book reviews – Books and Messy Buns

May 2018 Wrap-up

Published on June 2, 2018 by samseg1324Leave a comment

I can’t believe May is already over! Though I didn’t read as many books as I would have liked to, I did gain momentum in my reading, and met some of my reading goals!

Here are the books I read in the month of May!

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When Dimple Met Rishi, by Sandhya Menon

I actually really liked this book! This is a YA novel about Dimple, a girl who doesn’t conform to her mother’s traditional Indian expectations; she would rather focus on technology and app development rather than finding a boy that she can marry. In preparation for college, Dimple asks her parents to enroll her in a summer program for app development. They consent to Dimple’s surprise. Little does she know that her mother actually found a boy for Dimple to marry, and he’s going to be at this summer program as well! That’s When Dimple Met Rishi.

This story was so cute. Being a little above the typical YA age range, I did find some parts a little cheesy and angsty, but overall I really enjoyed it.

3/5 stars

Goodreads link here.

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Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen

I have made it my mission to read more Jane Austen novels, or rather all Jane Austen novels. Northanger Abbey was the beginning of this journey and the second Austen novel I’ve read aside from Pride and Prejudice. As I expected, I really loved this story. I thought the way it was constructed almost as metafiction was really interesting and well-done. I love that Catherine Morland is an avid reader, especially of horror/mystery novels. Because she reads so much, and she’s young and naive, she easily gets caught up in the stories she reads, and forgets to appreciate her own life.

It was really whimsical and there were several moments when I laughed out loud while reading. I think people often forget how hilarious Austen really is.

4/5 stars.

Goodreads link here.

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The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

I posted a full book review on this book in a previous blog. If you missed it, you can see it here.

This book is about Liesel Meminger, who goes to stay in the foster care of the Hubermans. It’s about her upbringing there in a poor German town during WWII Nazi Germany.

Pretty much, this book is freaking amazing. I was way behind on this train, but if perhaps you haven’t read this book yet, do it! You won’t regret it. This book is beautifully and masterfully written.

5/5 stars.

Goodreads link here.

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Wonder, by R.J. Palacio

Again, I was really late to this train. However, since I’m still taking that online YA Lit course, I chose this book for one of my lessons. And it did not disappoint. This book was so funny and sad and so so touching. It tells the story of August (Auggie) Pullman, who is starting the fifth grade after a life of homeschooling and who also has a facial deformity. It’s a sweet and unique coming-of-age story that really forces the reader to gain some perspective. I love love loved this book so much.

5/5 stars.

Goodreads link here.

Those are all of the books I read during the month of May. While it wasn’t as many books as I would have liked to read, I had such a good reading month as far as the quality of the books. If you’ve read any of these books, I would love to discuss them with you in the comments below!

Stay tuned for my June TBR coming out sometime in the next week!

And don’t forget, you can find me in other cyber spaces:

Instagram: @bookrecs625

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5603168-samantha-gilmore

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Book Thief

Published on May 29, 2018May 29, 2018 by samseg13241 Comment

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I have to say straight out that I’m very late to the game with this book. That being said, if you by any chance haven’t read this book, GO DO IT, NOW! This book is stunning, brilliant, powerful, and resonant. Those of you who have read it know what I’m talking about. There’s a reason I’ve never heard a bad thing about this book. It’s truly AMAZING.

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak is about a young German girl named Liesel Meminger, who goes into the foster care of Hans and Rosa Huberman. Liesel is entranced by words from the moment she steals her first book from the snow covered ground. With the help of her loving foster father, her love for words grows while trying to survive in the throes of Nazi Germany during World War II. Liesel continues to steal books wherever she can get them as her situation becomes more and more dangerous, especially when her foster parents hide a Jew in their basement.

This book is heart-wrenching, and I’m not going to lie, I did tear up reading this book. I think one of things I loved most about this book was Zusak’s choice of narrator. I think it’s such a brilliant and creative move that adds to the flow of the narrative, as well as adding to its depth and poignancy.

Another aspect of this book that I really loved was the relationship development between Liesel and the other characters in the book. Much like our reality, none of Liesel’s relationships with the other people in her town were instant; the trust wasn’t instant with any of them. But slowly, it grows. After several nights filled with night terrors and vigils by her bedside, Hans Huberman becomes her papa. After surface-level beratement and profanity-filled lectures, Liesel finds that Rosa Huberman is very much her big-hearted mama. After much trepidation and nights and days spent reading, Liesel finds a new brother in Max Vandenburg. And after years of mischievous adventures, Liesel finds love and friendship in Rudy Steiner.

I loved everything about this book. The hype is real and very much deserved.

5/5 Stars.

If you’ve read this book, please let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Don’t forget you can find me in other cyber spaces!

Instagram: @bookrecs625

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5603168-samantha-gilmore

Oregon Book Haul!!

Published on August 16, 2017August 16, 2017 by samseg1324Leave a comment

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Around this time last year, I got married. My new husband and I flew to Oregon for a small, fun honeymoon in Portland. Of course, I went to Powell’s City of Books. For our one-year anniversary, we decided to road trip with my mom and sister back to Portland.

Of course, I went to Powell’s City of Books.

It’s safe to say I purchased A LOT of books in the past five days. Most of these were purchased from Powell’s at two different branches: the Burnside Branch and the Beaverton Branch. A few were purchased at another favorite independent bookstore of mine: The Book Bin (located in Corvallis, OR).

My goal for this trip was to look for more contemporary books. I absolutely love fantasy, so my entire bookshelf mostly consists of fantasy. However, (most likely because it’s summer) I’ve been in the mood for contemporary lately, but I barely have any. So, my goal for this trip was to stock up on some good contemporary reads, both light and fluff as well as some on the heavier side.

Here are the books I purchased while in Oregon!!

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The Problem with Forever, by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The main thing that caught my attention with this book was its gorgeous cover. I loved the splash of cover, and it definitely trumps her heinous covers for her Lux series! I’ve already read this book, and I enjoyed it. It wasn’t amazing, but it keeps you entertained and makes it difficult to put down.

Here’s the Goodreads link for the synopsis.

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All the Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven

Definitely on the heavier side.