June 2016 Wrap Up

Once again it hasn’t been the best reading month. This reading slump will not go away. I know I read five books this much but I truly only enjoyed two of them. This is what happens with a reading slump. That being said it’s hard for me to explain what I thought about some of these books. So I decided to include a gif of what I felt like by the end of the book.

1. Keep Quiet, Lisa Scottoline 2/5

Jake Buckman's relationship with his sixteen-year-old son Ryan is not an easy one, so at the urging of his loving wife, Pam, Jake goes alone to pick up Ryan at their suburban movie theater. On the way home, Ryan asks to drive on a deserted road, and Jake sees it as a chance to make a connection. However, what starts as a father-son bonding opportunity instantly turns into a nightmare. Tragedy strikes, and with Ryan's entire future hanging in the balance, Jake is forced to make a split-second decision that plunges them both into a world of guilt and lies. Without ever meaning to, Jake and Ryan find themselves living under the crushing weight of their secret, which threatens to tear their family to shreds and ruin them all. Powerful and dramatic, Keep Quiet will have readers and book clubs debating what it means to be a parent and how far you can, and should, go to protect those you love.

I had high hopes for this book. I’ve heard about Lisa’s books for a while now. The beginning of the book was really good. It didn’t take long to realize that it was a psychological thriller. I cannot read psychological thrillers. I always start out strong and then halfway through the book I stop paying attention. This is what happened with this book. I knew that there was no way that the book could end well. In most psychological thrillers no one is innocent and I hate that as well. Basically it was a mistake for me to pick it up in the first place.

2. See Me. Nicholas Sparks 3/5

Colin Hancock is giving his second chance his best shot. With a history of violence and bad decisions behind him and the threat of prison dogging his every step, he's determined to walk a straight line. To Colin, that means applying himself single-mindedly toward his teaching degree and avoiding everything that proved destructive in his earlier life. Reminding himself daily of his hard-earned lessons, the last thing he is looking for is a serious relationship. Maria Sanchez, the hardworking daughter of Mexican immigrants, is the picture of conventional success. With a degree from Duke Law School and a job at a prestigious firm in Wilmington, she is a dark-haired beauty with a seemingly flawless professional track record. And yet Maria has a traumatic history of her own, one that compelled her to return to her hometown and left her questioning so much of what she once believed. A chance encounter on a rain-swept road will alter the course of both Colin and Maria's lives, challenging deeply held assumptions about each other and ultimately, themselves. As love unexpectedly takes hold between them, they dare to envision what a future together could possibly look like . . . until menacing reminders of events in Maria's past begin to surface. As a series of threatening incidents wreaks chaos in Maria's life, Maria and Colin will be tested in increasingly terrifying ways. Will demons from their past destroy the tenuous relationship they've begun to build, or will their love protect them, even in the darkest hour?

I picked up a Nicholas Sparks book to have a cheesy romance. That is not what I got. You’re never going to guess what I did get. Psychological thriller. I wish I was kidding. About halfway through the book I realized what was going on. There was a romance but it wasn’t special and it wasn’t the main focus. Why Nicholas Sparks? I had so much hope in this book. Also Sid ruined it for me before I even finished. This book wasn’t that great. If you love psychological thriller and romance then you will probably love this book. If you’re looking for a typical Nicholas Sparks romance you won’t find it in this book. 

3. Roses, Leila Meacham 2/5

Spanning the 20th century, the story of Roses takes place in a small East Texas town against the backdrop of the powerful timber and cotton industries, industries controlled by the scions of the town's founding families. Cotton tycoon Mary Toliver and timber magnate Percy Warwick should have married but unwisely did not, and now must deal with the deceit, secrets, and tragedies of their choice and the loss of what might have been--not just for themselves but for their children, and children's children. With expert, unabashed, big-canvas storytelling, Roses covers a hundred years, three generations of Texans and the explosive combination of passion for work and longing for love. Note to self: Don’t pick up a six hundred page book during a reading slump. It makes everything worse. This book started off so promising. I am always a sucker for southern literature but this just killed me a little. The characters were so stupid. Almost everything could have been fixed with communication. Yes there would have been consequences but I think everyone could have been happy eventually. If not then screw those people I just want the main characters to be happy. This book was also to long. It could have lost maybe two or three hundred pages and it would have been fine.

Ash, Malinda Lo 5/5

In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted. The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

This month took a 360 degree turn after reading this book. It is proof that lesbian books make everything better. This book was short and to the point. It was also written beautifully. The main character was amazing. The romance was so sweet and simple. I read this book in one sitting. It was that good. If you love romance and fairytale retellings you will love this book. After I finished this book I actually wanted to pick up another book. Thank you Malinda Lo. Thank you.

5. Party Girl, Rachel Hollis 5/5

Landon Brinkley’s dreams are all coming true. She’s landed an internship with the fabulous Selah Smith, event planner for the Hollywood elite, taking her from small-town Texas to the bright lights of LA. Landon soon finds herself in a world in which spending a million dollars on an event—even a child’s birthday party—is de rigueur and the whims of celebrity clients are life-and-death matters. At first, the thrill of working on A-list parties and celebrity weddings is enough to get Landon through the seventy-five-hour workweeks and endless abuse at the hands of her mercurial boss. But when the reality of the business reveals itself, she’s forced to make a choice: do whatever it takes to get ahead, or stay true to herself. Drawing on the author’s real-life experiences as an event planner to the stars, Party Girl takes readers on an adventure among Hollywood’s most beautiful—and most outrageous—people, revealing the ugly side of Hollywood’s prettiest parties.

It’s no secret that I love Rachel Hollis. It is a disgrace that I haven’t picked up this book sooner. I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has a heart. The only reason that I didn’t fly through this book was because I wanted it to last as long as possible. If you’re ever in a bad mood then pick this book up. I could not believe that Rachel actually experienced some of these things in real life as an event planner. I thought it was so adorable that the main relationship was loosely based off of Rachel and Dave’s relationship. They are relationship goals. Seriously please pick up this book. I laughed, I cried and I felt every emotion.

It doesn't get much cuter than this.

DFTBA

-AB