May 2021 Reads

May 31, 2021 by Haley Burrill in Books

You know what? May is a really long month. Like a lot of stuff happened recently, and in my head, I’m like, “oh yeah, that definitely happened in April, right?”

Nope. It was May.

It also starts during Taurus season and ends in Gemini season. So, that in itself is a wild transition to go through in the span of just one month.

Anyway, I read a bunch in the last 31 days and wrote out all of my thoughts for you to consider before picking up any of the said books.

I’m TRYING to keep my reviews shorter, but if you’ve ever heard me try to tell a “quick” story in-person then you know how hard this is for me. :’)

All righty, here we go!

*All summaries are taken or paraphrased from Goodreads.

START WITH WHY by Simon Sinek

Rating: 2/5 stars

Summary: In studying the leaders who’ve had the greatest influence in the world, Simon Sinek discovered that they all think, act, and communicate in the exact same way - and it’s the complete opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be led, and people can be inspired. And it all starts with WHY.

My Thoughts: I had to read this book for work, and I have to preface this review by saying, I’m not a non-fiction type of gal. I’ve seen Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle TED Talk more times than I can count, and is it a solid presentation? Yeah, for sure. Is there enough material there to extend it into a book? Absolutely not. Though there were a few key points I took from the book, this honestly could have been 100 pages shorter. It was extremely repetitive, pretty dry, and hard for me to get through because it honestly just didn’t keep my interest. I’m sure if you’re the “read to learn” type of person who usually enjoys books like this, then you’d appreciate it. I’m just not that person and that is WHY this book was not my jam lol.

NAMESAKE by Adrienne Young

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Summary: With the Marigold ship free of her father, Fable and the rest of the crew were set to start over. That freedom is short-lived when Fable becomes a pawn in a notorious thug’s scheme. In order to get to her intended destination, she must help him to secure a partnership with Holland, a powerful gem trader who is more than she seems. As Fable descends deeper into a world of betrayal and deception, she learns that the secrets her mother took to her grave are now putting the people Fable cares about in danger. If Fable is going to save them, then she must risk everything - including the boy she loves and the home she has finally found.

My Thoughts: Similar to the first book in this duology, Namesake uses incredible imagery that amplifies and illustrates this sun-kissed, sea-misted world perfectly. It gave us all the bright and colorful descriptions we know and love, so that it feels like you’re on the ship with the crew or walking through a gem encrusted palace. A lot more tea was spilled in this book - figuratively and literally. In Fable, the author provided a small glimpse into each of the characters’ origin stories, but Namesake truly cracked open the family albums like embarrassing parents on a bad first date and allowed us to dive deep into each person’s history. I do wish the secondary characters such as Willa, Paj, Auster, etc. had gotten more page time because they provided a lot of depth to the story in Fable, but at least we saw a different side to Koy, who had previously left us with the impression that he was just a bloodthirsty jerk. My other critique is that this book wasn’t as eventful, and there were some scenes that felt as though something BIG was about to happen, and then they just fizzled out. West’s and Fable’s romance storyline was a lot more straightforward, which I appreciated, and though the ending felt kind of rushed, I was extremely pleased with it. Overall, I think if you enjoyed Fable, then you will appreciate Namesake!

JOSH AND HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING by Christina Lauren

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take - and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter means she’ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She’s a good soul in search of honest fun. Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air. Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them, right?

My Thoughts: This was the cutest book I’ve read in a while and I was absolutely smitten. It was the perfect blend of mildly cheesy parts, borderline saccharine interactions, and comedic moments that had me grinning like a doofus. Starting with Hazel, her whimsical, free-flowing spirit was excessive, benevolent, and perfect. I absolutely loved her character and think we all need someone like this in our lives to remind us not to take anything too seriously and appreciate being authentically ourselves. Josh’s character was calm, grounded, warm, generous and the perfect balance to Hazel. I thoroughly adored and enjoyed watching them go from college acquaintances to mutual friends via Josh’s sister to best friends to something a little more. The entire experience of this book was incredibly heartwarming - especially being buckled into the ride that is Hazel and Josh learning they may not be the perfect fit for everybody, but they’re perfect for each other :’). Plus there were a couple of v hot scenes sprinkled throughout, so it’s not all just “cute” lol. If you’re looking for a quick, fun romance read, this would be my recommendation for sure!

TW: I do want to note a potential trigger warning of emotional abuse. It’s not talked about outright, but through the explanation about one of Hazel’s previous relationships, it’s clear that she was being manipulated.

AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Summary: Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Empire risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the impoverished backstreets and do not dare to challenge the Empire.

When Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, she is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier - and secretly, it’s most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize their destinies are intertwined - and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

My Thoughts: This was so different from other books that I’ve read, and definitely kept me on my toes. It was the perfect mixture of action-packed battle scenes, thoughtful emotion-provoking events, and varying perspectives that make you continuously question where everyone’s motives lie. That said, this book is pretty dark and stress-invoking - especially, in relation to the military academy - depicted through blatant cruelty, violence, and brutality towards slaves/Scholars and defecting students. There were a few times I found myself wanting to “cover my eyes” like if I was watching a scary movie during a suspenseful scene lol. The main characters had a great connection and are easy to root for. However, I definitely liked Elias a little more than Laia. I understand Laia had to blindly put her trust in the Resistance to get her brother out of prison, but she made some decisions that put me ON EDGE a few times and she is literally the worst spy ever lol. Elias just had a really genuine innocence and benevolence about him. Even as he’s cutting people down with swords, his internal conflicts about it made him so much more human and warm than the character he’s supposed to be. If that makes sense? The only reason I didn’t give this book 5 stars is because it’s randomly revealed that a second-tier character has a magical power. But, like, that was it lol. The author didn’t unpack that any further. We don’t get to know why she has it or how she got it or if any of the other characters have similar gifts - the story just keeps on pushing after that quick plot detour. So, I’m hoping there’s more explanation and insight into that discovery in the next book because I’m definitely going to continue with this series!

Trigger warning: rape is mentioned a bit in this book.

REBECCA by Daphne Du Maurier

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Summary: The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady’s maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives - presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave.

My Thoughts: The last time I read a book in the classics genre, I was in high school. So, I wasn’t confident in how much I was going to like this one, but was pleasantly surprised! Though it took me about 30ish pages to get into, I was really impressed with the contemporary writing style. There was definitely still the essence of it being written in the 1930s and the dialogue was a little ridiculous - like I was literally lolling at how absurd some of it was - but, overall it was easy to read. Unaware of what this book was about going into it (lol), I was tempted to put it down a couple of times because I couldn’t figure out where it was going and felt like I was just wandering aimlessly around Manderley, but after the author threw in a couple of creepy scenes and unexpected plot twists, I was invested. I also found it extremely impressive that she never used the main character’s first name. All in all, I enjoyed this book and recommend it if you’ve been considering branching out from your usual genres and want to dabble in the classics.

LOVE FROM A to Z by S.K. Ali

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: When Zayneb gets suspended for confronting her Islamophobic teacher, and he starts investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar for an early spring break. She resolves to try out a “nicer” version of herself in a place where no one knows her.

Then her path crosses with Adam’s. Since he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the fall, Adam stopped going to classes with the intention of keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister and keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving father.

Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals until a marvel and an oddity occurs: Adam and Zayneb meeting.

My Thoughts: This was an absolutely lovely book and a much-needed narrative. I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never read a book that centers around Muslim characters, and after reading other Goodreads reviews, I realize how few and far between books like this are. This book expanded my understanding of Islam in general, the microaggressions people of that religious community face every day, the significance of Hijabs, and more. It was cool to see that the main characters, Adam and Zayneb, had different levels of religious practice and backgrounds. Zayneb was raised in a Muslim family, she wears a hijab, attends prayer at the Mosque occasionally, and her parents are more relaxed when it comes to the traditional rules for their daughters to date. Whereas Adam converted to Islam when he was nine after his mother passed away, he practices the daily prayers and attends service at the Mosque every week, and his dad is also laid back when it comes to dating. The love story of this book was cute, but I wasn’t as fully connected to it as I was to the educational aspect of this narrative. In addition to the meet-cute romance and learning portion, the storyline involving Adam’s multiple sclerosis hit close to home as someone in my family has that disease and it can be very scary. There really wasn’t anything to dislike about this book, however, there were a couple of areas where the writing style felt mildly choppy or staccato (?), I guess, would be the best way to put it. Overall, I highly recommend this read to everyone. Periodt.

TW: Islamophobia, racist micro-aggressions, cultural appropriation, death of family members, and war/victims of war.

LAST NIGHT AT THE TELEGRAPH CLUB by Malinda Lo

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club. America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father - despite his hard-won citizenship - Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.

My Thoughts: This book was an absolute delight, and will definitely hit you in the heart and feels. This was ultimately a coming of age story about seventeen-year-old Lily Hu who is navigating her sexuality in 1950s San Francisco Chinatown. I loved how easy it was to connect with the main characters, Lily and Kath. They felt genuine and innocent at their core which made it extremely satisfying when their rebelliousness came out as they took risks to follow their hearts. The various glimpses into the past that we get from other characters’ perspectives throughout the book added the perfect amount of depth to understanding Lily’s family dynamics and melding together the overall story. The plot is pretty straightforward, but with so many different themes woven into this novel, it was hard to put down. Definitely recommend this book!

YOU SHOULD SEE ME IN A CROWN by Leah Johnson

Rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars

Summary: Liz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it’s okay - she’s got a plan to get out of Campbell, Indiana forever: attend Pennington College, play in their orchestra and become a doctor. When the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, she’s reminded of her school’s scholarship for prom queen. There’s nothing Liz wants to do less than endure the social media trolls and catty competitions, but despite her fear of the spotlight she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington. The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack, who is also running for queen. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams or make them come true?

My Thoughts: I recently realized there are a bunch of audiobooks available on Spotify and being a novice to them, I figured I’d give it a try. This was a very cute, “rooting for the underdog” type of story. Though the plot was pretty predictable, it was still enjoyable. Liz’s character development was probably my favorite thing about this book. At the start, she’s quiet, keeps to herself, and is struggling with anxiety. Over the course of the story, she becomes confident in who she is and isn’t afraid to take up space that originally wasn’t available to her in this podunk town. Plus, as she grows, so do the relationships with those around her. I absolutely loved watching Liz rediscover her friendship with Jordan (he is just the most genuine soul <3) and watching her fall in love with Amanda (who is definitely cooler than me). There are your fair share of awkward, teenage, cringe-worthy moments, but empathizing with secondhand embarrassment is good for the soul, right? Overall, I really enjoyed this book and all of the messages the author layered throughout. My only critique, and this is just because it’s my first audiobook experience, I don’t think I was as invested as I would’ve been had I been reading it. The narrator (Alaska Jackson) did a phenomenal job, but I wasn’t motivated to listen to this every time I put my earbuds in, yanno?

THE EMPRESS OF SALT AND FORTUNE by Nghi Vo

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Summary: A young royal from the far north, In-yo, is sent south for a political marriage in an empire reminiscent of imperial China. She has few resources, fewer friends and has to choose her allies carefully as she plans her enemies’ demise while in exile. Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace to pay a debt, befriends the emperor’s lonely new wife and gets more than she bargained for.

My Thoughts: “Angry mothers raise daughters fierce enough to fight wolves. I am not worried for her in the least.” Can I get a “yussss”? This 120-page gem was the perfect mix of feminism and fantasy and we were here for it. We follow a non-binary cleric named Chi and their bird (it’s a hoopooe, but like Google that and it’s a bird) named Almost Brilliant (I’d be mildly offended, but like ok?) who are trying to learn as much as they can about the previous empress’s experience in exile from a former handmaiden, Rabbit. To keep it brief, the empress is a badass who shows her enemies what she’s made of, and the power she can muster in the middle of nowhere. This was a beautiful book about resilient and rebellious women, dripped in feminism and mythology, sprinkled with a cast of queer characters and topped off with a delightful storytelling experience. :) The only thing that threw me off was the riddle-ish writing. I got used to it, but it took a minute.

THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END by Adam Silvera

Rating: 3.8/5 stars

Summary: A little after midnight, Death-Cast calls Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio to give them some bad news: They’re going to die today. Though they are complete strangers, for different reasons, they’re both looking to make a new friend on their End Day. The good news: there’s an app for that. It’s called the Last Friend, and through it, Rufus and Mateo are about to meet up for one last great adventure - to live a lifetime in a single day.

My Thoughts: LOL. This book was different to say the least, and boy did it prove me wrong in my assumptions of where the plotline was leading. Though I didn’t connect to the characters until I was about 45% into the book, the premise of this story kept me interested enough to get me there. The main takeaways were perfectly illustrated through the character developments of Mateo and Rufus - i.e. living without fear or regret, letting go of what you can’t control, focusing on all the good around you, and finding the beauty in the unplanned or unexpected turns in life. The blooming friendship to romance between the two main characters was v cute and an endearing part of an otherwise mildly morbid novel. It was kind of slow at parts that made the experience mildly meh, but there also were some plot twists towards the end that I didn't see coming - specifically, how their last day ends lol. I didn’t get emotionally wrecked by this book (as I’ve seen many people say they were in other reviews), and if you’re not big on the writing format of constantly changing POVs, then this probs isn’t for you. Otherwise, I’d say it’s worth the read if it has piqued your interest.

THE INHERITANCE GAMES by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into a sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man’s touch - and his love of puzzles, riddles and codes. Unfortunately, the House is also occupied by the family that Tobias just dispossessed. Including the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation they would one day inherit billions. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

My Thoughts: The best way I can describe this book is that it’s like if Gossip Girl and Knives Out had a baby. I thoroughly enjoyed trying to figure out the riddles and mysteries that are Avery’s connection to Tobias Hawthorne. Admittedly, I don’t read a ton of mystery novels, but there was not one moment while reading this book that I thought I had it all figured out. Avery, the main character, was a strong lead to this story, but I think the four Hawthorne grandsons are what made it interesting. Their personalities are so contrasting to one another, and the brotherly-love dynamics truly served us some dramatics to say the least. If you like the sound of “unsupervised rich kids solving a mega rich grandfather’s last twisted riddle” and are looking for a quick read, then I highly recommend this for you. :) The sequel doesn’t come out until September, but I am definitely planning to get my hands on it!

2021 Book Count: 40 down, 15 to go.

Add me on Goodreads if you haven’t already!

YOUR TURN! Let me know in the comments below what books you’re planning to read this summer. :)

April 2021 Reads

May 02, 2021 by Haley Burrill in Books

April was a weird month. One day it was the first week of April and the next, we’re sliding into May.

Hopefully, the one freak snowstorm we got was the last blip of surprise winter weather we’ll see this spring.

In other news, I got a new couch at the beginning of April and it has completely transformed my space. It’s also a PRIME spot to cozy up with a book - which I clearly took advantage of by reading nine books this month. :)

So let’s get to it!

*All summaries are taken or paraphrased from Goodreads.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS by Kevin Kwan

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might marry one day. What she doesn’t know is that Nick’s family home happens to look like a palace, that she’ll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia’s most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back.

Crazy Rich Asians is an insider’s look at Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.

My Thoughts: I saw the Crazy Rich Asians movie in 2018 and remember walking out of the theater thoroughly satisfied, but I also must admit that it has been a few years since I’ve seen it and honestly can only recall bits and pieces of it. So, though I saw the movie before reading the book, it didn’t skew my opinion. This book was a WILD ride across the board. For starters, I truly enjoyed learning more about the Singapore and Chinese lifestyles, values, traditions, and more via all of the cultural references the author includes throughout the chapters. It was interesting to see how, although most families living in Singapore originated in China, there are specific differences that separate the countries. For example the language dialects - Hokkien, Mandarian, and Cantonese. As for the actual story, I thought it was incredible how many characters were included in this narrative, and each of the main characters had a distinct personality that added to the experience. I did feel like this also made the book a little difficult to put down and pick up because if it was a secondary character’s POV all of a sudden, I had to keep going back to the family tree diagram provided in the front of the book to remember who this specific person was and how he or she contributed to the overall story. Similarly, the author made it easy for me to develop closer relationships with the main characters, but everyone else I was kind of indifferent towards - except Peik Lin, Rachel Chu’s best friend. She’s the best lol. Overall, this was a great book and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for something with a lot of layers to it.

RIOT BABY by Tochi Onyebuchi

Rating: 3.8/5 stars

Summary: Ella and Kev are brother and sister, both gifted with extraordinary power. Their childhoods are defined and destroyed by structural racism and brutality. Their futures might alter the world. When Kev is incarcerated for the crime of being a young Black man in America, Ella - through visits both mundane and supernatural - tries to show him the way to a revolution that could burn it all down.

My Thoughts: This was a really thought provoking novella depicting not only the structural racism in America but also the detrimental effects on people’s lives who experience police brutality. The book primarily follows Kev who was born during the 1992 Los Angeles riots after the police officers who savagely beat Rodney King were acquitted. Starting from his childhood through his adult years - which are primarily spent in prison - Kev’s story takes place in the present to show that his life and the way it panned out was basically planned before he was even born. Alongside Kev’s story, we get glimpses from his older sister, Ella’s, perspective as she learns to control her supernatural powers in the past and future. Their sibling bond is really strong which was an endearing part of this otherwise heart squeezing narrative. I liked that this was a true blend of sci-fi and fantasy portrayed in everything from Ella’s powers to government drones surveying cities in the future, and how powerfully the author illustrated his message about police brutality. Overall, this book packs a powerful punch in just 176 pages if you’re looking for a quick, meaningful read.

CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Tomi Adeyemi

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Zelie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orisha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Riders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zelie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zelie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zelie must outwit and outrun the crown price, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orisha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zelie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

My Thoughts: This was definitely a Bookstagram-influenced borrow from the library, and thankfully, it didn’t fall short of its hype! Children of Blood and Bone takes you on a v eventful trek to save magic from a tyrant king whose life mission is to rid the world of magic forever. In an early twist, the person who ignites the journey to save magic is the princess. The world building was phenomenal in this action-packed African folklore-inspired fantasy and really helped with the imagery. The main characters - Zelie, Amari, Tzain, and Inan - were rich in their own personalities and complemented each other so well - even during the character development. My only critique is that it was a pretty predictable storyline that’s accompanied by its enemies to lovers trope. It wasn’t hard to see which characters were going to develop a flame as well as how the book was going to pan out. There was a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming, but it was unclear if it was meant to be a cliffhanger or not. This was a great read if you’re looking for some adventure!

THE ASTONISHING COLOR OF AFTER by Emily X.R. Pan

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Leigh Chen Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: when her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird. When she travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time, she is determined to find her mother, the bird. In her search, she winds up chasing after ghosts, uncovering family secrets, and forging a new relationship with her grandparents. And as she grieves, she must try to reconcile the fact that on the same day she kissed her best friend and longtime secret crush, Axel, her mother was taking her own life.

Alternating between real and magic, present and past, friendship and romance, hope and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a novel about finding oneself through family history, art, grief, and love.

My Thoughts: This was a beautiful book that will grab your heart, squeeze all the feels out of it and then put it back full again. At first, it kind of reminded me of I’ll Give You the Sun in the way the author uses art (in this case, a variety of colors) to help express the main character, Leigh’s, emotions. After her mom commits suicide though, the use of colors to express her emotions becomes a little lost because she falls into a dark place. What I really appreciated about this book is how the author virtually makes you take Leigh’s hand as she works through her grieving process, and comes to terms with her various internal battles that she could’ve done something to prevent this tragic event. Even as Leigh is learning more about her mother’s life in Taiwan by spending time with her grandmother, you can feel her slowly becoming more at-peace that her mother was sick long before they knew something was wrong. There was also something very satisfying about Leigh also processing her feelings for her best friend, Axel. It was almost like an anchor of familiarity and warmth while she experienced this cold, grieving time. Aside from the book’s narrative, it was also interesting to learn more about the Taiwanese culture through her experiences visiting all of her mother’s favorite places. Overall, I thought this was a really touching book, but please be conscious of the following trigger warnings before reading it: suicide, depression, loss of a loved one, grief, abandonment, racial slurs, and mention of electroconvulsive therapy.

SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee, Alina Starkov, who has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life - a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha and the secrets of her heart.

My Thoughts: This has been on my list of books to read for a while, but it was promoted to being a priority read this month because Netflix released their Shadow and Bone series on April 23rd and I wanted to read at least the first book before watching the show lol. As this is the first in the Shadow and Bone trilogy, I think the author did a solid job with fantasy world-building. It was seamlessly intertwined with the actual storyline and it didn’t overshadow the character development - which some fantasy novels tend to do. It was interesting watching Alina go through a mild identity crisis once her power is discovered because she’s never felt like she belonged anywhere. Even as a child, she was an orphan, so she never truly had a home. With the discovery of her power and her launch to stardom essentially, she begins to drink in that she finally has a place in the world as the Sun Summoner of the Grisha. Of course, this naivety also ends up being her character flaw, but she’s trying her best and that’s all that matters, right? Also really liked The Darkling’s character in this book because he’s basically the most powerful Grisha and one of a kind at that, but there’s still so much we don’t know about him and I’m dying to learn more. The only character I couldn’t decide if I liked or not was Alina’s childhood friend, Mal. He’s hot then cold, yes then no - Katy Perry. By the end of this book, I was definitely excited to see what else this trilogy has to offer! Highly recommended if you’re looking for an adventurous escape from reality for a bit.

SIX OF CROWS by Leigh Bardugo

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price - and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams, but he can’t pull it off alone - a convict with a thirst for revenge, a sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager, a runaway with a privileged past, a spy known as the Wraith, a Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums, and a thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world of destruction - if they don’t kill each other first.

My Thoughts: Okay, so I read Six of Crows because I heard some characters from this book will appear in the Shadow and Bone Netflix show since the series kind of overlap a little bit. I went into this book not knowing anything about it, and was pleasantly surprised. For starters, the storyline was an absolute delight because it’s definitely different from almost all of the other fantasy books I’ve read recently. I’m also a big fan of scrappy gang/mafia narratives - like Peaky Blinders - so, I was about it. The heist that this misfit gang is offered seems absolutely absurd, so of course they accept the challenge. The dynamics in this gang of misfits meld them perfectly together and each person’s strength is an asset to the success of this virtually impossible operation. What I really appreciated about this book was that the author allowed you to get to know each character more intimately, which enhanced my experience from everyone’s POV, and made me love them on an individual level. I do recommend reading at least the first book in the Shadow and Bone trilogy though before jumping into Six of Crows because although the author kind of gives a summary of the Grisha Verse world in this book, she provides much more world-building and details about everything in Shadow and Bone. This book absolutely charmed my heart in a way I cannot explain and I cannot wait to dive into the next one!

SIEGE AND STORM by Leigh Bardugo

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary: Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darklings’ game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her - or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

My Thoughts: In an attempt to read the entire Shadow and Bone trilogy before starting the Netflix series, I binge read this book in one day. Which I think may have caused me to be more critical of it because my nose was in this book for like 6 hours straight lol. The pace of the book started off pretty strong with the Darkling abducting Alina and Mal from Ketterdam to hunt a mythical sea serpent. However, that quicker pace only lasted through like the first 40% of the book and then it just felt kind of slow until the last 100 pages or so. As the second book in the trilogy though, Siege and Storm was clearly a bridging book, so it was more focused on weaving key details into the plot to set us up for the third book than it was on creating exciting, action-packed scenes. I found the main character, Alina, to be a little annoying because she was being so reckless with some of her decisions. That’s pretty common to include in a character’s development when they’re young and “just discovering their true power,” and clearly, the author wanted you to feel Alina’s imposter syndrome while she found her voice as a leader. However, it was no less irritating when you want to be rooting for her, but she keeps making dumb choices. To top that off, her childhood friend/love interest, Mal, was also going through some shaky character development too, so it was just a shit show in some parts. On a positive character-related note, I really enjoyed all of the new people that were introduced in this book such as the Grisha pirate twins, Tolya and Taran, and the rogue prince/privateer, Nikolai. They added just enough spice and dynamic to the book, so that the characters you’ve been with since the beginning didn’t get stale. The plot twist related to the Morozova (the OG Grisha) amplifiers wasn’t necessarily predictable, but where the trilogy is headed after the discovery of these amplifiers was v clear - even if the characters didn’t announce it right away. Obviously, if you’re reading the Shadow and Bone trilogy, then I still encourage you to read this book, but it was definitely more low-key than the first.

RUIN AND RISING by Leigh Bardugo

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne, and now the nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army. A weakened Alina must submit to the protection of the Apprat and zealots who worship her as a Saint, but her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova’s amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling’s secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction - and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

My Thoughts: Yay for this series ending on a stronger note than I was expecting after its very underwhelming second book! Like the broken record that I am, I binge read this book the day after reading Siege and Storm because, why not? Ruin and Rising came in hot serving up some well-deserved, constructive character developments across the board, as well as some plot thickeners that would make chili hard to stir. Seriously though, it was very refreshing to see Mal take accountability for his actions and become the dependable character we’ve all had the expectations for him to be. His specific storyline took a turn that I did NOT see coming, so that was an exciting piece of the puzzle to find. My fave boy, Nikolai, returned right when he was needed and also experienced a change of events that were quite unexpected. Alina, Miss Sun Summoner, stopped being annoying and started making moves towards being the game changer/world saver Ravka needed her to be. The Darkling stayed conniving, became a little more ruthless, but still had those “I’m just looking for someone to understand me” vibes. My favorite thing about this book though was it had the perfect mix of action-packed events and slower, emotion-provoking scenes - it kept the reading pace steady and refreshing. The author also made sure to tie up all of the loose ends of details we were missing, and they fit perfectly, although very unexpectedly, into this book - I will say though, they basically reveal these plot points pretty early in the TV adaption, so if you watch that first before reading these books, those details will probs be anti-climactic lol. Overall, I was satisfied and fulfilled with how this book ended the series!

PACHINKO by Min Jin Lee

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger at the seashore near her home in Korea. He promises her the world, but when she discovers she’s pregnant - and that her lover is married - she refuses to be bought. Instead, she accepts a marriage offer from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan. But her decision to abandon her home, and to reject her son’s powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through generations.

My Thoughts: I honestly have never dubbed myself as a fan of historical fiction, but it’s books like Pachinko that are making me think otherwise. This was a beautiful multigenerational story following a Korean family throughout the 20th century. I have to admit, I wasn’t well-informed about the relationship between Korea and Japan going into the book, so I learned a lot from this. This wasn’t a feel-good story, it was blunt and unapologetic as it illustrated the real, and sometimes harsh, human experience as a Korean living in Japan. I absolutely loved the women of the family, Sunja, Yangjin, and Kyunghee. They were so strong, stubborn, resilient, and dedicated to their families. It was really satisfying to me that they go from being the traditional home-keepers to being the main breadwinners for a large period of time when the men of the family each experience some hard times. There were a few heart breaking events that stick with them for years and end up changing the family dynamics. With the multiple layers of each generation, this book definitely demands a decent amount of your attention - especially in the second half where the pace speeds up. In my opinion, this could have been a little bit shorter, but overall, I really enjoyed reading Pachinko.

That’s it for April!

2021 Book Count: 29/55

YOUR TURN! In the comments below, let me know if you liked the Netflix series of Shadow and Bone compared to the books. What are you planning to read for May?

March 2021 Reads

April 01, 2021 by Haley Burrill in Books

Well March felt like a year long but also kind of like we blinked and it was April, amiright?

This month, I made sure to incorporate more guilty pleasure books to give my brain the break and escape it needed after being in such a rut during February.

So, let’s get into it.

*All summaries are taken or paraphrased from Goodreads.

TWICE IN A BLUE MOON by Christina Lauren

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Sam Brandis was Tate Jones’s first: her first love… and her first heartbreak. During a whirlwind 2-week vacation in London, Sam and Tate fell for each other in the only way first loves do: sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets. Sam was the first, and only, person that Tate - the long-lost daughter of one of the world’s biggest movie stars - ever revealed her identity to. So, when it became clear her trust was misplaced, her world shattered for good. Fourteen years later, Tate is now an up-and-coming actress and only thinks about Sam every once in a blue moon. When she steps onto the set of her first big break, he’s the last person she expects to see. Yet here Sam is the same charming, confident man she knew, but even more alluring than she remembered. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her, Tate must ask herself if it’s possible to do the wrong thing for the right reason, and whether “once in a lifetime” can actually come around twice.

My Thoughts: Ugh this was just what I needed to kick off a new month of reading. This book has been in my TBR pile for quite some time, and I finally hit the top of the request list at the library for it at the beginning of March - kismet timing, if you ask me. This is a true blue “what’s meant to be, will be” love story - which means if books that are borderline saccharine aren’t your taste, then this may not be your jam. Though the whirlwind romance between young Tate and Sam felt a little naive to my cynical heart, the experience also ended up making Tate a character I really enjoyed. She was a strong, independent woman who was extremely confident in her career and had a “fool me once shame on me, you’re not going to fool me twice,” kind of attitude. What I appreciated about this storyline the most is that although you want to be on Team Tate, Sam’s character is impossible not to like. Also, he had some sexy lumberjack vibes going on and you cannot convince me otherwise. The supporting characters sprinkled throughout like Tate’s best friend, her father, Sam’s grandfather, etc. were also very lively and distinct, which made the whole story meld together perfectly. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an easy romance read.

THE TWO LIVES OF LYDIA BIRD by Josie Silver

Rating: 3.4/5 stars

Summary: Lydia and Freddie had been together for more than a decade, and Lydia thought their love was indestructible until her twenty-eighth birthday when Freddie dies in a car accident. So now it’s just Lydia, and all she wants to do is hide and cry, but she also knows Freddie would want her to try to live happily - even without him. So, enlisting the help of his best friend, Jonah, and her sister, Elle, she takes her first tentative steps to living and, perhaps even loving, again. But then something inexplicable happens that gives Lydia another chance at her old life with Freddie where none of the tragic events of the past months have happened. Lydia is pulled across the doorway of her past, living two lives at once. But, there’s an emotional toll returning to a world where Freddie, alive, still owns her heart. Because there’s someone in her new/real life, who wants her to stay.

My Thoughts: I had heard great things about The Two Lives of Lydia Bird, and I absolutely adored Josie Silver’s other book, One Day in December. So, I was pretty excited to finally get my hands on this one. Let me start by saying, overall, this was a cute book and I enjoyed it. However, I honestly had no idea where it was going or the path that I, the reader, should be taking to grasp what the book was going to be about until about halfway through. Like it was a love story, but not completely a love story? For a majority of the first part of the book, Lydia is grieving her dead fiance, Freddie. After being supplied with special pink pills to help her sleep, she begins bouncing between her world and a parallel world where Freddie is still alive, and life is moving forward as planned. Throughout this whole narrative, I’m thinking the book is going down a route of existential questions about “what happens when you disrupt worlds parallel to yours?” Then it kind of took a jump to Lydia finding herself through various events like speed dating, an impulse trip to Croatia, and confiding in her longtime friend, Jonah, who was Freddie’s best friend and who she had been on the rocks with as he grieved too. While it continues to bounce back and forth between the parallel world traveling and the “finding yourself” storylines, the author sprinkles in a budding love story in there as well. By the end of the book, everything feels like it’s tied off in a semi-decent bow, but it was kind of a mess getting there lol. Like I said, overall, it was a sweet book and I enjoyed it, but, in my biased opinion, it definitely doesn’t hold a candle to One Day in December.

UNTAMED by Glennon Doyle

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Untamed is both an intimate memoir and a galvanizing wake-up call. It is the story of how one woman learned that a responsible mother is not one who slowly dies for her children, but one who shows them how to fully live. It is the story of navigating divorce, forming a new blended family, and discovering that the brokenness or wholeness of a family depends not on its structure but on each member’s ability to bring her full self to the table. It is the story of how each of us can start to trust ourselves enough to set boundaries, make peace with our bodies, honor our anger and heartbreak, and unleash our truest, wildest instincts so that we become women who can finally look at ourselves and say: There She Is.

My Thoughts: I basically agree with all of the other reviews out there saying this book was really inspirational. Glennon Doyle is raw and unapologetic as she takes us through the highs and lows she’s experienced over the last decade including divorice, her book publication, falling in love with Abby Wambach, finding her voice, navigating her faith and more. Highly recommend to anyone looking for some kick ass woman mojo. The only thing I didn’t relate to, and never do with these types of memoir/self help books, are all the sections about motherhood. Otherwise, great read. Here were my favorite takeaways from Untamed:

It’s nearly impossible to blaze one’s own path while following in someone else’s footsteps.
We can do hard things.
Explaining/defensiveness is fear preparing its case.
The miracle of grace is that you can give what you’ve never gotten.
Blessed are those who are brave enough to make things awkward, for they wake us up and move us forward.
Be careful with the stories you tell yourself about yourself.
It is wild to let others be wild.
When a woman learns that pleasing the world is impossible, she becomes free to learn how to please herself.

THE BLACK GOD’S DRUMS by P. Djeli Clark

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary: Creeper is a scrappy young teen who is done living on the streets of New Orleans. She wants to soar and set her sights on securing passage aboard the smuggler airship Midnight Robber. Her ticket: earning Captain Ann Marie’s trust using a secret about a kidnapped Haitian scientist and a mysterious weapon known as The Black God’s Drums. Creeper keeps another secret close to her heart though -- Oya, the African orisha of the wind and storms, who speaks inside her head and grants Creeper divine powers. And, Oya has her own priorities concerning Creeper and Ann-Marie.

My Thoughts: This was one of the first novellas I’ve read and it definitely won’t be my last. Creeper is an orphan who gets by on pick-pocketing tourists at the port in New Orleans. What I liked most about her as a main character was her resilient and independent spirit. After living on the streets and fending for herself for so long, you could feel how strong she was, and the strategies she used to reach her end goal of leaving New Orleans were admirable for someone so young. The other main character, Ann-Marie, was an absolute badass. It was entertaining to see how the two were connected and how that played into the big event of the book as well. The only thing that made this book hard to get into was how the author structured the setting. It’s based in a post-Confederate New Orleans that is accented with sci-fi features, but because he had to build this world in just 108 pages, it felt a little clunky at times - especially for someone who has never been to New Orleans and doesn’t know the general layout of the city. So, my brain had to keep pivoting how this world looked as the story went on based on the various descriptions he provided throughout that conflicted with what I was picturing initially. Overall, I enjoyed this novella and recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read!

THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET by Sandra Cisneros

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary: Told in a series of vignettes, The House on Mango Street is the story of a young Latina girl, Esperanza Cordero, growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she wants to become.

My Thoughts: Another satisfying novella! This book was compiled of short stories narrated by Esperanza who gives you a glimpse into her life and those around her in Chicago. What I liked most while reading this is watching the subtle character development as the vignettes progress. Esperanza had a much younger point of view in the stories told towards the beginning, but as time progresses, you can see her character start to mature as she questions what’s expected of her and girls her age, assesses the opportunities available to kids living in her neighborhood, and enhances the dreams she has for herself. Specifically moving out of their house on Mango Street as soon as she can. The emotional undertone continuously changes throughout the pages as well - going from heart breaking to really happy. If you’re looking for a quick read that puts you in someone else’s shoes for a while, this is a good book for that.

FABLE by Adrienne Young

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Summary: As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, for seventeen-year-old Fable, the sea is the only home she’s ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during a storm and the next day abandoned by her father on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. For survival, she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one, and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal to get off the island, confront her father, and demand her rightful place in his crew. To do so, Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the sea.

Since she saw him last, her father’s rivalries and dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied. Fable soon finds that West isn’t who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the awful storms that haunt the Narrows if they’re going to stay alive.

My Thoughts: Y’all know I love a good YA fantasy and this book was just what I needed. This is the first book in a while that sucked me in so much, I read it in a day. The imagery the author provides through Fable’s eyes is so perfectly illustrated and colorfully visualized, it made me feel like I was the one dredging for pyres underwater, getting the shit kicked out of me by thieves, feeling the sun on my skin out at sea, and more. I also enjoyed that Fable, though young, was not naive or childish. After fending for herself for four years on a rough island, her character was strong, independent, strategic, and determined. That said, the usual teenage behaviors she had, such as extreme stubbornness, brought her a wholeness to her character that was realistic and satisfying. The supporting characters were also great in helping her story along, but I will say, West’s character felt kind of like a filler to close gaps in the story whereas I think his purpose was to be more of a connector. There’s a part towards the end involving his character specifically that feels kind of rushed and out of the blue. It just wasn’t foreshadowed enough for me throughout the beginning of the book and only mildly towards the middle. So by the time it happened, it felt like “oh? Okay. I mean, I guess I’ve seen that coming… kind of?” We just didn’t receive a great set for it to be the perfect spike, so it wasn’t considered a kill, yanno? (Volleyball reference, if you missed it lol). Overall though, if you’re looking for a book that will take you on an adventure for a while, this is the one for you!

THE NICKEL BOYS by Colson Whitehead

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: When Elwood Curtis, a black boy growing up in the 1960s, Jim Crow-Era, Tallahassee, is unfairly sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy, he finds himself trapped in a grotesque chamber of horrors. Elwood’s only salvation is his friendship with fellow “delinquent” Turner, which deepens despite Turner’s conviction that Elwood is hopelessly naive, that the world is crooked, and that the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble. As life at the Academy becomes ever more perilous, the tension between Elwood’s ideals and Turner’s skepticism leads to a decision whose repercussions will echo down the decades.

Based on the real story of a reform school that operated for 111 years and warped the lives of thousands of children.

My Thoughts: It took me a while after finishing this book to figure out how to articulate my thoughts on it because I also had a physical response from it. This story is based on the very real Dozier School, which has a dark and ugly history rooted in the systematic racism that our country was built on. It is a vivid rendering of history riddled with trauma and heartbreak told through immense depth and detail. The unexpected friendship between Elwood and Turner is a beacon of light and peace in this horrifying place that is supposedly making upstanding men of the boys who are sent there. In addition to having their identities and rights stripped away after walking through the front gates of Nickel, any sort of insubordination against the school’s policies can lead to punishment, so bad it made my skin crawl and stomach turn. The worst form of punishment being Black Beauty, which is a giant whip used to punish black students with repeated lashings across the back and legs - often leaving them unconscious and bedridden for days. This book was also a horrifying reminder of the dehumanization of and violence against Black people that happened during the civil rights movement and Jim Crow-era. Not to mention, a shocking reminder that these same things are still happening today. There’s a subtle plot twist that creeps up on you so quietly, once you realize what’s happening, it’s absolutely devastating. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed reading this book, it’s incredibly sad and packs a serious emotional punch for only being 210 pages, but I think it’s a book everyone should read.

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Feyre’s survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill - the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price.

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre’s presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

My Thoughts: OKAY Y’ALL BUCKLE UP. So, I need to preface this by saying I stan SJM’s other series, Throne of Glass, like there is literally no tomorrow. I am obsessed with it, okay? So coming into ACOTAR, which is EXTREMELY HYPED on Bookstagram, I had to take a step back and remind myself not to compare the two, and maybe lower my expectations a little for this series lol. Taking all of that into consideration, this was a pretty solid book overall. It had all of our favorite SJM themes and attributes included:

Strong female protagonist (not as strong as ToG, but I digress)
Strong female antagonist who is accompanied by a weaker male antagonist (lol)
A hot, brooding protagonist with a v sarcastic sense of humor that you initially think is an antagonist until you get to know the character better <3
Sexual tension :)
Faes, faeries, and other mythical creatures that bring the world and story to life
World domination via magic
Etc.

I really enjoyed the character development arcs, getting to know them more, and seeing them grow as the plot thickened. However, there were a couple of things that fell flat for me that I can’t necessarily get into detail about without spoiling the book. I think the main reason they fell flat though is because I’m familiar with the author’s writing and where her storylines usually go. So, when this particular book did not go the way I expected, it was just kind of a side-eye. It felt like she was serving the expectation I had on a silver platter, but then quickly pivoted and went a different direction which left me in a wtf state lol. OVERALL THO, I think if you enjoy YA Fantasy and/or SJM, then you’d enjoy this one. I’m just a tough critic because Throne of Glass is where my heart lies lol. Though I won’t be jumping directly into the next book in this series, I will probably pick it up within the next month or two.

Welp that’s March for ya!

2021 Book Count: 20/55

YOUR TURN! Let me know if you’ve read any of these books in the comments below - especially if you want to weigh in on my ToG vs. ACOTAR debate. ;)

Don’t forget to add me on Goodreads!

February 2021 Reads

March 02, 2021 by Haley Burrill in Books

February may be the shortest month of the year, and smack dab in the middle of the depressing winter months, but it’s also my birthday month, so I’m a fan.

I was on the struggle bus with reading in February - found myself in a bit of a “reading funk,” if you will - so, I didn’t read as many books as I had hoped.

But, nonetheless, let’s get into the short stack of books I read last month!

*Summaries are paraphrased and/or taken from Goodreads.

I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST by Mason Deaver

Rating: 3.7/5 stars

Summary: When Ben DeBacker comes out to their parents as non-binary, they’re thrown out of their house and finds refuge with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never met. Struggling with an anxiety disorder worsened by their parents’ rejection, Ben come out to only a couple of people including a therapist.

Ben’s attempts to survive the last half of senior year at a new school by keeping a low profile are hindered when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic guy, takes Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan’s friendship grows, their feelings for each other evolve, and what started as a disastrous situation turns into the chance to start a happier life.

My Thoughts: This was an incredibly powerful book that touches on identity, acceptance, complex family issues, mental illness, and more. It dove into areas that, as a cis woman, I would’ve never thought about in terms of sexuality as it relates to gender identity. For example, Ben’s sister, Hannah, asks them what gender they’re into, and they explain that they don’t know because although they gravitate towards more masculine-looking people, they don’t want to say they’re bisexual because that would discount nonbinary people, and who is Ben to determine someone’s gender is more attractive than another? Besides David Rose’s wine metaphor in Schitt’s Creek, I haven’t encountered any explanations on this topic that were as eye-opening as the ones in this book. My main critique is although it was dripping with emotion during the pivotal parts, everything in between was kind of dry. I found myself really pushing to get through the lulls to get to the next high where the story picked up pace again. I also think the supporting characters deserved a little more page time because the author gave them really distinct personalities that added texture to the story, but they weren’t utilized enough. Overall, I think this was a really impactful book that I believe a lot of people would benefit from reading.

THE HOUSE OF DEEP WATER by Jeni McFarland

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary: River Bend, Michigan is a small town that while most can’t imagine leaving, three women couldn’t wait to escape. When Linda Williams, her mother Paula and Beth DeWitt return and their paths collide, the town struggles to contain all of their love affairs and secrets. Filled with the voices of mothers, daughters, lovers, and fathers, The House of Deep Water explores motherhood, trauma, love, loss and new beginnings.

My Thoughts: This was a very heavy, emotional read for me. Not that it caused me to physically cry or anything, but as someone who experiences seasonal depression, the dark emotional undertones that accompanied some of the characters in this novel made it really hard to pick up every night. If you’re someone who isn’t easily affected vicariously through books, then you’d probably be fine. I just found it a little emotionally exhausting, but that’s also due to the author’s ability to immerse you in each character. This novel touches on the dynamics of dysfunctional families, social and racial issues, sexual abuse (trigger warning), and small town isolation. I appreciated that even though the three main characters were so different, their lives were still intertwined through experiences, history, and family members. Overall, I thought it was an all right book, but I won’t read it again.

THE FIFTH SEASON by N.K. Jemisin

Rating: 3.9/5 stars

Summary: Three terrible things happen in the same day - which is how the world ends. Again. Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Meanwhile, the Sanze empire - which has been the foundation for civilization for thousands of years - collapses, killing most of its citizens. Worst of all, a great red rift has torn into the heart of the earth, causing ash to darken the sky for years - if not, centuries. Now, to save her daughter, Essun must travel through a deadly, dying land without sunlight, clean water, and limited supplies. A war is coming across the Stillness continent for the basic resources necessary to get through the long, dark night.

My Thoughts: Going into The Fifth Season, I had high expectations because of all the positive reviews I saw on Bookstagram, Goodreads, etc., but this book may have been a victim of its own hype. The way this story is structured is really unique as it follows three women’s journeys - Damaya, Essun and Syenite. At one point, the author actually puts you in Essun’s shoes and starts writing in second-person for her chapters, which was cool because it made it easier to really get into the mindset of the character and envision her experience firsthand. Since this book is the first in the Broken Earth trilogy, I know its purpose is to set the scene and background for what’s to come in the next two books, but that made a large portion of this book a very slooooow burn. There is a glossary and historical overview in the back to help you understand some historical, caste, societal, and setting references, but I didn’t find those tools until after I finished lol. There is also so much detail that you really have to pay attention to each woman’s journey to understand how they’re all connected and the significance of each one’s experience. In all honesty, I didn’t truly get into it until maybe halfway through and after finishing it, I think it probably could have been about 50 pages shorter. This was a good book overall, but I didn’t feel like it lived up to its hype. It ended on an interesting cliffhanger though, so I may read the next book, but probably not anytime soon.

HOMEGOING by Yaa Gyasi

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: Two half-sisters, Effia and Esi, are born in different villages during 18th century Ghana. Effia is married off to an Englishman which leaves her living in comfort in the Cape Coast Castle. Unbeknownst to Effia, Esi is imprisoned beneath her in the castle’s dungeons, sold with thousands of others into the Gold Coast’s booming slave trade, and shipped off to America where her children and grandchildren are raised in slavery. Homegoing follows the descendents of these sisters through everything from centuries of warfare and British colonization in Ghana to the Civil War, Great Migration and twentieth-century Harlem in America, right up to the present day. This novel makes history visceral and captures how the memory of captivity came to be inscribed in the soul of a nation.

My Thoughts: I loved this book and not just because it ended my lukewarm reading streak for February. The story follows the families of two half-sisters, Effia and Esi, who started in two very different places in life and is uniquely formatted to read as though you’re climbing a family tree. Starting from the roots, the author takes you on a journey across 250 years from 18th-century Ghana to 20th-century Harlem. Each chapter is a vignette that focuses on a different family member in subsequent generations to show how each of the sister’s family ends up in the present day. I liked that although you don’t spend a ton of time with each character, you still get to know each one intimately. Which, personally, helped me build a deeper connection not only with the character, but also the families.The author’s writing is absolutely incredible, and the way she illustrates the horrifics of slavery and slavery’s aftermath was incredibly impactful yet still digestable. I also want to give mad props to the author for the amount of research that had to have gone into writing this book to truly bring each character’s time period and setting to life. This was a marvellous book for only being 300 pages and I highly recommend it!

2021 Book Count: 12 down, 43 to go!

Add me on Goodreads if you haven’t yet!

YOUR TURN! Let me know in the comments below what books you have on this year’s TBR (To Be Read) list.

January 2021 Reads

February 02, 2021 by Haley Burrill in Books

Last year, I truly discovered my love of reading. Maybe it was more discovering a different type of “escape” that isn’t via a screen because, yanno, sometimes it’s nice to jump into another world for a few hours. Either way, I ended up reading 48 books when my original goal was only 20. Which means, from now on, I won’t feel like a phony by putting “reading” as one of my hobbies lol.

This year, I decided to Emeril LeGasse my Goodreads goal and kick it up a notch!

2021 Goodreads Reading Goal: 55 books.

Of those 55 books, I’m aiming for at least 30% (or ~17) to be books written by BIPOC and/or LGBTQ authors and two need to be classics. Apparently my mom is a big fan of the classics and she was pushing me to read more of them this year. So, Daphne du Maurier, I’m coming for ya.

Anyway, without further adieu, let’s recap the books I read in January, shall we?

(Actually, lol, quick preface to my ratings: I feel like I gave out a lot of 5 stars last year whereas some people rarely give them out. So, I figured I’m either not being judicious enough with my fivers or I’m just only reading books I know I’ll love lol.)

NOW, without further adieu…

*All summaries are paraphrased from Goodreads.

THE ASSASSIN’S BLADE by Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 4.8 /5 stars

Summary: Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan’s most feared assassin, and her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel - King of the Assassin’s Guild. Truly though, Celaena only trusts her herself and her fellow assassin, soft-eyed Sammy boy. In this collection of action-packed novellas, Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from Pirate islands to hot af deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. All Celaena wants is to be free, but acting against Arobynn’s orders could cause her to suffer the unimaginable punishment for such treachery.

My Thoughts: Okay, so I could literally write a standalone blog post about the entire Throne of Glass series because I’m that obsessed with it. There are seven books total and in December, I DEVOURED them like Thanksgiving leftovers. I just cannot express how lost in the sauce this series made me feel. So, to kick off my year with finishing up the emotional journey I’ve been on in this fantasy world by reading the prequel…*chef’s kiss*. This book was about Celaena Sardothien’s various assassin missions and life in Adarlan leading up to the salt mines of Endovier (a.k.a. where the first book starts). Each of the short novellas in Assassin’s Blade were mentioned throughout the actual series, so to finally get the whole story - especially about Sam - was incredibly fulfilling. Highly recommend Assassin’s Blade, but I will cut you if you don’t read the ToG series first (lol at the violent pun). :)

BIG MAGIC: CREATIVE LIVING BEYOND FEAR by Elizabeth Gilbert

Rating: 4.3/5 stars

Summary: This book uncovers the enigma that is the nature of inspiration and clever ideas by encouraging readers to embrace their curiosity and let go of personal skepticism. Gilbert walks us through how to tackle what we love most and face down our biggest obstacle - fear. By explaining the attitudes, approaches and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the creative potential hidden within each of us.

My Thoughts: Though I was v lucky because a lot of the personal examples she gives is about writing, anyone with a creative interest would benefit from this book. Gilbert explains through a variety of examples and anecdotes that creative geniuses don’t exist; rather, everyone has the potential to find their own creative genius. So, whether you crochet, play an instrument, widdle soap, literally anything - you will walk away inspired to try this concept of creative living.

My key takeaways:

Ideas and creativity will only find you if you’re putting in the energy for them to reach you
Only do your creative practice if it’s because you genuinely enjoy it, not because you think other people will
Never start a creative project with monetization in-mind or else it will always disappoint you
Don’t allow the fear of not being the best at your creative practice prevent you from doing it

THE VANISHING ACT OF ESME LENNOX by Maggie O’Farrell

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Between running her vintage clothing store and avoiding her current guy-of-the-moment’s clinginess, Iris Lockhart receives surprising news: her great-aunt Esme, whom she has never heard of before, is being released from an asylum - where she has been locked away more than 60 years. Esme’s records prove she is Iris’s grandmother’s sister, and there’s no doubt Iris can see a glimpse of her dead father in Esme’s features. Though Esme has been deemed harmless, she is still essentially a stranger to Iris, and carries with her some very dark family secrets.

My Thoughts: Funny back story to this book - and I promise I’m trying to make it short. Earlier this month, I was staying at my parents’ house for a few days and was looking for a quick, easy read. My mom said she had a book downstairs that I bought her for Christmas when I was about 10. Apparently, when I gave it to her, I told her that after buying gifts for my brother and dad, I only had about $6 left. So, I went to Barnes & Noble, found the clearance table, saw a book with a ballerina on it that was only $5, and thought this was the gift for mom. For obvious reasons, she was expecting the book to suck eggs, but to her surprise, it was actually a banger. So, she’s held onto it all these years lol. I really enjoyed this book and it was a pretty quick read. The format of it is a little different, but once you get an idea of which character is talking/thinking, it’s hard to put down. The ending was very poetic and left you with just a nugget of completion while still wanting more.

THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE by Audrey Niffenegger

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Summary: Henry DeTamble, an adventuresome librarian, frequently finds himself misplaced in time. As one of the first people diagnosed with Chrono-Displacement disorder, Henry’s disappearances are spontaneous, the period of time he’s sent to frequently changes, and his experiences are unpredictable. Clare, Henry’s wife, has known him since she was a child and he was in his thirties. Through both Henry’s and Clare’s points of view, The Time Traveler’s Wife dives into the effects of time travel on their relationship and lives.

My Thoughts: It took me longer to read this book than I expected it to. That’s definitely not because I didn’t enjoy it, but I wasn’t so enthralled that I “couldn’t put it down.” (I guess another way to say that is, when I had the option of continuing to binge watch Gilmore Girls or to read TTTW, I more often chose Gilmore Girls lol.) The author does a great job of tying together all of the different experiences from both Clare’s and Henry’s perspectives as it relates to his time traveling. What kept me hooked though was the feeling that I was putting together a puzzle, but had to figure out who had the right pieces - Clare or Henry. I will say that I wasn’t in love with either character, and it truly surprised me that Clare never questioned whether or not she had a choice in all of this. She just blindly trusted some guy who kept showing up randomly in the woods near her family’s property and took whatever he said at face value. I would have been a liiiiittle more skeptical than that. (Like, hello, Clare? Stranger Danger? Have you never heard of it?) Overall, I enjoyed this book, but probably won’t read it again.

THE BLACK FLAMINGO by Dean Atta

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: A boy, Michael Angeli, comes to terms with his identity as a mixed-race gay teen by falling in love with the art of drag and transforming into The Black Flamingo.

My Thoughts: The easiest five stars ever. This was a powerful story about owning who you are on your terms and not allowing others to define you or put you in a box that makes them feel more comfortable. I absolutely loved Michael. Even through the rough patches when he wasn’t sure of himself, I could feel it in my gut that he was going to thrive. The poetry throughout this book was an amazing component and I appreciated how it reflected his growth. Towards the start, the poems felt a little naive and scrappy, but as the story continued and Michael began to be more confident in his identity, the poems he was writing became more polished and profound as well. Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read that will leave you feeling v satisfied.

A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN by Roseanne A. Brown

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: The Solstasia Festival only happens once every 50 years when the Bahia’s Comet passes over Ziran. For Malik, Solstasia is an opportunity to escape his war-stricken home with his sisters and start a new life in the prosperous capital. That is, until his younger sister, Nadia is taken by a vengeful spirit as payment for entering the city. The only way to get her back is to kill Karina, the Crown Princess of Ziran. However, Karina has concocted some deadly plans herself after her mother, the sultana, is assassinated. In order to resurrect her mother, Karina requires the heart of a king, and by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition, she will get one. However, seeing their tasks to kill each other through may be tough after Malik rigs his way into the contest and love starts to flicker between them.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book and not just because it has to do with a comet that is a rare sighting (like Halley’s Comet (lol)). I’ve been on a YA fantasy kick for a while, and the imagery in this book was very refreshing. The author did a wonderful job of creating a world painted with a variety of magical characters, mystic beings, and more - all inspired by West African folklore. It took a little longer than I anticipated to get into it, and at first, I found it kind of hard to like the main characters. Although that improved as the characters developed, I can’t say I closed the book feeling super connected to them. One of my favorite things about this book is that she portrayed Malik’s struggle with anxiety as a debilitating illness with both mental and physical effects. As someone who wrassles with anxiety on a daily basis, it was really validating to see it illustrated so accurately. There is a sequel to this book, but I wouldn’t say this first book ended on an incredibly suspenseful cliffhanger, so I’m still undecided about whether I’ll continue onto the second in this series.

THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: Aging Hollywood movie icon and recluse Evelyn Hugo is ready to spill the tea on her glamorous and scandalous life. When she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more surprised than Monique herself - she’s not exactly at the top of her game, her husband recently left her, and her career has plateaued. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write the biography, Monique is determined to us this opportunity to breathe life back into her career. As Evelyn’s story unfolds, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

My Thoughts: I think we all need a little more of Evelyn Hugo’s energy in our lives - especially when it comes to not giving two fucks. This woman is a savage, but she’s so unapologetic about it, that you can’t help but admire her. When Monique first met Evelyn’s character, I couldn’t tell if I was going to like her or not. Like obvi the tea she was about to spill was going to be piping hot, but her personality was kind of cold and off-putting. However, as the book explores each marriage, you quickly learn she’s that way for a reason. It was also really powerful how, through her life story, this book touched on the topics of sexuality, race, and the expectation to conform to society’s norms. Especially as it relates to Evelyn’s relationship with her sexuality, and how it goes from being something she uses to advance her career to something she cherishes greatly. Evelyn’s anecdotes weren’t the only thing that kept me sucked into this book, it was also the plot twist of trying to figure out why she specifically chose Monique for this project. Overall, this was an awesome book and shows you just how far someone will go for the people they love.

CLOCKWORK ANGEL by Cassandra Clare

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: It’s 1878 and Tessa Gray, a young, soft-spoken gal from New York, is on her way across the pond to start a new life with her brother, Nathan. However, as her ship docks, she quickly learns her brother is missing and finds herself caught up in London’s dark supernatural underworld where her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters. Soon, they are up against a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans known as the Pandemonium Club which has a plan to overthrow the British Empire using a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures - and only Tessa and her allies can stop them.

My Thoughts: We love a good YA fantasy set in 1800s London, do we not? I surely do, and this book was no exception. I had a hard time putting it down. I love that the pace of this book was quick and easy to get into right from the start. It’s not that the entire thing was a string of action-packed events, though it has its fair share of that, but the development of the story and characters throughout was an enjoyable experience in itself. Tessa goes from being a shy, naive girl who just wants to find her brother to a powerful woman who is DUN with people treating her like she’s weak. She has a unique power that is extremely desirable to the “underworlders”, but this leaves Tessa questioning whether or not she’s human and what being human truly means. As for the other characters, Ima try to keep it short:

Will: ugh. This brooding, witty young Shadowhunter is such a fuck boy, but it’s clear that’s just a front and he’s got some demons of his own to battle. So, basically, I love him lol.
Jem: Jem is the sweetest guy ever, and Will’s “battle brother” for lack of remembering the exact term used in the book. Anyway, Jem is empathetic, understanding, and overall just a lovable character that is impossible to dislike. He’s the guy-friend you’d take to a wedding because he can get along with anyone and everybody likes him.
Charlotte: The badass boss of the Institute where they all live. She’s everyone’s “mom” and mentor, and acts as the neutralizer of every situation.
Henry: Charlotte’s husband who likes to tinker with gadgets and demon slaying devices. He’s super aloof which was mildly annoying, but he also comes in clutch when it counts.
Jessamine: A Shadowhunter who cannot be bothered with Shadowhunting. She’s pretty superficial and very focused on appearances - however, there’s definitely more to her that I hope we get to see in the next book, so I’m not writing her off as a petty bitch just yet. :)
Sophie: a queen. I really like this character. She isn’t a Shadowhunter, just the housekeeper of the Institute, but she’s scrappy, resilient, and gives us those good good vibes.

Anyway, I am very excited that I found another YA fantasy series that sucks me in almost as much as Throne of Glass and cannot wait to read the second book!

2021 Book Count: 8 down, 47 to go!

Add me on Goodreads if you haven’t already!

YOUR TURN! Leave a comment below if you’ve read any of these books! I’d love to hear your thoughts or any solid recommendations you may have for books I should add to my reading list for this year!

Quarantine Reads

May 15, 2020 by Haley Burrill in Books

It’s officially week 8 (or maybe 9?) of the Rona wreaking havoc on us, and it would be rude of me not to start this post by saying I hope you’re all staying safe, healthy and AT HOME. Please for the love of all that is good, stay home.

Around mid-March, I temporarily moved home with my parents to avoid being cooped up in a small apartment talking to no one but myself and my houseplants. Not to mention, our golden retriever resides at my parents’ house and that’s the kind of energy I’m trying to surround myself with right now.

When I’m not on that WFH grind, meeting an unspoken quota for baking banana bread, or watching Schitt’s Creeks, I’ve been reading like I’ve never read before.

In the last eight (or nine?) weeks, I’ve read TWELVE books. TWELVE. I know that doesn’t seem that impressive for those of you who are already avid readers, but I just caught the reading bug last fall, so this is a big deal for me.

Seeing as I haven’t blogged since January, I figured I’d review my quarantine reads in case you’re looking for some recommendations.

Two shameless plugs before I get started on this book-inspired blog:

-ADD ME ON GOODREADS. :)

-Go find my friend, Caili, who created the thumbnail image for this post at Dilly Dalian on Etsy!

Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

RATING: 3/5 stars

SUMMARY*: Where’d You Go Bernadette is about a woman named Bernadette Fox who disappeared after a school fundraiser turns into a shit show on account of Bernadette’s doings. Her daughter, Bee, is left piecing together clues as to what happened by means of emails, letters, invoices, etc. to figure out where her mother went right before the family was supposed to go on a trip to Antarctica in celebration of Bee’s good grades.

MY THOUGHTS: Bernadette is a burned out architect who just mf snapped at some point after this giant sustainability project (Greta woulda loved it) she was working on for years went awry, and fell into some hella anxiety and depression. The author kind of wants you to have your cake and eat it too when it comes to this character, so I was stuck trying to decide if I liked her or just found her to be low-key savage and high-key flaky. This book also pokes fun at the “Seattle Freeze” and people trying to climb the social ladder - which was equally entertaining as it was annoying. I did NOT like the husband, Elgie. He was a mansplainer and womanizer and he never wears shoes….?? Overall, this was a quirky little book. Would I read it again? No. Would I recommend it to someone? Not organically. If you asked me if I recommend it specifically, I’d say it was all right and I wasn’t disappointed that I read it, but it also didn’t make the top of my list by any means.

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

RATING: 5/5 stars

SUMMARY*: At first, Jude and her twin brother, Noah are inseparable. Noah is always lost in his art, drawing anything and everything while falling in love with the charming baseball boy who moves in next door. Jude is a rebellious young teen who enjoys cliff diving, talking to older boys, and wearing outfits that would make any midwest dad say “and where do you think you’re going dressed like that?” Fast forward three years and these twins are barely interacting - cordial at best. The early years are told from Noah’s perspective and the later years are through Jude’s eyes. Each one only has half of the story, and once they start growing closer again, they realize what they were missing.

MY THOUGHTS: This book is technically classified as YA and I’m convinced it’s because if anyone asks if they should read it, the only response should be “HELL YA.” This is the type of book that gives you an instant book hangover once you’re finished because you just wanted it to continue. The style of writing used to tell Noah’s perspective truly reflects how immersed he is in his art all the while he experiences what it feels like to fall in love for the first time. The author then catapults you to a different reality as the story fast forwards three years to Jude’s perspective when she falls in love with an intriguing British boy (YASS, sis) who she meets through an unexpected mentor. Though Noah and Jude are completely different, both characters add such complexity and depth to the story line that you can’t help but love them both and hope they find their way. I absolutely loved this book and feel like I completely tanked on this review, so just walk away knowing that you should add this to your reading list.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

RATING: 5/5 stars

SUMMARY *: “Le Cirque des Reves” only shows up at night without warning. Within the black and white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. Behind the scenes though, a fierce competition between two young magicians - Celia and Marco - is underway. The circus is the stage for this remarkable battle, and despite them falling in love, only one can be left standing.

MY THOUGHTS: This wasn’t just a book, this was an experience. There’s something extremely magical about how this book makes you feel, and as I finished the last page, I knew it had already made it into my top 5 favorite books of all time. The story of Celia and Marco starts thirty years before they are even born with a challenge between their mentors — two arrogant illusionists who have spent a lifetime trying to one-up the other (no shock that they’re men lol). Celia and Marco pretty much spend most of their childhood into adolescence preparing for this competition, but they don’t know who they’re competing against or when it actually begins (I’d be flipping tables). Their preparation for the battle nodded to the ole “book smarts vs. street smarts” debate. Celia’s mentor, who is also her dad, pulls some real suspect shit to train her. For example, when she’s just a CHILD, one exercise he had was slicing her fingertips open one by one with a knife until she could heal her skin from within. In contrast, Marco’s mentor plucks him from an orphanage and tells him to study books, ancient magic, etc. for preparation. I was an absolute sap for the undeniable connection between Marco and Celia as their battle quickly becomes years of “love letters” to each other in the form of new circus attractions. My haven’t-been-in-a-relationship-in-two-years heart could NOT handle the sentiment. The author also managed to include multiple characters that added depth to the storyline without muddying it up which I feel is hard to do. So, in conclusion, please read this so I have someone else to talk to about it. :)

The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff

RATING: 3.5/5 stars

SUMMARY*: Set in a traveling circus during World War II, two extraordinary women endure sacrifice and survival while developing an unexpected friendship. After being kicked out of her home for disgracing her family by getting pregnant, 16-year-old Noa has to give up her baby and ends up working at a railway station. Noa discovers a boxcar full of Jewish infants, snags one on impulse and flees. She finds refuge with a German circus, but to blend in undetected and receive protection, she must learn the flying trapeze act from lead aerialist, Astrid. As the facade protects them, Noa and Astrid must decide if their friendship can save one another.

MY THOUGHTS: All right. So quick preface, the only reason I read this is because my mom and I agreed to do a book swap (I had her read Night Circus.) Welp, after all was said and done, it turned out this isn’t even the book she wanted me to read! I was Susan-ed. Regardless, I liked this book overall. Noa is an okay character. She’s immature as you would expect and falls in love with some privileged blonde boy. The real queen in this story is Astrid. You can just tell she would be an A-plus wingwoman, but also try to fight any guy at the bar that makes an unwanted pass at you. My friend crush aside, this book was an easy read and would be good if you’re in-between books, just looking for something to pass the time until you can decide what the next book is that you want to read.

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

RATING: 3/5 stars

SUMMARY*: Murder, magic and madness at the fair that changed America as it rushed towards the 20th century. The author gives a rich narrative of the Chicago World Fair and how a master builder and murder were both obsessed with it. You follow the roller coaster ride of architect Daniel Hudson Burnham as he pulls off the country’s most important structures for this event. While the murderer, Henry H. Holmes, builds a “World’s Fair Hotel” just walking distance from the fairgrounds - a torture hotel complete with a dissection table and kiln for bodies in the basement.

MY THOUGHTS: In my unpopular opinion, this book was just all right. It was really hyped up to me by a few people and a podcast I listen to, so the bar was set high. Due to Rona, I even BOUGHT this book which I think contributes to the level of petty I’m including in my review of it. Don’t get me wrong, this book was INCREDIBLY researched - seriously, hats off the to author who you can tell worked his ass off to gather sources for accuracy. HOWEVER, this shit took me TWO weeks to read because it was such a slow burn. The whole serial killer part was intriguing, yes. All of the name-drops in relation to the Chicago World Fair were impressive as well (even Walt Disney’s dad had a little sum sum to do with it). At the end of the day though, I’m not rushing to recommend this book to anyone. I think it’d be a lot more interesting if you're from Chicago and/or have lived there for at least a year. Other than that, it was a super lukewarm read for me.

Open Book by Jessica Simpson

RATING: 5/5 stars

SUMMARY*: J. Simpson tells of growing up in 1980s Texas and dishes everything from experiencing a traumatic sexual abuse to unsuccessfully auditioning for the Mickey Mouse Club before going on to sign a record deal with Columbia and marrying Nick Lachey. Along the way she details the struggles in her life including her divorce, enduring an emotionally abusive relationship, being body-shamed, and going through rough patches of heavy drinking.

MY THOUGHTS: By no means was I a Jessica Simpson fan before reading this book. I remember watching the Newlyweds on MTV when I was younger, but it’s not like she ever really made it into the regular CD rotation of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Backstreet Boys that graced my boombox. However, after reading this book, I have so much respect for this woman. Sis, left no tea unspilt. Reading this book felt like I was grabbing drinks with an old friend on a sunny patio outside of a bar that somehow successfully incorporated square-dancing into their Thursday night specials. I read a lot of celebrity memoirs and this was by far one of my top three favorites. Highly recommend. Also, John Mayer is a piece of shit for how he treated her - do not @ me.

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

RATING: 4.8/5 stars

SUMMARY*: This powerful novel tells a captivating story of two very different women who build an unexpected friendship: a 91-year-old woman, Vivian, with a hidden past as an orphan train rider, and an 18-year-old girl, Molly, whose own troublesome adolescence leaves her with one last chance before aging out of the child welfare system and getting kicked out of her foster home. As Molly picks up a community service position to help an elderly woman clean out her attic, she quickly discovers while sorting through Vivan’s old trunks and boxes that they aren’t as different as they seem.

MY THOUGHTS: So, circling back around on the orphan-themed books, this was the book my mom intended for our book swap when she accidentally gave me “The Orphan’s Tale” - which has a train on the cover lol. I cried twice while reading this and I pride myself on not being an easy crier. What i found most interesting about this novel was that orphan trains actually existed back in the early 1900s. The urban orphanages would round up all of the homeless children in the big cities, clean them up, and put them on a train out to the rural communities where people would pick kids out of a line up to adopt. It was the luck of the draw whether the people they went with were going to be good people or just use the kids for labor- which was more common than not. I have to agree with my mom that it’s a really great book and kept me hooked throughout the whole story.

Educated by Tara Westover

RATING: 5/5 stars

SUMMARY*: In her memoir, Tara Westover describes what it was like to be born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho where she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her “head-for-the-hills” bag. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that they believed in holistic, herbal remedies over western medicine (even for the most traumatic injuries) and there was no one to ensure the kids received an education. This memoir is an account of the struggle for self-invention and the battle of staying loyal to family or severing those ties for your own good.

MY THOUGHTS: Shit. Was. CRAZY. I swear after finishing every chapter, my jaw was another inch closer to the floor. The trauma this woman endured FROM HER OWN FAMILY was absolutely insane, and the fact that she was able to persevere as much as she did to escape the only life she knew was nothing short of incredible. I don’t want to spoil too much by sharing what one of my biggest takeaways was for this book, so if you read it, hit me up so we can talk! :)

Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson

RATING: 4/5 stars

SUMMARY*: Marnie McGraw wants an ordinary life - a husband, kids and a minivan in the suburbs. Now that she’s marrying the man of her dreams, she’s sure this is the life she’ll get. Until everything changes when Marnie meets Blix Holliday, her fiancé’s matchmaking great-aunt who’s dying. When Marnie’s marriage ends after two miserable weeks, she is shocked. She’s even more shook when she learns she has inherited Blix’s building in Brooklyn along with all of Blix’s unfinished projects, oddball friends and neighbors running from happiness.

MY THOUGHTS: This book was recommended by one of my favorite book-focused podcasts: Bad on Paper and it did not disappoint. Marnie is in her mid-20s and is just a shit-show for much of the first part of the book which is a vibe I can relate to lol. Her whole situation was just a really great reminder that no matter how planned-out you may have your life at the moment, it could literally change tomorrow and you’re going to have to get your shit together and figure it out. As someone who doesn’t do well when I don’t feel in control of things, the lesson here was definitely something I absorbed. I absolutely loved Blix’s character! I kept picturing her as an overly eccentric Jamie Lee Curtis and her lifestyle is something I think more of us need to embrace — just calm the fuck down, enjoy the moment you’re in and let life play out as it’s meant to. Highly recommend this book! It was light, breezy and just made me really happy while reading it. :)

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

RATING: 3.5/5 stars

SUMMARY*: When Jacob Jankowski learns his parents have died suddenly in a car crash, he finds himself adrift and jumping onto a passing train which he quickly learns is that of a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression. As a veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. While he learns how to connect with an elephant, Rosie, who appears to be untrainable, he falls in love with Marlena - the young star of the equestrian act and married to the twisted animal trainer.

MY THOUGHTS: Jacob and Marlena’s forbidden love story was cute, but I also wanted to punch Jacob in his face a few times. He had this habit of doing dumb shit that would OBVIOUSLY get him in trouble if he wasn’t careful and yet he’d go ahead and do it anyway. Obviously I have read my fair share of circus-related books over the last two months and though this book wasn’t my favorite of that litter, it was an easy read. If you’ve been wanting to read it, then I say go for it, but I don’t see myself reading this again anytime soon.

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover

RATING: 4.3/5 stars

SUMMARY*: After a tragic and questionable accident, Morgan Grant and her 16-year-old daughter, Clara are left to rebuild everything that crashed down around them. They would like nothing more than to be nothing alike. Morgan is determined to prevent Clara from making the same mistakes she did - including a teen pregnancy that made Morgan put her dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps and risk being predictable or un-spontaneous. Resentment and misunderstandings make them fall further apart every day to the point that it may be impossible to fall back together.

MY THOUGHTS: Colleen Hoover has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Her books are always captivating and I can usually fly through them in about a day or two. Regretting You was another testament to her amazing writing. The fact that I could physically feel every emotion the characters were going through as I was reading made the experience of this book even more entrancing. Though it begins with an absolute tragedy that progresses with heartbreak after heartbreak, you can’t help but to cling to the moments of hope, warmth and peace that are sprinkled throughout for each of the characters. Highly recommend this book and any other novels by Colleen Hoover.

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

RATING: 2/5 stars

SUMMARY*: Agreeing to be the last-minute wedding date of a guy she gets stuck in an elevator with is something Alexa Monroe would not normally do. After Alexa and Drew have more fun than ever thought possible at his ex’s wedding, they cannot stop thinking about each other. These two high-powered professionals are on a collision course toward a long distance dating disaster or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they actually want.

MY THOUGHTS: This wasn’t as bad as a one-star rating (hence 2 stars) but dear lort, I do not recommend this book. I heard about it from a few of my friends which is why I decided to give it a whirl, but the best way I can describe how it felt reading it was like watching a B-Rated/straight-to-DVD movie. The concept of Alexa and Drew falling in love with people they didn’t expect and found by happenstance was cute. However, only the first quarter of the book is about the actual wedding date, and then a solid 30-40% of it is literally just descriptions of what they’re eating for their next meal or snack (tacos, In N Out, cheese and crackers, doughnuts or pizza). Then two pages later, they’re having sex or vis versa. Rinse and repeat. The supporting story around the “romance” of this novel was subpar, jumpy and mildly annoying. They also have communication skills comparable to that of some kids in high school who don’t know how or when to DTR (define the relationship). I will say, I have a friend who really enjoys this author’s books, so if you’ve read/enjoyed other books by her, you might like this one, but I’m personally not recommending it to anyone.

Well, folks. That concludes my Quarantine Reads rundown. If you’ve made it this far, thank you (seriously thank you for making it through all of that) and I hope you’ve found some books to add to your reading list (or maybe remove lol).

If you’ve read any books recently that you think I’d enjoy, please let me know in the comments! :D

*Summary was paraphrased from the Book Description on Goodreads.

Summer Book Club with Hales

June 15, 2019 by Haley Burrill in Books

It’s been a while since I’ve written a post on here, but what else is new? Luckily, I just went on a trip to Colorado, so stay tuned for that post lol.

When I travel I tend to pick up reading again. Now, I know what you’re thinking: Hales, what do you mean by “pick up reading?”

Well, I’m what you can call a picky reader. There’s the picky eaters of the world who have a very specific palate meaning their go-to at restaurants is usually something of the American “you can make this at home” cuisine choices such as chicken fingers/french fry basket. No sauce except maybe ranch, if they’re not too picky. (You know who you are.)

Though I am by no means picky when it comes to food, I tend to have a specific taste in books. It took me a while to get here, but at some point in time I realized that if I’m not interested in the book I’m reading, then why continue it? There’s literally MILLIONS of books out there available for me to read - about 145 million if you ask Google - so why waste energy and time on a book that isn’t keeping me hooked?

I’ve even developed a cool trick to help me identify books that aren’t worth my time: I fall asleep… lol (surprise!). Some of you may be thinking, “Well, duh, Hales. You have narcolepsy. Of course you’re going to fall asleep reading.” To that, my dear friends, I will reciprocate your “DUH” because if I don’t fall asleep reading, then clearly the book is holding my attention and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. :)

Over the years, I’ve done my fair share of reading, but like I said before, it tends to come in waves. I’ll go from being really into reading to not picking up a book for months. Honestly, I kind of blame our culture of constant stimulation. Whether it’s the newest binge-watchable series recently released on Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc., or it’s New Music Friday/ the latest episode of a podcast (of every topic) is finally up on whatever audio streaming service, or it’s the latest movie coming out in theaters — there’s just so many options to spill my attention and time into that books don’t always make the cut. (I’m sorry to all of my book nerd friends for hurting your hearts with that truth.)

I wish I could read non-stop like my brother. Steve read 27 books in 2018 a.k.a. 13,308 pages (source: his profile on the Goodreads app.) If you do that math, he read a little more than one book every two weeks last year or a little more than 36 pages per day - which is insane to me!

Anyway, over the last year or so, every time I get back onto the reading wagon, I find myself enjoying the same genre of book — autobiographies/memoirs written by comedians/actors.

Below, in no specific order (but kind of definitely specific), are some books you may want to pick up this summer on your way to the beach, park, bathtub, that cool new hipster coffee shop/microbrewery on the corner, the floor of Barnes & Noble if you don’t like to buy the book and just want to read it, or if you’re one of those people who listens to audio books in the car which isn’t technically reading, just listening (actually that’s probably really great practice for most men out there) and you need to download books - just wherever you do your “reading.”

(SIDE NOTE: DOWNLOAD THE GOOD READS APP AND FIND ME ON THERE.) :)))))

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood.

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
Stars: FIVE FO-SHO
I put this book first on the list because it has by far been one of the best books I’ve read in the last few years. This book is not only hilarious, but Trevor Noah also gives insight as to what it was like as a biracial kid growing up in South Africa during the Apartheid. It was really eye opening to me to tell you the truth because I obviously had an awareness of the Apartheid, but never really learned about it in school. After reading this book, I walked away with a much better understanding of the institutionalized racism and segregation that happened during those years in South Africa. Trevor Noah does a glorious job of painting a picture for you during countless comedic anecdotes starting from when he was a five-year-old kid shitting on some newspaper in his grandma’s house becasuse he didn’t want to use the outhouse, to post-high school when he and his friends started a deejaying business, all the way to landing The Daily Show. Not to mention there is also a real twist throughout the book about his mom that makes it a real page-turner. (That was a mild spoiler alert and I do not apologize).

2. Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick

STARS: FIVE

Now if you’re assuming one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book was to get Anna Kendrick’s tea on what it was actually like to be on the set of Twilight, then you aren’t wrong. However, this book is SO MUCH more than that. It is a collection of effortlessly funny, mildly self-deprecating short stories from Anna’s life that are actually incredibly relatable to even someone like me whose only theater experience was playing one of the three wisemen in a Catholic elementary school Christmas play where I had no lines lol. One of my favorite parts of this book is when she explains how the n00bs are styled for red carpet events (I think we owe some teen stars from the early 2000s an apology). Overall, it’s an extremely entertaining read with humor that kept a smile on my face throughout its entirety (which was probably either weird or a refreshing change from my RBF to people at work eating lunch around me in the cafeteria). So, if you appreciate my humor, you will definitely appreciate Anna’s (we’re on a first name basis now, obvi.)

3. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

STARS: FOUR

If you enjoy watching The Office (so literally anyone), then you will probably like this book. (Also, you can’t say you don’t like Mindy Kaling, but you do like The Office because she wrote a bunch of those episodes/jokes - fun fact.) Anyway, Mindy Kaling writes the same way she talks which helps you feel her authenticity through every story — like I literally read it in her voice. This book is a collection of reflections and lessons from her life starting from when she was in high school (her tip: don’t peak in high school lol we all know those people) all the way up to being a writer on The Office. Disclaimer: some of her humor is pretty inappropriate, so if you’re a prude, maybe just don’t…?

4. Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

DEEEJAYYY KAAAALING — ANOTHA ONE.

STARS: 4 for Kelly Kapoor

This is the lovely book I mentioned at the beginning of this post that got be back into reading. I read this book in a mere THREE DAYS - that’s really fast for me, you guise. Most of the stories Mindy tells in this book are set post her days as Kelly Kapoor and a writer at The Office. She still gives B.J. Novak a big ole shout out because that’s her bestie, but I appreciated that this book was enough of its own entity that I didn’t feel like I was just rereading the one above. A few things that stuck with me from this book: she was describing a hypothetical situation/future and said “Elizabeth Warren is president” which I thought was oddly timely and wonder if she looks back on it now and says “HA! I TOLD YOU ALL!”, she dabbled in a relationship with one of Obama’s secret service agents which is just cool af to be able to say and in a culture where body dysmorphia is quite prevalent (even for men), Mindy dives into her take on her body and the media. It was an easy read with, again, some humor that some might find inappropriate, but I quite enjoyed.

5. Bossypants by Tina Fey

STARS: 3.96 — It’s my blog, I can rate how I want to.

Tina Fey’s Bossypants is the O.G. book for me. It was the book that introduced me to this comedian/actor memoir genre. It was the very first one I read and made me realize how much I enjoy reading stories from people’s lives as told by those people. I read it in 2013, so it’s been a few years but even as a college student who didn’t have a lot of time to “read for fun,” I flew through this book in about a week. Tina touches on a little bit of everything starting with when she was five and got attacked by a stranger in an alleyway that gave her the scar on her left cheek (Google it.), her journey to becoming a comedian on Saturday Night Live including her time as part of the Chicago-based improv group The Second City where she met her BFF Amy Poehler, and of course, what it’s like being a working mom eating food off of the floor. All in all, I think this book offers something everyone can appreciate.

6. Yes Please by Amy Poehler

STARS: Three. Just three.

So to be fair to Amy on my rating, after thoroughly enjoying Tina Fey’s book, my expectations were pretty high for Amy Poehler’s book. I mean she is Tina Fey’s BFF, u kno? I also LOVE Parks & Rec (highly recommend anyone watch it if you enjoy The Office (so anyone reading this)) and this was the second book of this genre that I read. Although it didn’t live up to my expectations, it wasn’t a bad book by any means. Similar theme to all of the other books mentioned in this blog, Amy offers up a plethora of personal stories about sex, love, friendship, parenthood, etc. with a little bit of advice intertwined (take some, leave the rest). I love Amy Poehler’s humor and learning about all of the improv groups she was in when she was just starting out as a comedian. It wasn’t my favorite book, but I liked it enough to include it on this list. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Welp, that’s it for now! Let me know if you end up reading any of them, so that I can start something that resembles an actual Summer Book Club lol.

To end this blog post, here’s a gif of Leslie Knope giving a shoutout to one of my favorite books/series. :)

START WITH WHY by Simon Sinek

NAMESAKE by Adrienne Young

JOSH AND HAZEL’S GUIDE TO NOT DATING by Christina Lauren

AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir

REBECCA by Daphne Du Maurier

LOVE FROM A to Z by S.K. Ali

LAST NIGHT AT THE TELEGRAPH CLUB by Malinda Lo

YOU SHOULD SEE ME IN A CROWN by Leah Johnson

THE EMPRESS OF SALT AND FORTUNE by Nghi Vo

THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END by Adam Silvera

THE INHERITANCE GAMES by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

CRAZY RICH ASIANS by Kevin Kwan

RIOT BABY by Tochi Onyebuchi

CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Tomi Adeyemi

THE ASTONISHING COLOR OF AFTER by Emily X.R. Pan

SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo

SIX OF CROWS by Leigh Bardugo

RUIN AND RISING by Leigh Bardugo

TWICE IN A BLUE MOON by Christina Lauren

THE TWO LIVES OF LYDIA BIRD by Josie Silver

UNTAMED by Glennon Doyle

THE BLACK GOD’S DRUMS by P. Djeli Clark

THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET by Sandra Cisneros

FABLE by Adrienne Young

THE NICKEL BOYS by Colson Whitehead

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by Sarah J. Maas

THE ASSASSIN’S BLADE by Sarah J. Maas

BIG MAGIC: CREATIVE LIVING BEYOND FEAR by Elizabeth Gilbert

THE VANISHING ACT OF ESME LENNOX by Maggie O’Farrell

THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE by Audrey Niffenegger

THE BLACK FLAMINGO by Dean Atta

A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN by Roseanne A. Brown

THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid

CLOCKWORK ANGEL by Cassandra Clare

Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Open Book by Jessica Simpson

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Educated by Tara Westover

Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

2. Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick

3. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

4. Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

5. Bossypants by Tina Fey

6. Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Welp, that’s it for now! Let me know if you end up reading any of them, so that I can start something that resembles an actual Summer Book Club lol.

To end this blog post, here’s a gif of Leslie Knope giving a shoutout to one of my favorite books/series. :)