I Found You

This was my 10th book of 2019.

I Found You

by: Lisa Jewell

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one was good. A few unexpected twists. Very fast paced, too, which I liked. The ending dragged, though. The outcome was obvious, but dragged for quite a few chapters and I wanted it to just be over. An easy read, though. Very quick-witted with *mostly* likable characters- Alice was hilarious. The wife and her neediness toward her husband’s friend was incredibly awkward to me, but I suppose a 21-year-old bride with a missing husband would be understandably needy. I’d recommend.

Wasted Pretty

I always have kindle books on my iPad for backup incase I read all the books I bring on a trip - this trip, I had 3 “real books” and Wasted Pretty downloaded. It wasn’t great, but free is free.

Thanks, Prime Reading.

Wasted Pretty

by: Jamie Beth Cohen

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I liked the idea of this book, but it fell short.

The whole set-in-the-90s part excited me. It was unnecessary, but I liked all the references.

I also really didn’t understand Alice’s parents or brother. They were all genuinely horrible. As the child of a mother who put me on wild diets, I wasn’t totally surprised, but it was still sad to read. And the dad seemed like such a shady, sketchy asshole going out drinking with creepy baseball players and hating teenage soccer players and chastising his daughter. I mean, when she’s groped by an old man and he accused her of being drunk (at 17-years-old). The brother was frustrating because everyone worshipped him but I never saw what was so worshipable - he just seemed overbearing and into himself.

I can’t say I was a fan of the love story, either - 90s or not, she was still a minor and it still wasn’t appropriate, even if she thought he was the “hottest guy ever.” And I don’t believe a college guy in a rock band would fall for a moody teenage girl who shows up crying all the time.

The way Alice came and went from her house at all hours was silly to me, too. I mean, it happens, but she just seemed to have no direction or discipline and she didn’t make great choices with her freedom so I had a hard time sympathizing with her when I was supposed to.

I love the best friend, though: Meredith. She’s a great character.

“I guess we all need a crazy-bitch who’s a little bit drunk and a little bit hopped up on diet pills in our corner.”

Like I said, great concepts, not necessarily executed well. I felt like quite a few things were left unexplained and unfinished, but I didn’t *hate* it.

I’d recommend Wasted Pretty to anyone into teen drama, family drama, music lovers, forbidden love, and coming-of-age stories.

https://www.amazon.com/Wasted-Pretty-Jamie-Beth-Cohen-ebook/dp/B07R9QJR66/ref=sr_1_1?crid=29APOV7Q3CPTS&keywords=wasted+pretty+jamie+beth+cohen&qid=1574385070&sprefix=Wasted+pretty%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-1

Twenty-One Truths About Love

Twenty-One Truths About Love

by: Matthew Dicks

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“To Do

Don’t ever die.

Read faster.”

This book, written entirely in the form of lists, was very interesting and refreshing. Daniel was, at times, infuriating.

His lists were:

- sometimes silly

- sometimes emotional

- sometimes useless

- often hilarious.

10. “We lie to the people we love the most to protect them from the worst parts of ourselves, which is true but also f*cking bullsh*t.” - 21 Truths About Love list

I will say that I hope my husband never lies to me as much as Daniel lies to Jill about their finances, but I do hope my husband follows his dream like Daniel with his bookshop.

“Bookshop” = quaint, privately owned

“Bookstore” = corporate, soulless - Important note in language list

Also, as a woman with a former partner who’s deceased, I hope I’m sensitive to the mention of said partner in future relationships as I often found myself feeling sad for Daniel and his struggle to cope with his wife’s dead first husband. Which leads me to the fact that this book had a lot of deep topics- very impressive for a book made up of only lists.

* “When your wife dies, people look at the space where she used to be instead of at you.” - Three hours with Bill Donovan list

I am thoughroughly impressed with Matthew Dick’s writing style. This book is a quick read while maintaining both humor and heartbreak.

I’d recommend this book to:

- anyone “starting over”

- anyone following their dream

- anyone starting a family

- anyone who’s lost a partner

- anyone in love with someone who’s lost a partner

- anyone who loves lists.