Stephany Writes

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (2.25.19)

Happy Monday! I have three book reviews for you today so I’m definitely back on track with my crazy reading pace after a slow start to February reading. I’ll probably end up rounding out the month with three more books to bring my total to 10 books read in February. Yay!

Here are my reviews:

The Last King by Katee Robert (★★★★☆)

After Beckett’s father dies, he is shocked to find out that his father willed his childhood home to his aunt, a woman both Beckett and his father detested. Beckett is determined to learn how this happened, so he begins to flirt with his aunt’s assistant, the beautiful Samara, in order to find out. Samara has her own motives for getting close to Beckett, though, as she’s been tasked by his aunt to get some dirt about Beckett so she can force him to sell his father’s company to her (a long time ago, Beckett’s aunt was passed over for CEO for the company Beckett now runs, and she’s held a grudge against the company and Beckett ever since). But, as with every romance novel, this is not a story of revenge and backstabbing. It’s a story of Beckett and Samara, who cannot deny the chemistry between them even though they try to. This romance is steamy but I loved it so much. Beckett and Samara were so perfect for each other, and their chemistry jumped off the pages. Samara was such a badass heroine, and I was so glad to see her get a happy ending.

Landwhale: On Turning Insults Into Nicknames, Why Body Image Is Hard, and How Diets Can Kiss My Ass by Jes Baker (★★★☆☆)

Jes Baker’s memoir of living as a fat person in a fatphobic society is a difficult one. She takes readers deep into her life, starting with her childhood and the troublesome relationship she had with her father, and moving into adulthood and what it’s like to date and travel and live as a fat person. I found portions of this book to be illuminating for me, especially her thoughts on dating, but most of her essays didn’t fully meet my expectations. I can’t even put my finger on why I didn’t fully love this book; maybe it’s just that I’ve read my fair share of body-positive memoirs and this one just fell short in terms of writing and the depth explored in the essays.

There, There by Tommy Orange (★★★☆☆)

There, There is a novel that seeks to explore the experiences of urban Natives, those who never grew up on a reservation and may not even feel much of a connection to their Native culture but still feel the pull to understand this part of themselves. Each chapter introduces a new character, and it was hard to keep them all straight, so at one point, I just stopped. I looked at each chapter as a short story, a new exploration of all the ways racism and poverty and addiction affect the Native population in different ways. Each chapter mentions a powwow, which is the culmination of all the stories and how they all begin to converge into one. It’s an ambitious novel, but it didn’t fully pull me in like I wanted it to. There were just too many characters and it was hard to build empathy for any of them.

I’m currently reading…

> The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo. I’ll finish this quick novel today, as it has been moving fast for me. It’s a novel that so many of my friends have loved but there’s something about it that’s rubbing me the wrong way. I’m interested to see how it ends, though, and how I’ll feel about it.

Next up on my reading list is…

> Tell Me More: Stories about the 12 Hardest Things I’m Learning to Say by Kelly Corrigan. So excited to dive into this nonfiction book this week! I’ve had this on my TBR list for a while, and it’s a pretty slim book (under 250 pages) so it should be a quick read for me.

> Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren. Ooh, am I excited for this contemporary romance! I added it to my Amazon cart on a whim a few weeks ago, and I can’t wait to start reading it this week.

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (2.20.19)

I didn’t put up my weekly reading update on Monday because I had much more exciting news to share, so I’m publishing it today! Last week, I finished three books (and all were five-star reads!) so I’m back on track for my usual reading speed. 🙂 I’m pretty sure I’ll finish another three this week, so I’m feeling good about my reading life right now. Here are my reviews:

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (★★★★★)

I was worried that my reread of Anne of Green Gables wouldn’t hold up, that maybe the story was only meant for younger me. I am pleased to announce that the opposite is true, and I enjoyed this book so much the second time around. I read it at the perfect time, when I really needed a story that was sweet and light-hearted. For those unfamiliar, Anne of Green Gables follows the precocious Anne Shirley as she is adopted by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a brother and sister pair, at the age of 11. Throughout the book, she gets into a fair amount of trouble, as a girl with a big imagination is wont to do, and readers follow her journey from ages 11 to 16, watching her grow into a beautiful, kind woman. I loved every single page of this novel and was sad when it ended since it meant stepping out of Anne’s world for a bit, but I’m excited to read the next seven books in the series.

They Can’t Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore, and a New Era in America’s Racial Justice Movement by Wesley Lowery (★★★★★)

Wesley Lowery is one of the most influential voices reporting on police killings and racial justice, and this book was so powerful. It begins with Michael Brown’s death because that’s where Lowery began his journey, as he traveled to Ferguson to report on the protests and was arrested with another journalist at a McDonald’s (they were both released pretty quickly). The book chronicles the next few years after Michael Brown’s death, as the Black Lives Matter movement begins and gains a following. It details more deaths of black men at the hands of police and the protests that follow. It’s an infuriating read, a book that had me exclaiming out loud multiple times because I was so enraged. If you’re committed to becoming a better ally and learning as much as you can about racial justice, this book is a must-read.

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh (★★★★★)

Oh boy, do I love a good thriller, especially one that makes has me flipping back to the beginning of the book when a big twist is revealed. I devoured this thriller in a few days because I just could not put it down, although I’ll admit that the beginning 40% was slow and read more like a police procedural than a thriller. But I knew a twist was coming and I could not predict what it was for the life of me! This book is about a hit-and-run accident that kills a little boy, who was running across the street to his home when he was struck by a car. The driver drives away and what follows is a story about how this little boy’s death reverberates through the community, especially between the two police officers who are tasked to find the driver and bring him or her to justice. Definitely add this one to your list if you love a good thriller. (Although content warning for violence against women, which is quite graphic in parts.)

I’m currently reading…

Landwhale: On Turning Insults Into Nicknames, Why Body Image Is Hard, and How Diets Can Kiss My Ass by Jes Baker, on audio. (I really need nonfiction authors to calm down on the length of their subtitles, sheesh.) I’m about halfway through it and it’s been… okay so far. I think Jes Baker has an important story to tell but I’m not sure it’s fully landing with me.

The Last King by Katee Robert, my romance pick for the week. I’m nearly finished – I have maybe 30% left – and it has been such a steamy read! Whew! I would have no problem rating it five stars right now, but we’ll see how all the loose ends tie up.

There, There by Tommy Orange, for book club. I’m a little over 100 pages into this novel, and I’m really enjoying it. It’s much different than I imagined and there are a ton of characters and I’m not yet sure how all of their stories will relate, but I’m looking forward to finding out.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (2.11.19)

Happy Monday! I actually didn’t know if I’d have a “What I’m Reading” post ready for today because I haven’t spent a ton of time reading this week. At least, reading books for review/tracking purposes. I have been reading – about Ireland! My mom and I settled on our itinerary but it required a lot of research and reading on my part. I checked out Rick Steves Ireland 2019 from the library and have spent my week pouring through the pages (while skimming a lot of the sections, which is why I’m not counting it as a book I’ve read) so I can figure out what we need to see, what we can skip, and how to build an itinerary that will allow us to see the best sights without completely overwhelming me (I cannot go-go-go all the time). And work was insane this week, so I didn’t even spend any time reading on my lunch break (unheard of for me!). I’m hoping this week was an anomaly because I don’t like reading so little.

Anyway, I do have a book review for you because I finished a book! And I’ll probably end up finishing 2-3 next week, so I should be back on track. 🙂

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne (★★★★☆)

I’ve been greatly anticipating Sally Thorne’s follow-up novel to her bestseller (and my all-time favorite romance), The Hating Game, so I was so happy to get my hands on 99 Percent Mine. Within the first few pages of this novel, I knew the story was going to be dramatically different with much more complex characters. (Which just showed me that Thorne is not a one-trick pony and has a vivid imagination.) It involves a woman named Darcy who has been in love with her twin brother’s best friend, Tom, since she was a teenager. And then, after Darcy’s grandma dies, both Darcy and her brother inherit her cottage and must renovate it and sell it – those are their grandma’s instructions. Lo and behold, Tom is the man who is going to renovate the cottage – and he’s single for the first time in eight years. The story has Thorne’s typical snarky humor, and I just loved how lively and realistic her characters were. They didn’t feel like caricatures, but real, breathing people with passions and interests and pain and depth. Their romance was sweet and fun and downright steamy. While I didn’t love this with the ardent fervor that I loved The Hating Game (there were times when Darcy frustrated me and I wished the author had given her a bit more agency in her life), I still really enjoyed this novel and I hope we don’t have to wait three years for her next romance!

I’m currently reading…

> Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. I’m still working my way through Anne and I am just loving every second of it. I was worried that I would reread this book and not understand why I loved it so much when I was younger, but I can totally see why it captivated me. Anne is such a wonderful character! She’s made me giggle multiple times. 🙂

> They Can’t Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore, and a New Era in America’s Racial Justice Movement by Wesley Lowery. On a much different note, I’m reading this important book about racial justice and police violence in between pages of Anne. I’ve had this book on my TBR for a while now, and I’m glad I’m finally getting around to reading this because it’s important and necessary.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (2.4.19)

Happy Monday, friends! I had a pretty great weekend and the weather was pretty gorgeous for us here in Florida (sorry to brag for everyone experiencing arctic-like temperatures up north). I was able to take three long walks outside, work on my novel, and get some reading done. I also thoroughly enjoyed my mom’s Super Bowl party, even though I wasn’t thrilled with the outcome of the game. 😉

This week, I finished three books! This means I somehow read FIFTEEN (?!?!) books in January, which feels like too many books to read in a month, haha.

Healing Spiritual Wounds: Reconnecting with a Loving God After Experiencing a Hurtful Church by Carol Howard Merritt (★★★★☆)

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about my own faith and what I want from it. (If I want anything from it.) So, this book came to me at the perfect time and has really challenged my ideas of God and what faith means today. I haven’t gone to church or read my bible in years, mostly because I never felt welcomed in church and I find many parts of the bible to be problematic and hurtful. This book was so helpful in parsing through all the ways the church can harm people and how to develop a relationship with God that is healthy and positive, not endlessly damning and rigid. At the end of each chapter, Merritt had a series of prompts for readers to work through and I’m taking my time to journal my thoughts but so far, they have been enlightening and allowing me to make peace with my hurtful church past and build a way forward. I encourage anyone who has been hurt by the church and/or its teachings or confused by their faith to pick this book up. It has been so impactful for me.

Playing for Keeps by Jill Shalvis (★★★★☆)

This was such a cute, fun romance! It’s the seventh book in Shalvis’s Heartbreaker Bay series, and it’s one I truly enjoyed. It follows Caleb and Sadie who wind up adopting a three-legged dog together when the dog is abandoned by her owner. Caleb is a genius tech gazillionaire while Sadie is barely making ends meet, working two jobs and trying to build up her clientele at a tattoo shop, which is her true passion. Both Sadie and Caleb have their own demons to work out, and their romance felt believable and natural, even though there were times when I wanted to shake Sadie for some of the dumb choices she made.

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (★★★★★)

The Alice Network is a fictionalized story about a real-life female spy network that worked against the Germans in World War I. The book alternates between Eve and Charlie’s stories. In Eve’s timeline, the year is 1915 and she is recruited to join The Alice Network and become a spy. In Charlie’s timeline, World War II has ended and she’s determined to find her cousin Rose, who disappeared in France during the war. Charlie has reason to believe that Eve may know where her cousin is, so she shows up at her door to ask for her help. It’s not an easy read – especially Eve’s chapters – but it’s an utterly engaging, well-written story and one I won’t soon forget.

I’m currently reading…

> 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne. I’ve been devouring this romance from my very favorite romance author. It’s so perfect and fun and sweet. I’m trying to read it slowly and savor every word, but I’m also finding it hard to put down!

> Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. I’m only about 50 pages into this novel (which is nearly 500 pages – I had no idea it was so long!) and ugh, it’s so damn perfect. Anne Shirley is everything.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (1.28.19)

Happy Monday, my friends! I’m coming off the #24in48 readathon where I didn’t even come close to 24 hours of reading, haha. In the end, I managed nearly 13 hours (12 hours, 42 minutes), and I’m deeming it a success. I didn’t have any sort of goal for this readathon (ok fine, I secretly hoped I could manage 18 hours). I just wanted to have fun and make this weekend ALLLL about reading.

Even with the readathon, though, I only finished one book. (However, I published last week’s What I’m Reading on a Wednesday, so things are a little skewed.) But it was a five-star read and something I’d wholly recommend.

Act Like It by Lucy Parker (★★★★★)

It’s not often that I give a romance novel five stars. But every now and then, a romance burrows its way into my heart, and I can’t give it anything less than five stars. This novel was engaging from the beginning and had fully formed characters, realistic dialogue, and a sweet natural progression of the relationship. Also, the cheesiness factor was just about nil, which always ups my rating. Act Like It was an enemies-to-lovers/forced proximity romance, and it was everything I wanted it to be. It follows two theater actors in London – Lainie and Richard – who are forced to pretend to be a couple to help Richard’s image. He’s known to be a bit of a troublemaker in the tabloids, and his agents are a little tired of cleaning up his messes. The more time they spend together, the more they realize they have more in common than they think and that this pretend relationship is starting to feel more real every day. I loved everything about Lainie and Richard, especially as they began to let down their walls and fall in love. I’m so glad I’ve discovered Lucy Parker and now I can’t wait to read more from her!

I’m currently reading…

> Without Merit by Colleen Hoover, on audio. I started this novel over the weekend for the readathon, figuring listening to an audiobook while I was driving around or cleaning my apartment would allow me to sneak in some extra hours. I’m nearly done – a little over two hours left – and I’m curious to see how it ends.

> Playing for Keeps by Jill Shalvis. I was so excited to dive into this book, as I had pre-ordered it months ago. I’m already a quarter of the way through it (thanks, readathon!) and loving it so much.

> The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. I’m a little over halfway through this historical fiction novel and it’s so damn good. I was able to read almost 200 pages this weekend thanks to the readathon and I’m excited to finish it sometime this week. It’s such a unique story!

> Healing Spiritual Wounds: Reconnecting with a Loving God After Experiencing a Hurtful Church by Carol Howard Merritt. I’m working my way slowly through this book, as I don’t want to rush through Merritt’s words at all. I’m taking my time to journal through the prompts she gives and write down my own thoughts as I read. It’s been therapeutic, to say the least.

What are you reading?