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Friday, September 8, 2017

what i read in august.

Last month, I finally got a three week summer vacation between semesters. I spent most of that break traveling in Europe, so binge watching Game of Thrones (I just started season one!) wasn't really an option for me. Instead, I spent a whole lot of travel time reading on my new Kindle Paper White. Like many avid readers, I much prefer the feel of turning actual pages to simply swiping on an electronic screen, but let me just say that my little Kindle was a life saver on my trip.

In the summertime, I like to keep my reads light and easy. Books like Gone Girl and Girl on the Train are my favorite, but sometimes I need a mental break from dark and twisted mystery types. Ya feel me? 

PS: For future book review posts, I'll probably try to sum up the plot on my own...but my mind has been in such a whirlwind, I feel like I'd miss out on details if I tried to whip them up for you over a month later. Sorry for the lengthy summaries!
PPS: Note that this post does contain Amazon Affiliate links!



What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty ($11.24 on Amazon)


Summary (via Goodreads): Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child. So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over — she’s getting divorced, she has three kids and she’s actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes. Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over.
My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 stars
How I Felt About It: I had high expectations for this book, and I think that put me in an awkward position reading it. I loved Big Little Lies and The Husband's Secret, and because this was the first Liane Moriarty book I've read following those two twisted storylines, I was slightly disappointed because this plot and its characters didn't captivate me in the same way. Having said all that, I think that if I went into this book with a different mentality, I would've enjoyed it more. Still written very well, and still worth the read (especially if you're a Liane fan). 

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover ($8.99 for Kindle on Amazon)

Summary (via Goodreads): Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true. Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan - her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.
My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 stars
How I Felt About It: This book was a whirlwind, and when it took an unexpected turn it did, I couldn't believe I didn't catch on to it before. The summary says it all - everything seems "almost too good to be true." Like most things in life, if you think something is too good to be true, it probably is. I felt like a lot of the events played out very rapidly over 367 pages, but I think the author did a fantastic job of wrapping it all up in the end. Overall, I loved her style of writing, and I couldn't put this book down!

Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty ($6.99 for Kindle on Amazon)

Summary (via Goodreads): Lyn, Cat, and Gemma Kettle, beautiful thirty-three-year-old triplets, seem to attract attention everywhere they go. Whenever they're together, laughter, drama, and mayhem seem to follow. But apart, each is very much her own woman, dealing with her own share of ups and downs. Lyn has organized her life into one big checklist, juggling the many balls of work, marriage, and motherhood with expert precision, but is she as together as her datebook would have her seem? Cat has just learned a startling secret about her marriage -- can she bring another life into her very precarious world? And can free-spirited Gemma, who bolts every time a relationship hits the six-month mark, ever hope to find lasting love?
My Goodreads Rating: 4/5 stars
How I Felt About It: This is actually Liane Moriarty's first ever published book! I have recently become a big fan of hers, so I felt obligated to read her debut novel. As per most of her books, the POV jumped between each sister, along with a little quip at the end of each chapter from bystanders observing the triplets from afar at different points of their lives. While it was no The Husband's Secret, I enjoyed the story, and it was a cheap thrill for just $7. My biggest gripe about it: random italicizations. I don't know if it was an editing mistake or what - you could tell that just one word was meant to be italicized, but then the rest of the sentence + end quotations, etc. would be italicized, too. Had nothing to do with the quality of the story of course but wowza, it drove me nuts.


Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella ($7.99 for Kindle on Amazon)


Summary (via Goodreads): An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.
My Goodreads Rating: 3/5 stars
How I Felt About It: While I had heard great things about this book, I felt a little "meh" about it. I felt like I kept waiting for something big to happen, or to at least find out what happened to Audrey. I found the book spent a little too much time focusing on her brother, whose storyline I didn't really care for. I normally love Sophia Kinsella, so I think I was expecting this to be more along the lines of Shopaholic...alas, it was not. However, it was a decently enjoyable book - heart warming, a bit funny at times, a good light read.


Wonder by R. J. Polacio ($9.99 for Kindle on Amazon)

Summary (via Goodreads): August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?
My Goodreads Rating: 5/5 stars
How I Felt About It: I ADORED THIS BOOK. Although it's intended for a much younger audience, I think it contains a lesson that we could all be bashed over the head with every once in awhile: to always, always, always be kind. While the story is primarily told from Auggie's POV, it jumps around a bit to nearly everyone involved in the story, which I really liked. I laughed. I cried (quite a bit). I'd recommend it to anyone, as it really is such a heartwarming story.


Have you read any of these books? What did you read last month?




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