Tag: books i read

My Top Ten Books of 2019

IT’S FINALLY HERE. It’s time to list my top ten books of this year. This list was so hard to create and I sat down last night writing out possible picks and narrowing it down. I think I finally have a finished top ten list that I can share so without further ado, here are my favorite books I read in 2019 in order!

Honourable Mentions:

  • Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I really started to read more horror/thriller this year and I found that I really enjoyed Gillian Flynn’s writing. I read Sharp Objects by her and the Grown Up (a short story) and liked them both but they were nothing like Gone Girl. It was so enticing and I loved reading it!

  • Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Listen, I had a hard time not putting this in my top ten. This was the one Rainbow Rowell novel that I hadn’t read yet because I was waiting to see a used copy in my local bookstore. Eventually, I scored a copy at a newer bookstore near me and decided it was finally time to read it. I ended up loving it, so much so that it’s higher up on my favorite Rainbow Rowell book lists.

  • Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Reid Jenkins

This book was so well done and creative in the way it was written that I couldn’t ignore it this year. If you like Almost Famous the movie, you’ll probably love this book.

  • Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

This was one of my favorite romance novels I read this year. I love the characters in this book and I could seriously see myself re-reading this book for pure joy. However, it didn’t make my favorites list because the ending wasn’t my favorite. But, everything before the ending deserves to be on this list!

AND NOW ONTO MY ACTUAL LIST!

10. Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

You guys, I read more thrillers/horror this year than I ever have. I couldn’t believe that I even read Imaginary Friend, a 700 page horror/thriller and I LOVED IT. I have an entire review here.

9. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

This was one of my highly anticipated books of 2020 even though I hadn’t read the Handmaid’s Tale at the beginning of the year. I pre-ordered this book and drove to pick it up right when my manager had called me to tell me it’s in. I binge read it in like three days and I loved every minute of it! I think it’s much more entertaining than the first one. I have a review for it here.

8. Frankly in Love by David Yoon

I just recently read this book and I was amazed at how much I ended up loving this book. It was marketed as a rom com but it’s soo much more than that. It’s a beautiful story of living in a Korean family in America with a bit of relationship stuff in it. I totally cried reading this book and I highly recommend it!

7. Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

I finally finished Throne of Glass this year and I can’t believe it’s over…This series might be one of the biggest fantasy series of the decade for me. I loved it so much at the beginning and I was growing away from it near the end but honestly, this finale was everything I wanted and more.  I’m so glad it ended on such a great note. If you haven’t read this series yet, it’s truly worth it.

6. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I also FINALLY got around to reading the Hate U Give this year and like all the other books on this list, I loved it. I listened to most of it on audio and it made me laugh at times but also sob in other parts. This is a book everyone should read.

5. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

YOU GUYS! This is the last book I read this year and I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did. I’ve had it for awhile and I try to save my historical fiction reads for the winter because that seems to be my favorite time of the year to read them. I knew this book was sad but I didn’t know it would make me cry so much. I loved Isabelle as a character — she’s so strong, independent and outspoken. Seeing such a strong female character like her during WWII was inspiring nonetheless. I understand why everyone has read and loved this book now.

4. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

I’ve been meaning to read this classic for awhile now and I finally got around to it this year. I’ve read and loved other things written by Sylvia Plath but somehow had never read her only novel. This book doesn’t read like a classic honestly and I was shocked at how oddly relatable the main character is. It is a really sad book (like most things she writes) but it kept me entertained throughout. I actually read this mostly in one sitting so that definitely says something about this classic.

3. The Great Alone my Kristin Hannah

This is the book that introduced me to Kristin Hannah near the very beginning of this year. I had gotten a copy of it on super sale from Book Outlet and decided to start the audiobook. I would listen to the audiobook on my hour long drive to work and it’s all I would listen to. I never really listen to audiobooks in the car because I prefer singing to music but this book had me HOOKED. I love books set in Alaska or the Pacific Northwest so the setting was absolutely perfect. I have a review for it here if you want to know more about how I felt.

2. We Are Lost and Found by Helene Dunbar

I requested this book the day it had went up on Edelweiss because I was in love with the cover and I saw that it was comparable to Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. If any of you know me, you know that’s one of my favorite stories. I ended up reading this book with my close friend Amber and we both really loved it. I could go on and on about this book but I have an in-depth review that you can read here.

1. The Library Book by Susan Orlean

This is kind of a weird favorite book of the year for me but I think it really was. I don’t own a copy of this book (sadly) because I got it from the library (hehe see what I did) and I really loved it. I picked this book without knowing what it was even about but I remember working at b&n when it was really popular. It’s also a part of Reese’s book club which I tend to enjoy books from so I gave it a shot. This book was so well written considering it’s a non-fiction that I absolutely devoured. I wanted to know what happened next even though it was a cliffhanger type of book. I just loved reading it so I wanted to keep reading. This book isn’t just about the Los Angeles Library fire, but about the histories of libraries themselves and some other library fires in history. She also writes about the case of figuring out who did start the fire but I found the information about libraries so fascinating. It made me want to be a librarian even more…I even just recently applied to volunteer at my library because I love everything librarians do. I want to contribute to my local community in the way that librarians do. So, in a way, this book changed my life a bit. I highly recommend it!

 

What were some of your favorite books of the year? Have you read any of these? I’d love to know!

 

Find any of these titles at your local bookstore!

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Everything I Read in October | WRAP UP

I totally forgot that a wrap up was a post I needed to write so here I am, at 7pm after work, writing this. I’m also listening to Christmas music because it’s almost my favorite time of the year. It was below 65 today and it was glorious. October is finally over so here’s all the things I read in the last month:

  • The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

This year I realized how much I love Gillian Flynn’s books. I read Sharp Objects and Gone Girl and loved them both. I decided to give this short story a chance because it was all they had by her at my library. It was SO good. I’m not huge on short stories but this one is worth the read, especially if you want something short and spooky.

My rating: ★★★★ out of ★★★★★ (4/5 stars)

  • Why I March: Images from the Woman’s March Around the World by Emma Jacobs

I got this at my library because I wanted to buy it when it came out but couldn’t. It’s essentially just pictures from the Women’s March but I sat and read all the protest signs and it was lovely. I don’t quite know how to rate a book that’s only pictures but I liked it!

My rating: ★★★★ out of ★★★★★ (4/5 stars)

  • the Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

I got a bunch of graphic novels from the library and I loved this one the most. The illustrations are gorgeous and the story is the cutest thing in the world.

My rating: ★★★★ out of ★★★★★ (4/5 stars)

  • Carrie by Stephen King

I wanted to get in the spooky mood so I read Stephen King’s first novel, Carrie. I wish I had read the book before the movie. I knew what was going to happen and the movie didn’t seem to differ much. Glad I can say I’ve read Stephen King now though!

My rating: ★★★ out of ★★★★★ (3/5 stars)

  • the Library Book by Susan Orlean

Ugh, I loved this book so much. I really wish I had my own copy because I loved it so much. It’s about the Los Angeles library fire, the mystery of it all, and the history of libraries as well. I learned so much from this book and her writing is impeccable. There’s some passages from this book I just want to read over and over again because they’re so good.

My rating: ★★★★★ out of ★★★★★ (5/5 stars)

  • Aphrodite Made Me Do It by Trista Mateer

You can read my review for this book here.

My rating: ★★★★ out of ★★★★★ (4/5 stars)

  • Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

I really wish I could give this five stars and obsess over it like everyone else is. I just couldn’t get into it. I was bored most of the time and I barely wanted to pick it up when I had time to read. Personally, I don’t think enough happened in this book for me. It’s not bad writing and the story itself isn’t bad, but the pacing wasn’t my favorite and I struggled with it because of that.

I also don’t agree with people saying this is an “adult Harry Potter” (lol I think Stephen King said that) but to me, it’s not. Just because it has magic in it doesn’t make it comparable. Also, I was kinda thrown off that this entire book essentially about drug use and selling? lol

My rating: ★★★ out of ★★★★★ (3/5 stars)

  • To Drink Coffee with a Ghost by Amanda Lovelace

I read this at like 11pm last night because I couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t my favorite work by her but I think that’s just because I couldn’t relate to it. It’s not bad by any means — Amanda is a great writer and I think if you’re grieving, you’d find immense solace in this book.

My rating: ★★★ out of ★★★★★ (3/5 stars)

 

and that’s it! I read 8 books in October. What did you read this past month? I’d love to know. 🙂

 

Find any of these books as your local bookstore!

 

To hear my thoughts elsewhere, follow me on social media: Goodreads | BookTube | Instagram | Twitter

I Won the Reading Rush! | July Wrap Up

The Reading Rush is over and I’m so sad but at the same time, I feel so accomplished. I read a total of NINE books this year! This is the first year that I’ve actually won all the challenges. It’s so exciting because I haven’t been reading much this year and I just read nine books in one week. I love this readathon for this exact reason. Even when I haven’t been reading or don’t feel like reading, it always puts me in the mood to finish a good book! Here’s all the books I read, some ratings, and what challenges I matched them with. Let’s start off with what my TBR was originally!

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Here’s my original TBR. Did I stick with it? No..

I ended up reading three of the books on my TBR. I know, kind of embarrassing… BUT WHO CARES! I read nine books anyway. From the books on my TBR, I ended up reading:

This was my first read for the Reading Rush and I finished it at midnight at the beginning of the week. I ended up giving it five stars so that completed the “Read a five star book” challenge! I also used this for the “Read a book in the same spot the entire time” challenge. OH, I think I also used this book for “Read a book with purple on the cover” because it looks like someones wearing something purple on the cover!

This was my second read which I first all in one sitting on the first day. I ended up giving it 3 stars because it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting but I didn’t hate it. This completed the “Read a book with five or more words in the title” challenge.

I literally loved this book even though the “couple” in this book don’t meet until the very end. I ended up giving five stars because Rainbow Rowell is everything and is only able to write five star books. This completed the “Read an author’s first book” for me!

Now, for all the books that weren’t on my TBR, but I still read them!

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This book was so cute! I enjoyed every minute of it so I obviously ended up giving it five stars. This was just to get to seven books in a week!

I decided to listen to this on audiobook since I had it saved on Hoopla and it’s very short. I liked it but ended up giving it three out of five stars! This was just another read for fun.

AH. I loved this book so much. Hazel was such a fun character to read and their dynamic was the cutest. I can’t say I’m a big fan of the ending though. This would’ve been five stars but I just didn’t like where the book ended. I didn’t need that epilogue either! I ended up giving this book four out of five stars. This was just another book for fun!

I’ve always loved Lang Leav’s poetry but this book just didn’t do it for me. I liked it a lot less than her other books so I ended up giving it three out of five stars! Again, it was just another book to get to seven books in a week. It didn’t complete any other challenges!

I needed to finish two challenges near the end of the readathon so I used this graphic novel to complete both. It completed the “Read and then watch a book to movie adaption” and “Read a book with a non-human main character” I ended up giving this graphic novel only three out of five stars because it was nothing stellar and I didn’t enjoy the writing at times.

Last but not least, I read another romance! This book was so fun to read and I truly enjoyed the entire thing. I’m definitely going to be picking up more Helen Hoang after this. I ended up giving it a four or 4.5 stars! This was just another book I read for fun. 🙂

Now for the books I read AFTER the Reading Rush!

Lastly, I finished off July by reading yet ANOTHER Christina Lauren book! I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book so I will be posting a review for it closer to the release date! As for now, it feels like a solid four star read for me!

 

What did you read this month? I can’t believe I read TEN whole books this month! It feels good to be reading again. 🙂

 

 

June Wrap Up | 2019

GUESS WHO’S FINALLY READING AGAIN? I finally picked up several books this month and finished them. I’m so excited to finally be able to talk about books I just read so let’s get into it!

 

  • We Are Lost & Found by Helene Dunbar  ★★★★★ (5) /  ★★★★★ (5) stars

I absolutely loved this book. I read it with Amber (I’ll link her Booktube & Instagram here) and it was so fun. I knew I was going to love this book but wow, I ended up loving it more than I thought. I will have a full length review up closer to the release date. The actual date of the post will be on my blog soon! Just check under the “Upcoming Reviews” tab!

  • the Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood ★★★★ (4) / ★★★★★ (5) stars

So glad I ended up getting to this book. I’ve been wanting to read this feminist classic for so long but never got around to it until now. I was supposed to be reading this for the Feminist February book club but I had to discontinue it due to personal stuff in my life that happened that month. I ended up really enjoying it.

  • Autoboyography by Christina Lauren ★★★ (3) /  ★★★★★ (5) stars

Listen, I had really high hopes for this book. So many people told me it’s their favorite book and how wonderful it is but I just didn’t get it. I’m going to be posting a review soon! I promise.

  • Vengeful by V.E. Schwab ★★★ (3) /  ★★★★★ (5) stars

I’m kind of sad about this but I didn’t love Vengeful as much as I loved Vicious. I might write a review for it so I’m not gonna give all my thoughts but it didn’t feel like a solid sequel to me. It felt more like a companion novel.

 

 

March 2019 Wrap Up

Ah, I’m finally reading again! I actually read enough to make a wrap up for this month. I don’t know about you but March felt like forever. It must’ve been because I read six books this month! I know it may not seem like a lot to some, but I’ve been going through a serious slump so this is enough for me. Luckily, I enjoyed them! Let’s talk about each one individually, shall we?

So, the first book I read this month was:

1. Becoming by Michelle Obama

I listened to this on audiobook and loved it. The audiobook is quite long but it was worth it. I’d listen to it while cleaning, driving to work, going to bed, etc. I eventually switched from audiobook to the physical copy near the end because it was so enticing and interesting that I just had to read it faster. I truly loved learning about her life and I wrote a mini-review about it. I’ll link it here!

Edition I read: both Audiobook and Physical copy

Date Started and Finished: March 2nd to March 5th

Rating: 5/5 stars ★★★★★ (How can I give the best first lady less than 5 stars?)

My Review | Goodreads Progress

2. Saga vol. 9 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

I finally got around to reading the latest edition of Saga and honestly, I’m shocked. I can’t believe there’s a year long hiatus until the next one. They really ended it like that, eh? I have a review for this as well! Don’t worry, there’s no spoilers 🙂

Edition I read: Physical Copy

Date Started and Finished: March 9th

Rating: 5/5 stars ★★★★★

My Review | Goodreads Progress

3. Again, But Better by Christine Riccio

I was lucky enough to request this arc on Netgalley and receive it the next day. I read most of this book in one sitting because it was so fun to read. I have a review going up a week before the release date so stay tuned for that! Unfortunately, I won’t share too much of my thoughts until then. But, for now, here’s my rating!

Edition I read: ARC e-copy that was kindly sent to me by the publisher through Netgalley 🙂

Date Started and Finished: March 4th to March 9th

Rating: 4/5 stars ★★★★

My review will be up on April 30th!| Goodreads Progress

4. What Makes Girls Sick and Tired by Lucile de Pesloüan

I received an e-arc of this from the publisher through NetGalley! I enjoyed this read but it was underwhelming. I think a lot more could’ve been added to it. To know the rest of my thoughts, I have a review here.

Edition I read: ARC e-copy that was kindly sent to me by the publisher through Netgalley 🙂

Date Started and Finished: March 13th

Rating: 3/5 stars ★★★

Review | Goodreads Progress

5. City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

I was feeling in the mood for a middle grade novel and decided to finally pick up Victoria’s middle grade book. I ended up reading it all in one night and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s also really cute for a ghost story lol. I don’t review middle grade because I’m an adult and I don’t read this critically. But, here’s my rating!

Edition I read: Library E-Book

Date Started and Finished: March 16th

Rating: 4/5 stars ★★★★

Goodreads Progress

6. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

AH, I loved this book. I haven’t written a mini review for it yet but I’m going to. I enjoyed this book so much and I wasn’t expecting to. I don’t know why exactly but it was everything I love to read about. It’s set in the 70s, follows a rock band with two strong female band members and it’s told in a unique interview format. It’s a brilliant book. I’m so mad at myself for not picking up this ARC copy at work.

Edition I read: Hardcover

Date Started and Finished: March 18th to March 25th

Rating: 4.5/5 stars ★★★★★

Goodreads Progress

 

Have you read any of these books? If you have, let me know how you felt about them! I’d love to chat about these books. I’m so happy with my reading this month! It’s so much more than usual. Hopefully, April’s reading will be just as success. If only I can find a book as wonderful as Daisy Jones!

 

 

 

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