SEPTEMBER | Summer Book Challenge Check-In

In terms of reading, I really wasn't sure how September would look for me. I figured either, I would completely overwhelmed with keeping two little humans alive and have zero time for books, or I would be bored out of my mind during those late-night nursing sessions and get some use out of my iPhone Kindle app. The result was somewhere in between. And although I didn't read a ton of books, September was a BIG milestone month for me. I successfully completed my GoodReads 2016 Reading Challenge- 50 books read in 2016!!! 

Here are the books I did manage to check off my list!

35 points: Read a book originally published over 100 years ago. | Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (296 pages, ★★★)

It took me weeks, but I finally finished! 

3 stars for the story, but an added 1/2 star for illustrating how far the English language has come (or hasn't...) in contemporary literature.

10 points: Read a book with five words in the title. | The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang (368 pages, ★)

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. 

I did not find this book described as "hilarious" to be the least bit funny. The story was disjointed and lacking in substance. Character development could have been better. The ending was bizarre and abrupt. I never give one-star reviews, but I struggled to think of anything I liked about this book at all.

PREVIOUS POINTS: 125

TOTAL POINTS: 170

Extra credit reads:

The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close (310 pages, ★★★★)

There were parts that felt like they dragged a little bit, but as a Poli Sci nerd who is fascinated by DC I loved stepping into this world for a little bit and bearing witness to the impact politics had on this fictional relationship.

Healthy, Happy Pregnancy Cookbook (224 pages, ★★★★)

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. 

I set myself up to not like this since I'm more of a Google/Pinterest cook then a cookbook person, but I was really pleasantly surprised. The beginning was chock full of some really useful nutrition information for pregnant women that wasn't a chore to wade through. The author's tone throughout was lighthearted and personable which made for a fun read with some really yummy sounding recipes mixed in. As a nursing mama, I was particularly appreciative of the last chapter on recipes to boost lactation. 

My only criticisms were regarding 1. I thought the times for some recipes were a little unrealistic for busy, pregnant moms (though there was a 30 minutes or less chapter) and 2. Since this was an e-book I was somewhat annoyed by the formatting and lack of pictures. 

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne (343 pages, ★★)

I read this expecting "Harry Potter #8" which it most definitely was not. The writing was noticeably not Rowling's. The dialogue for all the characters seemed so wrong and not authentic to their personalities and the premise of the entire story was really weak.

The script format bothered me at first, but I did get used to it. Given the chance, I would still see the play, but I would enter it knowing that it was not an extension of the Harry Potter universe, but a completely stand-alone story.

One book left and I will have completed my second book challenge. Wish me luck!