Posts Tagged With: book review

Independent Bookstores in and around Chicago – A (Pandemic-Friendly!) Guide

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Ashley Lauren

You know how sometimes we don’t explore our own backyards? It occurred to me not long ago that I’ve written a number of literary explorations around the country and have NEVER highlighted Chicago. Despite the pandemic I rectified that and managed to visit a lot of bookstores, especially over the summer when things were a bit more cheerful.

Support the community and take your own tour of Chicago via books with my guide of the best independent and local bookstores below!

The Looking Glass – 823 S Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, IL

I love this little used bookstore. They have an eclectic mix of books and the shop is relatively small. But they have the BEST gifts! From blind books to journals to unique cards and knick-knacks – if you have a literary friend you are bound to find something cute for them here.

Roscoe Books – 2142 W. Roscoe Street, Chicago

You know those bookstores that just get you? They have the vibe, the beauty, and, even better, the inventory of books that makes you salivate? Roscoe Books is my happy place. They have so many great, new titles and lots of contemporary romance. Cute set up with the perfect mixture of lots of titles and room to stand. Win/win.

Volumes Bookcafe – 1474 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago

SO cute. I unfortunately went during a pandemic so I didn’t get to try the café part of the book café, but I know I would love it. This place is set up so perfectly with a great little selection of stories and what looked like an excellent place to sit and relax with a hot beverage. I can’t wait to check it out in full force in the future.

Pro Tip – there is a sister location, Volumes Bookstore on Michigan Ave!

Bookends & Beginnings – 1712 Sherman Ave, Evanston

Oooh man – guys, this place is so worth the trek up to Evanston. You’re in the heart of Northwestern but you disappear somewhere else entirely for this store. It’s tucked away in an alley (SO adorable) and it’s so much bigger than it looks. Crazy good selection and has that tilty, old school book store feel. Love.

Myopic Books, 1564 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago

Myopic is an establishment in Chicago. It’s your classic DGAF kind of used bookstore. Plenty of worn edges, musty corners, and books no one has touched in years. I also have a particular fondness for bookstores with stairs. This place has bizarre and wonderful half-levels that make you feel like an explorer.

Fun tip – it’s only a stones throw away from Volumes Bookcafe and Jeni’s Ice Cream… so you really never need to leave this block of the city. Ever. Just move in.

The Book Table – 1045 Lake Street, Oak Park

Back to my stomping grounds in Oak Park, this is a great new book store. It’s generously sized (they recently expanded!) so you know you can go in and get what you need. Tons of helpful staff and tips on what to choose next.

Madison Street Books, 1127 W Madison St, Chicago

This is such a lovely spot! This poor bookshop has a grand opening just two days before the pandemic March shelter-in-place hit so they could use some love – and do they deserve it! The staff is friendly and the kids section is adorable. I highly recommend!

Semicolon – 515 N. Halsted Street, Chicago

Black woman owned – so that right there makes it a winner. It’s not really open for in-store browsing because pandemic but they do lots of community support and it’s a fantastic stop. Definitely hit this one up!

The Armadillo’s Pillow – 6753 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago

Mad props for an amazing name. This place is soooo quirky. Used booked, piles everywhere, plenty of space to get lost. What more to do need? Oh, yeah, an entire afternoon to dawdle.

Unabridged Bookstore – 3251 N Broadway, Chicago

Love this place. It’s a great space and has some amazing travel and LGBTQ+ sections. Excellent selection (all new) with up to date trends. Plenty of room to linger.

Sandmeyer’s Bookstore – 714 S Dearborn St, Chicago

This is a lovely little spot to hit up if you are exploring downtown Chicago – just a few short blocks away from Willis Tower. With bright, wide shelves and all new books it’s a great spot to find some of the “top hits”. Add a star for the creakiest floors ever (and I mean that in the BEST way possible).

Open Books – 651 W. Lake Street, Chicago
(there are other locations in the city too!)

This book store is packed with books and yet the tall ceilings make it feel open (ha) and lovely. Great initiatives and events happen here too. It’s an easy place to get lost in.

Centuries & Sleuths – 7419 Madison St, Forest Park

Who doesn’t love a good themed bookstore?! Mysteries and histories are the game here and while the store itself doesn’t have a ton of browsing potential, they have a fun table of blind books and the staff will help you with anything you could desire. Madison Street in Forest Park is a delightful area to walk around (check out Twisted Cookie or The Brown Cow for some sweet treats)!

Book Bin – 1151 Church St Northbrook, IL

This is a fun little stop off! Great selection with some good gifts (I found a great puzzle of the Chicago skyline!) Super friendly and perfect for a visit if you’re in in those NW suburbs.

Barbara’s Books – 2651 Navy Boulevard, Glenview

Perhaps a little sterile (though that’s not a bad thing in a pandemic) this place has lots of room to breathe. Plenty of new hits and a nice getaway in this outdoor mall area. Other locations around the city.

I’m still working my way through Chicagoland and have lots to explore so check back for more! Let me know where I should go next!

Categories: Lists, Travel | Tags: best of, Book, book review, books, bookstore, chicago, chicagoland, independent, local, myopic, reading, roscoe books, shop local, travel | Leave a comment

Top 12 Favorite Books of 2020 (so far)

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Ashley Lauren

If there can be one good thing said about 2020 (and that’s a stretch, I know) it’s that it has given me a reason to double down on my reading. I have been positively devouring books this year and am proud to say I’ve finished 78 so far. Since we’re halfway through this delight of a year, I thought I would highlight some of my absolute favorites!

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

You’re a good man, Linus Baker. I’m so very pleased to know you.

There may not be as accurate of a statement than this in the entire world. This book -guys, this BOOK. It’s like a dose of rainbow, sunshine, sprinkle glitter love happiness straight to the pleasure center. It’s beautiful.

Honestly, I want to write everything and yet nothing at all. You don’t need to know anything, you just need to read this book.

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

This is a truly wonderful book. Gah – I wish I could go back in time and read this as a young adult because it would have had even that much more POW.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

This is a fantastic book that should be read. Not only it is well written with personal stories and facts of cases, it’s properly balanced with success and failure. It’s not a story about only innocent people being released – it’s about criminals getting appropriate representation as well. I really appreciated that this didn’t just feel like a giant pat on the back, but it was the emphasis on how the broken system breaks individuals – and breaks those people of color even more disproportionately.

All in all, a great read.

Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Undercover Bromance is a “great big manly hug huddle” (those are Lyssa Kay Adam’s words, not mine) and it’s and amazing 5/5 star book.

These books – they just GET me. I had legit belly laughs. I mean, the man-hating rooster? The banter? Heck, I was even belly laughing from FART jokes (I kid you not). It’s fun and funny and the relationships – romantic and friendship – are SO GOOD.

Can’t help it. Love these. Want more.

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

Confession: I have never, not once, seen an episode of the Bachelor. Which I assume this book is a literary version of.

Guys – this is the equivalent of a romantic “who dun it” – you literally can’t guess who the murderer, I mean, perfect lover is! I mean, okay, I guess I could but I also couldn’t. I’m not spoiling this for you but it’s kind of amazing.

Well Met by Jen DeLuca

Heaaaaarts, rainbowsssss, and sunshine.

That’s what I feel about this book. I adored it. I giggled – a LOT. The characters are delightful, the setting adorable, there’s some very satisfying sexy time and ogling, etc, etc. Basically, it was right up my alley and I highly recommend.

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd

If Sue Monk Kidd hadn’t written this book I NEVER would have picked it up. No way, no how. I have as little connection to any religion as possible – I was raised in the US and therefore have those Christian influences to my society, but had nothing by the way of religious education. For example – it wasn’t until the end of the book that I found out Anna was fictional. Ha!

So – yes, from a topic, not typically one of interest to me. And honestly there were parts that were a bit dry in the book or that I didn’t quite “get” because my lack of knowledge. But the essence of it… the drive Sue Monk Kidd put into the story and the protagonist. Anna is a storm to be reckoned with and merged with the society in which she lived – it was beautiful. The fact that Anna really was the center of this story, and the most interesting of the characters, and she was married to Jesus is pretty outstanding for the author, I have to say.

Overall, a truly great read and another example of the artwork that is Sue Monk Kidd’s writing.

The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup

Wow – this was truly excellent. Complex without being confusing, unique without being unbelievable, and horrifying without being gross. Great characters who have enough of their own issues to be interesting but not so much so that they are distracting. I truly didn’t guess the ending. All in all, I very top notch crime thriller!

Beach Read by Emily Henry

Welp, that was perfect.

And, for the record, I usually really dislike stories where the character is a writer. And this one had two writers.

It’s still perfect.

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

Ok – yeah, I was really skeptical about this book. The premise is bizarre and, honestly, after reading it, the premise is still really bizarre.

But, man, I liked it! The style of the narration is amazing, I wanted to quote about half of it. I love the main character and just the way she IS. The way she responds and adapts to the strange circumstances she’s put it is fascinating.

It’s super quirky and it’s a book that gave me a lot of thoughts and feels. And that’s how I’m leaving that review.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Well, I should know better than to read what is the first in what is very clearly going to be a series so soon after it is published. I want to read the next one immediately and now I have to wait 😦

This is great – it raw and unique and Alex Stern is a bada**. I had a little trouble getting into it at the beginning and, frankly, it’s a dense book. I was trying to read it quickly but it takes a lot of mind power – there is a LOT that goes on here. That’s not a bad thing, it’s actually really good, but get ready for the investment.

All in all, Bardugo hit another one out of the park.

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones

What an excellent book. I blew through this in a single day – which is no small feat in the chaos that is my life.

Maybe it’s just me, but I love when I come across a book where everything just works. The story is perfectly paced and snappy with action, dialogue, introspection, and magic. The character relationships are genuine and heartfelt – the main characters, Ryn and Ellis, are beautiful and flawed. The problems they face are real and unique. This is such a fascinating story that I have – and haven’t – heard before.

Oh – and it’s a zombie book, so, you know, that makes is automatically awesome.

Categories: Lists, Pick Ups | Tags: 2002reads, 2020, amreading, beachread, best books, blackauthors, Book, book review, books, fantasy, felixeverafter, justmercy, lgbtqreads, ninthhouse, representationmatters, reviews, romance, romcom, ya books | 2 Comments

Reading between the Wines – our Top Book Club Books (a never ending list)

Posted on April 30, 2020 by Ashley Lauren

Choosing a book for Book Club is a lot harder than it sounds. You want something people are going to enjoy but also something to talk about. Easier said than done.

Our Book Club – “Reading between the Wines” (which is, yes, the most adorable name on the planet and one I cannot claim to have come up with myself) has been in progress for ~5 years. Here is a list of the (mostly) unanimous great books that led to even better discussions.

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
This is a beautiful book to make you laugh and cry and gives a LOT of fodder for discussion!

Verity by Colleen Hoover
Honestly, it’s not common for our books to have a viseral reaction. Some of us will gush or dislike a book, but generally we accept good as good and move on. This book, however, will change you. For the better? … Probably not. But MAN does it make for great conversation.

Becoming by Michelle Obama
We tend to do fiction but this was such a beautiful and timely book and one we all wanted to read. It also led to a lot of amazing discussion about what we knew, what we thought we knew, and more.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Honestly, chick list/rom com type of books don’t often play well in book club (at least not ours). They are often met with “I liked it!” and then crickets. But Eleanor packs just enough of a punch that we had a lively conversation about it in addition to generally enjoying it.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
So, it certainly helps that at least 2/3 of our book club are in love with Trevor. But, that aside, this book is as fantastic as it is memorable as it is eye opening. It’s easy to spend plenty of time combing through this book and chatting about his life growing up.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman
This was a bit of a stretch for our little group but it nestled in quite comfortably. There are a lot of pieces to this novel and topics to pick out and dissect. And a sequel to boot (we read that too!)

What should our next book club book be?

This list is ever expanding so come back to see the latest top recommendations!

Categories: Lists, Pick Ups | Tags: book club, book recommendations, book review, reading, wine club | Leave a comment

The BEST RomCom Books (an ever expanding list)

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Ashley Lauren

I am a no-shame RomCom lover and is there a better time to get into a few of these fun, delightful reads than in the midst of a global pandemic? I think not!

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
SO funny. Literally laughing out loud on multiple occasions. It’s cute if a few part of the trope seem a little forced but the force of these characters – Luc and Oliver are so relatable and believable. Top notch read.

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
What really sells me on a romance novel is when the trope works – like really, really works. The Ex Talk nails it. This spins the “fake relationship” on it’s head by creating a “fake break-up” (like, omg, so cute) and it totally makes sense why these two characters did why they did, why they had to make the choices about the relationship they did – it’s gold. And it’s funny! A true rom com! The transcripts of their radio show had me guffawing.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
Gold. This one, guys, is GOLD. It’s steamy, it’s hysterical. Zan and Dani are so good. Their dialogue is amazing, their interactions are perfect, and their troubles are real.

Beach Read by Emily Henry
Honestly just so good. Excellent banter, real life issues… you laugh, your cry, and you can 1000% picture this as a Lifetime movie (in all the best ways)

The Bromance Book Club and Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
What do I look for in a romance novel?
1) Giggles
2) Spicy scenes that’ll make me squirmy
3) At least a little bit of heart
This series had all of that and then some. What amazing books. I seriously guffawed, numerous times, over the dialogue in both of these books. LOVE them.

The Friend Zone and The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez
Another two-fer! These are both excellent books with vibrant characters who have real problems and lots of love. Plenty of giggle-worthy moments. Highly recommend.

The Roommate by Rosie Danan
If books came with heat-o-meters the way you order food from your favorite Thai place, this would have at least 5 little chili peppers. This book is on FIRE. The voices of Clara and Josh are perfect. Their attraction and sexy-times are out of this world and wholly unique to what you’d find elsewhere. It’s a very dirty novel that is also very much a true Rom Com. Such a fun and unique storyline, I couldn’t get enough. There’s a real plot here, folks, and it’s a good one on top of everything else.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
So. aptly. named. The characters are in high school so definitely YA but delightful nonetheless. A+ banter and, well, cuteness.

My (Not So) Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella
Sophie Kinsella is pretty much my idol. I have adored multiple of her books but this is one of the latest and also one of my favorites. It’s light but also one that will speak to you.

Well Met by Jen DeLuca
Heaaaaarts, rainbowsssss, and sunshine.
That’s what I feel about this book. I adored it. I giggled – a LOT. The characters are delightful, the setting adorable, there’s some very satisfying sexy time and ogling, etc, etc. Basically, it was right up my alley and I highly recommend.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Okay, so first off, any NaNoWriMo book has a special place in my heart. But on top of this, it’s an adorable YA novel with a great setting and unique circumstances. While not perfect, it’s cute and easy to get into. Bonus – it’s a series and the rest are adorable too!

The UnHoneymooners by Christina Lauren
Is there a better trope than two dissimilar people somehow ending up on a vacation together? I THINK NOT.

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
This one is a bit deeper than you typical RomCom but I really liked not only the premise but the characters. It felt really authentic and had the main protagonists communicating like I think real humans would actually communicate (shocking!)

Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston
Mainstream LBTQ? Ugh, love it. That being said, this was a little too Disney ending for me but at the end of the day, that’s not a complaint.

The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker
Confession people – I have RE-READ this one. I knooow! Mostly for one particularly epic scene involving a cabin and a yeti… this book gets delightfully spicy but doesn’t cross into the true “romance” category.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
I really enjoy the new flavor of the main character. He’s not your standard knight in shining armor – it’s endearing and energizing to see a new kind of protagonist, one with a “social handicap” so-to-speak. In that respect this story has some truly deeper ideas about love, how it manifests, as our expectations of ourselves AND others.

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
An oldie but a goodie. Are there issues here (re: weight concerns that are sooo not concerns, etc)? Yes. But I love the writing style immensely.

What am I missing? What should be my next RomCom read?

Categories: Lists, Pick Ups | Tags: book review, books, recommendation, romcom, ya book review | 2 Comments

1 out of 5 stars for The Baller by Vi Keeland

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Ashley Lauren

The Baller: A Down and Dirty Football Novel by Vi Keeland
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Ugh. No.

Look – this book had a lot of potential. What’s not to like? Super hot and talented football player and equally hot and talented reporter fall for each other. Let’s make it happen.

But man – in the end, what WASN’T wrong with this book? Okay, so here are the reasons why I, personally, pick up a book like this (in no particular order).

1) For the laughs
2) For the sex
3) For the characters/story

If it can grant me, honestly, even one of those three, then I’m pretty happy. If it can give me one of those three without irritating me with other things, then I’m really happy. This book didn’t do ANY of it in the end.

Let’s review:
1) For the laughs – there was some serious potential here. I mean, a cocky, sexy football player? and when he first meets the reporter he drops his towel? That scene made me laugh for sure. It was perfectly awkward. Annnd that was pretty much the only time I laughed in this whole book. The rest of the jokes were just blah. I mean, Brody made a joke about wanting to “eat” Delilah like 100 times. Original. Not.

2) For the sex – the sex sucked. No really – I know you think I’m joking, but I’m not. It really, really sucked. First off, it was dragged way too far out and when they finnnnally bumped uglies it was just that – ugly. It was rushed and didn’t even make a lot of sense physically. And that was probably the best sexual encounter of the book. Most of it was just glossed over, to be honest with you. At one point the author literally said “many hours and multiple orgasms later” – uhhh, HELLO? I don’t pick up a book with THAT cover to have you skip that shizz! Light it up, lady!

3) For the characters/story – this genre doesn’t always have the greatest reputation for characters and stories and I’ll admit, sometimes I’m okay with generic or cliche if it means I get numbers 1 and 2. But It still has to WORK. Ultimately, this book was just sigh-worthy. First off, cocky and arrogant Brody fell way too hard and way too fast. I mean, honestly, why? Apparently Delilah was love at first sight? Even though we later learn he was still hung up on his girl-next-door-druggie-whatever-that-was? That was a stretch.

Regardless, Brody was just a shell of the ‘perfect’ guy. Hey, ladies, I’m super hot and arrogant but oooh wait no I’m really super sweet and caring and do everything perfectly. Gah. The attractive cockiness dissolved into stupid one-off (not funny) comments and we were just left with a super sensitive man with muscles. Boring.

And don’t even get me started on Delilah’s mess of humanity. She made no sense. At ALL. I mean, Delilah was doing a sex ‘cleanse’ but then claimed she didn’t ever have sex with anyone without being in a relationship first? Uuuh, okay? Then he can’t be with Brody because she never gave up on her old fiance who died? I mean, I guess but that only came up halfway through the book. And what was the point of her fear of flying? No point. None. I kept thinking it was going to matter but it didn’t. It didn’t even matter for a funny scene. Stuff like that really irritates me in stories. Make people’s quirks matter!

I’m not even going to mention how the book ends. Not the last real chapter and not the epilogue. I was ROLLING my EYES so hard they almost popped out, I swear.

—

There is lots more I can complain about, but I’m going to leave you with my one really big, HUGE, issue with this book. There is no FOOTBALL. NONE. A couple of stats are thrown out here and there but otherwise we see NOTHING. And the man plays (and wins!) the damn SUPER BOWL.

I just. I cannot. Stop before you start here, people.

Categories: Put Downs, Weekly Review | Tags: 1 star, book review, bookworm, put down, reviews, romance, rundon'twalk, the baller | Leave a comment

Book Review: All The Light We Cannot See – 3/5

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Ashley Lauren

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Man, I am so in the minority here. Sorry, guys, but I just did not find myself enjoying this book.

Maybe it’s because at this point I have read a decent amount of WWII books. I dabble in a lot of historical fiction set in Europe during that time, and I’ve also found about an equal amount of memoirs or biographies as well. It might not be fair to compare the books but in all the ones I’ve read this one just really fell short for me.

What was it missing? I don’t know exactly. It took a really long time for me as a reader to see the connection between the stories, and, in reality, I still don’t really see it. Yes, paths crossed but… why do I care again? I guess there was impact, kind of, but it just didn’t feel meaningful to me. The timeline jumps around which, I guess, is to make the story not feel like its unfolding as slowly as it is, but it didn’t fool me at all. I kept waiting for something unpredictable to happen but it all just fell more or less into place. I also thought the story of a blind girl would be more poetic. I don’t think Doerr did a poor job, but it wasn’t as different as I expected it to be.

I really should have loved this book. I’m a sucker for WWII stories, historical fiction in general, and, to top it all off, I’ve been to (and am in LOVE with) the town of St. Malo. Just having that as a setting should have caused me to fall in love but instead it was like I was kept at arms length. I just didn’t really connect with anyone, nothing shocked me, and even the hardships of war didn’t hit me like they should have.

Sorry, Doerr. It’s not that it was bad, per se, and I did enjoy the last few chapters when finally, finally it all seemed to come together (though not to any real satisfaction) but the rest of it just felt flat to me. I can’t say I would recommend this book. I’ve much sooner refer someone to read The Invisible Bridge. Now that is one hell of a WWII historical fiction.

Categories: Weekly Review | Tags: 3 stars, all the light we cannot see, amreading, book review, books, doerr, historical, historical fiction, reviews | Leave a comment

2014 End Of Year Book Survey

Posted on January 4, 2015 by Ashley Lauren

Each year, Jamie from the Perpetual Page Turner does a Year-End Book Survey. I’m a total sucker for surveys – so here is my own take from this year! (P.S. – if you don’t know about Jamie’s blog yet – GO there! It’s amazing!)

Number Of Books You Read: 58
Number of Re-Reads: 1
Genre You Read The Most From: Hard to tell – probably a tie between YA and women’s fiction

Best Book You Read In 2014?

In my opinion, Sue Monk Kidd blew this away. This book is just perfect in so many ways – fascinating historical fiction, great characterization, excellent writing, good pacing. It’s perfection and she deserves all the praise!

Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

As a lover of women travel memoirs, I thought this was going to be a great read. I really didn’t like it though – it just fell flat.

Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014?

This book was surprising in a number of ways – one because Atwood is one of my favorite authors but I wasn’t 100% in love with the book (it took me FOREVER to get through) and two because of it’s shocking ending!

Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?

I didn’t have to push too hard – this book is well-known for being excellent (and it is!)

Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?

Outlander is still so incredibly fantastic. This isn’t the season ender (thank goodness!) but it’s going to be AGES before the next one comes out!

Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

It’s a little hard to say that Alexandra is a favorite author since I’ve only read one book,but this one was incredible and I am absolutely going to try another one from her ASAP.

Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

This is definitely a newer genre for me – in truth I don’t know if I’ve ever read a crime thriller. I had some issues with this first book in the series but I liked the second one much better.

Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Definitely “unputdownable” – I read this all in one sitting and was completely taken with it. Highly recommend.

Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

I love to re-read parts of series in preparation for the next one!

Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?

romancing

Women in pretty dresses on the front of romance novels are always wonderful, but I find this one particularly gorgeous. Look at that color!

Most memorable character of 2014?

It’s not really fair to say just “character” – I think all the characters in this series are totally memorable. Very unique (as is the whole story) and it all works so well together. Karou is fantastic.

Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

I adore the way this story unfolds. I’m a sucker for any kind of novel that includes letters but I really enjoyed how this one left mystery throughout. The life was an unveiling – very well done!

Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?

Okay, so I think “life-changing” is a bit heavy-handed but thought-provoking, certainly. There’s a lot to ponder about who are and aren’t the bad guys – and the ending through a wrench into everything. I found it fascinating (and really readable!)

Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read?

This book has seriously been on the list forever. I am sad I waited so long, too, it’s an incredible story and I’d like to try more of Kingsolver’s books.

Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?

“I love you,” he whispered. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Okay, so I technically finished re-reading this in 2015 but I read 80% of it in 2014. I love how simple this line is and it totally works for the story. Ahhh, Touchstone!

Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2014?

I was really surprised to see that Fiery Cross was longer than the latest George R.R. Martin. It did not feel like it at all – I plowed through this installment so fast!

Book That Shocked You The Most

With any biography like this, there are things that will shock me, but maybe I was most shocked by how tame this one ended up being. I really felt like a lot of it was sugar-coated or glossed over.

Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Cinder and the Captain ❤

Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

This was just a wonderful second installment – and it almost made the list for the book that shocked me the most!

Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

I read this book only because it was for my sci-fi book club and absolutely LOATHED it. Ugh!

Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?

Graham was frickin’ adorable, even if the book overall was not. I wish we could have seen MORE of him. (If you know what I mean!)

Best 2014 debut you read?

I actually didn’t really read many/any debuts this year. It’s kind of a cop-out to call this a “debut” but it is, technically, her only publication.

Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

As many things as I don’t like about Martin’s writing, you certainly have to give him credit for world building.

Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Oh my goodness, this book is the definition of a fun read.

Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?

Oh yes, this book has ALL the feels. Add in the fact that it’s based on fact and it’s impossible not to get misty-eyed.

Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Per what I said before, this is a book that can easily sweep you away if you let it.

Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Okay, so “crushing my soul” is a little dramatic, but I was really disappointed by this book. It had so much potential and it all just fell so flat.

Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?

It wasn’t so much the story that was unique, but the way in which it was written. Definitely a nice change of pace.

Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

It made me mad just because I really want to like Hemingway and I can’t do it. This book was a beast to get through and I definitely consider it a waste of my life to have trudged through it. That direct Spanish to English translation of dialogue is just horrible.

One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?

I don’t buy a lot of YA books because I read them so quickly and this was always checked out at the library. I hope some of the popularity will go down and I can get my hands on it this year!

Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015 (non-debut)?

Oh man, I loved the first installment of this series and I can’t wait to listen to the next!

2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

I actually don’t keep up much on debuts, but I saw Jamie’s review for this one and my interest is definitely piqued!

Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015?

Seriously. So excited.

One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015?

Successfully have my baby in March! That’s pretty much the one life goal. It would be great to keep reading some books, too, but let’s be honest, I’ll have some other priorities. 🙂

Categories: Lists, Pick Ups, Put Downs | Tags: 2014, book list, book review, Perpetual Page Turner, recommendations, reviews, sue monk kidd, survey, young adult | 1 Comment

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