April wrap up!
April was a fantastic reading month for me, which was primarily due to the semester winding down and freeing me up to have more time to read. I read thirteen books in April, which put me five books ahead for my Goodreads 2017 reading challenge.
Title: The Handmaid's Tale
Author: Margaret Atwood
Genre: Fiction; Classics; Science Fiction; Dystopia; Feminism; Fantasy; Literature; Adult Fiction
Goodreads Rating: 4.03/ 5 stars
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Pages: 311 (Paperback)
Publisher: Anchor Books
Published: March 16, 1998 (Original publication: 1985)
Summary: Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...
"It's lack of love we die from."
The Handmaid's Tale has gained a ton of publicity over the course of the past few months due to the book flying off the shelves because of the current distasteful political climate in the U.S. and the wonderfully booming feminist movement (all over the world); and the hit TV series adaptation of the book that was just renewed for a second season and will be premiering in 2018. I was enthralled by the story and characters that Atwood brought to life in The Handmaid's Tale. I believe that certain books and authors fall into our lives at particular moments to emphasize elements in our lives, changes, individuals, and instances of inspiration. Atwood and The Handmaid's Tale are two of the biggest highlights of my year in reading for 2017.
Title: Forever...
Author: Judy Blume
Genre: Chick-Lit; Contemporary; Contemporary Romance; Romance; Young Adult
Goodreads Rating: 3.63/ 5 stars
My Rating: 4/ 5 stars
Pages: 240 (Paperback)
Publisher: Atheneum Books
Published: April 29, 2014 (Original publication: 1975)
Summary: There's a first for everything.
When you build up something in your mind -- really imagine it, wish for it -- sometimes, when it actually happens, it doesn't live up to your expectations.
True love is nothing like that.
Especially not for Katherine and Michael, who can't get enough of each other. Their relationship is unique: sincere, intense, and fun all at the same time. Although they haven't been together all that long, they know it's serious. A whole world opens up as young passion and sexuality bloom.
But it's senior year of high school, and there are big changes ahead. Michael and Katherine are destined for another big "first": a decision. Is this the love of a lifetime, or the very beginning of a lifetime of love?
'There are so many ways to love a person."
I first read this book at 10 years old, completely disregarding the 18+ age rating because that's what kids do. This book was my introduction to sex and romantic relationships in the literary world, as well as my first detailed experience with sex, contraception, and how sex changes the individual as well as the relationship. I'm so glad that Blume pushed for this book's "controversial" publication back in the seventies, because this book is a wonderful dose of reality and a coming of age novel. The characters aren't necessarily likeable, but the story is more about what the characters represent rather than who they are.
Lust vs. love. There's a gigantic difference between the two that tends to get muddied, far more often than it should. And Blume highlights this difference up until the very end of the novel.
Forever... is not a book about cliché romance or the perfect romance, and that's exactly why I love it. Blume gives the reader an unapologetic look at sexuality and young romance. Nothing and no one are perfect and, often, young romance is just the stepping stone to a mature, fulfilling romance. Sex and love are not synonymous, but it would be a mistake to think that the two don't complement one another, because they do. Personally, I don't believe in soul mates. Statistically speaking, there are seven people in this world that one person would be compatible with and potentially able to have a lasting, loving, healthy relationship with. More than one person can give you that "spark". And I am so glad that Blume decided to write a book that was realistic and hopeful.
Title: Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions
Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Genre: Nonfiction; Feminism; Essays
Goodreads Rating: 4.56/ 5 stars
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Pages: 63 (Hardcover)
Publisher: Knopf Publishing
Published: March 7, 2017
Summary: A few years ago, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie received a letter from a dear friend from childhood, asking her how to raise her baby girl as a feminist. Dear Ijeawele is Adichie's letter of response.
Here are fifteen invaluable suggestions--compelling, direct, wryly funny, and perceptive--for how to empower a daughter to become a strong, independent woman. From encouraging her to choose a helicopter, and not only a doll, as a toy if she so desires; having open conversations with her about clothes, makeup, and sexuality; debunking the myth that women are somehow biologically arranged to be in the kitchen making dinner, and that men can "allow" women to have full careers, Dear Ijeawele goes right to the heart of sexual politics in the twenty-first century. It will start a new and urgently needed conversation about what it really means to be a woman today.
"The knowledge of cooking does not come pre-installed in a vagina."
| I don't think that Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is capable of writing anything less than stellar. I'm beyond happy to have access to the powerful and insightful messages of women like Adichie. A must read for all women and men, who are endeavoring to create a world in which women and men, of all ethnic backgrounds, can live lives that are not caged in by societal standards.
Title: Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
Author: Edith Hamilton
Genre: Fantasy; Mythology; Classics; Nonfiction; History
Goodreads Rating: 3.98/ 5 stars
My Rating: 2/5 stars
Pages: 482 (Paperback)
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Published: April 30, 2013 (Original publication: 1942)
Summary: Since its original publication by Little, Brown and Company in 1942, Edith Hamilton's Mythology has sold millions of copies throughout the world and established itself as a perennial bestseller in its various available formats: hardcover, trade paperback, mass market paperback, and e-book. Mythology succeeds like no other book in bringing to life for the modern reader the Greek, Roman, and Norse myths and legends that are the keystone of Western culture - the stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present.
"Love cannot live where there is no trust."
The information is thoroughly researched and articulated well; but it was all far too dry to keep my attention. Plus, a lot of it was more beginner information, that I was already well versed in. I would only recommend this for someone who was new to Greek and Roman mythology.
Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Author: J.K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter #1
Genre: Young Adult; Fantasy; Magic; Adventure; Classics; Science Fiction Fantasy; Paranormal
Goodreads Rating: 4.44/ 5 stars
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Pages: 320 (Hardcover)
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Published: June 26, 1997
Summary: Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he's a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry.
Though Harry's first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it's his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined.
Full of sympathetic characters, wildly imaginative situations, and countless exciting details, the first installment in the series assembles an unforgettable magical world and sets the stage for many high-stakes adventures to come.
"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Each single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother - why, its brother gave you that scar."
This was my second time reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, but my first time reading it as an adult. I absolutely love that this young adult series doesn't read as a children's book. It's perfect for all ages.
| "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother - why, its brother gave you that scar." - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
I can't believe how easily I had forgotten about how amazing it feels to be immersed in Rowling's wizarding world. I missed her vast array of chI can't believe how easily I had forgotten about how amazing it feels to be immersed in Rowling's wizarding world. I missed her vast array of characters and well thought out plot. There are so many instances in this book that I love, but I think that my top favorite is a tie between Harry's experience with the Mirror of Erised and Harry's encounter with the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest. I'm thrilled to, finally, be revisiting Hogwarts and the wizarding world. Reading HP as an adult, is just as magical as reading HP was when I was a kid.
Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Illustrated Edition)
Author: J.K. Rowling
Illustrator: Jim Kay
Series: Harry Potter #1
Genre: Young Adult; Fantasy; Magic; Adventure; Classics; Science Fiction Fantasy; Paranormal
Goodreads Rating: 4.44/5 stars
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Pages: 256 (Hardcover)
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Published: October 6, 2015
Summary: The beloved first book of the Harry Potter series, now fully illustrated by award-winning artist Jim Kay.
For the first time, J.K. Rowling's beloved Harry Potter books will be presented in lavishly illustrated full-color editions. Kate Greenaway-award winning artist Jim Kay has created over 100 stunning illustrations, making this deluxe format a perfect gift as much for a child being introduced to the series, as for the dedicated fan.
Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility.
All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley--a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.
But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry--and anyone who reads about him---will find unforgettable.
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that."
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A wonderful companion to the HP series! I'm in love with the beautiful artwork and attention to detail. A must have for any HP fan.
Title: On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
Author: Timothy Snyder
Genre: Nonfiction; Politics; History; Philosophy; Political Science
Goodreads Rating: 4.33/5 stars
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Pages: 128 (Paperback)
Publisher: Tim Duggan Books
Published: March 28, 2017
Summary: An historian of fascism offers a guide for surviving and resisting America’s turn towards authoritarianism.
On November 9th, millions of Americans woke up to the impossible: the election of Donald Trump as president. Against all predictions, one of the most-disliked presidential candidates in history had swept the electoral college, elevating a man with open contempt for democratic norms and institutions to the height of power.
Timothy Snyder is one of the most celebrated historians of the Holocaust. In his books Bloodlands and Black Earth, he has carefully dissected the events and values that enabled the rise of Hitler and Stalin and the execution of their catastrophic policies. With Twenty Lessons, Snyder draws from the darkest hours of the twentieth century to provide hope for the twenty-first. As he writes, “Americans are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism and communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience.”
Twenty Lessons is a call to arms and a guide to resistance, with invaluable ideas for how we can preserve our freedoms in the uncertain years to come.
"You submit to tyranny when you renounce the difference between what you want to hear and what is actually the case."
| A necessary read for the aware and ever inquisitive individual; who is unsatisfied with and disturbed by the current political climate and governing bodies around the world. Particularly relevant for all Americans, who are looking to educate themselves on how to resist the current U.S. "presidential" administration.
Title: Lux Beginnings: Obsidian & Onyx
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Lux #1-2
Genre: Young Adult; Fantasy; Paranormal; Romance; Science Fiction
Goodreads Rating: 4.62/ 5 stars
My Rating: 4/5 stars
Pages: 801 (Paperback)
Publisher: Entangled
Published: June 3, 2014
Summary: ObsidianThere’s an alien next door. And with his looming height and eerie green eyes, he’s hot… until he opens his mouth. He’s infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, he marks me. Turns out he has a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal his abilities and the only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to him until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is.
Onyx
Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems. I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?
"Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys."
Somehow, I forgot how hilarious and easy going, Armentrout is. Her dialogue is so engrossing and never fails to have me in stitches. Her characters are well developed and ridiculously fun to follow. And dear Lord, the woman has created some of the most attractive and interesting male characters that I've ever had the pleasure of drooling over!
Title: Christmas in Lucky Harbor
Author: Jill Shalvis
Series: Lucky Harbor #1-2
Genre: Romance; Contemporary Romance; Contemporary; Fiction; Women's Fiction; Chick Lit
Goodreads Rating: 4.33/ 5 stars
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Pages: 770 (Paperback)
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: September 24, 2013 (Original publication: January 1, 2011)
Summary: Simply Irresistible (Lucky Harbor #1)
After losing her boyfriend and her job, Maddie leaves L.A. to claim her inheritance-a ramshackle inn nestled in the little town of Lucky Harbor, Washington. She sees the potential for a new home and a new career-if she can give the inn the makeover it needs. Enter Jax, a tall, handsome contractor who knows exactly what Maddie needs...
The Sweetest Thing (Lucky Harbor #2)
Helping her sister set up the family inn is just the thing to make Tara forget her ex-husband and focus on her new life. Until she meets a sexy, green-eyed sailor determined to keep her hot, bothered, and in his bed. When her ex reappears, Tara must confront her past and decide what she really wants.
"He was worth it. He was worth the potential heartache, because without him she was pretty sure her heart would cease to work anyway."
How to know that you've found a new favorite romance author:
1. You finish the book within 42 hours.
2. You can't stop thinking about how different life will appear to you, once you're in love.
3. You're genuinely upset about having to leave the characters and their wonderful storylines behind.
4. You have an idea of how you want to be loved and how you in turn, would like to give love.
Shalvis is a fantastic romantic.
Title: One Good Earl Deserves a Lover
Author: Sarah MacLean
Series: The Rules of Scoundrels #2
Genre: Romance; Historical Romance; Historical; Regency
Goodreads Rating: 4.06/ 5 stars
My Rating: 1/5 stars
Pages: 373 (Mass Market Paperback)
Publisher: Avon
Published: January 29, 2013
Summary: Lady Philippa Marbury is odd. The bespectacled, brilliant fourth daughter of the Marquess of Needham and Dolby cares more for books than balls, flora than fashion and science than the season. Nearly engaged to Lord Castleton, Pippa wants to explore the scandalous parts of London she's never seen before marriage. And she knows just who to ask: the tall, charming, quick-witted bookkeeper of The Fallen Angel, London's most notorious and coveted gaming hell, known only as Cross.
Like any good scientist, Pippa's done her research and Cross's reputation makes him perfect for her scheme. She wants science without emotion—the experience of ruination without the repercussions of ruination. And who better to provide her with the experience than this legendary man? But when this odd, unexpected female propositions Cross, it's more than tempting... and it will take everything he has to resist following his instincts—and giving the lady precisely what she wants.
What the hell? What happened to having strong heroines, who don't follow jackass men around like lost puppies? I tried MacLean, I tried. But no dice.
Title: Head Over Heels
Author: Jill Shalvis
Series: Lucky Harbor #3
Genre: Romance; Contemporary Romance; Contemporary; Women's Fiction; Chick Lit; Fiction
Goodreads Rating: 4.16/ 5 stars
My Rating: 5/5 stars
Pages: 350 (Mass Market Paperback)
Publisher: Forever Publishing
Published: December 1, 2011
Summary: Breaking rules and breaking hearts
Free-spirited Chloe lives life on the edge. Unlike her soon-to-be married sisters, she isn't ready to settle into a quiet life running their family's newly renovated inn. But soon her love of trouble--and trouble with love-draws the attention of the very stern, very sexy sheriff who'd like nothing better than to tame her wild ways.
Suddenly Chloe can't take a misstep without the sheriff hot on her heels. His rugged swagger and his enigmatic smile are enough to make a girl beg to be handcuffed. For the first time, instead of avoiding the law, Chloe dreams of surrender. Can this rebel find a way to keep the peace with the straitlaced sheriff? Or will Chloe's colorful past keep her from a love that lasts . . . and the safe haven she truly wants in a town called Lucky Harbor?
"Life's short, Sawyer. Sometimes you have to take what you can get and make it okay."
The youngest Traeger sister, Chloe's story was just as difficult to put down as Maddie's and Tara's. I'm pretty upset about having to say "goodbye" to the sisters and all their adventures through life and love.
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I have officially found my contemporary romance guilty pleasure writer. I bought and read this book in the same day - the definition of hooked! I want to be upset with Shalvis for putting me in tune with my previously neglected romantic side, but I really can't complain.
Title: Valley of the Dolls
Author: Jaqueline Susann
Genre: Fiction; Classics; Women's Fiction; Chick Lit; Romance
Goodreads Rating: 3.7/5 stars
My Rating: 1/5 stars
Pages: 442 (Paperback)
Publisher: Grove Press
Published: September 22, 1997 (Original publication: 1966)
Summary: Dolls: red or black; capsules or tablets; washed down with vodka or swallowed straight-for Anne, Neely, and Jennifer, it doesn't matter, as long as the pill bottle is within easy reach. These three women become best friends when they are young and struggling in New York City and then climb to the top of the entertainment industry-only to find that there is no place left to go but down-into the Valley of the Dolls.
| DNF at 100 pgs.
Trust me, I wanted to DNF this book after page five but I figured I should give it a shot. 100 pages was all I could stomach. It pains me to shelve this book as "classic", "chick lit", "romance", and "women's fiction". This book is everything that is wrong with institutionalized sexism; and exactly why people want to beat the life out of misogyny. Aside from the poor writing and awful characters, I was beyond disappointed that this book had been written by a woman. I'm going to gi DNF at 100 pgs. (DNF = Did Not Finish)
Trust me, I wanted to DNF this book after page five but I figured I should give it a shot. 100 pages was all I could stomach. It pains me to shelve this book as "classic", "chick lit", "romance", and "women's fiction". This book is everything that is wrong with institutionalized sexism; and exactly why people want to beat the life out of misogyny. Aside from the poor writing and awful characters, I was beyond disappointed that this book had been written by a woman. I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt, and chalk up her own blatant ignorance to the period in which she was raised and lived in. So, disappointed.
Title: Pride and Prejudice
Author: Jane Austen
Genre: Classics; Fiction; Romance; Historical; Literature; Historical Romance; Adult; British Literature
Goodreads Rating: 4.24/ 5 stars
My Rating: 2/5 stars
Pages: 376 (Paperback)
Publisher: Barnes & Noble Classics
Published: August 1, 2003 (Original publication: January 28, 1813)
Summary: 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.' Thus memorably begins Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, one of the world's most popular novels. Pride and Prejudice—Austen's own 'darling child'—tells the story of fiercely independent Elizabeth Bennet, one of five sisters who must marry rich, as she confounds the arrogant, wealthy Mr. Darcy. What ensues is one of the most delightful and engrossingly readable courtships known to literature, written by a precocious Austen when she was just twenty-one years old.
Humorous and profound, and filled with highly entertaining dialogue, this witty comedy of manners dips and turns through drawing-rooms and plots to reach an immensely satisfying finale. In the words of Eudora Welty, Pride and Prejudice is as 'irresistible and as nearly flawless as any fiction could be.'
"You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."
DNF at 100 pages. (DNF = Did Not Finish)
I wanted to love this book in the worst way. I'm beyond obsessed with the movie and Mr. Darcy, and I was hoping to end up being just as obsessed with the book. But, nothing seriously happened until page 100 and even beyond that point EVERYTHING happened at a snail pace - if at all. I was prepared to die of boredom and high expectations. Unfortunately, my first experience with Austen's work wasn't spectacular; but, I am hoping that I'll end up enjoying some of her other works.
What were your favorite April reads?
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- Anisa
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