Book Reviews: July 2019 Part 2
I couldn't put them all in one post so here are a few other books I read the past couple month that stood out to me. These ran the gamut from slow-burn romance to mysterious to full on heartbreak.
The Girl He Used To Know - This was a bit like the Rosie Project, where one of the main characters has an Autism Spectrum Disorder. The main characters form a friendship that turns into a relationship that has ended. The book starts with a chance reunion 10 years later and slowly reveals their history as they reconnect. I liked the books' structure as it jumped back and forth between the present and past. It was enjoyable because you get to see how much the main character, Annicka, has changed from the girl he used to know.. (sorry). Heartbreaking at times, I was cheering for them through their ups and downs (really sad downs). I only wish it lasted longer.
Bright Side - Read this with Kindle Unlimited. Holy $*#% this book caught me off guard. I figured it would be a straightforward contemporary romance since reviews said they loved the love triangle - Team Gus vs. Team Keller. It also had reviews tagged with "Ugly Cry" and "Rollercoaster" that I should have taken more seriously. It's mostly from the point of view of Kate, a/k/a Bright Side, who is just SO positive I was having a hard time liking her. I stuck it out though (I guess I'm a masochist) because I was a complete wreck the rest of the story. This is like a more grown up version of A Fault in Our Stars with more of a love triangle and more adult themes like single parenting, abuse, and mental illness. It had some beautifully written scenes but I only recommend this if you really want a cathartic cry. It has a follow up book but I can't/won't do it.
Verity - Read this with Kindle Unlimited. I said I wouldn't do it, but I checked out Colleen Hoover's latest book. I got burned out on her formula last time I got into a book binge so I wasn't going to keep reading her stuff. However, reviewers said this was out of the norm and really good. Normally she'd write an angsty contemporary romance with a big secret past/big reveal but this considered a psychological thriller/romantic suspense instead. The main character, Lowen, takes a job as a ghost writer for successful author, Verity, after she's been in an accident. Lowen slowly uncovers Verity's secrets and things get really creepy for her. It was a quick read and I appreciated Colleen Hoover changing her formula. There was still a bit of romance but definitely adult in tone and not YA which most of her other books have been.
Ghosted - This was recommended reading by Liane Moriarty, the writer of Big Little Lies, so I decided to check it out. I got this from the LA Public Library and ate it up. Girl and Guy meet, fall in love in a whirlwind romance, then he Ghosts her. She can't let it go, maybe she should, but she can't. This book also had a non traditional format between letters, emails, messages and the main character, Sarah's, point of view. It had a lot of unexpected twists and turns that kept me locked in and I was definitely wrong every time I made a prediction. I binged this one in a day. I feel like I need to go back and re-read it so I understand every letter, email, & message with the full context.
The Girl He Used To Know - This was a bit like the Rosie Project, where one of the main characters has an Autism Spectrum Disorder. The main characters form a friendship that turns into a relationship that has ended. The book starts with a chance reunion 10 years later and slowly reveals their history as they reconnect. I liked the books' structure as it jumped back and forth between the present and past. It was enjoyable because you get to see how much the main character, Annicka, has changed from the girl he used to know.. (sorry). Heartbreaking at times, I was cheering for them through their ups and downs (really sad downs). I only wish it lasted longer.
Bright Side - Read this with Kindle Unlimited. Holy $*#% this book caught me off guard. I figured it would be a straightforward contemporary romance since reviews said they loved the love triangle - Team Gus vs. Team Keller. It also had reviews tagged with "Ugly Cry" and "Rollercoaster" that I should have taken more seriously. It's mostly from the point of view of Kate, a/k/a Bright Side, who is just SO positive I was having a hard time liking her. I stuck it out though (I guess I'm a masochist) because I was a complete wreck the rest of the story. This is like a more grown up version of A Fault in Our Stars with more of a love triangle and more adult themes like single parenting, abuse, and mental illness. It had some beautifully written scenes but I only recommend this if you really want a cathartic cry. It has a follow up book but I can't/won't do it.
Verity - Read this with Kindle Unlimited. I said I wouldn't do it, but I checked out Colleen Hoover's latest book. I got burned out on her formula last time I got into a book binge so I wasn't going to keep reading her stuff. However, reviewers said this was out of the norm and really good. Normally she'd write an angsty contemporary romance with a big secret past/big reveal but this considered a psychological thriller/romantic suspense instead. The main character, Lowen, takes a job as a ghost writer for successful author, Verity, after she's been in an accident. Lowen slowly uncovers Verity's secrets and things get really creepy for her. It was a quick read and I appreciated Colleen Hoover changing her formula. There was still a bit of romance but definitely adult in tone and not YA which most of her other books have been.
Ghosted - This was recommended reading by Liane Moriarty, the writer of Big Little Lies, so I decided to check it out. I got this from the LA Public Library and ate it up. Girl and Guy meet, fall in love in a whirlwind romance, then he Ghosts her. She can't let it go, maybe she should, but she can't. This book also had a non traditional format between letters, emails, messages and the main character, Sarah's, point of view. It had a lot of unexpected twists and turns that kept me locked in and I was definitely wrong every time I made a prediction. I binged this one in a day. I feel like I need to go back and re-read it so I understand every letter, email, & message with the full context.
