February Reads

Okay, as I previously mentioned in my last post, I managed to read 2 books last month. Now, those of you who know me very well are going “2? You used to read 2 a week!” and those who don’t are going “Only 2 in one month? So what?” Well for me, this is a huge deal because I previously said before, I got into a book funk and what I call a book coma after reading so many and not finding anything I enjoyed as some of my previous ones. THEN I had to go and get overwhelmingly busy for some reason, and it was even harder to read. So, this year I set the goal of one book a month minimum and promised to review it on here since I am often asked by people for book suggestions. 🙂

Winter Stroll 
Elin Hildebrand

Okay, Hildebrands book reviews must be prefaced with this- I read ALL of her books, so writing wise and technical aspects I probably won’t focus on as much in any of her reviews. Because honestly, I am so used to her writing, and I read the books so fast, I don’t really notice anything regarding her writing style too much anymore. Bad habit probably, but for me, Hildebrands books are just an easy, quick read… often I know what to expect- t- and sometimes I can pick up that the dialog can be a little cheesy and cringe-worthy at times, it is still not possible for me to not read one.

Now, this book is the second book in her Winter Street trilogy, so without reading the first I am not sure how well you will do with the second. They do a pretty good job of describing everyone’s stories and past even in the second book, but there are parts probably still missing. I wasn’t in love with the first book- but I am loyal to an author, to a series, to well, most anything. So, I gave it a shot. Much like the first one, I didn’t fall in love with this either. It reminded me of my original opinion of too many characters, not enough character development. It also reminded me that sometimes, much like people, book characters can annoy the piss out of me. But, I am so invested in these characters and what happens compared to the first book I realized. I actually care about the outcome, and I actually wanted to know more – so much in fact that I read it in about a span of like 26 hours. So on that note,  I can easily claim it is more entertaining than the first. I certainly enjoyed it more. And I will read the third, without fail, because now I need to know what happens. I should mention I didn’t feel the same way after the first book. I liked it, I wasn’t wowed by it. And it is not my favorite of her books, then again it is hard to top favorites for me usually.

Me Before You
JoJo Moyes

This book. This damn book. My gosh. I can’t even begin to know where to start. I am not sure why I loved it so much. But boy oh boy, did I love it. It takes place in England, so I was worried about the dialog because honestly some British novels take longer for me to be invested in, if at all. But, I watched the trailer for this movie version (yes, it is one of those) and I said “I need to read it before I see it. I HAVE to read it before I see it.” And I marched right over to Barnes and Noble. And they were sold out. So I started looking online at Target. And remind you, I live in an urban area, I have a target within 10 minutes of me in every direction pretty much at all times. I live next door to one. I work across the street from one- and I still had to go to one way out of my way to find a copy of this on the shelves because well, I am impatient (see previous blog post), and I needed it NOW. I like instant satisfaction, it is a problem I am well aware of. So I went, I bought it, and I read it in like 3 sittings… probably would have been shorter but I tried dragging it out towards the end.

Now that you know the story behind the purchase of this book (because that was SO important *sarcasm*), I will get back to it…. This book. This damn book. *sigh* Let me say, it presents itself to most as a love story- I was surprised that there were elements of that, but in fact, it wasn’t truly a love story.It deals with a subject matter that may be difficult for some readers (I will not mention it- read the book for yourself to find out- or research) and I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect with this. But, the book was extremely easy to read. The characters started off semi likable (I could argue that while I liked Louisa, the main character, that is an whole other entry I could write about because at the same time I found her immature, frustrating, and I wanted to shake my fist at her and say “What the hell is wrong with you?!” – in fact, I probably did that) (also, I am sure at points I was thinking to myself how Will, the other main character, was an asshole because well, he is. But he isn’t. Ahhh… I could debate these characters for hours), and they developed throughout the story and found their way into your heart. The story itself, despite having a controversial/ethical question or two attached to it, was fairly easy to take on. But, like I said, it is not just a love story. It is a story about family. It is a story about bravery. It is a story about finding yourself, and comfort zones, and well, making the most of your time on this beautiful planet. And I cried. Boy did I cry, I am talking about the ugly, sobbing, runny nose, puffy eyes, can’t even figure out why you are crying type of cry. So, if you are a an emotional person, or a crier, keep in mind you may do the same, and possibly for the last like, 100 pages or some stupid amount. And whats more, there is a second book to this. I have purposely NOT purchased it. I was waiting until March so I could read it and review that and compare. But, my expectations are low because well honestly, I don’t think this, and the way it ended, could go on or be topped. But nevertheless, off to the book store I go! Happy reading! 🙂