My reading has slowed waaaaay down…so far, I’ve only read two books this month. When I’m used to knocking out two books a week, I’m shocked. It kind of bugs me, but I also remember that one of my goals was to read less this year. I’m really trying to focus on quality vs quantity…or at least I think I am until I see those numbers and it starts to stress me out.
My low count isn’t because I’m not trying…I think since I decided to participate in The Unread Shelf 2020, I have been giving myself permission to put books down that aren’t working for me. Sometimes I may be halfway through the book! I’ve been asking myself, “This book is feeling like a 3-star read…do you really care if you actually finish it?” And the answer inevitably keeps being no.
So my book count is low, but I am making new space on my shelves (a goal for 2020) so I’m still going to count this situation as a win!
In case you missed them, here are some links to my recent posts:
- Things I Loved in January!
- January 2020 Reading Wrap-up
- Libro.fm’s Bookstore Link – Allowing you to easily buy physical books from your favorite indie bookstore!
What have you been reading (and loving) this week?
Last Week’s Reads:
*** Lovely War by: Julie Berry
Honestly? Slap an Eiffel Tower image on any book cover and I’m sure to add it to my TBR, so thank goodness when that silly reason for picking up a book pays off! 🙌🏼
I really loved this book and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. It has one of the most unique premises for a book I’ve ever heard of – the narrators of the story are a rich cast of Greek mythological characters.
The book is set during The Great War (WWI) and it follows two couples and the hardships they must endure while trying to navigate a world at conflict. It has romance, friendship, strength, and survival…weaving it all together in the most beautiful way.
Because historical fiction is so often set in WWII, I was excited to read a book that talked about WWI instead. I have little knowledge of that time period and what led up to the war, so I was hoping I would gain some insight into some of those issues from this book. Unfortunately, it is not rich in historical context – it’s really more about the characters than the war itself. Though a little disappointing, this issue did not ditract from the book at all.
Also, don’t let the categorization of “YA Romance” or Greek mythology deter you. I didn’t feel like this read as a YA at all, and the Greek characters are only there to narrate the story. Any necessary information is provided through the text.
Overall, this was a fantastic read and I know it will stick with me for awhile!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Viking Books for Young Readers | Pub Date: March 5, 2019 | 480 Pages | Hardcover | Purchase via Bookstore Link
📖 The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by: Jennifer Robson
Every review I see of this book has glowing reviews. I’ve been meaning to pick it up for some time and to finally urge me to do so, I added it to my Unread Shelf: Top 10 TBR List for 2020.
While I definetly enjoyed the story and would recommend it to others, it did fall a little flat to me. I knew going in that it was about the embroiderers of Queen Elizabeth’s wedding dress, but I still thought there would be more royalty in the story. It was also divided into three separate narrarators – Ann, Miriam, and Heather – so I totally found myself more interested in one storyline than the others.
Miriam’s story was the most interesting to me and I would love a book alone about her and her life in France (prior to coming to England). I enjoyed Ann and loved her character, but I felt like Robson just dropped her by the end of the book. It was almost as if she ran out of things to write so she gave Ann this grand escape and we literally learned nothing more from her. After spending 85% of the book with her, this felt like a huge disappointment to me. Lastly, Heather was the modern day storyline that helped piece together the past, but I found so much of her story eyeroll worthy and just a little too convienent. I hate when an author makes things so obvious that the reader can tell she’s using that as a way to make the rest of the story fit and Heather’s part of the book was full of these hints.
Again, this was a good book and I think a lot of people would really enjoy it. I just wanted something more from it that was never really delivered.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | William Morrow | Pub Date: December 31, 2018 | 388 Pages | Hardcover | Purchase via Bookstore Link
Currently Reading:
📖 Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by: Emily and Amelia Nagoski
This is the #HWRbooks selection for February! If you’d like to join in on the discussion, all you have to do is read the book by February 22, and then read and comment on my post on instagram that day! (You can find me here: @happiestwhenreading.)
I’m about halfway through and it has given me A LOT to think about!
Ballantine | Pub Date: March 26, 2019 | 277 Pages | Hardcover | Purchase via Bookstore Link
📖 The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by: Anissa Gray
I’m not too far into this one, but I feel like it’s going to be a solid 4- or 5-star read for me!
Berkley Books | Pub Date: February 19, 2019 | 304 Pages | Hardcover | Purchase via Bookstore Link
🎧 *** Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by: Layla F. Saad (Sourcebooks) – Pub Date: February 4, 2020
I didn’t realize this is a workbook so I started it on audiobook. I do have the hard copy as well, so I may end up switching back and forth! I’m only a few chapters in and it’s been mostly settin gthe book up, so I’ll need to get further into it to have an opinion.
Sourcebooks | Pub Date: February 4, 2020 | 256 Pages | Hardcover | Purchase via Bookstore Link
DNF (aka: Not For Me and/or Skipping For Now):
📖 There Will Be No Miracles Here by: Casey Gerald (Riverhead) – Pub Date: October 2, 2018
I read the first couple of chapters and decided it is too densely written for where I’m at right now in my reading life. The premise sounds amazing, so I may return to it in the future; but for now, I’m putting it down.
Riverhead | Pub Date: October 2, 2018 | 394 Pages | Purchase via Bookstore Link
Happiest When Reading 
Sweet
LikeLike