2018 Second Half Book Review
For 2018, it was a goal of mine to read 13 books in 12 months, and during winter break (the one week professional staff have off due to university closure) I finished my last and final book. I shared my recap of the first seven books I read in 2018 back in September, so I wanted to wrap up my list for 2018 by sharing my thoughts on the last six.
8. My Husband’s Wife by Jane Corry
It took me a little while to get into this book, but once I did I enjoyed the story. Set in 1930’s London, My Husband’s Wife is full of suspense with multiple different story lines occurring all at once (which can get a little confusing). There were times I would get frustrated with the main character, Lily, because I didn’t always feel like she was making the best decision or standing up for herself. If suspense is your genre of choice, this is worth the read, but maybe not at the top of the list.
9. Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler
This was probably my least favorite book of 2018. I felt like the main character was extremely unlikeable, the plot and character development weren’t there, and ultimately, I didn’t really care what happened to the main character toward the end of the book. However, I did learn a ton of terminology around food and the restaurant industry that I had previously not known. I’ve heard the TV show is so-so as well. If this is on your list, I’d suggest passing on this for something else.
10. Work Party by Jaclyn Johnson
I purchased this book when I was at a low point with my day job and needed to get a fresh perspective on how to push through the tough times, focus on my side hustle and feel empowered. Work Party definitely inspired me to keep chasing my dreams and building this blog. I feel like the small successes and improvements I’ve made with this space are partly because this book made me feel like I could do this. Jaclyn shares her insights on what she’s learned through her years as an entrepreneur and even highlights other female entrepreneur’s stories as well. The book does a feel a bit kitschy with all the hashtags and gram it images, but it didn’t bother me enough to outweigh the actual content of the book.
11. The Queen’s Keeper by J.L. Vampa
First things first, fantasy is not my genre of choice, but when my best friend from elementary school published her first book I knew I had to give fantasy a try. It took me a bit to get into the story and characters given mystical lands and crazy creatures are hard to wrap my brain around, but once I submitted to the fantasy realm I was hooked. I was on the edge of my seat wondering who would succeed in these war torn lands. And J.L. Vampa gave nothing away with a cliff hanger of an ending. I can’t wait for the second book.
12. Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. I’m not a mom, so I felt like a large part of the book didn’t apply to me. However, it did make rethink how hard I judge ill behaving children or the people at the grocery store who give their children the child size grocery carts (sorry, but they are most always in the way). Rachel offers some good advice, but it is nothing ground breaking. However, after finishing the book, I did feel motivated to be my biggest advocate and chase this crazy dream. If you’re looking for a quick, easy read to motivate you, this is your book.
13. You by Caroline Kepnes
I could not put this book down during winter break. I had originally watched the Lifetime, now Netflix, series by the same name before reading it and while the story is slightly different I was sucked in by both. Joe Goldberg is the creepy, yet handsome character I didn’t know was missing in my life. The story follows Joe as he feeds this deep obsession with Guinevere Beck that takes stalking to another level. He infiltrates her life without her even knowing it and it seriously makes you consider how and what you share on the internet. This is a must read in my opinion and I already have Kepnes’ second book on my list for 2019.
I’m currently on my second book of 2019, and this year I am striving to read 14 books. Have you read any of the books mentioned above? If so, what did you think? I’d love if you shared in the comments.
xx,
Linds