I have mixed feelings about this. I am ready for summer and warmth. However my birthday is in June....and for some reason I'm not liking the idea of being 27....Late twenties....in a way it sounds old to me, in others I'm still a child.....
Let's get on with May's Review.
In may I read a total of 6 books. I'm pretty happy about. I am four books ahead of schedule in terms of my Good Reads goal 60 books this year.
Of the 6 books this month here is the genre break down:
1 - Science fiction
1 - Historical Fiction
1- Young Adult Contemporary
1- Graphic bind up
1 - Graphic Memoir
1 - Adult Contemporary
This month's format breakdown:
1- Audio book
5 - Physical
0 - E-books
Star rating breakdown:
0 - 1 star
2 - 2 stars
1 - 3 stars
3 - 4 stars
0 - 5 stars
My average rating for the month of May is 3.167
For the Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge I completed the following four:
18) A book with a location in the title
28) 4 books linked to the 4 elements: Book #3 Water
35) A book featuring a murder
52) A book published in 2018
The books and my thoughts on them are:
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
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| Published October 1980 |
This is the second book in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. So due to it being the second book in the series I'm not going to talk too much about it. What I can say is that this book continues with Arthur, Ford and Trillian and Zaphod.
The first book I had rated four stars. This one....felt really lacking. I didn't get a clear reason on why anything was happening, I get that's what this series is kind of about in a way, but I didn't understand the plot. I felt like if I had read this instead of listened to it, I would have enjoyed it a bit more. 2/5 stars.
This book completes challenge 18) A book with a location in the title
The Address by Fiona Davis
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| Published August 2017 |
However it didn't turn out too bad...but more on that later.
This book is dual time line, following Sarah Smythe in 1884 and Bailey Camden in 1984 and their lives that start to center around the Dakota, a apartment building complex (one of the first) in New York City. Sarah is a failed sewing apprentice turned Housekeeper who get's recruited by Theodore Camden, after rescuing his daughter from falling out of the hotel window. Theo offers Sarah travel and a job in America to help manage the up an coming Dakota. The opportunity to rise above one's station is an opportunity Sarah doesn't want to miss, it's hard to come by in 1884 let alone for a woman, as well as getting to see Theo more, as he is the lead architect of the Dakota and is living in one of the apartments with his wife and children. Bailey is trying to find some aspect of hope after she is released from rehab. Her former job has let her go, she is sleeping at her rehab roommate's apartment until she's released, and all she wants is a drink, but that's what got her into this mess, drinking and coke. But when Bailey's "cousin" Melinda offer's her a job to re-design her apartment in the Dakota, Bailey feels her luck has changed. The Dakota, not hot of a place as it was back in the day but still a sight to behold, Bailey is struck with aw and curiosity that the Dakota brings, being a descendant of a ward Theodore Camden took in before his untimely death, Bailey isn't "officialy" a Camden by blood, and therefore wont be seeing a cent of that trustfund money, unless she does as his true heir asks, Melinda, and rip apart the elegant features of her apartment, features Theodore chose, and replace them with Melinda's cringy idea's. But the Dakota holds more secrets than Bailey could hope for.
As I said I wasn't sure going into this book. But once I got started, it was hard to put it down. I found myself eager to read each chapter. and getting irritated as they'd alternate between points of view, which I feel made it harder to connect with Sarah and Bailey. The plot twists in this book were unexpected and left me wondering what was going to happen next. The ending wrapped everything up nicely. 4/5 stars.
This book completed challenge 35) A book featuring a murder.
Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
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| Published April 2016 |
This book follows Jessie Holmes, who moves to LA from Chicago after her father elopes with a woman Jessie didn't even know he was dating. Still trying to figure out her grief of her mother's death, Jessie feels she's thrown into a different world, now living in a large LA home with a "house manager", going to an intimidating prep school and dealing with "LA kids" Jessie misses her Chicago life. On the verge of just wanting to get back to her old life, feeling as though she can't do anything right in this new life Jessie gets an e-mail from an anonymous student at her new school. Are they the glimmer of hope she was looking for?
I probably didn't summarize the book very well buuuut...I'm not that worried about it. Not to say that this book was bad, in terms of a short, cute, contemporary is was alright. It was just kind of cookie cutter. Been there seen those tropes and stereotypes and that plot twist. It brought the same problems Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett did in that I couldn't connect with the main character, because there was nothing to connect with, not to mention unknown online love interest that may or may not conflict with real life love interest of whom the main character questions is a good fit or not because "brooding bad boy" but...you know...hot "brooding bad boy" so how can she not? Also stereotypical California characters. I'd say this book was more focused on LA stereotypes: Rich kids, a lot of sun, brand name clothing, shallow attitudes, eco-friendly goals.It's still kind of just irk-sum despite that I don't live in LA. Our protagonist is, of course, meant to be "different" with the only characteristic provided as being a book nerd...more specifically a poetry nerd. Plenty of girl/girl hate that was slightly justified because mean girl bullying? Lack luster female friendships. One diverse representation of gay step brother who's story was more interesting than the one being told.
At this point I feel like I'm ranting. Like I said a cookie cutter contemporary with missed opportunities to touch on topics like: Grief, strong female friendship, privilege and substance abuse. Admittedly did enjoy "brooding bad boy" trope, rooted for him the whole time...that was about it though. 2/5 stars.
Everything is Teeth by Evie Wyld Illustrated by Joe Summer
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| Published May 2016 |
I noticed this book by it's simplistic renditions combined with realistic shark illustrations, plus I love sharks so....I didn't go into this book thinking it was a memoir, and judging by some of the reviews it seemed to work out well that way. This book was interesting. A little choppy, there were some topics brought up that I wanted Wyld to elaborate on: her uncle killing sharks for instance. Otherwise I thought it was a really fun read. The art was interesting and intense at times. The combination of simplistic and realistic renditions gave for an interesting and thought provoking point of view as well as a "real-ness" or intensive tension when reading. Her imagination as a child was a little morbid but interesting and relate-able. There felt to be a lot of truth and relate-ability behind this book with her fear and fascination with sharks. The end however, I felt was rushed and got choppier. Definitely could have been a smoother transition, it would have also been interesting to know how these thoughts as a child transitioned into her adulthood. Over all a fun read 4/5 stars.
This book completed challenge 28) 4 books linked by the 4 elements: #3 water.
Moonstruck by Grace Ellise Illustrated by Shae Beagle
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| Published March 2018 |
I will say this: Adorable art- the pastel, soft lines and magical elements are beautiful. This was total eye candy. Fantastic representation: We have a Latinx, plus size, female main character who is crushing on a colored, plus sized, female, and has a colored, gender neutral best friend. I adored the representation. I adored the magical elements: Werewolves, vampires, centaurs, witches, etc. this world with it's everyday life representation is just yes I love it. Even the plot of this graphic novel was interesting and hooked me in. HOWEVER, with all of that said, I felt Julie was overly sensitive, the arguments/fights that ensue in this felt petty and unneeded and ultimately made me not like Julie as a character. This was addressed in the story but I didn't feel as though it was really resolved. I also felt like it ended a little too abruptly. Otherwise I can't wait for Volume Two. 4/5 stars.
This book completes challenge 52) A book published in 2018
How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
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| Published May 2018 |
This was one of my Book of the Month picks for May, I just picked it up on a whim in all honesty, a need for an adult contemporary. And although this fit and was over all enjoyable to read, it was a little frustrating. I understand Katherine Center did some decent research in terms of medical treatment of the injuries endured in this book, I was actually really happy and surprised with the representation of this injury, as well as the healing process not only physically but mentally, not to mention the ending. What bothered me about the book, now this is going to sound a little funny, the privilege. I understand that the situation of that the book talks about is a terrible situation to be in, however, there were aspects of this book that made me think that the character was definitely privileged, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, I guess, but it's not relateable. I could not make a connection with this character because certain events made me think this story was unbelievable. For example: take out food for lunch and dinner for 5 weeks, private instruction with physical therapist, spur of the moment Europe trip, including multiple outfits for a wedding and a $400 outfit to make crush jealous. I get that some books kind of take this privilege aspect for granted enable to get their characters places and to keep the story moving, but there was a bunch of add-ons here that didn't feel like it was needed to the point where it brought me out of the story and kind of made me resent the characters and thinking "well that must be nice." No doubt that's just me thinking to hard in how exactly they make the money they do, I mean Texas is different than California so who knows? For me personally though, it took away from the story but was otherwise and interesting, different and enjoyable story to read, I could see this as being an good chic-flick. 3.5/5 stars.
And that is it for the month of May!
We'll see what June brings, as of right now it looks like quite a bit of traveling, but that should give good opportunities to listen to more audio books.
I'm currently in the middle of three books:
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
If you'd like to follow me on any other platform here are the links:
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If you've read any of these books and would like to discuss them with me please do! I'm always looking to talk books!
Until next time!
Litta
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