It’s official! I’ve been bit by the reading bug! I’m a little ashamed to say I’ve never really made much time for reading books in the past but that has definitely changed during quarantine! This month, I read EIGHT books!! That is definitely the most I’ve read EVER, and I’m not going to lie, I feel pretty proud of myself.
Even before I got on this reading streak, I’ve always been sort of interested in books and reading other’s reviews/thoughts of them. It’s one of many reasons why I love @ashleyspivey‘s account on Instagram (she also runs an incredible book club) and my friend’s blog Noel Neverlanding. I just never felt I had the time to actually read books – until now. I still work a full time job, but with less commuting and social obligations, that has opened up a couple hours each day. My friends have been pretty amazed at how quickly it seems I read, but it’s surprising just how quickly you can finish a book if you just commit to it a few hours a day!
I began consistently sharing mini book reviews on my Instagram stories and have gotten great feedback so I thought I would also share them here on the blog. I would like to make this a monthly roundup post and maybe even start incorporating other bookish content on the blog! Let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comments!
May Reads + Reviews
#1. Daisy Jones & The Six: Believe the hype! The unique interview-type writing style was PERFECT for this story about a 70s rock band. Raw & heartbreaking, the characters and their relationships are flawed & complex and while it does deal with heavy topics, it doesn’t romanticize them but instead offers hope and forgiveness. My first 5 star rated book of the year, HIGHLY recommend! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Favorite book of the month!)
#2. Turtles All the Way Down: Slow-paced with not much of a plot, but I liked the writing and found it amusing and easy to read. I thought it handled the topic of OCD/mental illness very well and how it affects a person and those around them. Also I found the best friend’s Star Wars fan fiction tangents hilarious! ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
#3. Without Merit: After LOVING Colleen Hoover’s Verity, I was excited to read another one of her books, but this one about a family with too many secrets was not for me. While she’s undoubtedly a great writer, a lot of the book & it’s characters (especially the MC) rubbed me the wrong way & it was difficult to empathize. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#4. The Royal We: Did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did! It’s a bit longer than it needs to be, but I loved the cast of characters and witty humor so much I didn’t mind. It’s fun & entertaining with the right amount of drama and a sweet love story that plays out over 8 years that felt very realistic despite the Royal setting. Definitely don’t need to be a Royals fan to enjoy this book. (And I can’t wait for the sequel that comes out in July!) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
#5. All Your Perfects: This book WRECKED me. Talk about RAW. This was one of the most emotionally devastating, BRUTAL books I’ve ever read as well as one of the most profoundly HOPEFUL. Went in blind not knowing it would be so heavy and difficult to read (and that I would full on sob through so much of it) but wow, so glad I powered through till the end. Not for everyone, definitely don’t pick this one up if you’re looking for a light summer read. Colleen, you’ve won me back – a very unexpected, but deserved 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#6. Tweet Cute: HUGE change of pace after the previous book. Very fluffy and lighthearted YA rom-com about two NY teens, Twitter & grilled cheese with some You’ve Got Mail vibes. It was indeed very cute and sweet but I think I’m learning that romance is not quite my genre so I didn’t quite enjoy it as much as many others have. Still a well written, easy read with some great witty banter. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
#7. American Royals: I was REALLY intrigued by the premise of this book: “What if America had a royal family?” but the execution fell flat to me. I wanted to see something interesting and original in this alternate timeline but the story it told could’ve taken place within the British monarchy. The book is told through 4 POVs & I honestly didn’t care for any of them but the “villain.” The romances/drama is pretty cliche and predictable and nothing all that interesting happened till near the end of the book. Pick up the The Royal We instead. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#8. The Wife Between Us: Really wanted to love this as I did like An Anonymous Girl by the same authors but I don’t know if I’ve read too many of these thrillers now or what, but I guessed nearly every twist! The first part of the book is pretty non-eventful and if you’re able to guess the first (and biggest) twist like I did, the slow buildup doesn’t really pay off. Was hoping for something more gripping (and with more likable characters.) ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Have ya’ll read any of these books? I would love to know your thoughts and what you read last month!
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