Tag Archive for: Contemporary

,

These Summer Storms

These Summer StormsTitle: These Summer Storms
Author: Sarah MacLean
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Format: Audio
Pages: 384
Length: 13h 17m
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Rating:

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed reading THESE SUMMER STORMS. So much family drama and I loved it! I really loved Alice. I felt so much sadness and anger on her behalf because of how her family treated her. I’m glad she and her siblings made up as much as they could and learned to step outside of their parents’ shadows. I also really loved Jack. I loved the sexual tension between him and Alice. I’m glad that he could give her what she needed in a partner and chose her over the money.

,

Here One Moment

Here One MomentTitle: Here One Moment
Author: Liane Moriarty
Genre: Contemporary
Format: Audio
Pages: 501
Length: 15h 53m
Narrator: Caroline Lee, Geraldine Hakewill
Rating:

My Thoughts

I adored HERE ONE MOMENT. I loved the premise of the story and all the characters. I laughed, cried, and stayed up way past my bedtime finishing it. I loved the message of using our one life to love, learn, live, and overcome our fears and anxieties.

I loved the way Moriarty portrayed how personal, all-consuming, and physical grief can be. I loved the serious look at and discussion surrounding mental health. I loved the advocacy of therapy and not suffering alone, that reaching out for help doesn’t mean you’re weak. I also loved the use of math and statistics to show the probability of how life and death sometimes feels cold and calculating, and unfair, how it can be sudden or expected.

Someone Else’s Shoes

Someone Else’s ShoesTitle: Someone Else's Shoes
Author: Jojo Moyes
Genre: Contemporary
Format: Audio
Pages: 438
Length: 12h 21m
Narrator: Daisy Ridley
Rating:

My Thoughts

SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES was a fun book to read. I enjoyed seeing how one little mixup could cause so much chaos in each of the women’s lives. I wondered how the story would resolve itself and I wasn’t disappointed. I did like one woman more than the other, but both women had their own difficulties and ways of dealing with their circumstances.

I liked the audiobook a lot and listening to Daisy Ridley’s narration. I’m glad I chose this book for my Book of the Month book when I did.

,

The Only Girl In Town

The Only Girl In TownTitle: The Only Girl in Town
Author: Ally Condie
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Format: Audio
Pages: 322
Length: 6h 36m
Narrator: Elena Rey
Rating:

My Thoughts

As always, Ally’s writing is a joy to read. She has such a poetic and lyrical way of expressing what she wants to write. I was very surprised by the actual story. I had trouble choosing a genre because of that. THE ONLY GIRL IN TOWN wasn’t what I was expecting at all. Despite my surprise, I soon found myself all in as I experienced July’s story and her effort to figure out what was going on around her. I found the story to be immersive and a beautiful take on how depression, loneliness, disappointment, and the inevitable changes in our relationships can affect our thinking and choices.

, ,

Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens AgendaTitle: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Author: Becky Albertalli
Series: Simonverse #1
Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Young Adult
Format: Kindle
Pages: 336
Rating:

My Thoughts

I grew up in a very conservative religious family. Like many Christian religions, my religion believes acting on “same-sex attraction” is a sin. Because of this, I’ve always shied away from reading LGBTQ+ stories. In more recent years, I’ve come to the conclusion that LGBTQ+ literature’s important because of representation and normalizing that love is love.

SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA is a heart-warming story about love and acceptance in all its forms. I loved the relationship he had with Blue. I loved reading their emails to each other. They were fun and witty. I also loved his relationship with his parents and sisters. His family was protective and supportive, but not without their flaws which made the story more realistic.

I felt scared and happy on Simon’s behalf when he came out to his friends and family. When I read about his fear of rejection and/or disappointing those he loved, my heart broke and I wanted to hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay. I also felt sad and angry for him when he was outed without his consent and bullied at the hands of other students in his school. I actually really loved how Albertalli used the bullying Simon faced as a way for him to feel supported by his friends, family, and teachers as they rallied around him.