You guys are in for a treat, specially if you are new to this blog. This month I will be republishing my Book Review posts from 2018 to 2020. I will combine the posts to 4-6 months to avoid cluttering your feed. I’m excited to have my reading backlog in one place again.
PS: I didn’t review or updated my old posts in any way, I’m sorry if there’s any typos.
MAY 2018
One of us is lying is everything Sapiens is not. I was looking for a lighter read and I’m usually not a fan of young adult books but this was such a fun read. I do hope they turn it in a movie, if you love movies like 16 candles, pretty in pink, the heathers, you know teen drama, you will love this. It’s just more modern and filled with twists and turns Verdict: 5 Stars. For this genre this book is awesome.
Rhythm, Chord & Malykhin was my second book by this author. It’s a light read about a girl who joins her brother’s band on tour and end up falling for one of the guys touring with them. To be honest I preferred the Wall of Winnipeg and Me but this was a fun read on days I didn’t want anything too heavy. Verdict: 3.5 stars. I was able to finish and enjoy this book.
The State of Affairs, Ok first of all this is highly biased because I love Esther Perel and have watched every videos of her talks on YouTube, you should start with her Ted Talk. Whether you’re single or not this book is a great one as this is an issue we are all familiar with wether it is about us, family members or friends. I did read Mating in captivity and her latest. Verdict: 5 Stars.
Sapiens is written by an Historian and I honestly feel like it should be mandatory reading in school. So many facts I didn’t know, I learned so much and I personally loved how it explained the role we played and continue to play in our ecosystem. If you never cared for history, this book will change your mind I swear. Verdict: 5 stars, I highly recommend this book.
Pachinko, I hesitated a lot before picking this one up. It goes over 4 generations of a Korean family and their struggles. it’s a long book but a very interesting one. I don’t want to give anything away but the story is touching and filled with life lessons. This book made me angry and sad at times, I do think it could have been edited a bit more. Verdict: 4.5 Stars, removing half a star only because I feel like this book could have edited more.
JUNE 2018
Homo Deus is the sequel of Sapiens – while Sapiens looked at the past, Homo Deus was more about future. Just like Sapiens it is an intelligent thought provoking book. I personally enjoyed his thoughts on religion, liberalism, capitalism and more. I just learned so much reading this book and feel like even if you don’t agree with all his points, this is book that will open your mind to new thoughts. Which in my opinion is always a good thing. Verdict: 4.5 stars. Only because Sapiens is still my favorite.
It ends with us – This is the first Colleen Hoover novel I’ve picked up and the character development in this book was so well done. This book is about domestic abuse and a complicated love story. It’s really hard to see a character you loved at first turn into a (not so perfect person). I enjoyed reading it and loved the ending. Don’t want to give too much away. Verdict: 5 stars.
Take me with you – This book is about a man who spent a summer with two young boys he just met while their dad was in prison. They end up with a bond that lasted forever. It is truly the sweetest story I’ve read in a while. One of the qualities I appreciate the most is kindness and this book shows how acts of kindness can touch people’s lives more than you think. Verdict: 5 stars.
Life 3.0 – It took me a while to finish this book, if you could not care less about technology, then you may have a hard time getting into it. However, this book tackles a conversation that we should be having. Life 3.0 is about Artificial Intelligence and how it will affect all aspects of our lives. It’s a good read but it’s a lot of information, so it was good to jump to a lighter read at times. If you are a parent or just starting college or a career, there’s a section of this book that talks about the careers that are most likely to not become obsolete in the near future. Again it’s a great book but not a light fun read. Verdict: 4 stars. I took out a star because it took me awhile to finish this.
JULY 2018
Bright Side by Kim Holden: The main character in this book is so courageous and strong, the end is sad but from the beginning I had a feeling of what would happen. However, this book tells a story of how we should live in the moment and be thankful for this gift called life. I’m removing a star because the heroine was too positive, like delusional positive. Also I hate that they had to make the main characters in this book all so incredibly attractive (based on society standards of beauty). Nothing against people with “perfect features and bodies”. It was just unnecessary in my opinion *shrugs*. Verdict: 4 stars
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey: This is not a novel, but I picked up this book because it’s been on my list forever. If you need to get your finances in order or a reality check, get it! I’ve always been anal about my finances and this year decided to make some drastic changes, so books like these are a great motivation for me. Verdict: 5 stars
Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy: After reading Bright Side I gravitated towards this book, the main character is an overweight not so perfect girl. What a nice change, I just think it’s important to write books and make movies seeing people of all shapes, sizes and colors. It’s unfair for a particular group to feel invisible or like their stories don’t matter. Dumplin’ was such an entertaining read and it was nice to have an unapologetic and bad ass lead who of course has flaws and things she needs to work on. They turned it into a movie and it should come out later this year. I’m definitely going to see it, I think the cast is perfect! Verdict: 4.5 stars
How to be here by Rob Bell: After listening to an interview with Rob Bell I picked up his book. He’s a pastor but whatever religious beliefs you have or not I think you can enjoy his books. This book truly have the perfect title, it’s the kind of book I know I will read again. It is well written and lay out concrete steps on how to be present. Verdict: 5 stars
Sex God by Rob Bell: After reading How to be here I picked up this one and it was really interesting. He doesn’t talk about anyone in particular but he made a reference to a women who is clearly Kim Kardashian, this is the first time I’ve heard someone make constructive criticism towards her and not just bash her. It was an interesting read for me and I do recommend it. Now if these topics are not your cup of tea then you may not like it. It’s also a short read. Verdict: 4 stars
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah: This book is so dramatic and such a great read. I don’t like reading about domestic abuse and this book enraged me at times. It is however such a beautifully written story, it honestly makes me want to visit Alaska one day. It’s also going to be turn into a movie, so if you haven’t read it yet, just do it. I doubt the movie will be able to cover everything. Verdict: 5 stars
AUGUST 2018
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor J. Reid: This is the juiciest book ever! I couldn’t put it down, it was that good. It is a long story and I’m hoping and praying they turn into a movie one day. The story goes over the life of a famous actress over the course of her life and 7 marriages. Now Evelyn wasn’t in a lot of ways a role model but in other ways she was. She will inspire you to stand for yourself and go fiercely after what you want. Verdict: 5 stars
The hating game by Sally Thorne: This is hands down the most entertaining book of the bunch, the heroine is a little crazy to say the least and I loved her. I laughed out loud several times while reading this. The story has such a nice twist and it was so fun to read a couple who were not totally gaga over each when the jump. At least, it seems that way. Verdict: 4 stars
How emotions are made by Lisa Feldman Barrett: This book started kind of slow for hence why I removed one star but then I got really into it. I’ve heard the saying that we create our own reality and this book goes deep into how we do so. It’s very interesting and I’m sure you will learn a few things you didn’t know. Verdict: 4 stars
All your perfects by Colleen Hoover: I couldn’t put this book now, Colleen is such a great storyteller. The story is about a couple battling infertility. I loved how she laid out the story at different times, when they first met and now. However, I resented the heroine so much, if you read it I would love to know what you thought of her. I personally found her to be spoiled and selfish, we don’t always get our way in life and I would have thought at her age, she should have been more mature about the whole thing. Verdict: 4.5 stars
Retire Inspired by Chris Hogan: This man knows is *shit*. It was such a great read if you are really looking to take your finances a lot more seriously. I’ve made several changes after reading this book. I thought I was doing well but it has truly been an eye opener. He also works with Dave Ramsey, who’s book I read last month.Verdict: 5 stars
Can you keep a secret by Sophie Kinsella: this was another fun and light read, I enjoyed and finished it in two days. Again I love that the main character had flaws, was quirky and seem to get herself is sticky situations. It’s a story of a girl coming to her own and finding her voice. I would describe this book as cute and funny, nothing too heavy in it. Verdict: 2.5 stars, not bad but not amazing.
Ghosted by Rosie Walsh: This book is incredible, at first I thought it would be a modern story of a guy acting like a jerk but this book has a major twist, that I did not see coming. I highly recommend it and I don’t want to give too much away. It’s about two people who fell in love after spending a week together and the guy just go off the grid. Turns out they both didn’t share some key information about their past. Verdict: 4.5 stars
Matchmaking for beginners by Maddie Dawson: I picked this book on a whim not knowing much about it and boy was it entertaining. I got frustrated with the leading lady a few times because I felt like she was too weak at times, but in the end she redeemed herself and grew a backbone. Another great thing about this book is that all the characters are not all young and hot. It talks about love and sex for seniors, which let’s be honest is often ignored. I totally recommend it, it was such a fun and unusual love story. Verdict: 4.5 stars