So, May was a really slow reading month for me, and I mean realllllly slow, which I think was due to my travel overseas. I only read three books. I thought I would blaze through a few books on my flights and layovers, but I opted for some shut-eye instead and didn’t read as much as I thought I would. Well, and truth be told, I didn’t really touch any books while I was in Germany (I was just too busy soaking up every minute with family and friends). Then upon my return, I dove head first back into work and working out and I was just jetlagged and tired and didn’t feel much like reading in the evenings.
But hey, that’s ok. Not every month can be the same when it comes to book numbers and I am hoping that June will be different again.
Not that kind of girl by Lena Dunham (★★★☆☆)
I wanted to like this book, because I do like Lena Dunham (in many ways) and I like Girls, but most of the book just didn’t do much for me. It’s one of those memoirs that might work in the form of blog posts but I don’t see how people would pay for these ramblings (well, luckily I got this book through the library for free). There was very little in this book I could relate to, some parts were even off-putting, so I had to push through parts of it more than I’d like to admit. Moving on.
I’ll give you the sun by Jandy Nelson. (★★★★☆)
I had a lot of expectations for this book because it got such high ratings on Goodreads (4+ stars), but I had a really hard time getting into it. A really hard time. I was annoyed at times by the two characters, eye-rolled my way through some of Nelson’s descriptive writing and occasionally the plot itself.
Why did I give it a 4 star rating still? Because the last 100 pages probably redeemed the whole book for me. I was just amazed by all the lose ends that got tied up at the end (which for me is always a sign that a writer really knows what they’re doing). I hate nothing more than being left with a ton of unanswered questions. That wasn’t the case here. I did see the ‘twist’ coming, but still loved how Nelson brought it all together without it being a “cheesy happy ending”.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (★★★★☆)
This book… I had heard that it was made into a Hulu series and I knew vaguely what it was about. I wanted to read the book before watching — or hearing more about – the show (still deciding, if I want to watch it at all). Luckily, it became available at the library last week. It was a great and fast read, albeit a somewhat disturbing story to read (especially in the current political climate). I loved the ending though. I thought it was brilliant to put the whole story into a historical context from a rearview-mirror kind of view.
What was your favorite books this month? Leave a comment, and then add me on Goodreads to keep in touch.
Charlotte
June 6, 2017 at 10:37 amI really want to read the Handmaid’s Tale! I haven’t heard of “I’ll Give you the Sun” but my feelings were similar to yours with Lena’s book. I don’t even watch Girls or know much about her… I just felt it was kind of meh and not worth the praise :)
san
June 7, 2017 at 12:45 pmI am glad I am not the only one..
Akaleistar
June 6, 2017 at 1:24 pmI’ll Give You The Sun sounds so good!
san
June 7, 2017 at 12:45 pmGive it a try!
Vanessa Meads
June 6, 2017 at 4:06 pmI’ve had The Handmaid’s Tale and Not That Kind of Girl on my to-read list for AGES. I hadn’t heard of I’ll Give You the Sun, but it’s definitely on my list now.
san
June 7, 2017 at 12:45 pmI am curious what you think…
Stephany
June 8, 2017 at 5:09 amI listened to Not That Kind of Girl on audiobook and I think that’s why I enjoyed it more. I really don’t think I would have liked it if I had read it as a physical book.
The Handmaid’s Tale was soooo disturbing. So well-written, but disturbing. I also really, really loved the ending, too. I have heard from friends that the Hulu show is frightening and I don’t think I can emotionally handle it!
Lisa of Lisa's Yarns
June 8, 2017 at 1:29 pmI have heard that others had a hard time getting into I’ll Give you the Sun so you aren’t alone in feeling that way. I really liked it and I think I gave it 5 stars, but can’t quite remember. I loved the dual narrators and how it showed that miscommunication can really impact a relationship!
My best book in May was a toss-up between The Bookshop on the Corner and The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper – both were great, light reads!
I read The Handmaid’s Tale when i was studying abroad in Australia and I remember HATING it but I want to re-read it because I think I was too young to appreciate the book. It was a prime reading selection recently so I got it for free on my kindle and plan to read it this year!
Feisty Harriet
June 19, 2017 at 1:43 pmWe read “The Handmaid’s Tale” for book club a year(ish) ago and I cannot stop thinking about it. I read an interview with Margaret Atwood and she said that every single detail in that book is historical; it has all happened in some time or place already, she just collected it all and put it into a single narrative…and that scared me even more. Gaaaah.
xox
san
June 21, 2017 at 8:00 amSCARY as hell!