It’s a been a minute since I have done a book roundup! Actually, it’s been about two months. I’m sorry about that, but I’m *obviously* not going to neglect you forever. Instead, I have combined everything I read in the months of September and October (as well as one I finished in November). Starred books were gifted by Random House!
WORTH BUYING:
There were a few books that I read this fall that were totally worth the purchase.
a simple favor BY darcy bell
When I asked my work wife/bestie Danica to lend me a book, I knew it’d be f*cked up. That’s just her personality! A simple favor blew my mind. I love when I’m able to fully picture the characters throughout the story– and having known that Anna Kendrick would be cast as Stephanie the mommy blogger and Blake Lively as the bat shit cray bestie made the story SO easy to visualize. This story is dark, twisted, and extremely entertaining.
jar of hearts by jennifer hillier
Another creepy book made this list! In fact, most of the books I read that were worth buying in the last two months are creepy. I guess I really got into the spirit for Halloween. Anyways, this was the Bad Bitch Book Club book of the month for October + the crowd generally loved it. If you’re into the Big Little Lies kind of story, this will be your jam.
dark places by gillian flynn
Like a Simple Favor, this creepy book was also lent to me by Danica. It definitely says a lot about her that the only books she reads have dark female protagonists! When I posted that I was reading this book I was flooded with DMs from the rest of you– all of which loved it! What I will say, it was probably not the best beach read for Mexico. However, it was a page turner and I truly did not know the ending until it was about 30 pages away from finishing.
room by emma donoghue
Similar to Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, I appear to be the last person on earth to read this book. This story is told through the perspective of five year old Jack– who has spent his entire life in captivity, unaware that there was a world outside of the shed he lived in. I was truly amazed at how well the author told the story through the eyes of a child. It was no surprise at all how popular this book was and now i’m dying to see the movie.
gmorning, gnight by lin-manuel miranda*
Lin-Manuel Miranda may have become a household name because of Hamilton, but he’s a twitter icon for another reason. Everyday he posts Good Morning and Good Night tweets with little pep talks. His book, which he didn’t understand why people wanted since he gives the content for free, is illustrated by Jonny Sun. Overall it was super cute and lighthearted, and would make an excellent gift. I finished it in 3 hours.
WORTH renting:
There were a few books that I read that were good– but not recommend to all your besties good. For these, library it up.
a spark of light by jodi picoult*
I struggled to decide which category to place this book, but ultimately I think it’s more rent-able than anything. The story is about a shooting at an abortion center in Mississippi. It’s definitely interesting, and the characters are well developed, but it’s told from a backwards perspective and for that reason– the story was far less gripping than it could have been. A good read for those of you who aren’t sure where you stand on abortion-based issues.
BEFORE WE WERE YOURS BY LISA WINGATE
This was the Bad Bitch Book Club book of the month for September. Although my reviews for the BBBC are only for members, I’ll tell you this was good for those who like historical fiction. It started off slow, but ultimately it was an interesting and worthwhile read.
feminists don’t wear pink (and other lies) by scarlett curtis*
An essay series that was full of worthwhile reads, though some redundant. I’m pretty far along in my feminist development, so I didn’t really “need” this book, but it helped me by providing ammunition and examples I can use while fighting the patriarchy in the future. This book would make an excellent gift for a young feminist, especially someone in their early years of college.
WORTH skipping:
I took one for the team + read some stuff that I can’t recommend to you!
if not for you by debbie macomber*
I take issue with books that are centered around a romantic relationship that have zero sexy scenes. What’s the point? Why am I here? Granted, the story of a mismatched couple that gets set up on a shitty blind date only to be forced together by a car crash is shit grocery-store-novel dreams are made of. It was perfectly entertaining, but if all you’re going to do is kiss, at least give me some religious reason as to why!!!
River of stars by vanessa hua*
I wanted to love this book about a pregnant woman from China sent over the US to have her baby– but I could only get 50 pages in. Very difficult to follow and extremely slow. It’s rare for me not to finish a book, but I didn’t finish this one.
