The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Summary from Goodreads:

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

My Thoughts:

I was expecting The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo to be everything the hype made it out to be: a five star read I'd sob over. But either my expectations were too high, I'm being overcritical, or the book simply just falls short. The novel is narrated partly by Monique, a journalist recording Evelyn's story for an autobiography, and partly be Evelyn, recounting her life. Unfortunately, Monique's character is incredibly flat, and her storyline is boring and completely unnecessary. On the contrary, Evelyn was such a beautifully nuanced narrator. The reader can't not recognize the way she uses people for her own gain, but there's something admirable in the way she never pities herself—she takes everything in her situation and uses it as leverage to boost her standing. She's manipulative, ambitious, and cunning, but you're rooting for her the whole way through. (I kind of also love how her signature color is green, which is the house color of Slytherin, which is the house for the cunning and ambitious, and Evelyn is a total Slytherin.) Evelyn's story is heartbreaking but painfully realistic, filled with incredibly written relationships (both romantic and platonic). The novel was also told in sections of her marriages, which I wasn't expecting, but it was an awesome format based on the title. 

Despite my praise for Evelyn as a character and the development of each and every one of her woefully lifelike relationships, I found myself very disappointed at the ending. It was anticlimactic, unfulfilling, poorly thought-out, and frankly, completely unnecessary. The book was not told in the medium it should have been. The concept of a journalist collecting the life story of one of the world's most famous stars—who has something to gain herself—is a great idea in theory, but given the fact that the main narrator was so insufferably boring, there were definitely ways around the formatting issues, and I'd be happy to give Taylor Jenkins Reid my suggestions. The plot twist with Monique's character at the end felt so forced, like the author thought the story needed a plot twist and tried to cram it all into the last chapter while also trying to fit a social justice storyline into the very last chapter, one that hadn't been very present throughout the novel. Evelyn's story was wonderful; it was captivating and well-developed, but the ten or so chapters told from Monique's point of view spoiled the book completely.

 Overall, 4/5 stars. I would recommend if you don't mind getting through a couple chapters of nothing. 

If you liked this, try:

To Read: Circe by Madeline Miller (girlboss!), The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (another heartbreaking queer romance) Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, (same author), One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (a good old sapphic romance, partly told in a different time period) 

To Watch: Pretty much anything Marilyn Monroe is in, a documentary about Marilyn Monroe, or Little Women (1994) because Evelyn Hugo stars in an adaptation of the book. 

To Listen: Folklore and Evermore by Taylor Swift (albums)

The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater

Summary of the first book, The Raven Boys, from Goodreads:

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

My Thoughts:

I have a complicated opinion about this series. The first two books were slow-moving, the plot was static, the characters lacked development, and they took me months to read. However, the second two books were both five-star reads that I absolutely devoured. The characters were incredible, they were all so lovable and well-developed with clear arcs that didn't feel forced and relationships that were true-to-life, even with the incorporated magic.

The second book, The Dream Thieves, is one of the slowest moving books I've ever read. It was stagnant and lacked any sort of arc, and should have been combined with the first book. If the series had been a trilogy, it would have been a solid five stars. The second two books, Blue Lily, Lily Blue and The Raven King had some of the best relationship development I've ever read. Seriously amazing characterization, witty dialogue and character-driven banter, and by far, one of the best written YA romances of the decade. I loved almost everything about it, except for the fact that it was four books, because it very much did not need to be that long. But still, I loved the series and I could go on for six more paragraphs about the magnificent worldbuilding and characterization, but I'll spare you. I do look forward to reading the spin-off trilogy. 

Overall, 4/5 stars. Would recommend for fans of YA fantasy. 

If you liked this, try:

To Read: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, All For The Game by Nora Sakavic, The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (found family with fantasy elements)

To Watch: "Stranger Things" (it gives me the same vibes)

To Listen: Blackout by the Dropkick Murphys (album), Lorde (artist), Hozier's self-titled album (album), and any terrible EDM or Irish jigs you can find in honor of Ronan Lynch

Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong

Summary from Goodreads:

Poet and essayist Cathy Park Hong blends memoir, cultural criticism, and history to expose the truth of racialized consciousness in America. Binding these essays together is Hong's theory of "minor feelings."

As the daughter of Korean immigrants, Cathy Park Hong grew up steeped in shame, suspicion, and melancholy. She would later understand that these "minor feelings" occur when American optimism contradicts your own reality—when you believe the lies you're told about your own racial identity.

Hong uses her own story as a portal into a deeper examination of racial consciousness in America today. This book traces her relationship to the English language, to shame and depression, to poetry and artmaking, and to family and female friendship in a search to both uncover and speak the truth.

My Thoughts:

Yes, this was my summer reading book, but that's not the point. Minor Feelings was an expert deep-dive into the nuances of growing up as a minority and how that shaped Hong's thinking, identity, views, and most importantly, her art and self-expression, both as a child and as an adult. It's told in a vaguely untraditional format, divided into seven essays, while still holding some remnant of traditional storytelling with chapters, dividing by subject matter, etc. Hong speaks a lot in this novel about how untraditional storytelling helped her realize how to tell her own story, how to combat everything she'd seen of poorly-told stories about minority experiences and shy away from the fear of sharing her own. It was a triumphant and moving memoir that was a quick read, but left a lasting impression that I imagine will stick with me as I grow up and make my own place in the world, thinking about how the media I consumed shaped me. 

Overall, 5/5 stars. Would recommend this book for literally everyone. 

If you liked this, try:

To Read: Born A Crime by Trevor Noah (another memoir of racial experience), Dictee by Theresa Hak Kyung Cha (mentioned in the book), Cathy Park Hong's poetry

To Watch: Dear White People on Netflix, Richard Pryor's stand up specials (mentioned in the book)

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

Summary from Goodreads:

The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his ground-breaking, critically acclaimed podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet - from the QWERTY keyboard and Halley's Comet to Penguins of Madagascar - on a five-star scale.

Complex and rich with detail, the Anthropocene's reviews have been praised as 'observations that double as exercises in memoiristic empathy', with over 10 million lifetime downloads. John Green's gift for storytelling shines throughout this artfully curated collection about the shared human experience; it includes beloved essays along with six all-new pieces exclusive to the book.

My Thoughts:

This is the most arbitrary book I've ever read, and I'm obsessed with it. It's such a wonderful dissection of not only the world around us, but how we view it; demonstrating just how arbitrary the Anthropocene really is. It's a great book to read if you want to either question your existence or laugh really hard. (I think it turned me into an anarchist.) It doesn't read like nonfiction or a memoir, especially since it's not formatted like a memoir, it's an analysis  of the world around us. Genuinely, I kind of hate reading nonfiction and I don't find it interesting at all, but I adored this book. John Green has such a wonderful voice and his narration and commentary is remarkably addicting. By far, the best book of 2021, and one of the best books I've ever read. There's not much I can say about this book except for that it rendered me virtually speechless—and I have a lot to say. 

Overall, 5/5 stars. Would recommend this book for everyone. 

If you liked this, try:

To Read: Turtles All the Way Down, Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns, An Abundance of Katherines, The Fault in Our Stars, all by John Green. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, On The Road by Jack Keruoac, The Dharma Bums by Jack Keruoac, poetry from the Beat movement (all astute observations of the world around us in a narrative format)

To Watch: Vlogbrothers on YouTube, "Looking for Alaska" on Hulu, Paper Towns (2015), The Fault in Our Stars (2014)

To Listen: The Mountain Goats (band), "You'll Never Walk Alone" (song, any cover of it will do), "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" by Rex Allen (song), Dear Hank and John (podcast), The Anthropocene Reviewed (podcast)

My Fall Recommendations

Disclaimer: I have not read all of these books. Adult books, as implied, are adult books. Adult content may ensue.  

YA = young adult (ages 14-18)

NA = new adult (ages 16-30)

A = adult (16+)

Looking for something cozy to curl up and read by the fire? I recommend On The Road by Jack Kerouac (A), Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (YA), the Harry Potter series (Middle Grade), The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (YA), The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green (A), A Lite Too Bright by Samuel Miller (YA)

Cozy fireside poets include Walt Whitman, Allen Ginsberg, and Charles Bukowski

Looking for something pretentious to brag about reading to your English teacher? I recommend The Secret History by Donna Tartt (A), The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde (A), On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (A), The Iliad by Homer (A) 

Looking for some edgy fantasy to get you through the colder months? I recommend These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong (YA), The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (YA), Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (NA)

Missing summer and want something heartwarming? I recommend Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (YA), Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall (NA), One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (NA), Beach Read by Emily Henry (NA), People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (NA)

You can always follow me on Goodreads (@keiramicks) to see what I'm reading next or what's on my list.