Another busy month of reading... I'm glad to surpass my reading goal. I dont know why that gives me such relief... but 2 months in a row where I had more than 3 books. I'm on a reading frenzy right now.
Joining in with the awesome Steph & Jana - be sure to click the PIC at the bottom below to see everyone else's latest reads!
**** / Really Liked It
Quick Summary: Emma & Jesse are high school sweethearts that get married. One their one year anniversary, Jesse is in a helicopter accident & is missing. Emma moves on & falls in love with her high school friend Sam & then years later, Emma gets a phone call from Jesse who is alive. Who is her "one true love" & what will she decide to do now Jesse is back in her life?
OK - I found this book in my library when I was cleaning it out & it was a brand new book so I was like, How have I never read this?
I go to Goodreads & see I've reviewed it. I'm so confused at this point. Turns out, I read it on my Kindle & liked the book so much, I bought it to have on my shelf - so it was a re-read for me. It had been 4 years since I read it so I did remember some of what was going to happen -but I really enjoyed it once again.
I just really loved Taylor Jenkin Reid's older books - so much more than her current things. I wish she'd go back to this style of writing.
“I think I’m heading into a time in my life where words and labels will lose their meaning. It will only be the intent behind them that will matter.”
** / It was OK
Quick Summary: The story of Gillian & Sally - the Owen Sisters who try to escape all the witchy ways their aunts seem to live by & they try to get away from, but some magical ways just cant be escaped.
I have had this on my Kindle for years - YEARSSSS - & I waited to October to finally get to this to get in the Halloween vibe.
Man oh man... how disappointed was I reading this.
First, it is a lot different than the movie - & I will say, the movie is one of my favorites. So manybe that tainted the book for me. But I really just didnt like the style of this book in writing. I think there were only 4 chapters... & each chapter was like an hour long to read on my kindle. I dont do well with that - there was not any good stopping points.
Plus, the writing was strange to me. You'd be on one character & then it would shift totally different stories in the next paragraph. I just didnt enjoy that.
I really wanted to like this - & I did start off enjoying it - the first chapter, I really did enjoy... & it all went downhill from there for me.
I finally found a movie that is better than the book - who knew.
“My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage." - Aunt Frances”
* / Did not Like It
Quick Summary: A young man is murdered on his boat & we see the stories of 3 women who knew him & how they are connected with each having a a secret that is smoldering ready to spark.
I really enjoyed The Girl on the Train so thought this author was going to do another great mystery. And it started off interesting & I thought I was going to be down for it.
It didnt take long for me to start getting irritated with this. First, just weird writing - the way the time line jumps, the back & forth, between so many characters. It just didnt flow well.
Plus, the language in this - the name calling, not meaning cursing. I just didnt enjoy all the names used to describe people - so much "Fat" & "Ugly" & other demeaning tones in this story.
By the end, I had less than 50 pages to go & I honestly didnt want to finish it. I didnt care - didnt like any of these people - didnt like the story... I forced myself to finish it & still didnt care - still didnt like any of these people - still didnt like the story.
There's that then.
“Everything is material. And comedy equals tragedy plus time. Isn’t that how it goes?”
Forever, Interrupted
*** / Liked It
Quick Summary: A couple runs off & elopes & 6 days later, the husband dies in an awful accident. Elsie is left behind to inform his mother that her son Ben was married & the two of them form a connection that helps in the healing.
I still like me some older TJR books. They seem a lot more simplistic & enjoyable.
Saying that - this was a VERY simple read. The QUICK SUMMARY I posted - that's it. That's the whole story. Nothing earth shattering, no surprises, just a basic book that passed the time OK. Sweet in parts, sad in parts. But everything I was expecting.
I'd been wanting to get to all the older TJR & I think I just have a few more to go.
“I was waiting for someone that would sweep me off my feet and would be swept up by me in equal parts.”
Golden Girl
***** / It was Amazing
Quick Summary: A famous author gets killed in a hit & run accident & she's sent to the Beyond where her Person lets her watch her family for one last summer. She's granted 3 "nudges" where she can help people below & Vivian watches as her three kids deal with her loss & how they move forward in life.
I just always like the ease of Hilderbrand's books & I really enjoyed this one. It had a little bit of mystery in it, family drama, romance, & of course, loss. This was one of the kind of books, I couldnt wait to get home to at night & read more to find out how it would end.
Granted - these books have a touch of corny to them & not something that I think will be considered deep literature. They are the kind of books that just take me away to Nantucket & characters I feel like I know by the end.
“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.”
Before We Were Strangers
****/ Really Liked It
Quick Summary: A couple meet in college & fall in love but life takes them in different directions & when they see each other passing on a subway as adults years later, they find a way to reconnect.
I found this book from listening to a podcast & probably would have never picked it up otherwise.
Its a total romance - full of love & steamy moments - its got it sweet & tender moments & moments that throw those wrenches in a love story that mess it all up - only to have it all come back together. Just to see a couple's full circle love story come together.
I'm glad I read this one... just for the swooming moments. It gave me all the emotions where I was mad at certain characters, loved some of the others - felt like some where written ridiculously (Grace's parents - COME ON) & always am here for funny friend characters.
This one definitely has a blush meter on it - Steammmmmyyyy. & a LOT of language.
“You can’t re-create the first time you promise to love someone or the first time you feel loved by another. You cannot relive the sensation of fear, admiration, self-consciousness, passion, and desire all mixed into one because it never happens twice. You chase it like the first high for the rest of your life. It doesn’t mean you can’t love another or move on; it just means that the one spontaneous moment, the split second that you took the leap, when your heart was racing and your mind was muddled with What ifs?—that moment—will never happen the same way again. It will never feel as intense as the first time. At least, that’s the way I remember it. That’s why my mother always said we memorialize our past. Everything seems better in a memory.”
The Ex Hex
*** / Liked It
Quick Summary: A 19 year old witch is heart broken & does a curse on her ex not thinking its going to really "stick" & when he returns 9 years later, it not only effects her ex but also the whole town
I am used to reading Holiday books for Christmas but it was fun to read one for Halloween, so I picked this for my Book of the Month choice.
This wasn't the best book in the world. Was a little more steamy than I expected - but it had its cute moments & I appreciate the Girl Power of the story. & it made me happy to read about fun witches during Halloween week. I was hoping for more, but it still made me smile.
"Never mix vodka and magic"
We are the Brennants
**** / Really Liked It
Quick Summary: An Irish family have to come together & count on their family bond when the history comes to light & the family business comes in jeopardy when the past & present entwine together.
I closed this book & wasn't sure how I felt about it. The more I thought about it, I found I reallyl did enjoy it. I enjoyed the family dynamic - which gave me a lot of real life feels from my Italian family - the kind of family where bonds are strong & you defend one another like nothing else.
I really loved the brother love over their sister, Sunday as well. That protectiveness was just so warm.
I could really feel every personality in the story & just felt like they all made each other complete.
I wasn't sure how I felt about the ending at first with the little reveal & how Sunday ended up, but honestly, I just want the best for all this family.
I wouldn't be sad to see another story about this family & maybe focus on some of the other members past & what they've been through - I would pick it up.
“What I’m saying is, if you can be happy, do it. If you know what you want in life, don’t wait for someone else to give it to you, go after it, and don’t let anything stand in the way.”
