I didn't post last Monday because it was Canadian Thanksgiving, so this week I've got three books to talk about.
First I read THE ROYAL WE by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. This is totally Will and Kate fanfiction, but I loved it. It was fun to read and feel like I was part of a world I will never be part of. Even though it was fiction, they built the world of the royals so well, it felt real, and with so many similarities between the story and Will and Kate's journey, I felt like I was reading about them (which I wasn't, I know). I only have two minor complaints. One, the book felt long. I don't know where they could've cut it, and I don't think I was ever bored, but it still felt long, which isn't something you want your readers to feel. The other thing, which some people will laugh at me for, but these characters did not stop drinking. Like seriously, find something else to do. It made for a lot of hijinks and funny moments, but there were multiple times where I was like, SERIOUSLY STOP DRINKING. This is coming from a girl who doesn't drink, so there you go.
Then I read THE WRATH AND THE DAWN by Renee Adieh. This book sucked me in from the start. I loved the story, although I was a little disturbed by how Shazi fell for Khalid. I wish I had written this post right after I finished reading it because my thoughts were much clearer then than they are now. But that feeling hasn't left me. As much as I loved their complicated story and was totally drawn in, it was still a little off to see her fall for him. I mean yes, he had reasons for having all those girls killed, and he felt horrible, but still- he killed her best friend. All those times she was hating herself for falling for him, I was feeling the same thing. The book was good though- the world building in particular was excellent. A minor complaint I had was all the eye and hair descriptions. I'm guilty of the eye thing myself, but I found myself rolling my eyes at her "waving tresses" and his "tiger eyes" mentioned every other page. Just saying. I'll definitely pick up the second book though.
Last, I read SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY by Julie Murphy. Yeah. I have a lot to say about this book but I'll keep it brief. Again, this book sucked me in, but when I wasn't reading it, I didn't want to pick it back up (I did anyway). Why? Because I could not stand the main character Alice. Yes, she had cancer, but she was not a nice person, she treated everyone like crap, and especially Harvey, who was such a good guy but he would just lie down and take it. It drove me crazy. Yet I still kept reading, which is a testament I think to how good the writing and the story itself was. It was very honest, and I liked that. I just couldn't stand Alice. It made me think of unlikeable characters and the whole discussion about unlikeable female characters. I started to think if I'd read any male unlikeable characters and if I liked them anyway, but couldn't think of any. I agree that we should be able to have unlikeable female characters as well as males, because why not? But they aren't really my thing. Like unreliable narrators, I'm just not a fan. Anyway, the book is good and deals with cancer in a very real, honest, and not sappy way. Although I felt the end a little too... easy after everything that had happened. I don't want to give spoilers so you'll just have to read it yourself.
Whew, that was a long post, but an interesting couple of weeks of reading. If you've read any of these books, how did you feel about them?