I have been reading a lot lately though now that the weather is nice enough to be able to do some DIY projects like my new desk and my new vanity, I imagine my reading will take a nose dive. I have a few more I really want to get through in the next few weeks. Oh who am I kidding READ.ALL.THE.BOOKS. Here are the books I’ve read this month.
My rating system:
Five Stars: Blew me away, made me want to stay up till 3am to finish, would read again and again or I didn’t find anything I would want to change.
Four Stars: Really good book, fast paced or thought provoking, but may have dragged a bit or left something unresolved
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.
All The Bright Places – Violet and Finch are both consumed with death. Finch with all the ways in which he could die, and Violet with her sisters death, which she feels responsible for happening. They meet at the bell tower at school and Violet becomes the hero, while Finch takes the heat even if that wasn’t how it really happened. They form a friendship and through a school project journey all over their state. This brings a voice to depression, mental illness and the secrets we don’t show the world. So moving and left me in tears.
The Denim Blue Sea – I am a New England Beach bum so I really enjoyed this book. It brings my love of the beach, and my time at the beach to the surface and makes me want to vacation at Stony Point. Read a more detailed review here.
Blackberry Winter – This book was a quick read but it also pulled me in. From the story of Vera, the struggling single mother from the Depression era to Claire a mother in mourning after a tragic accident nearly 80 years later. Each piece of the puzzle of Vera’s missing son, during a surprising May snow storm begins to reveal itself. Claire is the reporter assigned to find a story, while trying to deal with her own marriage and troubles.
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail – While I felt a portion of the writing was a little bland her journey really inspired me. To hike for 3 months for over 1100 miles, that takes a lot of mental toughness. Read how it inspired me here.
Normal – This book is pulse pounding from the get go. It is told through the point of view of a serial killer and opens with him killing one woman and kidnapping the other, which he keeps in a cage in his basement. It was dark and twisted similar to an episode of Dexter. It does bounce around a bit, which is why I gave it 4 stars, otherwise overall all really enjoyed it.
Holding Strong – Lovers of romance are sure to love this one, Cherry comes off as a flirt because she can’t have the one she wants, Denver an up and coming MMA fighter. He decides he can’t resist her any longer, and one night just isn’t enough. Her past comes back and has the potential to break them up if Cherry doesn’t give in to the protection that Denver gives freely. The other MMA fighters pull a tight circle around Cherry to protect her, making her part of their family. I am looking forward to the other stories in this series.
Just A Little Flirt – I read the first book in this series, Just a Little Crush and wanted to read more about Fallon, wish granted. Fallon wants to focus on this intern and not being the wild child everyone expects her to be. Cade is the to good to be true therapy dog who volunteers at the same place as Fallon. Fallon doesn’t want him to judge her for her past, but even if he doesn’t can she commit?
Ugly Love – I have seen this book all over social media at one point so I gave it a shot. Tate and Miles have instant chemistry even if Tate did find Miles passed out drunk outside her brother’s apartment where since is now staying. Miles wants her but not a relationship, and Tate agrees. The things I didn’t like about this book was that it was very immature in the that Tate is constantly settling for less than she deserves and always trying to talk herself into being in this relationship hoping he will change. The second half redeems the book and the ending was fitting.
Come Home – Jill is finally happy after a messy divorce, now engaged to a loving man. The daughter of her ex-husband shows up to tell her, that her ex-husband was murdered. This begs the question of just how ex, is an ex and their family. Jill tries to help the daughter even when she seems troubled and wild. This story dragged a lot, and while I liked the overall story it would have been better if edited down.
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.
i always rely on y’all big time readers to give me recommendations for my next one! i’m reading a prequel to the divergent series.
Yeah, I hope you find a few good ones you want to read. I haven’t gotten into the Divergent series does the movies stack up to the books?
Well you blew my measly four books out of the water!! The Denim Sea sounds like it’s a good book for us new englanders!! Thanks for sharing girl! xo, Biana
Haha! I think I am going to have to slow down a bit since I seem to be falling behind in other areas. 😉 It is so good and really gives you that summers on the Cape vibe we love.
i read Wild a few months ago and i loved it! right after that book, i looked up PCT and thought I WANT TO GO THERE!! i had no idea it spanned so many different states/countries!
Heck Yeah! From Mexico to Canada. So many miles and I can’t even imagine trying to do it. I mean even in California the mountains there have snow and ice and we know how tough hiking in that can be.
I’ve seen so many people talking about All the Bright Places so I will definitely have to check that one out! I also really like the sound of Normal. Sounds really good and super creepy. I will have to add them to my Goodreads list!
All The Bright Places was so good. The characters read a little more mature, but also still like high school kids, though the things they struggle with is just so heartbreaking. So good!
Normal is super creepy and weird and so good. I have really mysteries before and some even from the POV of the killer but not like this one. Worth a read.
All the Bright Places just came in for me at the library. Holler!
Holler! You’ll have to tell me how you like it when you are done!
I loved Wild! It so made me want to hike the PCT. The hiking parts are what made the book for me.
Yes, just being able to imagine being on the trails was a highlight. I can’t believe some of the things she went through and still kept going. Amazing!
Wild should be at the library for me any day now, I’m hoping I like it better than some of the other similar books I’ve read. A lot of books like that have points where you’re just wanting to get on with it, I skim when I get to those points I can’t help it.
I won’t lie it is a bit slow at times but the overall message and points were just so inspiring. She is really gritty and raw in the book and doesn’t always paint herself in the best light which I really respected.
I just finished Wild…I liked it, but remembered what you said about finding it to be slow, and I have to agree. Overall though, I liked it a lot! I couldn’t ever imagine doing that!
Yes, I wish she included more personal accounts or something of the people she met on the trail to keep it moving. I really liked it though and the mental toughness that you have to have to hike for 3 months in those conditions is just so inspirational. Me either, girl! Day hikes or weekend hikes only.
I’ve been wanting to read Ugly Love, Your reviews are always a big influence on my book decisions!
Awww thanks. I don’t won’t to keep you from it, but I think I am just in a place where i wouldn’t have put up with some of that crap so I didn’t like it as much as I might have say a few years ago.
ahh so sad you didn’t love ugly love though i totally understand why – i think Tate reminded me of myself, i did a lot of settling and acting like an idiot when i was younger lol. blackberry winter is on my list, normal sounds interesting!
I think it was okay but at times she really annoyed me. We have all fell for the bad boys at one point, has she just he’s hot I’m going for it rather than the whole internal struggle I might have liked it more. Haha! The back and forth killed it a little for me. Normal was so weird and interesting, very inside the mind of a serial killer with a twisted story.
You read so much, love it!!
Why thank you. Hope it is inspiring you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed All the Bright Places. That book destroyed me and is definitely one of my favorites of the year thus far.
It was so good and I bawled for a good portion of it. So good.
you do SO much reading! Definitely adding these to my goodreads! (:
Thank you, the warm weather and all the DIY’s are pulling me from reading so it won’t be as much next month.
These all sound really interesting! I’ve done so terrible with reading recently! Too many other things going on. Your posts always remind me to keep trying, though. 🙂
With my office renovations I have slowed down too. The warm weather gets me outside a lot more.
I’ve read all of Sarah Jio’s books and enjoyed them.
I have some of these on my library list! But my library is closed right now. Boo.
That was my first one and I liked it. That is a bummer. Is it just for a day or renovations?
Adding All the Bright Places to my reading list. My my you read a lot of books this month!!!!
I am with you on craving the beach after reading a beach book. So unfair!
That was a good one. Thank you. I can already feel myself reading less now that the weather is warmer and I can get outside!
I have Wild as a to-read already, but wasn’t sure, I’ll give it a go since so many people seem to like it. Normal sounds really interesting, I loved Dexter so I’m adding that one too! Thanks for the great recommendations
I think if you are prepared not to like her and open to the journey it will be a good read. It is very Dexter-esque and twisted. Hope you like it too. Very welcome!
Oh – I”m all about your beach book (The Denim Sea) – definitely adding it to my list.
I think I made it through 2 books this month – I try to read at night but don’t make much progress.
It is such a good read and very beachy. It can be hard at night but even just a few pages helps.
I’ve commented about Wild all over the place. For me, I just didn’t like Cheryl. I don’t mean to be rude…but I think it was an important element of the story to be cheering for her, and I wasn’t. I don’t know why. I wanted to relate. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, even some that she’s made, but I just didn’t like her. Maybe I’m the problem.
I’m on a waiting list for All the Bright Places, and I added Normal to my “to read” list.
He is not a very likeable person, and I think she owns up to that but I can totally see your point. She was a mess, but I liked how she really grew up along the way.
I definitely want to read All the Bright Places. I’m going to read your post on making your own vanity!
It was so good, and better then most YA books I’ve read.
I’m inspired by how much you read, and I really need to take the time to read the two books I got for Christmas that I’m only halfway through 😛
Thanks! Yeah a little bit each day really helps. I get up really early on the weekend too so that helps.
I wish Holding Strong was a picture book, because I think I would like to see more of what’s on the cover! Lol
Hahaha!!! I kinda wish it was because all the guys in the book sound so masculine and gorgeous. Drool-worthy.
Thanks for the reviews. You’ve given me some new books to consider!
Hope you read a few and like them! I can already tell I’ll be reading less this Spring.