Literally Lenny: October 2017

I’m not sure what my overall thoughts about this book are. From the first page of this, I was HOOKED. Albano did not beat around the bush with any unnecessary details or background stories. She jumped right into the story which I LOVED.

This is quite difficult to read considering it involves a sex trade, rape, and kidnapped women. But regardless, it was fantastically written...up until ¾ of the way through the book.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

Once the original conflict had been solved, the book kept GOING. And I’m still not sure why. I feel like it could’ve ended, with short stories on where and what the girls would be doing post-kidnapping. But instead, it took a strange turn, towards a rebellion camp? This whole part just did not make sense to me. It seemed forced and extra and it was a struggle to get through. It was almost as if I was reading two completely different books in one. What happened to the “on-the-edge-of-your-seat” writing?

And then even when they went to this camp, It bothers me that they thought the leader would even help them. He's a man in power who is well aware of what is going on and a little sex trade is hardly at the top of his concerns. And his solution? How could he be THAT stupid to think that it wouldn’t fail and go awry. *eye roll* And finally, the heist as the end seemed WAY too easy and anticlimactic... It lasted all of two seconds. Just strange.

So....what happens in the end? Tam and Isla are together? What happened with Lillian and Des? And what? They're gonna go take down a whole brothel operation? WHAT? it's not even a cliff hanger... it's just so much unanswered. Like yay for romance but WHAT HAPPENS? The book was all about badass women and then the ending basically just focused on Tam and Islas relationship. Consider me confused and frustrated.

Overall though, I truly did enjoy this book. There are very few books that can grip me and pull me completely out of my current world and dump me into theirs. I highly recommend this for anyone who is looking for an adventure full of girl power and pure badassness.

12:42 PM No comments

12:00 PM No comments

Book Count: 5

Pages Count: 1,859

Star Count: 23/25

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

You know, I heard so many bad reviews about this book. I heard that it was cheesy and like a 1980's horror film...aka lame. This book was actually much scarier than I thought it was going to be! It was gory and creepy and very clever. There were actually parts I couldn’t listen to because it was just too disturbing.

I wrote some more of my thoughts on this in a full review, so if you want to read more, click here!

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

This was a really cute continuation of Sherlock Holme's legacy, but it was too forced for me to really enjoy it. I love the concept of Sherlock and Watson's great-great-great grandchildren befriending one another and developing a relationship, but it just seemed so far fetched that it was almost cringe worthy.

I thought the writing was quite good, and the character development wasn't bad, but the interaction between both Charlotte and Jamie was very strange. It was incredibly awkward to read their conversations...it was like reading pre-pubescent Sherlock Holmes, which I imagine would sound a lot like Charlotte. I wanted to see more of their backstories, learn more about their families.

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

OH MY GOD I LOVED THIS BOOK. I was by NO MEANS expecting to love this book as much as I did. It was absolutely fantastic and is easily my favorite book of Leigh Bardugo’s...and that’s saying A LOT. The storyline was fantastic..constantly gripping and fun at the same time. Diana’s character was developed beautifully and I loved seeing her grow and come to understand the culture of modern civilization. I also loved each and every one of Diana’s companions - all had their own quirks and added their own element to the story.

This was absolutely fantastic. I can’t say enough about it.

Sparks of Light by Janet B. Taylor

I was NOT disappointed with the sequel to “Into the Dim!” This was fantastic. Historical fiction mixed with some sci-fi and some romance and UGH it’s just SO GOOD!

This time they travel back to Victorian New York. Things are going swimmingly until Hope is kidnapped and admitted to a psych ward (yeah...psych wards prior to like...the 1990s...not fun times.) This made for a majorly cringe worthy, sitting on the edge of your seat story which I loved! I cannot think of one negative thing about this book...I’m trying, I really am.

*note* I HIGHLY recommend listening to the audiobook, especially with the Scottish accents. I’m in love!

The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee

Anyone who follows me Insta KNOWS how obsessed I am with this series and this world. The sequel to The Thousandth Floor in no way disappointed! This series is Gossip Girl set in the future, If you like either, you need to read this. There’s drama, mystery, romance, and friendship all rolled into one. Whatever you’re looking for, I guarantee you’ll find it in this book.

12:00 PM No comments

Book Count: 8

Pages Count: 2,450

Star Count: 28/40

The Reason You're Alive by Matthew Quick

Another solid quick read from Matthew Quick about a Vietnam vet living in modern day and dealing with the societal changes. There was not much plot to this book, but it didn’t need it i realized in the end. The crotchety old man teaches you to not take everything for granted, that yes, he may have a black and white view on society, but he’s more accepting of this world than most people.

The Secret History of Us by Jessi Kirby

Olivia loses several years of her memory after a tragic accident and in turn loses who she really is. I really like the approach the author took for this book, in that instead of focusing on the potential drama-filled road she could have ventured down, she focused more on the main character finding her way back to who she really is, regardless of who she was at the time of the accident. And what really threw me was the massive cliff hanger she left you on at the end - you’re left not really knowing what happens with Olivia, but then again not having your typical happy ending story is quite refreshing.

What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum

A cute read about two high school students who are lost and are struggling to be themselves in society. When they befriend each other, an unusual friendship begins. I didn’t love this book, mostly because it just didn’t seem to go anywhere. I get that Kit protected David and that David helped Kit deal with her tragedy, but that just wasn’t enough plot for me. I will however give major kudos to the author for including an autistic boy in the story. Not only is autism never addressed in YA, but it’s rarely seen from a first person perspective.

The Walls by Hollie Overton

A woman who made the wrong choices in her teenage years is paying for them later in life, until she meets the guy who can turn everything around; or upside down.

A really heartbreaking yet empowering book about female strength and resilience, and just an overall thrilled, this book left me on the edge of my seat always. This book was fantastic. Not at all what I was expecting.

Be aware that this book does involve domestic abuse (physical abuse that is) and is very cringe-worthy and hard to read at points. But the ending is just fantastic. I wouldn’t say that justice is served, considering the circumstances, but it was more than satisfying. I highly recommend you read this if you’re into thrillers or murder-mysteries.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

This was better than I was expecting. It’s a very hyped book and I have been putting it off for a very long time. The main character is very sweet and naive (in the cute way, because you know she’s learning...she’s not just a ditz.) I LOVE that this series isn’t based off of just one relationship. I like that it is more about seeing Lara-Jean grow as a person, rather than be based around what boy she falls in love with and their relationship as a whole. It’s refreshing and I really enjoy seeing inside her head because it just reminds me of myself when I was that age…*cringe*

Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

I freaking LOVED this book. I saw that there’s a lot of people who don’t like this book, and I guess if you’re super duper Outlander fans, I get it? But for someone who has hidden away from Outlander for so long, I’m absolutely OBSESSED with this. It’s the perfect combination on nerd and sci-fi. It’s epic and exciting and unpredictable plus, historical fiction on the side? Yes, please.

Not gonna lie though, her personal life (like with her father and everything) seems a WEE far fetched...and her mother’s story doesn’t add up either...if you read this book, you will understand what i’m babbling on about.

Either way, I demand you go read this. It’s one of my favorite reads of the entire year and I’m SOOO freaking excited for Sparks of Light.

London Belongs to Me by Jacquelyn Middleton

DNF

(Did Not Finish)

Here’s an unpopular opinion because I know SO many people who absolutely loved and devoured this book...but I was not one of them. I couldn’t finish this one...I loved the concept because if there’s two things I love it’s London and Doctor Who. It was too much...It was almost as if the author was trying too hard to be overly obsessed with London and Doctor Who. It just didn’t seem natural coming from someone who IS genuinely in love with both.

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

The Breakfast Club modernized into a murder mystery. This was a good quick read for me...there wasn’t much substance to it and the main characters were quite flawed and bothersome but it was still overall enjoyable.

I also unfortunately was able to guess the murderer from the very beginning (which never happens) and it kinda ruined the story for me. It was creepy, but mostly just annoying high school kids who were completely messed up in their own ways.

12:00 PM No comments

7:31 PM No comments

*note* This book was ever so kindly sent to me by Macmillan for an honest review.

I won't say that I loved this book, but I can see why other people would.

It felt more like a memoir rather than a story of a family. There was no true plot, just different perspectives of each woman in the family. This was a coming-of-age story, learning how each individual navigated through their inherited culture and how they evolved as their own person even into adulthood.

Although it wasn't entirely what I was expecting, it was still nice to delve into the eyes of immigrants coming into America. I can only imagine the culture shock these women had to endure from moving from England, after having been born in India. And it's not like America is an easy place to grow up in especially when you're foreign and pubescent.

Here you have the mother, who is so purely Bengali, that her daughters become so against the culture. They'd rather be anything but Bengali. I found it interesting that Tara (Starry) is so focused on being an American and sunny is so focused on reading and staying herself.

The fates of Tara and Sunny were completely different from what I would have imagined. Sunny was a feminist and a brilliant scholar, who in the end followed her heart and is now living in a small tiny apartment in Harlem. Tara, whose future didn't look so promising and someone who wanted to be anyone but herself, is a movie star living with her best friend who is now her husband in a Manhattan penthouse.

When the perspectives change and we see into the minds of Sunny and Tara's daughters, it was fascinating to see how they felt about their inherited culture, which was not at all what I expected.

Sunny's daughter, Chantal, is struggling with her identity with whether or not she is black or Indian. She wants to be known as both but society is only going to look at her as one or the other.

Tara's daughter, Anna, however Embraces her Bengali heritage and identifies herself solely as being Bengali.

I wanted more out of this book, more plot, more conflict, but I think that's because I couldn't even remotely relate to any of the characters, and that itself disappoints me.

It's a very important story of four women navigating through life and struggling to figure out who they are without being identified by their culture.