April Book Review

                                    

It's my April Book Review! 

You can down load a clickable pdf HERE

This month's books were okay - I had a few I really liked, one I LOVED, and a few I was "meh" over.

You can also follow my #jenrossreads and #jenrossreads2022 hashtags on IG!

Here are some quick reviews of the books for the month. 

Pieces of Her

So, I started watching this show and thought, huh. This seems like it would be a book. So I looked it up and she enough
Lol
I'm glad I watched the show first, it's pretty different than the book. One of the big (secondary) characters want even in the book and the events were pretty different once you got 1/3 through the book.

I liked both of them though!

The Glass Ocean

This book takes place in two different times - present day and 1915 when the Lusitania was sunk by a German U-Boat. What's interesting is that each of the characters was written by the different authors, and it's fun trying to figure out who wrote which character. ha! I have come to really love the historical fiction genre! 

The Paper Palace

This book came recommended by a few flowers, actually.
Honestly, I wasn't really into it in the beginning. I found it hard to follow, It goes backwards in time, then forwards in time, connecting the events ... but I'm glad I stuck with it! It's ended up being a really good book!!

The Maid

Hmmm... I'm conflicted on this book. And a lot of other reviewers say that it is NOTHING like Evicted, which I've never read, and they were disappointed in the book. I grew up with a mom who left an abusive husband when I was a baby, and had no job experience and we weren't well off at all, so I should have felt connected to this book, but I just didn't.

Ending with my favorite of the month!

The Perfect Marriage

Guys, I couldn't put this one down! Normally I do audiobooks - since I'm always on the go, but this one kept me wanting to read. It was a but far fetched at times, but really good - and the ending, totally didn't see that coming. AND if you have KindleUnlimited, it's free!

Happy Reading! 

March Adult Book Review

You can down load a clickable pdf HERE

This month's books were AMAZING. Pretty much all of them, I LOVED. You can NOT go wrong with Kristin Hannah, obviously, I read 3 of her books this month! 

You can also follow my #jenrossreads and #jenrossreads2022 hashtags on IG!

Here are some quick reviews of the books for the month. 

Daisy Jones & the Six

I'm a little behind on this one, but it was such a good Audiobook!

Took me a while to get into it because the whole thing is in an interview style, but i really started to get into the characters and the narrators did such a good job!

I highly recommend the audiobook version!

The Four Winds

Oh, Kristin Hannah
How would you know you would have been writing such an amazing historical fiction book.... but it would be so similar to what was going on right now? We're not yet to that point of the great depression, but gosh, so much of your book resonated so much with what has been going lately.

Once again, she captivates me and I was sucked in to the narrative and I cried and I got angry and I sympathized.

I have yet to meet a Kristin Hannah book, I wouldn't recommend.

The Unhoneymooners

Such a fun and light book.
I knew the ending, but it was a such a cute book getting there. I found myself giggling at her thoughts. I wanted to keep reading. If you're looking for a light book to get lost in, here you go!

The Great Alone

Oh.my.goodness
I am so thankful for such talented people in the world to share their beautiful gift of writing. I love getting lost in books.

@kristinhannahauthor you NEVER disappoint. I couldnt stop reading, but I'm so sad the book is over. I think I cried nonstop the last 30% of the book.

It'll easily stay at top of my list for one of my favorite books of the year.

Home Front

This book?! It had me in tears 80-90% of the time. It's about a mom/wife who gets deployed, and that all by herself is enough to bring you to tears, but the story then goes into what it's like when she comes home from Iraq (her helicopter was shot down). Kristin Hannah ALWAYS gets me, but then one?? I was ugly crying! 

The Perfect Girl

This one was different than I expected. The Perfect Girl is about a gifted 17 year old piano player and her mom as they start their lives over after the 17 year old is involved in a car accident that claimed the lives of 3 of her classmates. (not a spoiler...it says it on the back of the book!) On the night of the a big piano concert, someone murders Zoe’s (the 17 year old) mother and the book follows the mystery of what happened and who did it.  The book is told from multiple points of view. We get the lawyer’s POV, the aunt’s POV, the 17 year old’s POV, and eventually we read from the stepbrother’s and the uncle’s POV.

Happy Reading!

January Book Review {2022}

This month, since school started back up, and I was back to being in the car a lot - plus on the dog walks, I got in a few more books than in December. lol 

And this month was filled with a bunch of great books!!

Let's take a look! 

The Broken Girls - my first book of 2022

I actually had no idea what this book was about when I saw the recommendation to read it. Didn't even read the review  

But I really liked it! It's a mystery book (as that's what the library says ). It toggled between 2 time lines. So in the end you see how it all comes together.

https://amzn.to/3FOxeLo

 

  

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Have you read it? What did you think? After reading some friends' reviews, it was either hit or miss, but I really liked it! It's been in my TBR list a long time, and I don't know why I never felt the need to read it. It was definitely different than what I thought it was going to be, but I really liked it! 

https://amzn.to/32aBfeJ

 

Local Woman Missing - Oh. Em. Geeee

This book kept me guessing until the very end and I couldn't put the book down. I mean, I had to, because #momlife  I actually recommended this book to my friend, who happens to be a Doula and teaches yoga (just like the main character) and she was like ummm... this is eerie! lol

If you like mysteries/thrillers, grab this one!

https://amzn.to/31Fxb5X

 

Aww - A Man Called Ove

I know I'm late to this book, but I'm so glad I finally got to read it.

I LOVED this book. I loved this old man, and found myself laughing at his old man grumpiness and his love for his wife (who had passed away, but still was very much a part of the story).

AND one of my followers just told me that she heard they were going to be making an American version of this move with TOM HANKS!!

Oh my goodness. That's be so good

https://amzn.to/3o1lQoH

 

Such a good book. I loved her "One Day in December" book, but I like this on even more.

Lydia loses her fiance in a car accident and basically ends up living two lives, one in reality, and one in her dreams.

I spent a lot of this book super emotional (I mean, I cry ALL THE TIME with commercials and movies, so this is no surprise lol)

I loved watching the main character grow and learn.

It's also a British book, which I love.

It's not a light hearted chick lit, but still a good book!

https://amzn.to/3K3WwYu 

 

Ok, I can't decide on this one.
On one hand I really liked it, but in the other hand... I just don't know. Maybe it was the style of writing?? But I liked the story line.. its actually kind of appropriate for today's dating world. She meets someone on a dating app - and things start happening!

Idk. Have you read it?? What did you think??

https://amzn.to/3fQUI7w

 

Our Woman in Moscow-

I didn't think I was a historical fiction book person, but Beatriz Williams keeps changing my mind...and she's becoming one of my go to authors! I really liked this one too. 
Another good book by her!!

https://amzn.to/3JY0MZp

]

December Book Review {2021}

December was a BUSY month. A LOT happened in December, more than usual. So my book list isn't so "grand" for December. BUT Thanks to audiobooks, I did get to finish a few!! 

Book 1 of the Left Behind Series. 

I read these back in college, and I just felt like I needed to read them again. It's funny how when you read the same books at different times in you life, you get different messages from them, or you connect to them in a different way. 

Not a Happy Family

This one was really good. It was about a rich family, who's parents were murdered. The three kids are prime suspects since they stand to inherit millions. It's told through the eyes of the three kids (who are adults and have their own problems in life). In the end, there's a little twist, which is the kind of ending I like. BUT, I didn't really see the clues leading up to it, either. So not QUITE the psychological thriller I usually get to read. 

  

And last, but not least....

No Time Like the Future

I have always loved Michael J. Fox.  And ever since he has come public with his disease and I see how he doesn't give up on life, it makes me really respect him. This books just showed me even more how much determination he has in life. Such an inspiration.

Ok - so those are my December Books - Hope you find one or two that you might want to read! 

October Book Review {2021}

I've got quite the variety of books for you! Something from every genre almost...except one of my favorites; psychological thrillers. I just love a good page turner that stumps me at the end. But this month, I didn't get to one of those.

I've been in quite a book slump before this, having read a few duds (to me), but I'm happy to report I gave all of these 4 stars and one of them was my 1st 5 star of the year! 

That Summer

It was a story about 2 women who accidently cross paths - but then find out that they are connected in some ways. It took place in 3 different times of the girls' life, all stemming from one event in a summer long ago. You would think this would be a light chick lit, judging a book by it's cover...and author. I've read a few of her books now - but this one is a little deeper than that. I liked it! I gave it 4 stars. 

The Things We Cannot Say

Oh Boy. This one tugged at my heart. It takes place in 1942, during the war in Europe. The characters are Russian Refugees. It talk about life during the war, life in camps in Poland, surviving that life, and the life after. I was so emotionally involved with the characters I had a hard time stopping. SUCH a good book - my first 5 stars of the year!!

The Royal We 

Whew! I went from the intense book to this lighthearted book. I needed an emotional break. ha! This one definitely made me thing of the royal family we know today - Kate, Meghan, Harry, William... it's from the perspective of the American girl who is going through life with her twin (two totally different girls) and gets intertwined with the royal family. It was cute! 

Greenlights

Oh, boy. Matthew McConaughey. How I could listen to you talk all. day. long. He is SUCH a great storyteller. You HAVE to do this one as an audiobook. There is no other way to enjoy this book as it is meant to be. It was such a good book.

Your Perfect Year

I actually no idea what this book was about. It was a free one on KindleUnlimited. Turns out, it was actually translated into English, so there was a lot of German words and European references throughout the book, which I thought made it more interesting. It starts off with two characters, living two different lives, but their lives will cross, while Johnathon is following the planner he finds, to live his perfect life. 

Well, that's it for this this month's books! I'll be back next month with more.

Happy Reading!