Books We're Loving

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Confession time: I haven't been reading much at all these days. Like, I've read half a book so far for the month of April. January started out really strong, with 4 books read, and then my reading progress just piddled away from there. I can't even really explain it, but I'm just not reaching for a book when I have time to read. Blame it on being too tired, focusing on other hobbies right now, or just lack of interest in reading. Perhaps a combination of all three even, but however you look at it, my reading is severely lacking so far. That being said, the books I have managed to read at least have been really good reads! There's nothing worse than reading bad book after bad book, especially when you aren't reading very much to begin with. 

Loved: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry was such a charming and lovely book. The writing was beautiful and it hit me with all the feels when I was least expecting it. It's about loss and love and family and how when you least expect it, the right people (both young and old), will find their way into your life. And it's a book about books, so what's not to love? 

It Ends With Us was also a really good read. A little more chick-lit and a lot more sexy times than I was expecting, but I had a hard time putting this book down. I was worried that the ending was going to be too cliche, but I think the author approached a difficult topic really well. I don't want to give anything away, but the message this book sends is really important and be sure to read the author's note at the end!

The last good book I read was The Lost Husband. If you've read any of my last book posts, then you know I adored Happiness for Beginners by the same author so I was excited to dig in to one of her other books. I wasn't disappointed in the least! This is a book about loss, moving on, forgiveness, hope, love and self-growth.While I couldn't relate to having lost my husband, I could relate to being a mother, and I just really liked the main character, Libby. She was honest, real, and just trying to live a good life in order to give her children a better life. 

Currently Reading: I had high hopes that I would read all of the books while on holidays in Florida, but alas, that never happened. I started reading Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid while on the airplane and devoured 150 pages. I was pulled in on page one and crying by page two. But, despite loving it, I haven't been able to bring myself to read anymore (see first paragraph again, haha!). Anyway, my goal is to finish it by the end of the month! 

Looking Forward To: I feel like this is a trick question, haha! I can't say I'm looking forward to reading anything right now, BUT, I do have two books I recently purchased that I am really interested in reading as soon as I find my reading mojo. Ange highly recommended Unf*ck Your Habitat: You're Better Than Your Mess to me and I think it will be really helpful in learning how to attack clutter and disorganization in my home. The second book I picked up was The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy, a memoir about the adventures and heartbreak of being "a woman who is free to do whatever she chooses". Let's hope the reading bug hits me again soon!

Don't forget to head over to Becky's blog to see what she's loved, is currently reading and what she's going to read next! 


What are you reading right now? 

Any new releases you're looking forward to?

The Books I've Been Reading {#16}

January ended up being a pretty good reading month, considering I wasn't sure how reading was going to fit into my life with a newborn and a toddler. Of course, fitting in reading often means I'm staying up way too late to get in a few chapters, but some habits never die. Once a night owl, always a night owl!

I read four books in January and really enjoyed three of them. I probably should have DNF'd the one I didn't like (Girl Runner), but I just couldn't do it. While I'm not too happy I spent time slugging through it, I am glad I finished it since it's a book I've owned for a few years and had been wanting to read. Now I can happily donate it to my neighbourhood's Little Free Library!

Here's what I read:

1. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi: This was a hard book for me to put my thoughts about in writing. How do you judge a book written by a man while he was dying? A man who was intelligent beyond belief and who would have continued to make enormous contributions in the field of medicine had he not left this Earth too soon? I have nothing but tremendous respect for Kalanithi. And I can't even begin to pretend I know what he or his family went through during those last years of his life. That being said, while I found the first part of his book interesting from a clinical/medical viewpoint (having been a nurse myself), it wasn't until the epilogue that I was truly moved and brought to tears. A poignant read, it is really only the epilogue that has stuck with me since I finished this book. (4/5 stars)

2. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin: I adored this book! It's been sitting on my shelf for ages and I'm so glad I finally picked it up. It's one of those subtle, charming and lovely books that just hits you with all the feels when you least expect it. It's about loss and love and family and how when you least expect it, the right people (both young and old), will find their way into your life. It's also a book about books and bookstores and book lovers and it was truly a wonderful read. I can't imagine anyone (especially a fellow book lover) not loving this one! (5/5 stars)

3. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty: This is a story about secrets. One's we tell and one's we take to our grave. It's also a story about relationships: husband and wife, mother and daughter, mother and son, as well as other various relationships within one's own family. It was complex, but not confusing, although it did take me several chapters to really get into. At first, there's not a lot that seems to tie these different characters together, but as the book progresses, so does Morality's gift of storytelling. I love how her characters start to come together and how even the littlest of decisions effects their future. When John-Paul's wife, Cecelia, finds a letter written to her by her husband years ago, on the birth date of their first daughter, he asks her not to open it. When she realizes how distraught John-Paul is over the idea of her reading the letter, Cecelia knows she needs to read it. What possible secret could he be keeping from her? The contents of the letter changes everything.

This book made me think of the butterfly effect; how every little decision we make, both intentional or not, alters our future. We think we know our closest family and friends, but in truth, we all have secrets, big and small. My favourite part of this book was the epilogue. It really illustrated how if we knew the secrets our family kept, it would change everything. It was really powerful and it gave a unique way to wrap up loose ends, something that is rarely done in books (but that I appreciate when done right). This was my third Moriarty book, and while it was my least favourite of the three, I still really enjoyed it. (4/5 stars)

4. Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder: This is the book I should have DNF'd. It took me forever to get into as the story really jumps around and with no dates or anything to tie into the timeline, I found it so confusing trying to figure out where we were. I found none of the characters that interesting which is saying a lot since the main character, Aggie, is one of the first women to compete in the Olympics in running. I mean, this SHOULD be a fascinating story. What I thought was going to be a story about running, and Aggie's Olympic experience, I found that to be too small a part of the book. Overall, it was a sad story, but not a very compelling, sad story. I was so glad when I finally read the last page. (2/5 stars).

What have you been reading lately?

Are you a fan of Liane Moriarty's books? 

I'll be linking up tomorrow with Steph & Jana for Show Us Your Books! 

The Books I've Been Reading {#15}

Since I missed doing this post last month, I'll be talking about the books I read in November and December. Two out of the seven books I read were complete duds, but the other five more than made up for them. December was a slow reading month. Once I finished, on December 16, what would be my last book for the year, I just didn't have the time or the energy to read anything else. I started When Breath Becomes Air, but my heart just wasn't in it, so I put it aside until it was. I picked it back up once I was home from the hospital and it's the first book I read of 2017, but I'll be talking about it in next months post.

I plan to talk about my bookish goals (and recap my 2016 year of reading - spoiler: it's been my best year since starting this blog 5 years ago!) in another post, including my expectations on what my reading will look like this year.

In the meantime, here's what I read to round out 2016!

1. You Had Me at Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness by Julie Klam: I had such high hopes for this book, but it was one of the worst books I think I've ever read. The story telling was disjointed, it was boring, and I have no idea how this got published. I was horrified by the lack of control and training Klam exhibited upon her own rescue dogs. Peeing and pooping all over her apartment, biting not only her and her husband, but her toddler!!!?, not trained to walk on leashes, snapping and barking at every person they walked by. I just don't get it. What did this book bring to readers other than frustration and annoyance? You can read my full rant HERE.  (1/5 stars)

2. Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Carter: This was one of the best books I read in 2016. Like, it's right up there with One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It was fun and easy to read, but it also had depth and a lot of food for thought.  It was funny and witty, hopeful, sad and left me wanting more, but in a good way. Just a delightful book, not one you would expect to love so much. I highly recommend this one if you haven't read it yet. (5/5 stars)

3/4/5. Winter Street/Winter Stroll/Winter Storms (Winter Trilogy) by Elin Hilderbrand: A lovely, really cute series that I had fun reading. Perfect books to fill that need of wanting to read something wintery/Christmassy. They're short, but full of characters and details, and you will find yourself wanting to visit Nantucket in December when you're done. I read them back to back to back, which I recommend doing if you haven't read any of them yet since the first two in the series do end abruptly and with a bit of a cliff hanger. (3/5 stars)

6. Wrapped Up in You by Carole Matthews: Oh man, this was the other flop of the bunch. Unfortunately, this was also my last A Slice of Brie Book Club for the time being, and instead of going out with a bang, we all suffered through 400+ pages of a boring, annoying and ridiculous storyline. This book was SO cheesy and just totally unbelievable. Full book club review/rant HERE. (1/5 stars)

7. Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris: I read this mystery/thriller in one day and really enjoyed it. It's creepy, intense at times, and I couldn't put it down as I needed to know how the story was going to unfold and how it was all going to wrap up. One of the best endings in a mystery/thriller I've read in a long time! (4/5 stars).


What have you been reading lately?

What books are you looking forward to reading in 2017?


Linking up with Steph & Jana for Show Us Your Books!

Books & Babes

Hey friends! It's been two months since Allison, Becky, and I shared our most favourite reads with you all, so grab your notepads/phones/open up Goodreads, because this post is full of great book recommendations for yourself and for your loved ones on your Christmas shopping lists! We've been reading up a storm and as a result, have read some really wonderful books.

*****

BRIE

I’ve read a good chunk of books in the last two months – 10 to be exact, but barely a handful stand out as really great reads. Such is the life of a reader though! Thankfully, the books I loved, I really, really loved.

Favourites: When we last caught up, I mentioned I had just started One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and you guys, what an amazing book! I pretty much recommend it to everyone I talk to (and I even made my mom read it while she was visiting), so if you haven’t yet, this is one bandwagon you need to hop on ASAP. Immediately after One True Loves, I read After I Do by the same author and while it’s completely different, I loved it too. Now I’m on a mission to read the rest of her books. Happiness for Beginners was my most recent read and it’s now competing with One True Loves for my favourite book of the year. Another feel-good, easy read, but deeper than your average chick-lit. And if you’re in the mood for a twisted, psychological mystery, then All is Not Forgotten is a great read, but fair warning that the content is pretty graphic.

Looking Forward To: My reading has slowed down considerably the past few weeks, most likely because my energy is pretty low as I prepare for baby to make its debut in just over a month. I’ve made it my mission to try and finish off the year with light, easy, Christmas themed reads. I never read seasonal books, but I felt it was time, and after Alison recommended the Winter Street trilogy by Elin Hilderbrand, I put them all on hold at the library. I’m halfway through the first book and it’s exactly what I was hoping to read to round out the year.

*****

BECKY

I think the last couple months were a reading record for me. I read eight, almost nine, books since we last caught up two months ago. My grand total for the year is sitting at 32! I've read some pretty great books but some were just meh, like The Girls and Miss Peregrine's. What is it about over-hyped books being totally mediocre? 

Favourites: It's so hard to choose my favourite but I'm going to have to say Forever, Interrupted. I think Taylor Jenkins Reid has become my new favourite author. However, you should know by now that I can't say no to a good memoir written by a strong female which is why I also really loved both Amy Schumer's and Bif Naked's memoirs. I'm just on the last few pages of Bif's book but knew I'd love it to the end based on her recent book tour where she read some passages with such animation. I'm reading the book with her voice in my head which makes it even more fantastic.

Looking Forward To: I was thrilled when I found both Forever, Interrupted and another TJR book, After I Do at the used bookstore. I've heard After I Do is even better than Forever, Interrupted and I can't wait to devour it. I also can't wait to get my hands on Anna Kendrick's new book Scrappy Little Nobody and Lauren Graham's book, Talking As Fast As I Can, because it's Gilmore Girls month!

*****

ALLISON

12 books in 2 months? Whoa. I've been adverse to reading lately (hello all the made-for-tv holiday movies!) so I was a bit surprised to see the tally at 12. The good news, for me, is that I didn't dislike anything I've read recently. Some were just ok but unlike the summer, none were bad. You can follow along with everything I'm reading and what's on my list on Goodreads. 

Favourites: surprise, surprise; I can't pick just one favourite. I had written a sentence stating that It Ends With Us was my favourite (and it was REALLY good) but I also loved The Velvet Hours. You know how much I adore historical fiction. The Velvet Hours is based on the real life story of coutesan Marthe de Florian who deserted her Paris apartment in World War Two and its contents discovered, completely untouched for decades, in 2010. This is a fascinating story, easy to follow, and very captivating. I didn't like how abruptly it ended but after some research I understand why. It Ends With Us: I didn't love how young the main character was but other than that, I really enjoyed the story line that featured a strong-willed female lead. 

Looking forward to: the third book in Elin Hilderbrand's Winter series: Winter Storms. This is last book in the series (the first two, which came out in 2014 and 2015, were great) and I'm equally looking forward to reading about how the Quinn family's story ends and sad there won't be another one next year. With my overwhelming adoration of made-for-tv Christmas movies I'm not-so-secretly hoping the trio of novels is made into a trio of movies. If you're looking for something light-hearted and seasonally appropriate I would recommend Hilderbrand's Winter Street Triology. 

*****

Favourite recent read?

What's on your Christmas book wish-list?

The Books I've Been Reading {#14}

I dedicated October to reading just thrillers/mysteries and now that I have that genre out of my system, I'm ready for some more fun, lighter reads to finish off the year! I read 5 books last month and while two fell a bit short, it was a pretty good reading month. I'm also well on my way to possibly hitting 52 books read this year (has never happened!) which pleases me to no end since my original goal was 30. I know it's not about the number of books you read in a given period of time, but ever since I joined Goodreads back in 2012, it's always been a goal of mine to hit 52 books at least one year! Right now I've read 47 books, so I'm confident I will succeed this year.

1. Still Mine by Amy Stuart: This is one of the books that fell short for me. Once again, we have a bit of an unreliable narrator since Clare is running from her past and demons, is a recovering drug and alcohol abuser, and as the reader, we have no idea why she's "on the job" in some small, remote town. But she's there and she's determined to find out what happened to the local girl who has recently gone missing. Overall, this was a pretty "meh" read. I did read it quickly though because there's still an element of "I need to know what happens", but it definitely wasn't suspenseful, at least not until the last few pages. The whole storyline felt weak, and the ending was kind of lame. (2.5/5 stars)

2. Always Watching by Chevy Stevens: This is the story of Nadine, a psychiatrist at a psychiatric hospital, whose past has finally caught up with her. Having spent 8 or so months at the age of 13, living in a spiritual commune (ie. a cult) with her mother and older brother, Nadine has never been able to recall certain events of that time. That is, until she meets patient Heather, a young woman who has recently left the same commune, run by the same man it was back when Nadine was a girl. Treating Heather leads to Nadine finally uncovering truths about her own past on the commune, events she couldn't even recall under intense hypnotherapy sessions years ago. As Nadine starts to put the pieces together, and discovers that the commune has grown larger and more successful, she becomes determined to do anything to stop them from hurting even more innocent victims. 

I was expecting more of a thriller because this IS Chevy Stevens after all, but I'd say this was more of a psychological mystery...still really good and a page turner, just not as intense as her other books I've read. (3.5/5 stars)

3. All is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker: I really liked this book, despite it's graphic content. The premise: what if you could be given a drug immediately following a traumatic event that would erase your memories of it? Would you take it? You'd still know what happened, but you wouldn't be able to remember the actual event. This is the story of a 16 year old girl who is brutally raped in the woods during a party and her parents decide to give her the drug. They feel confident that they don't want their baby girl to have any recollection of this horrible crime and hope by not remembering, she can continue to live her life as a teenager. But maybe not remembering isn't as peaceful as you would hope it would be. How do you get closure then? How do you heal, recover and move on? Does not remembering the actual emotions associated with the event make it easier to accept such a thing happened? And then of course there's the whole question of: if you can't remember what happened, how is that person ever going to be caught and brought to justice? 

This story is told entirely from the perspective of the psychiatrist treating not just the 16 year old girl, but of her parents too. It was a unique point of view and I felt it worked well in this situation since so much of the story was able to be told through the dialogue of the therapy sessions. Also, the "retired" psych nurse in me enjoyed the memory/memory recovery aspect of the book. The topic is tough though, and revisited over and over so fair warning to those who don't want to read about such a topic. (4/5 stars)

4. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs: This was the pick for last month's A Slice of Brie Book Club, and while I've been wanting to read it for years now, I was left feeling pretty underwhelmed by it. It's a beautiful book, physically, and well written, but the characters and the story really didn't do much for me. I wanted it to be more creepy - I feel like it had all the elements to be so, but it really wasn't. Parts of the story I found confusing (the time-loops and the hallowgasts) and other parts just boring. I really can't see myself finishing off this series, but I will still see the movie once it's out of theatres! (3/5 stars). 

5. The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain: I really enjoyed this book and I devoured it in a few sittings. 25 year old Riley has always believed that her older sister committed suicide when she was a teenager and Riley was only 2. But when her father dies and she is faced with the task of going through his stuff, she discovers that her sister has been alive all this time and is living under a new identity. Riley, desperate to seek out the whole truth and find her sister, also risks exposing family secrets and putting people at risk. 

What a crazy situation to be in: both your parents are now dead, and your brother wants nothing to do with the past. And then you find out something that will rock your world: just when you feel like you have almost no family left, you find out that your sister is indeed still alive. Why? How? And where is she? Once we know for sure that Riley's sister, Lisa, is still alive, we get periodic chapters from her point of view, dating back to the time she staged her own suicide. I really enjoyed these chapters and getting to know Lisa and what was going on in her life and how she was dealing with everything that was happening. I was often feeling scared for Lisa and while I hoped that Riley could be reunited with her, I also didn't want anything to jeopardize Lisa's life (or Riley's). 

While predictable at times, this was a definite page turner as I needed to know how everything turned out. It wrapped up a bit too neatly, but then again, not everything in life has to be messy, does it? (3.5/5 stars)

*****

December's A Slice of Brie Book Club pick is Wrapped Up in You by Carole Matthews. If you want to join us, we'd love to have you! More details HERE. 

What have you been reading lately? 

Do you read Winter/Christmas themed books around the holidays? Any recommendations?

Linking up with Steph & Jana for Show Us Your Books!

The Books I've Been Reading {#13}

I seriously feel like I just wrote last month's post on the books I've been reading. September really did fly by in the blink of an eye! The month started out slow for me on the reading front as I tried to work my way through a review book I was sent. I wasted about a week on it before finally calling it quits (more on this book below). What a relief when I did! And thank goodness too, because I ended up moving on to three WAY better books!

Here's what I read in September:

1. One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I think everyone (at least out in blog land) has read this book already and I'm so glad I'm one of them. It usually takes me months (sometimes years!) before I get to a book that everyone is raving about. Luckily, this was A Slice of Brie Book Club book last month, so not only did I get to enjoy this book, but I got to talk all about it with a bunch of other people who loved it (you can read the discussion post HERE if you like).

For those in the dark, this book is about Emma, a 31 year old woman who finds love again after her first husband, Jesse, goes missing when his helicopter goes down. It's been a few years since Jesse disappeared and Emma has to accept that he is dead and never coming back. She reunites with an old highs cool friend, Sam and over time, their relationship develops and they get engaged. A few months into their engagement, Emma received a phone call from Jesse: he's still alive, having survived the crash and has been living on a tiny island and is coming home. Now Emma must figure out what she wants, who she is and ultimately, who she wants to be with.

Needless to say, I loved, loved, loved this book. I was hooked from the first page and while I wanted to devour it in one sitting, I also wanted to savour every page. I enjoyed all the characters and I really liked how emotionally invested I was in this book. And I truly wasn't sure how it was all going to end. This is one of those books that I now recommend to anyone who will listen! (5/5 stars)

2. After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid: When I picked up One True Loves at the book store, they had After I Do for $5 so I grabbed it too. I read it immediately after reading OTL and really, really liked it too. Reid just writes in a way that I find addicting and I love her characters and their relationships with one another. After I Do is about a married couple who's relationship is on the brink of destruction. Rather than throw in the towel though, they mutually agree to a year long separation (in which NO communication is allowed), hoping that this would allow each of them to find themselves again, figure out why they are so unhappy and downright resentful of each other, and overall, remember why they fell in love so many years ago. I can't imagine doing what they did, but it was a really interesting look at relationships and marriage: Why do we get married? What do we expect out of our marriage? (4/5 stars)

3. The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa*: I was looking forward to receiving this book as it's a story of World War 2 that I am not familiar with (the safe passage of Jews from Europe to Cuba). Just when I think I cannot possibly learn anymore about the horrendous things that Hitler did during the war, I am proven wrong. 

This book is told in dual narrative, alternating between Hannah, a 12 year old Jewish girl living in Berlin in 1939, and 12 year old Anna, Hannah's great-niece, living in New York City 70 years later. Anna's father passed away before she was born and so she grew up knowing very little of him, especially nothing about his family's past. Until one day she receives a package in the mail from Hannah who is still living in Cuba all these years later. Anna and her mother, in an attempt to put together the pieces of Anna's father's past, travel to Havana to meet Hannah and hear her story.

The German Girl wasn't nearly as engaging for me as other historical fiction books I've read about WW2, like The Nightingale, or Sarah's Key, but the fact that it was teaching me something new about a time in history that I love to read about, kept me invested. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, and an even harder time understanding why the aunt insisted on staying in Cuba her entire life. I was frustrated at times with the life Hannah had seemed to accept for herself, but then again, I can't begin to imagine what it would be like to have to flee the only country you've ever known after it turns on you and your people.

If you enjoy WW2 historical-fiction, and haven't read anything about St. Louis, the transatlantic liner that took Jewish people to Cuba at the beginning of the war, then you'll probably enjoy this book. While the ship offered a glimmer of hope, securing passage on it was another story. Not only that, once the ship arrived in the ports of Cuba, Hitler was at it again and made it nearly impossible for anyone to disembark. (3/5 stars)


DNF

I never, ever DNF a book. I know, I know, life is too short to read bad books, but I have a hard time not seeing them through to the end. There's always this part of me that thinks it just has to get better! But this book was holding me down in life. I was dreading picking it up and it took me a week just to read 100 pages. It was boring and confusing and not engaging in the least. I felt somewhat obligated to see it through to the end since I was sent it for review, but finally I knew I needed to move on. It's amazing how relieved I felt once I made that decision!





This month's A Slice of Brie Book Club book is Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. If you want to join in the discussion (or link up with us), we'd love to have you! We'll be meeting back here on October 26. More details HERE.


What have you been reading lately?

Have you read One True Loves? Or any of Reid's other books? 

DNF - do you DNF books or stick them out to the end no matter what? 


*Copy of The German Girl was sent to me by Simon & Schuster Canada for review. All opinions and review are my own. 


Linking up with Steph & Jana for Show Us Your Books!

Books & Babes

I know...I just posted about books yesterday, what more could I possibly have to say? Lots, that's what! I love this feature because it focuses on the books Allison, Becky, and I loved, and it's a great way to add some titles to your TBR lists! Or, if you've also read one (or more) of the books we've loved, let us know in the comments and what you thought of it!

*****

BRIE

I had such a slow reading month in August, that I wasn’t sure I had any books worthy of talking about this time, but turns out I read a good chunk of books since the last time we met, and the majority of them I really enjoyed! Unfortunately, one of the books I said I was looking forward to reading last time, The Family Fang, was a total flop for me. You win some, you lose some. 

Favourites: My favourite book of the bunch is The Royal We. I read this right after we last chatted and it still stands out as one of my most favourite reads of the summer. My close seconds would be Recipes for a Perfect Marriage, Never Knowing, The Girl You Left Behind, and the companion novella to it, Honeymoon in Paris. All completely different books, but all great in their own right. If you love historical fiction, I cannot recommend enough, The Girl You Left Behind. Most of the World War books I read are about the German occupation during WW2, but this one was about the German occupation in WW1, which I honestly don’t think I’ve really read about. 

Looking Forward To: I just started reading One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which is next month’s book club pick and I was hooked from the first sentence! It’s one of those books where I want to savour every page and read without interruptions, and I’m already anxious to get back to it. I have another one of Reid’s books that I picked up in the bargain section, After I Do, and I think I might dive into that one right afterwards. All the Light We Cannot See is also on my radar as it’s my real-life book club pick for next week, but I’m not sure I’m in the mood for a heavy book right now. We shall see!

*****

ALLISON

I knew I had been reading a lot over the past few months - 1 part I put 10+ books on hold at the library on the same day and multiples have come in at the same time and 1 part it's so beautiful in the backyard and all I want to do is sit outside and read after work - but didn't know how many until I opened Goodreads ahead of this post. 13. Whoa. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the historical fiction and books with flashbacks were my favourite. As you know, I'm a seasonal reader and read a few chick lit/beach reads this summer and most were underwhelming. While I typically love some beachy escapism I've been impressed by deep, historical fiction so much that light and fluffy with super predictable endings have seemed boring. 

Favourites: I think my favourite was The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown. It was the perfect mix of protagonist needing to escape her life (hello current third life crisis), chick lit'esque flirting, a dual story line with a strong female in the early 20th century, and lots of mention of brunch and cake. Runner up was When We Meet Again by Kristin Harmel; historical fiction (duh) and I loved the story and totally calling the ending (and crying anyway). 

Looking Forward To: I just started In Twenty Years by Allison Winn Scotch. Her last book, Theory of Opposites, is one of my all time favourites and I anxiously count down the minutes to 5pm so I can keep reading. 

*****

BECKY

I feel like I have read so many amazing books since we last chatted. I loved the summer days that enabled me to breeze through some light, easy reads. I definitely didn't get the hype over the summer hit The Nest and didn't feel as enlightened as expected by the copy of the Szen Zone I was sent. I'm excited to move on to some of the darker books I was holding onto until the cooler weather. What is it about the seasons and the books we choose? I didn't even realize that I was reading different books during different seasons. 

Favourites: Hands down was One True Loves from Brie's online bookclub. The writing was of the best I've read for 'chick lit' but it was the story that was truly captivating. I loved reading Emma's love stories and how she came to make the hardest decision of her life. I'm really just a sucker for a good love story and this one (or should I say these ones) were truly captivating. Runners up were The Light Between Oceans, The Luckiest Girl Alive and My Fight/Your Fight. As much as I love a good girly novel, I also love a good biography and knowing nothing about Rousey's background, I was enthralled with her story of becoming the first woman in the UFC.

Looking Forward To: Perhaps finally digging into Bird Box! I'll also be choosing and reading my first book club pick next month! This has weighed on me since I joined this book club earlier in the year and I'm really nervous to make a pick, so hopefully it will be a good one. Any suggestions? 

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Favourite recent read?

Any suggestions for Becky on what book to choose for her book club? (I always find this stressful too!)

The Books I've Been Reading {#12}

Whoa! When I saw how many books I read last month I almost didn't think it was worth doing a post on it. August has been by far, my worst month of reading this year. Three whole books. Three! I know that's a lot for some people, but like I said, not my best month. I blame it on lots of visitors, a trip to my home city and an overall feeling of just not wanting to read lately. (Gosh, I hope that's a short lived phase!) I don't even know what I've been doing with my time instead...I certainly haven't been watching any good shows on Netflix, and my house doesn't look any more clean or tidy! At least I enjoyed all three books!

So here's what I read in August:

1. Keep Me Posted by Lisa Beazley: This was the book for my last online book club and it was a fun, easy and perfect summer read. In a nutshell, it's about two sisters who decide to embark on a hand-written correspondence to reconnect. Unfortunately, one sister's overzealous attempt to "preserve" all the letters results in some pretty big drama which she must own up to despite hoping everything would just go away. I really enjoyed the letter writing in the story, but a few things I had a hard time believing (like a blog going viral with absolutely no promotion of said blog), but it was still a cute read. You can read my full review HERE.  (3/5 stars)

2. Recipes for a Perfect Marriage by Morag Prunty: This book has been sitting on my shelf FOR YEARS and I finally felt compelled enough to read it last month, and I'm so glad I did. It bounces back and forth between a woman in her late 30s who just recently got married but is feeling less than certain about the decision, and her Irish grandmother who married someone not of her choosing. The book really explores the age-old question of "what truly makes a good marriage", and how love in a marriage is different than that of lust and young-love. I know everyone has different opinions on what makes a marriage work, what love really means, etc, but I consider myself quite a practical and realistic person, so this book really spoke to me. There are also old Irish recipes sprinkled throughout the book which I quite enjoyed! (4/5 stars)

3. Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens: The first book I read of Chevy's was Still Missing (full review HERE), and to this day, that book has stuck with me. It's intense, thrilling and very suspenseful. I'm not sure why I waited so long to read another one of her books, but here I am, 4 years later, finally picking up another one of her books. Never Knowing is about 30-something year old Sara, who was adopted as a baby, and when she learns that adoption records have been opened up, decides it's time to track down her birth mother. What she doesn't expect to find out, is that her birth mother is the only surviving victim of a serial killer, the Campsite Killer. Attacked and raped, miraculously, her mother escaped. All these years later, the serial killer is still out there, never to be caught. No one even knows what he looks like. But what Sara doesn't realize until it's too late, is that by finding out about her true past, she is opening up herself (and her family) to be discovered by her biological father.

I have to say, I've often thought about this scenario: children who are the product of rape crimes, or the offspring of murderers, etc, what would it be like to find out this truth? How would you process it? Would you even want to know? I liked this look into such an infrequently spoken of reality.

Never Knowing isn't nearly as intense or disturbing as Still Missing, and it does have some slow parts, but overall, I was sucked in until the last page. (3.5/5 stars)

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So there you have it! My whopping three books I read last month. Unfortunately, September reading isn't off to any better of a start (I haven't finished one book yet, although I'm in the middle of three).

Also, this month's book club pick is One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid and we will be meeting back here to talk all about it next Wednesday, September 21, so come join us! You can see more details about book club HERE.


What have you been reading lately? 

Do you like psychological thrillers?


Linking up with Steph & Jana for Show Us Your Books!