Jodi Meadows

November 2021 Reading Wrap-Up

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The Dating Plan by Sara Desai
(Marriage Game, book 2)
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Nov 5 – 8
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: That one joke about the auntie’s cooking.
Least Favorite Thing: If I hear the word “prom” one more fucking time…

Look, I was ready to love this. I wanted to love this. But I could not…

My Posts About The Dating Plan

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
(Ex Hex, book 1)
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Nov 8 – 9
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: The world was interesting I think?
Least Favorite Thing: The narrator ruined this book for me.

I couldn’t even tell you if I liked this book or not because the narrator’s voice caused me such physical discomfort I couldn’t even focus on the story…

My Posts About The Ex Hex

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Rating: ★★★★★ – loved it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Nov 9 – 11
Read Count: 6
Favorite Thing: The narrator’s voice.
Least Favorite Thing: A bitch be identifying with Nell too much…

I listened to this book to get the bad taste of The Ex Hex narrator out of my ears.

My Posts About The Haunting of Hill House

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Rating: ★★★★★ – loved it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Nov 11 – 12
Read Count: 2
Favorite Thing: WHY IS IT SO CUTE????
Least Favorite Thing: The lack of an oxford comma in the title.

I’ve been wanting to reread this for a while. I was intending to read it physically, but I saw the audiobook available with my library and I couldn’t resist. And then obviously I couldn’t put it down.

My Posts About Red, White & Royal Blue

My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows
(The Lady Janies, book 2)
Rating: ★★★★★ – loved it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Nov 14 – 16
Read Count: 2
Favorite Thing: The whole teacup thing lol
Least Favorite Thing: Over too soon!

I’m about to cancel my subscription to Scribd, sadly, so I’m trying to get in all the audiobooks that I can. Plus I needed something funny because all three of the books I’m reading physically can get a bit heavy.

My Posts About My Plain Jane

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
(Graceling Realm, book 1)
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review: No
Format: Audiobook
Reading Dates: Nov 25 – 30
Read Count: 1
Favorite Thing: Seriously??
Least Favorite Thing: The fact that no one had ever heard of just like….plugging your ears with something.

Do people genuinely like this book? Like for realzies?

My Posts About Graceling

November 2018 Reading Wrap-Up

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Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really like it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  October 30 – November 3
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Waverly’s salty, salty thoughts.
Least Favorite Thing:  No one communicates well in this book and it is infuriating reading their conversations because like JUST SAY WORDS OK JUST SAY IT DON’T THINK IT!!

I really liked this book. Now I’m torn on Brenna Yovanoff because two of her books I hated and two I loved… What is the real Brenna Yovanoff?? Stress.

My Posts About Places No One Knows

Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 3 – 6
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Laini’s writing voice.
Least Favorite Thing:  As I’ve said before, there were some bits that were just too descriptive. Things I’d rather not visualize.

These stories aren’t pleasant, but I like them anyway because of Laini’s voice.

My Posts About Lips Touch: Three Times

Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi
(Shatter Me, book 4)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 6 – 9
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  That scream! Whaaat!
Least Favorite Thing:  No one communicates in this book!

Man I loved the ending to this book, it was exactly what I wanted.

My Posts About Restore Me

My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Aston, & Jodi Meadows
(The Lady Janies, book 2)
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 10 – 19
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Helen
Least Favorite Thing:  Just a tiny bit longish…?

I read this book during a reading slump and it still managed to be a four star book for me. It was so funny!

My Posts About My Plain Jane

They Never Came Back by Caroline B. Cooney
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  July 22 – November 23
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  The POV shifts.
Least Favorite Thing:  What about Marmee and Dad Bob??

It took me ages to get past the third chapter of this book, but I won’t name any names as to whyyyy… Anyway I finished it and it was well written.

My Posts About They Never Came Back

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 17 – 25
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Beatrice/Benedick
Least Favorite Thing:  EVERYONE JUST FORGIVES FUCKING CLAUDIO LIKE HE DIDN’T PUBLICLY SHAME HERO????

Fuck Claudio. Also why is it always the friar who’s like “let’s pretend someone is dead!”?

My Posts About Much Ado About Nothing

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
(To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, book 1)
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  November 24 – 27
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Um….
Least Favorite Thing:  I did not like a single character in this whole book…

I have to say, even though I rated this 2 stars, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad book. It’s a solid, decent book, but it’s really not my cup of tea which bumped it down a bit. And if you like YA Romance, then you’ll probably love this book.

My Posts About To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

In Progress

Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts: November 15, 2018

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Welcome to Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts, an original weekly meme hosted by (un)Conventional Bookworms. “So many of the books we read have food or drinks in them, some we’d love to try, and others we’d never ever want to taste… The idea of Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts is to share a quote with food or drinks that showed up in a recent read, as well as if it’s something you think you’d like or not. Please share the title of the book it happened in, as well as the character who ate or drank the special little something you discovered between the pages of a good read.”

Today’s passage comes from My Plain Jane. Part of it, the roast beef part obviously, sounds quite nice, but I’d probably wind up with burnt porridge!

Mr. Brocklehurst had believed that it was good for the soul to have only burnt porridge to eat. (He meant the poverty-stricken, destitute soul, that is; the dignified, upper-class soul thrived, he found, on roast beef and plum pudding. And cookies, evidently.)

1000 Pages Read-a-Thon – Day 8 (The End)

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Woo I did iiiiiitttt!!!!!! I’m really proud of myself because I’m really struggling with my reading this past week or so. I’m desperately trying to avoid this becoming a full-on slump, which is part of the reason I did the read-a-thon at all. I think all-in-all it was successful in motivating me during my almost-slump.

64 pages – The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
107 pages – My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows
Previous Total:  851 pages

Total Pages:  1,022

October 2018 Reading Wrap-Up

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Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
(Strange the Dreamer, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★★★ – it was amazing
Review:  Yes
Format:  eBook
Reading Dates:  September 30 – October 3
Read Count:  2
Favorite Thing:  Dreamer’s Weep
Least Favorite Thing:  Descriptions of the Carnage

I reread this on a whim to prepare for Muse of Nightmares and I’m glad I did because I enjoyed it just as much as the first time.

My Posts About Strange the Dreamer

At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
(The Mitford Years, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  September 27 – October 9
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  The peaceful nature of the village.
Least Favorite Thing:  So much religion…

This is one of those calm books where even when something happens, nothing really happens. But I mean that in a good way, I promise; it’s mostly character based. I found this series when I was in jail and it was so calming I bought them all when I was released.

My Posts About At Home in Mitford

Clarity by Kim Harrington
(Clarity, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★☆☆ – liked it
Review:  Yes
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  October 9 – 10
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  The mechanics of the various psychic abilities.
Least Favorite Thing:  She saw her brother have sex in a vision like….yikes, poor Clarity.

I grabbed this book on a whim, partly because I accidentally grabbed it’s sequel on a whim also, but mostly because it’s October and I wanted to read something with a little supernatural tint.

My Posts About Clarity

Perception by Kim Harrington
Rating:  ★★☆☆☆ – it was ok
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  October 10 – 12
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Perry’s anxiety was relatable as hell.
Least Favorite Thing:  Clarity is incredibly judgmental of like…everyone.

Hmm… Well, that was not as good as the first one. It wasn’t terrible or anything, it just wasn’t good. And once again the romance was super clumsy; I just didn’t buy either of the love interests at all.

My Posts About Perception

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Rating:  ★☆☆☆☆ – did not like it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  October 13
Read Count:  1 (DNF)
Favorite Thing:  Nothing.
Least Favorite Thing:  The supernatural creatures need you to be in a band! For fucks sake…

I got about halfway through this book and then could go no further. The premise had potential, but it just wouldn’t get there and the writing felt awkward. I’ve read other novels by this author and they were alright, but this first one just wasn’t doing it for me.

My Posts About The Replacement

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows
(The Lady Janies, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  October 13 – 18
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  So funny!
Least Favorite Thing:  Can’t think of a single thing! Hurray!

This book was so funny, I definitely recommend everyone read it. (Don’t worry, you don’t need to know any of the actual history to enjoy this, although it is a little bonus.)

My Posts About My Lady Jane

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
Rating:  N/A
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  March 27 – October 21
Read Count:  1 (DNF)
Favorite Thing:  Nothing.
Least Favorite Thing:  So boring…

Well I tried for almost a year and never got past the first quarter of this book, so I’m giving up! I like to think I’m not usually so impatient when I read classic novels, but this one really beat me, y’all. Maybe I’ll give it another go when I’m older and wiser.

My Posts About Wives and Daughters

Touched by Corrine Jackson
(Sense Thieves, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  October 20 – 24
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  This book is like if Twilight had been actually good.
Least Favorite Thing:  Dean. Yuck.

I’m officially calling this as a guilty-pleasure read. Now I just need to find the sequels!

My Posts About Touched

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart
(Grace and Fury, book 1)
Rating:  ★★★★☆ – really liked it
Review:  No
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  October 26 – 27
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  The Mount Ruin women.
Least Favorite Thing:  Men.

As I mentioned before, this book starts a little slow, but it picks up pretty soon and once it gets going it’s hard to put down.

My Posts About Grace and Fury

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
Rating:  Unrated
Review:  Yes
Format:  Print
Reading Dates:  October 28
Read Count:  1
Favorite Thing:  Not likely.
Least Favorite Thing:  Graphic.

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Child Sex Abuse (and others)

This book was well-written, but I think in the case of this story that’s almost a bad thing.

My Posts About Living Dead Girl

In Progress