Gaston Library discussion

For the first time I completely forgot a month of my Monthly Reading Wrap Ups, oops! I didn’t remember until it was already so far into March that I decided to just combine February and March. So y'all get two for one deal on the Wrap Up this month, lol. That being said, here’s my February and March reading wrap up for you!

I read…

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd- I did overall enjoy this book. The writing is great and the author really paints a picture of the world of the “Pink House” in Tiburon, SC in way that almost makes it seem magical. The pacing did get slow at times, with secrets you as the reader knew (like who Lily really was since she didn’t tell the ladies of the pink house initially) or could guess at (like what happened to Lily’s mom) waiting to be revealed to move the plot along. It did try to tackle a lot of tough things in the book (racism, mental health, etc) but it didn’t really fully deep dive into any of those topics. Mainly it was Lily seeing and thinking about what was going on around her in the story. It was definitely a coming of age story in which Lily was heavily influenced by the four adult women in the novel. One of the most interesting parts of the book was the religion the women in the Pink House put together and held services worshiping the Black Madonna, a dark skinned Virgin Mary. It did go into a lot of detail about it and it really added to the strong women aspect of the story which was enjoyable.

The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda- I read this mainly because of the Appalachian Mountain setting. I love a good Appalachian Mountain setting. This book was ok. The mystery did keep me guessing and entertained throughout the book. I also really enjoyed the picture that was painted of the small town it’s set in. However, the resolution just didn’t do it for me. The pieces seemed convoluted and thrown together, not to mention that the initial crime didn’t have anything to do with the other three. I definitely didn’t see the ending/reveal coming, but I think that’s more so because it just didn’t make sense.

Educated by Tara Westover- I listened to this one on Audio. It was definitely an interesting story, but as someone with a degree in education I was thinking it would focus more on that aspect of her life and the ways she was “educated” from all parts of her life; both formal and informal. I was absolutely appalled by some of the described moments of behavior her brother Shawn exhibited. Honestly, I’m amazed any of the members of her family survived throughout this book with the multiple horrific car and work accidents described in the book. Definitely a lot of shock value to this book, even with just her not knowing what the Holocaust was when she started college.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness- Absolutely beautiful. The story, the words, the illustrations, all of it. I watched the movie years ago and have been meaning to read this for a long time. One of those rare adaptations where the movie and book are right on par. Just be warned, this book will break your heart and you will cry.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes- I’ve been meaning to read this series for a while and finally got around to it. It was pretty good. Very typical YA set up and love triangle things happening. I enjoyed the mystery and the game aspect of the whole thing and trying to solve the puzzles along with the characters was fun. I will say this; a lot of things in the book could have been solved with communication and honesty, but ya know then there wouldn’t be a book. Haha. I do think I’m going to continue on with it and see what happens. I’m not super attached to the characters though, so more so out of curiosity sake than anything.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern- I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, this book is absolutely magical and so well written that you feel like the circus is a living breathing thing you can walk around in. On the other, there were many parts that were PAINFULLY slow. It definitely wasn’t the exciting magical game I was expecting it be, but much more of a very passive slow burn. I was more interested in the Bailey storyline than anything else. Also, it was very hard for me to get past how awful the men that created this whole game were. I do think this book will stick with me regardless.

Once and for All by Sarah Dessen- I listened to this one on Audio. This started off as a cute teen romance with an enemies to lovers vibe, and I loved the wedding planner backdrop and setting. However, I think it was slowly ruined for me with the whole Ethan romance/dying in a school shooting. I think the topic was handled well, but the whole thing with them falling so instantly in love in one night and then that being the literal only time they ever saw each before he died just didn’t sit fully right with me. I think having a more solidified past relationship would have been more poignant. I will say I could have lived with that and wouldn’t have docked the book for it if not the ending. The ending just completely bombed and made the rest of the book fall apart.

What did you read this month? Be sure to share down below!

Happy Reading!