10 Books on my Spring 2021 TBR List

Currently, I am a disorganized reading mess, and I *hate* it. SO - this post is for Top Ten Tuesday, but it is also for me as much as anything because I am a type A organized reader, or at least under the best of circumstances that is how I prefer to read! I love stories and the cozy reading life, sure - but I think part of why I love reading is also the sense of accomplishment from finishing a book - it's addictive and a less talked about perk of reading. And so being organized and having a plan, like a seasonal TBR, keeps me in a good headspace and I definitely get more reading done. So what is my plan? Keep reading to see what I plan to finish this Spring!

 

We Begin at the End 

Chris Whitaker

Pub Date: 3/2/21

Goodreads Ave: 4.33 

 

Everyone is raving about this book and I can not wait to get into it! “We Begin At The End” seems to have something for every kind of reader. It is part murder mystery, part coming of age tale, it’s both character driven and also has an engaging plot! Sign me up. This is truly the kind of book that I always hope to pick up and seeing everyone's glowing reviews about it has me very, very hyped!

 

The Final Revival  

Dawnie Walton

Pub Date: 3/30/21

Goodreads Ave: 4.14

 

Anything compared to "Daisy Jones and the Six" by Taylor Jenkins Reid, definitely catches my eye. I have read many rave reviews about this oral history style afro punk historical fiction novel. This is also a debut work for the author, Dawnie Walton. I love reading debut novels so this definitely at the top of my Spring 2021 reading stack!

Everything is Fine 

Vince Granata 

Pub Date: 4/27/21

Goodreads Ave:  4.69

I just can not get enough non fiction / memoir reads in my life. I was sucked in by the cover for “Everything Is Fine”. After reading the reviews I can not wait to pick it up. It sounds like this is going to be the perfect reading combination of page turning real life story telling coupled with breathtaking writing!

Broken in the Best Possible Way

Jenny Lawson

Pub Date: 4/6/21

Goodreads Ave: 4.39

 

Yay for a new book from Jenny Lawson! But also ugh, I am so disappointed that because this is releasing during a pandemic and that means we wont get to enjoy a book tour because I would definitely be down for that! I absolutely love her genuine and hilarious writing style and it has been too long since I've read a book from her! Check out my thoughts on her last book in my post - Ten Hidden Gems of Non Fiction 

 

Girl One

Sara Flannery Murphy

Pub Date: 6/01//21

Goodreads Ave: 4.07

 

And now we get into the advanced copies I need to tackle before the book’s release! "Girl One" is described as a supernatural thriller, which is a tad bit out of my reading comfort zone, but I'm going to give it a shot. I haven't heard very much about this book yet, but the first chunk of the goodreads summary definitely caught my eye. The main character, Josephine, is the first of nine "miracle babies" that are conceived without male DNA. They are raised on an experimental commune called The Homestead.

 

Mary Jane

Jessica Anya Blau

Pub Date: 5/11//21

Goodreads Ave: 4.22

 

Another “Daisy Jones and the Six” comparison that I am excited to pick up! *And* this one is also being compared to Almost Famous, which is one of my favorite movies. Definitely a winning combo in my opinion. I haven't heard very much about this book yet, but the reviews so far have been really encouraging and I love mixing it up with historical fiction that isn't set too far back in history.

 

Together We Will Go

J Michael Straczynski

Pub Date: 7/06//21

Goodreads Ave: 4.31

 

Do you know what your reading buzzwords are? This book's description had *so many* of mine and it totally got me - endearing, heartfelt, charming, and deeply moving. Just take my money already lol. But really, this book is so up my alley, also that cover (so wonderful!) and I definitely hope that it lives up to the hype that I have created for it in my mind.

Group

Christie Tate

Pub Date: 10/27/20

Goodreads Ave: 3.76

I'm part of a real life, sometimes in person but lately only over zoom, book club in my neighborhood. It has been such an easy and fun way to get out of the house, socialize, but also not have to go too far. And I get the bonus of having an easy icebreaker because talking about books is super easy. Two reads that are on the list for the spring month meet ups are "Group" and "Greenlights".

 

Greenlights

Matthew McConaughey

Pub Date: 10/20/20

Goodreads Ave:4.27

 

I started out listening to "Greenlights" through Audible, but I am definitely going to have to return it and try reading the book instead. Unless I was devoting 100% of my attention to the audio book I had no absolutely idea what Matthew was talking about. It felt like I had one of his car commercials playing in the background. I am sure his memoir will be an interesting read though, and I'm impressed by the good reviews!

The Therapist 

B.A. Paris

Pub Date: 7/13/21

Goodreads Ave: 3.80

 

I've been hooked on B.A. Paris every since reading my first and favorite novel of hers, "Behind Closed Doors". Her twisty thrillers are unputdownable, in my opinion. And while at times her storylines can be a little far fetched, not even the so far less than stellar reviews will stop me from reading this book as soon as I can!

 

And that's what I have planned, reading buddies! Drop a comment down below and let me know your reading plans for this spring. Do we have any books in common? Any books you think I should pick up, too? Or maybe you think having reading plans takes all of the fun out of reading! Let me know how you feel and thanks for reading! ❤

March 2018 TBR

The I Suck At Readathons... Readathon

Sometimes it is helpful to take a step back and acknowledge the things that we are not so great at in this world of books, a little constructive criticism, per se. Well I suck at readathons - I am absolutely terrible at them, but I think I've found one that I can do! Keep reading to find out what readthon may break my curse.

September 2017 TBR

I'm trying for a really good reading month, guys! How about you!?! I am trying my hardest to set myself up for success. Keep reading to see what books I will be reading ( I'm super excited for them!) and some tricks I am using to have a good reading month!

April 2017 Wrap up and May 2017 TBR

Oh, is it the middle of May? Sounds like a really good time to do my April wrap up ; )

Books I Read April 2017

I read 4 books in the month of April 2017. Not anything to write home about, but! it was a pretty busy month between traveling home from Missouri after visiting family and getting back into the swing of things at home with my kiddo. Below I have links and a few quick comments about each of the books as well as YouTube videos I made this month for the books I read.

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
(my review) (amazon)

I absolutely love WWII historical fiction- particularly when it is written about real individuals. "We Were the Lucky Ones" is just the kind of book, as it tells the story of Georgia Hunter's family. I really appreciate the unique aspects of this book - I have not read very many World War II novels about Polish families- and their story of survival spans the globe, which definitely gave a different perspective than what you might typically find in a book like this. I did struggle with some aspects of this book- it was a bit slow at times and I had a difficult time keeping the characters straight or connecting with them when the story and perspective changed so frequently.


Becoming Bonnie by Jenni L Walsh 
(my review) (amazon)

It's a double blessing when on top of finding a book you really enjoy, you also find a new author that you love! This was the case for me after finishing "Becoming Bonnie" by Jenni L Walsh. I enjoyed reading about Bonnie Parker and her transformation into Clyde's accomplice. I was so impressed by how plausible the author made this transformation seem. I can not wait to read another book by her!

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
(my review) (amazon)

I read this book for my book club, it was my turn to pick - and it was between this and The Circle by Dave Eggers, which I still very much want to read! I had heard of this book so many times, and didn't even read the synopsis before I purchased it several months ago. I was a little anxious when I started the book and found Ove to be such a grump. I really struggled with him as the main character and accepting his grumpy nature - but the writing in this book is just so beautiful that it completly made up for it! Another great author find this month as I am sure I will be reading more book by Fredrik Backman soon!


Always by Sarah Jio 
(my review) (amazon)


My only two star read of the month was "Always" by Sarah Jio. I really struggled to finish this book and I think my not enjoying it might be an issue of personal taste, as the book has almost four stars on goodreads. I just found so much of the book unlikely or uncomfortable. While I did like that the book addressed homelessness, it also felt heavy handed in that as well which took away from the story.

May 2017 TBR

I have six books on my May 2017 TBR. This month is already flying by, and so is my reading. Looking at the list, I have already finished half of them - woohoo!

Boundaries with Kids by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
This book was recommended and lent to me by a neighbor. This is one in a series of books that Dr. Cloud has written regarding the use of boundaries in relationships. "Boundaries with Kids" emphasizes the importance of teaching empathy and kindness to your children while setting firm and known boundaries with known consequences. I am already impressed by this book and plan to purchase a copy for myself to review as my little guy gets older.





I Know What I'm Doing by Jen Kirkman

I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher. When I accepted the offer to read it, I didn't know that I knew who Jen Kirman is- but I do, and she is hilarious! This is a bit of a throw back, but if you have not seen her on Drunk History - you really need to check it out. Her stand up generally speaking is so funny and I really enjoy it. Hoping I enjoy this book as well!






Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde
I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher. The first thing that really interested me about "Allie and Bea" was the author, Hyde also wrote "Pay it Forward" - which was adapted for film and stars some amazing people like Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey, and Haley Joel Osment. I freaking love that movie. I haven't read "Pay it Forward", so I was super excited to read a book by the same author since I enjoy that movie so much! "Allie and Bea" just sounds like a really sweet story with a good heart and message- I am excited to start it.




Other books I am hoping to read this month -

Top Ten Books I'm Looking Forward To For The First Half Of 2017 - Top Ten Tuesday

Oh, make a book blog they said. it would be fun they said- and they were right. What they didn't say, of course was - ha, you think you have hundreds of books on your TBR list?  hahahahahaha try thousands, now! bahahaha - you'll never be able to read all of them! here's an existential crisis for you! weeeeeeee

Ten Books I Recently Added to my TBR - Top Ten Tuesday

This girl's TBR is absolutely out of control. Most of the time I feel like a kid in the candy store just sticking my arm out onto the shelf getting everything into the cart. Which means I'm not really looking at what I'm adding - most of the time the books I add are impulse adds. So I dug a little deeper, these are all books that I added in the last six months that I am interested in reading, think that I will actually read, and also really, really want to read!

I've included summaries from Amazon.com to give you a taste of the plot, and of course also to try and get you to read it, too!

Ten Books I Read Because of #bookstagram - Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.  Each week there is a new theme, and this week the theme is books you were recommended to read. Nothing I can think of has had a larger effect on my TBR pile than the ever popular Instagram rabbit hole/time suck that is #bookstagram. Whether it was a beautiful picture, a breath taking quote, an awesome review, or just a collection of a thousand of the same posts all shouting "read me!" - here are ten books I have read because of #bookstagram!

Books on My Fall TBR List - Top 10 Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week there is a new theme, and this week the theme is Fall TBR. I have a great deal more than ten books on my Fall TBR, but realistically ten is proubably a good goal to have - here we go!