Sometimes, it's just easier to sit down on the couch after a long day of school or work and mindlessly watch reruns of Gilmore Girls on Netflix instead of picking up a book. That's why I set a goal at the start of the spring semester to read for fun, even during the school year.
I'm proud of myself for following through with this, too! I picked some books I thought would be fairly light and fun reads so that I was more inclined to pick them up when I was trying to mindlessly procrastinate or relax in the evenings.
1, 2, & 3. The Crazy Rich Asians trilogy by Kevin Kwan
I really enjoyed this fun series! The books are so light and easy reads, which was perfect for relaxing after a long day of reading the dry, boring cases in my law textbooks. They were all sweet and a welcome change from my daily routine.
My only complaint about the first book was the names were a semi-struggle to keep up with. There are a lot of characters, mostly with short last names and I found myself getting a little mixed up here or there and having to go back to clarify which family we were discussing.
(NOTE: the ending in the book and the movie were very different! Don't let one dissuade you from the other; both were great in their own ways, though I'm partial to the books.)
The second and third books were much easier to keep up with since the characters didn't change from the first one.
By the third book, I was so happy to see how the story would wrap up and I wasn't disappointed with the ending. I did feel like some characters had just disappeared or had storylines that wrapped a little too neatly. Some didn't really seem to wrap up at all, but overall, it was great!
I'd give the entire trilogy 5/5 stars because I loved being able to read them in bed after a long day of school work. The commentary (footnote-style) from the author was very smart and funny, and I caught myself laughing out loud several times.
4. The Book of Essie by Meghan Maclean Weir
As a girl who watched hours upon hours of 19 Kids and Counting (back when it was only 17) one summer during high school and who could name all the kids in birth order from memory), I really enjoyed this book. I don't particularly love the Duggars, especially after some of their dirty laundry was aired out for the public to see, but I watched them the same way I watch the Kardashians... Not because I want to emulate them, but because it's a reality so different than my own.
Anyway, the story centered around a fictional family with their own reality show "Six for Hicks," whose daughter Esther mysteriously becomes pregnant at 17. The story is told from three different perspectives: Essie's, Roarke (they boy her parents want her to marry), and Liberty Bell (a former ultra-conservative news anchor who survived growing up in a cult). I liked how the story wove different narratives seamlessly, and I hope that this author writes more books soon! 5 stars!
Up next for Summer 2019...
I've read four of the six pictured above, and I can't wait to share more book reviews with y'all soon! I added even more to my list when I realized I was flying through all of these.
I was most excited for Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and it did not disappoint.
Don't forget you can send me a friend request to follow along on Goodreads and see what I'll be reading next!
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