Last year I made a resolution to read more. My goal was to read 21 books in 2021 and I surpassed my goal by reading 24 books! I have never been an avid reader. I've always struggled to retain what I just read, I have to have incredible focus, and I need silence. All of that makes it difficult to read. For the longest time I never thought I was a reader. But then, I found the genres that captivate my unfocused, easily distracted mind - romcoms & mystery/thriller with the occasional autobiography, but as an audiobook preferably read by the author. I need a good book to pull me into the pages and make my current world disappear for an hour or two. Here were the books that did this for me and... the books that didn't.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ | Loved it. Will read again. |
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ | Great book. Would read again. |
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ | Good book. Could possibly read again. |
⭐️ ⭐️ | Okay, but wouldn't read again. |
⭐️ | No thanks. Never reading again and wish I hadn't. |
AUTOBIOGRAPHIES
Becoming by Michelle Obama ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ This woman is an amazing human. If you are looking for a powerful and influential story, she is your girl.
Open Book by Jessica Simpson ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ I enjoyed getting to hear the BTS of the music scene and learning more about how she got started in the industry and her rise, but hearing all the hard things Jessica went through broke my heart.
Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick ⭐️ ⭐️ I like Anna Kendrick, which is why I listened to her book, but I mainly wanted to hear what she had to say about Twilight.... but I was let down because she didn't say much.
Green Light by Matthew McConaughey ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Okay, this man lived. a. life. He had so many interesting stories & I loved learning about how he became the famous heart throb he is today. He has such a unique voice that was enjoyable to listen to & it felt like he was just telling me his life stories rather than reading his book.
Wildflower by Drew Barrymore ⭐️ ⭐️ I always enjoy listening to audiobooks by the author, but Drew is a wild reader; she quite literally screams AARRGGGHHHH, several times. Her book was also was non sequential which made it very hard to know when in her life she was talking about.
How Y'all Doing? by Leslie Jordan ⭐️ ⭐️ Discovered him on TikTok with his famous line that is now the title of his book & he always made me laugh, so I wanted to know more about him & now I do.
SERIES
To All The Boys I've Loved Before ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (YA) Could not put down. Loved the love story and even the family dynamics.
P.S. I Still Love You ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️(YA) Yet again, couldn't put down. Better than the first book. Thought it was so cute & I loved watching their relationship blossom.
Always and Forever Lara Jean ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (YA) Of course, couldn't put down. The romance is so heartwarming, adorable and cute. This series is well written, entertaining, and lovable. Such a good conclusion to an amazing series.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ I am rereading the series and they are as great as the first time. It was wonderful and magical. When I reread again, I want to read the illustrated versions!
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ The magical wizarding world of Harry & Hogwarts is just such a fun read.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ My favorite book and favorite movie. This is when things finally get more interesting and the books are starting to get darker.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ The longest book of my life; it was such a slow book. Of course I still loved it. There were a lot of extra scenes that you don't see in the movie and I I didn't care for too much in the book. This is the first time I've preferred a movie over its book.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️(LGBTQ) This book was so beautiful. It took a minute for me to get into, but then I was hooked. These boys captured my heart. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️(LGBTQ) I cried; I smiled; I feel in love with Aristotle and Dante yet again.
ROMANCE
Red, White & Royal Blue ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️(LGBTQ) This book is so cute and I loved that it was a plot driven romance and not just a cheesy romance novel. It kept me eagerly waiting for the couples next interaction. I even enjoyed all the characters.
Would Like to Meet ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ A cute, enjoyable, and cheesy rom-com, which is what I'm here for. I liked how this was more about falling in love & not about giving into lust.
Everything, Everything ⭐️ ⭐️ (YA) The writing kept me reading, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the story.
The Sun Is Also a Star ⭐️ ⭐️ (YA) I love a good cheesy romance, but this was too cheesy for me.
The Night Circus ⭐️ THE WORST. This is the most perfect review I've ever read. Contains spoilers, but thats okay because you don't need to read this book anyway.
THRILLER/SUSPENSE
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ This book shook me. So good, but so strange.
In a Dark, Dark Wood ⭐️ ⭐️ Quick read, but not my favorite. I really wanted to like this book, but it was a bit predictable, I didn't really like the characters & I didn't get that suspense feeling that I was expecting. However, the chapters had cliff hangers, so it kept me wanting more.
FICTION
Patron Saints of Nothing ⭐️ ⭐️ I wasn't a huge fan of this book, but it was very well written. Just some of the parts in the book were too slow for me.
Dear Evan Hansen ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (Musical) I LOVE this soundtrack, but knew nothing about the story. I played the soundtrack whenever it came to the part in the script and that made reading this so much more enjoyable! If you want a quick read, this is a great one.
Writing out all my reviews, I realized that I read some pretty good books last year! It's nice every once in awhile to get lost in a book rather than binge 15 episodes of my favorite shows. I will still do that... but I will continue with my reading journey. This year, my goal for 2022 is 22 books. How much longer can I set my goal to match the year? I'm not sure, but it makes me happy setting my reading goals this way. Happy reading friends and don't forget to leave me your recommendations!
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