It’s time once again to share my April reads with Steph and Jana’s Show Us Your Books linkup. I read six books in April and unfortunately, only two of them were great reads. My reading hasn’t gotten much better, as we are almost half-way through May and I only have two books read. Here’s to hoping I can up my reading game!
2 Stars:
All the Wrong Places by Joy Fielding – This “suspense” book take a look at the world of online dating. The topic is relevant for today and I’m surprised that I haven’t read any other suspense type books that take on this topic. This book had a lot going on, however, I didn’t feel like there was any resolutions and was disappointed with the ending. I used to really enjoy Joy Fielding. However, I have not enjoyed her more recent books, including this one.
3 Stars:
Outer Order Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin – Rubin’s latest book offers tips and strategies to help create order and organization. I am a huge Rubin fan, but this is my least favorite book of hers. I didn’t really learn anything new in this book. I listen to her podcast Happier and I feel like she’s talked about almost everything that’s in the book.
The Me Without: A Year of Exploring Habit, Healing and Happiness by Jacqueline Raposo – Each month Raposo gives up one thing – social media, sugar, spending, etc. to see how it affects her. Suffering from a chronic illness and deep in debt, she wants to see if taking away things will help her. This was another okay non-fiction read for me this month.
The Storyteller’s Secret by Sejal Badani – After her third miscarriage, Jaya decides to travel to India to see where her mother grew up. Her mom never talks about her family or childhood so Jaya hopes to learn about her family’s past. Through Ravi, her grandmother’s family servant, Jaya discovers, “the storyteller’s secret.” This book was slow at times. However, I enjoyed learning about the Indian culture.
4 Stars:
No Exit by Taylor Adams – Darby Thorne gets stuck in a snowstorm on her way home to Utah to visit her dying mother. She’s forced to take up shelter in a rest stop with a couple of other people. When she sees a young girl locked up in an animal cage in the van parked next to her, Darby tries to figure out how she can help her. With no cell phone reception, in the midst of a major storm, this proves to be a very difficult task. This was a fast-paced read, with lots of twists. This is one of those books that I think would make a good movie.
The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger’s Apprentice #1) by John Flanagan – My son is participating in our library’s Battle of the Books summer competition. I have been trying to read the books that he has to read to help quiz him. This was the first book that he read. It’s the first book in a fantasy/adventure series. In the kingdom, it’s time for the teens to be given an apprentice to study under. Will really wants to be picked for Battle School but is selected to be a Ranger’s apprentice. This book started slow for me, as it set up all of the background. But the second half of the book really picked up. My son wasn’t the biggest fan of this book and likely won’t continue the series.
adding the Me without to my TBR list, it sounds interesting.
xo
Pinksole
Hope you enjoy!
No exit is being added to my TBR!
It was a good one!
I liked No Exit too. I think your right on it making a good movie.
Yes, that was a good one. They make so many books into movies, maybe this one will make it!
I feel like Gretchen Rubin really isn’t coming up with new content. She’s just repurposing her old stuff in a new package. I haven’t been interested in her stuff in a while as a result.
Yes, that’s exactly what it feels like.
I liked The Happiness Project & Better than Before, but haven’t listened to Rebun’s podcast/etc because it seemed like it could get repetitive really quick. Thanks for confirming!
The Happiness Project is my fave of hers!
I do want to read Outer Order, Inner Calm, but I don’t listen to her podcast so maybe it will be slightly new for me? We’ll see. I still need to read Four Tendencies by her.
-Lauren
You will likely learn things from Outer Order, Inner Calm since you don’t listen to the podcast. The Four Tendencies was better.
I also used to enjoy Joy Fielding but don’t anymore. The most recent books I’ve read by her feel like a chore.
Agree. I don’t want to waste my time reading “eh” books.
I havent read any of these. No exit sounds really interesting!
I love the SYUB link up because I also find so many books that I haven’t read or heard of.
I’ve seen No Exit and was curious about it. It does sound like it would make an interesting movie. Adding it to my TBR. I enjoyed The Happiness Project but read it years after it came it, so a lot already felt a bit stale. And I think that happens with a lot of self-help authors – they just keep repackaging their own stuff to fit whatever the current trend is.
The Happiness Project is my favorite of hers. I agree about self-help authors, but I still read so many of that genre of book!
No Exit sounds good!
Yes, I recommend!
I preferred Gretchen’s books (the first two) when I knew nothing else about her. They came off as much more authentic. Now, she’s already talked about everything in her books on the podcast.
Gretchen Rubin’s first two books are my favorite too.
While I didn’t love No Exit, I actually do agree that it could make a good movie! Sometimes it’s a lot of inner monologue that bores me in a book, and those are usually done away with in a movie!
Good to know about Gretchen Rubin’s book. I listen to her podcast I didn’t know if I would get more out of her book. I loved the storytellers secret or so but you are right . some parts of it were quite slow
Not from her newest book but I really like the Happiness Project and Happier at Home.
Oh man, I’m a sucker for “I gave up xyz for a year” books! Thanks for bringing another one to my attention!
I also love a good “year” experience book. Not just things given up for a year but people accomplishing things within a year.
That is so fun that you are reading the books with your son. I hope it ends up being a good experience as the summer goes on! 🙂 XO – Alexandra
Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
I really enjoy reading books aloud with my son and like that he still is into it. My daughter gave that up with me ages ago. It’s been different reading the same book but not together. I like being able to discuss it with him.