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Books

Reading Roundup // 11

April 28, 2015May 26, 2019 Crystal // Dreams, etc. Post a comment
Reading Roundup // 11

This is the first reading roundup that I’ve done all month. Here’s a peak at what I read in April!

NIGHT SINS, BY TAMI HOAG

A boy goes missing in a small Minnesota town and the investigation threatens to expose some of the secrets of local residents.

I read this book on the way to Montana and finished it while I was there. A huge draw for me was that it takes place in Minnesota. I always enjoy books that take place in settings that are familiar! And I really enjoyed reading about a small town. The mystery was engaging and I was trying to solve it the entire way through. I felt it was a little long sometimes; the reader gets a lot of details about a large number of characters and I felt it was a little much at times. I had a few select characters that I really enjoyed reading about, but I didn’t need to know so much about everyone else. Things really picked up towards the end and I read late into the night to finish it. I didn’t realize that it’s a duology, so the mystery wasn’t fully solved by the end. It found the conclusion to be satisfying enough, but I”ll still pick up the second book sometime soon to finish the story.

BLAZE (OR LOVE IN THE TIME OF SUPERVILLAINS) BY LAURIE BOYLE CROMPTON

When Blaze is dumped by a boy in her class, she creates a comic book which paints him as the villain and her as the superhero.

This has been on my to-read list for a LONG time so I finally read it while I was on the train. I really liked the premise of this book and thought that Crompton did well with the details. Blaze’s personality came out immediately and I really enjoyed seeing the different facets of her life play out. There were also some moments that had me cringing, because I knew how things would play out. I loved many of the supporting characters and they had shining moments as well. This was a quick read; I read it in a couple of hours on the train on the way home from Montana and it was a great way to pass the time.

ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER BY STEPHANIE PERKINS

In the final installment of a companion series (Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door), Isla returns to a boarding school in Paris for her final year of high school. Things start off well when she realizes that her long-time crush might actually be interested in her, but do they have a happily ever after in store?

I bought this as soon as it was released, but was holding off on reading it because I had heard really mixed reviews of this book, with most reviews being a little disappointed with it. I didn’t think it was the best book of the trilogy; it was definitely my least favorite. But I didn’t think it was bad. I had some issues with it–mostly from the source of a lot of the conflict in the book. Overall, though, it was a cute ending to the companion series and definitely worth the read if you’ve read the other books, or if you want to read the other books. The characters from Anna and Lola make an appearance (one of my favorite parts of the novel) and it was a satisfying conclusion.

DEATH AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR BY DARYNDA JONES

Lorelei is smitten by the new student who joins her class and at the same time is being stalked by a classmate.

I don’t really know where to begin with this one. I listened to the audiobook and it just didn’t hold me attention at the beginning. I thought the narrator was fantastic and she’s one that I’ve listened to and liked before. So I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the mood for an audiobook, or if the book wasn’t catching my attention at the beginning. About halfway through it really started to pick up for me and I enjoyed the ending.

WHAT HAVE YOU READ LATELY?

PS – I asked Juliana Romano (First There was Forever) and Bryan Reardon (Finding Jake) a few questions!

// Voting for May’s book club pick is open through Thursday!

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About Crystal

About Crystal

Hi! I'm Crystal, a millennial learning how to live slowly and sustainably, while still seeking adventure and following my dreams, etc.

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Q&A with Juliana Romano (First There was Forever)
Book Club Discussion // To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, by Jenny Han

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hi!

I'm Crystal, the storyteller behind Dreams, etc. I'm all about learning how to live slowly & sustainably, while also seeking adventure as we follow our dreams, etc.

May 2023. Savannah, Georgia. Lots of Mina. Lots of May 2023. Savannah, Georgia. Lots of Mina. Lots of new growth on plants.
The other day I realized that there is no Savannah The other day I realized that there is no Savannah on my feed and…well, Savannah is beautiful and needs to be there. These were taken in Lafayette Square on my second day in Georgia.
Picture it. It’s the day after Thanksgiving. I d Picture it. It’s the day after Thanksgiving. I didn’t go on my weekly dam walk earlier in the week when I was excited about it. On this day I was tired after a long week and my least favorite holiday. My bed was oh so comfortable. I forced myself to roll out of bed and journey to the dam. It was filled with people and I was pokey…taking my time to get there and even journeying down one of the other paths to avoid walking across the dam. (Which isn’t long.) I finally joined the crowd and walked across. And then came back, happy to have made my weekly journey. This is when the top layer of the water started to freeze.
From March: an old mini vlog from a bagpipe rock c From March: an old mini vlog from a bagpipe rock concert, which is mostly me trying the say bagpipe rock. Some word combinations are hard! 😂 There was a sign asking us not to film, which is why there’s no concert footage.
Some of my weekly dam walks have been therapeutic Some of my weekly dam walks have been therapeutic and while the walks haven’t fixed the problems, they’ve help me breathe and connect with the world and relieve stress. 💕
April 2023. We got more snow, but it also melted. April 2023. We got more snow, but it also melted. The dam was almost overflowing. The animals are beginning to emerge. Spring is here!
Happy Independent Bookstore Day! After a coffee st Happy Independent Bookstore Day! After a coffee stop (of course) a friend and I checks out two indie bookstores that we have never been to before. I definitely want to go back to Uncle Hugo’s and Uncle Edgar’s! Did you do anything for #independentbookstoreday

#indiebookstore #indiebookshop
After watching some shopping ASMR videos I had to After watching some shopping ASMR videos I had to try it.

#asmr #groceryshopping #groceryshop  #asmrvideos
I’m a little behind in weekly dam walk reels. Le I’m a little behind in weekly dam walk reels. Let’s go back to the third week in November when there was just a little snow on the ground and the footprints in the snow seemed notable.
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