Even though I haven’t been updating here, I did manage to fit in several books over the past few months. Here’s what I’ve been reading lately.
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan. I got this one from the library because of my current books-to-movies/tv obsession, and it’s been super popular lately. And I started it, got about a third of the way in, and just…didn’t pick it up again for awhile. I don’t know if it was the characters, or the footnotes (appreciated for their information, but also really jarring to be interrupted in fiction), or the writing style, but nothing really hooked me in this one.
I did finally pick it back up two days before it was due at the library, and speed read through the rest of it. Because I guess I cared enough about the story to want to know what happened next. And it got better as it went on. But overall, it wasn’t necessarily a huge hit for me. That said, there are two more in the trilogy, so I went ahead and requested the next one from the library, because I am addicted to putting books on hold at the library.
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han. Just like the first book in this trilogy, this was a cute, quick read. There was a love triangle, and I was kind of undecided with how it played out by the end of this book. Both of the characters were written in a way that I was rooting for her to choose them, so I couldn’t decide if I was happy with her choice again.
I decided to wait and see for the third book in the trilogy. As is my track record with trilogies, I liked this one the least of the three, but that doesn’t mean it was bad – just that it was less good than the others. I haven’t watched the first book’s adaptation on Netflix yet, but I just found out they’re making a movie of this one too, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be watching those at some point.
Educated by Tara Westover. I heard a lot of hype over this book. It was the kind of book that gets enough mentions that you finally just pick it up to see what people are talking about. And I wanted to like it.
Tara and I were both born in Idaho in 1986. So even though that’s not much of a connection, it was interesting to me to see how we started in the same place and had such different lives. But.
After awhile the writing felt kind of click-baity. Like she was sitting there thinking, okay, what other crazy story from my past can I tell to shock people?
I’m not trying to discount her experiences in any way, because they were very unique and she was able to succeed in spite of a very troubled childhood. But I feel like she could have used a little bit more of the mundane to counteract the crazy.
I’m glad I read this one. I’ve been trying to include more stories about people whose lives are different than mine in my reading life, and this one definitely fit the bill and made me think about how your childhood shapes you. I have plenty of thoughts about that.
Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han. Of course I had to read the final book in the trilogy. It was good closure for the series and I was happy with how it resolved. Lara Jean really grew into herself in this one and became a little bit more three-dimensional. My only complaint was that one of the main characters from the second book basically got like two lines in this one. He was shafted, and that’s disappointing.
I’d Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel. I actually pre-ordered this one so I would get it when it came out in early September, and I finally read it at the end of November. So obviously I’m winning there. But this was a fun little read that is very relatable to anyone who enjoys spending time with books. It read very much like Anne’s blog, which I also enjoy. And it’s cute, so that’s always a bonus for a book I keep on my shelf…
I’m in the middle of reading China Rich Girlfriend, the sequel to Crazy Rich Asians, and I’m having a similar reading experience to the first one. I’ve read part of it, but I’m not really rushing to pick it back up. I’ll probably still finish it and read the third one though, because I feel bookish guilt over abandoning trilogies.
Also on my To Be Read stack?
- Imposters by Scott Westerfield. I saw this at Target and was reminded of the Uglies series, so I picked it up to see what it was about. It’s a new book, set in that world, but about different characters. I’m intrigued.
- A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza. This is another one that I just keep hearing about so I got it from the library. Hopefully I’ll be able to finish it before it’s due!
- The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall. I’m hoping to read this one with the kids after we finish Charlotte’s Web, because I’ve heard it’s a fun series, but I’ve never actually read them.
What are you reading lately?
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