November 2022 Monthly Reading Wrap Up

[Jessica]

Hello and welcome to another reading wrap up! As a reminder, this year I’ve decided to partake in the PopSugar Reading Challenge, which is a set of 50 prompts which you read a book to match, so I’ll be including those prompts and my progress in these wrap ups. For more info check this website: https://www.popsugar.com/entertainmen....
I’m currently at 45/50 for the PopSugar Challenge.
Now onto the Wrap Up!

This month I read…

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
I listened to this on Audiobook. It was pretty interesting. Jennette’s writing style was unique and very first person. I think she chose this to show you how she was feeling in the moment and it definitely worked. I’m so glad she’s healing from everything she experienced and it was interesting to see that play out in the book as well.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
I really enjoyed this one. It’s been a while since I read a book with a touch of magical realism and I really enjoyed that part of this story. I enjoyed each of the kids as well, the characterization was excellent. A cute heartwarming read.
This was for the Popsugar Prompt: A book about a “found family.”

Cursed by Marissa Meyer
I’ve been waiting a while for this follow up and it did not disappoint! Not quite as good as the first though. There were several parts of the book where it just felt like things were just happening to the main character so she fell a little flat in parts. The pacing kept me interested and invested though and overall I really enjoyed it.
This was for the Popsugar Prompt: A book published in 2022.

Mem by Bethany C. Morrow
The first half of this book I was super interested and invested in the story and then the second just didn’t do much for me unfortunately. Wonderful idea and premise and the revelation at the end was interesting. I’m not sure I would have made it through the last bit if the book had been longer though.
This was for the Popsugar Prompt: A book with a palindromic title.

When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain
This book kept me reading and definitely had me hooked in, but the ending just didn’t work in my opinion. One, it just tried to do too much. So many tidbits (Anna's past, Polly Klass, Cameron’s past, etc) that were mentioned and seemed as if they were going to be important and then were just skirted over at the end. The conclusion to the mystery just didn’t click either, I barely understood the perpetrators motives. However, the writing was good so this book just failed at the plot.
This was for the Popsugar Prompt: A book with a reflected image on the cover or “mirror” in the title.

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

Happy Reading!

[Cadi]

Hi, Jessica! You read some good books this month with Cursed and The House in the Cerulean Sea both on my TBR list. Here's what I read in November:

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Probably the best book I've read in 2022. Big hit with the book club. A heartwarming story of a lonely woman and a Pacific octopus. The writing style reminded me of Fredrick Backman.

Emma by Jane Austen. This was the Audible version narrated by Emma Thompson and it was great!

Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka. This was the toughest read this month. It's the story of a serial killer but told through the perspectives of the women around him (his mother, his ex-wife's sister, and the female cop who caught him). Heavy subject matter but I appreciated the attempt to tell a hard story through the women.

Sense & Second-Degree Murder by Tirzah Price. I really liked her first book but I wasn't crazy about this one. Maybe it had something to do with Sense & Sensibility being my least favorite Austen novel?

Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I loved, loved, loved this one! So looking forward to finishing the series.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. This was another Audible version, this time narrated by Joanne Froggatt (from Downton Abbey).

Scarlet. This second installment of The Lunar Chronicles was just as good as the first!

[Jessica]

Hi Cadi! =)
You've got some good books too! We all know I'm a massive Marissa Meyer fan so I'm glad you're enjoying the Lunar Chronicles! It's definitely her best series in my opinion.
I think we listened to different audiobook editions of Emma because I had the opposite experience, lol. I think the language Austen uses just sits better with me when I read it rather than listen to it though. haha.