One of my goals every year is to read as much as possible. For the past couple years, my goal has been to read 12 books per year – an average of 1 book per month.
For two years, I have been posting my book reviews on Facebook in a Photo Album. and I recently transitioned to posting my book reviews on this blog.
As summer is coming to an end, I just realized that I haven’t posted my book reviews in a while! Here is a synopsis of the four books I’ve read since the beginning of summer.
Are you looking for a new book and want to read other views? Here is a synopsis of all the books I read so far in 2019, and all the books I read in 2018.
What are you reading right now and which books should I add to my list? I am always looking for my next great read!
Fish On!
Misti
The Cactus, Sarah Haywood
Grade: B
Overall Thoughts: This book is very similar to “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” so if you like that book, you will enjoy this one as well. The characters are well developed and quirky. The main character is going through multiple life dilemmas and the author weaves them together really well in order to craft a memorable story. I thought the beginning was a little drawn out, which is why I gave this book this rating. Overall, I would recommend it – especially if you are looking for a light read.
The Bride Test, Helen Hoang
Grade: B-
Overall Thoughts: I was very excited for this book since it’s by the same author as “The Kiss Quotient.” The author used a similar style as her other book and thus the story line was extremely predictable. I did like the characters and there was a nice epilogue (you know I love a good epilogue!). In addition, one of the main characters is the cousin of Michael from “The Kiss Quotient.” This affords cameos of Michael and Stella so it was worth the read just to see what those two characters are now up to in life (they are doing well!). However, if you are expecting a book as high-caliber and page-turning as “The Kiss Quotient” you need to set your expectations lower so that you will not be disappointed.
Anger, Dr. Gary Chapman
Grade: C
Overall Thoughts: This book described anger in a very easy to understand way and had a lot of great actionable nuggets that can be applied to your own life. However, I feel that the book was very repetitive and could have been shortened even more than it already is. I think it is worth a read if you experience anger and/or have people in your life who frequently exhibit anger, but you could read the beginning chapters and then skim the rest.
Whisper Network, Chandler Baker
Grade: B
Overall Thoughts: This book was an easy read and the characters were very relatable. The story is about coworkers (some who are friends) and scandalous events that occurred and the repercussions of said events. Since I am a working mother, I could easily identify with the characters and some of their everyday struggles of balancing work, family, and other aspects of life. I only gave this a B though because there was much of the book that I zoned out on. I felt the book was a little too long and there were too many story lines going on. I think the book could have been more targeted and captivating if it focused on a couple of the main story lines rather than skipping around from character to character.
Seasons of Lives 