I rarely write about books that didn’t work out well for me, especially if it were a hyped one. But then I come across a book that everyone raved about and I could not not rant about it. So here is my book review on November 9 by Colleen Hoover.
On November 9, Ben and Fallon meet at a restaurant and they have an instant connection. Ben is an aspiring writer and Fallon an actress and an avid reader.
But Fallon is moving across the country the next day and also she feels she will not be ready for a serious relationship for the next 5 years (until she turns 23).
So they decide to go on with their lives and date other people but only meet each other every year on November 9. And they would have no more contact with each other other than that one day of a year.
But do their attraction stand strong with just that one in 365 days? You will have to read November 9 by Colleen Hoover to know more.
Book review of November 9
The plot immediately reminded me of One Day (and one of the character mentions it even), but I have tried to overlook that while reviewing.
The book follows the time that the duo spend together, year after year and we get an alternating POV for both characters of the same date. We do not hear more about the characters’ lives apart from that.
November 9 was my first book by Colleen Hoover, an author I had been meaning to read for a long time and my expectations were quite high.
True to her fame, CoHo’s writing hooked me right at the first chapter and the banter between the characters worked out mostly. The characters Ben and Fallon were fleshed out well.
And honestly that is all that I could muster to speak in the pro section.
“Why would a girl care to find herself when she’ll never be able to make herself feel as good as a guy can?”
I understand the heat of the moment and all, but I think this quote from the book made double take. I understand that Fallon is insecure about herself and is generally melodramatic but this is NOT OKAY at all.
I hated how Ben consistently disregarded Fallon’s consent, objectified her, stalked her and ordered her around. And Fallon’s father is not a saint either. To make matters worse, she forgives both of them instantly and starts a good relationship with them at the end. Well why did I even read it?
Also what is with Ben’s obsession about Fallon’s scars sexually? Especially, after knowing his secret (that he was the one who started the fire (intentionally) which left her scarred and disfigured and he knew who she was the whole time) his behavior was just disgusting.
What worked for me
I loved Colleen Hoover’s writing and the banter kept me going and hooked.
Though the plot seemed similar to One day, it takes a different turn once you get over it.
What may have been better
BEN! I wish influential and best selling authors like Colleen Hoover would pay more attention to their characters and what they do.
I disliked that Fallon forgave her father too easily.
Content warning
Male ignoring non consent, arson, parent suicide,
Bottom line
November 9 by Colleen Hoover was a well written contemporary New age romance. While it seems to have some HUGE red flags, you can still pick a copy based on the other 4+ star ratings on Goodreads.
How did you like November 9 by Colleen Hoover? Did you have these issues with the characters or is it just me? Should I read other books by the author before I give up? Let us talk.
I picked Daisy Jones & The Six mainly because Bookstagrammers kept posting raving reviews about it. Despite being recommended to pick the audiobook, I picked the physical copy. Did I make the right choice? Let us check how did that turn out for me, shall we?
Daisy grows up as a precocious young girl with absentee parents and a love for music. As she turns twenty her voice gets her the recognition she was craving for. But what she wants to do is write songs, rather than sing them.
Billy and Graham Dunne start a band called Dunne brothers with few of their friends and are slowly in the rise to their stardom.
Soon Billy is addicted to pills, alcohol and other women, and it is his wife Camilla’s grit and steadiness that brings him back to his sense and to the band. As they start getting famous, they reluctantly invite Daisy to join their band.
What follows is the electric chemistry between pill riddled Daisy and currently sober Billy and how the band ‘Daisy Jones & The Six’ breaks apart.
My initial thoughts
Daisy Jones & The Six would mark my first tryst with Taylor Jenkins Reid and I can say she has left a positive impact and I would definitely be reading more from her.
I really liked the premise and Reid’s writing made sure to make me feel like I watched a movie about these rockstars and their pill addiction, boozy parties and shows. The interview format of narrative was a clever idea too.
Again, my issue was just the same thing. I didn’t feel connected to the characters at all, because they felt like stars being interviewed. This is totally a “it is me, not you” thing, with the interview format narration. We don’t get to see what these characters are apart from the roles they play in a band, which is a sore disappointment.
I loved Camilla and Karen, strong ladies who seemed badasses on their own merit. While I wish I had such an emotional connect with Daisy too, all I could think was ‘omg she is a dumpster fire’.
I have been hearing that the audiobook does a better job than the physical copy, so if you are into audiobooks, you should try that.
What worked for me
I loved the plot and couldn’t stop imagining Cooper and Lady Gaga for obvious reasons.
Daisy Jones & The Six took me to the 70s setup of rock n roll, sex crazed and pill popping era and Reid’s writing shines through. Billy and Daisy were the epitome of all the glitter and issues of the era.
I loved the strong, female characters like Camilla, Daisy, Karen and Simone. It is obvious that a woman wrote these characters.
What may have been better
While I love the narrative format for its cleverness, I think it didn’t work for me personally.
The placement of the songs from the band could have been better, I almost skipped those pages.
Bottom line
Daisy Jones & The Six is a popular historical fiction, and for the right reasons. If you want to be transported to the world of rock n roll and understand what happens after the show ends and behind the screen Daisy Jones & The Six is a great pick.
While the interview format didn’t work for me, I enjoyed Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing style. I will be seeing more of her.
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Have you read Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid? Did the interview format work for you? What other books of Reid would you recommend to pick next? Let us talk.
What is your dream life like? If you are a bookworm, I kinda think you will be jealous of the life of Nina Hill. I am not even an introvert and yet I was. I totally loved the book, the writing, as should every bookworm. Go ahead read to find what’s so good about The bookish life of Nina Hill, okay?
Nina Lee Hill, an anxious introverted bookworm leads a perfect life with her job in a bookstore, a great trivia and Phil, her cat. She takes books seriously and actually considers talking to non readers worthless. Yep, seriously. And oh she is a list maker and planner! (See, whats not to like?)
When she comes to know that her estranged father is dead, she doesn’t realize her perfect world may not be as is. She has a family and a huge one at that. And also she might be named in his will. Also her arch nemesis from the trivia club, Tom may not be so bad after all.
How would Nina be able to cope with all these sudden changes forms the rest of The bookish life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman and you definitely should be reading it.
My initial thoughts
I was hooked with just the blurb and the title. I mean I loved the premises and the plot and the mere fact that there is going to be a lot of bookish-ness in the book. And I was not disappointed at all.
On a more serious note, I am sure most bookworms would feel relatable to Nina and her love for all bookish things. Other characters are too perfect to believe, I loved them anyway.
I loved that Nina wasn’t portrayed as a typical nerdy, closed introvert but as someone who has a social life with select people. Her time is well divided between trivia, movies with friends (or alone) and book club meetings. See, bookworms are not all alone, in reality!
I love a book with a family reunion, or new family in this case. The bookish life of Nina Hill is more of drama than a romance and I really liked that the romance takes a backseat after a while. I wish the author had spent a little more time to this aspect of the book and cut short on her inner ramblings.
Things that worked for me
Very relatable characters that are well developed.
I loved the witty conversations sprinkled here and there.
Books. Books. Lists. BOOKS EVERYWHERE.
Things that didn’t work for me
I literally rolled my eyes when I read about stereotypical “fabulous gay nephew”.
The first few chapters with so many references and facts wore me a bit down.
Bottom-line
If you are bookworm whose life revolves around books and bookish things, The bookish life of Nina Hill is definitely for you. Easily one of the good books I read in 2019.
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Have you read this one? Did you like reading The bookish life of Nina Hill? Are there other books that have bookworms in it that you love? Let us talk.
You know I usually say I never read a book when everyone is talking about it, right? But I am here to show you that I have read some books at the right time. And of course, I forgot to review them right then, which is quite like me of course.
So in our new episode of review shots, let me tell you about books that were not on my TBR and I read them only because of the hype. Well, that never turns out quite well, does it?
This YA took the Twitter world by a storm and I got the book almost immediately to read it.
Maddy led a very sheltered life all through her life due to her illness. She has never stepped out of her house in years and her mother and her nurse are the only one she interacts with. Them and her book blog. Until a new family moves to their next house.
I liked the book and would have loved it even until for the twist at the end, which I didn’t see coming at all. I normally would love to be thrown off, but this twist was kinda ‘trying too hard’. I also didn’t like the theme that ‘love conquers all, even illness’ that kept surfacing.
I loved reading the story, for the cutesy cheesy love story but it didn’t win my approval.
This book had everything that the book world is talking about and needs now. Turtles All the Way Down has #Ownvoice leads, one of whom suffers from mental illness and a mystery the leads had to solve in relation to their parents. Sounds all good to me.
Yet I could not relate to the characters at all, nor did I buy their ‘love story’. Did I mention this book had an absentee parent as well? I know lots of people loved this book but for me it ended as a so-so read because of these reasons and more.
I wanted to like it more than it deserved any way. And probably will stay away from John Green hereon.
Book Name: My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry
Oh I loved Backman’s other book A Man Called Ove and I started reading this one almost immediately. But it took me more than a month to finish this 350 and odd pages and I will tell you why.
The precocious ‘almost eight’ years old Elsa has just lost her grandmother to cancer. Her grandmother was also her best and only friend, who kept her safe at night with the tales of the Land of Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas.
Now she is set with the task of handing over apology notes to the wacky characters in their apartment for her grandmother’s past and getting to know more about them and her family as well.
I liked the concept of the book and how the little girl learnt to deal with all the changes and new people in her life. I loved many of these characters and their sub plots. But the book totally went over my head when it came to the imaginary land and its people.
Maybe there is a reason to why I don’t read fantasy much.
Bottom – line
Of course I don’t regret reading them at all. But I wish I hadn’t tried as hard to like them and gave up when I should have. Well, lesson learnt. Maybe.
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Do you read books because everyone is reading them? Are there books that you have read only because of the hype and that didn’t turn out as expected? Let us talk.
