MINI REVIEWS: September & October

Completely forgot that I had not posted this set of mini reviews. In my defense November was crazy so I guess I’m not that surprised that I forgot. Plus, it is sort of my MO to post these months after. Maybe a goal of 2020 should be to post them in a semi timely fashion… But, I’ve done one FULL YEAR of Mini Reviews! I’ve linked all my previous mini review posts at the end of this for proof if you want to check them out.

Before we begin here are books that I read this month that got their own posts/are mentioned elsewhere:

I read a few thrillers which are mentioned in more detail in my Thriller Post.

Books that I read that got their own reviews: The Flatshare (reread), Bringing Down the Duke,  The Simple Wild, & All American Muslim Girl.

I also did a reading challenge during October and here are my thoughts on that whole experience (aka I suffered).

I also mentioned Tweet Cute in our September Book of the Month post so I won’t have a review for it here.

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Permanent Record by Mary HK Choi

This book is a little hard for me to review, because I almost DNF’d this three times (but it was from NetGalley so I kept going), but at the same time, some of the themes and the quotes were so powerful.

First of all, this should have had dual POVs. Pablo was fine, but lordy I did not need to read 400 pages of his inner thoughts. I know Lee was supposed to be “mysterious” but since we did not see inside her head there wasn’t anything that made me like her. It is also too long for a single POV and a serious lack of plot. Choi tends to have character driven novels that do not have much plot (which I typically do like), but since I did not like the characters it was a struggle to get through. I liked Pablo enough at the beginning, but by the end I was annoyed and bored of his monologue. I will say I did like that the characters were in their 20’s.

I did laugh at loud at times and enjoy SOME of Pablo and Lee’s conversations, but this book was 100% not for me, which is disappointing bc I thought I would enjoy this one. 2.5/5 stars

*Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review*

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

TW: anxiety and a panic attack

I really liked this book and could really relate to Nina in many aspects of her life. The plot was engaging enough and I liked all the bookish references. If you are a bookworm then you will relate to Nina in some way. If you are an anxious bookworm, you will relate to her a lot. I did think parts of the anxiety rep was a bit stereotypically, but overall it was good (based on my personal experiences). Overall, this is a fun and bookish novel that I am sure many bookworms could relate to. 4/5 stars

To Drink Coffee with a Ghost by Amanda Lovelace 

This is a beautiful and heartbreaking collection looking at parental relationships and loss. I cried even though I could not personally relate to almost anything in this collection. Lovelace’s grief and pain ooze off the page and the reader can truly feel them. I am such a fan of Amanda’s poetry and I really enjoyed this one. The illustrations are gorgeous in this too. 5/5 stars

Can’t Escape Love by Alyssa Cole

This one was super cute! This is the second novella in the Reluctant Royals series. Both protagonists are really nerdy (they binge watch an anime together). I probably should’ve read this right after book 2 because I forgot some of the plot points haha. I struggle with novellas because everything is rushed, the romance, the conflict, and the resolution…I understand that it is part of the format, but yikes it’s quick. I did really enjoy the two novellas in this series and especially liked seeing more of Reggie. As always, Alyssa Cole delivers an excellent romance with diverse characters. I mean she is in a wheelchair on the COVER!! The representation!!  4/5 stars

Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco 

The Stalking Jack the Ripper Series is one of my all times favorites and I really enjoyed the last installment. However, my main critique of this series is that starting with book three, the romance is really the focus of the series. I loved all the foreshadowing that Kerri left in the other books and how a few things came full circle, but I wasn’t super invested in the mystery. I love AR and Thomas together, but the first 100 pages of this book read like a romance (not that I have a problem with that lol).

Overall, I felt something was lacking in this finale. I was happy with how things ended up. Book two is still my favorite of the series and I honestly think the last two books of this series could have been stronger. 4/5 stars 

The Fountain of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

I wish I had written a full review for this one because it was just amazing. But, I honestly don’t know how to put my words about this book into sometime cohesive that makes sense so that’s why y’all are not getting one. This book is phenomenal and I wanted to underline a million lines. Ruta Sepetys is SO GOOD at making historical fiction accessible and easy to read. I know about Franco in terms of the world, but not what it was like to live in Spain during his rein. Sepetys has once again shown light on a time of history that has been forgotten. Honestly so good and I continually felt myself wanting to read more and not put the book down. The chapters are also super short which totally helps me get invested. 5/5 stars

*Thank you to the Penguin Teen booth at Yallwest for an ARC of this one*

Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

This one is so cute! My only complaint is that I wish it was longer so we could develop the school and the characters a bit more. Also, the ending felt a bit rushed and I would’ve liked an epilogue (even if it was one page). I loved the characters and loved Millie’s and Flora’s dynamic. Also, Millie loved geology and I studied Earth Science so that was fun for me.

I know everyone says this, but serious Red, White & Royal Blue vibes. Like the main character is a bisexual Texan, ALEX CLAREMONT-DIAZ VIBES?? Can Alex and Millie meet up and talk about dating royalty? k thanks.

Also, I’m bummed because the author said she had an idea for a third book, but since the series is not doing well that it won’t be happening which is a crying shame. But, If you like YA contemporary pick up and support this adorable f/f book!  4.5/5 stars

Pride & Prejudice and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

Look I really should have reread my Guide to: Pride & Prejudice retellings that I did with my friend Kaeley because she DNF’d this one. Since I had forgotten that little detail, I expected to enjoy it, but sadly this book was not for me. It almost is not even a Pride & Prejudice retelling, but is just an enemies to lovers story. The author herself states that this is not a direct P&P retelling and that she was inspired by themes of the novel.  Calling this book something so close to Pride & Prejudice makes this seem like a direct retelling and the reader is going to have certain expectations. This is not a bad book, perhaps a bit boring and long in the middle, but some excellent themes of belonging in the United States are brought up. But, I did not enjoy it. The MC’s family is constantly rude to her and take advantage of her. At the end it is resolved, but it was not satisfactory. It is also unnecessarily tragic, with serious themes being brought up but (aside from one) are not explored or dealt with.

All in all, this is not a P&P retelling and was too long/slow at parts to be enjoyable for me. 2/5 stars

*Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review*

Say You Still Love Me by K.A. Tucker 

Fresh off my reading (and rereading) of the Simple Wild. I knew I had to pick up other books my K.A. Tucker. So I picked up her newest book, released this year. I really enjoyed the first 2/3 of Say You Still Love Me, but the last third lost me with the work plot. This book features a dual timeline which is done very well, but the “then” timeline started getting repetitive towards the end. I did like the relationship, but it was a bit too insta lovey in both timelines. But, this is a well written book and if you like contemporary romances I recommend giving it a shot. I think I am learning that I am not a fan of second chance romances. Bree has a full review for it here and she liked it more than me if you want a different option. 3.5/5 stars

The Bookworm Crush by Lisa Brown Roberts

If you are part of the online book community (which if you are reading the you probably are) you can relate to this book. Especially if you are a bookstagrammer. This book is full of bookish references. There is a Gallagher Girls mention. But this features the fake dating trope and it is just super cute and fun. This isn’t the best book ever, but it made me smile.  4/5 stars

*Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review*

Thanks for reading!

xoxo, Tree

Other Mini Review Posts
MINI REVIEWS: September & October [2018]
MINI REVIEWS: November & December [2018]
MINI REVIEWS: January & February
MINI REVIEWS: March & April
MINI REVIEWS: May & June
MINI REVIEWS: July & August