As the year hit 2020 I sat on my goods read account once again debating if I should try set a goal as I do every year and I seem to fail.

I wasn’t born a reader, which sounds weird but it happens. You have those that are born readers, and those that aren’t. I was not. My mother was always with a book in her hand and one of my brothers followed. My best friend growing up also. So I was surrounded by readers, but I turned to other things.
It wasn’t until I hit college that I started picking up books and reading.. for fun…

In fact I even entered into a reading challenge at my college library. Or I should say I was forced to enter it by my teacher due to always having a book in hand.
Thus a reader was born.

However since I got a full time job I struggled to balance life and reading. I didn’t know how people did it, although I still bought books. I still read, but it would take me a couple months to finish a book, I was determined. I cant remember the last time I read more than 5books in a year. Yet here I am, 4 months into 2020 with my 12 book target set. We have to be realistic now, a book a month is doable. I am already onto my 6^th read. I suppose a lockdown does help you read a lot more and im currently busting them out at a book a week. 

Heres a quick review on my current reads to share –

January had me pick up The Girl who reads on the metro by Christine Feret Fieury.
This book is a translated from French which leaves it sometimes a little bit strange in wording and I found it hard to read when the author would throw 3 adjectives one after the other. However the overall plot which follows Juliette take on a new path in life surrounded by mystery, almost magic and books it was a lovely start of the year read. I would rate it a 3/5 stars. 

My February left me unable to find something that I wanted to read so I bit the bullet and pulled If I stay by Gayle Forman. If you haven’t heard about this book/movie than where have you been hiding? When I started reading the story of Mia and the car crash she was fighting to survive I felt like the book was written too young for me. But once again it was an easy read but surprisingly as we got more and more into the story I found myself unable to put it down. Its obviously not as cheery as my first read as it is heavily revolved around death and hospitals and it pulls at your heart strings but I would still give it your standard 3/5 stars. 

My March read was a birthday present and surprisingly a book id been wanting to re-read for a while. The Time traveller’s wife by Audrey Niffenegger. This book is 400 hundred pages of mystery, heart pulled and romance. Following the story of Clare and Henry. Clare’s known Henry since she was 6, he was thirty six. However he married Clare when he was 30. How does this work? Honesty from reading this book at 15 and again at 24 I still felt as in captured as the first time. 4/5 stars.

And as lock down began in the middle of March I had decided to pick up Where she went by Gayle Forman which was a sequel to if I stay. If I stay ended in a way that made me shout ‘NO.’ in a huff so when I saw this sat on the shelve I caved and bought it. Now I must say this sequel is more of an enjoyable read than If I stay. It follows the aftermath of Mia and Adam three years later questioning if one night can change things. I didn’t feel like I was reading a young book anymore and with the story being told from Adam this time it felt like a whole new read. I rate this one 3.5/5. In all honesty you don’t even have to have read If I stay to enjoy where she went.

My second lockdown read I managed to nab as a reading copy from work is Adults by Emma Jane Unsworth. Now I have mixed feelings on this book. I didn’t enjoy the writing style, it felt too messy for me although I understand why it is written as it is. And I first I didn’t find a storyline, I kept having to check the back to see if id missed a point in the blurb but nope. Just as vague. For it’s the story of Jenny, as told by Jenny, almost like a diary. Jenny is obsessed with social media and this book focuses on how being obsessed with such thing can simply, ruin your life. It played the opposite of what influences show us. Half way through to me was when it really started to pick up and I felt like there was a story line more than just a story being told at me. Towards the end I actually started to enjoy it, although I don’t like Jenny very much. Im sure you’ll hold your own opinion on her, but I would still recommend if you’re a young adult/mid – late twenties as I’m sure in some way, you will be able to relate. 3.5/5.  

Luckily for me before lockdown I ordered 5 books from book depository knowing they would come half way through these four weeks and just like that, after I finished Adults, Before the Coffee gets cold arrived. So stay tuned. I am half way through my 12 books goal and not even half way through the year. I believe I can do this as I am more motivated to read now with my new job and new routine in place.

Let me know if you have any book recommendations to try or if you’ve read any of my books so far! I love a good book conversation!