Stephany Writes

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (7.6.20)

You guys. I have so many book reviews for you today! It’s slightly embarrassing, haha. I finished SIX books this week. Now, to be fair, one of those books was Anna Karenina, which I’ve been reading since January. Another was an audiobook. And I did have a three-day weekend where I didn’t have any plans. But still! That’s a lot of books to finish in a week. Whew. Prepare yourselves for many reviews.

Books Finished

Always on My Mind by Jill Shalvis (★★★☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: After Leah tells a little white lie to her best friend Jack’s ailing mother that she’s dating her son, Leah and Jack have to pretend to be dating.

This book was just plain fun! The trope of the fake relationship will always be one of my favorites, but it also had a touch of a “second chance romance” since Leah and Jack were best friends growing up and they nearly took their friendship to the next level after high school, but instead, Leah bolts out of town to become the next baking darling. While I’ll admit that I sometimes didn’t feel the strongest connection between Jack and Leah and wanted Leah to be slightly less standoffish, this novel did give me all of the happy feels. I especially loved all of the other relationships in the novel, such as Jack’s relationship with his mom and Leah’s relationship with her grandma.

Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker (★☆☆☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: It’s been three years since Cass and Emma went missing and then Cass returns with an insane story involving kidnapping and a mysterious island and this plea: find her sister!

I hate-read this. I kept hoping it would get better and then around page 150ish, I realized it wasn’t going to and gave up on liking it. I did want to figure out what happened, which is why I kept reading, but the reveal was completely ridiculous. And, listen, I am usually here for the outlandish thrillers. I’m not as much of a critic of thrillers as some people are, but this one was just silly and improbable and nothing about the characters made sense. I think the author had a good idea for this novel—discussing narcissism and how it affects family dynamics and future generations—but it was just so poorly executed.

Open Book by Jessica Simpson (★★★★★)

One-sentence synopsis: Pop star Jessica Simpson tells her life story, from her early beginnings as a church kid to her career as a pop singer and beyond.

I loved this memoir! It was one that came highly rated and it lived up to all of my expectations. Growing up, I wasn’t allowed to listen to secular music so I had to listen to NSYNC, Britney, BSB, Christina, etc., in secret. But one pop singer I was allowed to listen to—due to her Christian background—was Jessica Simpson. I fell in love with her music first and then Jessica the person via her reality TV show, Newlyweds. So I’ve always been a big fan of hers, and I’ve become an even bigger one after reading her memoir. Jessica is brutally honest and intensely vulnerable in this book, and she doesn’t hold back. Not about her marriage to Nick Lachey (and their not-so-friendly divorce), not about her toxic relationship with John Mayer, not about her problematic drinking habits stemming from sexual abuse in her childhood. I loved learning more about the ins and outs of the entertainment business as well as her sweet romance with her husband Eric. I could gush about this book forever. It’s everything I want in a celebrity memoir!

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (★★★☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: A sweeping novel about the lives of a whole host of Russian characters, including the title character, Anna, who’s in a lackluster marriage and begins a scandalous relationship that ends in tragedy.

I finally finished! It took me 162 days to read this novel, all of which was on the Serial Reader app. I’m surprised by how much I enjoyed it, even though there were many times that reading felt like a slog. (Which is why reading in small increments worked really well!) I also relied on LitCharts to break down certain chapters to help me interpret the meaning behind them, another thing I would highly recommend. These classic novels are sometimes really difficult to understand at times, no shame! All that said, I was still super fascinated by this novel and its complexities. I found myself loving and loathing all of the characters at different times, and I’m actually sad not to spend time with Levin and Oblonsky and Anna and Vronsky and Kitty and Dolly on an everyday basis. Do I think this is “greatest work of literature ever?” Not really, but it was an enjoyable read and I’m glad I can mark this classic off my list.

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo (★★★★★)

One-sentence synopsis: Writer and speaker Ijeoma Oluo discusses some of the most pertinent issues about racism and systematic oppression today.

This book is everywhere right now, and for good reason. Ijeomo Oluo talks readers through some of the most important questions you may be asking as you begin the work of anti-racism. Things like, “What is intersectionality and why do I need it?”, “What is the school-to-prison pipeline?”, “How can I talk about affirmative action?”, “What are microaggressions?”, etc. Ijeomo speaks from the heart and is brutally honest with her advice. Some of my key takeaways from this novel:

  • Racism exists to exclude people of color from opportunities so there are more opportunities for white people.
  • Antiracism work is about more than seeing the humanity of people of color – it is about dismantling the systems that try to keep POC down.
  • Knowing where our privilege lies allows us to identify where we have power and access to change the system.
  • Believing POC experiences with police is CRUCIAL. This is not only to validate their experiences but to help dismantle a history of police brutality. POC should be able to trust the police as much as white people do.
  • Microaggressions normalize racism. They reinforce racial stereotypes. They dehumanize POC. They keep white supremacy in place.

Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith (★★★☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: Hugo and Mae are an unlikely pair, thrown together for a week-long train ride from New York to California.

This was such a cute read! I really enjoyed it. I loved the way the relationship between Hugo and Mae evolved, from uneasy strangers to friends to… more than that. There were also some other really fun elements to the story, such as the fact that Hugo is a sextuplet and all the baggage (and good things!) that comes along with those relationships. Mae is a budding film student and takes on the task of interviewing people on the train for a new project. And the parental relationships in this novel were so perfect. YA novels don’t always get it right when it comes to parents and kids, but this one definitely did. I’d recommend this book!

What I’m Reading This Week

  • Circling the Sun by Paula McLain (ebook) – I have about 100 pages left in this novel, which is a fictionalized retelling of the life of Beryl Markham, who was the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. I’m really loving it!
  • The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez (ebook) – I just started this contemporary romance so I don’t have too much to report about it just yet. It seems to have mixed reviews, though, so we’ll see!
  • The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas (audiobook) – I’m starting the fourth book in the Lady Sherlock mystery series today. I’m so excited to dive back into Charlotte Holmes’ world!
  • Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue (print) – Once I finish Circling the Sun, I’m going to pick up this beloved novel. It’s been on my shelf for way too long!

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.29.20)

Happy Monday, friends! What a crazy weekend for me—I experienced my first bout with vertigo! Y’all, I do not recommend it. It’s awful. It came on suddenly on Saturday afternoon and I spent the rest of the day in bed because moving my body brought on intense dizziness and the worst nausea I’ve ever experienced. (And, at the risk of being TMI, I threw up once after trying to pick up groceries that had been delivered to my door. I have never dealt with any kind of motion sickness, so this was so unreal to me.) Even sitting up or focusing on my phone for too long brought on the dizziness. Thankfully, my symptoms improved drastically on Sunday. No more nausea or vomiting, just some light dizziness if I leaned down or moved too quickly. I really hope this is an isolated incident! It’s not something I want to repeat, no way!

Okay, let’s talk reading! I finished two books last week and really enjoyed both of them, yay! I’m also in the process of reading five books at once right now, haha. All five are vastly different from each other, so it’s not hard to keep everything straight, but whew, that’s a lot of books for me to be rotating through!

Books Finished

Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare (★★★★☆)

Short synopsis: Izzy Goodnight is left penniless after her father dies, but then her late godfather bequeaths her a castle and it seems like her luck is turning around. Only problem? The castle still belongs to Ransom, a duke who was left blind after a duel, and he’s not willing to give it up.

I really enjoyed this historical romance (and it’s only after reading a review that I realized it’s written to be a “retelling” of sorts to Beauty and the Beast). Izzy was such a great character and so was Ransom with his curmudgeonly ways. (I love a good grumpy hero!) They had such an instant chemistry, and watching them fall in love and let down their guards with one another was so beautiful. There was also this really fun side plot involving fantasy stories that Izzy’s father wrote (with Izzy at the center of them). These stories were immensely popular and inspired people to dress up as the characters and travel together to events, and some of those fans even came to the castle once they found out Izzy was staying there. It was a fun detail—the fans weren’t creepy or overwhelming, they just wanted to tell Izzy how much the stories meant to them—and I loved it a lot.

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger (★★★★☆)

One-sentence synopsis: It’s 1932 and four young orphans run away from their school to sail down the Mississippi River in a canoe in search of a better life.

When I talked about this book last week, I mentioned that I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I had hoped. I struggle a lot with character-driven novels because I typically need a plot to propel me forward. But some character-driven novels work really well for me, especially if the characters are complex and well-drawn. This novel had somewhat of a plot, but it was mostly about the lives of these four orphans and the crazy characters they meet along their journey. However, as the story progressed, I found myself deeply enthralled by the story and the lives of these characters. I found my heart hurting for the main character, Odie, as he encountered things that no young kid should have to deal with. And when it ended, I closed the book and let out a happy sigh. It was a lovely story and I truly missed those four kids when I finished it. Don’t expect this to be a fast-paced read, but if you let yourself sink into the story and take it slowly, I promise it will be worth it.

What I’m Reading This Week

> Open Book by Jessica Simpson (audio). I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews about Jessica Simpson’s memoir and so far, a little less than 40% in, I can see why. Jessica’s honesty is evident throughout the pages and it’s really fun to dive back into the world of early-aughts pop singers!

> Always on My Mind by Jill Shalvis (e-book). This sweet contemporary romance by one of my faves is fulfilling all my happy, romance-y feels right now. It’s a friends-to-lovers romance, and I always love those.

> So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo (print) – I’ve had this book on my shelf for a long time, always meaning to get to it. I’m reading a few chapters a day so I can soak in the knowledge slowly and take notes as I go along.

> Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker (print). This thriller has a really crazy premise and I’m not sure if I’m totally buying it. I’m about halfway finished with it and I’ll probably see it through to the end, if only to leave a super snarky review. 😉

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.22.20)

Happy Monday! What a weekend. I had a busy Saturday, filled with a Zoom writing date, painting at my mom and stepdad’s new home, swimming in their pool, and family game night. I was out and about for almost 13 hours, which is something that was a regular occurrence in my pre-COVID life. It’s very unusual now! Thankfully, I had Sunday to recuperate and recuperate I did, by lazing about and taking a five-hour nap in the afternoon. (Eeks!) I’m grateful for this little sense of normalcy.

I finished three books last week, so it was another solid week of reading for me. Yay! I feel like I didn’t devote as much time to reading last week—just other things taking up my time—but apparently, even so, I finished my “normal” amount of books.

Books Finished

The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa (★★★☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: Lina must work with Max—the brother of her ex-fiance, who left her on her wedding day—to secure the job of her dreams.

The whole “wedding planner whose fiance left her at the altar” is becoming a new trend in romance novels, it seems. Like any romance trope, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. In this case, it didn’t totally work for me, mostly because I never felt like we addressed the people behind the action, only the action itself. Lina was a difficult character for me to like, but I could also understand her really well. She’s become jaded to love, at least love for herself, and it makes her say and do things to Max that feel almost vindictive. (As if he was the one who left her at the alter, not his brother.) She grew throughout the story and I appreciate her character the more she opened up to Max, but it was hard to truly root for her. (Max, on the other hand, was perfect! An excellent hero!) Good things about this story: I loved the emphasis on family and Lina’s Brazilian roots. It was so fun to watch her with her family, which is mainly built of strong females, something I always enjoy! And it was laugh-out-loud funny in parts! It’s rare for me to snort with laughter when reading, but I did so multiple times with this novel.

The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller (★★★☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: When Livvy sets the restaurant she works at on fire by accident (by way of a flambéed dessert gone wrong), she flees to the small town of Guthrie, Vermont, where her best friend lives and starts working at a small country inn.

This book will give you all of the sweet Gilmore Girls vibes, I’ll tell you that! Between the characters, the setting, and delightful country events, I was captivated by the sweet world of Guthrie. Livvy is an easy character to like, and I truly enjoyed watching her grow and become attached to the people and town, even though she made a lot of silly mistakes along the way. What didn’t I like about the book? It was a little too sweet at times, bordering on unrealistic. There was a plot twist a little more than halfway through the book that I detested and hated even more the way Livvy responded to it. (Honestly, this was an easy four-star read until that point, but I just couldn’t enjoy the book the way I had after that point.) And it really felt like the point of the novel was like, “See? All you have to do to find happiness is get married and have a family! That’s what life is really about.” Which is so problematic that I don’t even know where to begin. Maybe I’m taking it all too seriously (quite possible!) but it bothers me when that seems to be the overarching theme of a book.

Hum If You Don’t Know the Words by Bianca Marais (★★★★☆)

Short synopsis: It’s the 1970s in South Africa under Apartheid and Robin, a nine-year-old white girl, is left orphaned after her parents are killed in an uprising. She is sent to live with her aunt who hires Beauty, a Black woman whose daughter went missing in the uprising, to care for her.

I loved this book so very much! It taught me so much about Apartheid (I’m embarrassed at how much I didn’t know about it!) and was a beautiful story about family, resilience, hope, and love. The chapters go back and forth between Beauty and Robin, both of them experiencing this time in vastly different ways. Beauty is one of the best characters I’ve ever read—she is fiercely devoted to the people she loves and never wavers from her devotion. Robin could get tiresome, but then again, she is nine so that makes sense! And she’s been through the trauma of losing both her parents and the life she knew, so I tried to give her some grace when she got on my nerves, ha. Anyway, I’d wholly recommend this book and I thought the audio narration was fantastic!

What I’m Reading Now

I’m currently a little more than halfway through This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. I’ve gotta admit, I’m not loving this book as much as I expected to. It’s fine and I don’t think I’ll abandon it, but it’s moving a little slow for my taste. Maybe the second half will be better than the first, but it’s about a 3-star read for me right now.

I’m also reading Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare, a Regency romance that’s completely captivated me. The hero in the story is blind, which I’ve never come across in a romance (and it’s especially surprising for historical romance!) I’m really enjoying the story so far.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.15.20)

Happy Monday, friends! I’m feeling happy and hopeful this morning because my laptop will be fixed this week! YAY! It has been two very long weeks and I will be so grateful to have my laptop back in working order.

Last week, I finished three books, breaking my streak of reading four books a week. Ah, well! Three is okay, I guess. 😉 Here are my reviews!

Books Finished

The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays by Esme Weijun Wang (★★★★☆)

One-sentence synopsis: In this essay collection, Esme Weijun Wang provides insight into her schizoaffective diagnosis and her mental illness struggle as a whole.

This was such a beautiful essay collection! Esme has a distinct voice and a gorgeous way with words. I appreciated her honesty in discussing her mental health struggles, schizoaffective diagnosis, psychotic episodes, and more. I found the entire book fascinating and easy to read, even if the subject matter was a dark and difficult one. But Esme infuses her writing with warmth and a sense of hope. One of the more interesting discussions in this book was when she talked about watching TV shows and movies, and how difficult those mediums can be when she’s going through psychosis. She tells a story of watching a TV show with her husband and her husband having to explain the basics of how these shows work (i.e., these are real people who are playing a part, the show is taking place in another city, etc.) because she was in such a place of unreality that her mind couldn’t distinguish between real and fake. Another story was about a period when she believed she was dead and was living in an alternate reality. The mind is an amazingly fragile thing, and I have so much empathy for those who have a mind that’s hard to trust with reality.

Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (★★☆☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: Samantha Moore is given an extraordinary opportunity—a full scholarship to attend graduate school—with the stipulation that she send regular letters about her progress to her benefactor, Mr. Knightley.

This book was one of those “just ok” reads. I always have trouble with characters who are obsessed with Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters because I just can’t relate, and Sam was particularly tiresome about it. I also struggled with her characterization, as it seemed fairly inconsistent—on the one hand, she was incredibly naive but on the other, she had grown up in the foster care system and spent time living on the streets. And finally, I also had a hard time believing that Sam would be so open and honest with Mr. Knightley (talking about dating and sex, even!)—it just didn’t make sense that she would give him so many intimate details about her life. All that said, there were parts of this novel I enjoyed, especially Sam’s relationship with a foster kid living in the group home she grew up in and the way she struggled as a journalism student (I was glad she wasn’t suddenly the most perfect journalism student ever). It’s a novel that Austen fans will enjoy, I think, but just didn’t totally work for me.

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown (★★★★☆)

One-sentence synopsis: Writer Austin Channing Brown discusses growing up as a Black girl in majority-white schools, working in majority-white companies, and coming to terms with racial inequalities and racial justice through it all.

Like most people these days, I am trying to consume more books by and about BIPOC. I bought a copy of this memoir a while back, and I was happy to pluck it off my shelves to read it. Austin writes eloquently and honestly about her experiences as a Black woman as she has navigated mostly-white spaces and has had to deal with microaggressions, implicit biases, and plain racism throughout it all. It’s a short book—under 190 pages—so I think it’s a great introduction for those looking to understand race from a Black woman’s perspective.

What I’m Reading This Week

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (6.8.20)

Happy Monday, friends. Well, it was another crazy reading week for me. I finished four books again! Whew. To be fair, two of these books were romance novels and one was a short graphic memoir, so don’t be too impressed. 😉 I’m 9 books ahead of my goal to read 135 books this year. My crazy reading pace has me wondering if I could somehow hit that elusive goal of reading 150 books this year. Hmm… I’m not going to jump through hoops to make it happen, but I’ll be paying close attention to my Goodreads goal as the year progresses.

Books Finished

The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks (★★★★☆)

One-sentence synopsis: On the one-year anniversary of his wife’s death, Ethan finds out his wife is very much alive and has been kidnapped by a drug cartel so he calls on his brothers—all former military—to rescue her.

I’ve been searching for a really good romantic suspense series to sink into, and Maya Banks delivered with this first novel in a long series. While the dialogue could be awkward and sometimes the plot felt a little unbelievable, I enjoyed the relationship between Ethan and Rachel a lot. Ethan comes from a big family (six boys!) so it was fun to learn about the different brothers and their dynamics. I also thought the author did such a good job with Rachel, who obviously has a lot of trauma to heal from after being in captivity for a year, and her journey seemed believable to me. I’m looking forward to continuing this series!

The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir (★★★★★)

Short synopsis: At 17, Essie is the youngest child on Six for Hicks, a reality TV show that follows a preacher and his family. When Essie finds out she’s pregnant, a decision has to be made for their TV show: Does Essie get a quiet abortion, does her mom raise the baby as her own, or does Essie get married off?

Man, I really loved this book! I had low expectations for it, as the book received mixed reviews from my friends on Goodreads, but it was the case of the right book at the right time for me. The story alternates between three people: Essie, Rourke (the man Essie is going to marry), and Libby, a conservative reporter who is interviewing Essie about her upcoming nuptials. The voices between the three characters could have been more differentiated, for sure, but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the book. There were a lot of twists and turns in the novel—many of which I didn’t expect and couldn’t have predicted—and the overarching storyline is one I could wholly appreciate. Also, that ending! <3

March: Book 1 by John Lewis (★★★★★)

One-sentence synopsis: A graphic memoir about U.S. Representative John Lewis’s childhood, his life-changing meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the nonviolent lunch counter sit-in protests he participated in as a college student.

Way back at the beginning of the year when I was looking at the monthly challenges for The Unread Shelf Project. I selected March: Book 1 for June. June’s challenge is to “read the first book in a series,” and I think this graphic memoir is the only book on my shelf that qualified. And it ended up being the most timely read! It’s a graphic novel, and I don’t know if I’ve ever read that format before. I was so captivated by the story and the drawings. The drawings truly added an extra layer to this incredible story of John Lewis’s life, especially since it was juxtaposed against an iconic day: Obama’s inauguration. I’m definitely planning on picking up the next books in this series because I want to read more about Lewis’ life!

Intercepted by Alexa Martin (★★☆☆☆)

One-sentence synopsis: After Marlee finds out her boyfriend of 10 years has been cheating on her, she breaks up with him just in time for a blast from her past to come back into her life.

Ughhhh. I wanted to like this book so much! I love sports romances, but most of them tend to center white stories when we know sports teams, especially football, are majority Black. I loved the character of Marlee—she was such a fun woman who was easy to root for! And Gavin, the male lead, was so dreamy and perfect in all the right ways. However, I had many issues with this book, like the excessive use of hashtags. The pace of the novel was very weird, too, as all the action happened in the first half and the second half just meandered slowly until the dark moment. And the dark moment… oh geez. I am super critical of dark moments (which is the part of a romance novel where things fall apart/the couple breaks up/everything feels hopeless) and this one was especially bad, as Gavin did something that was so completely out of character for him that I felt like I was reading a different book. There was also a side plot involving the football wives that just felt overly dramatic and unrealistic. I don’t doubt that football wives can be catty and mean-spirited, but the whole situation was over-the-top and woman-on-woman hate is never going to be something I enjoy in a novel. All in all, a book that had a lot of potential but just didn’t live up to my standards.

What I’m Reading Now

  • The Collected Schizophrenias: Essays by Esme Weijun Wang – I bought this book at Brookline Booksmith in Boston during my trip last year. I’m reading two chapters a day and really enjoying Esme’s writing style and her honesty in talking about her schizophrenia diagnosis.
  • Hum If You Don’t Know the Words by Bianca Marais – I’m listening to my first audiobook since March! I used to listen to audiobooks on my commute, but now it’s a struggle just to keep up with my podcast feed. But now that I’m more caught up on my feed (only a week behind, rather than four weeks), I decided to download an audiobook to listen to. I’m only two hours into this 14-hour audiobook, but enjoying it so far!
  • Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay – I’ve had this epistolary novel on my Goodreads TBR shelf for six years. Oof. It was available for immediate download on Libby so I snatched it up for something light-hearted to read this week.

What are you reading?