This has been one of those months where I feel like I have too many books to read and not enough time. I also got a couple books through NetGalley this month for the first time, which was exciting for me.
This is a graphic novel about five teenage girls at a camp for Lumberjanes. They get involved with lots of unexpected supernatural stuff, including mind controlled Boy Scouts. It is utterly charming and fabulous.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This one had me hooked when it said that the main character was obsessed with Outlander. A book within a book – what Inception is this? So, the main character is a lady in her late 20’s obsessed with Outlander (looking at myself). Luckily, the similarities end there. She goes on a quest to travel to Scotland to retrace the steps of one of her favorite characters, hoping to meet her own highlander along the way. She is a blogger, and writes about her travels and whether she finds exactly what she’s looking for. I thought it was cute, and even though it has its’, “Well, duh,” moments where she should know better, it’s fun to watch her stumble around. I recommend if you like Outlander, although you don’t have to have read it to enjoy the book. This made me go out and get a copy of Outlander (I had a digital copy but no hard copy) and the next book in the series (number four) I haven’t read, yet.
Don’t You Cry by Mary Kubica – 4 stars
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this as a mystery/thriller. There are lots of threads to try to piece together. The story begins with a young woman who disappears from her Chicago apartment. At the same time, a mysterious woman appears in a Michigan harbor town, drawing the attention of an 18 year old man who is attracted to her charm and beauty. The roommate of the disappeared Chicago woman tries to find answers about her roommate. This was similar to The Girl on the Train, as I went back and forth on what I may have figured out. The end was amazing, although I wish some parts were different (although that’s due to my own interest, not a story problem). I recommend if you like psychological thrillers that are well-paced and keep you guessing until the end.
This was mixed for me. I liked it because I related a little bit to being really into book characters growing up, but at the same time I wasn’t really drawn to any of the characters in this story. I feel like it was less about actual fan fiction writers than it was a growing up story. I have also read Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, which I was a much bigger fan of. I recommend if you want to read about finding independence for the first time and a family that is not perfect.
I wanted to like this book. I really did. I have heard great things about Georgette Heyer, but it wasn’t for me. It seems like the plot of the book was gone over by every character about a million times. I found it very distracting. Every character had to have explained to them what was going on and where so-and-so was. It felt like a wild goose chase to me. It is about a rake and a lady who tricks him into kidnapping her instead of her sister in order to protect her sister, and all the trouble they get into. I wasn’t a fan of the supporting characters.
The story is about two girls who were abducted as children and were rescued after spending some time with their captor. The story takes place mostly during their adult lives and is about how their lives are different because of their shared experience. It was an interesting concept, but I felt it was a little slow at times. The characters do stick with you and I like that they’re not perfect, but I felt the story could have been better.
Linking up with Steph and Jana for Show Us Your Books!
Jeans and a Tiara 
I hate when a book like Pretty Is has a great premise but falls flat! I still need to get around to reading Fangirl. I really loved Attachments.
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I wanted things to be different at the end of Don't You Cry too.
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I'm so excited you read Pretty Is. The author is actually a faculty member at the university I work at!
Lumberjanes and Don't You Cry Too both sound like really great reads! I'll need to add those to my list.
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yeess.. I've got Don't You Cry on the hold list at the library. Can't wait!
Sarah
The Midwest Darling
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Fangirl didn't do it for me like E&P or Attachments. It's why I haven't read Carry On. I just didn't care about the Simon Snow parts at all.
I have yet to read a Kubica book even though they're on my TBR.
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Lumberjanes looks cute … I'll have to check that out.
I have Fangirl on my Kindle forever. Just never got around to it – I just finished another Rainbow Powell book though – it was decent. All the Bright Places. kinda sad.
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I've seen Don't You Cry before and I was a bit sceptical about it. It's good to hear that it's kind of like The Girl on the Train, because that was a pretty good book!
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Huh, that graphic novel looks really good! I will have to check it out! It sounds like so many of these had great potential but fell just a little flat. Bummer!
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Don't You Cry sounds right up my alley and adding it to my TBR. Pretty Is has a very interesting premise but I'm sad to hear that it didn't quite live up to it. I hate that when that happens!
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I'm definitely putting Don't You Cry on my TBR list!
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I am putting Finding Fraser on my list! I was super into the first few Outlander books but I think they lost steam after 4 or 5…
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So when I was browsing through Netgalley I saw Finding Fraser and requested it immediately! It sounded like such a cute book, plus I loved the idea that there was an Outlander twist to it! I really hope that I get approved for it, especially since you loved it so much! Don't You Cry is sitting on my Netgalley shelf right now too, and it sounds like such a good book! I'm so glad that you liked it! One of my friends has been talking about Rainbow Rowell for forever, and I really need to read one of her books soon! Attachments is her favorite too!
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I really like the idea of Finding Fraser, so it's going on my list! Don't You Cry sounds so good! I really loved Fangirl, but hated the fan fiction. Total skipped over those parts. I agree, it really was more of a growing up story.
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Oooh Don't You Cry sounds great! Definitely adding that to my list. I've been on the fence about reading Fangirl…I adored Eleanor & Park and Attachments though….but not sure the premise of Fangirl appeals to me.
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I've been wanting to read Don't You Cry! It sounds super good. I haven't read Fangirl yet (Attachments is the only Rainbow Rowell I've read so far, but I also really liked it), but I've heard others say that Fangirl wasn't their favorite Rainbow Rowell book.
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Lumberjanes sounds cute, but i am not a fan of graphic novels.
finding fraser sounds adorable and totally my kind of book. just requested it, hope they give it to me. don't you cry is on my kindle. totally agree about fangirl. i don't think it really touched on the fan community at all, and that made me sad. it was cute on its own, but it really didn't have much to do with what it said it did.
i have only read one georgette heyer book and i loved it so much i wanted to go back in time and be her friend. i've not read that one, but i've heard her others can be hit or miss. if you like regency type books and are willing to give her another try, try the grand sophy. and if you don't like it, it's cool, we didn't need to be friends anyway 😉
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Definitely checking out Don't You Cry,
I've read two other Mary Kubica books and I like her as an author.
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I keep meaning to read a Mary Kubica book…just haven't yet.
After I read Fangirl and heard about Carry On, I was disappointed. If there was going to be a spin-off book, I'd rather have one about the roommate Reagan (that was her name, right?). She was my favorite character of the book.
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I'm currently reading The Good Girl by Mary Kubica. I haven't yet read any Rainbow Rowell but I have some on my list.
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Oh goodness, I wish I liked it better! Haha don't tell her random strangers on the internet weren't satisfied with her book. That's really cool that she is a faculty member at your school, though. I would have never imagined finding that connection.
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I hope you enjoy it! I've got a few books I'm waiting on digital copies of at my library, too.
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I actually hadn't heard of it before seeing it on NetGalley, although her other book, The Good Girl has been on my list for a while. It was a lucky find. I enjoyed The Girl on the Train, although I probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been fresh off a Gone Girl high and wanting more because I reaaally enjoyed Gone Girl!
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Don't You Cry is a good bet; I want to check out her other book The Good Girl, because I enjoyed her writing.
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Finding Fraser sounds really interesting!
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I've been wondering if I should give Don't You Cry a shot after reading The Good Girl and not liking the ending (it was too abrupt was all, really) but I'm glad to see a good review! Fangirl was my least favorite Rowell book; everyone loves Attachments but my favorite was Landline.
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I like Rainbow Rowell, but Fangirl was not a favorite read of hers. I like Kubica and have Don't You Cry on my to read list. Lumberjanes looks like a fun read!
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I'm with you on Fangirl. I liked it well enough, but it wasn't as good as some of Rowell's other books (and I'm glad it wasn't the first Rowell book I read or I might never have bothered with Eleanor & Park).
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I've wanted to try a graphic novel for a while. Will have to check out Lumberjanes. I'm so sad you didn't like Fangirl because I loooooved it. Have you read Eleanor & Park? Loved that Rowell one too!
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100% agree with you about Pretty Is. They premise was so interesting to me and I think it could have been a home run, but as it was it really fell a little flat for me. I remember being done with it and just thinking the author could have done SOOOO much more.
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I think i have pretty is on my list already. I think i read another review where it fell flat also. But I love the cover!
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