My summer reading started out pretty strong and then kind of dwindled. I got wrapped up in watching Reign on Netflix, and then started watching Peaky Blinders with my husband. So my reading life took a bit of a backseat. But I did manage to get through a few of the books that were on my summer reading list. One wasn’t as great as I thought it would be, one surprised me, one left me a little confused and one I reread because it was a favorite from last year.
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
I had really high expectations for this second novel by Angie Thomas because I absolutely loved The Hate U Give. Her work may be classified under young adult and her main characters may be teenagers, but these stories are not without depth.
On the Come Up is a story about a 16 year old aspiring female rapper who becomes an overnight sensation when her song goes viral for all the wrong reasons. Her lyrics are interpreted as controversial, and the media paints her as a hoodlum. While she’s getting attention, it’s not the attention she wants. And as a young girl with big dreams in a male dominated industry, she find herself at a bit of a crossroads. She has to decide if success is worth selling out and playing the role. And a decision like that isn’t easy when your single mother just lost her job.
This story has so many layers. And I really enjoyed it, but it wasn’t as good as The Hate U Give for me.
Verity by Colleen Hoover
This was my very first novel by Colleen Hoover, and I’ve heard that this book was a huge departure from the majority of her work. So because I enjoyed it so much I’m not sure if I should read another one of her books. Because what I really loved about Verity was how many twists and turns it took. It left me pretty much in shock. Seriously, my very last thought when I reached the end was, “Wait, whaaaaaaat?!” The ending completely surprised me!
The thing is, the synopsis of this book doesn’t make it sound all that interesting. It’s about a somewhat no-name author who is presented with an opportunity to complete the remaining books in a series by an author who is unable to fulfill her contract due to a serious, permanent injury. See, that doesn’t really sound all that intriguing……..but man, does this story take you on a wild ride!
If twisty, turny, suspenseful, slightly disturbing stories are your jam, add this to your reading list.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
The Art of Racing in the Rain had been recommended to me so many times, but I kept dismissing it because it’s written from a dog’s point of view. I can do dog books. And I am a dog lover. But stories written from a dog’s point of view are not my thing. So despite so many people telling me to read this book, I had no interest.
Until I saw the movie trailer featuring my main man Milo Ventimiglia. Then I was like, hmmmmm, maybe I will read this book. 😉 I have a personal rule and won’t see a movie made from a book until I’ve read it first.
My honest opinion? I just don’t get what all the hub bub is about this story. Honestly, I’m a little confused. It was no Marley and Me. That’s for sure. Was it good? I’d give it a 3 out of 5. It just wasn’t my favorite. I am still interested in seeing the movie though, and I have a strong feeling that I’ll enjoy the movie more than I did the book. Which rarely ever happens.
Have you read this book? Are you a super fan or did you feel like you were missing something too?
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
Nonfiction is not a genre I’m typically drawn to, with the exception of the occasional memoir. But last year I started reading nonfiction as part of my early morning routine. And I’ve found that reading nonfiction in the morning really helps me to collect my thoughts for the day.
Anyhow, I read The Gifts of Imperfection last year and decided to reread it because I loved it so much the first time. I think this is one of those books that you pull away something different depending on what is going on in your life. Which makes it the perfect book to go back to after awhile.
I’ve only read two books by Brene Brown, this one and Braving the Wilderness. But I really love her insight. I’m trying to decided which of her books to read next. Do you have any suggestions?
The Glass Castle Movie
Okay, last but not least, those of you who follow me on Instagram know I finally watched the The Glass Castle movie this past weekend. Years ago I read this memoir by Jeannette Walls that is at times so unbelievable it reads like fiction, and it left a huge impression on me.
I thought the movie was good, really good in fact. But it just wasn’t as good as the book. That’s almost always how it goes, right? In fairness I think this was a hard story to tell on screen because inner thoughts are difficult to convey, and there was so much content to cover. It was, however, perfectly cast! This group of actors definitely did the real life characters justice with their performances!
Have you read the book/ seen the movie?
What’s on your To Be Read list right now? If you love reading like I do, stay tuned! I’ve got something really fun in the works for my fellow book loving friends!
For now, I’m back to packing and attempting to organize all my books by genre. The struggle is real! 😉
Hi, just to let you know, Bloglovin says your blog hasn’t been updated since july 24th, so something is wrong with the feed there.