Another good month in terms of numbers, but only a few books were actually good reads. All of these were books that I was really looking forward to reading, so the fact that I didn't love them all made me a little sad. Ha.
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane | 5 stars. This book was well written and had a really good story line. It was a little hard to get into on my Kindle for some reason, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Part love story, part "mystery" (well, maybe not exactly), part drama, it made me think about how our youth affects our adulthood. I did cry a few times.
The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth | 3 stars. A fun, fast read. Sometimes this type of book is just what the doctor ordered.
The Fever by Megan Abbott | 1 star. This is the second book I read by this author and I can't understand for the life of me why I put myself through the misery. This author just isn't for me, I guess. The premise of the book is good, and it started off promising. But it just got more and more inane, and some of the language and relationships between characters was not believable. There was too much creepy sex talk (I feel like this is a current trend and I am NOT loving it) that didn't seem to do anything at all for the story, which made it seem even more perverse. Like, why mention those things? Just to shock the reader? I don't like it when an author plays with me like that. In addition, there was not a good explanation about the whole fever thing. I just didn't buy it. I won't get fooled again by this author's book covers and misleading blurbs.
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid | 4 stars. This book has received a lot of hype, and when I saw that it was written from an interview style I got really excited. I loved it (I love epistolary-type novels, as I said last month), but about halfway through I actually got tired out by the back and forth of the characters' interviews. The story itself was good, and the author really made it seem like the band exists. It was a really good novel, despite it getting a little tedious towards the end in terms of reading style.
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah | 5 stars. I think I waited for this book on my library's holds for over a year. I was wondering if the book had gotten "lost", haha. When it came in I had to make sure to read it since I figured if I put it back on hold I'd be waiting another year. Lucky for me, it was a fast read. But that doesn't mean it was poorly written. In fact, I was a bit surprised at how well written it was, considering Noah is a comedian. I learned a lot from this book: about race, about South Africa, about families. Very enjoyable and a book I would read again.
Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson | 2 stars. This is my first book from Jackson, and I thought I would like it a lot more than I actually did, since I've heard so much about this author and was hearing a lot of excitement about this book. The plot got a little far-fetched at times, and there were some sexual overtones that were not subtle at all and that I just didn't like much (call me a prude). In all, it had an exciting ending and there were some twists and turns that kept me reading, but I was left with a feeling that it just could have been a bit better.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren | 4 stars. I enjoyed this book a lot. I have to admit that one of the reasons I was drawn in was because it was set in Minnesota (part of it). That part ended up seeming a bit forced, like the author(s) (it's a duo who writes under the pen name Christina Lauren) just used Google to throw out street names and places. Like there were a few moments where the characters seemed to have decent money (middle class), but they were at a club in Minnetonka (super upscale area), then later were comparing notes as to which Cub Foods they went to and naming some on St. Paul's East Side (not a good neighborhood). So, I enjoyed that less than I thought I would. However, the story was super fun and well written and I loved rooting for and hating the characters and couldn't wait to get to the end. So, four stars.
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