2017 Book Round-Up

I figured it was time to reflect on the books I've read so far in 2017, mostly for my knowledge because every time I make sure that I'm following up on my goal for the year to read a new book every month, I forget what I've read. I really haven't disliked any of the books I've read this year, so I figure this would also double as a list of book recommendations. I think I've talked about all of them at some point on my blog, so I'll try to link those posts so you can see more in depth thoughts about each book. Or just to see more written about them. I can't promise in depth, y'all know how I can't describe things by now.

January

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart - read my original post here

This was the first book I read in 2017 (I mean, duh, it was my January book) and was a really good kick starter to get me back into reading. It was fairly short (somewhere around 200 pages I believe) and super engaging. I think I read a majority of it, all of it sans twenty pages or so, in one sitting after I was babysitting for a long night. I could not put it down. I didn't want the parents to get home so I'd have to stop reading and risk figuring out the plot twist ending. I definitely give this book an 8.5/10.

February

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne - read my original post here

The more I see my friends and people talking about reading this on social media, the more jittery I get. I don't remember the last time I felt so involved in characters' lives that it physically caused me distress. Y'all, you gotta read this book. If you read any book from this list of books that I've already read, let it be this one. It's funny, chock full of good ole banter, and the chemistry between Lucy and Josh will literally make you want to rip your hair out...but in a good way. Honestly, I'm gonna give this one a 9/10 but I really want to say 10/10. 

March

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

I don't think I have an original blog post for this one, but I cannot remember. I bought this book ages ago, right when it first came out with the intentions to binge read it. Then...I never did. I think I started it, got about thirty pages in, set it down and never touched it again. I don't even think I had it in my apartment or dorm with me. I literally left it at home, 200 miles away from where I was living full-time. I digress, it took me forever to actually read this book which was really dumb of me. I don't even know what to say about it without spoiling it but like...if you want to try to figure out a murder mystery through the spotty, alcohol infused memory of the main narrator, Rachel, this is the book for you. I give it a solid 7.5/10.

April

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon - read my original post here

I mostly read this book because I wanted to see the movie because I heart Amandla Stenberg. Plus, I like YA books. They're my favorite kind of book (more on that some other time this week). This one was really cute and was a pretty quick read (I read it literally in one sitting on Easter). It wasn't my favorite book of all time and was a little bland for me, but that's not to say I wouldn't recommend it to somebody. I would give it a 6/10.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver - read my original post here

This was one of those books that I didn't think I would finish. I talked about it in the blog post, but there was a point somewhere around 60 pages in (give or take, I don't have the book with me as I sent it to a friend so I can't pinpoint the exact location) that I wanted to put the book down and never pick it back up. The narrator, Sam, and her friends are very privileged and downright mean girls and it's really not fun to read a book through the eyes of a mean girl. However, the more the book progresses, the more you see the character development at least in the narrator (not so much her friends, but at least in the book you do get a decent amount of background information as Sam begins to dig deeper. All in all, even if it felt pretty repetitive at times (I mean, how many times can you read about the same day over and over again, even with the slight changes?), it wasn't a bad book by any means. The movie on the other hand...I give it a 6.8/10!

May

Yes Please by Amy Poehler - read my original post here

I read and enjoyed this book as a fan of Amy Poehler. Obviously, there are mixed reviews about a lot of things, so it's no surprise that this book had positive and negative reviews. I explained in the post that a lot of criticism I saw was about its sort of disorganization and how it seemed spotty and random at times. I took this book less as a memoir and more as a stream of consciousness. Even Amy herself said she probably shouldn't have been writing a book the state that she was in and you can sort of sense that in the rambles, the time-hopping, and the occasionally vague moments (much like my blog posts...oooooh, #SelfBurn). That's how my brain works too though. Things are rarely linear, so I appreciated a book that I could follow along with in that sense. I'd give it a 7/10!

June

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han - read my original post here

Y'all should know by now how much I stan Jenny Han and this book trilogy. I am obsessed with Lara Jean and the rest of the Song girls. I love Kitty. I loved the fake dating trope in the first book of the series. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT. Really, just with these three books, Jenny Han climbed nearly to the top of my list of favorite YA authors (nobody will ever trump Sarah Dessen though, she's my homegirl...but again, we'll talk more about her later this week #SpoilerAlert). What was I saying? Oh yes, this was the third and final book in the To All the Boys I've Loved Before series and I was really hesitant to read not because I was nervous, but because I just didn't want it to end. I still can't tell if I liked the ending to Always and Forever, Lara Jean but I think I did? It's still setting in for me, honestly, even if I read it last month. I think it's just because I'm not ready to let it go so I'm going to dwell on it forever and ever. I can't wait for Jenny Han's next release, whatever it may be. I give this book a 7.5/10 (but a full 8.5/10 for the entire series).

July

The Girls by Emma Cline - read my original post here

I waited until this book went to paperback before I finally read it. It's a weird tick of mine. Sometimes I can wait, sometimes I can't. I was okay with waiting for this one. I liked the book, don't get me wrong! It was a slow start, but once I got towards the middle of the book, I became more and more intrigued by Evie, the narrator, and how she got semi-involved with a Manson-like cult. I would keep an open mind if you decide to read this book. I don't think it's for everyone, but for a debut novel, Emma Cline kicked some boooootayyyy. I'd give it an 8/10!

What have you read in 2017 so far?