Recent reads | August 2019

I have read SO many good books since my last Recent Reads post! I was on a huge reading binge this month, and a lot of that is thanks to using my library! I am obsessed with using my Overdrive app and I even checked out a bunch of physical books. My bank account (and husband) are so grateful that I have gotten into this money-saving habit. 

Mixed Blessings by Danielle Steele 

This book is an oldie- it was written in 1995 I believe, but I came across it when searching for books featuring stories about infertility. Mixed Blessings features the stories of three different sides of infertility- a young, married couple struggling to get pregnant, learning devastating news of their chances to become parents naturally, and how it affects their marriage; a man who is desperately trying to convince his actress wife to have a baby, only to find out he is unable to have children; and an older couple who have been together for years, and are just now discovering their desire to start a family. 

I loved how realistic this story was-- it featured so many different routes to becoming parents. It was an accurate depiction of fertility treatments, but most of all it was an accurate depiction of the emotional trauma that comes along with infertility. I have never related to a book more, aside from All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover. I highlighted SO much- it was as if the author was capturing my own thoughts and feelings of being in this heartbreaking season of waiting for your own child. 

Some people hated the ending, according to reviews I saw online, but I saw it as hopeful and positive. I'm glad I randomly came across this recommendation. Years ago, Lifetime adapted it to a movie, so I hope to watch it soon. I highly recommend this if you are going through infertility. It was so nice to be seen and represented in literature. 

Now, objectively, this is probably not the most amazing book- but because of the stage of life I am in when I read it, I gave it 5 stars. I loved it. 

The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker

This one was my favorite of the month! Canadian city-girl Calla learns that her estranged father- who she hasn't seen since she was 18 months old and hasn't even heard from since she was 12- has cancer. She decides to visit him in Alaska before he begins his treatment and so, off she goes to the Alaskan bush, worlds apart from her Toronto home and way of life, all in an effort to get to know the man who is her father. 

I loved everything about this book- how Calla grows up so much throughout the course of the story, the setting of Alaska, the pilot lifestyle, seeing Calla and Wren get to know each other as father and daughter, Calla and Jonah's relationship, the side characters, the ending, basically everything. I laughed, I cried, I smiled, I worried... it was SO good. 

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

This was another book featuring infertility, but a completely different (and still heartbreaking) story. Kristen has elected to have a preventative hysterectomy to help with what I believe is Endometriosis, to save her quality of life- only to fall in love with a man who can't wait to become a dad. In hopes of protecting his heart and hers, she friend zones him, settling for her military boyfriend who doesn't want children- even though deep down, she wants nothing more than to be a mother. Here's the catch: they're the best man and maid of honor for their best friends' wedding, and can't avoid each other (or their feelings) forever. 

Oh, this book. My heart was breaking the whole time! It was SO good, I read it basically in one sitting over an afternoon. Definitely a feel-good but angsty read. The banter! The heartache! The love! Ugh, it was amazing. I loved the ending, despite what everyone else said about hating it- again I found it hopeful, considering the author based the book off one of her friends' journey with infertility. I gave this book 5 stars. I'll definitely have to purchase it for future re-reads. 

The Girl He Used To Know by Tracey Garvis Graves

The Girl He Used to Know surprised the heck out of me. I went into this book thinking it was a simple second chance love story, and while it is that, the story offered so much more- it featured current events in America's recent history and the main characters' experiences with them, a sweet love story, fertility issues, and, most surprisingly, it provided such amazing (FEMALE) Autism rep! Because I work with kiddos and adults with Autism, I honestly try not to consume too much content about Autism- one, because it is never a good representation of individuals with Autism and, two, because work-life balance and boundaries are necessary to prevent burnout. 

But, I LOVED this story. Annika's inner monologue is a WONDERFUL depiction of what it is like to live with Autism in today's world. I just adored Jonathan as well, and how much he loved and accepted Annika. I was NOT expecting that twist at the end of the book and my heart was beating out of my chest the entire time I was reading it. It was such a surprising and wonderful read- I highly recommend it!

Currently reading... 

Say You're Sorry by Karen Rose

I'm about 5 chapters into this mystery, and I'm enjoying it so far- I'm just not picking it up as often as I would like. So far we have discovered that there is a serial kidnapper/ killer in the Sacramento area, who tries to grab Daisy- but to his avail, she fights him off and in the process scratches him and tears off the locket from his neck. Gideon is called in to help with the investigation, because he is somehow connected to the heart locket with the name Miriam in it. I'm interested to see how the story and plot develops from here. I'll keep you all updated on my thoughts!

Thanks for catching up with me about my recent reads! Happy reading, friends- hope you pick up some good ones. 

Linking up with Steph.