QUICK STATISTICS 📈
one anthology, two contemporaries, one faith-based non-fiction, and one fantasy
one 2 stars, one 3.5 stars, two 4 stars, and one 5 stars
three YA, one middle grade, and one adult
four physical copies and one ebook
four women* and one male
one 2018 release
five books read
1255 pages
one anthology, two contemporaries, one faith-based non-fiction, and one fantasy
one 2 stars, one 3.5 stars, two 4 stars, and one 5 stars
three YA, one middle grade, and one adult
four physical copies and one ebook
four women* and one male
one 2018 release
five books read
1255 pages
Meet Cute: Some people are destined to meet // 3.5 stars
One of the best anthologies I've read thus far! But I'm definitely a little biased because contemporary is my favorite genre, haha ... and the only other anthologies I've read are the ones Stephanie Perkins edited 🙈 Either way, there's your disclaimer and my recommendation to pick this one up if it interests you! My top three favorite stories were The Way We Love Here by Dhonielle Clayton, Oomph by Emery Lord, and The Unlikely Likelihood of Falling in Love by Jocelyn Davies. I shared my thoughts for all fourteen stories in a separate review here, if you want to read more!
Not Now, Not Ever by Lily Anderson // 4 stars
This is the companion novel to The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You, which you *must* read—one of my all-time favorites! Not Now, Not Ever follows a new character, Elliot, but many (if not all?) of the characters from Lily's debut novel make an appearance. And they aren't introduced right away (Elliot meets them over the course of the story) so it was fun to guess who was who, by how she described them! The love interest is quirky and quiet-cute, which I loved ☺️ What this book includes: nerdy banter + so many laugh-out-loud moments. Although I was, initially, a little disappointed at the ending, I chatted with Lily Anderson last month and thought her explanation was perfect: some things are open-ended because life is still happening, and there's not always a happy ending right away.
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green // 4 stars
I haven't enjoyed the majority of John Green's books—The Fault in Our Stars was the only one I loved—but this one surprised me! (The only reason why I didn't give it a full five stars was because I couldn't decide if I liked this book or not until the last fifty or so pages.) Turtles All the Way Down was less about plot and more about character, which I normally don't prefer *but* this was done well. I don't have OCD and anxiety in the exact same way Aza does, so reading her thoughts helped me understand what she was feeling. And I think this is why #OwnVoices books are so important—it's not trying to get as close to the feeling as possible, it IS the feeling. It's allowing us to step into another's shoes, someone who is putting their own experience into words.
"I would've told her that Davis and I never talked much, or even looked at each other, but it didn't matter, because we were looking at the same sky together, which is maybe more intimate than eye contact anyway. Anybody can look at you. It's quite rare to find someone who sees the same world you see."
"I have the soul of a private jet owner, and the life of a public transportation rider."
Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin // 5 stars
Since some of the eighth grade girls at church and I have been meeting to study the Bible, I wanted to re-read this to refresh my memory. If you are a believer and aren't quite sure where or how to start examining Scripture, I highly recommend picking this one up. Jen Wilkin breaks down sound study into five P's: study with purpose, perspective, patience, process, and prayer. She's quick to the point and honest in sharing her past and present experiences. It may be short, but there is so much wisdom packed in. This is one I'll definitely be re-reading over and over again in my lifetime!
"The heart cannot love what the mind does not know."
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle // 2 stars
What a strange book! By no means was this a difficult book to read, but UNDERSTANDING it is a whole 'nother story. The pacing was slow, which made it so tough to follow. I felt like this whole thing could've been condensed into fifty pages. It pulls verses from the Bible but I honestly had no idea what it was alluding to. There are, however, some good things—like CALVIN! I was drawn to him from the moment he shares a little about his relationship with his mom and family: "But I love her. That's the funny part of it. I love them all, and they don't give a hoot about me. Maybe that's why I call when I'm not going to be home. Because I care." I do admit I'm a little curious to find out what happens ... but not enough to continue reading the entire series, since there are so many other ones I want to start and/or finish. I can see why people enjoy it though—I think it's just too abstract for me.
* All of the stories in Meet Cute: Some people are destined to meet were written by women.
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What did you read in March, and which book was your favorite?
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