I love all the book recommendations I have gotten from this link-up! Thanks Steph and Jana for hosting! It has kept my library hold list full. I pulled a quote(s) for all of my reads this month, it was fun! I tried to tag quotes as I read, but sometimes I would forget to actively keep that in mind. The descriptions are pulled from Goodreads to make it a little easier to relate to my reviews, and to give you an idea of what the book is about. The top title is linked to Amazon and the book cover is linked to Goodreads.
Yes, Please! by Amy Poehler
In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book is full of words to live by. -Goodreads
Like most of what blogland already knows, what’s not to love. She’s funny, cute, positive, and writes in a no bs voice. I could see her sitting up at night, writing thoughts down to form this book. It came across more honest, maybe a bit less buttoned up than BossyPants. It read very easily, and made me like her that much more. I loved that she included little bits about the Parks & Rec crew. One thing that struck me as funny is how Poehler’s description of Aubrey Plaza sounds so close to the of character of April that she plays on Parks & Rec. I could totally see April dressing up as an alien to greet Leslie to cheer her up. It’s a great book, maybe a bit rambly, but that is part of it’s charm.
“Good for her! Not for me.”
I realize that this is a well known quote from her book, but it’s just so true, it is the one that stuck with me. There of course tons of little tidbits of knowledge and quotes that come from this book to choose from. I also really loved her discussion of the “little demon living in your head”.
Bird Box by Josh Malerman
Most people ignored the outrageous reports on the news. But they became too frequent, they became too real. And soon, they began happening down the street. Then the Internet died. The television and radio went silent. The phones stopped ringing. And we couldn’t look outside anymore. Malorie raises the children the only way she can; indoors. The house is quiet. The doors are locked, the curtains are closed, mattresses are nailed over the windows. They are out there. She might let them in. The children sleep in the bedroom across the hall. Soon she will have to wake them. Soon she will have to blindfold them. Today they must leave the house. Today they will risk everything. -Goodreads
I flew through this one in one night, so the story hooked me. It was an easy read and I felt like it grabbed you from the beginning. The story goes back and forth, from present to past, but flows nicely. I wish you learned a bit more about the things or what was happening with the rest of the world. Thank you Kathy, for this recommendation!
“Two worlds whose compounds were entirely foreign might cause damage to one another if they were to cross paths.”
The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes
In 1916, French artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his wife Sophie to fight at the Front. When her town falls into German hands, his portrait of Sophie stirs the heart of the local Kommandant and causes her to risk everything – her family, reputation and life – in the hope of seeing her true love one last time.
Nearly a century later and Sophie’s portrait is given to Liv by her young husband shortly before his sudden death. Its beauty speaks of their short life together, but when the painting’s dark and passion-torn history is revealed, Liv discovers that the first spark of love she has felt since she lost him is threatened… –Goodreads
This reminded me a bit of Those Who Save Us. I enjoyed this one, but I liked Me Before You better. The ending was good and the book kept me interested, but overall I was not wowed.
“I often think that the ability to earn a living by doing the things one loves must be one of life’s greatest gifts”
“Nobody listens anymore. Everyone knows what they want to hear, but nobody actually listens.”
The Gemini Effect by Chuck Grossart
A single raindrop opens a Pandora’s box when the spawn of perverse genetic research performed during World War II is unleashed on an unsuspecting modern world. By dawn, only a dead city remains, eerily quiet and still, except for mutant beasts that hide from the light, multiply, and await the shadows of night to continue their relentless advance.
Ordered to investigate the unfolding crisis, biowarfare specialist Carolyn Ridenour barely escapes the creatures’ nocturnal onslaught, saved in the nick of time by Colonel Garrett Hoffman, who lost hundreds of his troops to a swarm that neither bombs nor bullets can stop. –Goodreads
I liked the premise of the book, but the writing was blah. I hated how the Vice-President & Chief Security Advisor, two women, were portrayed. It was like they were “this close” to having a cat-fight over the president. The “romantic” relationship side of the characters were presented in a clunky manner and did not fit the story well. Poor character development overall. I wouldn’t recommend this book. This was a Kindle first book.
“We all have to know things we wish we didn’t have to these days. It was a sad thought.”
“Nature had been fucked with. And Mother was pissed”
Monday’s Lie by Jamie Mason
Dee Aldrich rebelled against her off-center upbringing when she married the most conventional man she could imagine: Patrick, her college sweetheart. But now, years later, her marriage is falling apart and she’s starting to believe that her husband has his eye on a new life… a life without her, one way or another. -Goodreads
This was a really well written book. I tagged 10 passages to use as a possible quote. I was less drawn in by the plot, but more by the words on the pages, which sounds weird. The plot was good, but it was the little bits of wisdom that were thrown in the dialogue from mother to daughter that made this book excellent. The way she expressed passages/ideas was what set this book apart for me, not the plot itself. I totally stole this book from Lauren when she mentioned currently reading it in her February book re-cap, so make sure to hop over to post and see what she thought of it too!
This first quote was from her acknowledgments, I was struck with how she expressed this:
“But it’s the reader I don’t know who is back here with me now, at the very end–the end that’s just slight after The End, who I want to thank especially. It doesn’t matter that I wrote this in my office, all through a morning that is threatening a storm that I’m now starting to doubt is ever going to do its thing. Through the art and science of words and publishing, the real now is the now of you reading this, the now of you having given this book a slice of your time, wherever and whenever you did it, and whatever the season and the weather where you are. Thank you for doing that.”
“But a story is a house, a home for something that happened. The truth lives there forever, along with its cousins, the half-truths, and also with everyone’s servants-the lies. And no house has only one door. There’s always another way in.”
“There is certainly freedom in all the things that everyone wants, all the things they tell us we should be. Who is smarter than me, who is prettier than me, faster than me, richer than me? And then my peculiar jealous question: Who is more normal than me?”
“You know what to do, my darlings. And if you don’t, do what you think you’d do if you were exactly the person you wanted to be.”
What have you been reading lately?
Awesome books! I definitely want to read Bird Box now!
Thank you Christina! It was good, fast read 🙂 Sometimes it’s nice to have those kinds of books as an option.
Wow you read that on one day?! Cool. I gotta read it! I want to read Amy’s book too.
Yes, the story really draws you in, and I just had to see how it ended 🙂
I have a friend who recommends books to me, and she usually isn’t wrong. Bird Box is not my kind of book, but she says I should read it. Now, reading your review…I think I just shall do that. Those Who Save Us is sitting on my floor waiting to be read…and I’ve yet to read any JoJo Moyes even though bloggerland has convinced me I should.
Bird Box definitely pulls you in, a nice fast-paced read. Those Who Save Us was not my favorite, good parts and not so good parts. I would still recommend it.
Yes Please is on my list too. The second half of the Girl You left was a little bit less interesting than the first half. Monday’s lie sounds interesting. I’ll have to add it.
I enjoyed Monday’s Lie, more for the writing than the plot, but I still recommend it!! Totally agree on that assessment of The Girl You Left Behind. And I thought I was the last one in blogland to read Yes Please 🙂
I really enjoyed Yes Please. Amy is all kinds of awesome. The way she supports instead of competes with other women is something more people need to do.
I didn’t love The Girl You Left Behind but I did like it, even if it bored me a bit throughout. Bird Box seems interesting.
Yes, Poehler certainly has some kick-ass lessons on being a lady 🙂 Exactly with the The Girl You Left Behind, the story just didn’t keep me engaged the whole time. Bird Box is very different kind of story, I flew through it.
“Good for her, not for me!” was the best quote from Amy’s book I agree.
I’ve had Monday’s Lie on my to read list forever, it gets such mixed reviews I keep putting off picking it up.
I know, I just love that quote so much!! It’s sums up so many disagreements perfectly 🙂
As I mentioned love the writing but the plot was so so, I thought it was predictable after a certain point and anti-climatic in a way.
I loved Yes Please and I actually really enjoyed how rambly she was. It was like she just took pen to paper and wrote away.
Bird Box sounds terrifying. I’m not even sure I could read it…
I already sound confused and lost from The Girl You Left Behind synopsis. But I *did* LOVE Me Before You.
Totally agree, I think it was part of the charm of Yes Please. I think Bird Box was more suspenseful than terrifying, maybe a bit terrifying if you really thought about it 🙂
I love checking out other peoples’ reads! I find I am way more intrigued by the books this way, then by seeing them on display in a book store!
I find I go through phases with my reading those, I’ll binge read for weeks at a time, and then I won’t pick one up for months. I need to get more consistent, maybe a book club would help!
-Linds
Me too, I’ve read many books from recommendations, that I might not have picked up otherwise. It’s nice to have such a steady stream of book recommendations!
I wish I had the discipline to stick to a book club, but for whatever reason I don’t. It’s great to read your book reviews! You always introduce some I haven’t heard of that sound intriguing. “Bird box” is on my list now, as is “The girl you left behind”. Did you know that “Me before you” is being made into a movie? I think it’s coming out next year. I’m excited for it!
I didn’t know that Me Before You was going to be a movie. I’m so behind on what movies are coming out 🙂 It seems so depressing for a movie. I really enjoy this link-up because it has helped me pick reading back-up. I use to read all the time, but once I started the blog I stopped reading books. I glad I’ve been making time for reading again. It helps not to have to “look” for something to read.
See I want to do these linkups, but then life happens, and then I just can’t deal with the structure or rules at that moment! But I know it would be fun to participate. I’m reading a good book now, slower than when I started. I plan on doing a book review. We should do a book swap! -Jessica L
I understand that! This one is really laid back, you just write about what you read, in whatever way you want to. I totally would do a book swap but I’m a digital girl. I don’t think any of my books I’ve reviewed have been hard copies. I get like 90% from the library e-loan too.
bird box sounds so interesting! adding to my list. i can’t decide if i loved me before you or the girl you left behind more – i just finished one plus one and i think that they’re all so different it’s hard to compare.
Yes, agreed the storyline of Me Before You and The Girl Left Behind are very different. They both have that understory of romance pulling through the storyline. Vastly different endings! I just added One Plus One to the to-read, I think I will hold off on putting a hold on it to give myself some space from reading the same author. Looking forward to your review of the Bird Box.
I liked Monday’s Lie until I started wondering when something was going to happen (it felt a bit drawn-out, at least as an audiobook) so I went to reread the synopsis and it TOLD ME the biggest plot point of the book! I blame the publisher for that. I did think it was beautifully written, though. I just added Bird Box to my list.
Yes, the story was drawn out. I didn’t find the base plot of the husband/wife all that great. I loved how it was written, the base plot could have been much improved upon and have a little more about the mother’s life in there. Oh, that sucks they allowed spoilers!! That is why I don’t try to write summaries of what the book is about, I’m afraid I will ruin it for someone. I’m interested to see what others think of the Bird Box.
I liked Me Before You better than The Girl You Left Behind too. I’m intrigued by Bird Box….
The story for The Girl You Left Behind is good, but I just thought the characters were much more developed in Me Before You. You should check it out, I flew through it.
i’m sl glad you liked bird box!! wasn’t it such a good story? although it was a bit strange (i mean, WHAT WAS THE THING THAT MADE YOU CRAZY?!) it was told so well. try the Infected series by Scott Siglar….i inhaled those books in a matter of days.
I did like the Bird Box!! Totally agree, I wanted to more about the THING, what is it, where did it come from, how does it make people go insane…there needed to be more about it! I have added it to the list! Thanks so much for such great recommendations!
Bird box looks really good!! And yes, I am happy to say I’m still reading.
Yay CeCe!! Glad you’ve been able to find the time for it!! It was a fast paced, unique story!
I suck, I screwed up the date and the link up is next Tuesday. I will link your post up for you!
Bird Box is on my list.
That’s happened with me before, where I am hooked on the quotes I find in the book but don’t really care too much for the book itself or even sometimes the quotes in context.
I also liked Me Before You better than The Girl You Left Behind.
I’m sorry Steph, totally missed that. Well, I guess for once I’m early on a post 🙂
The characters stood out more for me in Me Before You than The Girl Left Behind.
Thanks for the review of The Girl You Left Behind. It’s on my list. I wasn’t completely wowed by Me Before You, so I was thinking so historical fiction might be more my thing. And I loved Those Who Save Us, so thanks for making the connection!
It feels quite similar to Those Who Save Us, because it has the future/past connection and topic. You should give it a try.
O some good ones in there! Oddly one of the quotes from the last book follows along nicely with some things I have been thinking about today.
I really enjoyed the quotes from Monday’s Lie. I particularly love the last quote, it’s an interesting way to look at things. It’s basically like a variation on fake until you make it 🙂