Books Lately

So I've read some good books lately but I've also read a dud. Here's the lowdown on the books I've read lately.

1 star, but I couldn't even finish it

From the author's website: 

In 1960, Jennifer Stirling wakes in the hospital and remembers nothing—not the car accident that put her there, not her wealthy husband, not even her own name. Searching for clues, she finds an impassioned letter, signed simply “B,” from a man for whom she seemed willing to risk everything.

In 2003, journalist Ellie Haworth stumbles upon an old letter containing a man’s ardent plea to his married lover. She becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to the couple. Perhaps if they lived happily ever after, her own complicated affair could have a happy ending, too. A Brief Encounter for our time, this is a novel for romantics of every age.

What I thought: I suffered through two-thirds of this book before I finally gave up. It was boring, slow, and I really did not like the characters. I hardly ever give up before I finish a book because I usually want to know how it ends/what happened to the characters, but honestly, I just didn't care this time.

4.5 stars

From the author's website:

Audrey can't leave the house. she can't even take off her dark glasses inside the house.

Then her brother's friend Linus stumbles into her life. With his friendly, orange-slice smile and his funny notes, he starts to entice Audrey out again - well, Starbucks is a start. And with Linus at her side, Audrey feels like she can do the things she'd thought were too scary. Suddenly, finding her way back to the real world seems achievable.

Be prepared to laugh, dream and hope with Audrey as she learns that even when you feel like you have lost yourself, love can still find you...

What I thought: This book was a YA book but that didn't stop me from loving it. It was so cute and a quick, easy read. I really liked how the author broke up the writing with "scripts" from Audrey's video of her family; that was clever. The only reason I knocked off half a star is because you never find out exactly what happened to Audrey to make her the way she is. Not a huge deal but it would have been nice to know. Definitely recommend. 

5 stars

From the publisher's website:

In this enchanting holiday novel from New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer, family and friends gather on Nantucket for a gorgeous winter wedding with plenty of merry surprises in store.

As Christmas draws near, Felicia returns to her family’s home on the island to marry her adventurous, rugged boyfriend, Archie. Every detail is picture-perfect for a dream wedding: the snow-dusted streets, twinkling lights in the windows, a gorgeous red and white satin dress. Except a lavish ceremony is not Felicia’s dream at all; it’s what her mother, Jilly, wants. Jilly’s also worried that her daughter’s life with daredevil Archie will be all hiking and skydiving. Wondering if their handsome neighbor Steven Hardy might be a more suitable son-in-law, Jilly embarks on a secret matchmaking campaign for Felicia and the dashing stockbroker.

As the big day approaches and Jilly’s older daughter, Lauren, appears with rambunctious kids in tow, tensions in the household are high. With the family careening toward a Yuletide wedding disaster, an unexpected twist in Nancy Thayer’s heartwarming tale reminds everyone about the true meaning of the season.

What I thought: I read this book in one night. It was a super easy read, but so sweet and a perfect feel-good, Christmastime read. I definitely recommend it for this time of year. It made me want to go to Nantucket for Christmas! 

I'm reading A Nantucket Christmas right now and it's super cute so far (it's by the same author and set in the same place as An Island Christmas), and next I'm reading See Me by Nicholas Sparks, I can't wait! What have you been reading lately?