Reading

February 2024 Reads

mildlygranola, , 6 Comments

I read 13 books in February. Some were excellent. Some were awful.

Interesting Facts About Space by Emily R. Austin. If you are looking for a book about an awkward, paranoid, relationship-fearing lesbian who figures her problems out this is the book for you. If you aren’t looking for that book I would pass on reading this one. It’s fine. I give this book three out of five stars.

Resting Scrooge Face by Megan Quinn. If you are looking for a novella about a couple who fell in love young, broke up when the woman moved away, avoided each other as she moved back, and discover they loved each other all along, this is the novella for you. If you are looking for a quick pick me up this book would work. I give this book three out of five stars.

Having and Being Had by Eula Bliss. If you are looking for a collection of essays on art, capitalism, time, and home ownership, this is the book for you. When reading this book I found myself nodding my head and wishing I could talk to someone about this book. Please read this book and then call me so we can talk about it. I give this book five out of five stars.

Too Beautiful To Break by Tessa Bailey. Good Lord. Where to even start with this one? SPOILERS AHEAD A Successful young wedding planner in California returns to Louisiana to work in the salt mine to pay off her parent’s debts. Guy who rarely talks (like two words a day) falls in love with her, so he takes her place in the salt mine. Oh, they are both virgins, but they have sex once and both have multiple orgasms, which is something that would totally happen in real life, right? Of course. Oh, and that guy that takes her place in the mine? When he was a kid he was pushed into a well and was stuck there for three days until he was rescued, and he never told anyone he was pushed until super sexy wedding planner salt miner looks into his eyes and he spills his secrets. So what does she do? She almost marries the evil mine owner so he will erase her parent’s debts so silent virgin sex god salt miner won’t have to go down in the mines any longer (he gets panic attacks because he’s reminded of the time he was stuck in a well, totally understandable). Why doesn’t she marry the evil mine owner? Because silent virgin sex god salt miner is rescued from his kidnappers and goes and stops the wedding (oh, did I forgot to mention that evil mine owner had him kidnapped so he couldn’t stop the wedding? Sorry about that). What happens when the wedding is stopped? Evil mine owner fires silent virgin sex god salt miner. The town comes together to pay off wedding planner’s parent’s debt. They are free to return to California together. Or are they? No. Silent virgin sex god miner refuses to go until he overcomes his fear of the mine. He goes back into the mine (the book does not mention how he was able to return to the job after being fired). In less than two weeks he has cured his fear and returned to the wedding planner. This book is real dumb. I give it one out of five stars.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. This is a book about an octopus, a septuagenarian widow, and a floundering 30-year-old orphan. It is a beautiful book about family. I love this book too much to write a detailed review. If you enjoy novels you should read this book. I give this book five out of five stars.

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman. I listened to this audiobook, which is how I discovered that I don’t like poetry audio books. I think I would have enjoyed reading this. Listening to this felt like a flashback to 2020. I give this book two out of five stars.

Leslie F*cking Jones by Leslie Jones. I was not terribly familiar with Leslie Jones before I picked up her book. I like how she has been true to herself throughout her career. I like her leadership and mentorship. I didn’t particularly like this book. I give this book two out of five stars.

Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer by Gillian Goerz. Two middle-grade girls forge a friendship to avoid going to camp. Jamily plays basketball. Shirley is a detective. This was Audrey’s epic graphic novel book club book in February, so I read it too. It is cute and fun. I give this book three out of five stars.

Too Hard to Forget by Tessa Bailey. No. Just no. It is too bad to give a review. I give this book one star.

The Honeymoon Crashers by Christina Lauren. This follow up to the Unhoneymooners was written as an audio book and was recorded with a full cast. It was like listening to a radio drama. I liked the recording, and the story was fine. I give this book three out of five stars.

Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey. Ex-con and fancy department store owner fall in love and find themselves. It was a cute Christmas romance. I give this book three out of five stars.

One in A Millennial by Kate Kennedy. I’m not a millennial, so most of this book was meh to me. About one third of this book was excellent. I only finished this book because it fits a category for the Johnston Public Library reading challenge. I give this book two out of five stars.

Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life by Sutton Foster. As a crafter I turn to knitting or watercolor when I am dealing with stress. I liked reading how Foster used crafting to cope with divorce, travelling shows, having a bad mom, and infertility. This was an enjoyable book. I give this book three out of five stars.

Have you read anything good lately?

January 2024 Reads

mildlygranola, , , , 14 Comments

January is a great month for reading. It’s cold. It’s depressing. You might as well stay home and read.

I read 12 books this month. Some were excellent. Some were awful. Here is what they were and what I think about them.

Too Wild to Tame by Tessa Bailey. The thing about Tessa Bailey is her books are either really good or awful. They are short, so I finish them either way. This book takes place in Iowa, the state where I live. The entire book takes place within 20 miles of where I live. There are no mountains here. There are no bears in central Iowa. Until a few years ago there were no bears in all of Iowa, but there has been bear activity in far north eastern Iowa recently. This book takes place in the mountains around Des Moines where there are bears. Also the main characters don’t communicate. If you want to learn false information about geography read this book. If you want to hate the main character read this book. If you don’t want to do those things step away from the book. I give this book zero stars.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. This is a middle grade novel. Audrey read it then brought it to me because she thought I would like it. That is the fastest way to get me to read a book. This book is a retelling of the life of a gorilla who lived in a mall in Washington. The gorilla paints to express his desire to be free. This book is adorable and full of love. I’m not trying to convince Audrey to watch the movie with me. I give this book five out of five stars.

Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao. This book follows the lives of two best friends from rural India as the tragic thing after tragic things happen to them. It was difficult to read. It was heartbreak after heartbreak. Am I glad I read it? Yes. Will I ever stop thinking about it? Doubtful. Do I think you should read it? Honestly, I wouldn’t do that to you. I give this book four out of five stars.

Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan. This book is by Jenny Colgan. You know how it will end. This book is a fast read, as there is so much flowery language you can skim most of it. It was solidly fine. I give this book two out of five stars.

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Modern Graphic Retelling of Little Women by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo. Are you aware that there is a series of graphic novels of classic books updated to the modern world? They are wonderful. This is my least favorite of the series, but I still enjoyed it a lot. I give this book three out of five stars.

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson. I picked this book at the Banned Book Fair last year. I am usually a fan of coming of age memoirs, but I didn’t love this one. That’s OK though, I’m not the right audience for it. I hope it remains accessible to all who would benefit from reading it. I give this book three out of five stars.

Heartstopper Vol 5 by Alice Oseman. Am I completely head over heels in love with this graphic novel series about two boys named Nick and Charlie falling in love? Yes. I love seeing the characters develop and grow. I give this book four out of five stars.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. I read this for my first meeting with my new book club. It is about two estranged siblings coming together after the death of their mother. They discover their mom was full of secrets. I do feel like an editor could have cut entire chapters of this book, but I did enjoy it. I give this book four out of five stars.

Ladyparts by Deborah Copaken. A memoir about health and relationships. I loved this book. I hate our healthcare system. I hate how we don’t talk about women’s specific health issues. I think you should read this if you are not offended by swearing. I give this book four out of five stars.

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree. I was on hold for this book for about 10 weeks. I loved Legands and Lattes, so I was very excited to read the newest book in the series. I think I spent 10 weeks thinking this book would be amazing and ended up over hyping it in my brain. The book under-delivered on my high hopes. I give this book two out of five stars.

Chase Me by Tessa Bailey. Not a good one. I give this book one out of five stars and I’m thinking I need to remove the Tessa Bailey books on my hold list.

Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey. Why yes, all of my holds came in at once. This one was an OK Tessa Bailey book, but I’m still going to cancel my holds. This is a romance book about a married couple going through a rough patch. I give it three out of five stars.

Have you read anything good lately? If you have, please tell me about it.

July Reads and August Book Goals

mildlygranola, , 5 Comments

Have you been reading much this summer? I have been reading a little less than normal. We have been spending about four hours outside each day and it really wears me out. My reading time has turned into need an extra hour of sleep time.

Despite my increased need for shut eye, I finished six books this month. I feel like I’m finally making a dent in my Book of the Month Club pile (although I just ordered two books this month, so the stack of books continues to grow). I read a variety of books this month, hopefully one of them will sound good to you.

Prognosis: A Memoir of my Brain by Sarah Vallance. This book is about a woman’s traumatic brain injury and her life after being told she would never hold a job again. She does what she can to help her brain heal, and she eventually earns a PhD. The human brain is remarkable, and this book was an engaging and interesting read. I give this book three out of five stars.

On The Come Up by Angie Thomas. You are probably familiar with Angie Thomas’ first book, The Hate U Give. I love The Hate U Give and put off starting this book because I didn’t think it would live up to it. I should have read it as soon as I got it, because I loved it. I liked it better than The Hate U Give. It is about a gifted high school student who is also a talented rapper. She deals with poverty and gang violence. It is heartwarming and heart wrenching in the best ways. I give this book four out of five stars.

The Boy Between Worlds by Annejet Van Der Zijl. This biography sounds more like a soap opera than nonfiction. In 1928 a Dutch woman and a Surinamese man who fall in love despite their circumstances. She is a married mother of four. He is an immigrant 18 years her junior. The have a son together and create a perfect world for him as they run a guest house in a beach town in Holland. When World War II starts they use the guest house to hide Jews from the Nazis. They are discovered and sent to concentration camps. The son is sent to live with relatives and his perfect world is shattered. I don’t know how Annejet Van Der Zijl makes her books read like fiction (she also wrote An American Princess, which I loved), but she does, and I’m thankful for it. I give this book three out of four stars.

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harmes. This book is about a single mom whose ex-husband is suddenly back in the picture. She spends the summer in New York rediscovering herself. Her friends call it a Momspringa (like a Rumspringa where Amish youth explore the world to make sure they want to remain Amish). This is the kind of book I want to read in the summer. It was light and funny. It is a good reminder that everyone needs self care and me time. I give this book three out of five stars.

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center. In Center’s latest novel a tough firefighter moves to Massachusetts to help her mom with an illness. She’s a lone wolf who doesn’t need anything and is not close with her mother, but along comes a rookie at her new post and her feelings start to change. What I love best about Katherine Center books is there is no twist, there will be nothing shockingly upsetting, there will be a good ending. This is a great summer read. I give this book four out of five stars.

Normal People by Sally Rooney. Nope. Too dark. Too hopeless. Book of the Month Club really let me down with this one. If you would like to read it and tell me what I’m missing I’ll happily mail this book to you. I want it out of my house. I give this book one out of five stars.

I’ve also been craving light novels, and my July to read pile reflects that. I keep pushing John Boyne’s latest novel further down the stack, as I’m not up for a deep novel at the moment. I’m all about frivolous romance and personal essays for now. Once fall gets her I will probably get serious again, but for now I’ll stick to fluff reading.

What is your favorite mindless read?

May Reads and June Book Goals

mildlygranola, , 2 Comments

Oh May, what a weird month for reading. I read two romance novels about NFL girlfriends and two novels about characters from The Odyssey. So, yeah, a weird mix. Luckily, I really enjoyed most of the seven books I read.

When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton. This book follows one of the characters from Next Year In Havana as she adapts to life in the United States. Along the way she joins the CIA. It is a fun book about a difficult time. I give this book four out of five stars.

Intercepted by Alexa Martin. This book was cute and fun, without being totally mindless. Alexa Martin is the wife of an ex-NFL player, so the book has details about being a player I would not have known without her insight. She writes about a believable independent woman. I really enjoyed this book. I give it three out of five stars.

Fumbled by Alexa Martin. This woman can write a good book. A romance novel that tackles CTE? I never would have thought that brain injuries would be a plot point in a romance novel, but she makes it work. This book is cute and fun to read. I pre-ordered her third book after reading this one. If you like football and romance novels you should check her out. I give this book three out of five stars.

Circe by Madeline Miller. If you remember the Odyssey well you might remember the witch that turned men into pigs. This is a book about her. It is creative, entertaining, and incredibly imaginative. This is the kind of book where when it is described you think you would never want to read it and then you read it and you love it. I give this book four out of five stars.

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang. I loved The Kiss Quotient, Helen Hoang’s first book. This book was fine. It was cute enough, but I didn’t love it. I give it two out of five stars.

Zoo Nebraska by Carson Vaughan. This is the fascinating true store of chimpanzees at a very small zoo in rural Nebraska. The zoo is close to failure its entire existence. One day the chimpanzees get out and there is no plan in place to contain them. I wish there was a way to make this book sound as interesting as it is. I give it four out of five stars.

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. This is a novel about Achilles and his lover. It was interesting, but I just don’t care about these characters the same way I did about Circe. I give this book three out of five stars.

My June pile is out of control, as two library books I requested just came in. My aunt just recommended In Order To Live very highly, so I’m looking forward to trying it. I’m at the point where I need to look at what I really want to read and get rid of the books I only kind of want to read.

Do you read more or less in the summer?

March Reads and April Book Goals

mildlygranola, , 12 Comments

Welcome to April! I think we’re going to like this month. I spent March getting a lot of mindless reading done. Some of what I read was excellent. Some of what I read was trashy romance novels. I enjoyed almost all of it, and can’t wait to tell you about it.

Dear Martin by Nic Stone. This book is a great example of why it pays to have a friend that teaches high school. I never would have picked this up without her recommendation. It’s a young adult novel that tackles issues of racial injustice in 200 easy to read pages. I think this book should be required reading for high school students. You should read this book. I give this book five out of five stars.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. I picked up this book because it was a 2018 Book of the Month Club book of the year nominee. This book is about an executive with Asperger Syndrome in Silicon Valley who hires a male escort to teach her how to date. It is cute, sexy, and fun. This book was more graphic than I was expecting, so I won’t be lending it to any family members, but I would highly recommend they pick this book at the library. I give this book four out of five stars.

The Foxe and the Hound,  Hot Shot Doc and A Place in the Sun by RS Gray. These books are basically Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movies in book form. You know how they are going to end, but that’s OK. When I need my mind to shut off I reach for one of these. They are totally interchangeable and do not warrant individual reviews. I give these books three out of five stars.

99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne. I picked this book up at the library because I enjoyed Thorne’s previous book, The Hating Game. 99 Percent Mine was long and boring. The characters were so flawed they were unlikable. I would not bother with this book. I give this book two out of five stars.

The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater by Alanna Okun. This book was so bad I didn’t finish it. I suppose I shouldn’t have it in my list of finished books, but because many of you craft and knit, I feel compelled to tell you to avoid this book of essays on crafting. It was awful. Only read this if you need to punish yourself.

41 Reasons I’m Staying In: A Celebration of Introverts by Hallie Heald. This book is filled with illustrated reasons to stay home. It was basically my life in drawings. I give this book three out of five stars.

Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield. I had no idea how much I had missed excellent storytelling until I picked this book up. The story is hard to describe – it’s about a the body of a child found in the river. She comes back to life. Three families think it is their child. The lives of the people in this story are woven together in a masterful tapestry. I give this book four out of five stars.

This month I’m hoping to get to the stack of books that has been on my nightstand for months. I have two library books checked out that I’ve been waiting for, so I need to read those first. This is the third time I’ve checked out This Is How It Always Is, I’m actually reading it (and enjoying it) this time. 20190401_1252435218845477273918130.jpgWhat have you been reading? Do you have any suggestions?

January Reads and February Book Goals

mildlygranola, , 2 Comments

I did not make much of a dent in my to read pile last month. I’ve been reading less, and only finished five books this month. I feel like this month was full of OK books.

The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan. This was a cute book about three very different sisters coming home for Christmas. If you want a cute Christmas book this one works. I give this book two out of five stars.

The Reluctant Farmer of Whimsey Hill by Bradford M. Smith. This memoir is about a guy who loves the city who moves to a farm for love. It’s a nice story, but not interesting enough to be anything but a book to read to put yourself to sleep. I give this book two out of five stars.

Fresh Eggs And Dog Beds by Nick Albert. It seems I’ve moved on my from Christmas romance novel phase an into a men write about moving out of the city and into the country phase. This memoir is about a couple moving to Ireland from England to escape stress. It is filled with details I didn’t care to know. Over half of the book led up to them buying their house. I give this book two out of five stars.

My Squirrel Days by Ellie Kemper. This was a cute and funny celebrity memoir. It did not take much thought. I read this when I was in the midst of a cold, which seemed to be the perfect time for it. I give this book three out of five stars.

The Dirty Book Club by Lisi Harrison. This is not a dirty book, it is a book about a book club that reads dirty books. It’s a cute and fun book. I liked seeing how the female friendships evolved from strangers to good friends in a matter of months. I give this book three out of five stars.

I have huge goals for reading this month. I am not going to make it through this stack.20190201_0951552990023884893422921.jpg

A note on A Gentleman in Moscow, as it has been in my pile for 4 months: I’m going to read this if it kills me. I’m halfway through it, but I’m currently paused to read the library books. I don’t know anyone who has read it that didn’t like it. It is very difficult to get in to, and I might be reading this one all year.

Have you read anything good lately? Is there anything in my stack you don’t think I should bother with?