Christmas at the Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan B-
I wanted a Christmas book and this was a Kindle Daily Deal so I tried it for a few dollars. I wasn't overly impressed and didn't think it was as great as Sophie Kinsella claimed it to be on the cover. Kinsella knows how to write compelling English characters and this wasn't quite that. Kerensa's storyline and Polly's mother's storyline were the most interesting parts and I did care enough to finish and figure out how it ended, but I wouldn't say it's a must-read.
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan DNF
I really tried with this book. I liked parts of the beginning and thought it would get better but I didn't actually care about any of the characters so I just stopped halfway. At least with Christmas at the Little Beach Street Bakery, I cared about the characters.
The Cornerstone by Angela Watson B
I picked this up (bought on Kindle) because I wanted to read her entire catalog of books just to make sure I didn't miss something. I digested it in small chunks over the last few months. I would highly recommend this to a new teacher. Once you're a teacher who is already set in your ways or you have multiple systems in place, you likely don't need this. It was, for me, a "fun" read, though. If you've been a teacher for awhile, I'd recommend Unshakeable. This book was also written quite a few years ago, so some of it (the technology talk) is a little dated, but the message is still there.
Allll that being said, this will be the last teaching book I read for awhile. I need to start picking up some more fiction.
The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond B-
This was fine. It wasn't amazing but it was good. I liked the character of Jake and Alice was okay. Very unlike me, so I didn't relate or identify (or even sympathize).
I will say I cruised through the first 50% of this book and couldn't put it down. The back half got a little repetitive and I didn't love it. It could've been shorter, maybe.
That rounds out my 2017 books. As I said before, I didn't really impress myself, but 60ish isn't too bad either (it may have been 61...I'm not going back to count..again).
Have I read anything yet in 2018? No. I have not.
What was the first book you chose to read in 2018?
Linking up with Jana and Steph!
I liked The Bookshop on the Corner but I firmly believe that if a book isn't working for you, just put it down. Sounds like you made the right call. I have The Marriage Pact on my nightstand right now from the library so I will be reading it soon!! Glad to hear it was good.
ReplyDeleteI feel like The Marriage Pact is on my TBR but I am not in a rush to read it
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by how much I enjoyed Christmas at the Little Beach Street Bakery, but I don't feel compelled to read any of her other books. I had the opposite thoughts on The Marriage Pact and thought the beginning was a little bit slow, but towards the end I couldn't stop reading!
ReplyDeleteLike Carly, I thought the beginning of The Marriage Pact was slow but I was engrossed at the end.
ReplyDeleteSorry you didn't really love any of these. I hope you have a great reading year in 2018! I've read a couple books this year so far.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
oh, bummer about the bookshop on the corner. i bought that last year so it's sitting on my shelf. i've only read one of her other books and liked it well enough.
ReplyDeletei had the marriage pact on my kindle, tried, gave up. eh.
the first book i read in 2018 is one i started in 2017, and it was eh. part of a really long series, not my favourite. the next book was awful. the 3rd book was 5 stars lol but it was a romance so i'm not surprised.
hope 2018 is a better reading year for you.
Sorry for a so-so reading month. I have not read any of Colgan's books, although I want to check some out to possibly balance all my murder and thrillers. But I do believe that if you're not feeling a book, it's best to quit. Something I still struggle with doing myself, although I'm getting better at it. Too many books on my TBR to spend time with a book that I'm not enjoying! The Marriage Pact is on my TBR. The premise really intrigues me but I have seen a lot of mixed reviews for it.
ReplyDeleteI almost bought the bookstore on the corner book. Glad I passed on it
ReplyDeleteI've read The Marriage Pact. I'm like you - the first part flew by, the second part dragged a bit.
ReplyDeleteI liked The Marriage Pact. Christmas at the Little Beach Street Bakery was a popular read this month! I will have to read it next December!
ReplyDeleteI have Christmas at the Little Beach Street Bakery on my list and I meant to get to it over the holiday but didn't. I really liked The Marriage Pact, I know bits were a little slow...but I also couldn't put the book down at all! For as long as it was, I read it so fast.
ReplyDeleteMy first book of 2018 is The Royal We.
ReplyDeleteI've seen The Marriage Pact on several other blogs, but... Well, you know how it goes. So many books and only so many hours in the day.
I felt the same way you did with The Marriage Pact. Even with the low rating, I'm keeping Bookshop on the Corner on my TBR because I really enjoy stories that take place in bookstores in general and I haven't read anything by Colgan yet. I started this year with a short by Backman because it was holiday themed, and then jumped into Little Fires Everywhere, which I highly recommend!
ReplyDelete