I’ve actually been able to finish several books recently (this post still holds pretty true on how I make time to read) and they’ve all been really good so I wanted to make sure to share in case you are looking for something!
Crazy Rich Asians – 3.5/5 Stars
Since this book was everywhere and was also made into a movie last year, I’m sure most people know what it’s about. In case you don’t CRA is the first in a three-book series that follows Chinese-American Rachel as she discovers her boyfriend, Nick, is from one of the wealthiest families in Asia. His family does not approve of her common upbringing and chaos ensues. It branches out with story lines from several of Nick’s family members who are all too rich for their own good.
This book started slow for me as I tried to wrap my head around all the story lines and characters. They all interwove eventually (maybe?) but I can think of at least one that didn’t really matter at all to where the story ended up. Plus, the culture is so different it just took a little bit for me to wrap my head around. About half way in it picked up and I loved it from that point! I did give it a lower start count because of the slow start. Stick with this one, I promise it just gets better and better.
China Rich Girlfriend 4.5/5 Stars
Everyone is up to their usual antics in the follow up to Crazy Rich Asians! It picks up a few years after CRA ends and Nick is still dealing with his crazy, overbearing family. Rachel is trying to make sense of her fatherless upbringing and it takes her to some wild places! Girlfriend also expands on one of the seemingly gratuitous story lines from the first book, Kitty Pong – a former soap opera star trying to weasel her way in to high society, so that made the set up in the first book make a little more sense to me.
I loved this one! I felt like I started to get used to and enjoy the authors style of writing (he weaves in many Mandarin/Malay phrases and explains them in the footnotes) and had the characters straight in my head. The story lines are great in this one!
After these two, I can not wait to read Rich People Problems, the third and final book! If you are interested in all three this box set is a great value!
One Day in December 4.5/5 Stars
One Day in December is a story about missed connections. Laurie and Jack have an instant connection when their eyes meet at a London bus stop. Laurie and her best friend, Sarah, spend the next year looking for the man and just when Laurie has given up hope of finding him Sarah brings her new boyfriend to their New Years Eve party…and it’s Jack. The book spans the next 10 years and follows all three of them as they try to navigate their feelings of love and friendship towards each other.
This book has been much hyped lately and I think it really lives up to the hype around it. They only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because the ending was just a little too cliche for me. The rest of the book was fantastic! I get asked often if it’s a Christmas book and the answer is NO. It begins on Christmas Eve but then spans all seasons over the next 10 years. This book is the perfect mix of lighthearted and tugs at your heartstrings. I highly recommend it!
The Kind Worth Killing 4/5 Stars
Ted and Lily are two strangers who meet in a bar at the London airport. They chat as they drink more and more then Lily offers to help Ted kill his cheating wife, Miranda. Ted is taken aback but agrees and what follows is an elaborate tale of plotting murder with twists and turns all along the way. Why is Lily helping Ted? Does she have more experience with murder than she is letting on?
I read a lot of suspense novels and sometimes they can get a little redundant. Not this one! There are so many unexpected twists to this story your head will spin – in the best way. I can’t say much more than that without spoiling major plot points but if you are in to suspense you should definitely add this one to your list.
The Hating Game 4/5 Stars
Josh and Lucy are mortal enemies who work for the same publishing house. Their daily dramas are taken to a new level when they find that they are both up for the same promotion. As they prepare for the presentation that is going to make or break their career Lucy finds that maybe she doesn’t hate Josh after all. Josh starts to act like maybe he doesn’t hate Lucy either but is it real or just another one of their games?
This book isn’t something I would normally pick up based on the description but I took a chance (because my favorite bookstagramer told me it was her favorite book of the year) and I;m so glad I did! I loved the dynamics between these two characters and the way the story played out. Just a heads up, this book has a lot of language and sex which I was fine with but just wanted to put it out there in case that’s not your thing.
What have you all been reading lately?
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