As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I’ve been a bit behind on my reviewing here. But I’ve been doing plenty of reading!
That said, since it’s been awhile, I wanted to post a digest/update to give you the quick and dirty on my reading in the last few months. Think of it like CliffNotes. But with way less stress, because you’re totally not getting quizzed on any of this.
More complete reviews possibly to come at a later date.
Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling
Unlike most people in my generation, I missed the wagon on Mindy’s first book, Is Everyone Hanging Out With Me? (And Other Concerns). Regardless, when Mindy’s second book arrived, I decided to jump in—and why not, she’s hilarious!
This book was definitely a fun, quick read, with plenty of Mindy’s signature “I-know-you’re-jealous-of-how-fabulous-I-am-deal-with-it” humor peppered throughout. However, once the book was done, I felt like it didn’t stay with me the way other memoirs have. Rather than a dinner to chew on, this was like a macaron dessert: a treat that’s over too quickly and lacks real substance.
(But that never keeps you from eating a macaron, now does it?)
Winter by Marissa Meyer
Winter was one of my most anticipated titles for this year. I started reading the Lunar Chronicles way back when I first started this blog, and have been hungry for more ever since.
At a whooping 800 pages, this took me longer than I expected to get through. My biggest problem is that there seemed to be a lot of bluff within those 800 pages—there was obviously a lot happening, but a lot of chapters didn’t feel like they pushed the story forward in a meaningful way.
Overstuffed with plot while trying to weave in a Snow White retelling made this finale suffer, and I was a little disappointed with this read. However, Meyer did an excellent job of tying up all of her loose ends (and leaving a few open for fanfiction writers to exploit at will).
My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins
Okay: I’m a sucker for holiday-themed short story collections. (Is that technically a category?) With a phenomenal line-up of today’s top young adult writers, I quickly reserved my library copy, and committed to reading one short story a day in the days that lead up to Christmas.
Like all collections, this was hit-or-miss. A few of the stories felt like pulling teeth to get through (but, at 20-30 pages each, it was hard to come up with a valid reason not to.)
My two stand-out favorites came early in the collection: “Midnights” by Rainbow Rowell, a friends-to-lovers story set on various New Year’s Eves, and “Polaris Is Where You’ll Find Me” by Jenny Han, a quick story about a girl living with elves on the North Pole and longing for love. At the very least, this collection definitely got me in the holiday spirit.
You Deserve a Drink by Mamrie Hart
Mamrie Hart is one of the funniest, most outrageous women on YouTube. That’s not an opinion—it’s a fact. And her collection of personal essays quickly made its way into my favorites.
Mamrie talks about all manner of things (with a Mamrie Hart-twist, of course). From doing shrooms at a Flaming Lips concert, dealing with panic attacks and anxiety with a tall glass of whiskey, and getting generally drunk off her ass whenever the occasion arises—things I would be horrified and embarrassed to deluge—Mamrie lets it all hang out in the most well-written, honest, and hilarious fashion one could hope for.
Even if you’re not familiar with Mamrie’s work on YouTube, this book is easy to dive right into. Recommended.
Sweet Baby Jesus! by Caroline Praderio
Every semester, the publishing students at my alma mater (hi Emerson!) publish one book submitted by a student in the department. It’s a great experience to gain expertise in the overall publishing process: from acquisition, copyediting, marketing, and production.
Or so I’ve heard. I, obviously, was too busy reading comics studying to participate.
A friend of mine published a collection of her personal essays one year, and thank goodness she kept a few extra so I could read it in the near future. This is an honest and beautiful collection of personal essays, with punches of humor that hit you right in the gut. Loved every second of reading this book!
Ashleigh Reads 