My Adult Life in Comics (Review)

Adulthood is a Myth

Sarah Andersen

Rate: 5

I loved these comics. I laughed from the first one to the last one. They were so relatable. Yes, all my clothes have a use limit except my bras. And yes, I hate everyone at school. And yes, my conditioner always runs out faster than my shampoo. And these statements only hint at the very relatable comics in this book.

The only con to this book is that not everyone can relate to it, which is OK. I’m the introverted, awkward, trying to adult but failing, young adult woman this book is targeting so everything feels like finally meeting a kindred spirit to me. But this book of comics won’t appeal to men and it won’t appeal to women who have their shit together or aren’t as awkward or are extroverted and love people.  And that’s OK. Andersen couldn’t possibly include everyone’s adult experiences in one book. But it was still a hilarious, quick read for me.

End of the Year Shout Out (2016)

I know this post is late, but I’m trying to make time to go through my folder and finally publish the unpublished posts that are just sitting there.

The following are some of the great books I read this year. They were so good and there for me when I needed them most that they deserve a shout out. These are by no means all the books I read this year just the ones I rated 4 or more (fabulous) stars.

♦Books with hyperlinked titles go to reviews I wrote for them.

Book	My Rating	Average Rating
The 5th Wave	4	4.12	Goodreads	Amazon
Existence (Existence Trilogy #1)	4	3.95	Goodreads	Amazon*
F*ck Love	4	4.15	Goodreads	Amazon
It Ends with Us	4	4.53	Goodreads	Amazon
The Jock and the Fat Chick	4	3.46	Goodreads	Amazon
Predestined (Existence Trilogy #2)	4	4.10	Goodreads	Amazon
Proposal (The Mediator #6.5)	4	3.99	Goodreads	Amazon
Queen Song (Red Queen #0.1)	4	3.71	Goodreads	Amazon
Starstruck (Starstruck #1)	4	3.84	Goodreads	Amazon*
Starbound (Starstruck #3)	4	4.25	Goodreads	Amazon
Vex (Celestra #5)	4	4.09	Goodreads	Amazon
You Are Mine (Mine #1)	4	3.73	Goodreads	Amazon

I can’t wait for the wonderful books I’ll get to meet this year! What are some the best books you read in 2016? Maybe they’ll end up on my TBR.

Happy New Year!

*Denotes Kindle books that were free as of 1/7/2017

I Thought I Would Be More Emotional: It Ends With Us By Colleen Hoover

It Ends With Us

Colleen Hoover

Rate: 4.5

It Ends With Us was good, borderline great, but it wasn’t fantastic. I’m not going to analyze the book or the characters; there are probably many reviews that already do that. I’m just going to (briefly) talk about how It Ends With Us made me feel.

It Ends With Us left me with a heavy heart. It wasn’t dark, but it went through so much. Both the good times and the bad times began piling one atop the other until I felt physically weighted and emotionally unsure of my exact feelings. I just knew that I felt heavy and full (and extremely book hungover), but I couldn’t confidently identify if I was also feeling happy or sad or drained. I was in a gray space of emotion, neither here nor there.

But It Ends With Us isn’t Confess. It wasn’t trying to be Confess, but it didn’t cause me to react like I did with Confess.

It Ends With Us didn’t make me laugh out loud like Confess did.

It didn’t make me cry like Confess did.

And I (probably) won’t read it over and over like I do with Confess.

It Ends With Us is a good read and has a great message (so you should read it), but it didn’t touch me the way I was expecting it to.

That’s What S/He Said Thursday #43

“Susannah, I love you, but you are the most frustrating woman in the world. For once in your life, don’t argue. Just do it.”

~ Jesse from Remembrance by Meg Cabot

That’s What S/He Said Thursday #42

“Good thing she’s eighteen. Parental opinions on what she does with her life don’t really matter much at this point.”

~ Ben from November 9 by Colleen Hoover

 

 

 

 

 

*This doesn’t really apply to people like me who still live with their parent(s) after turning 18. My mom’s rules and opinions will continue to matter until I move out of her house.

Remembrance (A Review in Images)

Remembrance (Mediator #7)

Meg Cabot

Rate: 3

The following is my first review in images. It probably doesn’t make any sense, but I don’t guarantee that my reviews will make sense anyway. Remembrance was good, consistent with the rest of the series. My only disappointment with the story is that there was no epilogue. Cabot could have easily included an epilogue ending this series forever. Don’t get me wrong, the ending itself is good, but it’s open-ended just enough that if she really wanted to, Cabot could write another book or write a spin-off series. I think she should just end it once and for all before the story becomes even more drawn out and annoying.

Anyway, on to my attempt at a review in images.

That’s What S/He Said Thursday #37

“Ben, are you… booksting me?”

“Booksting?”

“Yeah. When a hot guy talks books with a girl. It’s like sexting, but out loud and with books instead of sex. Nor does it have to do with texts. Okay, so it’s nothing like sexting, but it made sense in my head.”

~ Fallon and Ben from November 9 by Colleen Hoover

Slowly Transitioning into New Adult (Review)

Proposal (The Mediator #6.5)

Meg Cabot

Rate: 4

Originally, I wasn’t going to read Proposal since I normally don’t take the time to read novellas (even though they are gaining popularity in YA). However, when I realized that my library had both Proposal and Remembrance available, I decided whichever hold came first would decide if I would read Proposal. If Proposal came first, I would read it, but if Remembrance came first, I would just read it and cancel my hold on Proposal. But a higher power (possibly the book gods) must have thought I needed to read Proposal because lo and behold it became available for checkout first so I read it. And I’m glad I did. I knew it had been a while since I read the last book (Twilight) but it wasn’t until I checked Goodreads that I realized the last book was published back in 2004 so I needed a refresher. Proposal serves as a great reminder of what the series is about and the characters without having to reread the series. It also serves as a smooth transition from young adult to new adult. Cabot doesn’t instill any large changes into the series, but she highlights that the story has fast forwarded about 5-6 years so the reader expects more mature language and experiences. However, Cabot doesn’t make a large maturity jump so the story goes from innocent/traditional YA to steamy/awkward erotica. Cabot creates a sensible shift from YA to NA.

Storywise, Proposal isn’t overly exciting, but it isn’t boring either. As a novella, Proposal isn’t full of drama and side-stories and subplots, but it does have a clear problem and solution while filling in details about the main characters and their backstory. Proposal isn’t fluff. Is it necessary to read Proposal? Since I’ve started reading Remembrance, I can clearly say no, but Proposal gives a nice taste of the series and you get to read Suze getting someone to confess to murder. The whole solution seems convenient like everything miraculously fell into place at the right time, but I enjoyed (and focus more on) the tidbits about Suze’s life since the last book.

That’s What S/He Said Thursday #34

“Sometimes, I wake up and I see your beautiful hair spread across the pillow, and I think I’ve dreamed you. I’m too scared to go back to sleep, or leave for training, in case you disappear and then I remember that you’re mine, and suddenly it’s a brand new day.”

~Cormac O’Connell from The Hurricane by R.J. Prescott

That’s What S/He Said Thursday #32

“Happy birthday, baby.”

“Best birthday ever.”

“How do you know? You’ve only just woken up.”

“Because it’s the first birthday I’ve ever woken up with you.”

~Emily and Con from The Aftermath by R.J. Prescott

*In honor of my birthday tomorrow.