I don’t think I’ve ever read this many books in such a short time. I have talked before about how I don’t make reading a priority so I rarely ever read. But that changed after I joined my friend’s book club. And it has been so fun! I have been loving my virtual book discussions and I’ve finished every book assigned since we went virtual, even if it was minutes before the book club. And because I’ve been in such a reading groove lately, I’ve also read a bunch of books that are not a part of our book club that I want to share.
Before the pandemic hit, I was going to my local library very often to try to save money on books but also help with my imprint on the environment. But I was mainly getting cookbooks. My friend David told me about the Libby app and it has changed my pandemic experience so much. It is so easy to get free ebooks from my local library and it is really convenient to be able to just read from my phone. The only downside is that you only have 14 days to finish each book and when you’re on ‘hold’ for a book (which can be a few months long) you can sometimes get like 5 books at one time when they become available. I try to postpone a lot of my holds, but having this app has really forced me to read quickly.
Where the Crawdads Sing: The first book club book that I actually read! I finished it only a few hours before book club started but I loved this book. I can see why so many others have recommended this book and no, I did not see the ending coming. Rating: 4.5/5
Into the Water: I read this book for my book club and it was a little hard to get into. I read it on my Libby app and there were so many times I got the characters confused. Apparently the physical copy of the book has a characters list in the front and explains how each character is related, so the actual printed copy would have been more helpful. 3/5
Such a Fun Age: My friend Autumn told me to read this and I was able to download it from Libby without any wait. The whole story is an interesting concept but I found myself hating every character at some point? I didn’t cry to this book but it was a fun story to read. 3/5
So You Want To Talk About Race: I listened to this audiobook and it is so worth the listen. I would recommend it to literally anyone, especially if you have tried to educate yourself on the inequalities and injustices that occur everyday to Black Americans. 5/5
Educated: Definitely one of my favorite books of 2020! Tara’s story is so fascinating and I could not put this book down. I found myself wanting to learn more about her and what her life is like now, so I’m glad there are so many interviews of her explaining her book. Very inspiring. 5/5
The Perfect Couple: I read this book for book club. My friend Ashley loaned it to me after she got it from the library. It was a good story with some nice twists and turns, but I was a little disappointed in the ending. We had a really good bookclub discussion, so overall it was a fun read. 3.5/5
Midnight Sun: Let it be known that I am a full on Twihard and I have never read a book faster. I used to reread the Twilight series all the time in middle school, so when I found out Stephanie Meyer was releasing Midnight Sun after 15 years, I was ecstatic. It was so intriguing to read this story that I already love from a new perspective. Now I’m rereading the whole series! Gotta love the Twilight Renaissance! 5/5
Followers: I originally got this book from my local library back in February before life went on lockdown. I could not get into it so it sat on my dresser for like 12 weeks. After I returned it without reading it, I downloaded it on the Libby app and am so glad I finally read it! It was a very entertaining story about influencers and the future of social media, and I did cry at the end. I realized that I am so used to discussing the books I read in a book club, that I was so disappointed I read this one by myself. I needed to talk about it! Thank goodness Bad on Paper had a book club podcast about it. 4.5/5
Know My Name: I listened to the audio book and originally had no idea it was Chanel Miller who was the voice! That made it even more powerful. What an incredible story! And yes, I did cry. 4/5
The Great Alone: So I got the audio book version on Libby and listened to this book while I was cat sitting. I was supposed to be reading the current book club book by the same author, but I wanted to get through this one first. It’s easier for me to get through audio books because I’m a multitasker at heart. I loved this story and fell in love with Kristen Hannah’s storytelling. I just want you to know that I openly sobbed to a cat that was not mine to this audio book and I would do it again. I’m not giving it a 5 because I wasn’t sure how I felt about some of the characters’ voices in the audio reading, but I really enjoyed this book and would totally read it again. 4.5/5
The Nightingale: Everyone told me I would love this book and they were right! I love historical fiction and I’m already planning on reading other books by Kristen Hannah. This is one of those books that I cannot stop thinking about. I read it for book club and the discussion I had with my girls was definitely one of my favorites. I cried so much over the book and was moved to my core. 5/5
Yes, I’m one of those crazy people who reads multiple books at the same time. I am currently reading New Moon and Maybe You Should Talk To Someone, but I have a book hangover from The Nightingale so I’m trying to give myself a week to recoup.
What are you reading right now? Comment below!
Thanks for reading! xx