I read 3 books in the month of November. This is my wrap up.
YALLFest With BookTube Friends // Vlog
I attended YALLFest again this year with my husband, and friend Diana. We stayed in the same hotel with friends/BookTubers Kat, Chloe and Elizabeth.
October Book Wrap Up
I read 7 books in the month of October. This is my wrap up.
BrunetteBibliophile’s 20th Birthday // Vlog
I stopped by the hotel during Indie Bookfest 2017 to drop off some presents and have some cake in celebration of Chloe’s 20th birthday.
Daughter Of Smoke And Bone by Laini Taylor // Book Review
I don’t read fantasy much. It’s hard for me to keep up with all the characters. I really liked this one though and will be continuing with the series.
Without Merit by Colleen Hoover // Book Review
From the minute I opened this book I was captivated by Merit Voss and her quirky family. Merit likes to deal with life’s unfortunate events by collecting trophies she didn’t win. In addition to trophies, Merit has found herself a collector and keeper of family secrets. Eventually unable to carry the burden she makes a spontaneous decision to leave her family behind for good. But not before confessing each of their lies. When things don’t go as planned, she’s left to deal with the consequence of her actions and to repair the relationships that were damaged.
Secrets of Skinny Cooking by Victoria Dwek & Shani Taub // Book Review
I’m convinced the social media “story” feature was created to take pictures of food. It’s so we can share what we’re eating in the moment without having to delete hundreds of food pics later. There’s something to be said about photographing a thoughtfully plated dish. My husband and I have gotten into arguments over him picking food off my plate before I’ve captured the perfect shot. He should know better by now.
If My Dogs Were a Pair of Middle-Aged Men by Matthew Inman // Book Review
My first introduction to the Oatmeal was many moons ago when I was learning web design. The comic I first stumbled upon was about building a website with a difficult client. It was honest and accurate which made it hilarious. Many years later I purchased 5 Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth and Other Useful Guides. It has remained in my bathroom to educate guests while they drop the kids off at the pool. I enjoy Matthew Inman’s art and humor which is why I jumped at the chance to preview his latest work.
If My Dogs Were a Pair of Middle-Aged Men is a short gift book about Matt’s two dogs, as middle aged men. Does that sound weird? It is. That doesn’t stop Inman from personifying his dog into two old dudes, and he does it well. So much so that I was immediately reminded I’m more of a cat person. :adds How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You to wishlist:
Fans of the Oatmeal will enjoy this. I laughed out loud at least once. So the real question is, would I buy this as a gift for a friend? Yes. Would I buy it for myself? Probably not. I’d rather spend money on one of Inman’s longer books.
You can pick up If My Dogs Were a Pair of Middle-Aged Men in Hardcover or for Kindle/Comixology on Amazon.
This book was received as an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. This post contains an affiliate link. You can read more about my official disclosure policy here.
Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel // Book Review
The audiobook for Sleeping Giants was so amazing I decided to borrow Waking Gods from the library to listen to along side the text. Unfortunately, I didn’t end up enjoying it as much. It contained a lot more action, which sounds great, except it literally didn’t. There was an emptiness surrounding some of the heavier action scenes which made events feel like they were taking place inside a vacuum. Eva’s voice was supposed to be that of a child but sounded exactly like an adult playing a child. It took me out of the story every time she spoke. Despite this, I’m still interested in the story and will be picking up the next book. It’s not that I disliked it, I just didn’t love it.
The Drive To Learn by Cornelius N. Grove // Book Review
Around this time last year I was teaching my first college course on campus. We’d been getting an influx of international students, but this was the first time I had so many East Asians in my class. They sat next to each other and behaved similarly in class — quiet but attentive. I found myself questioning the clear differences between them and my American students. Were they self-conscious about speaking English? Did I not interest them as a teacher? How come they never raised their hands to answer questions? It was because of questions like these that I jumped at the chance to review The Drive To Learn: What the East Asian Experience Tells Us about Raising Students Who Excel by Cornelius N. Grove.