April 2020 TBR

During March I had a solid reading month. Here’s what I plan to read in April:

• Four Days of You and Me by Miranda Kenneally *

I am so excited to read this new release of Miranda Kenneally! I have read all the books in her Hundred Oaks series. While some were hit and miss, I am excited to see what she has come up with outside of that series. I’ve actually already started this book and I can tell it has the same quick and easy writing style that I have come to expect from Miranda Kenneally. Hopefully, this one finishes strong!

• Again, but Better by Christine Riccio

I am always interested in reading books written by people on Booktube and I have wanted to read this particular book since it was released. I found this book discounted at the book store a couple months ago, so I am excited to finally sit down and read this one.

• Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon

This is another book on this list that I barely started last month and hope to finish this month. Sandhya Menon’s books are hit and miss for me. I read 10 Things About Pinky last month and it was only okay for me, so I hope to enjoy this book a little more. This book promises some elements we haven’t seen before by Sandhya Menon, so I’m interested in how she tackles them in this book.

• Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Wow! This I another book that I started, but still haven’t finished. Out of all the books in this list, this will be the toughest for me. This book has been super hyped recently, but I’m really not feeling it. Hopefully, if I keep reading, my opinion will change (even just a little bit for the better!).

What books do you plan to read in April? What are you most excited to read?

Any books marked with a * was sent to me as an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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March Reading Wrap-Up

For me, March was a little bit all over the place in regards to my rating. While I considered half of the books that I read as average, I had one above average read and one slightly disappointing read. I am on a contemporary kick this year, so once again, all of the books that I read this month fell in this genre, either in the young adult or new adult age range. Here’s what I read:

• 10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon* (3 stars)

10 Things I Hate About Pinky reminded me a lot of From, Twinkle with Love by Sandhya Menon because the main characters are very similar in personality. From Twinkle, With Love is my least favorite book by Sandhya Menon, but I would say that I enjoyed this one a little more. This book does rely on a lot of drama and angst, so I definitely think individuals who are in the target audience of this book may relate to this book more than I did, and as a result, enjoy it more than I did.

• The Honey Don’t List by Christina Lauren* (3 stars)

When it comes to Christina Lauren books, I am always drawn in by the premise, but disappointed with the execution. Unfortunately for me, The Honey Don’t List fell into many of the gripes that I typically have about books by Christina Lauren. That being said, I did find the plot in this book more cohesive than some other books by this author. I was also extremely intrigued by the side characters, the renovation couple that the main character follows on their book tour, which made the book more enjoyable for me than other books written by this author duo. See my full review here.

• Moment of Truth by Kasie West (2.5 stars)

What a disappointment! Kasie West is an auto-buy contemporary author for me, but unfortunately, Moment of Truth fell extremely flat for me. The plot was all over the place and with the multitude of flat and inconsistent characters, there was little that I enjoyed about this book. While I did like the interesting dynamics in the main character’s family, which boosted my rating slightly, that aspect of the plot was repetitive and not fleshed out like the majority of the book.

• Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett* (5 stars)

What a delight! Jenn Bennett’s books get better and better with each release. I read Alex, Approximately several years ago, but didn’t get the hype. After reading Serious Moonlight and this book, I now consider Jenn Bennett an auto-buy author for me. While somewhat predictable, the writing in this book is extremely captivating as well as the characters. I highly recommend this release later in the spring!

What books did you read in March? Which one do you recommend?

Any book marked with an * was an eARC sent to me via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.

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February TBR

 

I read four books in January, which was a decent reading month for me, so I look forward to all the new books that February will bring. I am a huge contemporary fan, February is the perfect time to pick up some romances. Here are some books that I hope to read in this month:

• American Panda by Gloria Chao

I started American Panda a LONG time ago and never finished it. I’m trying to wrap up some books that I picked up and put down in my reading slump last year, so I think this could be a book that I quickly finish at the beginning of the month.

• Out of Left Field by Kris Hui Lee

Out of Left Field is another book that I started last year, but did not finish. I am currently reading this book, so I also expect that this will be another book that I quickly finish at the beginning of the month.

• This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills

So far I have read two books by Emma Mills and they both have been average reads for me. I feel like Emma Mills does a lot of set-up in the beginning of her books for a larger emotional reward at the end. As a result, the beginning of her books usually move a little slow for me. However, I got this as a Kindle deal awhile back and I’ve been wanting to check out some more books by this author before I read her latest book which was released last month.

• Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller

I read Daughter of the Pirate King a couple of years ago. While it wasn’t what I expected, I really enjoyed it. It does focus a large part on the romance, so I would expect this book to do the same. Since this book just appeared as a Kindle deal this month, I thought it would be the perfect read for the month where Valentine’s Day falls.

• Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno

I’ve had this book on my TBR for awhile, it was also on my 20 books that I want to read in 2020 list. I really want to try to read as many of those books on my list as possible and I think this month I will finally finish this one.

 

What books do you plan to read in February?

 

 

 

 

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January Wrap-Up

After a rough reading year last year, I was worried my reading slump would carry over into the New Year. Thankfully, I was able to find a few books that I was really excited for to kick off the New Year. While I do not expect all these books to appear on my end of year favorites list, I enjoyed almost every book on this list. Here’s what I read:

• Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Even though from the description it contained some elements that I thought I would enjoy, like a ragtag team of characters, I was initially put off by how I never finished Illuminae and the mixed reviews from people who loved Illuminae. Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed this book and look forward in continuing the series.

• The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory (★ ★)

The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory was one of my favorite contemporaries two years ago, so I put The Wedding Party on my TBR shortly after. Since The Wedding Party was nominated for a Goodreads choice award, it appeared as a Kindle Daily deal early this year. Unfortunately for me, The Wedding Party suffered from a lot of missed opportunities. While this book had a lot of potential, it missed the mark in several ways for me.

• Tweet Cute by Emma Lord (★ ★ ★ ★)

Everyone is gushing about Tweet Cute, so as a fan of contemporaries, I immediately picked it up. I’m not someone who rushes out and buys a book, especially for authors that aren’t my auto-buys, but this sounded right up my alley. While I overall enjoyed Tweet Cute, some of the pacing (especially in the ending) was a little off for me.

• First and Then by Emma Mills (★ ★ ★ )

I have read one other book by Emma Mills, Famous in a Small Town, and my feelings towards that book are similar to how I feel about this book. For me, Emma Mills is an author with A LOT of set-up in the beginning of the book. While there’s always some emotional punch in the end, for me, it often feels like a lot of work to get to for the reward. While I think Emma Mills is a talented author, I think this style just isn’t my favorite.

 

What were your favorite January reads?

 

 

 

 

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Blogmas Day #5: December TBR

With December being a crazy time of year, I am not expecting to read that many books. As a result, I’m not putting that much pressure on myself (even though I’m behind 13 books in my Goodreads Challenge) in my TBR. I have selected two books that I definitely want to finish in December and will be excited if I read any more than the books listed below. Here are my choices:

• 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

10 Blind Dates sounds right up my alley for Christmas time. It is a cute, romantic comedy that takes place around Christmas through New Year’s. In this book, a girl’s family sets her up on 10 blind dates after a break-up with her longtime boyfriend. I’m not someone who usually purchases books right away, especially by an author that I am unfamiliar with, but this sounded too cute to pass up!

• The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

This should be a short, quick read that I’ve been wanting to finish for a long time. I actually started this at the end of November, so I should be finishing it up quickly. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda contains stories about an origami Yoda who gives advice to students in middle school through the student who wears it on his finger.

 

What books do you plan to read in December? 

 

 

 

 

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Blogmas 2019 Day #2: November Wrap-Up

This year has been difficult reading-wise for me. However, one exciting November release encouraged me to finish one book in November, which I consider a victory since I was also working on National Novel Writing Month at the same time. Here is what I read:

• Queen of Nothing by Holly Black (★ ★ ★ ★)

I had highly anticipated Queen of Nothing since I finished The Wicked King earlier this year. While I enjoyed the second half of Queen of Nothing much more than the first half, I overall enjoyed this book and series as a whole. To see my full thoughts on Queen of Nothing, check out another Blogmas post later this month.

 

What books did you read in November?

 

July TBR

Summer is flying by! This is my last full month off before I go back to teaching, so I am trying to fit in as many books as possible before school starts again. Here are three of my picks for July:

• The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen is my favorite YA author, so I’m very excited to read her release from last month. This seems like the perfect summer read since it takes place at a lake, so I definitely need to read it before the summer wraps up.

• Maybe This Time by Kasie West

Kasie West is an auto-buy author for me. I wasn’t a huge fan of her last release (Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss), so I hope that I enjoy this one a little bit more.

• Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I’ve heard a lot of positive reviews about Daisy Jones and the Six, so I’m excited that it’s finally my turn to read this book since I placed a hold on it at my local library. I’m trying to read more book in the “adult” age range and I have been wanting to read some books by this author.

What books do you plan to read in July?

 

 

 

 

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June Reading Wrap-Up

Whew! I haven’t posted a monthly reading wrap-up since February! Since it’s been awhile, I will update you on everything I have read since March until June. Here’s what I read (any book with a review will be linked to the book’s title):

• Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett (★ ★ ★ ★)

• There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon (★ ★ ★ ★)

• Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer (★ ★ ★)

• Shuffle, Repeat by Jenn Klein (★ ★)

• Internet Famous by Danika Stone (★)

• As Kismet Would Have It by Sandhya Menon (★ ★ ★)

• Holes by Louis Sachar (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)

• Lousiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo (★ ★ ★)

• Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid by Jeff Kinney (★ ★ ★)

• On the Come Up by Angie Thomas (★ ★ ★ ★)

• The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty (★ ★ ★ ★)

• Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan (★ ★ ★ ★)

• Real Friends by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)

 

 

 

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April TBR

So about last month… it was not my best reading month. As a result, I finished 0 books on my TBR. I started each of these books, but did not finish any of them. Right now, these stories aren’t grabbing me and I may need to pick them up at a later time to fully enjoy them. Here were my picks for March:

• A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

• Bookish Boyfriends: The Boy Next Story by Tiffany Schmidt

• You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn

 

Now… onto my choices for April!

• Bookish Boyfriends: The Boy Next Story by Tiffany Schmidt

I do want to finish this book before May, when it is released. I am very close to finishing this book. Fingers crossed that I finish it this month!

• You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn

I’m not too far into this book, but it was recently released. I want to read this book ASAP!

• Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno

This book will also be released in May, so I want to finish it during April. This book sounds right up my alley, so I hope that I enjoy it!

 

What do you plan to read in April?

 

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March Reading Wrap-Up

March ended up being a month of ARCs! I was approved on NetGalley for a few releases that I’ve been excited for this year. While I enjoyed all of them, I was slightly disappointed in one book from a contemporary author that I loved last year. Here’s what I read (each book on this list was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review):

• Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett (★ ★ ★ ★)

I enjoyed Serious Moonlight much more than Alex, Approximately which is another book that I have read by this author.

• There’s Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon (★ ★ ★ ★)

This is definitely my favorite book by Sandhya Menon yet. I found When Dimple Met Rishi slightly average and did not enjoy From Twinkle, With Love, so I’m excited to find a book by this author that I really loved.

• Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer (★ ★ ★)

While I still enjoyed reading this book, the story itself never captured me like the other two contemporary books that I have read by Brigid Kemmerer.

 

 

What was the best book that you read in March?

 

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