April 14, 2020

March Books 2020

Well.

I'm not even clear on what I thought about these books because I read them like a million years ago. However, Instagram was there to remind me. This is why I always write reviews as I go but I really dropped the ball in March. 

I also gave up on 4 books this month. I'll mention those at the end.

The TL;DR version is that I would recommend I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris
c/o Netgalley, will be released June 30th





Regretting You by Colleen Hoover







Overall, I really enjoyed the story. It almost reminded me of Judy Blume...started in one place, lots of conflict and growth, resolved in some way or another.
It's YA but wasn't annoying. There's a lot on Goodreads about how racist it actually was...stereotyping Mexicans and immigrants and how the main character was actually kind of awful. However, teenagers are actually kind of awful and narcissistic (not in a BAD way but in a their-brains-aren't-developed kind of way) so it makes sense since it's her POV. 

Spoiler in white: I found it to be incredibly immature and idealized that the MC wanted to go to NY to be a writer and her parents worked their limbs to the bone and she couldn't even go out and find a job to help out the family.  But even if she was getting a full-ride (which is incredibly non-believable, by the way) to a college in NYC, she'd end up unemployed most likely because no one cares if you want to be a writer. Seriously. It just showed the perfect immature nature of  those with excessive college debt for degrees that are worthless. End rant. But that problem didn't really crop up until the last third of the book. The first chunk of the book was more about family dynamics and was more interesting.


The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead
c/o Netgalley, released last week



Onto the books I didn't read but had in my possession for a bit...

I got these two books from the library and then was just not in the mood for them. I had been on the wait list for months, so that was frustrating. I read a bit of the Costi Hinn book and did a scan of Essentialism, and realized I wasn't going to get anything out of them right now. They have value, sure, but not right now for me. I didn't add them to a DNF list but I'll circle back to God, Greed, and the Prosperity Gospel for sure. I don't know if Essentialism is for me. I'm in a place where self-help isn't helpful.



City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert I made it about 4 chapters. The author's constant use of parentheses really bothered me. I could never get going because she was always interrupting. A book-loving friend of mine also quit this book a few chapters in and I feel validated knowing she had the same struggles.
I feel like *I* use parentheses a lot but I'm a blogger, not a supposed acclaimed novel writer.

Malevolent by Jana DeLeon I read almost half of it and realized I didn't care at all. It wasn't a bad story. I just didn't find it to be put together in a compelling way. I didn't like the characters, maybe? Lifetime movie to the extreme. Also, I really dislike the word "malevolent" the way some people dislike the word "moist". It was a turnoff.


How about you? 
Have you been reading extra lately? 
I've been burning through podcasts instead. 

Linking up with Jana and Steph!

15 comments:

  1. I have The Dilemma and haven't had a chance to get to it yet. I knew it was going to be different from her other books, and I need to check it out.

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  2. Good to know about the City of Girls book.

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  3. I loved Mexican Daughter. I thought it was really well done. I have no interest in City of Girls. Elizabeth Gilbert just bugs me. I liked Regretting You, but I can see where you're coming from.

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  4. Sorry you didn't really love too many of your recent reads. I couldn't focus as much last month, but I think I'm reading a bit more now. It's still hit or miss if I have the motivation or interest. I'm trying to focus on doing other things too since I'm suck at home all day, every day. haha Gotta mix it up!

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  5. I have the first two on my kindle.

    I loved Mexican Daughter!

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  6. I liked The Dilemma a lot but I agree. Every character was unlikable. Yet it worked for them.

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  7. Ha, I use parentheses a lot and I never thought of it as interrupting myself. LOL.

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  8. I try to write reviews as I go too, but that doesn't always happen. I haven't read a Colleen Hoover book that I didn't love, but I also haven't read this one yet. Sorry to hear it was a miss for you! I feel like I need to add a "paused" bookshelf in GR because I had a hold on Everything I Never Told You and when I finally got it, I just wasn't feeling it, but also not a DNF- just a timing thing.

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  9. yeah, Verity is the odd child out when it comes to Colleen Hoover books. I haven't read Regretting You but she's built her huge following on books like that, so she's obviously doing something right. I don't have anything against her books, just tend to lean towards lighter stuff these days. I quite liked City of Girls, don't remember the parentheses at all lol. Just the fact that it was apparently a 400+ page letter bugged me. also, just typing out parentheses gives me hives, we call them brackets (yes, those things, and these {[]} too, though they are square or curly brackets - way more fun lol)

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  10. I just added The Dilemma and Regretting You based on the link up. I've actually been reading more and have fallen behind on podcasts because I usually listen to those in the car and now I'm working from home.

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  11. I have a few BA Paris books on my tbr but I've never read any for some reason-- The Dilemma sounds interesting, I like the 24 hour premise. I just added The List of Things That Will Not Change-- I loved When You Reach Me, but that's all I've read by Rebecca Stead so far!

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  12. I've read a B.A. Paris book, but I don't even remember which one. I see more books popping up but I never feel inclined to read them. Maybe this is just one of those popular authors that I'll skip? I fully intend to read Mexican Daughter one of these days.

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  13. Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter and The List sound good to me. I have an 8-year-old and a 12-year-old who I love reading with, and love to see them reading :) Thanks for sharing!

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  14. I thought I was the only one in the world that didn't like Regretting You. I finally gave up after I was halfway through. Great reviews. Stay healthy!

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  15. I DNFd City of Girls. I read like half of it before I gave up!

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