Eat, Pray, Hustle: Dream Chasing God’s Way by Havilah Cunnington

My Rating: 4 Stars

Here’s why

When I lived in California, I took a class by Havilah and heard her speak quite a few times. She is energetic, engaging, funny, and so insightful. I knew that before I left I had to get some of her books and this was one of them!

Havilah Cunnington’s Bible study walks you through the story of Abraham and Sarah, the promise that God gave them, and applies it to your personal life. What dreams has God spoken to you about? Is He speaking to you about something now? It’s time to dive into what He says about dreams, what He has spoken over you, and encounter His goodness in the pursuit of His destiny for your life!

***

This book came at the perfect time for me. I felt drawn to reading it this past month during the quarantine and it re-sparked my imagination and excitement in dreaming for the future. I think during this mundane season or repetitive schedules and lockdown, it can be easy for some to dream about what is next but hard for others. For me, it’s something I don’t usually give myself time to think about, so this three week devotional was perfect for me.

With prompts each day, I was engaging in dreams I had long forgotten and hopeful for what’s to come.

I am giving this book 4/5 stars for its applicability, content, and the ease at which I was able to understand and follow along what she was saying.

If you need a pick-me-up, a reminder of what God has called you to do, what He has spoken over your life, or even if you are needing a fresh vision, check out Eat, Pray, Hustle today!

 

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Christian/Devotional/Spiritual/Self Help/Dreams

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

My Rating: 4 Stars

Here’s why

I love Liane’s books and this was one I picked up at a resale store a few months back. The premise was so intriguing, I knew it would be an easy, interesting, and quick read to finish off my month!

After hitting her head, Alice Love does not know where she is, why she is there, and can’t make sense of her surroundings. All Alice knows is she is 14 weeks pregnant, married to Nick, and is 29 years old. The problem is, Alice was 29 years old in 1998, and it’s currently 2008. After starting to be told what her life is like in 2008, she can’t believe it. Why can’t she remember the last decade? How did her life get this way? And will she ever remember these lost years?

***

Liane Moriarty is a reliable author for me. I know that whenever I pick up one of her books, I will enjoy it. She creates likable characters, interesting plots, and reveals twists/information to the reader through steady, fluid writing. She writes contemporary fiction/family drama/mysteries and I love them.

In this book, I was immediately hooked and thought the way she slowly shared new information for Alice to learn about her current life was great. Everything was mostly in Alice’s perspective, but Liane did use journal entries and letters to include two other character’s perspectives as well. I was a bit thrown off by this and first – and honestly don’t think they were both necessary – but I appreciate the need to have a second voice reacting to Alice’s situation.

I am giving this book 4/5 stars because

1. It’s Liane Moriarty

2. The story was really unique and interesting to read about – I was hooked all the way to the end!

3. Most of the characters were likable and relatable, and

4. It was a quick, easy read!

If you’ve never read Liane Moriarty before, I would highly recommend you checking out her older books like this one more than her newer ones. The Husband’s Secret and Big Little Lies are great, too!

 

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Fiction/Contemporary/Chick Lit

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (Illustrations by Oliver Jeffers)

My Rating: 5 Stars!

Here’s why!

I don’t know why it took me so long to read this book. Maybe because I needed YEARS in between watching this movie and reading the book to recover from the emotional roller coaster this story took me on! (haha!)

Bruno lives in Berlin, has three best friends, loves sliding down the bannister his five story house, and enjoys walking down the street and seeing fruit and vegetable stands except on Saturday’s. When Bruno comes home from school one day, his clothes and toys are being packed to move to a new place because he dad has gotten a new job. At this new home, there are no other houses around, with no kids to play with, but there is a big fence in the distance that Bruno can see out of his new bedroom window.

One afternoon, He eventually decides to do some exploring and see what this fence is all about.

***

I watched this movie in high school and finally decided to pick up this book in an afternoon and finished it in two sittings.

This book flows so easily, moves so quickly, and the copy I read uses hand drawn pictures to illustrate what Bruno’s young, 9-year-old perspective can’t really articulate. Since I had previously seen the movie adaptation, I knew how this book was going to go so I wasn’t surprised or taken off-guard necessarily, but I did still find myself wishing the ending would change. My sister compared it to a horror movie in that sense.

I am giving this book 5/5 stars because I kind of feel like I had to. This book really is so unique in the writing style, the POV, and the addition of pictures (kind of like in The Book Thief!), it feels like it deserves 5 stars. I think I am a bit hesitant because I didn’t necessarily stir any emotions in me while reading it, but I know the emotions it can stir up because I’ve experienced them before (if that makes sense haha).

If you haven’t read this book, whether you’ve seen the movie or not, do yourself a favor and dedicate a few hours to consuming and digesting this piece of art.

 

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Historical Fiction/WWII/Holocaust

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

My Rating: 3 Stars

Here’s why

I was really excited to read this book, and my sister got it for her April 2020 Book of the Month selection so I was glad to borrow it, but ultimately glad I don’t own it. (haha) This was also the April book selection for our “Lit Sis” book club called Tea & Trees!

Julia’s life is pretty much perfect. She has planned the perfect wedding, has the perfect groom, the perfect dress, and the perfect location – an rural island off the coast of Ireland. As the guests arrive to the remote island, Julia is excited and anticipating this wedding to be the “talk of the town”! But it ends up being more negative than positive when someone is found murdered.

***

I was super excited to read this book, but as soon as I dove in, it was giving me weird vibes. The premise reminds me a lot of The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand, which I read last fall, but I tried to not compare it the whole time. There were multiple POVs, so I was always on my toes trying to figure out who was going to kill whom! Unlike The Perfect Couple though, this book felt a lot darker, more menacing, and I didn’t really care for majority of the characters. The writing flowed pretty well, but there were a few weirdly worded phrases or sentences here and there.

I am giving this book 3/5 stars because the ending was unique and I didn’t see one or two twists that were revealed at the end, but there were elements I felt that were predictable. I’ve read better thrillers, to be honest. 😬 I know a lot of people really loved this book and thought it wasn’t predictable, so to each their own!

If you want to give it a chance and make your own opinion, go for it! And check out her other novel, The Hunting Party, too!

 

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown

Rating: 4 Stars

Here’s why

Okay, confession time: I have been dying to read this book since I first heard of it when I worked at Barnes & Noble two years ago. I could’ve got my hands on an ARC copy, but alas I had to wait and get it as a present this past year instead!

Almost a year ago, Sybilla “Billie” Flanagan went missing during a solo hike at Desolation Wilderness. Her grieving husband, Jonathan, and daughter, Olive, have tried moving on, but Billie cannot be forgotten, especially since Jonathan is writing a memoir about their marriage.

With the anniversary of her disappearance approaching and a court case to claim her officially dead, emotions are at an all time high. Plus, something strange starts to happen to Olive. She begins seeing visions of her mother, alive and well, asking her to find her and to not give up. Skeptical at first, Jonathan dismisses Olive’s visions, but after doing some investigating himself, information begins to arise making him question if he really knew his wife and if she is alive after all.

***

I really enjoyed this book. The pace, the writing, the storyline, the ending. I keep debating on giving it 5 stars I liked it so much!

This is my first Janelle Brown novel (she has a new one that just came out in April 2020!) and I loved it. This book is like a murder mystery with clues to uncover and secrets that are revealed, but it’s more than that. We get a glimpse into these character’s lives and who they are a part from the “Billie” drama. They are very relatable, have personal issues they have to come to terms with, and you see their father-daughter relationship heal throughout the process of trying to figure out just what happened to Billie. This book really reminds me of Gone Girl, but less crazy! haha Unlike Gone Girl, you don’t know what happened to Billie until the very end in the epilogue, which I loved. I was waiting to hear from Billie and that was the perfect way to do it.

I am giving this book 4/5 stars (or maybe 5?!) because of the way all the loose ends tied together, the clues added up, the writing captivated me, and I loved the journey the characters had to take along the way.

If you want a good twisty, enjoyable, and satisfying book, this is the one for you! Check out Watch Me Disappear today and pick up her newest book, Pretty Things!

 

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense/Contemporary/Fiction