Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Current Reads: A Link Up

I've had this post sitting in my drafts for weeks getting ready for today because I've been reading so much and wanted to share. But then, we spent 5 days in Orlando and had a 4:30 AM wake-up call yesterday, a travel morning from hell, and a surprise visit from my mom which lead to me in bed at 9 PM last night not writing this post.

So afternoon post it is. Part of my Thrive in 2018 is reading more because I LOVE to read and am trying to do some things to really take care of myself. Without further fluff, the books I've read in 2018 thus far.

January 

All the Missing Girls / Megan Miranda
Rating: 3.5/5

First things first, if you like books written in logical, chronological order, this is not your book. It is told backwards while also telling a story from current day and from 10 years prior. There are a few times I had to stop and refresh where I was at in the timeline and put things in order in my head.

I enjoy books that make you think, so I was a fan. I also did not expect the ending which is always a win in my book. My one issue was that I didn't really love the narrator. She wasn't always very likable, but it made sense by the end. All in all, would recommend if you like mysteries.

Nookietown / V.C. Chickering
Rating: 2/5

Honestly, 2 out of 5 might be pushing it. I thought this was going to be a little more humorous than it was based on the description. This book honestly made me pretty annoyed by the end because the author clearly hates the institution of marriage. There is a constant stream of anti marriage drivel and the ending was too tidy after all the drama of the book. So, don't read this if you like marriage and monogamy.

The Twilight Wife / A.J. Banner
Rating: 3/5 

Oh look, another twisty suspense novel. This is my preferred genre most of the time with a little fantasy and biography thrown in occasionally. Anyways, this one was pretty good. I definitely did not figure out the ending until right before the reveal but the entire book had me constantly worried about the main character which  made it hard to put down because I wanted to know she was going to be okay. Definitely a faster read, but worth it in my opinion.

The Woman in the Window / A. J. Finn
Rating: 4/5 

I joined Book of the Month club in January and was dying to get my hands on this book based on the premise and I'm so glad it finally came (it took way longer than expected to be honest) because I really enjoyed it. Yet again, a thriller, but dealing with mental illness as well. I also was super surprised by the ending in this one and did not guess it at all. A little bit longer of a read with some slow parts in the middle, but definitely recommend this one! I haven't read Woman in Cabin 10, but I think they have similar vibes based on what I've heard about it because you can't figure out if the narrator is trustworthy for most of the book.

February 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone / J.K Rowling
Rating: 10/5 

Honestly, I only put this year because I technically reread it right before we left for Universal to get in the spirit of "I just turned 11 and found out I'm a wizard and this is the best day of my life". It had been quite a few years since I had reread the first one so I'm glad I did. I'll probably reread the rest of the series since I started... for the 100th time in my life.

Since She Went Away / David Bell
Rating: 3/5 

I'm waffling back and forth on the rating a little bit because I genuinely enjoyed the book and the two narrators were very likable and easy to relate to. But, I felt that not everything was "solved" at the end and the ending was pretty abrupt. I wanted a little more wrap up after such dramatic and traumatizing events within the book. All of a sudden, it was just over. So, definitely like the book, but would change the last chapter if I could.

I've got quite a few library books on the nightstand right now as well as a few books I purchased at Christmas and a new Book of the Month book that just arrived so I have a feeling I'll have more to share for the next link up!

Linking up with Steph and Jana

8 comments:

Jana @ Jana Says said...

Nookietown is a ridiculous name for a book. Creative. But ridiculous.

I've heard good things about The Woman in the Window.

Midnight Cowgirl said...

Harry Potter is such a good reread :)

Laura Darling said...

These all sound amazing. I am in desperate need of some new books so I wrote a bunch of these down!

Carly said...

Love your 10/5 for Harry Potter-- I've been wanting to reread for a while. I still haven't read anything by Megan Miranda, but I definitely want to check out one of her books, and I'm currently on the wait list for The Woman in the Window & am so excited to read it!

lil desiqua said...

I liked All The Missing Girls but the backwards telling was really confusing at times. I've read so many positive reviews on The Woman in the Window, I think I'm going to have to add it to my TBR!

Lauren said...

I do want to read All the Missing Girls...and I'm curious about The Woman in the Window. I have read The Woman in Cabin 10 and really loved that one!

Yay for re-reading HP1. I re-read it with the illustrated edition about a year ago, and now I have the second and third illustrated books to hopefully read soon.

-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net

SMD @ lifeaccordingtosteph said...

I enjoy the same genre. I liked Missing Girls, loved The Woman in the Window, don't really get on well with David Bell books. I just got an AJ Banner book from Netgalley but not sure of the title.

J said...

I had the same experience with The Twilight Wife. I didn't figure out that the husband was super shady until like, very close to the reveal of the twist -- which totally surprised me, and I loved it!

I also read All the Missing Girls but man oh man, I did not like it! I had no idea it was going to backwards (I didn't read the back cover, I often just skip it... I wish I hadn't this time, lol!) and I had the hardest time trying to keep up with what was happening. I did end up skipping towards the end though and I was very surprised with the twist. I wish she had written it in regular chronological order, I think I would've really enjoyed it.

Oh! And I also read Harry Potter! Well, I'm re-reading the books and by re-reading them I mean I am listening to the audiobooks for the very first time! :D