Just Like You by Nick Hornby | Literary fiction, romance or social commentary?

Nick Hornby is one of those authors I always wanted to read more. Right after finishing «About a Boy» and «Slam» almost 10 years ago I intended to read his other books, but never got around to picking them up. Seeing his new novel on NetGalley, «Just Like You», made me incredibly happy! Not only because I knew I was going to enjoy the prose, but also because “tender but also brutally funny” sounded exactly like something I’d love!

I need to warn you though that this blurb is very misleading. On one hand, it does capture the bare bones of the story, but on the other hand, it makes you believe things that are not actually in the book. It made me wonder if I would have noticed that the main characters had “nothing in common” without reading the blurb.🤷‍♀️

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One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London | Great representation but poorly handled romantic relationships!

I wish I could say that I loved «One to Watch» by Kate Stayman-London… Sadly, it fell really flat for me. Maybe I should have known better and stayed away from a book inspired by the Bachelor TV show, which I’m not a big fan of. As much as I wanted to like Bea, the main character, her somewhat dubious behavior, and poorly handled relationships in the reality show context left a bad aftertaste. 

Now, don’t get me wrong! It wasn’t a total miss for me, and in fact, there were certain things that I liked a lot – for example, the plus-size women representation, the introduction of the asexual character, the lesbian friend (who was very smart about all the relationships I must say) and also seeing a fashion blogger who is not a standard 90-60-90. These were all great. But it definitely didn’t live up to my expectations.

Beach Read by Emily Henry | Witty, entertaining and absolutely swoon-worthy! ❤

Why don’t I read rom-coms more often? 

I’m so happy that I decided to listen to many glowing reviews of «Beach Read» and request it on NetGalley! Guys, if you haven’t read this book yet, make sure to pick it up this summer. It’s such a fast-paced and funny book, that will make you feel the whole spectrum of emotions. 

For a while now I have been avoiding romances and women’s fiction only because a couple of last books in these genres I read last year were nothing special, and after finishing them I always wished I’d spent my time reading something else instead. But «Beach Read» by Emily Henry is a must-read book for every book lover out there, even if romance is not your favorite genre. 

Dear Lily by Drew Davies | The perfect book to take on a trip to Copenhagen!

When I finally get my stuff together and plan a trip to Copenhagen, this is the book I will bring with me to read on the bus, airport and on the flight! Touching, witty and very emotional, it’s a perfect book to space out, lose yourself in someone else’s life, and enjoy the hustle and bustle of traveling.

Set in Copenhagen, Denmark, «Dear Lily» is a collection of letters from Joy to her younger sister Lily, where she recollects her experiences of moving to a different country, getting a new job, finding friends and dealing with mundane struggles of everyday life.

All the Little Lights by Jamie McGuire | Did I enjoy more the love story or the creepy settings? Or maybe THE twist?

Who would have thought that the popular hit Titanium would sound so amazing in music box version? I surely didn’t. But now I am completely in love with the tune. And I have to agree that the Spotify list for All the Little Lights that I found on Jamie McGuire’s website is spot on! Listening to it as I am writing this review, brings back all the feelings.

Make sure to turn this playlist on and get to know Elliott Youngblood and Catherine Calhoun.

Select by Marit Weisenberg | Sci-Fi? Paranormal romance?? Urban fantasy?? I need help classifying this novel!

I’ll stick with paranormal romance for now, although I think this can be a mix of all three sub-genres that I mentioned above. When it comes to Paranormal Romances, I am always slightly apprehensive because (1) they can be too “honey sweet” for my taste and (2) I end up wanting more paranormal and less romance.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell |Where I didn’t like Eleanor… Park was alright though!

Rainbow Rowell’s books will always hold a very special place in my heart.  2016 was the year of everything happening at once (good and bad) and one of the greatest things I’ve done last year was starting my blog and devouring «Fangirl» in one sitting, and I have been obsessed with her novels ever since.

After reading three of her contemporary novels, I was expecting «Eleanor and Park» to be just as warm and lighthearted. Oh, how wrong was I!

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley | A beautifully written novel about love and loss

This is probably one of the most beautiful contemporary books I’ve ever read. And if this is not enough to make you instantly pick up this book, I intend to praise it for another page or two – no matter how long it takes for me to convince you that THIS IS THE BEST BOOK EVER AND YOU NEED TO READ IT! (Did it work???)

Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh | The new series (trilogy?) I already added to my TBR list!

The first time I heard about «Flame in the Mist» by Renée Ahdieh, and I have to be honest here, it did not catch my attention at all. The only thing that interested me was the fact that Renée Ahdieh was already an author to another successful fantasy series (that I unfortunately haven’t read yet! When do I find time to read all of the series I want to read?? When??? )

After a careful thought on the subject and pushing away the terrifying idea of not being able to connect to the Japanese culture, I decided to give it a try. Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for the free ARC of this wonderful novel! As always, it in no way affected my opinion on this book.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas | Was it too similar to «Throne of Glass»?

I am glad to announce that I finally read the first book of the new (relatively new) Sarah J. Maas series! This was my top priority of April considering that the third book in the series, «A Court of Wings and Ruin», is coming out early in May. I had to see for myself what everyone was raving about and so I did!

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon | Was it Meant to Be?

I am saying it here and now! THIS BOOK IS BY FAR ONE OF THE BEST I’VE EVER READ! OMG! (the excitement is real). I cried and I smiled, then I cried some more. By the end of the book, there were tears on my cheek, my nose was runny, eyes red and I wore silliest smile on my face (Why do you do this to me, Nicola Yoon??).

July TBR & Currently Reading

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July will be a fun month, and I hope to be able to read way more books than in the previous months, although it will just as busy. But, I can definitely do it!

The books I am hoping to read in July are: