The Book I Am The Most Excited To Read This Summer
Chillin’ at one of my favorite places on the planet…my bestie’s pool! Fun fact: Unbeknownst to me, her landscaper entered the pool area JUST as I was taking this selfie while she was inside of the house. It was awkward for both of us.
Earlier in the week I had quite the adventure literally CHASING a book around town. I wanted to buy a copy of this book so badly and I was on a MISSION. I documented the entire ordeal on Instagram Stories throughout the day but I never revealed the title of the book :).
I had been on the library waitlist for weeks and I had a feeling that my name wasn’t moving up to the top slot anytime soon. And then last Monday, I received the following message from my dear friend and book twin, Jana:
Straw that broke the camel’s back? Check. I LOVED 28 Summers SO MUCH! If you haven’t yet read 28 Summers, you must read it ASAP…it’s so wonderful (except for the tiny fact that the entire beautiful story is centered around horrible infidelity…read my review HERE).
The very next day after receiving this message from my book twin, I set out on a mission. I started at Barnes and Noble where I was told that not only did they not have any copies but NO BARNES AND NOBLE in the AREA had any copies. Everyone is reading this book right now! I left the store feeling a bit discouraged but also even more intrigued to find myself a copy…
Bookstore #2: Barbara’s Bookstore in Hawthorn Mall. They had 3 copies! Barbara’s Bookstore for the WIN!
**So many of you messaged me asking if I tried looking for the book on Amazon or Target. I had not because I really wanted to buy it from a bookstore. I so rarely buy books (I love my library so much) so when I do actually purchase a book, I just love the experience of shopping in bookstores and supporting the book community!**
The Book I Am The Most Excited To Read This Summer:
I’m hoping to start reading either tonight or tomorrow…I’ll share my thoughts as soon as I finish! My expectations are obviously HIGH for this one, fingers crossed I’m not disappointed…
Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below but ABSOLUTELY NO SPOILERS, PLEASE!!
Xo,
Jenny
Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
5 Reasons Why I Hated The Golden Couple {Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen}
The Golden Couple‘s official release was back in February but the copy I recently read was an advanced reader’s copy. A big thank you to Melissa Amster from Chick Lit Central for sharing!
Goodreads Synopsis of The Golden Couple {Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen}
Wealthy Washington suburbanites Marissa and Matthew Bishop seem to have it all—until Marissa is unfaithful. Beneath their veneer of perfection is a relationship riven by work and a lack of intimacy. She wants to repair things for the sake of their eight-year-old son and because she loves her husband. Enter Avery Chambers.
Avery is a therapist who lost her professional license. Still, it doesn’t stop her from counseling those in crisis, though they have to adhere to her unorthodox methods. And the Bishops are desperate.
When they glide through Avery’s door and Marissa reveals her infidelity, all three are set on a collision course. Because the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it’s no longer simply a marriage that’s in danger.
5 Reasons Why I Hated The Golden Couple {Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen}:
Well…obviously I hated this book.
Pretty much as much as I hated The Wife Between Us (you can read my review of that one HERE). Clearly this writing duo just isn’t for me.
It was all a bit of a disaster for me (clusterfuck would be the more appropriate term). A RIDICULOUS amount of characters and a RIDICULOUS about of backstories. Everything was so confusing and even when the pieces of the story starting fitting together, none of it REALLY fit together. The characters were all unlikable and therefore I really didn’t care what happened to any of them which obviously led to a complete disconnect from the whole book.
Some of the “twists” were so predictable and while others were not, absolutely none of them were shocking. A major twist that I had predicted turned out to be pretty far from what actually happened…and I must say…my twist idea would have been WAY better.
This book held my interest long enough to keep reading but I felt so disconnected from all of it that I will probably forget about it within days.
Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
Clearly this book wasn’t for me…but you might love it!Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
This book officially published 3 days ago but I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy in the mail months ago. THANK YOU, EMILY GIFFIN! It was a happy, happy day when this arrived in my mailbox 🙂
How absolutely stunning is this cover???
Loved that this beautiful book was sent to me and I was able to devour it before it’s official release!
Goodreads Synopsis of Meant to Be {Emily Giffin}:
A restless golden boy and a girl with a troubled past navigate a love story that may be doomed before it even begins in this irresistible new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed and The Lies That Bind.
The Kingsley family is practically American royalty, beloved for their military heroics, political service, and unmatched elegance. When Joseph S. Kingsley III is born in 1960, he inherits the weight of that legacy. Growing up with all the Kingsley looks and charisma, Joe should have no problem taking up the mantle after his father’s untimely death. But he is also a little bit reckless, and can’t seem to figure out how to channel the expectations of an entire country.
No one ever expected anything of Cate, on the other hand. She, too, grew up in a single-parent household—just her and her mom scraping by in their small apartment. As a teenager, though, Cate is discovered for her looks. Modeling may be her only ticket out of the cycle of disappointment that her mother has always inhabited. Before too long, her face is everywhere, though she is always aware that she’d be a pariah in her social circles if anyone knew her true story.
When Joe and Cate’s paths cross, their connection is instant. What remains to be seen is whether their relationship will survive the glare of the spotlight that follows Joe everywhere. And just as they find themselves in the make-or-break moment, the tragedy that seems to run in Joe’s family right alongside all that privilege will repeat itself.
In a beautifully written novel that recaptures a gilded moment in American history, Emily Giffin tells a story of a love that may or may not have the power to transcend circumstances that seem arrayed against it . . . and the difficulty of finding your way to the place you belong.
My Review of Meant to Be {Emily Giffin}:
Clearly I read this book a while back. I’m wearing fur boots and a sweater in this picture! Today, I’m sweating in a tank top and flip flops.
I absolutely loved it.
It’s such a beautifully written story in every possible way!
This book tells the story of John F Kennedy Jr and his wife, Carolyn Bassette…but at the same time, it DOESN’T tell their story and is a work of fiction. Some parts of this beautiful story are factual, some parts are fiction, but it all comes together to tell an incredible story of love, family, and history.
My Google search history is currently FILLED with Kennedy family information. I couldn’t get enough of learning about this remarkable family as I was reading this book! I have learned so much.
The writing in this book is beautiful, the characters are memorable, the storylines are so detailed and amazing. Hands down my favorite Emily Giffin book I’ve read!
Bottom Line:
Read this. And be ready to develop a sudden fascination with the entire Kennedy Family.
Will you be reading this book? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
Book Review: When We Let Go {Rochelle B. Weinstein}
Years ago in the very beginning of my book blogging days, I had read another blogger’s review for Rochelle Weinstein’s Somebody’s Daughter on a book blog. I immediately was captivated by the synopsis and knew that I had to read it. My local library didn’t have a copy but that didn’t prevent me from checking EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I was there because I was so determined to read it (I have since learned to request books that my library doesn’t have and they can order them…). When my library finally DID get a copy of Somebody’s Daughter, I was ON. IT. Needless to say, I devoured it and it was just as wonderful as I knew it would be. If you haven’t read Somebody’s Daughter, you can read the synopsis and my glowing review HERE.
Fast forward a little over a year and I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of Rochelle’s next book, This is Not How it Ends. I. LOVED. THAT. BOOK. To quote my own words from my own blog review:
“I SOBBED. In the absolute very best way. In fact, I messaged Rochelle Weinstein very late one night to share a fun fact that I discovered while reading…eye cream BURNS when it mixes with tears! Who knew?! Like…for real. It hurt.”
To read the rest of my review as well as the synopsis of This is Not How It Ends, click HERE (pro tip: apply eye cream AFTER reading).
And now here we are in 2022. Back in February, I SO fortunate to receive an advance copy of Rochelle’s newest book, When We Let Go. It publishes NEXT WEEK (5/17) and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on a copy!
Goodreads Synopsis of When We Let Go {Rochelle B. Weinstein):
When Avery Beckett is proposed to by Jude Masters, a widowed father and the man she loves, it should be a time of great joy. Instead, Avery is on edge. She’s wary of the idea of family, doubtful of happy endings, and too afraid to take the leap. It’s the kind of fear that comes from having secrets.
Before Avery commits to a new life, she must reconcile with the one she left behind.
When Avery returns to her childhood farm in the North Carolina mountains, she’s surprised to be saddled with a companion: Jude’s teenage daughter, Elle, who’s grappling with the loss of her mother and the complicated emotions of first love. On a path of mending wounds and breaking down walls, Avery and Elle form an unexpected alliance. It’s giving them the courage to move forward. And for Avery, everything she needs to confront the past.
An emotional tale of mothers and daughters, loss and acceptance, When We Let Go is about the lessons that come from heartbreak and the healing it takes to embrace the joy of a second chance.
My Review of When We Let Go {Rochelle B. Weinstein}:
I read this book while on a family getaway to Wisconsin!
This story is absolutely beautiful.
As you know, I’m a HUGE quote person and I love discovering beautiful and meaningful quotes within the pages of books. There are SO MANY beautiful lines in this story, so many deep and special quotes that I had to read twice just to absorb. I won’t share any of them as I don’t want to spoil any part of this beautiful story but just know…this entire story is FULL of meaning and beauty.
I laughed, I cried, I loved it. These characters immediately spoke to my heart from page one and still do. Even though I’ve finished reading, I have not finished thinking about these characters, their stories, and their futures.
Rochelle, I adore you as a person and I respect you as an author. I can’t wait to read your next one!
Friends, When We Let Go officially releases on May 17th! You can preorder your copy HERE.
Bottom Line:
Absolutely loved it.
Have you read any of Rochelle’s books? Will you be reading this one? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
Click the image below to preorder the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
My 400th Blog Post, Another Delicious Cookie, and a Book That I Hated
This is officially Book Coffee Happy’s 400th blog post! Thank you for supporting me and my little hobby…I really love writing this blog and I’m so thankful for YOU!
My most recent Crumbl Cookies indulgence (caramel cake served warm). I wish I could say it was a treat to celebrate my 400 post but alas, just a random dessert, lol. Whyyyyyyy did this bakery have to open up so close to my house??? Ridiculous.
In the passenger seat just eating a monstrosity of a cookie and protecting my clothes with a paper towel while my husband drives. Classy.
I Hated This Book
I really wish this book was as delightful of an experience for me as devouring that delicious cookie. It was not.
The Woman Next Door {Natasha Boydell}
Photo Credit goes to Amazon because I listened to this one as an audiobook
Goodreads Synopsis of The Woman Next Door {Natasha Boydell}:
Two neighbours struggle with envy of each other’s lives—and as their friendship grows, their questions do too . . .
Sophie is a happily married mum of two who considers herself lucky—until her beautiful and highly successful new neighbour Angie moves in along with her charming husband and four talented children. The two women couldn’t be more different, but after a storm brings them together, an unlikely friendship develops. As their children grow closer, so does their bond.
But the alliance between the families is a wake-up call for both women. Angie’s success makes Sophie consider whether she really is as satisfied as she makes out. And Sophie’s uncomplicated marriage forces Angie to look at her own and accept that it’s not as perfect as it seems. Both women vow to change.
But their decisions may not lead where they expect, in this absorbing novel about risks and relationships by the author of The Missing Husband that explores whether the grass is always greener on the other side of the garden fence . . .
My Review of The Woman Next Door {Natasha Boydell}:
So…I pretty much hated this book.
It was just so boring! I kept waiting for something (annnnything) to happen but it really never did. Eventually there was a “big” plot twist but it fell short because it was so completely predictable. This. Book. Was. So. Boring.
I really disliked so many of the characters and found myself not caring what happened to any of them as the story went on…not a good way to feel while reading (listening to) a book. Ugh.
I listened to this one as an Audiobook and I must say…listening to someone actually FROM the country where the story takes place adds such a wonderful dimension. And that’s pretty much the only nice thing I have to say about this book 🙂
Bottom Line:
I just wanted it to end.
Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Happy Friday! I hope your weekend if filled with love, BOOKS, and Crumbl Cookies!
Xo,
Jenny
This book clearly wasn’t for me…but you might love it!Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
Candle Holder Update and a Book Review: If The Shoe Fits {Julie Murphy}
Before I dive into a book review, I must take a moment to update you on my favorite candle holder…Broken no more! Big hugs to my wonderful husband for making it look brand new once again after I had dropped it. Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers, it was touch and go there for a bit…but look how pretty and sparkly she looks now! #phew
Ok time for a book review (although unfortunately not a very positive one. I love my candle holder WAY more than I love this book).
Photo Credit goes to Goodreads because I listened to this one as an audiobook
Goodreads Synopsis of If The Shoe Fits {Julie Murphy}:
After having just graduated with a degree in shoe design, and trying to get her feet on the ground, Cindy is working for her stepmother, who happens to be the executive producer of America’s favorite reality show, Before Midnight. When a spot on the show needs filling ASAP, Cindy volunteers, hoping it might help jump-start her fashion career, or at least give her something to do while her peers land jobs in the world of high fashion.
Turns out being the only plus size woman on a reality dating competition makes a splash, and soon Cindy becomes a body positivity icon for women everywhere. What she doesn’t expect? That she may just find inspiration-and love-in the process. Ultimately, Cindy learns that if the shoe doesn’t fit, maybe it’s time to design your own.
My Review of If The Shoe Fits {Julie Murphy}:
Eh.
So I LOVE reality shows and I’ve always been a member of Bachelor Nation. Turns out I also really enjoy books about this type of reality show! This is the 3rd “Bachelor” type book I’ve read and I must say…it was my least favorite.
So much of it was just so unrealistic (and I’m not even talking about the reality show part…obvi that part is always unrealistic, lol).
I liked this book…I didn’t love this book. I did like it significantly more than Dumplin’ (see my review of that one HERE).
If you want to read a fantastic book that centers around contestants of fictiocious “Bachelor” type reality shows…I HIGHLY recommend THIS ONE and THIS ONE over If the Shoe Fits.
And, according to Goodreads this book is the first in the “Meant to be Series” which is:
“Meant to Be is a series featuring updated and contemporary takes on classic Disney princesses, and also the first Disney intellectual property to be developed as an adult publishing project.”
I mean…I think that’s just stupid.
Bottom Line:
Unfortunately this is not the most dramatic book review ever…see what I did there??? Bachelor fans will 🙂
Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
Clearly this wasn’t my favorite book but you might love it! Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
2 Books. Same Author. Loved 1. Didn’t Love The Other.
Didn’t buy. Should have bought.
I have a very love/hate relationship with Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books. One True Loves? Loved it (although for some reason I never reviewed it on here). Malibu Rising? LOVED it (review HERE). The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo? Hated it (review HERE). So it comes at zero surprise that after listening to 2 of her older books as audiobooks, I loved one and didn’t love the other. Ugh.
**Before I get a million messages asking if I’ve read Daisy Jones and the Six, the answer is no. Nothing about the synopsis of that book appeals to me! I’ve heard it’s wonderful but I have absolutely no desire to read it.**
Book #1 (Loved): After I Do
Photo Credit: Goodreads
Goodreads Synopsis of After I Do {Taylor Jenkins Reid}:
When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches the breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes.
Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for?
My Review of After I Do {Taylor Jenkins Reid}:
Omg I absolutely loved this book. It was so raw and so unfiltered! I definitely hugged my husband tighter after finishing this book. I was ALL IN while listening to this one as an audiobook and found myself listening whenever I had a few extra minutes. Such a perfect book to listen to as an audiobook.
I absolutely loved each character in this book!
That being said, there was one pretty major storyline that I found to be completely unrealistic. Other than that, this book is perfection 🙂
Why did it take me so many years to read this book??? Highly, highly recommend!
Bottom Line:
If you are married, read this book. And then go and hug your spouse.
Book #2 (Did Not Love): Maybe in Another LIfe
Photo Credit: Goodreads
Goodreads Synopsis of Maybe in Another Life {Taylor Jenkins Reid}:
At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.
Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?
In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Life raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?
Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.
My Review of Maybe in Another Life {Taylor Jenkins Reid}:
What a horrible book to listen to as an audiobook. The entire book is comprised of 2 separate stories which alternate back and forth. Both stories have the same settings, characters, etc. IT. GOT. SO. CONFUSING. Maybe in print the distinction between the 2 stories would be more clear but as an audiobook…man, this book just didn’t work as an audiobook.
Because it was telling 2 completely separate stories at the exact same time, nothing really had a proper chance of being developed. Characters, storylines, etc. It all just felt so rushed and so predictable.
And…I hated the ending. Like…I HATED the ending.
Bottom Line:
Maybe this one is better as a book and not as an audiobook? Still wouldn’t change that awful ending, though…
Have you read either of these books? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Click the images below to order the books through my Amazon affiliate links. When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
When the jar of peanut butter has about 1 tbsp left, eat your oatmeal directly out of the jar. It’s the BEST and I’ve been doing this for years. You’re welcome. (My favorite: vanilla nonfat greek yogurt, steel cut oats, chia seeds, blueberries, banana, and obviously peanut butter).
I finally did it…I LISTENED to my first ever book!
I have never understood the appeal of an audiobook. I love the feel of a book in my hands! I love turning pages! I love the smell of books (it’s a thing). I love everything about books…why in the world would someone ever want to LISTEN to a book?!?
YEARS ago I wrote a blog post about this very topic. You can read that post HERE.
My First Audiobook
But then a few weeks ago, I went to take a walk. And none of the podcasts that I usually listen to while walking sounded interesting. And I thought, “MAN I wish I could read a book while taking a walk” and then BAM. I realized that perhaps I COULD?!?
I immediately downloaded Audible to my phone and about 5 seconds later I had my pick of what felt like millions of books. That I could LISTEN to while on a walk. Holy crap.
So I picked a book that has been on my list to read for a while (I’ll reveal the title in my next post!) and literally 5 seconds later….it popped up on my phone ready for me to listen.
Daaaaamn that was EASY.
Still skeptical, I started my walk and focused on the story being told to me. And exactly 15 days later I finished listening to the “book”.
Pros
CONVENIENT. I listened to bits and pieces of this book whenever I had a few minutes to spare. Driving in my car, folding laundry, out on a walk, making a meatloaf, walking on the track at the gym, etc.
If you have a long commute or a road trip…this would pass the time in such a great way!
The Audible app is SO EASY to use and makes it so easy to listen to pieces here and there.
Cons
While reading a physical book, I often go back to passages earlier in the book to help me remember a character, a conversation, etc. Can’t do that with an audiobook!
The narrators disgusing their voices to sound like other characters is cheesy and often times annoying. The man talking like a child, the lady talking like the man, etc. Just when I would start to get used to it, the voice would change! The lady imitating the man’s voice suddenly switched to a male narrator whose voice was completely diffrerent.
When there was a converstaion written like a script, the narrator would say the person’s name first and it was ANNOYING. Here’s an example:
Jenny: I like that shirt.
Amy: Thank you! It was a present!
Jenny: Who gave it to you?
Amy: Beth and Barbara!
Now read that converstaion aloud but actually SAY the names of each person talking first. HOW ANNOYING IS THAT?!? Imagine listening to this conversation for 20 minutes at a time throughout the book. Couldn’t the narrator just have switched voices or something? I hated that.
So here’s the million dollar question and the one that ALL book bloggers disagree on. Does listening to an audiobook count as reading? My answer (although not a popular one…don’t come at me) has always been and continues to be NO. Did I LISTEN to a book? Absolutely. Did I READ a book? I did not. If someone listens to a book and claims they have read it…I mean…that’s not the same thing.
So my final conclusion?
Give me a physical book over an audiobook ANY DAY.
HOWEVER, I kind of loved it.
I suddenly have so much more time in my day for “reading” while doing other things! It’s extremely convenient and I have already started listening to my 2nd audiobook. (Please note that I called it exactly what it is…an AUDIObook. Not a book. Books are entirely different).
This makes me wonder…now that I have ventured into the world of nontraditional book formats, should I mayyyyyyyyyyyybe try reading an ebook???
If you listen to audiobooks, any tips for me? Is Audible the best app for this or is there a better way?
Do you think listening to an audiobook counts as “reading”?
Should I now try finally reading my first ebook?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
Book I’m Currently Reading (Amazing), Book I Recently Read (Perfection), Book I’m Reading Next (SO EXCITED)
This was on the cover of a recent issue of Jewish Chicago (JUF Magazine). How gorgeous is this?!
I love when Book Coffee Happy can participate in WWW! The Three Ws: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?
Goodreads Synopsis of The Last Chance Library {Freya Sampson}:
June Jones emerges from her shell to fight for her beloved local library, and through the efforts and support of an eclectic group of library patrons, she discovers life-changing friendships along the way.
Lonely librarian June Jones has never left the sleepy English village where she grew up. Shy and reclusive, the thirty-year-old would rather spend her time buried in books than venture out into the world. But when her library is threatened with closure, June is forced to emerge from behind the shelves to save the heart of her community and the place that holds the dearest memories of her mother.
Joining a band of eccentric yet dedicated locals in a campaign to keep the library, June opens herself up to other people for the first time since her mother died. It just so happens that her old school friend Alex Chen is back in town and willing to lend a helping hand. The kindhearted lawyer’s feelings for her are obvious to everyone but June, who won’t believe that anyone could ever care for her in that way.
To save the place and the books that mean so much to her, June must finally make some changes to her life. For once, she’s determined not to go down without a fight. And maybe, in fighting for her cherished library, June can save herself, too.
What Did You Recently Finish Reading?
Do you remember when I bought this book from the most adorable little independent bookstore in Door County, WI? I recently finished reading this GEM and I can’t wait to share all of my thoughts with you! I’ll be guest blogging on Chick Lit Central at the end of the month where Melissa Amster and I will be sharing our thoughts on this one AND we will also be hosting a giveaway for it as well! Stay tuned for details…
Goodreads Synopsis of The Charm Offensive {Alison Cochrun}:
Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it’s no wonder then that he’s spent his career crafting them on the long-running reality dating show Ever After. As the most successful producer in the franchise’s history, Dev always scripts the perfect love story for his contestants, even as his own love life crashes and burns. But then the show casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as its star.
Charlie is far from the romantic Prince Charming Ever After expects. He doesn’t believe in true love, and only agreed to the show as a last-ditch effort to rehabilitate his image. In front of the cameras, he’s a stiff, anxious mess with no idea how to date twenty women on national television. Behind the scenes, he’s cold, awkward, and emotionally closed-off.
As Dev fights to get Charlie to connect with the contestants on a whirlwind, worldwide tour, they begin to open up to each other, and Charlie realizes he has better chemistry with Dev than with any of his female co-stars. But even reality TV has a script, and in order to find to happily ever after, they’ll have to reconsider whose love story gets told.
What Will You Read Next?
Ahhhh I’ve had my advanced reader’s copy of Lisa Barr’s newest book for MONTHS! I’ve been saving it to read and review closer to it’s publication date and seeing as that date is 3/1…the time for me to read this one is NOW! I’m so excited, I absolutely loved The Unbreakables (you can read my review of that amazing book HERE). I can’t wait to dig into her newest ASAP!
Goodreads Synopsis of Woman on Fire {Lisa Barr}:
From the author of the award-winning Fugitive Colors and The Unbreakables, a gripping tale of a young, ambitious journalist embroiled in an international art art scandal centered around a Nazi-looted masterpiece–forcing the ultimate showdown between passion and possession, lovers and liars, history and truth.
After talking her way into a job with Dan Mansfield, the leading investigative reporter in Chicago, rising young journalist Jules Roth is given an unusual–and very secret–assignment. Dan needs her to locate a painting stolen by the Nazis more than 75 years earlier: legendary Expressionist artist Ernst Engel’s most famous work, Woman on Fire. World-renowned shoe designer Ellis Baum wants this portrait of a beautiful, mysterious woman for deeply personal reasons, and has enlisted Dan’s help to find it. But Jules doesn’t have much time; the famous designer is dying.
Meanwhile, in Europe, provocative and powerful Margaux de Laurent also searches for the painting. Heir to her art collector family’s millions, Margaux is a cunning gallerist who gets everything she wants. The only thing standing in her way is Jules. Yet the passionate and determined Jules has unexpected resources of her own, including Adam Baum, Ellis’s grandson. A recovering addict and brilliant artist in his own right, Adam was once in Margaux’s clutches. He knows how ruthless she is, and he’ll do anything to help Jules locate the painting before Margaux gets to it first.
A thrilling tale of secrets, love, and sacrifice that illuminates the destructive cruelty of war and greed and the triumphant power of beauty and love, Woman on Fire tells the story of a remarkable woman and an exquisite work of art that burns bright, moving through hands, hearts, and history.
Have you read any of these 3 books? What did you think (no spoilers)? What are you currently reading? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
Click on the images below to order through my Amazon link (including the preorder link for Woman on Fire). When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
I bought this little guy from a grocery store in Tennessee a little over a year ago. He makes me happy!
As you are very well aware by now, I hardly actually buy books. I am a minimalist at heart! While the thought of a gorgeous bookshelf filled with books does appeal to me, the clutter of those books that I probably will read one time and never again does not. However, I DO end up buying (or somehow acquiring) books sometimes and often I find them mounting and mounting without actually being read. I’m starting a new series called “Books I’m Not Reading” and this is the first installment! From time to time, I will select books from my shelf and show you the books I’m NOT reading, as opposed to my usual routine of showing you the books that I am 😉
These are 3 of books on my shelf that currently haunt me. They stare at me day after day and ESPECIALLY when I bring home new books. Ugh.
Here are just a few of the books from my shelf that I’m NOT reading.
Book I’m NOT Reading #1:
The Last Mrs. Parrish {Liv Constantine}
I’m honestly not sure why I’m not reading this one. Everyone loves it! I’ve heard it’s great! So…why aren’t I reading it??? Eh.
Goodreads Synopsis of The Last Mrs. Parrish {Liv Constantine}:
Amber Patterson is fed up. She’s tired of being a nobody: a plain, invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more—a life of money and power like the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted.
To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne—a socialite and philanthropist—and her real-estate mogul husband, Jackson, are a couple straight out of a fairy tale.
Amber’s envy could eat her alive . . . if she didn’t have a plan. Amber uses Daphne’s compassion and caring to insinuate herself into the family’s life—the first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne’s closest confidante, traveling to Europe with the Parrishes and their lovely young daughters, and growing closer to Jackson. But a skeleton from her past may undermine everything that Amber has worked towards, and if it is discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces.
With shocking turns and dark secrets that will keep you guessing until the very end, The Last Mrs. Parrish is a fresh, juicy, and utterly addictive thriller from a diabolically imaginative talent.
Book I’m NOT Reading #2:
Lost and Found {Carolyn Parkhurst}
Ok I’ll be honest. I started reading this one about a year ago and after the first chapter, I just wasn’t hooked. However, I felt like I didn’t want to give up entirely so I put it right back from where I took it…my own shelf! I keep saying I’ll try again but then I never do. Have any of you read it? Should I?
Goodreads Synopsis of Lost and Found {Carolyn Parkhurst}:
A gentle satire on reality TV, as a mother and daughter face numerous challenges both on and off the show. As the game escalates, tensions mount, temptations beckon, and the bonds between teammates begin to fray. The question is not only who will capture the final prize, but at what cost?
What do a suburban mom and her troubled daughter, two recently divorced brothers, a pair of former child stars, born-again Christian newlyweds, and a couple of young millionaires have in common? They have all been selected to compete on Lost and Found, a daring new reality TV show. In teams of two, they will race across the globe – from Egypt to Japan, from Sweden to England – to battle for a million-dollar prize. They must decipher encrypted clues, recover mysterious artifacts, and outwit their opponents to stay in play.
What starts as a lark turns deadly serious as the number of players is whittled down, temptations beckon, and the bonds between partners strain and unravel. Before long the question is not only who will capture the final prize, but at what cost.
Book I’m NOT Reading #3:
Arranged Marriage {Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni}
I bought this book at the Printer’s Row Lit Fest before the world shut down waaaaaay back in 2019 (you can read all about that magical day HERE). I had SO MUCH FUN that day and promised myself to make it an annual tradition. Well, enter Covid….aaaaaaaaand I haven’t been back since. It was canceled in 2020 and although it did happen in 2021, I wasn’t quite ready for a crowded festival. FINGERS CROSSED I CAN GET BACK THERE IN 2022!!! For more information on the Printer’s Row Lit Fest, you can visit their website HERE. It’s an awesome event!
Goodreads Synopsis of Arranged Marriage {Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni}:
Although Chitra Divakaruni’s poetry has won praise and awards for many years, it is her prose that is quickly making her one of the brightest rising stars in the changing face of American literature. Arranged Marriage, her first collection of stories, spent five weeks on the San Francisco Chronicle bestseller list and garnered critical acclaim that would have been extraordinary for even a more established author.For the young girls and women brought to life in these stories, the possibility of change, of starting anew, is both as terrifying and filled with promise as the ocean that separates them from their homes in India. From the story of a young bride whose fairy-tale vision of California is shattered when her husband is murdered and she must face the future on her own, to a proud middle-aged divorced woman determined to succeed in San Francisco, Divakaruni’s award-winning poetry fuses here with prose for the first time to create eleven devastating portraits of women on the verge of an unforgettable transformation.
Have you read any of these books? What did you think?
What books are currently on your bookshelf that you aren’t reading?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Xo,
Jenny
Click the images below to order the books through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through these links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo
This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*
*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*
*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*
*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*
*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*
Book Coffee Happy 