Reading Update: GR Summer Reading Challenge (June-July)

Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

I posted about joining the Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge earlier in June and as is pretty standard with my lazy ass, I have been really horrible at tracking my progress. Honestly, I’m just really bad at keeping up with challenges, lol–it’s not so much the reading that’s a struggle for me but the tracking (excel files hate me as much I hate them). But I’ve been thinking about the challenge lately because I just finished reading one of the books on my list and I was wondering how I’ve done so far. If you want to see a recap of what books I set for the challenge, check out my original post!

what I’ve finished so far:

Short & sweet: Read a book with less than 100 pages (or a book you can finish in one sitting) – The Woods, Vol. 1: The Arrow by James Tynion IV | (my review)

On the bandwagon: Read one of the most read books right now on Goodreads & New voices: Read a debut novel – Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens | (my review)

In the friend zone: Read a book that a friend has recommended – The Flatshare Beth O’Leary | (my review)

It takes two: Read a co-authored book – Autoboyography by Christina Lauren | (my review)

Armchair traveler: Read a book set in a destination you want to visit – The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Seeing as how I’ve not ‘intentionally’ read these books over the last month, I’m happy to see that I’ve almost ticked off half of the challenges. I still have a ways to go but hopefully my confidence isn’t misplaced when I say that I think I can complete this challenge 😃 The only book I’m nervous about picking up (again) is The Goldfinch because its been sitting half-unfinished on my shelf since February. I started it for a group/buddy read but it was admittedly the worst reading month–my book slump was epic and trying to force myself to get through this wasn’t ideal. BUT I’m hoping to get it read before the movie comes out this September. The trailer is beautiful and I’m so excited to watch the movie; plus, it’s also really good motivation to finish the book!

Are you participating in the Goodreads Summer Reading Challenge?
If you are, how’s your reading progress coming along?
Let me know in the comments and let’s chat!

#WWWWednesday: 24 July

Dini @ dinipandareads5 Comments

Omg, is it only Wednesday?! Welp, my brain keeps tricking me into believing it’s Thursday and that there’s only one more day standing between me and my beloved weekend. Well, on that note, it’s time for another WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be talking about:

  1. What did you read last?
  2. What are you currently reading?
  3. What will you read next?

What did you read last?

This weekend I finished reading The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (solid 5 stars!) and in the very early hours of this morning, I finished my first read for The Reading Rush: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Y’all, I’m really sorry to say this, but I didn’t love it as much as everyone else seemed to and trust me, no one is more disappointed about it than me. While the last 30% of the book really shifted my feelings about it and I did leave the book feeling, lifted, warm and happy, it still wasn’t enough for me to give it more than 3½ stars. I’ll be posting my review for both these books in the coming days, so keep your eyes out for it! Finishing RW&RB means I can tick my first prompt for the RR challenge: ☑️Read an author’s first book!

What are you currently reading?

I’m putting all my other reads aside for now and I’m focusing on these next three reads, which are also for The Reading Rush this week, not to mention my buddy read for TIHIAI is coming up this Sunday so I really gotta get going with this read! Here’s the list of challenges that I’m reading these books for:

Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan: Read a book with purple on the cover
Everyone’s an Aliebn When You’re an Aliebn Too by Jomny Sun: Read a book in the same spot the entire time and Read a book with a non-human main character
This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel: Pick a book that has five or more words in the title

What will you read next?

After my current reads, I still have two other books (three if you count reading seven books for the challenge), plus my buddy read for A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult. The other books and prompts for the RR challenge are:

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo: Read a book you meant to read last year
The Green Mile by Stephen King: Read and watch a book to movie adaptation
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein: Bonus/ Read 7 books

What are you currently reading?
Have you made good progress on your Reading Rush TBR?
Leave me a comment and let’s chat 🙂

#TopTenTuesday: Settings I Want More of…

Dini @ dinipandareads35 Comments

It’s that time of the week again, friends! We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s prompt is: settings I’d like to see more of. I think one of the reasons many of us love reading so much is because stories have the ability to transport us to places so far removed from our realities, whether they’re real existing places or fictional worlds that are so well built that they pretty much feel real. I mean, when you’re bogged down by #thatadultlife and can’t afford to travel to places you’re desperate to visit, there’s no better feeling than immersing yourself in a book that takes you there for a comparatively small price. 😉 Here are a few settings I’d like to see more of!

Source

Space à la Illuminae Files and Aurora Rising
I mean, I really just want more space. Especially when it’s space like in these two amazing books!

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Magical Libraries à la Sorcery of Thorns
Who doesn’t want more magical libraries? Especially if they’re full of magical books like in The Great Libraries of Sorcery of Thorns?! I would even take the grimoires that have all the evil power and can do bad things to a person. I’ll take it!

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Caraval
The world of Caraval is honestly like a dream. But not only full of really beautiful, fun and magical things but also dangerous and sinister things. How gorgeous is this cover of the Taiwan edition?!

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Red London of ADSOM
I’m tempted to even say that I want more of all the Londons from ADSOM? But I don’t think I’ll go that far. I just want more of Red London and Rhy, Kel, Lila and Alucard. Lol but really, I’d love more of this shade of london.

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London Below of Neverwhere
I fell so in love with the otherworldly London Below. It was so cool to see this ‘other side’ to familiar stations and locations from when I used to live in the UK (and often visited London to meet friends). I’d love to spend more time in London Below and explore its dark and dangerous side some more!

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Alaska
So maybe my view of Alaska is still on the more ‘romantic’ side but after reading The Great Alone, I’m not unaware of the harsh reality of living in such an environment. In my mind it’s a combination of terrifying nature and impossible beauty, especially with the Northern Lights! I’ve honestly always had this weird thing for Alaska!

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Edinburgh, Scotland
I’ve only been to Edinburgh but in the almost-two-years that I lived in Norwich, I think I went up to visit the city four times? I couldn’t get enough. It’s such a beautiful city and I often miss the magic of it, although I get to experience it when I read books set there. I especially love when a book talks about a place that I’ve been to, seen, or heard of in real life. It makes it feel extra special 🙂

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New York City
It’s manic but there’s a certain energy to NYC that so many people fall in love with. In reality I get incredibly overwhelmed with all the people around me, so what better way than to experience more of the city through a story? I find that stories in NYC are always so upbeat and full of hope 🙂

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New Orleans.
This is another ‘weird’ one on my part lol I think back in the day when I started reading romances of the steamier variety I read a few that were set in New Orleans and I basically ended up falling in love with my impressions of this city. It’s old charm, superstitions, vibrancy and food! I definitely always end up wanting to read more of this city.

Winter/Christmas/Snow.
I love everything about this type of setting. Despite living in the tropics, I love the cold and snow and I especially love the feeling in the air when Christmas rolls around (in Western countries), when it’s cold but everything feels extra warm and cozy. There’s a feeling of comfort that comes from these settings and I love experiencing it through books, especially if I can’t IRL!

What settings would you like to see more of? If you’ve done a TTT this week, leave your link in the comments and let’s chat favorite locations!

Goodreads Monday – 22 July

Dini @ dinipandareads4 Comments

It’s time for another Goodreads Monday, a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners that invites you to pick a book from your TBR and explain why you want to read it. Easy enough, right? Feel free to join in if you’re feeling it!

This week’s book is: The Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry. It has been on my Goodreads TBR shelf since 22 November 2017 😅

There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy. Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter’s idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite. Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever. Peter will say I’m a villain, that I wronged him, that I never was his friend. Peter Lies.

Why do I want to read it?

The story of Peter Pan wasn’t necessarily my favorite growing up (because I remember it scared me a little lol) but I always found myself drawn back to the many movie adaptations of it over the years, even until now. Hook used to always creep me out a little but as I grew older, I became more curious about him. Where did he come from? Why did he hate Peter so much? And of course, his history with that croc! The movies don’t really cover it all that much, but also, they always show Peter off in the best light. The book blurb sounds like Henry exposes a sinister side to Peter Pan that I’m actually really interested in seeing. The Lost Boy sounds deliciously dark and I’m excited to read from a traditional ‘villain’s’ POV.

Have you read The Lost Boy or is it also on your TBR?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and let’s chat books!

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [14]

Dini @ dinipandareads15 Comments

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme, and this time it’s actually Sunday when I write this! 😉 This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve been you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

Today has been a bit of a long day. I’m in Jakarta visiting my family as my sister has just moved back from the US last week. I haven’t seen her in about a year so it was nice to spend time with her. Unfortunately though, she fell prey to the infamous stomach bug and so she’s been in bed all day and it’s just been an awful time. I didn’t get as much reading done as I hoped to, but last night I finished The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (which left me a blubbering hot mess, thanks Kristin Hannah) and so today I finally started my second buddy read for the month: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I can’t really say much about it so far since I just started, however, shit just hit the fan (in the book, not IRL lol). I’m sure everyone has heard about this book by now, but just in case you haven’t, you can read the blurb below!

First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep’s genius granddaughter, they’re the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties do have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations.

The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. Alex is busy enough handling his mother’s bloodthirsty opponents and his own political ambitions without an uptight royal slowing him down. But beneath Henry’s Prince Charming veneer, there’s a soft-hearted eccentric with a dry sense of humor and more than one ghost haunting him.

As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. And Henry throws everything into question for Alex, an impulsive, charming guy who thought he knew everything: What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?

What are you currently reading?

So we’re pretty much almost to the end of July. Another month gone and really, where does the time go? My reading month has continued to be great, and I think my blogging has been pretty constant as well. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my journey into and with the book community via blogging, bookstagram and Twitter (just a bit) and I feel so grateful for all the people that I’ve met who share a passion and love for the same things as me, and who just get it. I hope that the friendships, bookships and everything else continue to flourish and stay strong as my blog gets “older”. Wow, that wasn’t meant to be as weepy as it sounded? I hope that wasn’t awkward! Haha 😂Anyway, back to the blogging bit, just in case you missed it, below are the posts I’ve made this week. Its been a pretty great blogging week, if I do say so myself 🙂

If I Joined The Reading Rush…
The Sunshine Blogger Award
Friday Favorites: Summer Reads
Review: Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Review: The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James
#WWWWednesday: 17 July
#TopTenTuesday: Autobuy Authors
ARC Review: Sorry I’m Late I Didn’t Want to Come by Jessica Pan
Goodreads Monday: 15 July
ARC Graphic Novel Review: The Tea Dragon Festival (Tea Dragon #2) by Katie O’Neill

How has your reading and blogging week been?
Come let me know in the comments and let’s have a chat 🙂

If I Joined the Reading Rush…

Dini @ dinipandareads22 Comments

Over the last week I’ve been seeing so many people in the book community talking about The Reading Rush. If you’re like me and have never heard of this challenge before, here’s a little bit on what it’s about:

“The Reading Rush is a week long readathon for book lovers all around the world. For one week readers gather together to read as much as they possibly can and to participate in challenges and giveaways online. Starting in 2019 the Reading Rush introduced a website, in order to allow anyone taking part in the readathon to track their reading statistics and come together in a central place. The Reading Rush started as the “BookTubeAThon” in 2013.”

You can find out more and sign up on their website. So, this totally sounds like fun, right? When I read more about it and looked up the prompts, I immediately felt the urge to sign up and join in on the fun, but I’m really not so great with sticking to TBRs and completing challenges, plus I feel that work is going to be a little bit hectic next week so I felt apprehensive about committing my time when I’m not sure I could do it. That said, I also started to get excited thinking about what I’d choose, so I decided to do a post of what I’d be reading for The Reading Rush, if I joined. 😉

READING CHALLENGES

1/ Read a book with purple on the cover

Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan

2/ Read a book in the same spot the entire time

Everyone’s an Aliebn When You’re an Aliebn Too by Jomny Sun
To be read on the couch in my reading corner at home!

3/ Read a book you meant to read last year

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

4/ Read an author’s first book

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

5/ Read a book with a non-human main character

Everyone’s an Aliebn When You’re an Aliebn Too by Jomny Sun
Yep, I’m doing a double for this read!

6/ Pick a book that has five or more words in the title

This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

7/ Read and watch a book to movie adaptation

The Green Mile by Stephen King.
For some reason I’ve been thinking about this book/movie a lot lately. I still haven’t read the book and it’s been years since I watched the movie, but I remember how much I cried in the end.

Bonus/ Read 7 books!

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
If by some miracle I am able to finish one book per day(ish) and will be able to manage a seventh book, I’d pick this one to fulfill the prompt for a book with a non-human main character.

So there you have it, book friends! Books that I would read for The Reading Rush if I were to participate in the challenge! Honestly, I’m still really tempted to sign up and try even though I might only end up reading only two or a most three of these books! What do you think? Should I just say to hell with it and sign myself up?! 🙃

Are you joining The Reading Rush? If you are and you’ve posted about it, leave me a link in the comments. I’d love to see what books you’ve chose to do! Also leave me your username so that if I *do* sign up, I can follow you!

The Sunshine Blogger Award

Dini @ dinipandareads26 Comments

Thanks The Geekish Brunette for nominating me for this award! Head on over to her blog (via the link above) and check her awesome reviews and posts! I got so super excited when I saw that I was nominated for something on the blogosphere, so I don’t know why it has taken me so long to respond to this nomination! It’s not that I didn’t want to, I think for some reason I’ve just been intimidated (I know I’m weird)?! Like, do I have 11 blogging buddy/friends that I can nominate? But that weirdness has passed and now I’m just excited to do this. So… HERE WE GO!

WHAT IS THE SUNSHINE BLOGGER AWARD?

The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are creative, positive and inspiring while spreading sunshine to the blogging community.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

  • Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog.
  • Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you.
  • Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
  • List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

1.) What book has had the biggest impact on your life?

Wow, talk about starting it off with one of the toughest questions to answer! You’re killing me, Joanna! 😂 Lol it’s so hard to pick just one book, so I’m going to go with the first one that comes to mind and that’s Persuasion by Jane Austen. I read it at one of the lowest points in my life and I was feeling 100% hopeless. I picked Persuasion up on a whim and it basically ended up being my therapy. I screamed, I cried, and then I laughed and felt a spark of hope again. It helped me move on.

2.) What was your last book hangover?

My last book hangover was probably Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Robertson. Lucky for me it was only a *very minor* hangover, but I still wondered what to do with myself and what book I should pick next after finishing that one. I’ve been working on pushing myself through book hangovers this year and so far, I’m doing pretty alright! *knock wood*

3.) Favorite book quote and why?

Again with the tough questions! LOL I’m going to pick just one out of many favorites:

“It matters not how strait the gate
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.”

Invictus – William Ernest Henley

I struggled a lot (and still do) with self-confidence which greatly affected my mental health. That doubt meant I let people make decisions for my life that led me down paths that I wish I hadn’t taken. When I first read this poem it knocked me off-kilter and reminded me that I am the person in charge of myself, not anybody else–I’m my captain and master. I know that sounds totally cheesy, but it really pushed me to take charge of my life and even if I go down a difficult path, it’s because of my decisions and not someone else’s.

4.) What is your favorite color and what book cover best shows it off?

My favorite color is anything pastel (seriously). I recently saw this cover edition for Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult and it’s so stunning. I already have the physical book but I would honestly just buy this edition because it’s SO gorgeous (I’m trying to be good though lol).

5.) Favorite book boyfriend/book girlfriend?

THERE ARE SO MANY but right now it’s Leon Twomey from The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. He’s so sweet & caring. I love how he respects Tiffy and is so considerate of her history.

6.) Do you prefer standalone or series?

I prefer standalones more because 1) less time crying into my pillow waiting for the next book to come out and 2) less money spent trying to get all the books (kinda looking at you Maas with ToG)! Waiting around for the next book in a series is always torture.

7.) Who is your favorite villain and why?

I rarely like villains but if I had to choose I’d say Holland Vosijk from the Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab. He’s so evil through the whole series, and honestly I hated him for so much of it, but by the end of the series I really couldn’t help feeling sorry for him and everything that he experienced. It changed him completely in the worst way and it’s just heartbreaking.

8.) Do you like morally grey characters?

Sometimes? If they’re anything like Victor from Vicious then it’s a definite yes! Because it’s just fun to experience their skewed compasses and most of the time they’re not necessarily evil just… slightly gone astray? 😂

9.) What got you into reading?

I started reading trying to escape bullies when I was in middle school. They never ventured into the library though so that’s where I found myself 90% of the time, getting lost in worlds that took me out of my discomfort and anxiety. So really, I have to thank you, bullies!

10.) Favorite book-to-movie adaptation?

Hmm… I really tend to not watch movies based on books I’ve read because I don’t want to be disappointed, so I’m not sure I really have an appropriate answer for this one. That said, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit are some of my all time favorite movies although I haven’t read the LOTR books… but I’m making that count! Lol

11.) What is your least favorite book genre?

Horror. I am a total chicken. I just can’t do it. The ghosty supernatural thing is just not my jam! Give me anything else and I’ll work through it and gladly. But it’s a big fat no to the supernatural lol

My Questions:

1) What is your favorite book genre?
2) What book do you wish would be made into a TV series/movie?
3) You need to escape your house (for some reason) and can only bring 3 books in your bag. What books would you take?
4) Why did you start a book blog?
5) What was your last 5-star read and why?
6) What’s a destination you want to visit because of a book you read?
7) If you could read any book again for the first time, which book would it be and why?
8) Do you read books in another language? If yes, what language?
9) Which fictional character do you think is most like you?
10) Which fictional world would you most like to visit or live in and why?
11) What popular book and/or author do you hate?

I nominate*:

A Little Haze Book Blog | Our Book Boyfriends | Sometimes Leelynn Reads | Shaunna Reads |
A Wicked Reader | Readingtonic | Perfectly Tolerable | Book Haven | Mani’s Book Corner |
Lost in Storyland | A Court of Coffee and Books

*If you’re totally not into doing book tags and all these sorts of nomination things, please don’t feel pressured to do so 🙂

Friday Favorites: Summer Reads

Dini @ dinipandareads11 Comments

It’s time for another Friday Favorites hosted by Kibby @ Something of the Book! This weekly meme is where you get to share a list of all your favorites based on the list of prompts on Kibby’s page. Sounds fun, right? This week’s prompt is: summer reads. What I read very much depends on my mood so I don’t necessarily read different books according to the season. That said, summer is pretty much synonymous with the beach and pool time so when I think summer reads I always think of the types of books that I like to take with me when I’m lying under the sun. My favorite genres to read beach/pool side are: romcoms, thrillers, and occasionally YA fantasy/sci-fi.

These aren’t necessarily my *favorite* summer reads, but they’re ones that I’ve enjoyed reading from each genre! I’m going to try and name books that I’ve never mentioned on my blog before (Thank goodness for Goodreads and Kindle lol)

ROMANCE/ROMCOM:

THRILLERS:

YA FANTASY/SCI-FI:

What are some of your favorite summer genres/reads? Leave me a comment below and let’s chat summer books!

Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid – #MiniBookReview

Dini @ dinipandareads14 Comments

Goodreads: Evidence of the Affair
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Short Story
Rating:

Dear stranger…
A desperate young woman in Southern California sits down to write a letter to a man she’s never met—a choice that will forever change both their lives.

My heart goes out to you, David. Even though I do not know you…

The correspondence between Carrie Allsop and David Mayer reveals, piece by piece, the painful details of a devastating affair between their spouses. With each commiserating scratch of the pen, they confess their fears and bare their souls. They share the bewilderment over how things went so wrong and come to wonder where to go from here. Told entirely through the letters of two comforting strangers and those of two illicit lovers, Evidence of the Affair explores the complex nature of the heart. And ultimately, for one woman, how liberating it can be when it’s broken.

I’ve had this sitting on my Kindle for a while now and only realized yesterday that it’s a short story. So, feeling in a bit of a restless reading mood, I decided to start it on a whim and I’m so glad that I did!

This story is written in the form of letters between Carrie Allsop and David Mayer. Carrie reaches out to David after finding letters from his wife to her husband, and what follows is a sad and sweet correspondence between the two, as they turn to and support each other in the after of this tumultuous discovery. Through their exchanges, Reid manages to not only display but also evoke a wide range of emotions. These letters are filled with heartbreak and defeat, insecurity and longing, but also with hope, passion and love. Carrie and David were such compassionate characters and my heart really went out to them. They were just regular people with relatable lives who found themselves in one of the worst situations, and it was hard not to feel invested in them despite only spending a short time together.

“It is funny the crazy things our brains make up to save us from the truth.”

As someone who has been in a relationship with a cheating partner and finding out through text messages, some of the emotions displayed on the page felt like a shot right to my gut and tore my heart open again. Reading the hurtful words was a little bit like dejavu and helped me really identify with the raw and real heartbreak and confusion that these two characters face.

“It was just easier to consider the possibility that he’d changed his entire personality overnight than it was to believe that he would cheat. But he’s the same Ken I’ve always known and loved […]. It’s just that he’s capable of things I never knew.”

Carrie’s revelation in her last letter, while surprising, wasn’t all that shocking and it added a nice victorious twist to the story. I’m glad that it ended that way because if it had continued then I felt it would’ve just become too messy. As it was, the ending felt incredibly freeing and like a weight had been lifted!

With Evidence of the Affair, I’m once again reminded why Reid has a firm spot on my list of auto buy authors. I continue to be amazed with her simple yet powerful and evocative writing style. It’s another win for me!

Have you read Evidence of the Affair? Loved it? Hated it? Meh about it? Leave a comment below and let’s chat books (and TJR!) 🙂

Book Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Dini @ dinipandareads11 Comments

Goodreads: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Publication Date: 29 May 2018
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance

Panda Rating:

(5 pandas)

Reclusive Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant to write her story, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Determined to use this opportunity to jump-start her career, Monique listens in fascination. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s – and, of course, the seven husbands along the way – Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. But as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

NOTE: I finished this book in March 2019 but for some reason didn’t post my review on my blog. I remember that I was traveling for work when I finished this and felt completely shattered at the airport waiting to board my late night flight. When I finished it, I felt like if I could give it all the stars, I absolutely would and even now, months later, I still feel that way. I believe the immediate words I used when I finished this were: Wow, holy heck, and why did this book have to end?!

One of my new all-time favourites, definitely a Top 2019 read. Fierce, heartbreaking and inspiring. I dare you to not fall in love with Evelyn Hugo!

I honestly don’t know why I waited so long to read Evelyn Hugo, despite all the insane hype. The story really surprised me from the start because it didn’t go at all the way I expected it to. Of course I thought it would be compelling, but maybe a little predictable. I didn’t anticipate that it would have me on the edge of my seat the whole time and greedily flipping through pages to learn more. How wrong I was! This was such a beautiful, sometimes tragic, life and love story—but it’s probably not the love story you’re expecting.

“It’s always been fascinating to me how things can be simultaneously true and false, how people can be good and bad all in one, how someone can love you in a way that is beautifully selfless while serving themselves ruthlessly.“

Evelyn Hugo is one of Hollywood’s darlings. Starting in the 50s when she exploded onto the scene with her tanned skin, blonde hair, dark brows, and her busty voluptuous figure. She dazzled Hollywood and the masses with her acting and won them over time and again with her looks and sexuality. She was one of the most complex and compelling characters I’ve had the pleasure to read in a very long time. Her character managed to evoke a range of contradicting emotions simultaneously. I was enamoured and repelled by her. I admired and pitied her. I loved and hated her. She was brilliant and cunning, always working angles to manipulate the people in her life to ensure that the outcome suited her agenda. Her sexuality was a weapon that she honed to perfection and brandished without hesitation when she wanted. As much as I found myself repelled by her blasé attitude towards some of her awful actions and thoughts, I honestly couldn’t stop myself from admiring her and falling in love with her anyway. She was unapologetic for always openly going after what she wanted, especially at a time when it was unheard of for women to do so, and I admired the hell out of her character for that. 

Her story was an endlessly fascinating journey that captivated me from chapter one. From her beginning as a Cuban girl growing up in Hell’s Kitchen, to her making when she moved to Hollywood and decided to become a star. To her career, her marriages, her friendships. To the exploration of love and sexuality throughout her life. To her struggle with her heritage in a society that wouldn’t accept it. All of it kept me hooked and constantly craving more. You not only learn about Evelyn Hugo and her Seven Husbands, you learn just how far a strong willed woman can go when she’s determined to be the biggest, brightest star there is.

“Evelyn looks at me with purpose. ‘Do you understand what I’m telling you? When you’re given an opportunity to change your life, be ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen. The world doesn’t give things, you take things. If you learn one thing from me, it should probably be that.'”

On the other hand, I wasn’t so invested in Monique. I didn’t love or hate her, I was just a little meh about her character. I felt for her at the end–I can’t imagine what learning something like this would do to a person–but otherwise I didn’t connect with her character. She did experience an empowering growth through the novel, but I saw her less as a “main” character and more as a plot device to help the story move along (as the character to hear Evelyn Hugo’s story).

Taylor Jenkins Reid is supremely talented. Her writing flows like water, her descriptions are vivid, and her characters are so full of life. There’s a simplicity to her writing that I love because it lets the story speak for itself and allows the characters to come to life without any need for embellishment. I honestly finished this book feeling as if I had said goodbye to real people, old friends even, whom I’d come to know and love, and my heart was broken over it. Her ability to take even the most morally questionable characters, and make them likeable and relatable is probably one of the main reasons why I love her writing.

This is the second TJR book that I’ve read and I can confidently say she has quickly become one of my favourite authors. I’m very much looking forward to reading more of her work as soon as I can get my hands on all of them! If you haven’t read this yet, I urge you to do it ASAP! 

Have you read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo? Did you love her as much as I did or were you kind of ‘meh’ about her story? Let me know in the comments and let’s have a little chat about one of my all time favourites!