Hi friends!
April was a crazy month for
us. Baby girl #2 made her appearance just in time for March to end, and we
spent April being exhausted and overwhelmed trying to figure out how to take
care of a newborn and a two year-old. Luckily, there was some time for reading
during the around-the-clock nursing sessions. Shout out to my Mom for
recommending several of this month’s books and finding me some good fiction.
Also, check out cute baby pics
at the end of the post. That’s right. I put them at the end, so that you’ll at
least have to scroll by the reviews before you get to the cuteness.
As always, please leave any
comments you have if you’ve read any of these books, and let me know if you
have any good recommendations for me.
Cheers,
Tonya
Throne of Jade (Temeraire #2) by Naomi Novik
Rating: 3 of 5 stars / G
Recommendation: Yes, for
those who like fantasy
Review: I read the first book in this series last month, and I think
this book can safely be described as “more of the first.” In this installment, the mistakenly misplaced Chinese dragon, Temeraire, and his valiant and dashing Captainn Laurence find themselves on an epic and somewhat prolonged, meandering journey to the
Orient. Seriously, it takes them over half the book just to get there, and for
no real discernible reason as most of the journey doesn't really add anything to the plot. Upon finally arriving in China, we learn more about
Temeraire’s mysterious back story, and see how dragons should actually be
treated. Turns out the Chinese are much nicer to their dragons than the
barbaric Europeans. All in all, another dramatic and adventure-filled installment in
this series.
Rating: 5 of 5 stars / G
Recommendation: Yes! For
anyone interested in geopolitics and understanding why the world is the way it
is.
Review: Marshall explains the geo in geopolitics. Ever wonder why Putin
is so obsessed with Crimea or why China is being so territorial in the South
China Sea, or what the deal is with them and Tibet? Marshall reveals the
geographic answers to all these questions and more in this concise,
interesting, and extremely informative explanation of the world we live in. It’s
practical, interesting, and enlightening information like this that I wish was
taught better in schools because now that I’ve read this book, I feel like I have
a much better context and understanding of what I see in the news and have
learned in history.
Rating:3.5 of 5
stars / G
Recommendation: Yes, for
those who like fantasy and stories with a strong female lead
Review: This series includes three, soon to be four, books about Elena
of Kingslee, a common born 16 year-old who discovers previous unknown powers
and goes to school to learn how to control/use them. Sound familiar? Well,
these books follow fairly typical fantasy formulas including an interesting
magic system, political intrigue, the discovery of unknown and inexplicable
powers, and of course, a handsome prince who the heroine, for some unfathomable
reason despite it being totally obvious to everyone else, can’t figure out is
totally into her. I would describe these books as the rice pudding with raisins
of fantasy young adult novels, mostly familiar and predictable, but every now
and then you run into a surprise raisin that you can’t decide if you like or
not. In any case, these books are quick, light, and entertaining reads. Perfect
for the brain dead new mom trying to escape the demands of her offspring.
Rating: 3 of 5 stars/ G
Recommendation: Yes, for women interested in
self-improvement
Review: I read this book because I saw it at
Target and on social media. I guess that the Facebook and Instagram algorithms correctly
pegged me as someone interested in self-improvement, and as usual, they are
scarily accurate. This book was my first introduction to Hollis, but apparently
she’s a social influencer – ‘cuz we live in a world where that’s a real job, though
I guess I shouldn’t rag on that because she makes a lot more money than I do – entrepreneur,
and author. Overall, I thought this book had some good advice, but mainly
seemed to focus more on cheerleading and less on practical methods to achieve
your goals, aside from, you know just believe in yourself and do it! I guess in
the end, maybe that’s what’s required, but let me know your thoughts.
Cute baby smiles
Sisters!
Working hard during tummy time.
