October Books

I look forward to the Show Us Your Book Link up all month, and my list of books to read has gone out of control, but it makes me very happy.

Today I'm linking up with Jana and Steph for Show Us Your Books.



This month my books were hard, they dealt with difficult situations and difficult subjects. I'm going to need a funny book next month.

In The Country We Love by Diane Guerrero ( 5*/ 5)



This book was amazing! I didn't know anything about Diane Guerrero, other than the fact that she is gorgeous, and is in Orange Is The New Black. I started following her on Instagram and found that she had a book. My weak spot for celebrity autobiographies made me order the book from my library right away.

I learned that her parents were deported when she was 14, and the difficulties she went through on raising herself, living with help from family friends.  Reading the book felt like reading stories of friends and their stories of living in fear. I cried a few times, and would use any available moment to read the book. COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas ( 5*/ 5)



This book is very relevant to the current times, and sadly, it had the sad ending that many live today, but it still broke my heart when it happened.

The book is about Starr, who witnessed her friend being murdered by a cop during a routine stop. Starr goes to a private school and has to go back and forth between the two different Starr personalities she has. This book is heartbreaking and made me question my own bias... which are always a harsh reality to face.

I hope to have my son read this in a few years.

Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance (3*/5)



A coworker heard me say that I was waiting for this book from the library, and she let me borrow it. I took turns reading it along with ITCWL,

This was an autobiography of the author who grew up on Hillbilly culture. He talks a lot about the domestic violence, and substance abuse of his mother. But the support and love from his grandmother helped him and save him many times. I know and understand that there is a lot of poverty, lack of jobs and lack of education for poor white citizens of the United States, and I do know feel learned more about this population in reading this book. I think I was expecting more of a history and more detailed information.


The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman (3*/5)





I picked up this book, because I saw the trailer for the movie. I didn't realize it was a Non-fiction book until I started it, I suppose that is a problem with electronic audiobooks.


The book was well written, but I had a hard time focusing on it. I couldn't find the rhythm of the story until well half way into it. I found their story to be amazing, and heroic, I cried a few times. And I'm still going to watch the movie.

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti (4*/5)



This was a random pick, and suggested by my library. This book had a very misleading tittle, as the book was about Hawthorn, a girl who finds out Lizzie Lovett is missing and becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her. Some parts were a bit annoying, like when Hawthorn got Lizzie's job (from before she went missing) and friended Lizzie's boyfriend. The end was devastating, I was not ready for it. But I really enjoyed the book overall.

Quick read with quirky characters.


Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist (3*/5)



While scrolling twitter, I found a group called Diverse Book Club, and they had selected this book for November. This book is about Will, a teen who was born blind and is starting a new school. He develops a crush on Cecily, and soon after has a surgery to restore his vision. There were a couple of twist, one that was very Beauty and The Beast and very disappointing. Other than that, the book was light and an interesting insight on blindness.  


Did Not Finish

Witches: Salem 1692 by Stacy Schiff - I haven't given up in a book in a few months, I haven't read as far into a book and given up on it in a long long time. I got about 1/4 into Witches, and it just couldn't hold my attention.

Comments

  1. I think I would like to read the 100 little lies book! I am still trying to get through What Happened. Most of the time I am just not in the mood to rehash the election...

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    1. I ordered What Happened and her other biography... a few months ago her other biography was available, but I didn't get it. Now it has a waitlist!

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  2. Wow you read a lot of heavy books this month! I am on the wait list at the library for The Hate U Give, but there are 30 people ahead of me. I think I might buy it because I've heard it's such an important read.

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    1. It was unintentional, they just arrived from the library this way. It is a very important read, I'm buying it for Christmas.

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  3. In the Country We Love sounds like such a hard book! I believe I saw that it was about immigration but did not know specifically that her parents were deported...I can't imagine :(

    Hillbilly Elegy has been on my list for a while...I'll get there eventually!

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    1. It was a hard book, but also a book that needs to be read. I am glad that she wrote it and is shedding more light into a very important issue.

      There is never enough time for books!

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  4. I needed to read The Hate U Give - so sobering. I have had the Hillbilly Elegy on my list for a while but recently found out some things about the author that made me not so excited about the book. I might get to it one of these days.

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    1. You have to tell me what you found out about Hillbilly Elegy!! One of the things that he said on the book that completely rubbed the wrong way, was the way he talked about President Obama, it made me cringe and I almost stopped reading the book. But I was so close to being done with it, that I just sucked it up.

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  5. I don't watch Orange is the New Black but In the Country We Love sounds amazing. I can't imagine my parents being deported when I'm only 14! I have The Hate U Give; I got it soon after it came out but I just haven't had time to read it! I'm sure I'll love it though.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. The Hate U Give is an excellent book!

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  6. The 100 lies book sounds so good! Love and first sight is already on my list so I'm sad that there was a disappointing twist, but I will still read it.

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    1. It's not a bad book, there were just a few things I didn't like, but the book overall was a good read. Do check it out, I'm interested to know what others think.

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  7. I read The Hate U Give last month too and totally agree with your review. The Hundred Lies is on my Kindle. I've read a lot of mixed reviews though which is why I haven't picked it up. I had no idea Diane Guerrero had a book out, and her life/story sounds really interesting but heartbreaking!

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    1. Hundred Lies is good, I would recommend it.

      Yes, Diane Guerrero's book is so good! she has gone through so much in her life!

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  8. The Hate U Give is so freaking phenomenal it deserves every single accolade it gets.

    Hillbilly Elegy read wonderfully as a memoir but as any form of sociological study or making a bigger point about the "hillbilly" culture, it fails.

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    1. You are so right about Hillbilly! I am going to keep that in mind as I think of it. You wrote that so beautifully!

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  9. yeah, love and first sight was a bit of a disappointment to me, but i really enjoyed the hate u give - well, as much as you can enjoy such a heartbreaking book.

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    1. Tell me what disappointed you about Love and First sight? I hated the twist they gave the love interest, it was so tacky!

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  10. I just added In the County We Love to my to read list. I also am a sucker for celebrity autobiographies! The Hate U Give was such a great read. I didn't realize that the Zoo Keeper's Wife is a non-fiction book. I've heard the movie is really good.

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    1. Celebrity autobiographies readers unite!! I am going to watch the Zoo Keeper's Wife this December... I hope.

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  11. I really enjoyed Love & First Sight. I think I like that author more because I follow his IG & YouTube account. His personality comes through teh books more when you see him in action.

    I am a sucker for autobiographies too & have never heard of that first one.I'll have to check that out now!

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    1. I read that the author has a huge YouTube and IG following, I didn't know this before.

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  12. I feel you on Witches: Salem 1962. It was glacially slow. For a topic that intrigues me so much I was so bored by the book. I surrender -- I finally put The Hate U Give on my TBR.

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    1. I really tried to finish Witches, but I just didn't have it in me.

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  13. Hillbilly Elegy has been on my TBR list for a while. I'm bumping up The Hate U Give to the top of my list now, too!

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    1. Excellent choice on moving The Hate U Give!! you won't regret it!

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  14. hillbilly elegy along with rabbit: the autobiography of ms. pat have been on my TBR for a while - I was told to read them back to back for opposing viewpoints. one day soon hopefully!

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    1. Thank you! I just requested Rabit now, I'm excited it to read it.

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  15. Read The Zoo Keeper's Wife and just watched the movie. There were definitely some differences...but overall enjoyed both. Liked The Hate You Give. So, so with Hillbilly Elegy. Added Love and First sight to my out of control tbr list! Pam :)

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  16. The Hate U Give finally came from the library for me... with all of my other holds... and I didn't get to it in time. :( SO SAD. I will have to put it on hold... again... Xo - Alexandra

    Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things

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