So I went to the library and signed some (a lot) of books out and I thought I'd share them with you. Going from left to right is a short review for each book.
Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen
Garden Spells is about a woman named Claire Waverley who loves structure and things that stay. Throughout the book, she finds that the best things are found in things (or people) that don't have definite structures, and things that might not last forever. You find out why she's so terrified of uncertainty as old faces come back into Claire's life, and new ones appear. This book of magic realism is one where people find where they belong.
I've only read 2 of Sarah Addison Allen's books thus far but I love how she incorporates magic into normal daily life and how all the main characters are in at least their late 20s and still trying to figure out who they are. It really reminds you that you don't need to have your whole life planned out before you finish high school.
Rating: 4/5
The Sugar Queen - Sarah Addison Allen
This book made me cry! I was reading this one late at night, and parts of it really made me feel the feels. Josey is 27 and lives a life where she is constantly trying to right her wrongs from childhood. As a result of this, she doesn't really have a social life. She learns the importance of forgiving herself, and in doing so, she creates a life that she wants and finds meaning in the word "happiness."
I love how Allen makes you get attached to all the characters, not just the main one and how all their different storylines mix to make one. Again, like Garden Spells, magic is incorporated smoothly into daily life.
Rating: 4.5/5
A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray
Gemma has immense power that most would not be able to even imagine. On her 16th birthday, Gemma suffers the loss of her mother, a death that she was able to witness in a vision. She is then sent to the Spence Academy to learn to become a proper lady of the 19th century. There, she finds out more about her mother, and learns about the responsibility and power that sits on her shoulders. This book is part of a trilogy (I am currently reading the other two books, reviews coming up!)
Rating: 3.5/5
The List of my Desires - Grégoire Delacourt
Jocelyne lives an ordinary middle-aged life, wishing for something better. Suddenly, she is given the choice to change everything, to go from ordinary to extraordinary. Sadly, she spends too long debating what it is that she wants, and the choice is taken out of her hands in the most startling way.
For me, what really resonated with me is that sometimes, if you are given a chance to change something you don't like, you should just go for it, carpe diem! Jocelyne spent too much time thinking, and lost hers.
Rating: 3/5
Every day - David Levithan
Imagine waking up to a new body and life everyday, but loving the same girl. This is the life that was given to A. Is it possible to sustain a relationship with such bizarre circumstances? This book explores topics of gender, sexuality, and the importance of outwardly features. As A dabbles with his affection for this girl, A learns what it means to truly love someone.
It was a really interesting concept, and I appreciate that the ending was as realistic as it could be (even though I am a total sucker for over-the-top corny endings hehe)
Rating: 4/5
The Five People you Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
This book is an interesting approach to what happens after life, the 5 people you meet are people that wil help you understand your life. Eddie is a war veteran and maintenance guy at an amusement park; it was just another normal day— until he dies. The 5 people he meets help him realize that his life wasn't a waste like he thought it was and helped him understand why things happened the way they did.
Rating: 3.5/5
Rating: 3.5/5
Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
This diary is a peek into a 30-ish year old woman struggling with obnoxious people asking about her non-existant love life. Along with that, we also take a look at her perception of her body, smoking habits, and alcohol consumption. We get to read a time-accurate break down of her life from January to December, trying to find love before it's too late.
I'd just like to mention that I found it extremely weird that sometimes she would have like 54 cigarettes a day (like how!?!?!), also I found it a bit annoying that Bridget wrote in a very brief way and sometimes did not use proper grammar.
Rating: 3/5
Faerie Wars - Herbie Brennan
The storyline of Faerie Wars takes place in two different worlds, ours, and the Faerie world. It's a story of a rebel prince, Pyrgus who is in danger. He finds himself lost outside of his world, and in ours, and meets a boy named Henry. They, along with other allies, work together to find out who is coming after the prince and his family. Pyrgus learns what it means to be a prince, as he avoids death time and time again, and finally steps into his responsibilities.
This book had quite a slow start for a few chapters, but once it picks up, oh man, does it really pick up. I could not put it down! It is the first book in a series by Brennan, so again, I will be reading the rest of this series and maybe doing a full series review.
Rating: 4.7/5
This One Summer - Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
I don't usually read graphic novels, but when I do, I apparently pick very good ones haha. Perhaps one of the things I love most about this graphic novel is how Canadian it is. Written and illustrated by Canadians, there are little references to Canada everywhere (eg. Tim Hortons, UofT, Niagara falls etc.) Seriously, if you're Canadian, I would say read this just to see if you can find all the references!
Patriotism for my country aside, the art completely blew me away. I am in love with the art style, how everything looks to be a cross of watercolour and charcoal, and how the ink is an off black-ish purple, the font, and how detailed everything is.
The story follows one family on their vacation to Awago Beach. For as long as Rose could remember, they always came to Awago Beach and has many great memories there. This summer, however, is different. Her parents are fighting, and she gets in a mess of her own. This story is a great one of transitioning from childhood to teen-hood.
Rating: 4/5
China Rich Girlfriend - Kevin Kwan
This isn't in the picture, but I also signed it out (I returned it before I took the picture, sorry!!) But here's a picture from the web:
China Rich Girlfriend is a sequel to Crazy Rich Asians. In this book, we have a detailed description of the lives of people so rich, you'd get a headache just trying to fathom how much money they have. A hilarious read about scandals and problems you'll never have, but somehow, Kwan still makes the characters so darn relatable.
Rating: 4/5 (I'd rate Crazy Rich Asians 4.7/5 though, I remember it being amazing)
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I have a plan to read as many books as I possibly can before school starts up again, so expect many many more to come! If you have any book suggestions, please leave them down below, I would love to hear what you've been reading, or what books you love.
As always, thanks for reading,
--J
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