#I am romancing mehmed on my main and I love him too

[mila-bee]

[cover2covermom]

  Goodbye July & hello August!

It is so crazy to think that summer is almost over.  My kids will be returning to school in T-minus 2 weeks!  As much as I dread the crazy schedule, I am ready to get back into the swing of things… well that and my children are driving me crazy, so it’s time to go back lol

Let’s see what I had going on in July shall we?

At the beginning of the month, I committed to making my blog a priority again.  I am slowly starting to get back into the blogging groove and be active in the community again.  I must say it feels great to be more consistent again.

    » Sisi: Empress on Her Own by Allison Pataki

Feelings in a few thoughts:

I’m very conflicted with my feelings with this one.  I am not sure my rating is fair either.  When I requested this on NetGalley, I didn’t realize that it was actually the SECOND book in the series.  I read this one without reading the first book, so this may have impacted my reading experience.  Take my thoughts/rating with a grain of salt.

Before reading this, I knew nothing about Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary (Sisi).  I really like how the author took a controversial figure in history and tried to shed some light on her motivations in life.

The time hops throughout the book felt a little jarring at times.  The transitions felt a little off.

Sisi wasn’t exactly a likeable character, at least for me.  Despite the author’s attempts to show Sisi’s point of view, I still couldn’t help but cringe at Sisi’s selfishness throughout the novel.

» Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran

Feelings in a few thoughts:

I really enjoyed this fictionalized account of the early years of Cleopatra Selene after she is taken in by Emperor Augustus after he defeated her parents, Mark Antony & Cleopatra.

This is my second novel about Cleopatra Selene, the first being The Daughter’s of Palatine Hill, I really liked both versions despite the fact that the authors’ portrayed the characters very differently.  Both books are good for different reasons: In Cleopatra’s Daughter, Moran really did a fantastic job with the setting and time period.  In Daughter’s of Palatine Hill, Smith did a great job with the political intrigue and cut-throat drama of the era.

The biggest strength of this novel was how well Moran set the scene.  You could really picture what it was like to live in Ancient Rome – at least how the ruling class lived.  When I read historical fiction, I want the author to take me to another time and place, and Moran did just that.

I wasn’t a fan of the audiobook narrator in the early parts of the book.  She went too overboard with her “whiney child voice” for portraying the characters as young children.

» The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

Feelings in a few thoughts:

This was a very sweet & charming story.

TKoLT felt more like a novella – coming in at just under 300 pages.  Since this was such a short book, Hogan may have been a little too ambitious with everything she included.

My biggest complaint would be that Laura’s romance in the novel took too much of a central role.

I really liked how the author gave us back stories for the lost things.  It almost felt like we were getting short stories throughout the novel.

I wanted more about the Keeper of Lost Things.  I also felt like the reuniting of the lost things was anti-climatic.  I was expecting the lost things to have made a bigger impact in the novel.

I could see how the format of the novel could be confusing, especially if you were listening to this audiobook format.  I would recommend reading this book instead of listening to it.

Overall I did enjoy this book, but the story had potential to be so much more.

» Dumplin’ (Dumplin’ #1) by Julie Murphy

Feelings in a few thoughts:

Wonderful YA book that tackles themes like friendship, mother-daughter relationships, body shaming, self-acceptance, first love, etc.

I feel like Murphy did a wonderful job creating a character whom those of us who have struggled with our weight and/or other body issues can all relate to.  I was really able to see my high school self in Willowdean.

I know many critics of this book cite that Willowdean (Dumplin’) wasn’t exactly a likable character and treated people badly, which is absolutely true.  HOWEVER she felt like a very real character.  I don’t know if you remember being a teenager, but I was an asshole at times.  You know, teen angst and all that.  Does this excuse her actions? No.  I could just understand the frustrations Willowdean was experiencing and why she had a chip on her shoulder.  By the end of the book, Willowdean does show a tremendous amount of growth & development.

There was a love triangle, however it did not feel like the love triangle trope.

I was not a fan of the audiobook narrator.  She did wonderfully for the female parts, but once we got to characters like Bo and Mitch, it was hard to listen to.  If you listened to the audiobook, I’m sure you know what I am talking about.

» The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronical #1) by Patrick Rothfuss

Feelings in a few thoughts

When I saw that the mass market paperback edition I received from the library was 722 pages, I may have freaked out a bit.  I am NOT a fan of tomes.  It did take me just over a week to read, which is probably normal for me since I typically read about 2 books a week.

The Name of the Wind is not at all what I was expecting.  For some reason, I was anticipating a high fantasy story, but in reality I would consider it more of an epic fantasy.  Sure, there are fantasy elements here, but the story felt very grounded in reality.

I really enjoyed the story, but is so hard to describe it.  The book had action, but would I consider it action packed? No.  It had “magic,” but was the book full of it?  No.  The book includes a hero in the making, but did it feel like a hero story? No.  Was this book compelling?  YES!  Why?  I don’t know!!!

I know this is odd to say, but I got Harry Potter vibes from this book.  This isn’t to say the plots were similar (there are a few similar elements), but rather I got the same feelings I remember having as a kid reading Harry Potter.

Kvothe is my new book boyfriend.  Definitely one of my new favorite characters.  He is clever, smart, stubborn, witty, mischievous, kind, determined, etc.

» Hunger: A Memior of (My) Body by Roxane Gay

*4.5 Stars*

Feelings in a few thoughts:

I love how real Roxane is.  I don’t always agree with her beliefs, but I never get that “my views are right and others’ are wrong” vibe from her.  I respect that she’s not afraid to talk about the hard things.  Her books always make me think.

Despite the fact that I was classified as morbidly obese at one point in my life (my BMI was 40, so I was on the borderline of this category), I gained new insights to the struggles of those who are placed in this category.  I never had to worry about things like fitting into an airplane seat, seat belt extenders, stepping up onto a stage, seats with armrests, etc.  Reading this book can really shed light on the challenges those who are morbidly obese must face every day.  Definitely a perspective that I wish more people would read.

Loved that Roxane narrated this audiobook herself.  It was very well done.

There are so many powerful moments in this book…

“This is a memoir of (my) body because, more often than not, stories of bodies like mine are ignored or dismissed or derided. People see bodies like mine and make their assumptions. They think they know the why of my body. They do not.”

“The bigger you are, the smaller your world becomes.”

“As a woman, as a fat woman, I am not supposed to take up space. And yet, as a feminist, I am encouraged to believe I can take up space. I live in a contradictory space where I should try to take up space but not too much of it, and not in the wrong way, where the wrong way is any way where my body is concerned.”

» Smoke in the Sun (Flame in the Mist #2) by Renée Ahdieh

*3.5 Stars*

Feelings in a few thoughts:

Many of the questions I had throughout the Flame in the Mist were finally answered in this book.  My biggest complaint with the first book was that I was confused about the fantasy elements, but things were cleared up in Smoke in the Sun.

I loved Mariko’s character in this series.  She is confident, intelligent, clever, brave, strong, etc.  A great lead character in a YA book.  I respected her for always sticking to her convictions and not letting anyone, even the boy she loves, sway her from her goals.

The villain in this book was not developed enough.  The best villains, in my opinion, have motivations behind their actions, but I didn’t see any reasoning behind any motivations here.

While I appreciate that this was the conclusion to this series and not a series that drags on unnecessarily like so many YA series out there, I wasn’t exactly satisfied when I finished it.  Unfortunately this book felt rushed & abruptly ended.   The book either needed to be longer, or this needed to be a trilogy.

I debated between the 3.5 star rating and a 4 star rating.  I really did enjoy this series, but I feel like it had the potential to be more.

» Bright We Burn (The Conqueror’s Saga #3) by Kiersten White

Feelings in a few thoughts:

Fantastic finish to a GREAT YA historical fiction series.  Actually, I feel like the books progressively got better with each installment.  Favorite book of the series!

Lada is a very complex main character.  If you are a fan of anti-hero stories, and would fancy one with a badass female anti-hero, here is the series for you!  While Lada does have some good qualities – loyalty, strength, drive, etc – she does whatever is necessary to obtain her goals, regardless of the cost.  Despite her bloodthirsty ways, I couldn’t help but like and admire Lada.

Radu!  I loved him more with each passing book.  His progression over the series was very satisfying to watch.  Whereas the other main characters, Lada & Mehmed, stayed constant throughout the series (Lada is vicious and Mehmed is an asshat) Radu goes through a tremendous amount of personal growth.

  June 2018 Bookish Wrap-Up + Book Haul

Ohioana Book Festival 2018 + Book Haul

Book Review: The Daughters of Palatine Hill by Phyllis T. Smith

Book Event: Sabaa Tahir’s Book Tour for A Reaper at the Gates

Book Review: Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

Favorite Books of 2018 (1st Half)

Physical Books:

» The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicles #1) by Patrick Rothfuss

*Signed by the author*

» Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

*I have two other copies of this book, but I picked up a lovely edition at my local Costco.  It is a pink leather cover with quotes from the book all over the front.  It is gorgeous!  I wish they had one for Jane Eyre 😦

Which books did you read in July?

Have you read any of the books I read or hauled this month?  If so, what did you think?

Did you buy any books?  If so, which ones?

Comment below & let me know 🙂

Today I share which #books I read in July + my #bookhaul. What did you #read in July? #BookBlogger #Bookworm #AmReading Goodbye July & hello August! It is so crazy to think that summer is almost over.  My kids will be returning to school in T-minus 2 weeks!