Another unbelievable moment, I have 17 completed books already this month!
Going to start with audio books. I have a long commute, at least one hour, one way... So over the course of the week I am in the car for a minimum of 10 hours. Precious reading time. So in June or July I finally broke down and purchased a library card and I hooked it up to Libby by Overdrive in the last couple months and I love it!
I was able to knock out a ton of 2012 reads starting with Look Me In The Eye. I really enjoyed it! John Elder Robison was diagnosed with Asperger's late in life. This story depicts his turbulent childhood and young adulthood facing normal challenges of being a kid and abnormal challenges of an atypical family life. It was interesting seeing how he handled the world and the decision making from such a different point of view.
Then I moved to Voluntary Madness, it was disappointing. See my GoodReads for a more in depth rant on my dislike for this book.
Three to Get Deadly and Mini Shopaholic are lighthearted chick lit easy books that kept me entertained. I absolutely love the voices of Stephanie Plum and Rebecca Bloomwood Brandon.
Then I finally finished The Honeymoon duology. I enjoyed Second Honeymoon. It was not a typical James Patterson plot but was still fast paced and interesting mystery to the end.
Blood Test is book two in the Alex Delaware series. I am really enjoying this series. It is hard subject matter. Alex Delaware is a child psychologist so go into this with your eyes wide open to the fact their will be crimes against children. That being said. I love the characters, even the side characters. You can sometimes see the age in these books, such as not having cell phones, but they are still relevant and good!
I then reread Idlewild before Edenborn. I remembering really enjoying Idlewild as a kid, one of my tattoos is even loosely based on a quote pulled from the story. It was just okay the second time around and Edenborn was just okay as well. I don't think I will continue to the third book.
Grave Peril was just okay for me too. I liked the first two books in the series much more.
Shopaholic to the stars, again, I just love the characters voice!
Then I finally ventured outside my 2012 reading list for my last two audio books.
The Good Girl was pretty good! I kind of had a feeling where the book was going but I really enjoyed watching it unfold anyways. It wasn't overly unique but I liked the story development a lot.
Then my latest audio book was Mary Poppins. This was actually pretty disappointing to me. I didn't like Mary Poppins character at all and overall it made me uncomfortable imagining her as a real person.
Avatar Part One and Two, these were just okay. I wanted quick physical reads and I saw these on booktube and I remember liking the animated show when I was younger.
Good Me Bad Me, this book is hella effed up. Trying to put that nicely. It was really entertaining. I liked watching the character development and I think the relationships were displayed in a convincing manner. I know some people had an issue with the daughters feelings towards the serial killer mother but unless you have experienced that type of turmoil in a relationship it is hard to understand the connection. Even if you have experienced that type of relationship, its hard to see things when they are happening to you directly. I think the conflicted feelings were natural and portrayed pretty well. This book has a lot of triggers so make sure you read the description and reviews if you are sensitive to abuse, child abuse, self harm etc
The Other Side Of Beauty, this book took me by surprise. I really enjoyed it. Not the typical book I would pick up. This was a giveaway from GoodReads in exchange for an honest review. When I was scrolling through the cover and the main title hooked me and I thought why not. Then I received it in the mail and I was like, ohhh...well...I guess its short ill give it a try. I think the beginning is highly relate-able to all women young and old. Leah Darrow talks about the pressures placed on women starting at a very young age to fit the ideal beauty. The second half dives into more religious preaching on the idea of beauty and how it relates directly to the bible but I still think there are very good messages even if you don't practice and religion. A great book for women to read and thoughtfully consider the questions/opinions poised.
Another GoodReads giveaway in exchange for an honest review, RIP Eliza Hart. Another book I enjoyed! This book I think did a really good job with a very difficult subject matter. Eliza Hart was Ellie's best friend in first grade before she moved to New York. Ellie has never really gotten over the loss of her friend, especially since she is unable to make new friends since she is labeled class freak due to her claustrophobia that started after she left California. Ellie gets the chance to move back to California on scholarship and hopes that being back will help her overcome her disability. A fresh start. Eliza though has made sure that wont happen though. Even after Eliza is found dead, the small elite school hates Ellie and blames her for the death of the most beloved and popular student. Only Ellie's roommate seems to be on her side. This book dives deep into mental disorders. There are triggers for depression, suicide and bullying. It was written so a younger audience could enjoy it with out sacrificing the depth of the message. I think how depression was conveyed was very well done. It send a powerful message about peoples hidden journeys and how we don't always understand how people cope around us. There were some things that were overdone that I didn't understand in the story, like the extent of the claustrophobia that Ellie experiences. I get that is what drives her to move back to California and really keeps the plot moving in the right direction but it wasn't something I could fully understand.
Though I have knocked out a ton of reading this month, there is still so much more!!! If you want more of my opinions on these books let me know!
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GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/shelfloving
