This quarter I challenged myself to read books I normally wouldn’t. I’ve been in a comfort zone and want to be sure to try new authors and genres. There were some surprisingly good reads in this group.
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die by James Mustich
This is a great book for any reader and those who might need guidance. It is simple to follow and has a ton of great reads included. This is a straightforward book with descriptions for each novel suggested. The author really knows his stuff.
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
Orlean masterfully weaves the events of the Los Angeles Public Library Fire in 1986 with her own feelings and recollections of libraries. This is a great book for library lovers and historical enthusiasts. It really brings to light the community role libraries play and their evolution in time. This book was hard to put down and was entertaining and informative.
Dear Heartbreak by Heather Demetrios
Dear Heartbreak contains letters written by teens to Heartbreak and are answered by various authors. The letters cover a variety of topics all within the individual’s feelings toward heartbreak and interpretations of situations. Some letters (and responses) are lengthy, while other cut straight to the point. Everyone has dealt with heartbreak and this book showed how humans respond to it. I love that the letters come from teens of different ages that have experienced different situations. I also appreciated the diverse tone and responses throughout.
Although targeted at teens, I feel that this book could be useful (and definitely appealing) to adults as well. As an adult, I could remember my experiences that matched what these current teens were writing about. It was equally fascinating to understand the author responses and their aged reflective and introspective wisdom.
This book was diverse, raw, and honest. Thank you for that.
A Messy, Beautiful Life by Sara Jade Allen
I really enjoyed this book. It was smart and funny and sad. This book had everything you’d expect from a good young adult romance, but also included deeper elements and tackled the hard issues.
The 7 Laws of Enough by Gina LaRoche
I really wanted to like this book, I just couldn’t connect with it. For books on this topic, it is important to feel like the author is talking to you personally. I appreciate the message and believe this book can be helpful for others, unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.
Creating Things that Matter by David Edwards
I thought this was an interesting book with a lot of thoughtful information and musings. However, I didn’t find it to be an easy read and feel like that might deter readers.
Thank you NetGalley for providing digital copies of these books in exchange for an honest review.