So last month I read 1.5 books so I’m pleased as Harry Potter winning the Quidditch Cup to have completed two whole books in one month. That’s right: 2 books. Sure, my normal average is around 5+ books per month but with my non-existent my reading mojo, I can’t complain. Well, not too much. And yes, I know — #FirstWorldBookNerdProblem and I’d probably feel guilty if I weren’t an American, where being a diva is a right. I take advantage of all my rights, including being a book diva and voting. 😀
The Books I Loved and Liked in August
I read some books and I liked it. Hopefully, I like even more books next month.
The Book I Loved
Love might be a bit strong but I’m just a girl, in search of a book to love, determined to find at least one this month.
Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl
Book Description: Beatrice, along with her four former best friends, find themselves stuck in endless loop as they seek answers to their friend’s mysterious death.
Book Review: Night Film by Pessl was one of my favorite books from 2016. It kept me on my toes, never sure what was real or not and scared the bejesus out of me at one point. This book took a hot minute or two to engage me (it starts with a lot of description, which isn’t my jam) but once it did, I was hooked. Imagine Groundhog Day but with five individuals who must solve the riddle behind their friend’s death to escape the endless loop. So yes, you have to buy into the Groundhog Day aspect but at it’s heart, it’s about five friends (i.e. the Breakfast Club) coming back together after a friend dies under mysterious circumstances. It’s YA without being too YA-ish.
To Read or Not To Read: Yup, I really enjoyed it. FYI — it’s not scary or a quasi-horror book like Night Film. Just in case you a scaredy cat like me. But you do have to buy into the Groundhog Day endless loop for it to work.
The Book I Liked
Some day I’ll find it … that book connection … the lovers, the dreamers and me.
Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting
Book Description: Eight years after breaking Lilah’s heart, Ethan returns home and now she must decide whether she’s ready to forget the past and trust her heart again.
Book Review: I am generally not a huge fan of romance-only books so keep that in mind, please, but all the murder and mayhem in my go-to thrillers are messing with my headspace so hence this book. And it’s okay, which probably means romance lovers will probably go gaga for it, but I found it a bit repetitive. Lilah and Ethan both got on my nerves and I’m a big believer that you gotta root for your main couple to get their happy ending when reading a romance. The old coot in me also rolls her eyes at the common refrain/belief that there can be ONLY ONE true love/soulmate in your lifetime, but I understand that’s what romances sell. I’m just not sure that’s really healthy. I also think that I may prefer romances with more humor/silliness, like Sophia Kinsella.
To Read or Not To Read: Sure. I’m not the best gauge of what’s makes a killer romance but my guess is most romance fans will find this an easy, breezy read.
TL;DR — My Recommendations to You
While I wish that my desire to read was higher last month, the books I did manage to read were good and I recommend them both. Those who don’t mind fantasy elements (hey, they are stuck in dreamworld) will enjoy Neverworld Wake and romance lovers should schedule a date with Good Luck Charm and they should hit it off just fine.
To More Great Reads
I took a planned break from NetGalley and my typically thrillers (Neverworld Wake doesn’t count because it’s not murdery) last month and I plan to dip my toe back in … maybe. Like I mentioned earlier, I noticed that thrillers were starting to affect me in a not-so positive way so I took a break but I also miss them. 😀 What can I say? I’m complicated. Not really, I’m pretty basic: just give me all the good books and I’m happy. Well, under normal circumstances and let’s hope those days return in less than 60 days.
As usual, I’ll be joining Jana and Steph for the Show Us Your Books Link-Up and encourage you to check out whatever has been reading the past month.
What great books did you read last month?
Tanya
Neverworld Wake sounds really good.
I hope you recover your reading mojo!
I really enjoyed it. And I keep hoping to find my reading mojo again too!
Neverworld Wake sounds pretty good. Adding to TBR.
Fantastic! I hope you enjoy it!
I’ve heard such mixed things about that Helena Hunting book but I will likely check it out at some point!! I mentioned in my post today that I read Lies via Netgalley (it comes out today) and it was a pretty good thriller (not too scary but definitely WTF is going on here anyway?)…if you need a recommendation!
I always have a hard time reviewing romances because there not really my favorite and I can be extra hard on them. I definitely had some issues with parts of the book too but I wasn’t sure if that was me being a non-romance lover (and romance junkies wouldn’t bat an eye over it) or not. I’m gonna look for Lies because I enjoy a good WTF book! 😀
#firstworldnerdproblems – that made me laugh!
Yep – I saw that first book too & thought it sounded interesting.
I have never really used Netgalley to its fullest. I need to start taking advantage more.
I’m real hit and miss with NetGalley. Sometimes I really utilize it well and other times books just sit on my shelf. My biggest problem is when I request books on a whim, then don’t really want to read them but feel obligated to since they approved me. Book guilt – it’s a real thing!
Lol at not murdery. Always good to switch it up but in the end I like what I like.
I like my murder books but I have noticed too much murder (or darkness) starts to weigh on me, which it didn’t before. I assume that’s due to the weird reality we live in these days!
Adding Neverworld Wake to my TBR!
Great! Hope you enjoy it!
Glad to hear that you have started getting your reading mojo back. Sometimes it takes reading books outside our normal genre to suck us back in. Neverworld Wake sounds like a book that I’d enjoy.
It’s starting to come back. Slowly though! Yeah, I thought reading something different might help. I liked Neverworld Wake. It’s different, which I liked!
Neverworld Wake sounds really good! I’ve started to read more romances lately but I admit that some common themes (lack of communication, repetitiveness) make me roll my eyes and skim. Nothing wrong with liking what you like 🙂
Yup, that’s my problem with romances. They seem really manufactured at times and the females can be really lame sometimes. Like I wanna slap the stupidity right out of them! LOL! But I do get why people like them and sometimes I really need a good fluffy, feel-good story.
I really want to read Neverworld Wake. I thought Night Film was fascinating, though I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending. LOL I hope you get lots more reads in this month and can start to enjoy your thrillers again. They are great!
-Lauren
Weirdly, I was really okay with the ending of Night Film. Normally I don’t like ambiguous endings but I was never sure what was real or not during the book so I actually liked not knowing. And that’s rare because normally the Scooby-Doo in me demands answers! I’m definitely going to try a thriller or two again … see if I can handle them because I miss them.
ive got Good Luck Charm on hold in the library…It will probably be weeks before I get it though 🙁
I was lucky to get it right away but I’ve sat on the hold list for months … to the point I forget that I requested the book! LOL!
I feel like I’m out of the loop. What does TL; DR mean??
Too Long, Didn’t Read. 😀 My reviews can be long (cuz I can’t do concise!) so for those who don’t want to read everything, can just read the TL;DR to see what I recommend.
Neverwold Wake sounds a little like Before I Go, without the murder? Maybe i’ll check it out.
I haven’t read Before I Go, although it’s on my TBR but I don’t remember what’s it about. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
ok, i am a scaredy cat so thank you for the disclaimer. i’ll add it to my list.
so i don’t know if i am the best judge of romance, but i do read a lot of it.. and i was seriously let down by the good luck charm. it was very repetitive, the writing felt a bit stilted and i had a bunch of other complaints. to be honest, i got some absolutely awful news and needed to read something to take my mind off it and that’s what i read, so i thought it was just me reading it at a bad time where any book would have sucked, you know? but apparently not. i rated it 3 stars i think but that was being generous. i loved her other books though!
I think you know a good romance from a bad one so hearing that you had some complaints actually made me feel a bit better because I thought it was just me being a old coot! I am sorry that you got some awful news and I”m going to email you separately. Hope you’re doing a bit better, friend.
You know, being a book nerd diva IS a right. And one that I’m proud to exercise.
I wish I liked those kinds of breezy romance books. I just can’t get into them.
We are all proud book nerd divas! 😀 I sometimes like breezy romance books. Sometimes I hate them. I’m complex that way. 😀
both of these sound good!
They were good, solid reads!
I’ve had to take a break from thrillers in the past too, it’s always so good to be self-aware and realize how our reading life and the media we consume affects us!
Yeah, it bummed me out because thrillers are my favorite genre but it was just getting too much for me. And it seems like everything is crap right now so I wasn’t getting any balance. But I miss them so I’m going to try one or two this month and see what happens!
Two books is better than zero! When my reading mojo is off I just try to not give up completely because then I *really* find it hard to get back into it. Anyway, hope you are able to find some book connections that click for you a little more this month.
Darn tooting! I did give up reading in July, which made me feel bad but I also needed the break. Normally if I reread favorites my reading mojo returns but that didn’t work for me this time. I’m hoping this months goes even better!
I can’t read too many thrillers in a row. In fact I’m not sure I can even read TWO in a row. They just freak me out too much! Anyway, Neverworld Wake sounds really good, although I can’t decide if the “groundhog day” concept would fascinate me or frustrate me.
I used to read thrillers pretty much nonstop but not so much these days. Too much murder! LOL! I was okay with the Groundhog Day aspect, but it would have gotten annoying quickly but I liked “why” they got stuck there and what they had to do to get out, so it was and wasn’t endless, if that makes sense.
Hopefully you get your reading mojo back soon! 🙂
Thanks, Mackenzie! I hope so too!
Slumps are the worst!! Oh no! Good luck getting out of it. It can be such a challenge sometimes. XO – Alexandra
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