Title: The Hate U Give I have been a supporter of the Black Lives Movement from the get go. However, reading THE HATE YOU GIVE was a very eye-opening experience. I learned a lot, especially that I’ve lived a very sheltered, safe life. Never has “white privilege” meant more to me than it does now after reading this book.
Title: What Alice Forgot I haven’t stayed up late reading for a very long time. When I’d finish a reading, I’d want to get right back to WHAT ALICE FORGOT. The story just drew me right in. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and I think I may have even dreamed about it a few times.
I thought Moriarty did such a fantastic job with Alice’s memory loss and how it was hard to cope with the person she had become vs. the person she thought she was. It was interesting to see how very real life and all its circumstances changes us and whether that’s good, bad, or simply just is. It was very thought-provoking and makes me want to read more of Moriarty’s novels.
Title: Landline I really loved LANDLINE. I thought it was an honest look at marriage and relationships. I felt for the MC in regard to the consequences of her choices. While I understood what was happening to her marriage every time she put work before her husband and daughters, I know it’s difficult to see the dissolution of a relationship when you’re that close to the problem.
I thought Rowell’s bit of magical realism in the story was a great way to show how the relationship went from what it was to what it is. I really enjoyed that aspect and going down memory lane with the MC as she decided whether her marriage was worth saving.
I’m a bit disappointed by the ending because it wasn’t everything I wanted it to be, but it felt more realistic than what I had imagined / wanted, and my disappointment isn’t enough to ruin the book for me.
Update: One of the quotes from this book has been my motto for marriage ever since: “I love you more than I hate everything else.”
Title: The One and Only Ivan Even though THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN was a very easy read, being as passionate of an animal lover as I am, it was very difficult to read at times. It made my heart cry several times. I’m still glad I read it, though, and I thought it was very good. I loved Applegate’s writing style. It was very descriptive and painted a clear picture in my head. It was a joy to read, other than making me angry and sad about how animals are treated by some humans.
Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid I’m not a huge fan of graphic novels so DIARY OF A WIMPY KID was kind of perfect for me. It’s basically a middle grade novel with lots of pictures in it and I really liked that aspect of it. I also enjoyed the story. It was a lot of fun. I laughed out loud a few times. I did find the very grownup part of me groaning while reading the second half. It was fun but it was annoying too.