April Wrap-Up

The Adoration of Jenna Fox - Mary E. Pearson

Started: March 30th 2020

Finished: April 7th 2020

Rated: 3.5

Likes: Character Interactions, Secrecy, Time Hop, Science

Dislikes: Immature, Romance lacked punch

Notes: Audiobook

The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan

Started: April 10th 2020

Finished: April 13th 2020

Rated: 5

Likes: Characters, Mythology, Quest, Deception, Narrator

Dislikes: None

Notes: Audiobook

Dear Sweet Pea - Julie Murphy

Started: April 8th 2020

Finished: April 16th 2020

Rated: 3

Likes: Empowerment for Women

Dislikes: Slow, Rushed Ending, Main Character

Notes: While it was Empowering for Overweight Women, it could've done this better

When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi

Started: April 17th 2020

Finished: April 18th 2020

Rated: 5

Likes: Writing, Vulnerability, Realness

Dislikes: None

Notes: This had me balling by the end

You Are Awesome - Neil Pasricha

Started: April 20th 2020

Finished: April 24th 2020

Rated: 4

Likes: Admitting to Failure, Useful Tips, Real Stories, Truthful

Dislikes: None

Notes: Received an arc from Edelweiss+ for an honest review

The Paris Hours - Alex George

Started: April 19th 2020

Finished: April 25th 2020

Rated: 4.5

Likes: Writing, Characters, Connected Plots, Setting

Dislikes: No Wow Factor

Notes: BOTM April 2020

2020 Bookémon Reading Raid

Runs From May 1st 2020 - May 31st 2020

Link to Sign Up!

Point Tracker

Bookémon Twitter

Team Valor Training Center

Objective: To get back our Bookémon and defeat Team Rocket, to do this there are challenges below (My Team Valor) that can be completed as many times as you can, each gives you combat points to go against Team Rocket's 1,000,000 Health Points. So let's get ready and team up to take Rocket Down!

Bookémon Buddy Advantages: You pick one of the Bookémon you caught in November's 2019 Catchathon Generation 1 for your buddy if you participated, if you didn't get to participate in the Catchathon, you can pick any Bookémon except a legendary to be your buddy! Some Bookémon types have advantages based on the books you read and others based on how you read. If your Bookémon buddy is a dual type, then you can use either or both types for advantages!

The Team Challenges: Each team has six challenges that can be completed as many times as you would like. Each book you read can complete as many of the challenges as it can. Completing a challenge from another team earns you half the CP.

---

My Bookémon Journey

The Gravity of Us - Phil Stamper

Buddy Advantage: Fairy (Clefairy) --> 100CP for each LGBT+ character in book

Challenge(s) Completed: Blue Team (10pts) --> Read a book featuring color blue

The Grace Year - Kim Liggett

Buddy Advantage: Ground (Cubone) --> Reading books off your own TBR earns 500CP

Challenge(s) Completed: Gym Training (100pts) --> Reading a book from your owned TBR

King and the Dragonflies - Kacen Callender

Buddy Advantage: Water (Omanyte) --> Reading a book with a beautiful cover earns 200CP

Challenge(s) Completed: Intuition (50) --> Follow that hunch and read the book your gut is telling you

The Worst Best Man - Mia Sosa

Buddy Advantage: Electric (Pikachu) --> Reading electronically gains 100CP per hour

Challenge(s) Completed: Sparks Mission (200) --> Read a book with multiple perspectives

Combat Points

Total Challenge Points: 355

Total Buddy Advantage Points: 1910

Total Pages Read Points: 1370

Total Points: 3535

The Paris Hours - Alex George

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

This is a complicated book for me to review. Because while there were things about it that I absolutely loved, there was no crazy wow factor for me. I guessed the plot as soon as we were given the slighest hint, and while this in itself doesn't both me (it actually boosts my self-esteem that I was actually able to guess something correctly) it bothered me in the sense that if the reader did happen to guess this one wow factor detail, then there was nothing else, it just ends and you are left wanting more.

So part of me wants to give it 5 stars but another part of me is like 4.5 stars is more accurate because there was something that genuinely bothered me about the book.

I really hope that there is a sequel to this. I was left wanting more. There is another story that could be written after this one to satisfy the desires the reader has to have closed ends. However, I think this author knows what he is doing and will purposely not give the reader what they want, which (to me) shows a great amount of talent. We will be left wondering and thinking about this story until we are satisfied with the fact that we have read all we were given.

The aspect of this book that really took me by surprise was the writing. It was eloquent and beautifully crafted to show the reader, instead of tell them, the story. I felt attached to these characters because their backstories and feelings were written in a way where I had no choice but to love them and care about what happens to them. There wasn't a character whose story I wasn't invested in, which isn't common when I read books with multiple perspectives. The writing is what made me love the characters. They were developed and different, yet somehow they were connected in one way or another. So while I can say that I loved this characters and felt for them all deeply, it was (again) the writing that made me feel this way.

The connected plots were brilliant. You learn the stories and (overtime) backstories of the characters and you create this idea in your head how they are connected because it says in the synopsis that they are. It kept me wanting to know how and why, these peoples lives were intertwined and when they were, I wasn't exactly blown away which was disappointing, but that didn't ruin the journey.

Overall this was an amazing book and the writing alone, is why I would recommend it to everyone. And who knows, maybe you will not guess the plot. Maybe you will be left satisfied by the ending. Maybe you will have a completely different outlook on this book than I did, but I bet you'd still be glad you read it.