What I've Been Reading Lately #20

Here are my mid-May to mid-June read books and my thoughts on them.

Alma Underwood is Not a Kleptomaniac - Lacey Dailey - 3*

I liked this YA as a light weekend read. Of course there are some things that didn't sit well with me, and my two main concerns were all the physical touching moments when the characters hadn't even discussed if they were a couple (!) & the way the male main character reacted towards the female lead character while claiming he loved her. Nope! That sounds a lot like immaturity to me. However, overall, it was just what I had needed that weekend.

Dream Big - Bob Goff - 3*

I liked the personal anecdotes throughout the book. It was to the point and easy to understand, although it read a bit disjointed to me because of the way it was coming back to the same points repeatedly. The tone is gentle, yet firm, full of quotable observations. Smart cliches, you could call them. If you liked Bob Goff's previous books, this might appeal, too.

Big Summer - Jennifer Weiner - 4*

I read this because I needed something summery and I kept seeing it everywhere. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised, especially since my expectations from romance novels are very low. This one managed to create likable characters, a female main character who is fat and an up-and-coming influencer, perspectives friendship through the school and early adulthood years, and... shockingly, a mystery! I knew Anne Bogel had added it to her Summer Reading Guide for this year, but somehow I had forgotten what category she added it to. By the half point of the novel, I remembered and I completely understood why! I did not see that coming and that middle of the novel chapter woke me right up at 11PM as I was getting ready to sleep, ha!

Although I appreciate the themes, the one flaw I found with it was the commercial direction it took towards the end. I didn't care much for the main character who suddenly became a sleuth. The bad guy vs the main character feud was cheesy, forced, and unbelievable. Overall it is smart, witty, and fun, light and unexpectedly deep. A good summer read!

Jennifer Weiner was a guest on Anne Bogel's podcast a while ago. I have liked this article by Weiner of fatness representation in novels.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - JKRowling - 4*

The fifth novel in the Harry Potter series was very good! I liked it a lot and I spent a whole week in this world. So much going on! It was engrossing, I liked more than #4, but I will take a break before moving on to the next one. The kids, Harry, Ron, Hermione and their peers are older, more mature, interested in relationships, their futures and their careers, all the while fighting the forces of evil. It's good to know that good is stronger than evil.

What You Wish For - Katherine Centre - 3*

A romance novel that has quirky characters, silly situations, witt, and also cliches. If you're looking for a summer read, set in a small town, with romance and chemistry galore, this might be for you. I know it gave me a feel good and warm, fuzzy feelings. I read this as an eARC from Net Galley; here's my full review.

Becoming - Michelle Obama - 5*

My experience with audiobooks is not stellar. By that I mean I don’t like listening to them. {Can you hear a “however” coming with that introduction? Because I have one.} However, now I just nod along with those claiming you have to find the right audiobook: story, voice, narrator.
I loved this audiobook! I am sure I would have liked it anyway, but having listened to it made the story personal because it was narrated by Michelle Obama. The tone is friendly and keeps you listening. It’s more than a look at someone’s life, it’s an encouragement for the listener/ reader to persevere and to do their best.
No audiobook experience can go smoothly for me, of course. This time I accidentally skipped 2-3 parts and I had to go back. Some parts I listened to twice, but that’s OK because it’s the sort of memoir you don’t want to end. I highly recommend this book, especially on audio, if possible.

Pericol - Raluca Poenaru - 2*

This one is from the library, and it's in Romanian. The novel is middle grade, but I had higher expectations, especially since it won a publishing house award. It's about a boy whose nickname is Danger (Pericol, in Romanian), hence the title of the book. He does all sorts of naughty things that create mayhem. There are a few funny scenes and the language is natural making it appealing.

Vara în care mama a avut ochii verzi - Tatiana Tîbuleac - 4*

This is another Romanian novel, borrowed from the library. It's written as the narrator's "task" given by a psychiatrist, to write everything about the last summer he spent with his mother. Through stories from the past interwoven with present day happenings we learn the history of a son who has a mental illness, a mother who didn't know how else to love her son, and a family shattered by the absence of a vital member. It started with a totally different tone than the one used towards the end of the novel. The language was downright crude at first, and if it weren't for the short lenght (120 pages) and all the praises I saw on GoodReads, I might have abandoned it. It's shocking in language, in attitude, and in the course it takes. I wouldn't mind rereading this again, most definitely in the summer.

***

That's it. Eight book is not too shabby! I am currently listening to Born a Crime, narrated by Trevor Noah, which is my favourite way to listen to a memoir.

The Sun Sister - by Lucinda Riley: Book Review

Title: The Sun Sister. A novel
Author: Lucinda Riley
Pages: 528
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: 19th May 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Format: Kindle

The Sun Sister by Lucinda Riley is the sixth novel in the The Seven Sisters series. It focuses on the story of Electra d’Apliese, one of the six daughters adopted by Pa Salt.

At this point I’m so invested in this series, and although I can see that the writing is not perfect and there are plenty of shortcomings, the story is too captivating to stop reading. Alas, this was about 100-200 pages too long.

There was much focus on Cecily’s story, which is mostly set in Kenya, Africa, but not much is revealed about that culture, except the bare minimum necessary to help the story make sense. Of course her part is crucial, but I wish more were told about Stella or Rosa. The pattern of every book in the series is that we learn more about the great-grandparents or a great-relative, rather than the closer family members. And yet, in a novel focused on a character of African descent, a lot of time is spent talking about the world of the white people.

An aspect that was distracting was the brackets used. This could have been better handled by the editor. The information put between brackets was a natural part of the story and I don’t understand the function of these brackets. Actually, I don’t understand brackets in novels, period. The writing, as I said, is not much, the characters have little depth and the romance between Electra and her new love interest is silly, added almost as an afterthought to have that box ticked. Also, why do characters use the addressed person’s name so much in dialogues? It just makes all the dialogues even more unnatural. It’s also cute to keep hearing about how smart a character is only to see them lacking common general knowledge. Good thing they have a pretty face, huh?

There were important issues approached in this novel, two biggest being racism and drug addiction. It is a relevant topic for our time, and it fit with the main character’s lifestyle and background. I was afraid it’ll be turned into a pathetic plea against drugs, which is usually badly handled, but it was nicely addressed.

What irks me is why we’re repeatedly told that every female interest in every romantic relationship in every book in the series has to be skinny or voluptuous, and beautiful – so the focus is on the outward appearance. This is the case both in the past and the present day stories. Speaking of relationships, it’s curious that most? all? romantic relationships have an older-by-at-least-ten-years male partner and a young in-her-early-to-mid-twenties female. I’m so curious if this is a coincidence or a thing the author has, or a nod to something in her life, or a simple preference. I’ve been thinking about this since the second book! 

I was worried for a second that the series would end abruptly. I shouldn’t have feared because this novel ends with a reference to the seventh unknown sister. There are also some mysteries at Atlantis that need uncovering, I believe. I can’t wait for the seventh book in the series, but only due to the entertainment it provides, not the depth of the novels.

I received a free e-book copy of the novel from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

What I've Been Reading Lately #19

Here's what I've been reading lately.

The Moon Sister - by Lucinda Riley - 3*

This is the #5 in The Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley. I enjoy reading about each sister every year or so. It's fun to discover bits and pieces of each sister's life and see how they become better humans and fully themselves.

The male characters are mostly meh in this series, and this book is no exception. I like the past story line better than the present one, but I liked Tiggy's character, and her personality. I am curious how the bits we learned about Zed and Pa will play out in the next book.
The novel is full of action, and although it starts a bit slow it picks up. I was intimidated by the 500+ pages, but I am glad I am almost all caught up with the story of the seven six sisters.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse - by Charlie Mackesy - 5*
I loved this book! I like nice, deep quotes, and this book is just that - about 100 pages of quotes and beautiful sketches and drawings.
I reminded me of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint - Exupery, a book I didn't like that much and it felt pretentious, but if you liked that one, I am sure you'll like The Boy... too.
There are a lot of life lessons (I know this too sounds pretentious), and they could be a good starting point for discussions with older kids, maybe 7-8+.
This is one book I am sure I'll come back to in the future, especially because it reads quickly, but most importantly because it's like a warm cup of cocoa and a much needed hug from your mom.

The Paris Hours - Alex George - 4*
I liked this one. It had a slow start, but it picked up and I enjoyed learning about the lives of four fictional characters that briefly brush shoulders with well known figures of the 1927 Paris.
The span is one day, but we learn the stories of the four main characters through flashbacks provided by the narrator. It's one of my favourite ways to learn about a character.
This historical fiction is for anyone who likes novels set in Paris between the two World Wars.

 The Blue Castle - L. M. Montgomery - 4*

This was such an impulse read! I love it when I do that, although I try to temper my reading because I like to (mostly!) stay on top of my reviews.
I first heard about this (I think!) from Modern Mrs. Darcy blog, namely the daily e-book deals.
It focuses on Velancy, a 29 year old woman who suddenly changes. How, I won't tell you. I'll just say that this book was a lovely surprise, I am glad I read it, and this one, had a lot of ideas that are food for thought.
This novel came at the right moment. It's funny+sarcastic+smart, but too pathetic for my liking at times what with all the nature descriptions. Looking back, I see their point, but mid-reading it was something I semi-read, if you get my gist... But other than that, go Velancy! 

 

Stand All the Way Up - Sophie Hudson - 4*

I like Sophie's writing, it's like a comfy favourite blanket. This is the third book of hers I'm reading, and I like learning more about her family and her faith. 
In this one I feel there is too much relying on setting up the story and the punchline before the "meaty" part. It's nonetheless deep and mature, honest and relatable no matter the age. For fans of her writing or Melanie Shankle, this is a perfect book this summer.

The Sun Sister - Lucinda Riley - 3*
The writing is not the greatest, the characters are not fully developed, the dialogue is cringy at times, the romantic relationships are forced just to have a box ticked, and the overall depth is lacking. However, it's entertaining and the author sure can spin a tale.
To learn the character's background we go back into the past. The story is more interesting than the present day, but it was about 100-200 pages too long. In a novel focused on a character of African descent, a lot of time is spent talking about the world of the white people.
Racism and drug addiction are issues addressed in this novel, and I think they fit with the main character's lifestyle and background.
More attention should have been paid to the editorial aspects. I don't understand why some things are randomly put between brackets. Why?
There's a seventh book in the works and I can't wait to see how the series ends!

Don't Overthing It - by Anne Bogel - 4.5*
This one is pragmatic and to the point. She made some good and excellent points. It's very helpful, too! It's the sort of book I want to reread at some point because I am sure some things need to be redrilled into my mind.

 ***

Not a bad reading month, if I dare say so myself! Here's to a great rest of May, reading-wise!
 

What I've Been Reading Lately #18

Reading in time of pandemic is not like reading in time of normalcy, isn't it? Some days I don't read not even a page, and I am more than OK with that. Reading is for fun, not a chore. 

One Perfect Summer - by Brenda Novak

I read this as a way to escape the constant news about Corona virus. It's the story of three sisters who find each other thanks to a DNA test. They want to learn how are they connected, and why did their families keep the secret all their lives. It is an engaging story, I didn't see the ending, and overall it's an engaging story, albeit a tad too many characters. I think we could have done without all three brothers next door, and maybe the novel as a whole could have been about 50 pages shorter. It's a light novel, with some depth; in a word, a feel-good novel.

I read this one for Net Galley and here's the review.
3*

Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie

In true Christie fashion, I didn't see the ending coming. I've missed Hercule Poirot and it was a nice easy read in the midst of a world pandemic.

When someone is found dead in a train cart, all the passengers become suspects. Hercule Poirot is in charge of finding who exactly murdered the victim. 

5*

Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire - by Jen Hatmaker

I was curious about this one, but it didn't surprise me. The ideas seemed repetitive, despite the clearly distinct chapters. There is the clear funny Hatmaker the world is used to, but also the serious Hatmaker. I was curious to see what she can say that I didn't already know related to her beliefs, but not much was new. A lot of the ideas presented in her previous books can be found here, but from the perspective of a women more mature now.

I received this from Net Galley and here's my review. 

2*

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone - by Lori Gottlieb

I've been meaning to read this for a while now because I kept seeing it on Instagram. A few weeks ago Joanna Goddard announced the first CupOfJo book club and this is the selection. The book club is on April 14th, and so I decided that now's the time. 

I liked this one, although in the middle part it got to a plateau and the reading moved along slowly. It picked up past the 70% point. It read like a novel, and every patient seemed like a character you could root for. The patients' stories and the author's stories are so well interwoven that it helps the reader see themselves into them as well. This is for those curious about therapy, like I was. 

There are parts of theoretical aspects, but not boring, nor overwhelming - it's reader friendly. 

I think this is better read in chunks, rather than all at once if you're not into nonfiction or it seems like a slow paced read. You do you! 

4*





I am currently reading The Moon Sister by Lucinda Riley. It has a slow start for me (despite being full of action) and I read it mostly in bits, but after having spent more than an hour yesterday reading, I have found my groove. Now I'm curious where it's headed. I'm only at the 35% mark, and at 740+ pages, I still have a long way to go.

These last few weeks my reading has been mostly meh. It might be the books, but mostly it's me. I can't always concentrate as well as I wish I did, and I am not sure what is it that I want to read. I know it's fiction, but even in that genre there are so many categories. For now I'll stick to The Moon Sister, and then we'll.

The Complicated Heart - by Sarah Mae: Book Review

Title: The Complicated Heart. Loving Even When It Hurts
Author: Sarah Mae
Pages: 240
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Release Date: 17th September 2019
Genre: Nonfiction, Christian, Memoir
Format: Kindle

It's someone story, and how can you rate the accuracy of someone's life?  

I have known Sarah Mar thanks to the (in)courage.me site for a number of years, but I haven't been actively following her. When I saw this book available on the Net Galley site I was curious to learn more about her. Also, I heard her on Annie F. Down's podcast before I read the book, which is actually what prompted me to want to read it. I can't comment on the topic of the book: it's raw and hard and I am glad she was brave to share it and open the conversation for people with a familiar or similar background.

All that to say, if you want to read about someone's resilience and victories in Jesus despite all that's thrown their way - this is for you. If you want to read more tips on how to persevere, more how to’s - this is merely a starting point. Towards the end of the book she offers some guidelines, more of a point where to begin. 

The topics she deals with: alcoholism, sexual relationships, abortion, and child negligence - all these are potential triggers, and are hard topics, so proceed with caution.

As far as the way the book was constructed, I liked that not only do we get to learn of her life starting from the adolescence years, but she also shares bits of her mother's journals. I love that the story is told from both "protagonists'" point of view, thus giving the reader a more rounded perspective. At times it reads like a I-cannot-believe-this-is-real novel, and yet! 

I recommend this one especially for the Christian that's been moving in the Christian culture/ spheres his/her whole life. It's eye-opening to what people may come to God with. I have finished this book quite a while ago, but I needed some time to process it. I am ashamed to say and admit that at some points I was... well... judging both the author and her mother. How can someone who claims to love Jesus and be a Christian *do* something like that?! was my white Christian lady reaction. I knew I was looking down on fellow sisters in Christ, hence my reluctance to write a review. Then I was reminded of the prodigal son's brother, and his brother I was, shame on me! Who am I to judge and regard with contempt or superiority someone for whom Jesus died and forgave? That's why I think this is a needed read for the one who's been a Christian for many a year.

Thank you, Sarah Mae, for being willing and open about your story. I hope many more people will get to read it and find comfort, and above else, find Jesus.

I received a free e-book copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

One Perfect Summer - by Brenda Novak: Book Review

Title: One Perfect Summer
Author: Brenda Novak
Pages: 400
Publisher: Harlequin - Mira
Release Date: 7th May 2020
Genre: Women's Fiction
Format: Kindle


Good Reads Synopsis

Some families we’re born into
Some we find for ourselves

When Serenity Alston swabbed her cheek for 23andMe, she joked about uncovering some dark ancestral scandal. The last thing she expected was to discover two half sisters she didn’t know existed. Suddenly, everything about her loving family is drawn into question. And meeting these newfound sisters might be the only way to get answers.

The women decide to dig into the mystery together at Serenity’s family cabin in Lake Tahoe. With Reagan navigating romantic politics at work and Lorelei staring down the collapse of her marriage, all three women are converging at a crossroads in their lives. Before the summer is over, they’ll have to confront the past and determine how to move forward when everything they previously thought to be true was a lie. But any future is easier to face with family by your side.

My Review of One Perfect Summer

It has an interesting premise, and the story leaned heavily on the sisters' mysterious beginning. I loved how we learned about each of the sisters gradually, but towards the end extra pieces of information were added almost as a second thought, as if the author forgot to mention them earlier. As for the resolution to the mystery of the sisters' connection, only in the literally last 5% of the novel do we find out how they are related, and even that as a rushed, almost thrown in solution.

The ending, yes, is unexpected and I wouldn't have guessed it, but maybe less build-up, and more telling how they coped with what they found out. There was a lot, and I mean, a lot of information thrown in my face in the last few pages, coming from an unexpected source, and I needed time to process it all, but alas! I had no time because the novel ended. Funny enough, one of the characters is an author and she says at some point that the ending always goes faster than the beginning. This applies to this novel as well, because by the 90% mark it seemed the author was ready to wrap up this novel. That must have been a bit tricky because it touched up on a lot of heavy topics, some put there as if to cover all mandatory points in a novel. Hence the unbelievable ending.

I knew I was reading a women's story when all the men were described as good looking, the perfect height so their female love interst could rest their pretty head on their broad chest (I'm paraphrasing here). Speaking of love interests, I am glad not all three sisters ended up in a perfectly tied romantic relationship; this keeps things more reality-grounded. There are the expected cliches in a novel in this genre, but in times of global pandemics, I knew this was what I wanted, so no judging here.

Overall it's an engaging story, albeit a tad too many characters. I think we could have done without all three brothers next door, and maybe the novel as a whole could have been about 50 pages shorter. It's a light novel, with some depth; in a word, a feel-good novel.

I received a free e-book copy of this novel from the publisher via Net Galley. All thoughts expressed here are my own.

List of characters for One Perfect Summer (contains spoilers!) 

Serenity {S.} Alston - 35 years old, true crime writer

Sean Alston - ex-husband, in prison because of child pornography

Sawyer - Sean's step-brother, was in the military. Becomes romantically involved with Serenity

Beau - S's 25 y/o brother. gay, will marry Trevor

Tara and Tia - S's twin sisters, 28 y/o, live in San Antonio

Chuck and Charlotte Currington - S's parents

Uncle Vance - Chuck's brother. Has worked at an adoption agency many years before

Chuck is the one to give S a newspaper clipping that'll uncover the mystery

S. spends the summer with R. and L. at her parents' cabin near Lake Tahoe

Lorelei {L.} Cipriano - knows nothing about her biological parents, was in foster care all her life

Osha and Mercedes - in foster care with L, they keep in touch

Mark - Lorelei's husband. Has an affair with Francine

Francine - Lorelei's best sister. pregnant with Mark's child

Allen - Francine's ex-husband, have been separated for 6 months

Lucy - Mark and Lorelei's 4 y/o daughter

Reagan {R.} Sands - creative director in New York at Edison & Curry

Rosalind - R's mother, a fashion designer

Stuart Sands - R's father, died when she was 2 y/o

Rally McKnight - architect, becomes romantically involved with R.. He has a teenaged son. Rally has owned an architecture company for 20 years. He's divorced, in his 40s.

Drew - work colleague of R's. Have a one time affair, she becomes pregnant. She keeps the child, a girl, he gives up his paternal rights

Sally - Drew's wife. They have 3 kids together

Finley {Finn} Hatch - neighbour at the cabin. becomes romantically involved with Lorelei

Nolan - Finn's brother

Davis - Finn's brother, has lost an arm in a motorcycle accident

Michelle - Finn's on and off girlfriend

The girls are connected though their father who was a priest and had relations with underage girls. All three girls were adopted.

L's parents divorced after she was adopted, but her mother was killed soon after, that's how L was never claimed by anyone and ended up in foster care.

What I've Been Reading Lately #17

I almost thought I wasn't going to publish this because I was sure I didn't read anything since last month's post, but lo and behold! there are some books I did read! Commence!
 

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

This was a re-read, and I happily crossed off another category from the #MMDChallenge. It's true that you discover new things every time you read an old favourite again and again. I was pleasantly surprised by the Christian and moralistic aspect of the novel, and it was comforting these days.

The story of the March family, namely the four sisters is darling and it's no wonder it's still a favourite, many years after its publication. This time I was curious to know what's next, so I ordered the sequel. 

The story is set in US during the Civil War years and follows the story of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy over a year as they grow and become more mature. It could easily be read as a chapter book, but at the same time it can be read in bigger chunks. 

I am sure I will re-read this one at some point, despite having read it at least two time already.

 The Complicated Heart - Sarah Mae Hoover
This was a Net Galley read. I liked this one a lot, but I'm still trying to process some things and thoughts, so a review is brewing. It's a memoir, but it deals with a topic unfamiliar to me. Although I didn't "see" myself in it, I keep thinking of the prodigal's son's brother and how he reacted to his brother's coming home. This made me ask myself how I see my fellow Christians and it makes me reevaluate my "standards".
But the book is worth reading. It's an honest telling of the author's life story during the teenage years and her relationship with her mother.

 

The White Gypsy - Annette Lyster
 A student lent me this. It's been a while since I last read a children's Christian fiction, so it was a nice palate cleanser. It follows the story of a family separated by a train accident and the aftermath of that incident.

 Nooks and crannies - Jessica Lawson
I loved this one! A student recommended this to me, and I promptly borrowed it from the library because that cover made me do it.
It follows Tabitha Crum, aspiring inspector/ detective, in 1907 England. Six children are summoned at the imposing estate of Countess Camilla DeMoss. What follows is a weekend filled with adventure, hidden passages, weird noises, intriguing letters, and people who aren't what they seemed to be. It also deals with themes of friendship, family, bravery, and being true to who you are and what is right.
It's a middle grade novel, a well done mystery and detective one.

 

And that's it! Four books over the last month. This year seems to be the year of reading multiple books at the same time, despite always claiming this is not my reading style. The things we learn about ourselves... I am also going strong with Les Miserable, and I'm a few days ahead. I started volume II, or part II, and for now it's all about the Waterloo Battle. It's tough, both the battle and the reading of it, but knowing I can limit myself to one chapter a day helps. I want to finish the year with the accomplishment of having read this book in 2020!