Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag

Whew! Hello there! How are you? Hope you’re well. I’ve seen this tag floating around and I thought of partaking because it seems fun!

1.Best book you’ve read so far in 2019?
I’m going to go with the majorities answer, and that is: Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

This book was also the reason why I got back into reading this year. I’m so grateful. After being in a slump for over a year, Daisy Jones got me out of that.

 

 

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019?
When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton! It’s not a continuation but it is a companion novel and omg what a book!!! I actually read it this month. Hopefully I’ll post a mini review for it soon. I would highly recommend this book and Next Year In Havana. Definitely worth the read and it’s own voices too!

 

 

 

3. New Release you haven’t read yet, but want to?
Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine! I’m grateful that I received this book from the author and publisher. I definitely want to get to it ASAP!

 

 

 

 

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year? 
Ninth House (Ninth House Series #1) by Leigh Bardugo! I am so excited to read this because it’ll be my first book where it’s not Grishaverse related. No, I did not read her Wonder Woman book. Ninth House does sound right up my ally; thriller, adult, fantasy, secret societies. SIGN ME UP!!

 

 

 

5. Biggest Disappointment? 
Hate to say it but definitely King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo. I DNFed it at 100 pages. I tried so hard to give it a chance but I couldn’t do it. It was not in me/not for me.

 

 

 

 

6. Biggest Surprise?
For this question, I’m going to say Sadie by Courtney Summers because it was my first real Audiobook that I loved and devoured. I was not expecting to like it very much, especially since I can’t really get into YA anymore. However, this book, the theme, the plot, EVERYTHING, really did it for me.

 

 

 

7. Favorite new author (debut or new to you)? 
Taylor Jenkins Reid. I read both Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo this year and now I want to read all of her work.

 

 

Honorable mention for Chanel Cleeton. Just like Taylor, I also read Next Year In Havana and When We Left Cuba this year. I definitely will be reading her other books in the future.

 

 

8. Newest fictional crush?
I thought I was going to have a hard time choosing an answer for this question but umm HAVE YOU HEARD OF SHEPARD OLSEN???!!!????!?? He’s from Rebekah Weatherspoon’s romance novel, Haven. Wheewwwwww yes get your life by reading this book. And you’re welcome.

 

 

 

9. Newest favorite character?
EVELYN HUGO!!!! She is that bitch! Wow wow wow. I love how strong willed she is and her “take no bullshit” “do what you gotta do to survive” type of personality she has. I love reading morally gray characters, who you don’t necessarily agree with their decisions but you get why they do it and don’t hate them for it.

 

 

 

10. Book that made you cry?
A lot of books made me cry so far this year lol. However for this one, I’m going to choose one that’s impacted me. The Broken Girls by Simone St. James is a thriller but there’s such a beautiful story with some of the characters that made me emotional.

 

 

 

11. Book that made you happy?
Next Year In Havana by Chanel Cleeton!! I cried so much for this book but I was so happy with everything and how the story closed up, especially the character endings as well. Ugh, I was smiling big at the end.

 

 

 

12. Favorite book to film adaptation that you’ve seen this year?
Uhhhhh I don’t think I’ve watched any book to movie adaptations. Or maybe I just can’t remember right now to be honest lol.

13. Favorite review you’ve written (Booktube or written)?

14. The most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)?
I had to look at my bought books and I’ve decided to choose Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. This book is beautiful on the outside and the inside. Also! I wanted to add that the cover matches the atmosphere of the content.

 

 

 

15. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
I don’t need to read any books but I definitely want to get to these:

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And that is all for today! I will not be tagging anyone. Please feel free to tag yourself. Any of these answers same as yours? Let me know!

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Spoiler Gush Review

Title: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Historical Fiction, Adult, Romance, LGBTQ
Publisher: Atria Books
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Pub. Date: June 13, 2017

Synopsis:
Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ’80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Written with Reid’s signature talent for creating “complex, likable characters” (Real Simple), this is a mesmerizing journey through the splendor of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it costs—to face the truth.

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*Please be advised this review is a SPOILER review*

I usually divide my book review into sections: plot, writing, characters, and thoughts. However, I wanted to do something a little different with this review since I just simply want to talk about how magical this book is as a whole.

“I insist that you be ruthless in your negotiating.
Make them pay you what they would pay a white man.”

This is my second Taylor Jenkins Reid book, the first one I read was Daisy Jones & The Six which I have a full non-spoiler review for here. I have watched countless BookTube videos and read countless tweets on the comparisons of both Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo. People recommended that you should read Evelyn Hugo before Daisy Jones because we wouldn’t be disappointed blah blah blah. Blah because that’s exactly what it is. There is absolutely no comparing Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo. I loved both of them equally as much for different reasons. The writing styles are completely different. I don’t believe that one is better than the other. In other words, Taylor Jenkins Reid is a genius and I need to read all her books.

Anywho, I cried. I cried a lot while reading this book. You can easily say that Evelyn Hugo is an unlikable character. However I loved her. I loved her ruthlessness and her knowingness of the power she had and how she used that power to get what she wanted. Yes, there are things she did that I would never do like sleep with people to climb to the top or get married for less than 24 hours just to pull the tabloids away from the gossip that was going around at the time. Her morally gray character is something that I loved because although I didn’t agree with some of her decisions, I understood it. It was a different time back then, there were different rules and she played them all to her liking.

“I thought that people were put on earth to find other
people, and I was put here to find you. To find you and
touch your skin and smell your breath and hear all your
thoughts. But I don’t think that’s true anymore.”

My favorite characters were pretty much the main characters; Evelyn Hugo, Celia St. James, Monique Grant, and Harry Cameron. I loved the dynamic between Evelyn and Harry. I wasn’t even surprised as to why they had married, it made all the sense in the world to me. Keeping each other safe in a time where the LGBTQ+ community was not accepted at all. They’re platonic relationship really made me smile but his tragic death shattered my whole existence. Seeing how people kept leaving Evelyn’s life in tragic ways one by one broke me down.

My favorite relationship was between Evelyn Hugo and Celia St. James. For a book that is titled The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I was not expecting this budding beautiful strong relationship between them both. Everything they went through together and how they tried to make it work when the odds were stacked up against them, the ending where Celia tells Evelyn to marry her brother so when Celia dies, she’ll have everything…I get teary eyed just thinking about it. WOW WHAT A BOOK! Reid had me staying up later than usual just to finish this book. They’re relationship mirrored real life relationships which is what made me love them even more and how they always came back to one another pulled at my heartstrings.

“People think that intimacy is about sex. But intimacy is about truth.
When you realize you can tell someone your truth, when you can
show yourself to them, when you stand in front of them bare
and their response is ‘you’re safe with me’- that’s intimacy.”

But can we talk about that plot twist that I was not expecting at all???? The story of Monique Grant’s dad?!? OMFG! I was literally yelling! I did not expect that at all. Once again, Taylor Jenkins Reid is a genius!! It was executed so well because it was a hidden twist, something that was not mentioned much. Actually, I would love a companion novel only on Monique and her life after Seven Husbands because I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NOW THAT SHE’S RICH AND DID SHE TELL DAVID TO GO FUCK OFF AND WHAT ABOUT HER MOM?! I have all these questions that I want answers too lol.

“When you’re given an opportunity to change your life,
be ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen.
The world doesn’t give things, you take things.”

Also!!! Not to mention that ending really did it for me. How Evelyn still took control of her life and when it was going to end????? UGH THE WATER WORKS!! This is the type of book that will stay with me forever. I will forever recommend and I need more books like this.

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Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Let’s chat in the comments!

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Daisy Jones & The Six Non-Spoiler Review

Title: Daisy Jones and The Six
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Historical Fiction, Adult
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Pub. Date: March 5, 2019

Synopsis:
Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.

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Trigger Warnings: Substance abuse/addiction

Told in interview format, Daisy Jones and The Six are about a singer (Daisy Jones) and a band (The Six) that are on the rise in the 70’s music scene. They are both getting noticed quickly and a producer, Teddy, thinks it would be a great idea to have both Daisy and The Six unite for ultimate success. Before the becoming of Daisy Jones & The Six, we learn about Daisy and the lead singer of The Six, Billy Dunne, separately. Both addicted to the fast life, sex, drugs, alcohol, and a wild life on the road, will that stop now that both have unite to make one of the greatest hit albums of all history? What happens when they abruptly decide to split? If you read the book, you will find out!

“I had absolutely no interest in being somebody else’s muse.
I am not a muse.
I am the somebody.
End of fucking story.”

Because the book is told in an interview format, there isn’t much to talk about here in regards to prose, and if the book was lyrical, etc. I think this book couldn’t have been written any other way. I did read this book in physical format and I found the voices to be distinct (I heard that the audiobook was amazing). I didn’t have trouble with the characters voices or feeling like they were all the same. I loved how the author split the book into different time years. Truth be told this is my first book by Taylor Jenkins Reid and I am so mad at myself for not reading any of her books sooner. Taylor Jenkins Reid knows how to write a fucking good ass book that will leave you sleeping late into the night and turning every single page.

Because the characters are recounting things that happened about 40 years ago, there are times where you don’t know what the truth is. Here are some super unlikable characters, telling you what they think happened at a certain time frame or event and with all of that, I never found myself confused or upset because of how realistic the author executed it.

The writing of this book and the way the author presents events, the retellings of the characters, and era of time that this book is in, literally transported me into the 70’s every time I opened this book.

“I wouldn’t have come up with something like that. Which is what we
all want from art, isn’t it? When someone pins down something that feels
like it lives inside us? Takes a piece of your heart out and shows it to you?
It’s like they are introducing you to a part of yourself.”

This section can be very long but I’m going to try to cut it short. I find that Taylor Jenkins Reids knows how to write super complex characters that are extremely unlikable but will still have you rooting for them in the end? Do you get what I mean? Due to the format of the book, everyone from the band to producers, sound engineers, significant others, family, friends, etc. had a part. Which I found fascinating because not only do we get to hear from Daisy Jones and the band members from The Six, we also get an outside perspective from their end. Those characters played a part in the foundation of storyline.

I loved Daisy Jones ruthlessness and I loved Billy Dunne’s selfishness. These are two easy things that can get on anyone’s nerves but it worked for them. Every single person that we meet has their own personality but their love for music is one and the same. Daisy Jones is wild and full of rebellion, she’s her own and doesn’t care about what anyone has to say, she lives for her art and wants to be great at it. Billy Dunne is a perfectionist when it comes to the music and he was a people pleaser when it only came to the people he loved. When it came to music, it was his way or the highway. However, when it came to his life, that’s where my favorite character, Camila Martinez, comes in.

Camila Martinez is my absolute favorite character. I literally wanted to cry when I found out she’s Latina because she is the literal definition of a Latina madly in love and will do anything and everything to save her family because family comes first. Her passion, her devotion, her love is heavy and beautiful and toxic. And all I could do is admire her for the woman she is.

Karen is another character that I loved. I don’t want to go into details why because that would be spoiling the book. However, I loved how she stands up for what she wants and even though she acknowledges that the music scene is run by men, that doesn’t stop her from pursuing her music career.

Like I said before, there are many characters to this book. If you read it, who was your fave and which did you dislike the most? I couldn’t stand Eddie, he got on all my nerves.

“Art doesn’t owe anything to anyone.”

Is it obvious that I loved this book? Lol I hope so. The author really nailed it with the portrayal of the 70’s. This book is very heavy when it comes to drug/substance abuse, it’s something that is spoken about a lot because of how the 70’s music scene was back then. I enjoyed that aspect of the book because it didn’t sugarcoat the realities that musicians faced back then. Taylor Jenkins Reid made me feel like this band truly exist. I cannot wait for the show because that means we get to hear the songs and how they’re actually played which also means I get to play the album on repeat (I don’t know if this is definite but a girl can hope and dream). Daisy Jones & The Six is reread material. The plot twist at the very end was SO WELL DONE. I was not expecting that plot twist at all because my mind was reeling and I was already crying anyways, so the tears? There was more to that. Everything made even more sense when that plot twist took place. Beautiful, phenomenal, well done. I will not give up on this author.

“The things you run from, baby, I run to
And I know it scares you through and through
No one knows you like I do
Try to tell me that ain’t true
Oh, we could be lovely
If this could get ugly”

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Have you read Daisy Jones & The Six or do you plan to? What are your favorite Taylor Jenkins Reids books? Let’s chat in the comments!

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