Playing Catch Up

Time flies when you are enjoying a good book! To make up for lost time, here is a quick review of the 16 books I’ve read so far this year.

*NOTE: Please ignore the horrible formatting. WordPress was driving me up the wall and I had to settle for this…

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

I am a huge fan of juicy gossipy stories! The mother-daughter relationships that develop throughout the story are relatable, giving the book life. The story is well laid out making you love a character at one point, then hating them the next. This won’t be the last time I pick up a novel by Ng.

 

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

Didn’t do much for me.

 

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer

The descriptions and imagery were really well done but I think I am a bit burned out on books about WWII. There wasn’t anything that really stood out to me as new and exciting. I felt that The Invisible Bride was a bit too drawn out and it took me longer to finish because I found myself losing interest in the book.

 

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Definitely not a fan. I tried at least 3 times to finish Life After Life. I liked the idea of being born and reborn each time trying to adjust how your life goes. I found myself getting lost in thought and couldn’t pay attention to the plot my eyes were scanning through.

 

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

I really enjoyed this. It was in the same category as Room by Emma Donoghue. Just goes to show you that you don’t always know who you think you know.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

There was nothing about this story that stood out to me. It was plain, dry, and simple.

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang

A friend of mine told me about Once Upon A Book Club. Curious, I went to the website and ordered the book box of the month which happened to be Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang. The story wasn’t what I thought it would be and I enjoyed the characters. The fun gifts that were included made this a quick and interactive read.

 

The Keto Diet: The Complete Guide to a High-Fat Diet, with More Than 125 Delectable Recipes and 5 Meal Plans to Shed Weight, Heal Your Body, and Regain Confidence by Leanne Vogel

 A cookbook? YES! My neurologist suggested going on the Modified Atkins diet to help get control over my seizures. Lost and confused, I discovered Leanne Vogel’s cookbook. She did a fantastic job explaining what the diet is, strategies to go about it, and opened up about her struggles with weight loss. The recipes I have tried so far are okay, but they are easy enough to make adjustments to so they fit your liking. Her 30-day meal plans are so helpful when first starting out. I highly recommend it for whoever is considering a low-carb diet for either weight loss or to improve/prevent chronic medical condition.

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

At first, I wasn’t too sure about The Woman In The Window. Critics were talking about the novel all over the place online, so I picked up a copy. I wasn’t too pleased with how the story started out. It was a rendition of Rear Window, so what? I stuck with it and the juicy details all come at the end. I highly recommend The Woman In The Window if you love psychological thrillers.

 

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Readtrepreneur Publishing

A client I work for recommended Extreme Ownership, a self-help book. It had great tips and examples of how to be a leader either in a large organization or in your own business. The only reason why it took me a bit longer to get through this book was that I had it on Audible. The narrator’s voice didn’t appeal to me and after a while, it became too dry. I would pick up the paperback instead.

 

GUTS: A Memoir by Janet Buttenwieser

A very true, open, and honest book about Buttenwieser’s life with her illness and loss of her dear friend. What I like was that she didn’t make it all about herself, but instead focused on the relationships she has with others while she was going through a rough patch in life. If you or a friend are experiencing some sort of setback in life, I suggest reading GUTS. It will make you feel like you are apart of a community and give you the motivation to change any negativity or spite you have towards your situation.

 

Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot, #17 by Agatha Christie

Meh. I’ve read better Agatha Christie novels before. I found this one a bit predictable.

 

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

Before We Were Yours is a highly emotional and moving fictional story, inspired by true events. I have read quite a few books recently that take place in the south, and all were wonderful and very interesting. Even though the historic part of this book was horrific and tragic, I could still see the hope which made for a great read.

The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

I love funny reads and when I saw that The Nest was described as one, I downloaded it right away. To be honest, nothing about the story was funny to me. Siblings fighting over their inheritance made it more of a serious read. Not my cup of tea.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid’s Tale kept coming up as a suggested read for me on Audible and Goodreads. When I saw that they made it into a show on Hulu, I added it to my cue for the year. I’m not much of a feminist, but the way the antagonist is developed made me want to smack the man in the face for how he treats women. It’s a thought-provoking haunting tale that I will definitely be reading again in the future.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

My husband and I went on a movie date and the only thing out that looked appealing was Wonder. Please forgive me, I saw the movie first then read the book! For shame. I really loved how this book was told in the perspective of each character. It made it so you would judge a character, then feel sympathy for them when you saw the story told from their perspective. Beautiful read.

We are always looking for books to feature on the site. If you are interested in having your book reviewed, send us an email to contact@booksmugglersden.com. and we’ll get back to you within 7 – 10. days.