Book Review: Lily Collins Unfiltered
2018 Book List
As the end of 2017 nears, I’ve been compiling a list of books to read in the coming year. I’ve probably way over reached on my goal, but isn’t that how it always is? I’d love to hear what you all are currently reading or planning to read.
Here is what I’m currently reading:
On Writing- Stephen King (audiobook)
Down the Rabbit Hole- Holly Madison
Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me- Lily Collins
My 2018 List:
Outlander- Diana Gabaldon
Dragonfly in Amber- Diana Gabaldon
Voyager- Diana Gabaldon
American Ghost- Hannah Nordhaus (Thanks for the suggestion Lorelei)
Scrappy Little Nobody- Anna Kendrick (I might do an audiobook for this one)
Love, Rosie- Cecelia Ahern
This Side of Paradise- F. Scott Fitzgerald
Murder House- James Patterson
The Da Vinci Code- Dan Brown
The Nightingale- Kristin Hannah
Book Reviews: Me Before You and After You
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
I loved this novel! Honestly, this is probably one of the best books I’ve read and one that I often recommend.
The story mainly takes place over a 6 month span, so things are not drawn out. It’s well written, and really connects the reader to the characters of Louisa Clark and Will Traynor. Their narrative unfolds in a unique way, and the twists found within these pages often left me yearning for more.
In 2016 this book was made into a movie and it did the story justice. Emilia Clarke and Sam Clafin portrayed the characters well, but in the end some of the connection between Louisa and Will didn’t translate well to the big screen (which happens a lot with screen adaptations). But, if you don’t read the book the movie is a good option.
After You by Jojo Moyes
After reading Me Before You I had high hopes going into the sequel, but I was quickly disappointed. In my opinion, this book takes away from the strength of Louisa Clark and most importantly I felt that it actually discredited the wonderful story of the first novel. To everyone that I have recommended Me Before You to, I have told them not to read the sequel.
There were a few redeeming qualities in this novel but honestly I wish I had never read it. Of course, these are just my opinions but After You was not what I expected.
I hope you find these helpful!
Movie vs. Novel: Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
Most times a movie doesn’t do its novel counterpart justice, but Brooklyn written by Colm Toibin is an exception. The film stays true to the main storyline found in the novel without changing much along the way. Based in the 1950s it tells the story of a young Irish immigrant trying to make a life for herself in Brooklyn, New York.
The biggest differences between the two is that the novel introduces characters that aren’t present in the film, but this happens a lot with screen adaptations. Also, you get more of a backstory for the main characters and more details regarding what I think is a critical part of the storyline (I promise, no spoilers); the movie just brushed over this section of the book without much of an explanation.
If you’re like me, you saw the movie before reading the novel, but I highly recommend picking this book up. It’s an easy read and kept me interested (even with knowing what was going to happen). If you don’t have the extra time to spend reading this one, at least try the movie; the story is well written and in my opinion the actors portray the characters the way the book suggests.
If any of you have either read this book or watched the movie, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.
Book Review: A Good Woman by Danielle Steel
As promised when I posted Summer Reading, I wanted to give an update on what I thought about Danielle Steel’s A Good Woman. I don’t want to go into too much detail with the review incase any of you plan on giving this book a try; I don’t want to spoil anything.
The story continued to be a bit predictable and the dialogue repetitive. I will admit to liking the main character and the strength that she embodied throughout the pages. The second half of the book held my attention more than the first, but I don’t think that I would recommend this one to anyone I know. It definitely wouldn’t be one that I will read again.
However, if you are looking for a good Danielle Steel book set in the early to mid 1900’s, I will stick to recommending No Greater Love.