May Reads

I had written all but two of these reviews before the site crashed while I was trying to "preview" and somehow (even in this day and age when nearly EVERYTHING autosaves) didn't save. So. If these reviews seem a little stilted or short, it's because I'm trying to remember what I wrote for the others and also don't really feel like sitting and staring at my (now blank) computer screen anymore today. Apologies, friends. ANYWAY, here's what I read in May:

The Boy From The Woods - Harlan Coben: 4 Stars
library e-book

"New Jersey was also a big part of Rusty’s rep—The Three S’s, he liked to say—a sliver of Springsteen, a sliver of Sinatra, a sliver of the Sopranos."

"...life is lived in the gray. Life is lived in the nuances." 

I made the mistake of not writing this review right after reading it. I remember liking it because it takes place in New Jersey, and I really enjoyed Hester's kick-ass, take-names attitude and love for her grandson. I couldn't figure out Wilde at first, but he was a good guy in the end, and very witty in how he chose to pick his battles and disable "bombs." Always thought of as an outcast, he was not only a "good guy," but possibly the best. Though I wished things had worked out a little differently, I understood it.

Modern Love: True Stories of Love, Loss, and Redemption - Daniel Jones: 4 Stars
library e-book

I read this because I wanted to watch the series on Amazon Prime, and I (almost) always try to read the book before watching the TV or movie adaption. In this case, I read two stories before I actually got my hands on the book, and then read them in tandem, matching up the titles between essay and episode, though there were (obviously) a lot more essays than episodes. I wouldn't try to read this in one sitting- I got a lot more out of all of the stories when I took little breaks between them, letting them sit with me and ruminate over them. Though I've never read the NYT column, I definitely felt them. Some I got all heart-eyed, some broke my heart. Take you time with this one, and really savor the true, personal stories. 

Weird But Normal: Essays - Mia Mercado: 4 Stars
library e-book

A "Game" I've actually played in my 20's IRL for free drinks: "My racial ambiguity is an icebreaker that transcends every space, as evidenced by one of the first messages I got, which read, “Three tries to guess each other’s ethnicity?”'

BBW Candles: "I hear a woman yell, “Ooooh, their seasonal scents are out!” The war cry of my people. There’s a fragrance called Flannel. It’s a cute, wintery smell that’s code for, “We took the deodorant-laden armpits of your ex-boyfriend’s T-shirt and infused them with hope, pining, and actual pine. Basically, you’re about to drop $22.50 on a candle that’ll make you sad and horny at the same time.” 

My Current state of affairs: If someone were to look at my daily schedule and try to figure out what my job is they would say, “Changing from one set of pajamas into another set of pajamas, staring at her dog, and eating string cheese while staring at a blank Google doc?”

Basically my entire existence: "She was brown but in a white way!" 

I may have given this one more than it may have been worth because I related SO CLOSELY with the author. Racial ambiguity- check. The whole beginning of the Internet/AIM/the a/s/l chatrooms- check. MISS PRETEEN AMERICA- CHECK! (I have pics somewhere, I swear. I won "Most Musical" or something because I played my alto sax in the talent portion... not kidding.) The entire chapter on BBW... and BBW candles. She kinda lost me toward the end when she pretended to be her dog and also turned out to be a bit of a prude/straight-edge, but overall I enjoyed this one. 

I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life - Ann Bogel (aka The Modern Mrs. Darcy): 3 Stars
Kindle Unlimited

On Bookish Quirks:
"...part of the fun of reading is planning the reading."
"Some people play tennis in their spare time. Others knit or scrapbook. You’re a reader; your hobby is organizing your bookshelves."

On clearing some space on your personal bookshelf: "You accept that it’s time to cull your personal library. You lovingly handle each book, determining if it brings you joy. It does. They all do. You are full of bookish joy, but still woefully short on shelf space."

On library loans: "If I didn’t need to get through my newly acquired stack before the due dates rolled around, would I read them as fast? Would I read them at all? I doubt it." 

On me, a little too literary (haha), but really: "Some people play tennis in their spare time. Others knit or scrapbook. You’re a reader; your hobby is organizing your bookshelves."

I actually used to read this blogger turned author waaaaay back in the day, and I plan to read more by her. I read this quick read in one sitting, nodding along to most of it. Nothing Earth-shattering here, but fairly entertaining for anyone who considers themselves even a little "bookish."

Normal People - Sally Rooney: 3 Stars
library e-book

Again, I read this because I wanted to watch the Hulu adaption. What a weird, depressing book. I honestly don't know how else to describe it. I'd read reviews beforehand (kinda like you're doing right now!), saying that people either really loved it or really hated it, and I think I agree with the latter. (Spoiler alert: I didn't like the TV adaption either.) It's like two very messed up people form a sort of friendship in high school, and keep trying for many years to make something more of it, even though their relationship is pretty toxic? It got an extra star because I kept thinking about it for DAYS after, and anything that keeps me up at night trying to figure it out, or wrap my head around how I feel about it, gets an extra star. 

Sorry I Missed You - Suzanne Krause: 2 Stars
Kindle Unlimited

"Love was like a sewer: something you knew about but didn’t think about until someone left a manhole cover open and you just tripped right in and your stomach dropped like you were on a roller coaster and you felt thrilled but also like you were going to barf. Messy, painful, disorienting. Amazing." 

"This was part of growing up; she’d known it for a long time. Sometimes you got closure, but most of the time you didn’t."

I couldn't even remember where I got this from when I started writing this review. I think I was between books and thought "good premise, cute cover, free? Ok." Another story of "good concept, poor execution." I couldn't relate to any of the characters, and was unprepared for the erm... paranormal, elements (which I'm not a fan of in any books, I've learned). Though the ending was actually quite fun, it didn't save the predictability and flat characters overall.

Book Stats (previously /now)
Total number read: 26
Netgalley: 7 /9 - no change
Owned: 1 / 3 - no change
Non-Fiction: 2 / 5
WOC: 5 / 6
Given Away: 22 / 23

Currently Reading: Love Lettering by Kate Clayton and I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made For Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

What are you reading?

Linking up with Steph and Jana!