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 by Julia Quinn

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.

August Wrap Up!

Hi everyone and welcome back (or to!) my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be going over which books I read this past August. August was such a busy month for me, both reading-wise and personally!

Without further ado, here are the 10 books I read last month!

An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

 Goodreads

An Offer from a Gentleman is the third book in Quinn's Bridgerton series, which I have been consuming at a break-neck speed. I have taken a break since reading the fourth book, but this third iteration did not disappoint. I would highly recommend this series if you are trying to get into the historical romance genre!  

Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu

 Goodreads

I picked up Check, Please! for a readathon that I completely dropped the ball on. Nevertheless, I am so happy I picked this one up, and I'm looking forward to reading more about Bitty and Jack when the second volume releases. 

June Wrap Up!

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be talking about all the books I read in June, which wasn't that many, if I'm being honest. I got myself into a reading slump of sorts, but I've started getting back into the swing of reading, so here's to a productive July!

Without further ado, here are the five books I read during the month!

Fraternize by Rachel Van Dyken 

Goodreads

Fraternize started off really strong for me, but then it kept dragging. and dragging. and draaaaginggg!  The novel follows three main characters, Emerson a plus-sized cheerleader for an NFL team, Miller Quinton her first love who happens to be on said team, and Grant Sanchez, another love interest who is also a football player. While I love a good love triangle, this one drawn out. It took so long for something to be revealed, and I just didn't click with the dramatic writing. For instance, Miller said multiple times that him and Sanchez were "brothers" and that the football team was a "brotherhood." Also, he kept on referring to football games as a "war" and that he'd "war" for Sanchez. I was over the novel by the time the it wrapped up.

Again, But Better by Christine Riccio

Goodreads

After my disappointing time with Fraternize, I was looking for a breath of fresh air. I have been looking forward to reading Again, But Better by Christine Riccio ever since Christine's first video about her writing process. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit anxious reading it, but I loved this. The novel meant a lot to me on a personal level, as you can tell from this tweet (which got a lot more attention that I was anticipating). 

I’m almost done reading Again, But Better by @xtineMAY and Shane’s arc perfectly explains my passions, anxieties, and goals of having a career in publishing! I love having a story I can relate so much to, and one that makes me feel like I can accomplish my dreams 💗💗💗

— Gennifer Eccles (@genniblogs) June 11, 2019

Also, this is a friendly promo to follow my twitter account! :) I'm @genniblogs !

A Very Late March Wrap Up!

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and well, I haven't been active too lately. Why, you ask? Well, my blog went to the wayside after being a full-time student and working two internships. Honestly, what was I thinking? This semester has been very rewarding, but exhausting as well. I'm looking forward to to when the semester ends this beginning of May!

Without further ado, here are the books I read all the way back in March!

I didn't read too much, only six books. In actuality, I probably read around 10 to 13, but a good portion are from my internship at Algonquin books. Since I am reading prospective manuscripts, I can't talk about those manuscripts. Also, I've been doing a ton of research for papers, but I've only been reading large chunks and chapters, not a complete book, so I couldn't count anything on goodreads.

There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon

Goodreads

Right once I got accepted for an e-arc of There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon, I went ahead and read it. I didn't care that the novel was being published May 14, I was so read a YA romance with fat rep! As a person who is overweight myself, There's Something About Sweetie really spoke to me. I knew I would love the book right from the introduction letter, and I was not disappointed by the rest of the novel. I laughed, I cried, and I recommend. 

February Wrap Up!

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be wrapping up my February. Unfrotunately, I did not post nearly as much as I wanted to for February. I had all these posts planned, but school and work definitley got in the way. Things have been very busy, so the fact that I even gotten 6 posts up is pretty good for me. Hopefully you'll see more of me in March!

In February, I read a whopping 10 books! I'm pretty surprised that I made time for reading this month. Now I just have to figure out how to balance blogging in there as well.

Without further ado, here is what I read in February.

The Ticket by Heather Grace Stewart

Goodreads

If I'm being honest, The Ticket isn't anything special. I listened to the audiobook and it flew by quickly. Two almost-strangers decide to go on an adventure together after the male love interest is dumped and needs someone with the same name as his ex-girlfriend to take her ticket on an all expenses paid trip. I do remember some of the more tender moments, but the characters didn't stick with me after I finished listening. Short and sweet, The Ticket is a good palette cleanser, but it isn't the entree. 

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

Goodreads

After listening to the audiobook for The Ticket, I hopped on over to the audiobook for 99 Percent Mine, written by the same author who wrote The Hating Game, a well loved romance novel. While I didn't absolutely love The Hating Game (I prefer Christina Lauren's Hating You/Dating You), I quite enjoyed 99 Percent Mine. I love romance novels about falling for your sibling's best friend (or vice versa, to be honest), and Darcy and Tom's relationship delivered on that trope. However, Darcy could be a grating character at times and her awkward situations were almost too cringe-inducing. 

January Wrap Up!

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be wrapping up my first month of 2019! In January, I read 12 books. I also started my second semester of my sophomore year at UNC. I'm enjoyed my classes so far, and it's nice to just take 4 instead of my usual 5 or 6. There's a couple more exiting life updates, and those I'll talk about more after the books.

Without further ado, here are the 12 books I read during January.

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

 Goodreads

Is it even a wrap up if I don't include a Christina Lauren book? I think this is my 14th book I've read by her, and I'm almost 100% positive I've read at least one CL book or novella every month since July. Am I addicted? Yes. I don't know what I'm going to do once I get caught up on everything. Love and Other Words was beautiful, and definitely one of my favorites from the author duo.

Merry Inkmas by Talia Hibbert

Goodreads

Merry Inkmas was one of my least favorite reads of January. I tried finishing this before the end of the year, and even though the book was really short, I just couldn't do it. I really don't like insta-love, so when the main characters professed their love after a seemingly short time of knowing each other, I wasn't convinced. 

Gimme Some Sugar by Molly Harper

Goodreads

Is this blog just a romance blog now? I read a ton of romance this January, Gimme Some Sugar being one of them. Gimme Some Sugar is part of a contemporary romance series that focuses on different characters in a small town. I hadn't read the other books, but decided to give this one a go after seeing it on Netgalley. I really liked it, but I wasn't as connected to the story as I hoped.

December Wrap Up!

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful time on New Year's Eve and is ready for an excellent year in 2019. Before we focus on the new year though, I have to wrap up the last month of 2018.

In December, I read 8 books and 2 novellas! Adding December's reads, I read 111 books in the year! This is the most I've read in the past three years, and I'm really proud of myself. Here is what I read!

1) Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

Wallbanger was the second Alice Clayton book I read this year, and I liked it a lot more than Nuts, which I read earlier this year. Wallbanger was a ton of fun, and I thought the sex scenes were written very well. 

2) Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren

I received an e-arc of Cold Day in the Sun in exchange for an honest review, which will be coming when it is published! Cold Day in the Sun had wonderful feminist themes and I thought the romance was super cute. The book wasn't life changing for me, but it was a solid YA contemporary romance.

3) Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West

Listen to Your Heart is the only audiobook I finished this month, and I really liked it! By the third act, I was completely hooked and hated to pause it. I ended up just sitting in my library staring off into the distance, desperately needing to know what happened next.

4) Beautiful Bombshell by Christina Lauren

Beautiful Bombshell is book 2.5 in the Beautiful series. I wanted to revisit this series at the end of the year, since I read the first three books earlier (Beautiful Bastard, Beautiful Secret, and Beautiful Player). To be honest, I didn't really like this novella that much, it was just a whole bunch of sex with no plot. Also, I read this after my number five, but I got confused on which novella was which, showing that both weren't that memorable at the end of the day.

5) Beautiful Bitch by Christina Lauren

Beautiful Bitch is book 1.5 in the series. I liked this one a bit more than Beautiful Bombshell, because it provided more insight into Chloe and Bennett's relationship, who seemed like the weakest couple after reading the second and third book. While this provided more insight, Chloe and Bennett are still my least favorite couple, not only in this series, but in everything that Christina Lauren has written and that I've read.

6) Lovestruck by Kate Watson

Lovestruck was another e-arc I read in December. You'll be seeing this review when Lovestruck comes out April 2nd. Lovestruck is a novel that follows Kali, the daughter or Eros (or Cupid, as we like to call him). This was a super fun read and posed some really great questions about choice vs. destiny. I did get confused sometimes and wish there was more clarity on how the world worked, but it was really unlike anything I've read, which seems to get harder to do as the years pass!

7) One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker

One Tiny Lie is the companion novel to K.A. Tucker's Ten Tiny Breaths, which I loved when I read it all the way back in December of 2015. Three years later, I picked up One Tiny Lie and it was...interesting. I don't particularly like the whole "misunderstood bad boy" trope that much, and unfortunately, the love interest was the epitome of it. Despite that, K.A. Tucker's writing really drew me in.

8) Deklan by Shay Savage

Deklan was a big YIKES for me. I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I picked up this book! Deklan is about a girl who is engaged to be married to a mob boss, but she ends up marrying his body guard, Deklan. And you guessed it...Deklan is a misunderstood bad boy. The book was pretty problematic and I honestly should have just DNF'd it. There's literally a scene where Deklan tells the other MC (whose name I am forgetting) that they aren't equals and that their marriage isn't an equal partnership, and she just accepts this? It kind of changes in the end, but I still felt like they had uneven power. It's going to be a bit before I read something from Shay Savage again.

9) Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

Okay, I was really on a romance kick in December, but I think Him finally satiated my intense need for steamy romances. Him follows two best friends, Jamie Canning and Ryan Wesley, who are reunited one summer when they both coach at a hockey camp they both attended as teenagers. And what goes down is just so...hot. Yep, that's the only word I can use to describe Him - hot. I enjoyed the book a lot more than I anticipated, and I highly recommend it. 

10) The Raging Ones by Krista and Becca Ritchie

 Y'all...I read three arcs this month? Who am I? I've had The Raging Ones on my Kindle app for what seems like forever, and I'm proud that I actually got around to reading it instead of letting it just lay there forgotten. The Raging Ones follows three protagonists, and while it was difficult to differentiate them at first and had a slow start, I ended up really liking the book. The last act really redeemed the book for me.

Currently Reading!

Right now, I'm making my way through Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare. I'm really enjoying it, but some characters have made really stupid decisions, and I just want to shake them. I'm almost 300 pages in at the moment (afternoon of Jan. 1), and I hope to finish it before I go back to school on the 6th. I'm not loving it as much as Lord of Shadows, so it's taking me a bit longer to read.

I'm casually listening to Royally Screwed by Emma Chase. Over my holiday break, I wasn't listening to the audiobook that much. I'm roughly 60 percent of the way through, and while I'm enjoying myself, I'm not loving the book. Listening to erotic romance is a lot different than just reading it, and I definitely didn't listen to it a lot when I was home with my parents. 

Life Updates!

good ol' Charlotte! (link)

So these past couple weeks I've been on winter break, and it was much needed. I was super stressed out by the beginning of December, but now I'm ready to get the semester started again. I am not sure what exactly I'll be reading this semester, but I now there will be some Charlotte Bronte in the mix, and possibly some Dickens. I'm also going to be starting an editorial internship on the 9th, which I really looking forward to. I've already met my bosses in the fall, and they seemed lovely. 

And that was my December! What did you read last month? 

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

Happy Reading! 

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!

October Wrap Up!

Hello everyone and welcome back to my post! I'm Genni, and today I'll be wrapping up what I've read in October!

Schoolwork got pretty hectic, so I only read 8 books this month. I'm glad I managed to get to any though!

Without further ado, here are the books I read this past October!

1) Before We Were Free by Julia Alverez

Goodreads

I don't have much to say about Before We Were Free. I think I'm all talked-out, considering my class discussed this novel for over a week. It was good, and I recommend it. That is all! 

September Wrap Up!

Hello everyone and welcome back (or to!) my blog! Today I'll be going over all the books I read this September, as well as share some quick little updates.

Without further ado, here are the 12 books/plays I read this month!

1) The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Goodreads

September started off well with this own voices romance novel! The Kiss Quotient is a romance about Stella, who hires a sex worker (Michael), to teach her how to loosen up. Stella tends to overthink when it comes to sexual endeavors. She's on the spectrum, and tends to get in her head pretty easily. Helen Hoang is both on the spectrum and Asian (the male love interest and his family are Asian) and I loved reading such a wonderful romance with accurate representation. 

2) Contagion by Erin Bowman

 Goodreads
Thoughts While Listening To...

Contagion was the only audiobook I managed to finish. If you don't know, I read audiobook much more slowly than in print. Contagion is a sci-fi thriller and it delivered! I did have little issues here and there, but Contagion was overall thrilling. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series (especially after the cliff hanger ending) 

July Wrap Up!

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be looking at what I read in July!July was a month of contemporary reads for me. No matter what, I was in the mood to read about romance, which is obvious in this wrap up.

Now, onto the 13 books I read this past month!

1) Ice Kissed by Amanda Hocking

Ice Kissed is the second book in Hocking's Kanin Chronicles, which is comprised of three books. I wrote a review on the first book here. I didn't write a review of Ice Kissed, because I started to read the third and final book, Crystal Kingdom, right away. I thought Ice Kissed was okay, but not much in terms of conflict was accomplished. In fact, the plot became more complex and added more characters. This would have been fine if the series was four or more books, but it left a lot to cover in just one book. 

2) Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry

Discussion

Whew, you guys, I'm sad to say: I did not like this one at all. The plot was okay, but the way Katie McGarry handled sexual assault was insulting and disturbing. McGarry regularly blames the main character, who experiences the assault. In this new age of paying attention and holding people accountable for sexual violence, I was shocked to see such blatant victim-blaming. Ugh.

June Wrap Up + Updates!

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni and today I'll be talking about the books I have read in June as well as share some updates! 

June was a pretty great reading month for me (11 books!) and now I'm only three books behind my goodreads goal! I also enjoyed all the books I read last month. All of them were 3.5 Star reads or more! I've only reviewed three of the eleven so far, so be on the lookout for some more reviews this July!

1) Save the Date by Morgan Matson

Save the Date is Matson's newest release, and I really enjoyed it! It wasn't my favorite, but it was entertaining. There was just a bit too many antics for me, and the book seemed much longer than the couple days it took place in. 

2) Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Review
 

Breathe is the first in a dystopian duology. Though I didn't love the book, it was good enough for me to continue on with the series. I'm planning on reading Resist this first week of July. The characters verged on one-dimensional, but the setting itself was intriguing.

May Wrap Up!

Hi everyone and welcome back (or to!) my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be wrapping up May. I didn't get as much reading done as I'd hoped, but more than in recent months.

Before getting into my wrap up, I'd appreciate if you visited this post, where you get to choose some of the books I read in June! I only got a couple votes, and I'd like a bit more before I start reading them. :)

In May, I read a total of 10 books.

1) Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Obisdio is the final book in the Illuminae Files, one of my favorite series. Though Obsidio wasn't my favorite in the trilogy, it was a spectacular conclusion. I would be thrilled if Kaufman and Kristoff ever co-authored again.

My March Wrap Up!

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be looking back at my March reading and viewing!

I had a really busy month in terms of schoolwork, so my reading definitely took a backburner. I did read a lot, but mostly articles for school and textbooks, which I don't talk about here. Thankfully, I really enjoyed all the books I mentioned to read this month! But some of the projects for school required me to watch some movies, and I am also taking a film class, so I did end up watching a lot of films! 

Books

1) My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
I have wanted to read My Lady Jane since its conception, and I finally got around to reading it! I'm now highly anticipating the companion novel, My Plain Jane, that comes out later this year. I listened to the audiobook of this, which I think was the right way to go for me. The narration was excellent! I'm currently writing my review right now.


2) Nyxia: Unleashed by Scott Reingten
Nyxia: Unleashed is the sequel to one of my favorite books of last year, Nyxia. What's even more exciting for me was that Reingten is a local author! I haven't been able to go to any of his events yet due to school, but hopefully I'll be able to make it one day. Though I didn't like the second book as much as the second, I thought it was a great sequel overall, even if it did drag at times. 

My February Wrap Up!

Hey everyone and welcome back to my blog! I'm Genni, and today I'll be looking at my February! Unfortunately, I did not read much on February. I've been super busy, but my spring break starts next weekend, so hopefully I will catch up on some books I've wanted to read for a while now. I also saw some movies (not as much as January), and I'll be talking about those as well!

Books

1) Our Dark Stars by Krystal Wade and Audrey Grey
I received Our Dark Stars via Netgalley! The cover is what drew me in, but the plot is what sold me. Told in dual POVs (and at times two different time periods), Our Dark Stars follows a galaxy where humans and mocks (think androids) are at odds with each other. In the past, humans ruled, and now, mocks do. The book follows Talia Starchaser, a human meant to rule the galaxy, and Will Perrault, a half mock captain. I did have my issues with the book, but I enjoyed it overall. Here is my review!  

2) Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett
I could not WAIT for Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett! After reading Alex, Approximately last year (and loving it! review here), I was sold on Starry Eyes. When I got the ARC I could not believe it, and was ecstatic! Starry Eyes did not disappoint, and my review will be up closer to the release date. 

3) The Martian by Andy Weir
Honestly, I picked up The Martian on a whim and I don't regret it at all. I've heard amazing things about the book and the movie, and I completely understand. I might not have understood the science talk, but I was completely immersed. Hopefully I'll watch the movie this March!
 

4) Under the Lights by Abbi Glines
Under the Lights is the sequel to Until Friday Night, which I read last year and had some problems with. I liked Until Friday Night, but I thought there was some problematic areas with how the relationships were taken (review here). The same problems existed with this sequel, and I just thought this book was okay. I wouldn't recommend it, but I can see why people love it. 
 

5) Bookish Boyfriends by Tiffany Schmidt
Lastly, I read Bookish Boyfriends by Tiffany Schmidt. I won't be talking about this as long (I'm writing my review right now!) but I thought it was enjoyable!  

Movies

1) Miss Stevens
I watched Miss Stevens, which is available on Netflix in the USA, after I watched Call Me By Your Name. I am obsessed with Timothee Chalamet now, and after I saw CMBYN, I wanted to see another movie he was in. I really enjoyed Miss Stevens! I didn't like it as much as CMBYN, but I thought it was really well done. The performances were spectacular, specifically that of Lily Rabe! It was fun seeing Chalamet again, and Lili Reinhart was also in this, which was a pleasant surprise. 

2) Darkest Hour
There was a free screening on The Darkest Hour at my college campus, so I went! I heard amazing things about Gary Oldman's performance as Winston Churchill, and I thought he did a great job (so did the Academy, considering he won the award for best actor)! I just don't think this movie was for me. There were scenes that I thought were compelling, but the movie was slow and I felt the length of it. Technically, this movie is superb, but the emotional impact was lost on me.  

3) Lady Bird
It feels so long ago since I saw Lady Bird! I saw this in the theaters with my mom, and it was a great experience. I loved the humor, and I thought that the relationship between Lady Bird and her mother was so raw and well acted. Soairse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf were amazing, and well deserving of their Oscar nominations! 

4) The First Time
So I really wanted to see this movie back in 2011 when it released. I saw it on Netflix and was bored, so I decided to give it a go. Though Britt Robertson and Dylan O'Brien have chemistry together, the movie falls flat. The characters are one-dimensional, and even the main characters feel contrived. Also, there was a good deal of slut-shaming soo....no. 
 

5) When We First Met
Another movie that I saw on Netflix! When We First Met wasn't horrible, but I didn't particularly love it either. 

6) Camille
I really, really liked Camille! I watched it for a film class I'm in, and thought that the movie was so captivating. The costume design is spot on, and I loved Greta Garbo's performance. I don't have too much to say about this, but I do think it is a movie worth seeing! 

7) Marie Antoinette
Lastly, I watched 2006's Marie Antoinette, directed by Sofia Copalla. I didn't hate Marie Antoinette, but the movie never felt like it had a plot. Yes, Marie Antoinette is an interesting character, but without a concrete plot, the movie was weakened. The costume design on this was beautiful as well, and I thought the movie did a great job combining the fashion of the late 1700s and 1950s, as well as adding in some modern influence.  

So those are the book I read and the movies I watched in February! As for what I'm reading right now, I am listening to the audiobook of My Lady Jane and reading an ARC for Nyxia: Unleashed! 

Have you read or seen any of these?

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

Happy Reading!

Genni @ Ready, Set, Read!