Quarantine Reads — Like the Comet

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.