Tag Archive for: 4.5 Stars

Beartown

BeartownTitle: Beartown
Author: Fredrik Backman
Series: Beartown #1
Genre: Literary Fiction
Format: Kindle
Pages: 496
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:

My Thoughts

BEARTOWN was a very hard emotional read. It was a thought-provoking story that deals with hard subjects like toxic masculinity, winning at all costs, and consent. The story’s sad but hopeful, and extremely maddening. At times, it was difficult to keep reading. Even though my heart hurts, it was worth the pain and sorrow. I absolutely had no idea that a book about hockey (but not really) would make me feel the way I did.

Backman’s stories are as good as they are because of his characters. Not only is he a master at writing emotionally charged stories, he’s also a master at writing a whole cast of round, complicated characters. The characters in BEARTOWN were no different. These characters were so easy to connect with because they felt like real people with real lives.

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The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes

The Ballad Of Songbirds And SnakesTitle: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: Hunger Games #4
Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult
Format: Audio
Pages: 517
Length: 16h 16m
Narrator: Santino Fontana
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

Also in this series: Sunrise on the Reaping
My Thoughts

I’ve been looking forward to THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES since I heard about it and it did not disappoint. I thought it was really fascinating and a fantastic prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy. I especially loved learning about Panem after the first war between the Capitol and the districts. I thought it was interesting to see how the Hunger Games operated before they became what they were in the 74th Hunger Games.

Watching Coriolanus Snow’s life unfold is a lot like watching Anakin Skywalker become Darth Vader in the Star Wars prequels. You keep hoping it won’t happen, but know there’s no hope. I thought it was interesting to be in his head, to hear the conflict of remaining loyal to the Capitol and regaining his status and wealth or siding with the districts and Lucy Gray. In the end, I thought Coriolanus’ actual transition to the “Dark Side” was a little abrupt, especially how fast he and Lucy Gray turned on one another.

I loved the other characters as well. Lucy Gray was my favorite, of course. I love how much she loves life, her defiant spirit, her go-with-the-flow personality, and her when-life-gives-you-lemons-make-lemonade outlook. I felt sorry for Sejanus, having to leave his beloved District 2 and become a citizen of the Capitol. I loved learning more about Tigris and I’m curious why and when she and Coriolanus had a falling out.

Meet Me At The Lake

Meet Me At The LakeTitle: Meet Me at the Lake
Author: Carley Fortune
Genre: Romance
Format: Audio
Pages: 322
Length: 10h 2m
Narrator: A.J. Bridel
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

I adored Carley Fortune’s debut, EVERY SUMMER AFTER, so I was super excited to read MEET ME AT THE LAKE, and I wasn’t disappointed. I loved Fern and Will’s story. I loved the premise of them getting a second chance at love. Even though MEET ME AT THE LAKE is mostly fluff, there’s some meat to the story too thanks to the inclusion of how mental illness and the loss of a loved one can mess with our plans and intentions. It made the characters and story feel more real.

Every Summer After

Every Summer AfterTitle: Every Summer After
Author: Carley Fortune
Series: Florek Brothers #1
Genre: Romance
Format: Paperback
Pages: 307
Reason Read: Recommended
Rating:

Also in this series: One Golden Summer
My Thoughts

EVERY SUMMER AFTER is a heart-warming story of love, betrayal, loss, and redemption. Not only is it a fun contemporary romance, but it also deals with some heavy themes to give the story some depth. The friends-to-lovers trope is my favorite and this one didn’t disappoint. I haven’t read many second-chance romances, but I think I will now. I thought Fortune was a master at writing sexual tension between her characters, and I loved Percy and Sam’s interactions because of it.

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The Love Hypothesis

The Love HypothesisTitle: The Love Hypothesis
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Genre: Romance
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 356
Reason Read: Book of the Month, Play Book Tag
Rating:

My Thoughts

I adored THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS so much! It was such a fun story. The fake-dating trope is one of my favorites and Hazelwood executed it so well. I felt so many emotions. The sexual tension was strong with this one and the banter between her characters was amazing. I was giddy during most of the book because I just loved Olive’s and Adam’s interactions.

I loved all the characters, even the ones I was meant to hate. They each had distinct personalities and were fun to get to know. I especially loved Holden, Adam’s best friend, and Olive’s best friends, Anh and Malcolm. I also adored the setting, especially the representation of women in STEM. I know there’s some controversy as to whether a relationship between a professor and a grad student would be allowed. Honestly, even if it weren’t allowed, I can suspend my belief because of how Hazelwood presented it.