Wednesday, 2 September 2015

What I've Been Reading In August




Hey guys!

I'm a little late with my What I've Been Reading In August post, but better late than never, right? I've read quite a mix of books this month (well, last month, to be exact), including Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton, and The Ugly Stepsister, a fairly new book, by Aya Ling.


1. Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

For some reason, I was very late to jump on the Fangirl bandwagon, and now that I've finally read the book, I have realised how overrated it is. Fangirl is a little too long and there are pages and pages where nothing much seems to happen. On the contrary, Cath is a character with whom I can easily relate and connect - she's fairly normal and spends a lot of time online (I don't like to admit it, but I do). I enjoyed reading about Cath's relationship with Levi, and I liked the excerpts from Simon Snow, which were dotted throughout the book.


2. The Summer I Turned Pretty - Jenny Han

The Summer I Turned Pretty is a lovely summertime read, with its combination of the beach and first love. Jenny Han's novel is sweet and surprisingly moving - I didn't expect to cry! However, Belly is quite immature and has a tendency to be annoying, so I couldn't really connect with her. Other than that, The Summer I Turned Pretty is a great book for the beach or a holiday as it's light-hearted and easy to read.


3. Perfect Chemistry - Simone Elkeles

I absolutely LOVED this book! I'm always up for a forbidden love story, and Perfect Chemistry is just that. It's well-written and clear that Simone Elkeles did her research. Brittany and Alex are such an unlikely couple, but they're perfect for each other! Can't wait to read the sequel, Rules of Attraction.


4. The Miniaturist - Jessie Burton

I was looking forward to reading this book, and fortunately it didn't disappoint. The Miniaturist is Jessie Burton's debut novel, though you wouldn't believe it. The Miniaturist makes an unusual and intriguing read. It's intense and dark, and emotional too.


5. Ash - Malinda Lo

















Due to the fact that it is a retelling of Cinderella, I was looking forward to reading Ash. I'd heard mixed reviews about it, but the book has an interesting premise, one which I have not come across before in retellings of Cinderella. While Ash is undoubtedly an original take on my favourite fairy tale, with its LGBTQ twist, the whole Cinderella part does seem a bit unnecessary. Cinderella (or Ash, in this case) is supposed to fall in love with the prince, and in Malinda Lo's story, the prince plays such a minor part. Also, Sidhean, the fairy-godmother-like character, is really creepy! Though I admit I do feel somewhat sorry for him. There is also a lot of preamble, with Ash going into the woods on several occasions in hope of finding fairies - a bit ridiculous, if you ask me. As a result, we don't actually get to meet her love interest until quite late in the book. Despite my criticisms, I have to give the author credit for choosing such a controversial theme, and I did like Lo's writing, as well as her beautiful vivid imagery. I also love the cover of the copy I bought.


6. The Ugly Stepsister

I received an ARC copy of The Ugly Stepsister from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review (the full version of which will be posted in due course). The Ugly Stepsister has an interesting premise - like Ash, this book is another retelling of Cinderella, but in this version a teenage girl is sucked into the fictional world and has to try to get Cinderella to fall in love with the Prince so that she can return to modern life. The girl, whose name is Kat, becomes one of the Ugly Stepsisters, hence the title of the book. The Ugly Stepsister is a fun book, and Kat's clumsiness is quite hilarious.  



What books have you read recently? Any suggestions for future reads?


Hasta luego!


Serena

27 comments:

  1. The summer I turned pretty has been on my wishlist for so long! Will need to give it a read!

    Pam xo/ Pam Scalfi♥

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  2. You've been reading loads, I wish I had the time to read so much. I've not read anything recently although I've been meaning to read Gone Girl as I loved the film and a few friends have said the book is better

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    1. Well I have been off uni for almost four months! I'd quite like to read Gone Girl too.

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  3. These books sound quite interesting. I will be checking them out.

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  4. Id be keen to read Ash or The Ugly Stepsister, as a big Cinderella fan :)

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  5. What a great selection of books! I wish I had more time to read!

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    1. I'm not looking forward to starting work! There are so many more books I want to read!

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  6. Ooh I will have to add these books to my kindle :) a great list!

    Happy reading :)
    Claire
    X

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  7. I wanted to love the miniaturist so much but it left me feeling flat, I've not read any of the other books you have selected so I'll have to look out for them.

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    1. I think the miniaturist has mixed reviews. I did enjoy it.

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  8. I can't believe you have managed to read all those, I just don't seem to get a minute to pick a book up lol x

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  9. Not heard of any of these - but they sound really interesting. I have a really long list of books to read!

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  10. That is a lot of books to have read in a month. I wish I could get through one!

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    1. I was actually hoping to read a few more but I think 6 is maybe quite a lot, even if I am on my summer holiday!

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  11. You have read so much, last month I went all YA and read the Lux series which I had downloaded at some point in the past and actually quite enjoyed it. x

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  12. Wow you have read lots! To be fair, before I had my children I used to read loads of books. The last one I read was The Good Girl which I've reviewed on my blog

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  13. I have not read in years! Honestly I have been that bad! Its crazy!

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  14. I really should make time to read more books. I like the sound of Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell.

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  15. Thanks for sharing the collection. I must go back to reading more , feel like I need 48 hours in a day to do that just now :) good job you!

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  16. So many people have told me to read Fangirl and now I am not so sure x

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  17. Wow I'm in awe about how much you read! Some great suggestions and perfect timing as I'm looking for a good juicy book x

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  18. I wish I had more time for reading, I used to be such a bookworm! Maybe one day eh? I've heard that Perfect Chemistry is really good, I'd love to read it someday X X

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  19. I really need to start reading more! The Summer I Turned Pretty sounds really good.

    Daniella | Freshly Pressed Beauty

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