The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

 

Are you looking for the perfect summer read? Well, you can stop searching now because The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid absolutely delivers a scorching summer read. This book has it all: diversity, romance, humor, and a little intrigue. If you've never read anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid, you seriously need to. I read my first book by her last year and immediately fell in love. She's one of my favourite authors and one I can truly say just keeps getting better. This story is woven together so intricately that you will begin to wonder if you're actually reading a celebrity memoir.

Evelyn Hugo is a 79 year old former Hollywood headliner who is finally ready to tell the story of her seven husbands. Throughout her time in Hollywood she was the seductive blonde with massive sex appeal and more than one scandal to her name. There is way more than meets the eye with Evelyn, though. She recruits journalist, Monique, to tell her story. Monique is fairly young and going through a divorce. Evelyn's choice to recruit Monique leaves her curious and left me wondering if there was some sort of connection between the two.

I found myself getting lost in this beautiful story. Each section is about Evelyn's relationship with one of her husbands and I could not read this fast enough. There is one person in particular who is the love of Evelyn's life and one of the reasons she has chosen to finally tell her story. I won't spoil anything, though, because it is truly better to not know who her one true love is until she wants you to know.

This story was completely captivating. Evelyn was a fantastic character full of contradictions; humble yet bold, soft yet hard, and a little infuriating at times. She was the perfect actress and one Hollywood would surely be obsessed with today if she were real. I really did feel like she was real at times, which is a testament to Taylor Jenkins Reid. Reid has a way with words, especially when dealing with love and loss. She shines brightest when she's writing about love and loss and what it means to be human. Her characters become real people right before your eyes.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a must-read this summer! It's on sale today, so go out and buy it! While you're there, pick up one of Taylor Jenkin Reid's other books because she is amazing. I would probably read her grocery list and be enthralled.

I'm part of Simon and Schuster Canada's blog tour, so a copy of the book was provided for free, but as always, opinions remain my own. Make sure to check out my fellow bloggers posts; something tells me their feelings will be similar to my own.

The Tumbling Turner Sisters by Juliette Fay

 

Have you ever heard of vaudeville? I hadn't before I read this book. Vaudeville was a variety show program that was popular in the late 1800s to the 1930s. Acts ranged from singing and dancing, to impersonations, to even acts with animals. It was a pretty big form of live entertainment back then, and one I think sounds very cool.

From Goodreads:
In 1919, the Turner sisters and their parents are barely scraping by. Their father is a low-paid boot-stitcher in Johnson City, New York, and the family is always one paycheck away from eviction. When their father’s hand is crushed and he can no longer work, their irrepressible mother decides that the vaudeville stage is their best—and only—chance for survival.

Traveling by train from town to town, teenagers Gert, Winnie, and Kit, and recent widow Nell soon find a new kind of freedom in the company of performers who are as diverse as their acts. There is a seamier side to the business, however, and the young women face dangers and turns of fate they never could have anticipated.

My thoughts:
I loved reading about vaudeville and the different people that were involved with it. There were so many different characters involved in each show, and they really made the story interesting. While this may seem like a sweet story about sisters performing an act, there was a lot of serious talk about the issues that were prevalent in that time period. Racism was a huge issue (and still is), and I enjoyed reading about how the girls tackled it. They put themselves into a few dangerous situations in order to do what was right, no matter the potential consequences to themselves.

I loved each of the sisters for different reasons. They were all different, and you really got to see them grow and flourish throughout the story. Gert was headstrong and tough, Winnie was smart and determined, Kit was young and fun, and Nell was recently widowed and reserved. The story alternated between the perspectives of Gert, Winnie, and Kit, but I wish there had been chapters from Nell's perspective.

I did find it a little slow at times, but the slow parts didn't last long and the story was quick to pick u again. My final rating is 3.5 stars. It was entertaining to read, and filled with lots of different and quirky characters. If you're looking for a fun historical novel, definitely pick this one up.

A copy of this book was provided by Simon and Schuster Canada in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Looking Ahead

It's December 9th, and I am about 5.2ish books away from hitting 100 books. My original goal was 50, and as soon as I hit that, something internal in me yelled that I needed to change my goal to 100. Well, now here I sit only a few short weeks away from the end of the year and I'm panicking. It's ridiculous and completely self-imposed. My Goodreads widget is still at 50, so it's not screaming at me every time I log in, but I'm still feeling the pressure. Part of me just wants to say 'screw it' and just read and see where I end up, but the other part is saying 'nope, must hit 100 or else.' Or else what, I don't know. Internal damnation?

The last few days I've been toying with the idea of having no reading challenges at all next year. That thought both excites and scares me. I like having something to strive for, but I'm not liking this last minute pressure. I've also been thinking of setting it at 50 and then leaving it the heck alone when/if I do hit 50. I know myself well enough that if I hit 50, I will automatically strive for 75, then 100, then whatever comes next and that's exactly what I don't want to do. I was also thinking of doing a different kind of challenge instead, like Popsugar's challenge here, but being a mood reader, I don't know how well that would go.

My husband and I have some personal things we'd like to accomplish next year. Whether they happen or not is not entirely in our hands, so I don't know with much certainty what 2016 is going to look like for us. That being said, if 'it' happens (sorry, not trying to be elusive, we're just not talking about 'it' with anyone in our lives right now...I'm sure you can guess), then I don't know how my reading will be affected.

Since my brain is such a nice thing, it's currently trying to get me to read The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon, which would be fine if it wasn't 1443 pages! My brain simultaneously wants me to succeed and fail.

What I'm trying to say is that I have no idea what I'm going to do next year because my mind is a lovely place to be. What do you do in terms of challenges? Are there any other challenges you know of out there?

Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

From Goodreads: A year after getting divorced, Helen Carpenter, thirty-two, lets her annoying, ten years younger brother talk her into signing up for a wilderness survival course. It's supposed to be a chance for her to pull herself together again, but when she discovers that her brother's even-more-annoying best friend is also coming on the trip, she can't imagine how it will be anything other than a disaster. Thus begins the strangest adventure of Helen's well-behaved life: three weeks in the remotest wilderness of a mountain range in Wyoming where she will survive mosquito infestations, a surprise summer blizzard, and a group of sorority girls.

Yet, despite everything, the vast wilderness has a way of making Helen's own little life seem bigger, too. And, somehow the people who annoy her the most start teaching her the very things she needs to learn. Like how to stand up for herself. And how being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes you just have to get really, really lost before you can even have a hope of being found.

My thoughts: I am definitely a sucker for those novels about people who go on a journey of self discovery. Eat, Pray, Love? I loved it. I think I like them so much because I want to do something similar, but can't at the moment.

Helen was a fantastic character. She was definitely flawed, but she understood her flaws and her self-reflection was great. Even though Helen was a 32 year old divorced woman, I really connected to her. Her feelings and thoughts are some that I've felt, too, so I found reading this book insightful. Plus, it was easy to lose myself in the beautiful setting.

Jake was also a great character. Definitely the epitome of the goofy, good looking guy who may be a little deeper than meets the eye. While I did really enjoy the romance in this book, what I really loved was the actual wilderness adventure and Helen's own personal journey.

The reason Helen decides to go on this wilderness course is because she needs to step out of her normal life and do something entirely different, in the hopes that it will change her. I've definitely felt like this on multiple occasions, but deep down I know that leaving my world for three weeks isn't the answer. It won't bring me lifelong happiness.

Helen starts out as a closed off woman who thinks she's too old to connect with the 'kids' on the trip. She's shy, nervous, and everything I know I would be. Change comes fairly quickly, though, and she's able to contribute to a group she didn't think she'd fit in with. Her growth is really fun to read about. She faces trials on the trail, but her self-reflection and how she deals with them are great. She surpasses her expectations of herself, as well as everyone else's.

This book talks a lot about happiness and what it truly means to be happy. Happiness doesn't have to mean that you're married with 2.5 kids, a big house, and a fluffy dog. Happiness can simply mean that you're content with yourself and what you have right now. Not what you don't have. Not what you want to have, and definitely not what everyone else has. I really liked the idea of keeping a 3 good things journal because happiness truly does come from the ordinary.

I liked Helen at the beginning of the book, but I really liked her by the end. Her growth and attitude change was inspiring. I love reading about people who finally realize their own worth and who decide to embrace it.

This was a 4 star read for me simply because I wanted more of the story.

Top Ten Of My Auto-Buy Authors

Top Ten Of Your Auto-buy Authors (no matter the genre or what it's about...you'll buy it from these authors!) Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish.

I feel like a broken record with many of these, but what can I say? I like to support my favourites. Some of these authors I still have unread books by, but I intend to get to them.

Jodi Picoult - I don't think I could rave about Picoult any more than I already do. Leaving Time blew me away, as do all of her books.

Kristin Hannah - Hannah is an author that I think just keeps getting better the more she writes. I absolutely adored The Nightingale. It's a historical fiction set during WW2, and shows the struggles that the women had to go through. It also shows had amazing they were, and how integral to the war effort they were.

Chevy Stevens - If you like thrillers, Stevens' has to be on your TBR. She is fantastic at writing thrillers that get into your head. Her latest release, Those Girls, left me an emotional wreck by the end.

Lucy Clarke - She only as three books out so far, but I have absolutely loved each one. Her newest, The Blue, just came out this month and it was a 5 star read for me. She is a master at writing breathtaking settings. Random bonus: her covers are always gorgeous.

Emery Lord - Lord is a new addition to my auto-buys, as I just read both of her books, Open Road Summer and The Start of Me and You, this year. She writes YA contemporary fiction, and celebrates female friendship, which is a nice change.

Sarah Dessen - I've been reading Dessen's novels for about 10 years now, and I don't see myself ever stopping. They're YA, but they always make me nostalgic and understand my past a little bit more. Saint Anything was released earlier this year, and it's Dessen at her finest.

Kimberly McCreight - Her latest, Where They Found Her, as well as her previous book, Reconstructing Amelia, kept me guessing the entire time. Her characters are very relatable, and you may find yourself in one of them. Perhaps even the 'bad guy'.

Morgan Matson - She is another contemporary YA writer who writes realistic characters. I wrote a Why You Should be Reading Morgan Matson post last year that better explains my love for her books.

Lindsey Kelk - Her books are just so much fun to read. I always turn to her when I need something light and fun. I don't consider 'light and fun' to be a negative thing at all. I recently started her I Heart series and loved the first book. I also really loved The Single Girls' To-Do List.

Diane Chamberlain - She is an author whose back list I still need to finish (I have Summer's Child sitting right next to me), and is someone I turn to when I need a book that I know I'll love.

I know I've mentioned all of these authors in previous posts, buy they're all just so good! Who is your #1 MUST BUY author?

Mini-Reviews

It's been awhile since I've done any mini-reviews. Sometimes I don't have enough thoughts/feelings about a book to write a whole post, so mini-reviews can be easier and more fun to do for those books.

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
This was Kinsella's first YA book, and while I did enjoy it, I had some problems. I was not a big fan of the romance. It bothered me that a boy was so pivotal in helping her with her anxiety. He did not 'cure' her, which I appreciated, but it seemed like he had a lot more influence over her than her family. Audrey's mom was hilarious. She was neurotic and totally not helping Audrey's anxiety, but I thought she was funny. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars.

I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk
I really love Kelk's novels. They're light, funny, and all feature relatable characters. This one was about Angela who catches her fiancé cheating on her at her best friend's wedding, causes a scene, and flees to New York City. Who hasn't thought about doing that? I sure have. Angela meets a cast of awesome people while in NYC, including Jenny (who I love) who decides she needs to date around to get over her fiancé. Plus, she's a writer and writes about it in her blog. I loved this book. I loved the setting, characters, and all the random things she gets up to. Can't wait to read the others in the series. 4.5 out of 5 stars for this one.

In The Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
I feel like I'm in the minority here because I did not LOVE this book. I didn't read Blume growing up. I was more into The Babysitters Club, Little Sister and Goosebumps books. I read Summer Sisters years ago, and liked it, but I didn't have those nostalgic Blume feelings like many others. Perhaps that affected my rating because I didn't feel nostalgic. I thought the book was good, but not amazing. I was a little bored at times, and all the characters were a bit confusing in the beginning. I read this during a crazy heat wave, so maybe I was just hot and cranky. 3.5 stars.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
This was a case where I should have listened to my gut. I resisted reading this for a long time because it just didn't sound like my thing, but then I gave into the hype and read it. Shazi volunteers to marry the king who kills his brides every morning at dawn because she plans to kill him. Sounds decent, right? I didn't love it. Part of what bothered me was that I didn't know how to pronounce many of the names, so I was spending too much time trying to figure them out. The romance was also not for me. I struggled to get through the first half, though it did pick up during the last half. I haven't decided if I'll continue with this series. 2.5/3 out of 5 stars.

Book Comparisons: Not Always Accurate

You know that book that suddenly pops up EVERYWHERE? Everywhere you turn, there it is; on TV, in magazines, on the Internet. Once I see a book everywhere, I always need to read it (good job, marketing people!) and lately, this book is The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Sometimes these books are worth the hype, and sometimes they're not. The Girl on the Train fell into both categories for me.

Goodreads says this about the book, "Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

A compulsively readable, emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller that draws comparisons to Gone Girl, The Silent Wife, or Before I Go to Sleep, this is an electrifying debut embraced by readers across markets and categories."

Clearly you can see the comparison to Gone Girl, The Silent Wife, and Before I Go to Sleep; all novels that I've read. Do I think that The Girl on the Train can be lumped with those other books? No. Book comparisons are tricky. I loved Gone Girl and Before I Go to Sleep. The Silent Wife was 'meh' for me, and I liked The Girl on the Train much more than that. I failed to see many (if any) comparisons to those books, which isn't a bad thing, but going into the book, I expected it to be like Gone Girl, and it wasn't.

I did really enjoy the book. It kept me reading past my bedtime, and I was suspicious of all three main characters, which is what a good thriller is supposed to do. I do think, however, that I would have enjoyed it more if it hadn't had all those comparisons to other books. Had I gone into this book by just reading the synopsis, I think it would have been a 5/5 rating for me. Since my expectations of it being the next Gone Girl were not met, I rated it 4/5. This is not a flaw on the book itself, but rather the marketing.

Sometimes comparisons are accurate, but sometimes they're not. I understand that they can be used to drum up interest for a book, but I think The Girl on the Train would have done great even without the comparison. If you're looking for a great thriller, read The Girl on the Train because it's a great book, not because it's been compared to other, different great books.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Will Make You Cry



 Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish because they are particularly fond of lists. These lists are always fun to think about, and this one was really fun to put together.

I am definitely a crier. I cannot watch those SPCA commercials. CANNOT. It's at the point where my fiancé just turns the channel as soon as it starts because I will cry. Surprisingly, I don't find myself crying a lot over books. I don't know why because they definitely leave me with all sorts of feelings. Alas, here are ten that made me cry like a baby.

19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult - really and truly, any Jodi Picoult book could have been included in this list. The entire list could have been Picoult books, but I thought that would be overkill. Tears for days with any book written by this fantastic author.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman - Such a great, but sad book. It lives up to the hype for sure. What made me sentimental was wondering what I would do if I was in that same position. It's been over a year since I read it and I still don't have an answer.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling - If you're a Harry Potter fan, I don't even have to justify this one.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling - I cried less than 50 pages in, and again at the end because, hello, it's the series ending!

Marley & Me by John Grogan - Remember those SPCA commercials I was talking about? Yeah, this. This book ruined me, as did the movie.

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron - Give me a book about an animal and the tears are just about guaranteed.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks - a lot of Sparks novels make me weepy, but this one especially did me in. I loved this entire book and devoured it in a day. The movie will make you cry, but probably more because it stars Miley Cyrus. Her acting makes me cry.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - I doubt that I need to explain this one. If you haven't read it, a.) what is wrong with you?, and b.) go. Now.

Home Front by Kristin Hannah - Many books about the military focus on male soldiers. Not this book. This book follows Jolene on deployment and then home again as she tries to recover. This was a beautiful story that haunts me to this day.

The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill (also known as Someone Knows My Name) - This is one of those books that I believe should be taught in schools. It was powerful, heartbreaking, and entirely engaging.

End of the Year Book Survey!

 

Since this is my first year with a book blog, I thought I'd participate in The Perpetual Page-Turner's End of Year Book Survey. It sounded like a really fun way to go back over what I've read this year. Let's get started!

 

1. Best Book You Read In 2013? This question is far too difficult, so I'm going to break it down into genres.

Adult Contemporary: The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult. Jodi Picoult is definitely one of my favourite authors. Her books always suck me in and don't let me go, even after the book is finished. 

 

Young Adult: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did.

 

Thriller/Mystery: This has to be a tie between Reconstructing Amelia, and If You Find Me. I loved all three books I read by Chevy Stevens, too. I suck at picking just one book per question!

 

Non-Fiction: Brain in Fire: My Month of Madness. This book was terrifying because it was true. What happened to Susannah could happen to anyone. How scary is that?!

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t? Fly Away by Kristin Hannah. I LOVED Firefly Lane, but Fly Away kind of fell flat for me, and I was really disappointed. It was still a good book, and I'd recommend reading it if you loved Firefly Lane, but it wasn't what I was expecting.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013? The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did.

4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013? Probably the Chevy Stevens books that I lent to my mom because I know she likes thrillers.

5. Best series you discovered in 2013? Lindsey Kelk has another book following Tess coming out, so I guess that's considered a series. It also looks like the Cormoran Strike books are going to become a series.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013? Chevy Stevens,  and Lindsey Kelk

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you? A Christmas Carol. I don't read a lot of classics, so this was definitely out of my comfort zone. You can't go wrong with Dickens.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013? Reconstructing Amelia, If You Find Me, Always Watching, Still Missing, basically every thriller I read.

 

9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year? I don't really re-read books often. The only books I tend to re-read are the Harry Potter books.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013? Dash & Lily's Book of Dares. So wintery, so fun.

11. Most memorable character in 2013? Tris Prior

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013? The Silver Star. It read like prose.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013? It may be cheating a bit because I'm currently reading it, but Wild by Cheryl Strayed is leaving an impact on me.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read? Insurgent. I don't know why I waited so long, but it might of been because I hate waiting forever for the next books in a series.
 

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013? From Allegiant: “I fell in love with him. But I don't just stay with him by default as if there's no one else available to me. I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up, every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other. I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me.”  It spoke to me.

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013? Longest: Allegiant, though the print was pretty big so it may not be accurate. Shortest: A Christmas Carol.
 

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!: I guess that scene from Allegiant.

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc). Romantic: Reena and Sawyer from How to Love, Cath and Levi from Fangirl, and Alex and Leo from The F-It List.
Friendship: Alex and Becca from The F-It List, and Cath and Reagan from Fangirl.
Family: Carey and Jenessa from If You Find Me.

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously: The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult.

20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else? Probably How to Love. I kept seeing it recommended everywhere, so I had to check it out for myself. That, or Fangirl. Both books were everywhere, but they didn't disappoint.
 

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013? Adult contemporary, for sure. Lots of YA, too.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013? I don't have one.

23. Best 2013 debut you read? How to Love, or Someday, Someday Maybe.

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013? Insurgent and Allegiant.

25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013? Fangirl, any of the thrillers I read, Let it Snow, and Dash and Lily's Book of Dares.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013? Henry's Sisters. Read it. You'll fall in love with Henry.

27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out? I've only just started hearing more about If You Find Me, which I think more people need to read.

 

 

 

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014? The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I just haven't touched this yet because I'm trying to reach my 50 book pledge goal, but it's on the top of my list.
 

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)? What a Girl Wants by Lindsey Kelk, the next Cormoran Strike novel, Landline, & That Night by Chevy Stevens.

3. 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating? Hm, I don't actually know!

4. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014? I have a few next books in a series on my list, but I don't think they're the end of the series.
 

5. One Thing You Hope to Accomplish or Do in Your Reading/Blogging in 2014? Set up a better blogging schedule! One that isn't so random and all over the place.

This was fun! It was interesting to go back over my Goodreads and see what I read early in the year. It's easy to forgot those early in the year reads, but I definitely read some good ones early on. This will definitely be a survey I come back and do every year.