I love writing book reviews, but life can get crazy and they get harder to write the further I get away from a book. I still want to talk about the books I've read though, so I thought I'd do an occasional round up of quick reviews for books I read but didn't get a chance to write about sooner!
Ms. Schumer is an extremely popular comedian and actress who really hit her stride last year. Even though her show had been on for a few years, I didn't get into it until last summer. I fell in love with her brash, honest, perverse, and intelligent humor and pre-ordered the book as soon as the announcement was made. The book was well-written and told a lot of great stories about her past (the insight into her father's struggle with MS was particularly great). The one problem I have, though, is that if I had watched the 4th season before reading it, I would've felt like I was hearing repeat stories. That doesn't mean that these stories are not important, but it does make me wonder if she is running out of material and needs some time to refresh and reflect. This is a pretty common thing with comedians. The jokes are funny, but they only go so far until you have to do more (and she addresses this). If you like Amy Schumer, you have to pick this up! It's funny and thoughtful.
This book has gotten a lot of praise from various reviewers, but I've noticed a lack of agreement by readers. The story of 17 year old Charlie and her crush on the cool new teacher delves into uncomfortable and honest territory, but I never felt a connection to the characters. The first few chapters were peppered with annoying metaphors that luckily stopped. I don't know if I would've made it through if it hadn't. The book is a first-person perspective, but I still feel like I didn't know Charlie. What I did enjoy about this book was the honesty in Charlie's attraction to Mr. Drummond: he's not this super hot, just-out-of-college guy that might be in a different story with an illicit affair. Charlie acknowledges his flaws and is sometimes embarrassed by his behavior with the students. The crush sort of serves as a reflection of how Charlie sees herself: Charlie believes herself to be ugly and thinks that no one will ever want her, but wanting a teacher would never work out (right?) so it's this safety net that allows her to explore her sexuality and her self-acceptance. This idea makes for a compelling story...I just don't think it was well-executed.
Full disclosure: I kinda forgot I read this book. It's just...forgettable. I decided to read this because I was in the mood for a slump-busting YA contemporary. Though I finished the book, it felt like a slog. The premise is really great: a dangerous amount of rain and flooding is literally sinking a small town and people are being encouraged and/or paid out to move so that the town can just become a river. At least...I think that's what was happening. Keeley gets to connect with the boy she's had a crush on for most of her life, an exciting thing to happen while the world-as-they-know-it sinks into the ground. Keeley and Jesse's relationship is born through their mutual need to make every moment humorous and fun. Can a relationship based on jokes get serious? The book explores more than this romance. There's familial complications, a bit of scandal, and a believable look at the ebbs and flows of friendship. Still, the book just didn't stand out. I kept waiting for the inevitable to happen.
After a bunch of "meh" reads, it was great to get my hands on a thrilling book that I couldn't put down. I was sick when I started reading this, so I just sat on the couch under a blanket and read until I finished it. I really liked Ruth Ware's writing. She has an ability to hook you from the first page and the switch between past and present was an excellent suspense builder. This book, about a woman who goes to a former friend's bachelorette weekend that goes fatally awry, had enough turns to keep me guessing. By the reveal, though, I found myself wishing for a stronger ending and a bit more story to fill the gaps. I think that Ware has a lot of potential (this was her debut) and look forward to checking out her latest.
Better Off Friends was the sweet pick-me-up I needed after a dark thriller. Rightfully compared to When Harry Met Sally for the teen set, it follows Macallan and Levi from the beginning of their friendship (junior high) to the complications brought up when significant others get thrown into the mix (high school). Macallan and Levi bond instantly over their favorite British TV show and become BFFs. The book ultimately focuses on the question everyone seems to ask: "Can boys and girls just be friends?" Now, I believe that it 100% is possible for a bunch of reasons, but I also understand that these kinds of friendships can complicate romantic relationships. And if the people end up being together? You fall in love with your best friend! This book is everything that a YA contemporary-lover looks for: there's humor, heart, a will-they/won't-they situation, and a feel-good vibe throughout. It's not a game-changer, but it didn't feel like a wasted read, either. I especially loved the duel perspectives and the conversation between Macallan and Levi that happened in "real-time" as they each told their side of the story.
I had heard mixed reviews of this novel for several months and even spoiled the last couple of pages for myself when I kept reading that it was a slog to get through the first half (I didn't really understand it since I didn't know the whole story). Still, when the eBook went on sale a while back, I couldn't resist buying it. One of my best friends told me she read it recently and was shocked by the twist and found it emotionally difficult to read at times. I immediately had to start reading it, because my curiosity was getting the best of me and I didn't want to spoil it (again). I can't really say much about this book because it's truly a tangled web that I will completely ruin if I say too much. Just read the premise and know that you haven't scratched the surface. Highlight to reveal an important trigger warning that some may think of as spoilery: domestic abuse
I plan to put spoilers in my Goodreads review, so check it out and let me know your thoughts if you've read it!
Man, I am so disappointed in this book. I was excited to read more Carlino after really enjoying Before We Were Strangers and decided that, considering the awesome premise, I'd preorder this one. The concept is this: Emiline is an aspiring writer who is stuck in a rut when she finds out about a bestselling novel that just happens to be about her rough past and it was written by her childhood sweetheart, a guy she hasn't seen or spoken to in over a decade. I loved this idea. I just didn't love the execution. The book focuses a lot of the fake novel, so we are reading a story within a story. I guess Carlino wanted to make sure that the voice in the "novel" was different than the voice of her novel (yo, I'm getting confused), and those parts were just poorly written. I couldn't help but doubt that a book with such poor writing would be such a hit (okay, it wouldn't be the first cough50shadesofgraycough). I also desperately wanted to be back in the present day, with Carlino's actual writing (which I really like). Things started looking up when we got to that point...but it started faltering again. I felt like a lot was happening and the obvious was being pushed off for reasons that really didn't have validation. I'm definitely not giving up on Carlino, but I think she missed out on turning this excellent idea into an excellent book.
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