Reading Wrap Up- June and July

Warning: some sensitive subjects may be discussed

This blog also may contain some spoilers for some of the books you may not have read (I have tried to keep it as spoiler-free as possible)

So, these two months I did read a lot but I didn’t read as many books as I wanted to. I also did a little bit of re-reading so I also kind of wanted to give my updated thoughts on those books. At the end of this blog, I have attached a couple of books that are at the top of my TBR list right now.

1. A Good Girls Guide to Murder- Holly Jackson

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brief description: Pippa has taken up the case involving the murder of Andie Bell by Sal Singh. According to records, Sal murdered Andie and proceeded to take his own life. Pippa has her doubts about what really happened as she believed that everything is not what it seems to be. She decides to investigate further but she falls too deep in and makes some shocking revelations but, someone doesn’t want her to find out the truth and makes sure that they can do everything to prevent her from finding out what actually happened

My review: I really enjoyed the book because it kept me on my toes the entire time. It’s a page-turner because every time you think it’s a good place to take a break, it literally just gets better. I think I read the entire book in one sitting because I was always so intrigued to know what happens next. I think the plot was really good but the reason I gave it only four stars is because I was not completely satisfied by the end. It was definitely a ‘Woah’ moment but personally, I wish the twist had been more fun?

Lesson: everybody deserves a second chance. People were so ready to write off Sal as the murderer and to write off his family as well. Nobody decided to do a double turn and give them a chance at redemption. The case did seem straightforward forward but being a small town, people should have given a second thought to the kind of person Sal was. The only person who did give Ravi Singh, Sal’s brother was Pippa, and if you read the book you will come to know what happens

“But sometimes remembering isn’t for yourself, sometimes you do it just to make someone else smile. Those lies were allowed.”- A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Holly Jackson

2. Red, White, and Royal blue- Casey McQuiston

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brief description: Alex Claremont-Diaz is the son of the President of the United States and Prince Henry is the Prince of Wales. They are generally enemies and do not have good publicity together. To try to improve international relations, they are told to fake their friendship… it soon turns into more than that. But Alex and Henry’s life is very hard on its own, let alone the havoc that they would create together. They navigate their feelings but will their relationship be able to withstand the pressure of the public or will they crumble?

My review: I heard that it is becoming a movie. I am kind of excited to see it? This book was such a cute and fluffy romance. I really liked how the author portrayed their lives and how they were constantly in the public eye while they were just trying to live a normal life. The romance in this book is so cute and I loved watching both characters navigate their feelings and sexuality. It is a dual pov book which I really did enjoy and their cute little emails (if you read the book, you will know what I am talking about). I have to say that the ending is so powerful

Lesson: celebrities are normal people too. They are also just navigating their own lives and are figuring out things too except they are doing that in front of millions of people who are open to judging them for no other reason but to feel better about themselves in case the celebrity messes up. We put them on a pedestal and have such high hopes, imagine the pressure that they must feel. They have worked hard to get to where they are and will continue to give their best until they are satisfied

Someone else’s choice doesn’t change who you are.”- Red, White, and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston

3. Before the coffee gets cold- Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brief description: This book is translated into English from Japanese. The premise of the story is that there is this small café where at a specific table you can go back into the past and visit whoever you want if you have some unfinished business but it comes with a catch, there are some rules to time traveling- the present does not change, you have to sit in a particular seat and you can only stay in the past until your coffee gets cold. It is a book that has four connected stories.

Review: honestly it was such a beautifully written book. The reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is that I did not enjoy one of the stories as much and I think I was kind of expecting more? In retrospect, the book was so well written, and once you read the stories and connect the dots the book is really good. The concept is also so intriguing and so unique. You might be thinking- what is the point of the book if the present does change after you visit the past? All I can say is, read the book and it will all make sense. Figuring out how the stories connected and some of the outcomes were my favorite parts of the book

Lesson: no matter the difficulty, you will overcome it. Through this book, we see the different ways people deal with loss, heartbreak, and relationships. Throughout your life you will face some hardships, overcoming them is what shows your resilience. This book so beautifully outlines tragedy and love at the same time. You will always have the strength to overcome the difficulties in your life.

“The present hadn’t changed—but those two people had.”-Before the Coffee gets Cold, Toshikazu Kawaguchi

4. Ugly Love- Colleen Hoover

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brief description: Tate moves in with her brother while she is finishing nursing school. Miles is a pilot who lives across from Tate’s brother and is his very close friend. Tate and Miles are slowly falling in love, but they make a set of rules to prevent that from happening as Miles is not looking for a relationship. He is afraid to share his past with Tate and show her who he is.

Review: I want to put out a disclaimer that this book is definitely 18+ and does contain some sensitive subjects. The book was a little underwhelming in my opinion. I think I expected a lot more but when the truth was revealed in the end, I was absolutely shocked. I feel like the plot progressed really slowly for me and I did not necessarily like a lot of the characters which made it hard for me to root for them. Nevertheless, this book is so sad and so heartbreaking.

Lesson: people are all dealing with things that they don’t speak of, it never hurts to be kind. Sometimes things affect us really deeply and we carry such a burden around with us, it helps to share it with someone else as it can get slightly heavy sometimes. We never know what someone is going through so just try to be nice to everyone.

“I know the thought of confronting your past terrifies you. But sometimes we don't do it ourselves. We do it for the people we love more than ourselves.”- Ugly Love, Colleen Hoover

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog and I hope this gave you some book recommendations.

TBR:

1. The Paris Apartment- Lucy Foley

2. Maybe in Another Life- Taylor Jenkins Reid

3. The Summer I Turned Pretty- Trilogy- Jenny Han

4. Daisy Jones and the Six- Taylor Jenkins Reid

5. Better than the Movies-Lynn Painter

Thanks for reading,

Xx Mahika

(Ps: follow my Instagram: @blogbanterandbigwords where I share polls and put teasers for my upcoming blogs, you might also find some nice quotes in there)