-

The Bookshop 

by Penelope Fitzgerald

It's 1952 and Florence Green is risking everything to achieve her dream of opening a bookshop. But unlucky for her, the town she chooses are always against her endeavor. Can she beat the odds and succeed?

I only become familiar with this book because of the movie adaption that seemed promising. Like all bibliophiles I declared before my cats "I will read the book first!". This is a quiet book that has a very British feel to it. I feel like if you enjoyed 84, Charing Cross Road or The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society you will find some comfort in The Bookshop. It can be a rather frustrating read because of the townsfolk who see no purpose in books, but the protagonist's heart really carries the story. I gave it a 3 star rating as I wouldn't necessarily reread this as it was a slow burn, but I'm glad I picked it up and look forward to watching the movie. It was a perfectly fine read.

It Ends With Us

by Colleen Hoover

Lily hasn't always had the best luck when it comes to love. Her teenage love Atlas left suddenly and her heart has never truly healed. However, when she meets Ryle, a handsome neurosurgeon, she starts to think that maybe love is possible for her after-all. 

I read Heart Bones earlier this year and it was my first ever Colleen Hoover book. I didn't hate it, but I also didn't particularly love it. However It Ends With Us felt like a true Colleen Hoover experience. I laughed, cried, and got my heart broken a million times. What essentially sells itself as a romance featuring a love triangle ends up being a heartfelt story of female survival. The authors note alone broke me. I kept this synopsis vague as I truly did not know what to expect when I started this contemporary and I'm so glad I didn't as it gave me such a well-rounded experience. If this has been on your radar at all or you want to start Hoover's books but don't know where to begin, I recommend this.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 

by Haruki Murakami

A man is on the search for his family's missing cat. Through that he meets a teenage girl who's discovering life, a prostitute who has a psychic sister, the psychic sister herself, and a war veteran who is ready to tell his life story. All the stories start to connect when the man's wife goes missing too.

Before this, I'd only ever read The Strange Library by the author and I hated it, but it was part graphic novel and really short. So.. I figured, it was a case of a weird book that didn't mesh well with me. I know I should've read IQ84 before The Wind-Up Bird Chr5oncile as so many people have told me to, but this one was available on Libby as an audiobook and I'm a sucker for reading TOME's in that format. I regret this so much. Okay, kind of not. If I had physically read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle I would've 110% DNF'd at the 100 page mark. I still wish I had, but I'm also relieved that I will never have any desire again to pick up this book. Firstly, I enjoyed the writing. It was far more accessible than I thought. I don't know why I had this idea that it would be abstruse than it was, but it was very daunting to start. However, the plot was all over the place. Much like a Stephen King novel, this was way too long and, honestly, went in way too many directions. I loathed the main character (if I never read a description of a nipple again, I'll be happy), he was basic, idiotic, and rather icky. The wife was no better. So many times I wanted to scream "what the hell are you doing?". The decisions rarely made sense, the war veterans stories were very boring (I say that as someone who usually adores historical fiction), and all the women seemed to only have sexual appeal going for them. No.. I wouldn't recommend. Now I'm absolutely terrified of picking up IQ84. Welp.

Exciting Times

by Naoise Dolan

Avo is a young woman who has recently moved to Japan in the hopes of starting anew. She doesn't know what she wants. Getting in a relationship with an older man who talks down to her but pays her way seems like a semi good idea..? But then she meets Edith, a woman who feels like her everything. How do you know what path to take in life when each one is vastly different?

This book is basically a queer version of Normal People, which is awesome. I enjoyed the writing, it had very dry wit written throughout and the characters were all well developed. I adored Edith, and though I wanted to throttle Avo multiple times, I always understood her. However, I already know that I'm going to forget that I ever read this. I feel awful for it, but it's true. It was the epitome of a 3 star book that you would recommend, but wouldn't reread.

Finding Audrey

by Sophie Kinsella 

Audrey is a fourteen-year-old who suffers from anxiety. She goes to therapy, is smothered in love by her mother, and wears glasses 24/7 to shield herself from the outside world. When her brother's friend Linus keeps showing up at her house, she begins to question whether she could recover.

Yup, this is a 'girl meets boy, girl is cured' story. But I knew that going in, so it shan't lose points for it's predictably. Audrey was a very well written main YA protagonist. She was nice, had a personality of her own, and didn't entirely revolve her life around the new boy. Her family was wacky AF, I know so many people hated this book because of Audrey's mother but personally I enjoyed their dynamic. Yes, it was unrealistic but any book like this will be. I mean, she changes her entire 'anxious traits' for a boy she's known for roughly a few weeks. It was silly but cute. This was my first Sophie Kinsella, have you read other novels by her? Recommend me some! 

Bossypants

by Tina Fey

I shan't do a synopsis for this as you likely already know that this is a memoir of the teacher from Mean Girls. This has been on my TBR for years, literally. It always seems to pop up on 'books every girl needs to read' lists, and Tina Fey is awesome, so why wouldn't I want to read this? It was fun. I liked the writing. I switched between the physical book and audiobook various times, but to be perfectly honest, neither caught my attention. Let's be frank, this wasn't what I was expecting. I don't know what I wanted, but this wasn't it. It often felt choppy, like she'd go from talking about her experiences on SNL to then go on and say 'it's okay to be skinny/fat!". It didn't seem to have a main purpose. Yes, it's a memoir (I guess?) but besides for her childhood, we never got a good look into her personal life. It was more of an overview. I would've enjoyed it way more if she had tapped into her labor, wedding, work experiences that didn't revolve around being a woman in stand-up, writing Mean Girls, being an older woman in Hollywood, etc. It always felt like Fey was showing her life from a distance which kind of is the opposite of a memoir. Meh. I hate to say this as I know so many love this book, buuuuutttt... it felt like a money grab. Sorry not sorry. 

Vinegar Girl 

by Anne Tyler

Kate is stuck in the same dead-end routine. Since her mother's passing, she's taken over all household duties and cares for her father and younger sister. When her father asks her to marry his lab assistant, chaos ensues. 

This is a Taming of the Shrew retelling, which I didn't know. Fun facts! However, it was just okay. The writing was seamless and I'm definitely interested in reading more by the author, the story itself however was a bit of a dud. It was, dare I say, a bit boring..? It also ended abruptly which threw me off. Meh. Glad I read it, but may unhaul. The cover is gorgeous though.

Keep safe!

Thornhill

This graphic novel is pushed as a horror but in reality, it's more of a rather depressing look at neglect in childhood. I guess the photos were eerie, but I never once felt creeped out by this book and the story ended rather abruptly. Mary was an interesting character and I enjoyed reading about her love for creating dolls, but Ella was very stereotypically bland. Her character suffered from being underdeveloped, we didn't get any of her backstory nor did we find out much about her father. All in all, this book was just a little bland with no good pay off. Fun for a quick read, but I'd never reread it.

The Crane Wife

by Patrick Ness

An old man finds a crane in his garden with an injured wing. Saving the majestic animal is the start of a new life for him. But how did a bird bring him love?

This is Ness's only adult contemporary novel and he really flourishes with the opportunity to experiment with his writing. This book had a hauntingly beautiful feel to it, and despite the story sometimes feeling scattered and without purpose, I was always immersed in his ability to create a world that is so much more lovelier than ours. If you enjoy Ali Smith or Fredrik Backman, give The Crane Wife a go.

Home Before Dark

by Riley Sager

Maggie Holt's father has just died and he's left her their family's biggest regret - Baneberry Hall. When Maggie was a child her family fled Baneberry Hall and never looked back. Her father soon wrote a novel exposing the house of it's ghosts, weirdness, and violence. But how much of his book is true? Returning to her childhood terror in the hope of renovating the house and selling it for a profit, will Maggie find the answers to the questions she's always had?

It's no secret that I tend to always enjoy Riley Sager's books. They're fast-paced with good characters and decent twists. Home Before Dark is his latest release and.. it was fine. I really enjoyed the chapters that were from Maggie's dad's book, but the main plot got a little boring, something I never thought I'd say about a Sager novel. The ending wasn't satisfying to me. Maybe it's down to having listened to the audiobook instead of physically reading it? I also had an issue with Maggie as a character. She was rather dull and incredibly indecisive. It was frustrating to read from her POV. 

Brooklyn

by Colm Tóibín

Read my full review for Brooklyn HERE. Spoiler: I loved this! What a beautifully written book about first loves, homesickness, and growing up. 

A Very Punchable Face

by Colin Jost

It's always hard reviewing memoirs as it's like saying "I did not like this person's life!". I only very recently begun watching Saturday Night Live with my husband but Weekend Update is my favourite segment and I really enjoy Colin Jost's humor, so naturally, when I saw that he had brought a book out I wanted to read it. I wasn't expecting this to be as funny as it was, I laughed multiple times and even got choked up when Jost was writing about his mother, a firefighter who was at ground zero during 9/11. All in all, this book gave more than I was expecting it to. If this has been on your radar at all, I urge you to pick it up. 

His Only Wife

by Peace Adzo Medie

Afi Tekple is a young seamstress who is offered a life-changing opportunity—a proposal of marriage from the wealthy family of Elikem Ganyo, a man she doesn’t know. She acquiesces, but soon realizes that Elikem is not quite the catch he seemed. He is devoted to another woman who gave him his first daughter, can Afi look past his betrayal to keep a better life?

I didn't know what to expect from his having heard absolutely nothing about it, despite it being a Reese book club pick. I saw it on my libraries 'new in' section and really liked the cover. Yay for random spurts of requesting tons of books at the library! This was a very good contemporary. The author did a truly remarkable job at writing about the experience of an arranged marriage. My heart broke for Afi, even when her decision making was questionable at best. She was a very complex character who had amazing growth for a less than 300 page book. 

Birthday Girl

by Penelope Douglas

Read my full review for Birthday Girl HERE.

Luster

by Raven Leilani

Edie is a young black woman struggling with life. She's just got fired for 'sexual misconduct', is having an affair with a married man, and has absolutely no idea what to do with herself. When the wife of her lover, Eric, invites her to stay with them, it starts a journey of self discovery for Edie. 

I wanted to love this book. I had high expectations that it would be similar to Queenie or even My Only Wife which I spoke about in this post. I like contemporaries that revolve around young woman putting their lives back together after a change or depression. However, I really hated this book. I can't discuss how the author handled writing about the black experience as a young woman, but I can comment on how I hated the writing. It was too dry and I felt like all the characters were kept at a huge distance from us. Edie was an annoying protagonist as she did absolutely nothing to help herself, unlike say, Queenie, where the main character could see where she was going wrong in life and was making an effort to love herself. The side characters all seemed to be written as villains without depth, and the overall pacing of the book felt off. Maybe this is just one of those situations where a book didn't work for me but might for you. All in all, I was very disappointed. 

The Midnight Library

by Matt Haig

A woman tries to commit suicide and instead wakes up in a library full of books of alternate lives she could've led. Given the opportunity to 'try on' each life, she learns that maybe regrets are better than the outcomes. 

The moment I first heard about this book through the book community, I knew I wanted to read it. The premise sounded very original and who doesn't libraries? It did not disappoint. This was a very moving story about a woman who has given up on life, and I think Haig does a phenomenal job at writing the journey of her falling back in love with living. It was such a quiet journey that I didn't even fully realize she had a new attitude until tears were running down my cheeks. I definitely want to read The Humans now. I highly recommend the audiobook for this as it really worked in that format.

Cilka's Journey

by Heather Morris

This is the follow-up to the controversial The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Cilka is a side-character in the first book and this is the continuation of her story after she was "freed". Unlike so many of her fellow prisoners, she was accused of being a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and was immediately sent to a Siberian prison camp. Like The Tattooist Of Auschwitz, this is based on a true story. 

Cilka's story is one of humanity and survival. I felt very tenderly towards her and had a constant knot in the pit of my stomach at how unjustified her punishment was. However, the pacing of this book felt very off. There was something about the execution of the novel that was very broken. There was a large list of characters that we seemed to meet all at once, and though the second half of the book really picked up and I found myself more immersed in the story, it couldn't rectify the 'meh' feeling I had had for so many chapters. Also, it sometimes felt like Cilka could do no wrong. Heather Morris couldn't interview Cilka herself as she had passed years ago, so perhaps that was the problem. Morris wanted to show Cilka as an angel so it felt very.. unrealistic. I don't know. My thoughts are still all over the place with this one.

Are there any books on this list that you've been meaning to pick up? Let me know!

Distant Shores

by Kristin Hannah (slight spoilers)

Elizabeth and Jackson Shore married young and raised two daughters. But when the girls leave home, Jack and Elizabeth find themselves in a relationship that has lost its spark. In their suddenly quiet house, they both begin to wonder about the roads not taken. When jack gets his dream job that Elizabeth doesn't quite fit into, she instead ventures to the place she's always seen as home and begins to rekindle her artist passions. I love a good Kristin Hannah book (except True Colors, let's never mention that one.) This one was.. okay. I really enjoyed Elizabeth's side of the story and it was beautiful to watch her revert back to the woman she wanted to be. Jack's story however was just uncomfortable. Cheating on Elizabeth with a girl who could be the age of their daughter, acting like a right ass to his friends, drinking too much, and yet still finding the time to be a misogynist pig toward his wife. I couldn't root for them as a couple and yet that's where the story ended. I turned the last page with a horrid taste in my mouth. 

Mexican Gothic

by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, socialite Noemí Taboada heads to a distant house in the Mexican countryside in a bid to save her. But when she arrives her cousin is barely speaking and her family-in-law seem to be hiding a dark secret. This book was the ultimate modern day gothic horror. It read like a classic while still having strong feminist themes. The moment I finished it, I gave it 4 stars. But the more it's sat with me, the lesser excitement I feel towards it. It was.. okay. I've already forgotten names, plot twists, and the overall story which makes me think it'll be an entirely forgettable book for me. A shame, I admit. Don't let this put you off reading it as I'm sure so much of the hype surrounding it is warranted. It just didn't mesh well with me. Was it because I was in the midst of a reading slump when I picked it up? Maybe. Reader problems, ay?

Playing With Fire 

by L. J. Shen

Grace Shaw and West St. Claire are the exact opposite of eachother. She is the strange girl from the food truck with a badly scarred face and he is the mysterious underground fighter who is known as the hottest boy in town. She is invisible to the world. He is the town's beloved bad boy. She is a reject. He is trouble. When West thrusts himself into Grace's quiet life, she scrambles to figure out if he is her happily-ever-after or tragic ending. In the best way possible, this read like one of those really great FanFiction's you used to discover at 11pm and stay up all night reading. It was a whirlwind of a time with so many plot turns that it felt like I was actually on West's motorcycle (because of course he rides a motorcycle). I enjoyed their relationship and found both characters to be believable. The unnecessary conflict that naturally arises in every smutty romance book annoyed me as usual, but I get that the author needed to include it to get the characters where she wanted them. All in all, a solid book that I had a hoot reading. (I buddy read this with my friend Maria, go follow her bookstagram @m.is.reading)

Felix Ever After

by Kacen Callender

Read my full review for Felix Ever After HERE. 

Survival Lessons 

by Alice Hoffman

I did not know what to expect from this tiny book that is technically a self-help guide. I found it at a 'take a book, leave a book' stand and picked it up solely because I knew the author. This under 100 page book made me cry multiple times. With a mix of advice, memoir pieces, childhood memoires, recipes, and beautiful illustrations, Survival Lessons is a beautiful mixed media book that will reach right into your soul and rip it out. I learned so much about Alice Hoffman as a person from this and I loved the chapters talking about her relationships with both her mother and her grandmother. If you enjoyed Wild by Cheryl Strayed or Year Of Yes by Shonda Rhimes, read this. So very beautiful.

The Selection, The Elite, The One

by Keira Cass

Check out my whole review of the trilogy HERE. 

Faithful

by Alice Hoffman

After reading Magic Lessons and Survival Lessons, I was on a streak of giving Alice Hoffman novels 5 stars so I naturally picked up the last Hoffman book on my TBR. Shelby Richmond survived a crash that put her best friend in a coma. That starts a chain of events in her life that leaves her broken. Can she fix her life before she loses everything? The first half of this novel was.. I'm not going to lie.. boring. But the second half really picked up and etched itself onto my heart. This is a story about growth, change, and accepting love. The writing was beautiful. The cover is beautiful. I gave this a 3 star rating but it's definitely worth a read. Like everything that Hoffman writes, this is memorable and truly worth the read. 

Fledgling 

by Octavia E. Butler 

A 53-year-old vampire in the body of a 11-year-old (roughly) black girl, wakes up with no memory in a village that has been burnt to the ground. Finding a human who offers her a home, blood, and sex (yuk) she begins a journey of finding out who she actually is. You know when you're 20% through a book and your brain tells you to DNF but you don't and it's a huge regret? This book was just.. weird. I stuck with it because I absolutely adored Kindred by Octavia E. Butler and wanted to read more by her. Not only was the last half of this book so incredibly boring (court room stories in fantasy should be banned) but the sexual relationship between the main characters seemed so problematic to me. At one point he even says that he wanted her from the moment he saw her, but at that time he thought she was a literal child..? Ew. No. It seems so weird. I may write a full review discussing all my problems with this novel, but yes, I gave it 1 star and wouldn't recommend. Even the writing fell short.

Autumn 

by Ali Smith

This is the first book in a seasonal quartet written by the truly wonderful writer Ali Smith. I got this out of my library because Lauren Wade on Booktube so often raves about these novels. The author has been on my 'To Read' list for awhile now but I was always afraid that I'd be too dumb to understand them as they are very much written for the time of publishing. Autumn focuses heavily on Brexit and the way that the UK could so easily change for the worse in regards to how the British treat immigrants. I was surprised at how easily Ali Smith's writing flowed, I read the entire novel in one sitting and often felt emotional. Did I always understand? No. But not in a confusing way, more in a Sylvia Plath way. I found Ali Smith's writing very reminiscent of Plath's (a favourite of mine) and I instantly put myself on hold for Winter, the next in the series. 

DNF: We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

by Karen Joy Fowler

Rosemary Cooke's life fell apart when she lost her sister Fern. Now in college she's muted herself from others and her family. When her brother comes back into her life, she hopes to finally get the answers about what happened to her lost sister. I had to DNF this at the 76% mark. It was such a tedious book with absolutely no direction. I tried switching from the audiobook to the physical to see if it held my interest more, but nope. It was just as boring. Rosemary was a bland protagonist and her family were instantly forgettable. Her one "friend" was bitchy in that 'I'm just being my pixie-dream-girl self' way. I ended up skipping ahead to see where the story went and it was just as I had guessed from the beginning. Save yourself the boredom and don't pick this up.

The Switch

by Beth O'Leary 

When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen's house for some overdue rest. Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She'd like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn't offer many eligible gentlemen. So they decide to swap lives for the duration of Leena's time-off. 

This novel is the most intimate look at the mother/daughter dynamic that I've ever read. I adored the audiobook, Daisy and Alison do a marvelous job at bringing both the characters to life (even if it was a little peculiar to here Marianne and Pam exist in the same world.. if you know, you know). I think Beth O'Leary did a wonderful job at writing two female protagonists with such depth and range, which is something that I've struggled with in the past when reading a female/female duel narrative - one character always seems to lack. In fact, all the female characters in this book were unique in their own ways. There was no 'blank wall' character - incredible! 

I also appreciated the various topics that this book covers - domestic abuse, grief, depression, loneliness, gay rights, cheating, etc. If you enjoyed Firefly Lane, In Five Years, or Maybe In Another Life read this. 

Format: Audiobook

Release Date: Out Now!

Goodreads: The Switch

Earthlings

by Sayaka Murata

This is what I expected from the author of Convience Store Woman, but so much weirder. I liked the first half of this book, it was quirky with a relatable main character who believes she is not human. Her and her Cousin make it a mission to be anything other than an "Earthling".

But the more this book went on, the more ridiculous it got. I get that some books are of an acquired taste but Earthlings just seemed to step into the bazaar category with no rhyme or reason. I would read another translated novel by Sayaka Murata but I wouldn't recommend this book to.. well.. most people. The writing was beautiful, but the story ended up being too weird for even me.

Format: Ebook

Release Date: October 6th, 2020

Goodreads: Earthlings

If I Tell You The Truth

by Jasmin Kaur

The mix of poetry, illustrations, and story telling in this novel is flawless. When I requested it, I didnt expect it to be so long, and yet I turned the final page hoping for more. The author beautifully seamed this collection of mixed media into a story that will rip your heart out repeatedly, and yet leave you feeling.. full. The mother/daughter dynamic of Sahaara and Kiran was truly authentic, I appreciated how similar they both were while not being a mirrored image of the other. They felt realistic. Mainly this book shed light on the experiences of sexual assault victims, and the many ways an assault can change the entire direction of your life. I can't speak for the representation of the cultural talk in this novel, but the conversations it brought up did make me think about how much power a woman's word can hold dependent on where she is from. If you enjoy modern poetry, strong female voices, and are mentally able to handle a lengthy book that doesn't shy away from the topic of sexual assault or deportation.. read this. It will stay with you.

Format: Ebook

Release Date: January 19th, 2021

Goodreads: If I Tell You The Truth

The Flip Side

by James Bailey

A sudden break-up leaves British lad Josh back to living with his parents, jobless, and broke. In a bid to counteract his bad luck, he decides to let the flip of a coin choose all of his important decisions for a year. Will it lead him to a new love?

I was excited to read this book as the premise seemed like a fun quirky spin on your traditional British romcom. Sadly, it just missed the mark. The protagonist Josh was such a dweeb, and his interactions with anyone of the opposite sex left me feeling annoyed and icked out. He had such a negative outlook on just about everything and it grew tiresome. My final straw was when he meets "the one" and decides to drop all his money (he's very poor) in a bid to track her down. 1) creepy. And 2) just a poor choice. Even the side characters in this grated on me, they were all so stereotypical British in the worst way possible. I would read more by this author as I think he had a great idea for a story, the characters and execution of The Flip Side just didn't work for me.

Format: Ebook

Release Date: November 17th, 2020

Goodreads: The Flip Side

Anxious People

by Fredrik Backman

A bank robbery goes wrong, leading the masked gunman into an apartment viewing and taking the people inside hostage. There, each individual begins opening up about their lives and problems.

There's something special that Backman manages to always achieve in his novels, and that's the way he writes about humanity. I never leave one of his stories without a warmed heart and an urge to hug somebody. Anxious People was no different. I've written a full review of this book which you can read HERE. 

Format: Ebook

Release Date: Out now!

Goodreads: Anxious People

One by One 

by Ruth Ware

Don't go outside. Don't go anywhere alone. A group of  co-workers venture to the snowy mountains for a retreat filled with wine, skiing, and cozy nights by the fire. But the vacation soon turns deadly when they all get snowed in by an avalanche, especially as one of them is a killer.

I have a hot/cold relationship with Ruth Ware books. I've read all her previous novels, and seem to either love them or feel quite indifferent about them. Sadly, One by One fell into the latter. This wasn't a bad book by any stretch of the imagination, but it didn't grip me like Turn Of The Key or The Death of Mrs. Westaway. The claustrophobic setting of the slopes definitely give this book an original ambiance, which I did enjoy. The characters were okay, and the twists were decent enough despite my guessing every plot twist that came about - I think any regular thriller reader will. All in all, this was your average 3 star book. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed as I know the author can do better. Meh.

Format: Ebook

Release Date: Out now!

Goodreads: One by One

Is there anything on this list that you've been wanting to pick up? Let me know!

I'm way behind on these posts, but life got in the way as always (so rude!). Because of this, expect a part 4 sooner than later. I read some great books in August, despite Midnight Sun taking me weeks. I also took part in a readathon with my husband @ReadingRainbill that consisted of reading tons of children's classics that we never got around to as children. I only included two on this list as they were the ones that I had the most to say about, but be sure to check out my story collection on @BranchingPages to see everything that I read.  

The Voting Booth

by Brandy Colbert

It's a big day for two teens, it's the day of their very first voting experience. Marva has been awaiting this day all year, she is a strong-willed woman who believes that every vote matters. Duke on the other hand is overwhelmed by his mother's nagging about voting - how much it matters.After losing his brother, a guy who always spoke up about politics to Duke, he knows that under no circumstance can he not vote. But at the polling station, he gets turned away for not being registered. Marva, overhearing this, takes it upon herself to make sure that this stranger gets his vote. 

Not only was this a book with such a great message to young adults, but it was bloody adorable! I listened to this via Libro.fm and really enjoyed myself. I'm new to America so am unfamiliar with the voting system, but I think this contemporary did a great job at exploring that while giving a great commentary on the black experience with politics. It was preachy, but in a way that matters. A great YA book that ought to be read by everybody. 

Midnight Sun

by Stephenie Meyer

A broody vampire meets a human girl. How can it ever work?

And here we have the book that took me most of August to read, for no other reason than that I was enjoying myself so much. I remember being around 13-years-old and reading the first chapter of Midnight Sun online and THRIVING. This is the book that teenage me has been waiting for. It was cheesy, but so good. I've always known Meyer has it in her to give us some great writing (I loved The Host), and I think this book really proved that. Is the story problematic? Yes, hell yes. But it was fun, and helped awaken the Twihard inside of me. It was also great fun to get the plot holes in Twilight filled by reading the story from Edward's POV. I also think this novel did a much better job at building up Edward and Bella's relationship. We had so many relationship building scenes, it made my heart soar. 

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography #1)

by Maya Angelou

This is the memoir of a young black girl growing up in a small Southern town with her grandmother. It's about acceptance, love, and what it's like growing up at a time where it wasn't necessarily okay to be yourself.

I can see why this book is beloved as a memoir. It's got incredible depth and I fully felt like I was reading it with the intention to write an essay about Maya's childhood. However, I found some chapters a tad pointless and as someone who has never really enjoyed the 'childhood' portion of a memoir, it fell a bit flat. I read this as an audiobook so perhaps that was my problem, and I fully intend to reread this physically as I feel as though I'm missing out on the 'wow' factor. I guess I was just a bit disappointed. Some chapters made me cry, while others bored me senseless. How to review something like that? Should you read this? Yes. Maya's voice is one that matters, I just think for me personally, I will prefer her second book 'Gather Together in My Name' that focuses more on her adulthood.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown (The Brown Sisters #2)

by Talia Hibbert 

Danika Brown is a workaholic who practices witchy goodness on the side. She wishes for a fuck buddy, and boy, does the goddess delivery. When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and ex-rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But what happens when a viral video leads them to fake dating, and feelings begin to arise for both of them? 

I read Get A Life, Chloe Brown last year because the main character had Fibromyalgia but I was disappointed with the rep of chronic pain in the book, so I stupidly dismissed the next book in the series. But.. the hype forced me to read it. I buddy-read this with my friend Maria (be sure to follow her Bookstagram @m.is.reading) and it was a lot of fun. I really appreciated how Zafir was so supportive of Dani's career, but mostly I was awed by Talia Hibbert's way of writing such a smart, strong-willed woman without ever making her a cold work machine like so many other characters in books with these characteristics. Dani had a life, she had friends, was the perfect amount of snarky, and cared deeply about her family. Yeah, she let work consume her too much, but it never made her less.. human. Zafir was an absolute joy, and I think his struggle with anxiety and panic attacks was one of the more authentic accounts I've read in fiction. All in all, would definitely recommend. 

This Is How You Lose the Time War

by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone 

Red and Blue are two time travelling agents of different teams. They begin to leave letters to each other throughout time, and there starts one of the most sweet romances I've ever read.

This book was wacky, like, I'm still not sure what happened. But it was so beautiful. My favourite sections of the novel were definitely the letters, if anything I think this entire thing could've been a collection of their letters. The "regular" chapters made the book fall short for me, as I was too confused to enjoy it. One thing is for sure though, I'm never going to forget this reading experience. 

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

Dorothy and Toto find themselves in a magical world where witches matter, there's a yellow road, and scarecrows, lions, and tin men can talk. Oh, my!

I've watched the movie adaptation of this novel many, many times but never got around to reading the book. The differences between the two versions don't necessarily change the story, but they are jarring for a fan of the movie. Silver shoes!? Yuk. But saying that I really liked the overall message of this book, and enjoyed the banter between characters. The lion is my spirit animal. If this is on your TBR but you've been putting it off in the fear that it may be boring, don't. Pick it up. It's a fast read that feels like a comforting hug. Especially if you've been brought up with the movie. 

The Complete Winnie-The-Pooh

by A. A. Milne

Pooh is a yellow bear who absolutely loves honey. His friends consist of Christopher Robin, Piglet, Owl, Eeyore, Rabbit, Kanga & Roo, and Tigger. This is the complete collection of all his tales. 

This was a truly beautiful, sweet, adorable children's book that I will now forever keep in my collection. The stories were sometimes funny, sometimes sweet, and mostly melancholy which gave me, a 24-year-old, a great sense of nostalgia for something I've never even had. The writing holds up wonderfully. Was I crying at times? Yes, but you'll never prove it.

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor (The Carls #2)

by Hank Green 

April is back, but how? And where did the Carl's go? It's close to the one-year anniversary since the Carl's appeared, and all of our main characters are struggling in their lives. 

It's hard to write a synopsis to a sequel like this without giving away spoilers, so go and check out the Goodreads page for An Absolutely Unremarkable Thing to get all the "origin" details. I was really anticipating this book as 1) the first book ended on a cliff hanger and 2) I really enjoyed  An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. It was complete surprise to me as I don't usually enjoy sci-fi books. However, it's sequel really fell short. The story was fine, I guess, but felt so, so, so pointless. It ended up being such a preach feast on humanity and being a good person that I wanted to barf. Some aspects of the story didn't make sense, and the parts that did took away the mysteries of the first book. This wasn't needed, and though Hank Green has said that the series has finished, I wouldn't recommend reading this at all. It feels like fluff. Or a fanfiction. Harsh, I know, but true. I gave it a 2 star rating because the writing was still great, the story was just a different.. well, story. 

Heart Bones

by Colleen Hoover

Beyah Grim's mother overdoses, not knowing what else to do, the teenager lies her way into living with her father and his new family that she's never met. She just needs a home for the Summer before going away to university. The more days she spends in their home, the more Beyah starts to care for her 'sister' and, more notably, the boy living next door.

This was my first Colleen Hoover! This author has always been on my radar but I've never known where to start. This was Maria's pick for our next read (again, be sure to follow her on Bookstagram: @m.is.reading), and I enjoyed it. It wasn't my favourite romance book, but it was a good coming-of-age story. I really enjoyed the female friendship in this novel, and the commentary on body comparisons. I wish Beyah had more character development without the help of the love interest, but her growth throughout the novel was beautiful to read. 

So, these and my Net Galley books were everything that I read in August. Is anything on this list that is on your TBR? Have you read any of these? Let me know!