Wednesday, December 4, 2019

September, October, and November Wrap Up!

Hello everyone! Long time, no see! I'm Genni, and though it's been a hot minute since I've written on this lovely blog of mine, I wanted to say hello and talk about all the books I read in the last three months. . I haven't been doing too great at reading for fun, and most of what I do read isn't on goodreads (articles, chapters, bits and pieces of texts), so I am behind on my goodreads challenge. Here's hoping that I can squeeze my last twenty books in during Thanksgiving and winter holiday breaks!

Without further ado, here are all the books I've read these past three months.

Romancing Mister Bridgerton is the fourth novel in Quinn's Bridgerton series, which I've been having so much listening to on audio. Though this one was fun, it was my least favorite so far, and I haven't picked up another in the series yet. However, I hope to begin listening to them again in the new year as I eagerly await Shonda Rhimes Netflix series! 
Maybe Tomorrow? by Charlotte Agell
Anyone who thinks kids books are just for kids needs to read this book. Maybe Tomorrow is such a heartfelt and wonderful take on grief and friendship. And yes, I cried while reading it (are we surprised?). 
Watch Over Me by Mila Gray
The semester is in full swing, which basically means that it takes me a super long time to read books now. But that was not the case for Watch Over Me, which I read in one day. I opened it up on my kindle app, as I received the e-arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, and was immediately drawn in. Once again, Mila Gray delivers a heartfelt, sexy, and tender romance.


Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren
Talking about sexy romance, we've got Christina Lauren! Beautiful Secret is the fourth book in Lauren's Beautiful series. Since Lauren is one of my favorite romance authors - the duo are best friends in real life - I eventually want to read everything they've written. Unfortunately, this one kinda missed the mark for me. It wasn't bad by any means, I just didn't click with the book.

Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl
Neverworld Wake is one of my favorite books taht I've read this year, and in this list today. The novel basically defies explanation, but it is essentially about a group of teens who are forced to relive the same day over and over again (think Groundhog Day). In reality, all the characters are on the brink of death, and in this Groundhog day world, called a Neverworld Wake, they must reach a consensus on who to save (only one can) and the rest will die. Cue a murder mystery, time travelling, and deeply personal look into interpersonal poltiics, grief, friendship, love, and manipulation.

Blurred Lines by Lauren Layne
After the mega-high that was Neverworld Wake, I was a bit let down by Blurred Lines, which is a romance novel following two best friends/roommates who fall in love with each other. This will scratch your itch if you're looking for a romance, but it wasn't anything special for me.

Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
After listening to Blurred Lines, I gave another romanc enovel a chance, Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert. Get a Life was a super fun and offered a great escape from reality. To be honest, I don't have much to say. I think most, if not all, contemporary romance readers will enjoy this one.

Can't Escape Love by Alyssa Cole

This month, I read both of Alyssa Cole's Reluctant Royals novellas for a book club. Though I haven't read the full length novels, I did have a good time reading Can't Escape Love. It didn't stick with me, but it was cute. 
Beauty Sick by Renee Engeln
Beauty Sick was one of the most powerful books I've read this year! In a culture obsessed with women's appearance and beauty, it's hard to not constantly think about my own appearance. This really put things in perspective, and also showed how the cultural obsession with women's appearance negatively affects women and is another form of the patriarchy!

In Paris With You by Clementine Beauvais
I'll be straight with you: this was a disappointment for me! I was thinking I was going to be reading a cutesy romance, but it felt more literary fiction than anything else. It was fine, just not what I was expecting. 

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Such a Fun Age is one of my favorite books of the year! More info will be out on the publication date, December 31! But essentially, Reid tackles race relations and what it means to be a woman in modern day America!

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
I've heard about Evvie Drake Starts Over throughout this year, and I was so glad I managed to pick it up before the end of the year! It was cute and heartfelt, and also tackled abuse and grief really well!

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

The Bromance Book Club is probably one of the best romance novels I've read this year! I haven't read mnay romance novels that feature established, married couuples trying to get back on track. The couupel is so sweet, and I'm highly anticipating the sequel! 

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole
As I mentioned earlier, I read Alyssa Cole's Reluctant Royals novellas. I thought this was fine, but I just couldn't connect to it, and thought that it could have been organized a better way!


I read Zora Neale Hurston's biography of Cudjo Lewis for a class, and it was a great read. For a slave narrative, Lewis' story does not follow the common "tropes" you see in the genre, so he is narrative is really important to how we conceptualize American slavery.

Handsome Girlfriend vol. 1 by Wataru Yoshizumi
And here's where my Thanksgiving break started! I had a fun time reading this manga volume from Wataru Yoshizumi, who wrote one of my favorite mangas, Marmalade Boy. I didn't love this one, but rarely do I love the first volume in a manga series, since it's mostly introductory stuff!
 

And lastly, but surely not least, I read The Bookish Life of Nina Hill! I've had my eye on this one from quite some time, and much like Evvie Drake Starts Over, I am so happy I picked it up! I had a wonderflu time reading this, and it's one of my favorites of the year. 

So those are all the books I read these past three months! Since this is already a super long post, I won't be doing a life update, but might fill y'all in a bit later, possibly in a different post, so look forward to that! 

As for my goals with this blog, I'm not too sure where this is going. I definitely don't want it to end, but like I said in my last post, it's a bit hard to keep this going with all of my schoolwork, part-time job, and extracurriculars. 

So I'll (hopefully) see you all soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

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