MINI REVIEWS: November & December

I did one of these posts for September & October and liked the format. I am too lazy to write full length reviews for all the books I read and to be honest just don’t want to talk about some of them. Here are a few of the books I read at the end of 2018 and we’re not going to talk about how it’s already the end of February.

GMorning, GNight by Lin Manuel Miranda & illustared by Jonny Sun
This is a collection of poems (tweets) written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Each page features a “good morning” poem and a corresponding “good night” poem. If you follow Lin on twitter you are familiar with these tweets he does. This was very heartwarming and motivational. Jonny’s illustrations are cute and whimsical and mesh with Lin’s words really well. I gave my grandma a copy for Christmas and she is being cute and is reading one good morning poem in the morning and one good night poem at night. She is really enjoying it.
5/5 stars

Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
Bree did a full length review for this one (check it out HERE), but I actually read this first. This might be my favorite romance novel by Christina Lauren. Josh and Hazel were both great characters. Hazel was so much fun to read. She is unapologetic in being herself which was SO refreshing and nice to see. It’s 2019 and I am tired of reading about women who change themselves for a man. Hazel knows who she is and is not willing to settle for less and Josh is the perfect man for her. If you are new to adult contemporary romance, this would be a good place to start.
4.5/5 stars

My Favorite Half Night Stand by Christina Lauren
Unfortunately, I did not like this one at all. I enjoyed the friend group element and the fact that they are all professors, but aside from that, it was a letdown. I don’t remember my specific reasoning for not enjoying it (lol I am a great blogger). I did find the whole thing a little creepy with the main character pretending to be someone else online and the guy not knowing it was her. I also felt almost no chemistry between the love interests. It just wasn’t a fulfilling read and I am still a little sad about it
2.5/5 stars.

The Dark Artifices Series by Cassandra Clare

I reread books one (Lady Midnight) and two (Lord of Shadows) before the release of Queen of Air and Darkness and it was a blast. This is Cassandra Clare’s best work. I might like The Infernal Devices more than this series as a whole, but this series is phenomenal. I have no idea how she keeps track of all the plots and characters, but whoa. I love all the characters so much and have loved seeing the L.A. Institute. I think Lord of Shadows is my favorite of the series.
All of these books are 5/5 stars for me

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
I had seen many mixed reviews about this one, but decided to give it a go because I needed a book with a Z for a blog post. I listened to the audiobook which was okay as well. I started out really enjoying this book, but by the end it had lost me. The plot was weird and it was dark (this was not a downside, just unexpected). I did not care about the characters and by the end I was just was listening to finish the book. Overall, it was just not the type of book I like reading. But, I will say the cover is gorgeous!
3/5 stars

Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata
This book was just so cute and sweet. Almost sickening sweet at times. I love books told through email and this one was expertly done. I also loved that Ruby was super awkward when they met because it seemed so realistic. I will say I was not the biggest fan of the ending, it felt a little rushed compared to the (extremely) slow pace of the rest of the novel. Also, seeing Ruby and Aaron in From Lukov with Love is a nice conclusion for their story.
4/5 stars

xoxo, Tree 

GOODREADS LINKS:
GMorning, GNight
Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating
My Favorite Half Night Stand
The Dark Artifices
The Hazel Wood
Dear Aaron