Stephany Writes

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (12.17.18)

This will likely be my last “What I’m Reading” post for a few weeks. If you can believe it, next week is Christmas and that also kicks off my “Best of 2018” posts. I should be able to resume these posts on January 7th, so there won’t be too much of a pause. 

My week and weekend have been a bit crazier than normal as I settle into life as a new cat mom. Eloise is warming up to me, getting more and more comfortable every day. She’s greeting me in the mornings and when I come home and mewing at me when she wants attention (as well as rubbing herself all over me!), so I think it’s safe to say we’re well on our way to best friendship. 

Even with a busy week and weekend, I managed to finish two books! Here are my reviews: 

Books Finished

Title: Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin
Authors: Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin
Genre: Nonfiction, Social Justice
Published: 2017
Format: Library audiobook
Rating: ★★★★★

Plot Summary: The parents of Trayvon Martin come together to tell the story of their child, their mourning, their search for justice, and the birth of a movement.

My Thoughts: Oh, this book was probably one of the most difficult ones to read. It was gut-wrenching to listen to Trayvon’s parents try to make sense of their son’s senseless death. It was infuriating to listen to all the ways the system failed them, and how their son was essentially put on trial during his own murder trial. And it was also hopeful to learn how people came together for them like Sybrina’s coworkers giving her all their vacation time so she could focus on grieving the loss of her son and fighting for justice. Or people coming together to demand answers and Zimmerman’s arrest. It’s a story that is all too familiar nowadays, black men being senselessly killed just because they are black and therefore dangerous. It needs to stop and I am so grateful to Trayvon’s parents for writing their story. I know it had to be so difficult to relive the emotions of those first few hours, days, weeks after discovering Trayvon had been killed. This should be required reading.

Title: A Duke by Default
Author: Alyssa Cole
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: 2018
Format: Library e-book
Rating: ★★★★☆

Plot Summary: Portia is known for being a bit of a hot mess, so in an effort to become a new version of herself, she applies to be an apprentice in Scotland for a struggling swordmaker named Tavish. But when she discovers that Tavish is the secret son of a duke, he becomes her newest makeover project.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed Alyssa Cole’s first contemporary romance, A Princess in Theory, but I think I loved this one even more. I was curious as to how Cole would redeem Portia because she was definitely tough to love in A Princess in Theory, but Cole did a wonderful job at letting us into the woman behind the hot mess and helping us understand why she did the things she did in that first novel. And in this novel, Portia is a woman who just broke my heart because I felt so deeply for her struggles. I loved seeing how she worked so hard to not be the screwup her family thinks she is, especially as she helps Tavish learn the ropes of dukedom. The romance between Portia and Tavish was sweet, but I do wish there was a little more chemistry between them. I loved how Portia began to blossom under Tavish’s love, but I don’t know if there was enough happening in their romance for me to fully believe in it. Still, it was an enjoyable book and what’s not to love about a Scottish hero? Nothing. 

What I’m Reading This Week

  • The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah – I am a little more than halfway through this novel, and I’m enjoying it. It’s one of those books I can easily set down and not really feel the urge to pick it up again, but once I do pick it up, I’m sucked right back into the story. I’m very interested to see how the rest of this novel unfolds!
  • Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis – Oh, what a fun little romance this is! It’s such a nice, light-hearted companion to The Great Alone. It’s reminding me why I love Jill Shalvis so much; she writes damn good romances!
  • What We Were Promised by Lucy Tan – I picked up this novel on audiobook over the weekend. By the synopsis, it seemed like the kind of book I would enjoy dipping in and out of in audiobook form rather than reading a physical version of it. I’m only a couple of hours in, but so far so good.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (12.10.18)

Hello and happy Monday, friends! I’m feeling very frustrated with myself lately because I feel like I’m not making progress on anything I do. And everything I do make progress on feels like it took way more effort than warranted. Anyone go through those weeks? I wasn’t able to get a post up on Friday because I couldn’t get the words out and didn’t want to stay up late to force it. This weekend, I wanted to wrap all of my Christmas presents that have been delivered and do my monthly deep clean of my apartment, and neither of those got done. I’m just feeling very behind in life right now, and that’s not helpful for my anxiety.

I “only” finished one book this week, so it seems even my reading is taking longer than normal. Ha. I mean, one book a week is nothing to sneeze at, but it’s a little odd for me. Hopefully, it’s just the holiday season. Maybe.

Book Finished

Title: Nine Perfect Strangers
Author: Liane Moriarty
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Published: 2018
Format: Hardcover
Rating: ★★★★☆

Plot Summary: Nine people, all of them strangers, arrive at a health resort for a ten-day retreat. They all come to the resort with their own baggage and own reasons for wanting to be there: for some, it’s to lose weight, for others, it’s to heal inner turmoil. But as their challenges get more unpredictable and outlandish, they all have to wonder if it’s all worth it.

My Thoughts: Oh, boy, I loved this book. There’s a subgenre in contemporary fiction of “rich people problems,” and for some reason, I love reading books about that. Even though their lives are vastly different than mine, their problems often seem universal. It’s universal to want love, to experience grief, to desire beauty, to want to be valued. And that’s what all of these guests were seeking. They were messy and difficult and downright unlikeable at times, but damn if that didn’t make them so human and enjoyable to read. As the novel progressed, the guests had to face more and more outlandish challenges that had them banding together and working as a team, and there was such beauty in that. It was a story about the lengths we’ll go to find inner peace and outward beauty, but also about what can happen when you open your heart up and let strangers in. It’s not a novel that will appeal to everyone, but it’s one I thoroughly enjoyed.

What I’m Reading This Week

  • Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin by Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin – I have only a few hours left in this book, so I’ll be finishing it early this week. It’s such a good read, but also so heartbreaking and infuriating.
  • A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole – I’m nearly done with this contemporary romance, and I am enjoying it so much. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a romance so much. It’s just sweet and fun and sexy, and it’s just what I need right now.
  • The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah – I started this novel over the weekend, and I’m only about 50 pages in. As expected, it’s slow to start off but I’m reading it in small chunks (50 pages at a time, then I switch over to my romance novel for 100-ish pages) for now.
  • Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis – I read this book back in 2011 (gave it three stars, eeps), but I never finished out the series and since I’m all out of new Jill Shalvis novels to read, I figured I’d just go through some of her older works. Hopefully, it’s good! I’ll be picking it up after I finish A Duke by Default.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (12.3.18)

Happy Monday, friends! We’re in the home stretch of 2018, and I’m in a weird place where I can’t believe this year is almost over while also realizing just how damn long this year was. It’s been a heavy year, and I’m not sorry to say goodbye to it.

This week, I finished two books and abandoned one. I’ve read 124 books for the year, and I’d love to end the year with 130. That’s only six books in four weeks – a doable goal for me.

Books Finished

Title: The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery
Author: Ian Morgan Cron, Suzanne Stabile
Genre: Nonfiction, Self-Help
Published: 2016
Format: Hardcover
Rating: ★★★★☆

Plot Summary: Ian Morgan Cron takes readers on a journey through the nine types of the Enneagram, a personality framework.

My Thoughts: I took my time with this book, reading one chapter a day, so it took me around two weeks to read it. I think that was the perfect way to consume this book, though. While I pretty much figured out my type in the introductory chapter, I read through each chapter of the types to make sure I was on the right track. I could see myself in some of the other types, most definitely, but once I got to my type’s chapter, I had to keep setting down the book because it was too real. There were sentences and paragraphs that explained me so well it was nearly painful. Ha. I’m planning to write a full post on my type and what it means for me going forward this week, so stay tuned! I highly recommend picking up this book if you’re a personality nerd like I am. (I will caution that it’s written from a Christian perspective, but it’s easy to skim the sections that are faith-based.)

Title: Starry Night
Author: Debbie Macomber
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: 2013
Format: Library e-book
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Plot Summary: Carrie must score an interview with notoriously reclusive author Finn Dalton in order to move away from writing the society page for her newspaper and into more serious topics. When she finds him, she finds a charismatic, lovable man and realizes she’s going to have to choose between her heart and her career.

My Thoughts: This was a sweet enough romance. It was a little on the cheesy side, especially towards the end. And I’m not sure how to say this without it sounding weird, but I was a little disappointed there wasn’t more, erm, action in the novel. There were some chaste kissing scenes, but that was about it. Maybe this is normal for Debbie Macomber, but man, I like a little sizzle with my romance. 😉 Still, it was a cute, Christmassy read to kick off my holiday romance binge.

Book Abandoned

Happily Ever Ninja by Penny Reid – I abandoned this contemporary romance at 62% because the plot was way too far-fetched for me to believe. Mind you, I often have to suspend a fair amount of belief when it comes to romance novels, but this one was so far out in left field. There was also a global conspiracy plot involving oil that was boring as hell, and it just wasn’t keeping my attention. Oh, but honestly the main reason I abandoned this novel was Greg, the hero, who was a straight-up asshole with very few redeeming qualities. There are enough assholes IRL; I don’t need to read about them in my romances.

What I’m Reading This Week

  • Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty – Oh, this book is bringing me so much joy. It’s delightful and fun and wacky, and the characters are so ridiculous (and pretty unlikeable, but that’s not bothering me so much). I still have a lot of the book left to read (I’m around 40% finished with it), but so far so good.
  • Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin by Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin – This is my nonfiction audiobook pick for December. I have heard amazing things, and I’m preparing myself for an onslaught of emotions. I may have to really pace myself between chapters, more so than I usually do for audiobooks, but I know it will be worth it.
  • A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole – I’ll be starting this contemporary romance sometime this week, in between pages of Nine Perfect Strangers. It had such a fun premise, and I can’t wait to give it a try.

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (11.26.18)

Happy Monday, my friends! I’m finally ready to bring back my “What I’m Reading” series. Yay! It’s been a long time since I last did this, but boy did I miss it.

Last week, I was off work for the holiday and it was a much-needed break. I did a lot of napping, watching episodes of Friends, and spending as much time as possible with my fur-brother Chip. And reading! I finished three books this week and the reviews are below:

Books Finished

Title: Now That You Mention It
Author: Kristan Higgins
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Published: 2017
Format: Library e-book
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Plot Summary: After being hit by a car and then breaking up with her long-time boyfriend, Nora takes a leave of absence from her job to spend a summer at home. She wants to reconnect with her mother and her teenage niece but finds that’s going to be a lot harder than she ever expected.

My Thoughts: Normally, I love a good Kristan Higgins novel. Her romances are usually light-hearted without falling into the chick-lit category. And while this book had all of that, there was also a level of fat-shaming that I found problematic and irresponsible. You can read my review on Goodreads for further detail on exactly the different types of fat-shaming the author felt necessary to include (oh yes, there were multiple instances of it), but it downgraded my review significantly. I just cannot abide by it anymore. I don’t care how funny or engaging your book is, there is no excuse for fat-shaming ever. And there is no place for it in the world of romance. Basically, Kristan Higgins is now forever on my “do not read” list, which sucks because the last book of hers I read was five stars. But I just cannot support authors who condone these behaviors.

Title: No One Tells You This
Author: Glynnis MacNicol
Genre: Memoir
Published: 2018
Format: Library hardcover
Rating: ★★★★☆

Plot Summary: “If the story doesn’t end with marriage or a child, what then?” is a question that plagued Glynnis MacNicol on the eve of her fortieth birthday. She’s single and childless, two statuses that often come with a level of pity from other people. Over the course of the year, Glynnis is going to figure out exactly what it means to live life on her own terms.

My Thoughts: Oh, how I loved this book! We need more stories from single women who are forging a new, completely different path than what is traditionally defined in our culture. I felt a kindred spirit in Glynnis and even though there were many parts of her story that made me sad (during the year she documents, her mother’s health declines rapidly and she has to go into a nursing home), this story was still uplifting, hopeful, and made me feel better about my chronically single status. I think what really pulled this book together was not only that Glynnis was single and happy with that status, but that she was not always happy with it. There were times when she is deeply vulnerable about wanting a partner and not wanting to be alone. Of recognizing what a couple-centric society we live in, and how much easier the world can be to navigate for those with partners. There was something so human and beautiful in that acknowledgment. Also, Glynnis’s writing is exquisite and she had so many turns of phrases that I had to sit with and soak in.

“[I]t was a truth universally acknowledged that by age forty I was supposed to have a certain kind of life, one that, whatever else it might involve, included a partner and babies. Having acquired neither of these, it was nearly impossible, no matter how smart, educated, or lucky I was, not to conclude that I had officially become the wrong answer to the question of what made a woman’s life worth living. If this story wasn’t going to end with a marriage or a child, what then? Could it even be called a story?”

Title: The High Season
Author: Judy Blundell
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Published: 2018
Format: Library audiobook
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Plot Summary: Every summer, Ruthie, her teenage daughter Jem, and her ex-husband Mike have to pack up their belongings and give up their home during the summer. It’s the only way to afford the house, which is Ruthie’s pride and joy, so she does what she must to keep it. This summer, though, things are going to get a little crazy when the elegant and popular Adeline Clay arrives and sets their seaside village ablaze.

My Thoughts: So, I listened to this book on audio and there were pros and cons to that. On the pros side, this is a slow-moving story that is more character-driven than plot-driven, which always works better for me on audio since I can dip in and out of it. On the cons, though, was that the story could feel boring and meandering at times and it took me forever to figure out who was who. There were so many different characters and it was hard to understand their significance to the overarching plot until further into the story. All in all, though, it was a well-written story that had a lot to say about privilege, love, divorce, art, and the messiness that accompanies being both a teenager and an adult.

What I’m Reading This Week

  • The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile – I’m reading one chapter a day of this book and I think that’s the perfect way to consume a book like this. Each chapter throws a lot of information at you, so it’s really not one to breeze through quickly. I’ll finish it this week, and hopefully, I’ll be able to figure out what my Enneagram number is when I finish it!
  • Happily Ever Ninja by Penny Reid – I’m a quarter of the way through this novel. Since the main characters in this romance are married, it’s not a typical romance. But that’s par for the course with Penny Reid! She’s not a typical romance writer. 😉 It’s engaging so far, but I have no idea where it’s going yet!
  • Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty – I picked this from Book of the Month for November, and I was stoked. Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite authors and I’m looking forward to reading this novel.
  • Starry Night by Debbie Macomber – Even though I’m a voracious romance reader, I don’t tend to read too many Christmassy romances during the holiday season. Well, this year, I’m changing that. I mean, I love a good Hallmark Christmas movie, so why not the same thing in book form? I’m starting my binge with this one by Debbie Macomber, which sounds delightful!

What are you reading?

Categories: Books

What I’m Reading (10.15.18)

Happy Monday! This weekend was quite the crazy one. I was on the go all day Friday between a lunch date, a therapy appointment, Chip duties, and a writing date. Saturday was my friend’s bachelorette party. And Sunday was a day for relaxing at my mom’s watching football. I’m feeling a wee bit overstimulated between my crazy weekend and having a really stressful week at work, so I gave myself a four-day weekend this week, which I am very much looking forward to.

But enough about that – let’s get into my week in books. I finished two books this week and both were just okay reads. That’s what I get after reading two 5-star books in a row!

Books Read

Title: The Book of Unknown Americans
Author: Cristina Henriquez
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Published: 2014
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Plot Summary: This is the story of what it’s truly like to be an immigrant in today’s America, centered around two young teenagers, Maribel and Mayor, who fall in love.

My Thoughts: I was excited to read this book, given the many positive reviews I’ve read of it, but unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me. I didn’t believe in the romance between Mayor and Maribel (and maybe that’s because we never got Maribel’s side of the story, which I think could have made this book a much stronger read). The book gives us many different perspectives, switching between Mayor and Maribel’s mother, Alma, as well as biographies of different immigrants in Mayor and Maribel’s community. With all those different perspectives, the book felt disjointed to me and the writing flat. I also strongly disliked the ending. It took this weird soap opera-like turn that felt forced, and it further cemented my less-than-positive feelings about this book. However, all that said, my opinion is in the minority. Most people love this book and perhaps you will, too. What I did like about this book is that it gave a humanistic feel to the immigrant struggle. And that’s something we all need to remember at all times. Immigrants are coming to America to find a better life and they deserve our support and love and help. It’s not an easy thing to do, to leave your home and everything that’s familiar in the hope that your children will have a better future.

Title: I Knew You Were Trouble
Author: Lauren Layne
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: 2017
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Plot Summary: After Taylor’s boyfriend breaks up with her the day they are scheduled to move in together, she needs a roommate and needs one fast. Enter Nick – her enemy coworker who is also looking for a new place.

My Thoughts: This is the fourth book in Layne’s Oxford series, which is a spinoff of her Sex, Love & Stiletto’s series, making it essentially the eighth book in this series. And… I think she’s running out of ideas. The first couple of books in this series were phenomenal – so fun and with great characters. But there was something about this book that felt forced. Taylor wasn’t a character I could necessarily relate to, and not that I always need to relate to my romance heroines, but I should want to befriend them, and I don’t think I would get along with Taylor. Nick as a character was fine, but a little bland. As for the plot, it was fine. I was engaged and liked where everything was going… up until the end when the author threw in a crazy plot twist that wasn’t necessary. Ah, well. There is one more book in this series, and you know I’m going to read it, but I’m hoping that wraps up Oxford. I think it’s time to move on!

What I’m Reading This Week

  • Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis – I have less than 100 pages to go in this fun contemporary romance, and it’s everything I expect from a Jill Shalvis novel. It’s funny and light-hearted but also moving and heartfelt. Jill Shalvis has become an auto-buy author for me, as I’m now pre-ordering every time she announces a new book.
  • A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas – This novel is such a delight! I am truly enjoying my time with these characters, even though I was super confused by the first few chapters since a bunch of characters were introduced and I had no idea what to make of them. (Eventually, once I got my bearings with the novel, I went back and reread those chapters with a much clearer picture.)
  • Other People’s Houses by Abbi Waxman – My fiction audiobook pick for October, and I am seriously excited to start listening to this novel. I loved, loved, loved The Garden of Small Beginnings from this author and I hope her follow-up novel is just as delightful and funny.
  • In Skates Trouble by Kate Meader – My romance pick for the week! This is the first romance I’m reading from Kate Meader, and the e-book was free to buy, so I’m going into it with low expectations.

What are you reading?