Summer Reading: Hits and Misses

The past few months I've been following Megan's Summer Reading Challenge. Although, I wasn't able to finish the challenge, I came pretty darn close. In four months, I conquered 15 total books. That's almost a book a week! As the cool weather approaches, and book-filled nights on the couch are in the future, I thought I'd share my Summer Reading Hits and Misses:

HITS

1. Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin

Clearly, if you're not expecting, or even if you are, this may not be your cup of tea. But let me just say- this book is a complete wealth of information for anyone interested in learning more about the laboring and delivery process, without being totally overwhelming. The book does promote natural birthing, but also provides very good information regarding all of the different factors involved in a conventional hospital birth in an informed and unbiased way. As I read through, I was able to write down questions that I never would have thought to ask my midwife otherwise. The book also includes a number of real-life birth stories so you can see the methods discussed in a real-life context. This was a five star read for me!

2. Four: A Divergent Story Collection by Veronica Roth

For fans of the Divergent series, this is a must-read. It's a good portion of the trilogy told from the perspective of the character, Four. I breezed through this and loved every minute of it. I gave this book four stars!

3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I have to admit, like many other readers, I hated the ending, but this book about a man accused of killing his wife is a complete page-turner. The story is darker than I normally would be a fan of, but I can't deny for a second that it was so full of twists and turns, that I couldn't put it down. Also, the writing is just plain, really well-done. I gave this book four stars.

MISSES

1. The One and Only by Emily Giffin

Normally, I really enjoy Emily Giffin. Something Blue? Loved. Baby Proof? Loved. This book? Hated. Without giving away the plot, I just have to say- the premise of this book was really gross and creepy. I'm counting down the days until Giffin's next light, Chick Lit read, because as far as I'm concerned- this book was a huge flop! I gave it two stars.

2. Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth by Jenny McCarthy

Three stars was probably generous for this book, but I find Jenny McCarthy generally pretty funny, so I gave her a slight edge. Belly Laughs was recommended by a couple Mommy bloggers so I thought I'd give it a shot, but dang. This book was terrible. The book was essentially the size of a children's book and written about as well. There were funny and heartfelt moments, but they were few and far between. Overall, I'd just go ahead and skip this one.

3. Uganda Be Kidding Me by Chelsea Handler

Chelsea Handler is another one whom I usually find entertaining, but I found her immaturity and lack of class kind of exhausting in this book. I can only imagine the kind of impression of Americans she left behind in the wake of her African travels. The writing wasn't quite as atrocious as Jenny McCarthy's, but overall, I think she should stick to late-night. She just doesn't come across funny in her writing. I gave this book three stars.

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What were your summer reading hits and misses this year? 

Any recommendations for Fall?

Images courtesy of Goodreads.