Melina's Book Club | #21
Hey guys, How has your month been? Can you believe Halloween is this Saturday, and then we'll be moving onto November? I swear I say this in every post, but time has been zooming by.
I actually had a good month in books. I've been really enjoy the Hannah Swanson series by Joanne Fluke! They're a bit of a fluff read, but during these stressful times, they're the books I typically like to read.
Enough chit chat, let's get into it!
Currently Reading:
While I'm over 85% done with Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People, I still haven't finished that last 45 minutes. I'll definitely finish it in the next month! The other two books are new additions to what I've been reading.
The Woman in the Window is the book my friend chose for her book club! While the book club meeting is this Thursday, I recommend checking her book club out, to see what she's going to do next month!
Then I have Lemon Meringue Pie Murder, which is part of a huge series! They're mini murder mysteries. I believe this is the 3rd or 4th in the series? I didn't think this would be something I like, but I'm surprised to say that I'm really enjoying it. They're super easy to read, and have been a calming part of my day.
I've given the Nightingale a try, and still haven't been able to get into it. I'm not the biggest fan of historical fiction books, and while I might go back to it eventually, for now I'm letting it be.
What I'm Reviewing Today:
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As always, if you're interested in one specific book, you can click on the cover of the book, and it'll take you to that part of the post.
A Sudden Crush by Camilla Isley - ★★★
The book is about a city girl named Joanne who has the best life. She is a book editor, and has just married Liam, a best selling author and the man or her dreams. She's on her way to the Caribbean to spend two weeks for her honeymoon.
Instead of being able to sit with Liam on the plane, Joanne ends up sitting to a complete grump named Connor. After the six hour flight, she hopes to never see him again.
Sadly, you don't always get what you want. The plane gets caught in a bad storm, and Joanne finds herself stranded on an island with Connor.
This was the first book that I read by Camilla Isley, and I was pretty impressed. From reading the summary you think this book would be a super cliche, and while certain parts are, it's an really easygoing read.
I'm such a sucker for hate/love romances and on top of that it's a slow burn, it feels much more realistic. I'm not a fan of books where people automatically fall in love, because it seems super unrealistic. Because of this book, I've actually read most books by Camilla Isley, and they've all been pretty enjoyable! Definitely check it out. You can get yourself a copy here!
True Colors by Kristin Hannah - ★★★
“The more extreme and the more expressed that passion is, the more unbearable does life seem without it. It reminds us that if passion dies or is denied, we are partly dead and that soon, come what may, we will be wholly so. —”
Kristin Hannah, True Colors
This book was lent to me by my friend Christina, and this book made me feel a bit nostalgic. There was this phase where I would go to the thrift store to buy books, and they always had lots of mid-west cowboy romance books! It's so funny to think about how much I actually learned about horses from reading them.
Now this book follows the three Grey sisters. One cannot be more different than the other one. They were all extremely close to each other, but when their mother died, things became slightly different. Their father cares less about his daughters and more about his reputation, and because of that the daughters are all vying for his love, attention, and most of all, his approval.
It's a beautiful story about family bonds, and most of all a sisterly one.
In the beginning it was a bit of a slow read, especially as setting up the story in your head. Once you get to know all the main characters and their perspectives, it's quite an enjoyable read! If you want to read it yourself, you can get yourself a copy here!
Louder Than Words by Iris St. Clair - ★★★ 1/2
“Lies are like a treadmill with no off switch. You have to keep walking or you'll fall off.”
Iris St. Clair, Louder Than Words
I got this book while I was at a Harry Potter Festival. There was one in Northern New Jersey, in the city of Newton. While I was there, I stumbled upon a small independent bookstore.
Not only do I love reading, but I really try to buy from local bookstores when I can! While I was there, I found this book, and decided to purchase it. I had never seen this book in the aisles of Barnes & Noble, and new that I had to grab this book.
This story follows Ellen. She thought things couldn't get worse when her father passed away. She didn't expect her mother to turn to drugs and alcohol, and choose them constantly over her. On top of all that, a teacher came onto her. A person who is supposed instruct, guide, inspire, and counsel.
Her plan is to get good grades, lie low, and get out of this hell hole.
But why won't this too-charming guy leave me alone?
I'm to start with saying that this book is extremely well written. The second thing that stood out to me immediately was how much I liked Ellen as a character. Sometimes I'll read a book, and have a bit of trouble relating/liking the main female character (I tend to have this issue with some female main characters). That is not the case at all with Ellen. The plot is extremely well done. Again this is a slow burn, friends to lovers romance, and I completely live for it! Rex is also a super likable character.
I honestly have nothing bad to say about the book. I wish that this author wrote more in the YA fiction, because I want to read more from her! She has a few other works under the name Claire Gillian, where she writes adult romances. I haven't given them a read yet, but I'm definitely adding a few of them to my TBR list!
It seems like this book is going into reprint with a new cover design, so that's cool! For now, you can get yourself a copy here!
This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nikamp - ★★ 1/2
“You can't always keep your loved ones with you. You can't always settle your life in one place. The world was made to change. But as long as you cherish the memories and make new ones along on the way, no matter where you are, you'll always be at home.”
Marieke Nijkamp, This is Where it Ends
"Everyone has a reason to fear the boy with the gun". This is the line that drew me in, and made me buy the book. With all the school shootings that have happened in the United States, this is all too scary reality.
I had never read a book like this, and didn't know how I was going to feel about it. Before reading this book, I feel like this book had so much potential to open up the conversation about school shootings and the shooter themselves.
I do have to say that while this book had kept me reading to the end and wanting to know what happened, I was more than a little bit underwhelmed. I feel like this story paints a this entire scenario as black and white, when I feel like in reality an event like this probably has lots of shades of gray.
The story follows 4 different characters, each that has their own traumatized past, and they are painted as victims from the very beginning. They are definitely victims, but in reality, if there was a school shooting, not every person has been through something traumatic, nor are they all "good" people.
Then there's Tyler, who is the shooter. You get glimpses of flashbacks where he was a good loving brother, a good friend, and overall just a normal kid. They never delve deeper into his character. It's never explained what led him to decided to bring a gun to school.
They just leave him as a maniacal villain. Someone who's completely enjoying holding the school at gun point.
As I mentioned before, this book definitely keep me reading to the end. I wanted to know how it ended. By the end, I was kept a little disappointed.
With a plot that could have turned out so many different ways, I feel like the story could have been much better.
You can form your opinion, and get yourself a copy here.
So these are all the books I’m going to review today! I have to say that for the most part, this was a pretty good set of books! If you only read one book from this group, I definitely recommend reading Louder than Words! If you haven’t kept up with the other books I’ve reviewed, you can check them out below:
If you guys didn’t know, you can check out all the books I’ve reviewed in 2020 on one page! Check it out. I also have a page full of all the books I’ve ever reviewed.What have you been reading recently? Let me know! I’m always looking for new books to add to my TBR list. Thank you as always for reading. Have a wonderful day/night! Sending you love, strength, and positivity! xx
Such great books! I love Kristin Hannah and Joanne Fluke's books are always entertaining! Thanks or sharing sweets! <3