Reading and Writing Slump

 Have you every gone through a period where reading just doesn't hold your interest? I'm finding myself in that position right now. I hate when this happens😡

First, I found myself in a writing slump. I was still reading, but found it difficult to get the motivation to write about what I was reading. As a result, I have a back log of books to write reviews for but not much motivation to do it. I'm thinking of doing a group post where I just post what I read and a very short review of each. Who knows? I might actually get motivated here soon to do right by each book. Maybe.

After the writing slump, I went into a reading slump. Usually books are my go to when I'm struggling or just feel stressed. However, recently I cannot even find any satisfaction in reading. I know there are several reasons for this, but it's still tough to admit.

Any teachers, parents, or both out there? I'm both, and if you answered yes to my question, then you know how busy and stressful April and May can get. Even during a pandemic, there's still been plenty to do. I'm trying to wrap up the school year as a teacher with fun projects and exciting things to do for my students. My own kids have spring sports and their own projects and school activities. Plus the weather is turning more and more beautiful and there is so much to be done outside for our house and yard. At this point in the season, I feel guilty if I read on a beautiful day instead of doing yardwork. Soon it will get hot, and I won't feel so bad about staying inside and reading in the AC, but I'm not there yet.

Each time I try to sit and read, my mind wanders, and I'm thinking of everything else I need to do or should be doing instead of reading. Usually I don't even think about all these things when reading, but not right now. I can't get them out of my head! Then I feel guilty and put the book down to do something else. Ugh! I know the slump will pass, but as a reader it's frustrating.

I'm trying to be more gracious to myself and just accept the slump. It's happened before, and it will happen again. It looks like I might be edging out of the writing slump at least. I'm writing this, and I'm starting to publish a few draft reviews I did before the slumps started. I'm trying to focus on enjoying my spring activities and looking forward to summer reading. Thankfully my books will always be there waiting for me to pick up when I'm ready❤

Review of "The Bookworm's Guide to Faking It" (Book 2 in The Bookworm's Guide series) by Emma Hart

 

My Review:

I read this book after reading the first in the series a few weeks ago. I thought the first one, The Bookworm's Guide to Dating, was a cute read. Although cliche at times, it was still funny and enjoyable. The same could be said about this book, although I didn't enjoy the interactions between the two characters quite as much.

This series is focused on three best friends who own a bookshop in Montana. In this installment, the story is about Holley, who is still in love with her best friend from high school, Sebastian. Unfortunately, something went really wrong the night of prom (of course it did😑), and Holley will never forgive him. Sebastian left town quickly after their senior year and became a famous baseball player. Now many years later, he's back in town due to an injury, and Holley is forced to see him. While she is trying to move on, Sebastian will not let it go and wants to make things right. Of course, things happen forcing the two of them to spend lots of time together, and well, you can guess what happens.

Once again the story is cute but predictable. Hart's writing is humorous and had me laughing a few times, especially when the grandparents at the nursing home appear. Oh yes, they are back and so are the ducks! They're as ornery as ever (The grandparents, although the ducks still cause quite a stir) and were my favorite part. 

I have to admit that I really didn't feel the chemistry between Holley and Sebastion in this story. Holley spent a lot of time angry at Seb, so their interactions had a lot more bickering and arguing. For me, I just didn't feel the tension and chemistry. However, it was a quick and easy read, and I plan to read the last book in the series.

How Much Coffee Was Neede?

None. The book was okay but just didn't keep me motivated to read late into the night. I enjoyed it enough to want to read the last book in the series, but it wasn't my favorite.

What's Next?

The Dating Experiment by Emma Hart (Yep, I'm trying another one of her books. She's written A LOT of books.) 

Forgotten Review of "The Hunting Party" by Lucy Foley

 

*This review somehow got buried in my drafts, and I forgot about it. Randomly looking through posts one day, I found it! Sorry this is out of order, but wanted to put it out there.

My Review:

I was excited to read this book! Not too long ago, I read The Guest List and really enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to this one. However, I didn't quite enjoy it as much as I had hoped. I'll explain after a quick summary of the plot.

In The Hunting Party, Lucy Foley gives readers another suspense novel that in many ways is similar to The Guest List. In this book, a group of friends, several years out of university, gather each year to celebrate New Years' together. This year, the group stays at an exclusive lodge in the wilderness of Scotland. While they are there, a huge snowstorm blows in, and the group is stuck. Things get worse as the group realizes they are not the same friends they once were which leads to a tragic nightmare. 

The story is told from several different characters so the reader gets different sides of the events. The reader also gets to learn the backgrounds of several of these characters throughout the book. It almost feels like you're the newbie in the group just trying to figure out how everyone is connected. Not only do you read about the story from the perspective of some of the guests, but you also see the point of view of two workers who help run and keep the lodge. 

I'm not sure if it's just me or what, but I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did The Guest List. I think the biggest reason for this was that I recenlty just finished reading One by One by Ruth Ware, and the books are very similar to each other. The whole time I was reading this book, I kept getting a deja vu sense that I've already been there and read this. Both books have the same set up where a group gets stuck at a lodge due to a big snowstorm. Both stories are also told from a couple different characters including the guests and caretakers. Both stories have what should be a fun trip turn deadly. While they are by no means the exact same, they are just close enough that I had a tough time reading this one. I think it would have helped me to have more time in between these two novels.

However, all the time in the world would not make up for the characters in this book. They are just some of the worst people! I suppose the caretakers are more tragic than bad, but at the same time, they are not really likeable or enjoyable. The group of friends are just awful to each other. It makes me wonder why they were even friends to begin with. They all had secrets and came across as very immature. It was tough to get through the book because I didn't really connect with or root for these characters. 

All this being said, the story is still a suspense story, and I wanted to know who did it. I'm curious to see what others thought of this book, specifically if you've read One by One. 

How Much Coffee Was Needed?

I needed several extra cups with this book. For me, it was a mix of wanting to see if I knew who was the bad guy and just wanting to get the book over with, that kept me up reading pretty late. I was largely just wanting to see if my guess about the end was correct (I got part of it, but not all of it).

What's Next?

Dating You/ Hating You by Christina Lauren

Review of "The Searcher" by Tana French

 

My Review:

I have seen this book on many different lists in 2020. The blurb that accompanies the book sounded interesting, so it quickly moved to my "Want to Read" pile. I also researched the author a little bit and realized she has several other interesting books. I thought about buying a copy, but eventually went with putting a hold on it at the library. 

The story is about Cal, a retired cop from Chicago, who after a difficult divorce, decides to leave everything behind and move to Ireland. Cal moves into this dilapidated home outside a very small town. This slower pace of life suits him just fine as he gets to know his new neighbors and their eccentricities. Cal thinks he has escaped the darkness and stress of being a cop, but somehow it still follows him to his new home. A local kid seeks Cal out to help with finding an older brother. Cal soon learns that this small Irish town isn't as quiet as he had hoped. 

While this book is a mystery, it is a very slow moving mystery. At times, I did wish the plot would hurry along, but over all I really enjoyed French's storytelling. I really had a chance to connect with the characters, especially Cal, and appreciate the plot development. I found that I wanted to keep reading to find the next clue Cal would uncover. The mood of the book also led to an uneasy feeling as you knew something was off. This feeling kept me reading too as I wanted to figure out just what was going on in this book. 

If you like fast paced mysteries with a surprising twist at the end, then this is not your book. The story ended pretty much as I thought it would based on the clues. There really wasn't a big reveal at the end, which I must admit left me a little disappointed. I think I'm so use to many mysteries having a surprise twist that I kept waiting for one in this book. I could see where some still might say the end was a surprise, but I felt that French's writing led up to that conclusion pretty easily. I was really hoping for something more darker and sinister at play, but sadly that was not the case. Even so, I greatly enjoyed French's writing style and plan to give another one of her books a try.

How Much Coffee Was Needed?

I had just a few days where I needed an extra cup of coffee. This book took me quite some time to read. Again, I enjoyed the different pace, and while I wanted to keep reading, I didn't feel that I had to keep going late into the night. Sure there was a night or two I stayed up a little later, but nothing too terribly late.

What's Next?

The Bookworm's Guide to Faking It by Emma Hart