First I apologize this is a long one. I read 11 books this month. One was a did not finish, but the others were pretty good. I think some were shorter than others making them move quicker. Hopefully you find some books to add to your to read list! Here are the books I read:
My rating system:
Five Stars: Blew me away, made me want to stay up till 3am to finish, would read again and again.
Four Stars: Really good book, fast paced or thought provoking
Three Stars: Okay, didn’t thrill me but didn’t disappoint me either.
Two Stars: I almost didn’t finish, it may have irritated or offended me in some way.
Once Loved: While this isn’t classic literature I really enjoyed it. You have Lety with her abusive alcoholic father who ruined her financing for college, and Brody the seemingly perfect boy with perfect grades. They tried once to make it work and failed but he is not letting her go this time. In order for them to work Brody must tell Lety his secrets, and Lety needs to break down the walls she has kept to high. Read the first book first, my thoughts on this one here.
Me Before You: This book got so many good reviews I felt I had to read it. Lou takes a job working for Will a quadriplegic who has a quick wit but is also depressed about his condition. Lou wants to quit immediately but since she is the main breadwinner of her family she sticks it out. She decides to prove to Will that life is worth living, and Will pushes her to pursue her passions. I think the hype of this book made me like it a smidge less than i might have otherwise, and I figured out the ending a quarter of the way in.
The Rosie Project: Don is a socially awkward professor of genetics. After deciding the probability that there is someone for him, he comes up with a detailed questionnaire for his Wife Project. He wonders why he never makes it past the second date. Rosie seeks out Don to help find her biological father and gets confused as a potential suitor. Don is brutally honest, and logical to a fault he is quite an endearing character. Overall funny, quirky and really sweet story.
The Rosie Effect: I received this book from the publisher for review so I read the Rosie Project. This book continues Don and Rosie’s story after they married, moved to New York and find out that Rosie is pregnant. Don’s reaction to the news leads Rosie to worry he doesn’t want to be a father. Don’s research leads him in hot water. His quirky and sweet manner in which he tries to fix everything is so sweet, but also hilarious.
Dangerous: Detective Martell takes it upon herself to chase down the sexual predator known as Angel even though she has been suspended from the case. After two women have died by his hand she can’t let it go. After her neighbor’s daughter gets kidnapped by Angel she enlists the help of Drago to help find him before it’s too late. The race is on to find her, while trying to resist each other. The chase is fast paced and intense. The chemistry is hot! Great read!
The Power of 100!: I have sung the praises of this post many times and even shared my Career & Finance goals and my Travel Goals. This books tells the story of the author struggling back from an assault and a horrific car accident to make his life what he always wanted it to be. He uses the book as a workbook to guide you to how to get life balance, setup your list of 100 goals and how to structure them. Better then most self-help type books have read.
DIY Nut Milks, Nut Butters & More: In my quest to eat less processed foods, I really enjoyed the recipes to make my own nut butters and granola.
The List: This was a light fun, cute read. Phoebe caught her boyfriend cheating, she decides to create a sexual bucket list. She enlists her best friend to help her in her no strings attached sexual revolution. The end was a little rushed but the relationship between the friends was entertaining.
The Undertaker’s Daughter: This book left me feeling a little weird. I didn’t get the point but had to remind myself it is a memoir, so it doesn’t necessarily wrap up all perfect in a bow. It also is told from the daughter’s perspective so you don’t get the why and how of the other member of the family. Kate is exposed to the rituals of the dead at an early edge. Her father’s infidelity and alcoholism is hidden by his charismatic personality, while fighting for control of the funeral business of a small town. Race relations during the 60’s are discussed as a back drop to the story.
A Thing of Beauty: Fiona is a former child star who buys a big mansion after getting out of rehab. She has grand plans to restore it to it’s glory however ten years later it is filled with hoardes of “treasures” she has found in thrift shops or the trash. Desperate for cash she takes in a border named Josia, who helps her see life in a different way. She begins to find her life again, and back to finding happiness. A few story issues that hopefully gets worked out but overall good read.
The English Breakfast Murder: I added this as part of a book challenge and it was so boring and drawn out I just couldn’t finish. Too much tea, not enough mystery.
What books have you read this month?
Will you add any of these books to your list?
Linking up with Steph and Jana for this months reads.
The rosie project reminds me of a barbara streisand movie from the late 90’s…i forget the name of the movie but i’ll email you if i remember!! The list sounds like a good fluffy read!! Great job on so many books read! xo, Biana
The List, was very light and fluffy and a quick read.
You read so quickly…so great! My ADD takes over and it takes me SO long to finish a book. Thanks again for the Shaun King recommendation. I love it and have recommended it to friends. Have a great day!
I think it’s because we had more weekends that month based on how the days fell. I also read at least an hour a day. So glad you liked it, really great book to get motivated.
I’m really looking forward to reading The Rosie Project, if I like it I’ll read the sequel too!
What do you give one star too? I give them to books I can’t even finish. 🙂
It was quirky and fun, and you really feel for Don. He tries so hard. I tend to give one star to books I can’t finish. 😉
currently reading the divergent series…love seeing what you’ve read/on your list to read!!
I haven’t read that series yet, hope you are liking it. Hope you find one you like enough to read. 🙂
The Me Before You & Rosie Effect/Project are all on my to-read list! I guess I’m lucky that I don’t hear/follow the hype of books. Hopefully I’ll like the Me Before You book! Love this linkup!
I think you will like them, they were really good. I think a lot of bloggers were mentioning they bawled while reading it and I was expecting that level of emotion and I didn’t feel it. Still very good, and well written.
Me Before You and The Rosie Project were two of my favorites.
They were both really good. I really liked Don as a character.
I think with Me Before You, every blogger kept talking how they bawled and it was so emotional and I guess I was just expecting more of a tug and I just didn’t get there, but still a really good read for me.
I’m definitely going to add The Rosie Project to my Goodreads list. I’ve heard so many great things about it.
It is really cute and fun, with a little quirky thrown in.
The List is on my list, as is The Rosie Effect. I enjoyed The Rosie Project and loved Me Before You.
11 books is a lot, and there’s always a stinker in a big pile of books 🙂
The List is very light and fun. I think the Rosie Effect was funny, and in line with the first book.
You are bound to come up with a few a year, so I just move on rather than dwell on it. I never used to give up but it’s better to move on to the next one.
WOW girl you’re a reading machine!! I’m currently reading Funny Girl and I like it so far! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!! I’m shocked that I’m still on point with my Goodreads challenge for the year haha.
Haha! Thanks, blame the Winter. Funny Girl as in based on the Barbara Streisand movie? I think I go in waves so hopefully I can keep it up to meet my yearly goal.
LOL I needed a spoiler alert for the second Rosie book! It’s okay, I added the first one anyway 🙂 I”m reading Tell the Wolves I’m Home and The Husband’s Secret. Goodreads will let you know if I liked them, ha!
Haha! Don’t worry I didn’t provide anything more than what is in the summary on Goodreads. Hi-jinks for days, though! Very cute! I’ll be looking forward to seeing what you think about The Husband’s Secret, I was mixed on that book.
too much tea, not enough mystery.. lol. good for you for putting it down though.
i loved the rosie books, the first one was definitely better in my opinion. and i loved me before you, though like you i realised the ending pretty soon .. i was hoping i was going to be wrong about the ending, lol
Haha! It was going in so many weird directions. Yes, the first one was better than the second, though liked them both. Yes, i think I figured it out more from other people talking about it which was a bummer but still a good book.
I love your book reviews! Always on the hunt for a good book. The last book I read was Dirty Rocker Boys by Bobbie Brown…thumbs up!
Thank you! That sounds like a good one. I still want to read the Nikki Sixx book too.
Five of your books have been on my two read for awhile, I need to get finished with this series so I can jump in to them and the hundreds of others I keep on adding! I am going to add your five star one too!
Yes, finish so you can get cracking on some of them. I am so excited I just got approved for the 3rd book in that series so I will be sure to review it for next month!
The power of 100 looks like a great read! Thanks for all these fabulous recs!
It was really motivational without being overly technical or preachy, very conversational which was nice. Very welcome! Hope you find a great one to read.
Thanks! Filing this in my books to read folder. Very helpful.
Love, SMD’s Momma
Hope you find one or two you want to read!
haha too much tea not enough mystery! Love that line. Havent read any but thats the beauty of having reading blog buds – recommendations!!
haha. Thanks! Not even one book? I don’t think I could get through a day without reading even just a little bit of a book for pleasure.
I loved Me Before You, but I totally understand not liking something because of the hype (or not wanting to like it).
I don’t know why I haven’t read The Rosie Project yet, but I’ll have to get on that. And Dangerous sounds right up my alley!
Yes, don’t get me wrong I did really like it, but I didn’t love it because I was expecting to feel more emotion. The Rosie books are really cute. A lot of shenanigans from misunderstanding but he is a great character!
Kudos to reading so many books this month.! I’ve logged a big old 0. Thanks for the suggestions though, you’ve given me some great ideas on what to read next (when I pick up a book again)
I think it was because we had an extra weekend, and a lot of snow. Hope you like one of them.
I LOVED The Rosie Project. But I was bummed by The Rosie Effect. It wasn’t as entertaining to me. I still love Don, but it seemed Rosie turned into a horrid biz-nitch.
She did not come across in a good way, though she came around in the end.
I loved Me Before You – actually I love all of her books!!!
I still haven’t read the 2 Rosie books – they are waiting in my Nook:)
I’d be interested to know what you think of them. I thought he was very endearing and quirky.
The DIY Nuts and Butters book sounds so interesting!! I I really love the way you format these posts. 🙂
It was really good, and all natural which was nice. Thank you so much!
Girl you read so much it’s incredible. You inspired me to read more, so I have been reading more but still not enough. Although, I am almost done with the first book of the Outlander series. My friend wants me to read 50 shades of grey so that I can go see the movie with her. It’s not a book I would read so I’m slightly torn about it.
Thanks! The Winter does that to me. Just reading is enough. It was a good series, I’ve read steamier, but it was decent. Hopefully you don’t blush to easily. 😉
I’m always so impressed with the number of books you manage to read in one month! I haven’t even finished one book this year, but mostly because the one I started was in the “don’t want to finish” category like your last one. I really should either power through or give up, haha.
Thanks! The Winter gives me an excuse to stay in and read. Ugh, that used to happen to me, and I decided I have too many books to read to be stuck on one I am not feeling. You don’t want that feeling to linger so best to give up and find another book
I love the way you laid out this blog post! I keep meaning to read Me Before You. I feel like the only one who hasn’t!
Thank you. I felt the same way. I kept hearing so much about it my expectations were so high. It was still really good but I was expecting a total cryfest. Totally worth reading, to decide for yourself.
i liked me before you too but didn’t quite get all the hype either. and i’ve definitely stopped reading books that are too boring/slow – life is too short ha.
Yes, I mean it as good, but I wasn’t crying hysterically over it. So true, better to read a book you do like then linger in a bad one.
No need to apologize, I think it’s fantastic that you read so many books in one month! And I love this post in general; I haven’t read *any* books recently (who am I??). I’m going to check out the Rosie books and Me Before You.
Thanks. It is mostly due to the snow. The Rosie books were really quirky and fun!
I think I’m done with book challenges, boo. I had two that I can think off the top of my head that I wasn’t able to finish, one has been on my TBR forever. You know I was really only checking out the romance type books, and I went and requested the Five star book and the one after that on Netgalley. If I get approved, I’ll buy the first one!!
I have too many books to read, that adding ones I don’t really like is a total downer! Oh, I really think you will like the series. Strong males characters, and the women while damaged in their own way are strong too.
DAMN 11 books. I’m lucky if I get through one in a month. I’m putting the current book “Reality Bites Back” on hold to read Girl on the Train. Everyone was saying good things.
Thanks! I have heard so many good things about Girl on the Train, I’ve added it to my list too!
So glad you finally read Me Before You- I’m with everyone who loved it, but I know what you mean about too much hype about a book making it not hold up to all of your expectations. I remember your other posts on The Power of 100 and it still sounds like a good one to read!
I still really like it, but it lost just a smidge of luster from my expectations. It is really good, if even it just helps you structure your goals, and to dream up all the things you want to do.
That cook book with nut butters sounds interesting. Pete makes his own sometimes and they’re pretty good!
I think you would really like it, perfect way to save money making it at home. Pete’s got skillz huh?!