Book Reviews: December

December was when I got a bug up my butt and wanted to read all the things.  I finally finished the Lunar Chronicles (it took me forever to read Winter) and after that I just became a reading machine.  I enjoyed all of the books I read this month, which probably helped.

 So it took me almost 4 months to get through this book, but not because it was bad. I think it was a bit of series burnout mixed with book burnout. I read the first like 250 pages super fast, it took me months to get through the next 200, then I flew through the rest of the book in 2 days. I'm always scared to read the last book in a series because a bunch of recent series endings have let me down. I'm so happy to say that the ending was just as great as the rest of the series. I will say that I definitely recommend reading Fairest before reading Winter because it gives you some insight into Levana and why she reacts to certain things the way she does. It helped some parts of Winter make more sense. Overall fantastic series and a great ending. 

(4/5)

  This is definitely one of those books that will have you saying "what the actual fuck" multiple times throughout. It was definitely creepy and disturbing but I couldn't put it down. I really liked the main character who is also the main narrator, I liked that she told her story factually rather than emotionally. The "twist" at the end was something I could have done without and there were a few other things that didn't make sense to me, but otherwise this book was fantastic. 

(4/5)  

  I was a little hesitant to read this book because the author has a tendency to be very repetitive and it irks me. I'm glad I gave it a chance because I think this may be my favorite of hers so far. She wasn't nearly as repetitive as she usually is. There are some things about her writing that drive me nuts, but the story was really great. I think I was more invested in Diana's relationship with her nephews than the one with Dallas. The nephews really mad this one great for me. Romance usually isn't my thing but I really like that she actually takes the time to develop the relationship, it doesn't just happen in 20 pages. Really enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend it to fans of this author.

(4/5) 

Sometimes you just need to read something that is totally cheesey and ridiculous, and this was one of those times for me.   This book definitely fit the bill.  I almost skipped it because I hate the TV show "The Bachelor" and this book was based around a competition that was just like the bachelor, but I ended up enjoying it.  My main issue with it was the editing.  So many errors!  If you're looking for something light and super cheesey, this book may be for you.  Otherwise, I would probably skip it.
(3/5)

This was a light and fun book set in Paris - sounds like a win to me!  For the most part I really enjoyed this book.  I loved the descriptions of the different locations throughout Paris, and I liked that the characters and the story line were realistic.   I really didn't like many of the characters though, even a few of the ones I was "supposed" to like.  I didn't really connect with any of them which knocked this book down a star for me.  As far as enjoyment goes, I'd recommend this book but if you love more character driven books, I might say to skip this one. 

(3/5)

Unpopular opinion - this was my favorite of this authors books that I've read so far.  Everyone seems to like Winnipeg way better, but I liked this one more.  I really like her books that revolve around sports, and this was no different.  I LOVED the characters in this book, especially Sal and her Dad.  Sal was hilarious and her Dad was the cutest Dad ever.  I feel like this one had a lot of soccer in it, but left out all the technical mumbo jumbo that someone like me wouldn't understand, so I actually enjoyed the soccer scenes.  My only complaints are the errors in the book - I always notice them and there were a few.  Also, I was disappointed by the epilogue.  In all of her other books, the epilogues are great, but this one was super short.  Luckily I discovered that there is a better one on her website, so all is forgiven ;)  Would definitely recommend this one. 

(4/5)

I enjoyed this book a lot.  I really liked the idea behind this book and although the execution could have been better, I found myself really enjoying it.  I really liked reading from Cloudy's perspective because I could relate to her.  I lost a friend when I was 20 and had a hard time dealing with it the first few months - so I just didn't deal with it.  I really enjoyed the road trip and how each place they went helped them in different ways.  I think with a book like this and the subject matter, that the character development could have been better, but its also a YA book so I get it.  This book gets a good rating from me simply for the enjoyment factor.

(4/5)