Show Us Your Books: March/April

I've hit a bit of a reading rut lately. I picked up 4 different books in the last 2 weeks and put them down. I just can't figure out what I'm in the mood for and haven't been making time to read since Erin's challenge ended. Hopefully I'll get some new ideas after checking out the rest of the lovely recommendations from other bloggers in this link-up! Here's what I've gotten through in the last 2 months:

A Wrinkle in Time- Madeline L'Engle: 4 Stars
library e-book

For the first time ever, I read the book AFTER seeing the movie, and I think I actually liked the movie better (gasp!). The story was just so much easier to follow along in the movie version and it was just so beautiful. But the book was short and quick and I'm glad I finally read it. 

Love is Love: A Comic Book Anthology to Benefit the Survivors of the Orlando Pulse Shooting- Marc Andreyko, etc. : 4 Stars
library paperback

This book gave me all the feels. I laughed, I teared up, I cringed, I cheered... as a collection it was extremely well put together, and the graphics were amazing. Through all the pain and chaos, there was still an uplifting overall spirit of hope and celebration. It took me awhile to get through (I had to put it down because sometimes the stories were too heartbreaking), but I really enjoyed it. 

White Houses- Amy Bloom: 2.5 Stars
 ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review

I wanted to like this so much more than I actually did. It had a strong premise- an intimate (fictional) account of Eleanor Roosevelt's relationship with "first friend" Lorena Hickok. While some parts were really interesting, there was too much backstory about Hick's childhood and I got bored fairly quickly.

Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda- Becky Albertalli: 5 Stars
library e-book 

I'm not sure exactly how to describe my love for this book. I've always enjoyed books that have phone texts, letters, or email snippets in them, so that definitely added to it. Maybe it's because I have my own "Blue"? I thought Albertalli did a really great job portraying the male perspective too; I had no idea the author was female. I liked not knowing who Blue was for the majority of it, and that ending! This is one that I will definitely re-read, and probably purchase, and that's saying a lot since I don't remember the last time I actually bought a book!

The Invoice- Jonas Karlsson: 3 Stars
library hardback

This had an interesting premise- what if everything that made you happy cost money?  What if the sound of ocean waves crashing, the smell of fresh baked bread, and every happy memory came with a price tag? Except you don't know it, and then many years later, all of a sudden, you get a bill in the mail with how much it all cost you? It really got me thinking, and I was intrigued by how they priced out everything (how do you put a monetary amount on life experiences and memories?) and how the protagonist was going to pay it off, which is what held my attention the most. However there was a lot of thinking and talking, and mostly just between two people. If you're looking for action or intrigue, this isn't the book for you. 

The Roanoke Girls- Amy Engel: 4 Stars

ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review Hard to admit I "really liked" such a messed up story, but it was so twisted and well written. Engel just punches you in the gut sometimes and I had to read passages a few times thinking "wait... did that seriously just happen?" especially in the beginning.  Even with all of the sickening actions/behaviors, I remained fully engrossed and invested in the characters.

Currently reading: Tin Man- Sarah Winman
On deck: Fahrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury... I started this one, but it's not really grabbing my attention right now. 

What are you reading lately?