Hi guys! I decided to reformat Love of Reading this year and then I just kind of fell off the reading AND blogging train for a little bit. I was still reading a bit but just not nearly as much as I had intended. So, before this ends up being a massive post, let’s get caught up on what I read from February to May and see where I am with my reading goal. Did I fall behind? Did I somehow stay on track? Let’s find out…
My (Not So) Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella
I really love Sophie Kinsella books, they are always such a light and humorous read but I think this may be one of my favourites. My (Not So) Perfect Life really hits the nail on the head with regards to the world we are currently living in. The perfect Instagram feed vs. what reality looks like and the struggle to present a picture perfect life.
Word Count: 138,880
Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
One of my mini reading goals this year is to read as many of Carrie Fisher’s books as I can, so the next on my list was her first autobiography, Wishful Drinking. Packed with her wit, this book really gives you a better look at her incredible life. There were quite a few times I found myself chuckling out loud while reading this gem.
Word Count: 54,560
After You by Jojo Moyes
I read Jojo Moyes’ Before You last year and was patiently waiting for the follow up to make it to paperback so I count find out what happened next in Louisa Clark’s life. I’m not going to go into much detail, but I really enjoyed reading this. I wasn’t sure if it would measure up to the first novel, but I think it did! Louisa Clark is a flawed, but fascinating character and I love diving into her mind.
Word Count: 114,080
The Martian by Andy Weir
I don’t even know if I can portray how much I loved this book. I had been meaning to read this for ages but never quite got around to it. I was even waiting to watch the movie as I wanted to read this first. I did not expect this book to be funny, but wow, I don’t know if I have ever laughed so much while reading this book. The Martian tells the tale of Mark Watney, an astronaut stranded on Mars. Not ready to quit, this engineer/botanist, along with his sense of humour, embarks on a quest to stay alive. I think part of the reason I enjoyed this book so much is because Mark Watney has the exact same sense of humour as one of my best friends, so it felt a little bit like reading his journal.
Side note: I watched the movie this past month as well and was blown away by it. I really enjoyed, I just wish they had captured Mark’s humour a bit better. But, Matt Damon did an incredible job.
Word Count: 119,970
Stuck in Downward Dog by Chantal Simmons
I don’t think I’ve mentioned it at all, but I’ve become a bit of a yoga-fanatic over the past few months. This may be a bit of why my reading and blogging took a backseat. When I saw a book by a Canadian author with yoga right in the name… I needed to give it a read. Plus, it was SO inexpensive to purchase for my Kobo. Stuck in Downward Dog is the story of Mara Brennon, recently dumped by her boyfriend and her attempt to get herself out of a rut. I really enjoyed it, plus, all those Canadian references had me eating out of the palm of his book’s hand. It was a great light and funny read.
Word Count: 84,940
#Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso
As I recently watched season 1 of Girlboss on Netflix, I decided I should give the book a read. I’ve seen this book all over Instagram and so on over the past few years, so I just had to know if the real Sophia is as annoying as they portrayed the fictional version of her on the show. I am SO happy to report that the show and the book are two totally different things (and I kind of expected as much). If you want to feel empowered and like you can take on the world, I highly recommend reading this book. I could barely put it down and completely understand how it’s so widely loved.
Side note: The show did grow on me, but I find the real Sophia much more relatable.
Word Count: 79,360
Let’s see the damage…
Combined Goal (Feb to May): 960,000 words (goal: 240,000 words per month)
Total Read (Feb to May): 591, 790 words
Overage from January: 94,000 words
Total Deficit: 274, 210 words
Okay, so I probably missed about a month worth of reading total, which is kind of to be expected. However, since we are heading into summer, aka reading on the deck season, I think I can get caught up pretty quick on my goal!
Have you read any books that you loved lately? I’d love to hear about them so please let me know in the comments down below!
xoxo,
Robyn
Lipstick on the Lake 
Oooh I’ve added a bunch of these to my reading list – seems like you read a bunch of good books lately!
I haven’t read a Sophie Kinsella book in forever – I loved her Shopaholic series – at first at least. I think she dragged that series on too long because I lost interest after the 3rd or 4th book.
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Oh yes, the Shopaholic series has gone on for such a long time! I do really enjoy it, but I don’t think I have read the last 2 or 3… when I picked them up again I couldn’t remember a lot of the previous plot because I think there was a lengthy time gap in between books. I really enjoy her non-Shopaholic books and I think I actually prefer quite a few of them to her Shopaholic series. There’s a lot of gems in there!
Glad you were able to find some books to add to your reading list, hope you enjoy them! xoxo
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