Books that make me smile

This weeks Top Ten Tuesday prompt is books that make me smile. One thing I am a sucker for and that makes me smile is a good romance in a novel, so these are 10 romance/contemporary books with a seriously cute romance that had me cheesing!

Get A Life, Chloe Brown & Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

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Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali

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Heartstopper Vol 1 by Alice Oseman

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When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

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The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

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The Kiss Quotient & The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

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Beach Read by Emily Henry

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The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

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Quarterly Reading Recommendations

This is my second instalment of my quarterly reading recommendations for 2020. Every 3 months I will be looking over all the books I’ve read in that time and picking out my top 10 favourites. Then at the end of the year I will compile my lists and pick my top 10 overall from the books I’ve selected where I will be going a little more in depth! If you want to check out my first quarterly reading recommendations for this year click HERE.

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Beach Read by Emily Henry

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A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

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Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali

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The Black Prism by Brent Weeks

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House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas

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Get a Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

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Furyborn by Claire Legrand

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Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

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A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos

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City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

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May Wrap Up

I’ve had a pretty good reading month! I participated in the Tome Topple readathon that went for about two weeks of the month and I did manage to finish 4 tomes during that time. One book in particular I have been meaning to read for over two years now so I was stoked I managed to get to it and LOVE it as well! Though reading these long books did kind of stall my usual pace for the month. I realise 12 books is still a massive achievement, I just feel like I didn’t read as much as I wanted to.

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco⭐️3/5 stars

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan⭐️4/5 stars

I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo⭐️3/5 stars

The Black Prism by Brent Weeks – ⭐️5/5 stars

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling – ⭐️5/5 stars

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire⭐️2/5 stars

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett⭐️4/5 stars

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara⭐️5/5 stars

Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali ⭐️5/5 stars

Beach Read by Emily Henry ⭐️5/5 stars

A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos⭐️4/5 stars

Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills⭐️3/5 stars

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Love from A to Z Review

40148146._SY475_Love from A to Z is a dual perspective story following Zayneb and Adam. Zayneb has just been suspended from school after confronting a inslamaphobe teacher at her school and is sent on an early spring break to Doha. Adam is dealing with just finding out he has been diagonsed with multiple sclerosis the diseases that killed his mum when he was nine.

What I loved about this book was that even though it is a contemporary love story at it’s core, it doesn’t stop each character from having their own personal drama’s that they are having to overcome. The narrative isn’t focused solely on them and dramatised in a way to keep them apart, it’s realistic and thought provoking and genuine.

Zayneb I found to be a little too focused on justice which at times clouded her vision and forced her to make brash decisions. When she is upset her anger overwhelms her and she can’t see any other side besides her own. I love that we explore so much of her culture and the decisions that she has made to commit to her way of life and be unapologetic about it. She definitely evolved and developed over the course of the storyline and the fact that she was able to recognise some of her faults but mould them into positives was indicative of her growth.

Adam is the sweetest, calmest, most frustrating character! I just wanted him to confide in his father from the beginning about his diagnosis but I can understand why he chose to keep it a secret. Having this condition that killed his mother and reliving some of his memories of her was heartbreaking and again we really see him come to accept the things he is not in control of and embrace the good things, the marvels in life.

Every single character in this book serves a purpose, from Adam’s group of friends to Aunty Nandy and especially Zahid. I have to say Zahid was definitely my favourite of all the characters in this book. The length that he went to in order to help this young man he didn’t even know really captured my heart and brought a tear to my eye. 

I loved the format of the story told from the perspectives of their journal and having such stark contrasts between our two main characters. It was a quick, emotional, touching book that I feel I will be rereading many times in the future!

⭐️5/5 stars Another MUST read!!!

5 Books from Diverse Authors I Want To Read

This year it’s kind of a personal goal of mine to read a variety of different authors from different cultures and backgrounds. These 5 books have been on my radar for a while now and I am really excited to get stuck in and give them all a read!

Love from A to Z from S.K. Ali

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When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

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Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi

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I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo

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Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi

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