Backlist Book Review #4 | Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be doing another backlist book review. Backlist book review is a new series on my blog where I review books that I read weeks, perhaps months, ago. Check out my first three backlist book review posts, where I reviewed This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada, Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi, and The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. Instead of my usual paragraph format, I'm going to be answering four questions:

• What is my rating?
• What is the book about?
• What do I remember?
• Does my rating still stand? 

Without further ado, here is my backlist book review for Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali!

Goodreads

 
Title: Love from A to Z
Author: S.K. Ali
Series? No, Love From A to Z is a standalone.
Pages: 384
Publication Date: April 30, 2019
Publisher: Salaam Reads (imprint of Simon and Schuster)
Source: I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. :) 

  What did I rate it?

4 out of 5 Flowers!

What is it about?

Love From A to Z follows two main characters: Zayneb, a Muslim high-school student who notices all the oddities of the world, and Adam, a college student who is hiding his recent diagnosis of multiple sclerosis from his family. After one of Zayneb's teachers, who is an Islamophobe, makes a mountain out of a molehill, Zayneb is suspended right before spring break. She travels to Doha, Qatar for an early spring break with her aunt. On the plane ride, she meets Adam, who, lo and behold, is in Doha for the spring as well. The novel isn't just a romance, even thought that is a key plot point. Love From A to Z also tackles Islamophobia, grief, chronic disease, and activism with such grace. 

Backlist Book Review #3 | The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be doing another backlist book review. Backlist book review is a new series on my blog where I review books that I read weeks, perhaps months, ago. Check out my first two backlist book review posts, where I reviewed This Cruel Design and Restore Me. Instead of my usual paragraph format, I'm going to be answering four questions:

• What is my rating?
• What is the book about?
• What do I remember?
• Does my rating still stand? 

Goodreads

Without further ado, here is my backlist book review for The Kiss Quotient!

Title: The Kiss Quotient
Author: Helen Hoang
Series? Technically, no. Helen Hoang is publishing a novel following a secondary character in this book, though.
Pages: 336
Publication Date: June 5, 2018
Publisher: Berkley
Source: I read a library copy of the Kiss Quotient. 

What did I rate it? 

4.5 out of 5 Flowers!

What is it about?

The Kiss Quotient is a romance novel following Stella and Michael. Stella is a brilliant economotrist, but she isn't so brilliant with relationships. Stella, who has Asperger's, hires Michael, an escort. She thinks one night will do the trick, but things go off plan. Michael isn't comfortable having sex with Stella for one night, especially because she is so uncomfortable. Michael then begins to teach Stella how to be in a relationship - dates, flirting, meeting the family, the whole shebang. While Michael teaches Stella the ins and outs of how to be in a relationship, the unthinkable happens - Michael and Stella begin to fall for each other. All the while, Stella does not tell Michael about her Asperger's leading to some very stressful situations for her. Cue the drama! 

What do I remember?

Surprisingly, I remember a lot about The Kiss Quotient. Since reading the book at the end of August, specific scenes just continue to jump out at me, like when Stella meets Michael's family for the first time, their first date, and even the horribly awkward first night they spend together. While I do remember the specifics and the ending, I don't remember too much else. I forgot what the problem was between Stella and Michael (we had to have a breakup to have tension!!), and I don't remember too much of the secondary characters or the sexy times. I'm not too surprised about this, though. I'm actually shocked that I remember what I do, because those scenes are still very vivid in my mind! 

Does the rating still stand? 

 

Yes, the rating still stands! Though I might not have remembered the more explicit scenes, I do remember Stella and Michael's relationship pretty well. I also remember how great is was to read such a diverse and own voices novel. I've never read a book with a character who has Asperger's, let alone from an author that is diagnosed as well. I think The Kiss Quotient is a great example of how to have diversity in a novel that seems authentic, while still keeping the angst, tension, and chemistry of a great romance. 

Have you read The Kiss Quotient? What did you think? 

Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

 

Backlist Book Review #2 | This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be doing another backlist book review. I did my first last week on Monday, in which I reviewed Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi. In this series, I review a book I read weeks, perhaps months, ago. As time passes, details fade. So instead of my regular paragraph format, I answer four questions: What is my rating, what is the book about, what do I remember, and does the rating still stand. 

Goodreads

Without further ado, here is my review for This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada!

Title: This Cruel Design
Author: Emily Suvada
Series? Yes, the second in a trilogy
Pages: 394
Publication Date: October 30, 2018
Date Read: November 17, 2018
Publisher:  Simon Pulse
Source: I received an ARC of This Cruel Design via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

 

What did I rate it?

Four out of five flowers!

What is it about? 

This Cruel Design is a sequel to Emily Suvada's debut, This Mortal Coil. The second in a series, This Cruel Design follows Cat after the events of the first book. Cat believes that she and her friends defeated the Hydra virus. However, new cases occur after the antidote is given to everyone, and this new mutation is even more dangerous. Cat must travel to the city of Entropia to fix the vaccine before more people die. Along the way, Cat learns more about her past and her own identity. 

What do I remember? 

Much like my last backlist book review, I remember the key points, like the reveal at the end. This Cruel Design leaves on a cliffhanger, so that really stuck with me. I also remember who gets infected, who dies, and what happens between Cat and Cole in regards to their romance. There were a couple other reveals that I remember as well, but I definitely forgot details about the world and what caused certain characters to drift apart. I also still remember my biggest critique of This Cruel Design. In the first half of the book, there wasn't a clear direction where the plot was going. While I like being on my metaphorical toes as I read, this lack of direction did drag the book a bit. Although the book dragged, I really liked Cat's internal conflict. 

Does the rating still stand?

Yes, the rating still stands! This Cruel Design isn't a perfect book, but it was highly entertaining and provided more insight into the world. I thought Suvada's multiple twists and her conflicts, both internal and external, were done well. I wish there was more direction in the plot, but I still enjoyed the book a lot. I am looking forward to and will be reading the third and final book! 

Did you read This Cruel Design? What did you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by and I'll see you soon with another post!

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read! 

Backlist Book Review #1 | Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be starting a new series on my blog, the backlist book review! If you're like me, you read quicker than you write reviews. Books are read and never reviewed, and they just get the dreaded "review to come" on goodreads for months on end. In order to curb this habit and clean up my goodreads, I'm going to review a book I've read weeks, sometimes months, before that I never got a chance to review. 

Of course, as time goes on, details fade. So for these reviews, I'm not going to be writing in  paragraph format, as I normally do, but instead answer four questions: What was my rating, what is the book about, what do I remember, and does the rating still stand. 
 
Without further ado, here is my first backlist book review, on Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi. 

Title: Restore Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Series? Yes, the fourth book in the Shatter Me series
Pages: 435
Publication Date: March 6, 2018
Date Read: July 31, 2018
Publisher: Harper Collins
Source: I borrowed the hardcover edition from one of my friends.