Something I’ve been doing a lot more of in 2020 (at least thus far) is reading! I love to read and always had my nose in a book growing up, but with so much reading for school the last thing I’ve wanted to do is read more than I have to. But, for some reason that’s changed in the past month or so, and I thought it was necessary to document.
I read five (yes, five!!!) books this month, and I enjoyed each of them. As you’ll figure out, I love a good romance with a little bit of mystery thrown in, as well as a Reese’s Bookclub recommendation.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (3.5/5 stars)
This book took me a while to get into, but I hate to start a book and not finish it. And I’d seen so many rave reviews, specifically from Reese Witherspoon, so I knew I had to finish it. I’m so glad I did!
The novel is about Kya, known as the “Marsh Girl” who is essentially abandoned by her family and lives by herself in the marsh. There’s some romance and a mysterious murder, and I was honestly shocked by who the murderer was! It was definitely an odd plot – I honestly couldn’t stop thinking of the movie Nell with Natasha Richardson, Jodie Foster, and Liam Neeson! (Side note: if you haven’t seen it, it’s so weird but very entertaining). Anyways, once I pushed through the first half of the book I really needed to know what happened and the end definitely made it worth the read!
China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan (3/5 stars)
This is the sequel to Crazy Rich Asians, which I really enjoyed (both the book and the movie!). I wanted to read this before the movie comes out (not sure when that is) and while I know I liked it, I don’t really recall much about it. It can be confusing between all the plot lines, but it’s generally a fun read.
After a quick Google search to refresh my memory, this book focuses on Rachel finding her father and connecting with her half-brother, as well as some other family drama. There’s also an aspect of mystery which I liked, but if you wanted to wait for the movie I wouldn’t blame you!
Body Love & Body Love Everyday by Kelly LeVeque (5/5 stars)
My friend and fellow blogger, Amy Beth, talked about this book and Kelly’s Fab Four smoothies a while back. I hadn’t thought much about it until the past few months when I decided I really needed to pay more attention to what I was putting in my body. Honestly, I was just feeling sluggish, irritable, and overall kinda gross. Yuck. I have also struggled my whole life with experiencing low blood sugar. And I knew it all stemmed from what I was eating.
Body Love blew my mind. Literally. Kelly explains food and how it affects your body in ways that are easy to understand and based in science/biology. Body Love Everyday does the same and provides more recipes, as well as walks you through the best way to eat for you life style. I definitely don’t follow Kelly’s plans or guidelines perfectly (she insists this is NOT a diet!) – I still eat sugar and fruit and gluten. And definitely won’t be stopping anytime soon. But I’m much more aware of what I put in my body and how affects me. This book has genuinely changed my life!
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (4.5/5 stars)
This book took me by surprise – I did not think I would like it! I’d read one bad review of it (in a sea of great reviews) and for some reason let that dictate my expectations. Much to my surprise, I was really invested in the storyline. It’s about a young woman, Eleanor, who is a bit socially awkward and has past trauma that’s a mystery to both her and the reader. She develops a friendship with a coworker that changes her life and uncovers what happened in her past. This book also made me laugh which is rare!!
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Next up on my list? Little Fires Everywhere, Followers, and Tell Me Everything. Now that I’m back at school I don’t know that I’ll have as many books to review by the end of this month, but I’ll be back with some more book reviews soon!
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