Mid-Year Reading Update

Hello book lovers! I hope that all of you are doing well. Is anyone else completely thrown-off by the fact that it is already June? Where has this year gone?? As someone dealing with the pressures of finding a job and moving, I do not appreciate time flying by – it only adds to the stress! June is also the halfway mark for those of us with reading goals for 2019. My goal is 35 books and I am only at 12, thanks to barely having any ‘fun reading time’ during the final months of my degree, which Goodreads likes to remind me as being ‘3 books behind schedule’. Thanks babe.

So for this week’s first post, I thought it would be fun to do a mid-year wrap-up with mini-reviews of what I have read so far, as well as a reminder to FOLLOW ME ON GOODREADS to keep up with my current reads. So let’s begin!

 

Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankin

Sadly my first book of 2019 was a two star that I had to read for my “life writing” creative writing module. Although I was a fan of the intentions behind the book, it just wasn’t my cup of tea – some essays were confusing or too short, while others went on too long and felt like unnecessary rambles with the author getting riled up by the topic (“racial aggressions in ongoing encounters in twenty-first-century daily life and in the media” – Goodreads). 

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

I must admit that I made the mistake of watching the Netflix film first which lead to me preferring the film over the book. As good as it was, and as much as I loved the characters, I felt like there was a lot that was left hanging or was just resolved for the heck of it, rather than the clever rewritten way of the film.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This was my first read from Taylor and I absolutely adored it. The character development is amazing, the plot is amazing and the ending will leave you feeling a bundle of emotions. I understand the hype behind the author and it’s well deserved – I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys contemporary/historical fiction. It was also one of my two five star books from 2019 so far so that really says something.  

To the River: A Journey Beneath the Surface by Olivia Lang

This was my final read for my creative writing module and though I enjoyed it more than Citizen: An American Lyric, it just wasn’t my type of memoir. The writing was lovely but the concept of a woman taking a journey along the river wasn’t the most enjoyable thing to read for me. I do have to say that her mentions of Virginia Woolf were my favorite parts though – I do recommend this book in that sense if you are a fan of Woolf.

The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy The Shocking Inside Story  by Ann Rule

To ease myself back into fun reading, I decided to listen to the audiobook of this true crime classic. I have been meaning to read it for over a year now but I have to say, if you are a fan of true crime, I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version instead. With all of the ‘hype’ surrounding Ted Bundy right now with the numerous adaptations, it was refreshing and hair-raising to listen to Ann Rule herself tell the story as she knows it.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Now for the book that the online book community has gone crazy over. I was so thrilled to finally read this, especially after realizing I had an arc from Penguin for months before realizing who Taylor Jenkins Reid was. It is written in script form so do bear that in mind if you pick it up. I didn’t expect that so I was quite thrown off originally but eventually I found it read quicker in that form – and made the experience so much better. It’s completely fictional but you feel as if you are watching a real documentary about the band from the ’70s. I definitely recommend it for any fans of era books.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

I read this in the midst of writing my first full draft of my dissertation and boy did this provide a much-needed escape. Although the story is non-fiction, you often forget that but then it hits you and you want to cry. Morris’ writing is stunning and you can feel how much love and care she put into sharing Lale Sokolov’s story with the world. I highly recommend this one for anyone and everyone because it’s an important reminder of history, as well as a unique story to hear from that time period.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

I went into this one with quite high hopes, seeing as it had received so much hype when first published two years ago. I found it quite hard to get into and then once I did, I just figured everything out quite quick which ruined the reading experience for me. Yes, it’s a neat concept but I have definitely read better books before (that didn’t receive as much hype).

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

I have been dying to read this one since it first came out so when I received my requested copy from my university library, I dived right in as soon as I got back to my flat. I went into this with no clue what the plot was and no expectations – which made it so much better. I adored the narrator, hated her sister, and was hooked the whole way through. I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a unique but short read, one that will leave you yelling and for any crime fans.

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

You can click here if you want to read my full review for this one, as it was my May Book of the Month, but I still recommend this book to everyone. It was beautifully written with fantastic representation, full of emotions (get ready to yell in frustration at times) and such an important read for this day of age. I highly recommend you pick it up if you haven’t yet.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Oh look, another hyped up book that I went into with high expectations. I enjoyed it but I didn’t love it. The characters were super unique and fun to read. However, the plot was a bit slow but the ending made it all worth it. I would recommend it to someone interested but I wouldn’t say it’s at the top of my list for must-reads.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

My latest read and one of my best ones so far. I absolutely love Leigh Bardugo and read her Six of Crows duology (set in the Grishaverse too) before starting this series – which thankfully did not harm my reading experience. Bardugo’s writing is one of my favorites with always creating characters I fall in love with, plots and twists that leave me shook and overall books that are hard to put down. I definitely recommend her books, particularly this series, if you are curious about the fantasy genre and want something smaller and easier to get into.

And that is it for my mid-year wrap-up! Now that I have put them into a list, it saddens me to see that I have had so many two/three star books this year, but this also has to do with the fact that I have been stricter with my ratings as of recently. I only give five stars to books I consider one of my favorites now so do bear that in mind while reading my “judgments”. I also wanted to say that I now post regular mini-reviews on my bookstagram (nearly) every time I finish a book so be sure to follow me on there (@papercupsandpaperbacks) if you don’t already. Until next time. x