One of the many perks (at least to me) of being an author is having to read. Not only do I do it for research purposes, but I also do it to study the craft, but mostly, I do it for the love of it. So, if you’re looking for recommendations, check out my posts below!
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My Latest Reads
Here’s what I’ve learned: I fall behind on posting when I’m writing a new book, even though I’m reading like a fiend. Here are the past few books I’ve read:
- Verity, Colleen Hoover; Yes, another Colleen Hoover book. What can I say? I love her writing as well as her storylines. This book, however, is unlike any other of hers that I’ve read. It is much more graphic, darker, and leaves you wondering what was true and what wasn’t. Although it is very different from her other books, I did like it. Every once in a while, a darker story is nice to read when I’m dabbling in various genres.
- Lucky, Marissa Stapley; I really enjoyed this book. Despite her “criminal-type” behavior, I rooted for the protagonist. She’s such a likeable character, and Stapley puts Lucky in a very precarious position: After she’s won the lottery, she can’t come forward because if she does, she’ll be caught for her illegal activities––she’s wanted by the police. She needs to find a way to claim the winning ticket all while not being caught by the authorities. It’s a great read. Fun and fast-paced.
- Counterfeit, Kristin Chen; This book is a Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club recommendation, so naturally, I was intrigued. I was less than enthused. The premise is about two women who produce top-notch counterfeit purses, then return them to the retail stores, making a lot of money duping the companies. Apparently this is a real thing, but I was less than impressed with the characters and the ending. And the hardest part for me? There are NO quotation marks until the Epilogue. The reason? The main character is talking to a detective the entire time, so it’s her speaking for the whole book. But even at that, there is dialogue within dialogue so technically, some sort of punctuation should denote this. It took me a while to get used to it and often, I didn’t realize someone was speaking until after the word “said” appeared in the sentence. I’m sure there are plenty of readers who absolutely loved the book, I’m not one of them. Again, it’s all so subjective. If the premise peaks your interest, I say go for it.
Currently, I am reading Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin. Hopefully, after I finish it, it won’t be a month before I post my “review”!
Happy Reading, ya’ll!
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Another Day, Another Book
Suspense/thrillers are my jam. I love reading them, including Megan Miranda’s, The Last Guest House. So when I heard the hype about her newest book, The Last To Vanish, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it (I just noticed how both her books are about the last of something!). But in my opinion, this wasn’t as good as her The Last Guest House.
Don’t get me wrong––it wasn’t a bad book. It just wasn’t as good. And as I find books that I can’t connect to or don’t love, I try to figure out what it is about that book that leads me to feel that way. Sometimes I can pinpoint it, other times, I can’t. For this book, it was the setting. I am not an outdoorsy kind of person, so I had a hard time “feeling” the book. The story takes place near a mountain many people travel to go hiking on. Mysteriously, people have disappeared while staying at an inn at the base of the mountain.
I liked the characters, it was just hard for me to get into the setting. Some suspense/thrillers are jam-packed with action. I found this one to be a bit slower. It was a lot of internal dialogue from the protagonist since it’s written from the first point of view. Also, I was a bit disappointed in the ending. It wasn’t what I’d hoped it to be.
Please remember that books are subjective. What one person loves, another may despise. The above statements are my opinion, so take them with a grain of salt. If you are a Megan Miranda fan, I suggest you try it and see if you feel differently, especially if you’re an outdoorsy sort.
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What I Finished Reading
Okay, so I’m about a week behind on my posts of what I’m reading. I finished this book last Sunday, and let me just say, this was a winner for me. I read it in three days. That’s right, three days.
All Your Perfects was just as good as It Ends With Us. That is two for two for me with Colleen Hoover’s books. I love her style of writing. I love her stories. I love her characters. I find myself rooting for both the protagonist and the “antagonist”. I use that term loosely because really, the opposing force does not feel like an antagonist. Hoover writes those characters in such a way that you find yourself torn about how you want the book to end.
Content warning, though, for this book––if you have suffered or suffer from infertility, this book may not be suitable for you. I did have infertility issues many years ago, which thankfully were resolved, but I could relate to Quinn so much so, that I felt like I was reliving those years.
Colleen captures infertility and all it does to you both physically and emotionally so well. By the time I neared the end of the book, I was crying. Not tiny little tears, but big ugly tears. My heart ached for Quinn and Graham and I wanted the happy ending. I’m not saying if there is or isn’t one. You’ll need to read this book to find out for yourself. It is a great read and I highly recommend it.