Recent Reads

I reached my halfway mark on Goodreads last week and I was so happy to know that I am on track with my reading challenge. It’s really satisfying when you look back on all the books you’ve read and think of how much you either loved or hated it. I have to say that 2015 (so far) hasn’t been treating me too well in terms of good reads; but I have a feeling that’s going to change because I managed to get my hands on some really interesting looking books this weekend – which I will share soon. But for now, these are some of my recent reads:

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

I am not sure how I feel about this book. I guess I expected something more from it even when I knew I shouldn’t. But I think that was the point of it though, to remind us that life is life. It should be lived and accepted for what it is. And sometimes we are put in real crappy situations where you have to let go of what you love most.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

I am really getting into the whole YA, Science Fiction and Fantasy genres lately. When I first read the Divergent series I truly hated it; but I re-read it recently because I really wanted to like it, and I found that my opinion on it has changed quite a bit. So I am not surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Red Queen is also going to be a series, and if I have to compare, I would say it’s a mix between Hunger Games, Divergent and Twilight. A story filled with drama, action, betrayal and a power struggle of epic proportions.

The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

After discussing this book with my sister-in-law who is also a major book worm like me, I was left with mixed feelings. When I was finished with The DUFF I didn’t particularly find it amazing, but I still liked it. I found it to be light and entertaining. My sister-in-law hated it and she explained why she had such strong feelings toward this book (which I understood and agreed with by the way) and made me rethink the entire experience. But I finally came to a conclusion about this book: no matter how strong you are or how confident you may feel, being rated or judged based on your looks is hurtful and demeaning and it affects everyone who has to deal with it. This is the lesson I chose to take from this book.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

When I saw all the hype about this book on the internet I knew I had to read it, especially since I was looking for something light. The first book was… nice. I mean, I enjoyed it and all but it didn’t live up to all the great reviews that I’ve seen. It was entertaining but filled with so much fluff which made it a drag. With that being said, in my opinion, there was absolutely no reason for a second book. I felt like the story had no depth; or substance for that matter. It left nothing to the imagination which defeats the purpose of reading for me.

What books have you read recently and is there anything you recommend? I’d love to have some idea of what to reach for on my next trip to the book store!

– Nihaad