amarisafloria

I had my December reads all planned out. Then I started working on a post detailing my favorite books of 2019. Y'all, that list is looking DRY. (I wasn't expecting much though, I knew I'd have a slower reading year because of my masters program.) With two weeks left, I'm gonna try and squeeze in six more books 🤡 While three are re-reads, the other three are basically books that I *really* hope will become my favorites. One day I'll learn my lesson and make an effort to actually choose books I want to read. But I'm a chaotic mess and apparently my brain refuses to operate rationally ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Severance by Ling Ma
I've been wanting to read a post-apocalyptic novel, and this one has been on my radar recently. It'll be a gamble because no one I follow has talked about it in detail, so I really have no expectations. (That could be a good thing though!)

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
I'm scared to put this here because I *know* Laini Taylor's words are beautiful but that might pull me away from the story. Still, I'm eager to see how I feel! I'm ready to be destroyed.

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
This book has shown up in MANY of the reading wrap-ups I've "watched" (rather, listened to) in the past couple of months, and at this point I just want to know what the whole mystery is. I don't think it'll be a five-star read, but it sounds like just the read that'll keep me up at night. Not that I really want to stay up until the wee hours, because I'm a monster on no sleep ... but that's a discussion for another day 😅


Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman • 52% completed
I really just ditched this book back in October after making it halfway through, smh. I'm reading it via audiobook this time around and following along with my physical copy, which definitely adds to the whole experience. The production is so detailed, it sounds like listening to a movie.

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord
Emery Lord wrote a sequel for this and it's coming out next month!!! We love Emery Lord on this blog. I'm curious to see if any of my thoughts have changed, but I really don't think so. Please read this review I wrote for it back in 2015 🤪 It's probably the only one I don't cringe at, lol.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
It's been EIGHT years since I've read this first book in one of my favorite series, so I'd like to revisit it in full before The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (the prequel!!!) comes out in May. I hold The Hunger Games close to my heart because there are so many memories attached to it, one being that this was the book I was reading right before Joe and I started dating. I vividly remember reading it next to him while we were studying at our university's library and telling him how much I loved it.

WHAT 10 BLIND DATES IS ABOUT
Sophie wants to spend winter break with her boyfriend, Griffin, at home, so she chooses to stay close by with Nonna and her extended family instead of visiting her pregnant sister with her parents. But the perfect plan changes quickly when Sophie ends up breaking up with Griffin after overhearing how he really feels about their relationship. To raise her spirits, Nonna comes up with an arrangement: ten different blind dates for Sophie, all chosen by her family members. Knowing her evil twin cousins and aunts with questionable taste, this will be a disaster—but Sophie agrees to it, and someone maybe catches her eye 😏

WHY YOU SHOULD READ 10 BLIND DATES
10 Blind Dates encompasses all aspects of a big family—the unconditional love, everybody in somebody's business, the overflow of support, etc. We get to see the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between. It might be difficult to keep track of each member in the beginning, but don't worry—it works out because of the way this story is told. Although we are following Sophie and a new date in each chapter, we also get to learn more about who chose her date and what their relationship with Sophie looks like. Even with Sophie talking to her sister over phone calls and text messages, we see them get closer and grow in love.

During her time at Nonna's, Sophie also gets a chance to repair some broken friendships. This is one of my favorite parts in 10 Blind Dates, because we learn the reason Sophie grew apart from them and see the perspectives of how each person felt. Basically, the situation was misinterpreted and we get to watch them confront it throughout the whole novel. I love that they were honest (which is often quite scary to be) and willing to hear each other out.

If you want to know why I didn't give 10 Blind Dates a full five stars (plus some more spoiler-filled thoughts), check out my review on Goodreads! It's not a *big* deal, but just something that personally doesn't sit well with me.

Other than that, 10 Blind Dates is the perfect rom-com for this holiday season. I laughed out loud SO many times, mostly because Sophie is taken out of her comfort zone and is coerced to do many things she would never choose to do. But because of it, she becomes more "herself." It was definitely predictable, although not in a bad way. It's like when you know what the puzzle's going to look like in the end, but you still want to put it together. It was a really fun time, and I think it's going to be PERFECT as a Netflix movie—I can't wait!!! It's going to do so well.

TL;DR: Read this if you want many good laughs and a family-centered story for the holidays!