Books I’ve Read Recently #1

Hello friends!

I’ve decided that instead of doing a monthly wrap up or TBR, I would rather just share my thoughts on the books I’ve read as I finish them, especially because I have spurts of reading a lot and then not reading at all, and so some months may have 1 book read while others have 5.  This will just help balance everything a little better!

The books for this post are from the beginning of the year until the end of February.

1. TTYL by Lauren Myracle

TTYL is a novel about three friends living their lives in high school.  It’s uniquely told through IM messages, which was a big deal when it was published.  I bought this book as a present to my 9 year old sister, but quickly realized it’s a little too mature for her right now!  It’s not middle grade like I assumed; definitely young adult.

I enjoyed this, but I don’t really feel the need to keep it around or read it again. It’s a good read for girls in high school who are dealing with being a teenager, but I’ve definitely outgrown it at this point.  I would consider reading the sequel, though!

3.5 / 5 stars

2. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

The Great Alone is a book about a small family who moves to the Alaskan frontier after being gifted the land by the father’s friend from war.  The novel starts with the family making their way to Alaska, and then finally trying to settle and learn how to live in a world so different from what they’ve known while making connections with those around them.  There’s so much more that happens, but I really don’t want to give anything away!

I wasn’t sure if I would like it or find it interesting, but I was completely enthralled!  I would highly recommend checking it out if you’re even slightly interested, but have a box of tissues ready – you’ll probably cry.  I really enjoy the way that Kristin Hannah writes; I could feel exactly what the characters were feeling, and the scenes in Alaska felt so beautiful and cold.

5 / 5 Stars

3. The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish

The Last Black Unicorn is a memoir written by Tiffany Haddish regarding her life from childhood to current day.  A lot of the stories she shared were incredibly funny but also made me sad; she was very honest about the experiences she had and didn’t hold back.  I don’t want to get into too many specifics because I don’t want to get anything wrong, and I also think that the words about her life should come from her.

The dialect and experiences in this book is so different from my own life; it was incredibly interesting and informative to hear what she had to say in regards to her life and her career in comedy.  I’d recommend giving this a shot, especially if you enjoy her stand up comedy or movies!

4 / 5 Stars

4. Coco Chanel by Susan Goldman Rubin

Coco Chanel is a biography written detailing the life of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, starting at her birth through her death.  It’s written for younger readers, and uses pretty simple language.  It was very info heavy and dry in some parts, and was difficult to understand because of all of the French references.  Still, I really enjoyed the fact that the author didn’t sugar coat who Coco was, and shared both the things she did to pioneer fashion as well as the not so great things she did as a person.

I think this makes a great starting point for any reader who’s interested in learning a little more about fashion’s history in the late 1800’s to mid 1900’s, especially regarding Coco Chanel.  I enjoyed myself and will be passing it on to my younger sister.

3.5 / 5 Stars

5. The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace

The Princess Saves Herself in This One is a book of poetry that are about the author’s life and experiences.  There’s definitely some trigger warnings in here for abuse and eating disorders, but they are something I think is important to read!  She talks about her life starting as a child and going up to adulthood.

The poems are incredibly simplistic so if you’re someone who reads a lot of poetry you might be disappointed. Alternatively, if you don’t read much poetry I think that you would enjoy this book!  It has similar vibes to Milk & Honey, but I actually preferred that to this.  I couldn’t relate to a lot of the poems in the first half of the book, but the “You” section had a few that were quite beautiful.

4 / 5 Stars

Have you read any of these books? What have you been reading lately?