I have been hit with a massive case of the blahs… No part of me wants to write a thing, which is a a problem considering how I had a story due 2 days ago in my Fiction class. Gots to pull myself together.
However, despite the blahs I completed 2 Latin assignments, attended 2 Zoom class calls, talked to about 3 different teachers today in regards to what I can do to educate my children, educated said children and did some assigned reading. I. Am. Pooped.
You did not come here to hear my woes tho. IT IS NEW RELEASE DAY!!!
1. Formula for a Perfect Life by Christy Hayes
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52430931-formula-for-a-perfect-life
Rating: 1/5 stars
Review: I realllllyyyyy wanted to like this. Life is crazy and I was excited for the possibility of a cute fluff read that would fill me up with warm fuzzies. And my main thought when reading this was really? Let me explain. There will be spoilers in this review from here on out.
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Okay so Kayla and Ben have a one night stand. Afterwards Ben does not call her or contact her. She finds out she is pregnant. She tells her friends, they are all shocked 😮 because omg premarital sex and a baby outside of wedlock…what year does this book take place in??? (At the end of the book, I discovered…2020 🤦🏽♀️) Shocker Kayla was a virgin. Ben is in basically an arranged relationship that is supposed to lead to marriage for reasons that are tragic but really doesn’t make sense because again 2020. His dad is aggressive and has a whole plan for Ben’s life laid out. His mom is basically a standard stereotypical SAHM (No shade, I am a SAHM I mean like the ones from old movies.) A baby DOES NOT fit into this plan. They are mad and make him choose…. look I don’t even want to rehash it. The fact is I couldn’t connect with these characters who have morals from the 50s but are living in 2020. It just seemed unrealistic. They are seniors in college. Every one is waiting til marriage??? this book felt like a book to scare teens and young adults from having sex. “If you have sex you will get pregnant and die.” I’m not recommending this one to my friends. Sorry 😐 -J
2. Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52377380-valentine
Rating: 4/5
This wasn’t what I expected. The story focuses more on what happens after the attack from the points of view of multiple characters on the town. It is basically about living in Odessa told from multiple points of view. It is definitely not light reading. They are all dark stories of hard lives filled with hopelessness and darkness. It focuses on the attitudes and social norms of the people of Odessa during the 1970 and long before. It definitely deserve a read just be prepared for a hard journey. -S
3. The Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag
Rating: DNF
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44428333-the-sisters-grimm
I feel bad about how hard I went on the other arc I read for this week. I didn’t read enough of this book to go that hard. I could not get into this book to even get to our usual 25% minimum. You get dropped into this world with no world building. I had nothing but questions and then there were like 6 different characters. (I made it 4% into the book and there were already 6 different POVs.) Every. Single. One of the female characters were being sexual harassed or in a relationship with a man they did not desire but benefitted from his money. I literally just could not. Hopefully it gets better but I couldn’t continue. -J
4. Efren Divided by Ernesto Cisneros
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52507955-efr-n-divided
Rating: 5/5 stars
What an amazing, touching story. A must read for everyone. This is a story of a Mexican American family where the parents are undocumented but the children are all citizens. It’s told from the oldest child’s point of view. Efren is in middle school. He has a twin brother and sister who are on elementary. Everyone in his neighborhood has been afraid of Ice raids that have been taking place. They live in a studio apartment and his mother makes miracles happen daily by feeding the kids with their limited budget. One day Efren’s mom is deported. We get to hear about the effects on the family. Efrens school work and behavior slips. The twins have trouble. The father is exhausted trying to make enough money for her to come back. It’s heartbreaking, but an honest look. I think everyone should read this. -S
Alright alright alright in my Matthew McConaughey voice. It is past time for me to pop this lid on my Angry Orchard. Stay safe yall… Stay home… I have stuff to do in August and September (BSB tickets and get married.)
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Happy Reading
Reading Robyn 