Happy Monday! If you’re reading this in Feedly or another feed reader, you’ll want to click through to see my brand-new blog design! Yay! I’m so happy with it and it feels like the perfect change. And it was only $20! (I used HelloYayDesign and was really impressed with how thorough the installation instructions were. Plus, she edited the blog header for me for free!)
Last week, I finished two books so it was a much lighter reading week than last week, haha, but finishing six books in a week was crazy. Here are my reviews:
Circling the Sun by Paula McLain (★★★★☆)
One-sentence synopsis: A fictionalized account of the life of Beryl Markham, a celebrated horse trainer and the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic.
I really enjoyed this book! While I expected to read more about her journey to becoming an aviator, it was mostly about her teenage years, her tumultuous twenties, and her horse training career. I loved Beryl so very much. She’s an unconventional woman who makes a lot of terrible mistakes with men, as many women in their twenties are wont to do. I loved the setting of this novel (it mostly takes place in Nairobi) and all of the eclectic characters. I would definitely recommend this book, and just about everything Paula McLain writes. I love her writing!
The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez (★★☆☆☆)
One-sentence synopsis: The attraction between Kristen and Josh grows stronger every day, but it can’t go anywhere because Josh wants a big family and Kristen can’t have children.
Ugh, this book. It’s like the author was trying to fit as many problematic elements into one novel. First, there’s the idea that Kristen is “not like the other girls,” something Josh explicitly states early in the novel. She’s a cool girl, ya know! She’s crass and sarcastic and looooves eating. Ugh. Second, there’s the infertility plotline. I loved how honest this book was about periods and infertility, but I hated how much shame Kristen had about her condition and upcoming hysterectomy. I really wish the author had taken a different tactic with this—it honestly didn’t fit Kristen’s personality to be so ashamed of her malfunctioning uterus. I know that can lead to sooo many complicated feelings, but none of those were fully explored. Most of the novel is about Josh wanting to be in a relationship with Kristen and her going hot and cold on him again and again, and I was so frustrated by her. I just wanted her to tell him why she didn’t want to commit! Be honest! The plot device of one character keeping a huge secret from another character is my least favorite, and it was particularly brutal in this novel. I also want to caution sensitive readers because the novel takes a complete left turn about three-quarters of the way in that I wasn’t expecting and it made a previously light-hearted novel feel heavy and tragic. Not what I expect from my romance novels! Anyway, as you can probably tell, this isn’t a book I would recommend but I’m willing to give the author a second shot. I hear her next book is better.
What I’m Reading This Week
- The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas (audio) – I’m at the halfway point of this mystery and, as always, I’m enjoying it so very much. I just love all of the characters!
- Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue (print) – I have about 100 pages left in this novel and I’m enjoying it okay, but not nearly as much as I expected to. But maybe those last 100 pages will change my mind!
- To Love and to Cherish by Lauren Layne (e-book) – This romance about a wedding planner is giving me all of the happy feels, which I need after finishing The Friend Zone.
- The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes (print) – Once I finish Behold the Dreamers, I’m going to start this novel. The ladies on The Girl Next Door podcast chose it for their quarterly book discussion, and I always like listening to their thoughts! (I am aware of the plagiarism controversy with The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson, which I’ll admit I’m skeptical about given the release date of these two books. But I plan to read Book Woman as well and come to my own conclusion!)
What are you reading?
Love the new blog design!!!!
Love the new design! It’s so pretty!!
I will take The Friend Zone off my request list. Thanks for the honest review! I finished “Love Lettering” over the weekend which was a cute romance novel that was on the MMD SRG. I’ve been reading lots of light books as I need something light/happy. Now I am reading “Miracles and Other Reasonable Things” by Sarah Bessey. She’s a Christian author and it’s about her struggles with her faith after getting into a major car accident that resulted in chronic pain. I’ve heard good things about it so hopefully I will enjoy it. I’ve been struggling a bit with my faith lately. Seeing so many Christians support Trump has made me question the authenticity of Christianity. I just struggle to see how a Christian could support Trump. Yes, he’s allegedly “pro-life” but so many of his policies are not pro all life and he’s such an evil person who makes horrible comments. I know I should be able to separate religion and politics but it’s hard to right now… so I am hoping this book gives me some inspiration, relights my fire for Christianity/my Catholic faith.
The new design looks great! Isn’t it refreshing to have that done?! ahh.
OMG that second book sounds horrible. Gah x a million. I hate the “she’s different because she speaks her mind and likes food.” Eyeroll. And just from that description I would also think she would be so shameful. I really hate movies where you are waiting for a lie to be revealed. HATE them. For some reason I can handle it better in books but this one sounds like garbage.
I heard Lock Every Door is hella scary! Can’t wait to hear what you think when you read it! I have The Vanishing Half and Untamed in my Libby holds list 🙂
I just finished The Glass Hotel and am going to start The Perfect Wife today!