it means to be a true friend.
Joey Banks is a walking adventure. He’s funny, daring, mischievous—and frequently in trouble. Or he would be if anyone found out about half the stuff he’s done. Luckily, Rusty Cooper knows how to keep a secret. Joey is the best friend Rusty’s ever had, and he’s not going to mess with that. But then comes a secret that is at once too terrible to tell and too terrible to keep. A secret so big it threatens to eat them alive. What would a true friend do now?
My Review
This book was another quick read. It’s a middle-grade book about the shenanigans of two best friends. It reminded me of the movies with boys in the ’90s like The Sandlot, where you see the day to day lives of the boys over time. The plot took a much darker turn than I expected and it had a good message. I would’ve liked this book in middle school.
//The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Voctor Hugo
Goodreads Synopsis
This extraordinary historical novel, set in Medieval Paris under the twin towers of its greatest structure and supreme symbol, the cathedral of Notre-Dame, is the haunting drama of Quasimodo, the hunchback; Esmeralda, the gypsy dancer; and Claude Frollo, the priest tortured by the specter of his own damnation. Shaped by a profound sense of tragic irony, it is a work that gives full play to Victor Hugo’s brilliant historical imagination and his remarkable powers of description.
My Review
I’m trying to catch up on my classics list again, and I thought this would be a great book to start with. This novel had everything: murder, sex, racism, ableism, religion…, just so much commentary on the hypocrisy of everything. It was unsurprisingly darker than the Disney movie, and I loved it. Frollo was a priest instead of the head of the guard (or whatever his position was in the movie), which made him an even more intriguing antagonist. Phoebus sucked. Esmerelda deserved better, and Quasimodo was deaf and had a lot of mental health issues that I didn’t know about. The book portrayed the effects of his abuse well.
I don’t really know how to review this. It was a dark classic that I enjoyed immensely.
Okay…that was really long. The movie and T.V. show ones are going to be long too because that’s honestly all I’ve done in quarantine. I promise that I’ll mix in some of my typical motivation/productivity content in between. I’m just playing catch up right now and figuring out what the heck I want to write about.
I’d Appreciate Your Support Of This Blog By Following Me On:
What is the best book you’ve read during quarantine?