Lex's Book Club Wrap Up: January-March 2021
- Alexa Burban
- Apr 5, 2021
- 7 min read
*Trigger warning: mention of rape*
That’s a wrap on the first quarter of my book club! I hope everyone who read a book or followed along with the books that I chose enjoyed what they read!
I did struggle to keep up with my reading list, but I have good reasoning! I got a full-time contracted position as a Social Media Manager at a small start-up company so that threw me off my reading game. So, unfortunately, I didn’t complete all six books that I had originally planned to read but I did finish five!
While I didn’t absolutely love all of the books I read over the last three months, I did have a lot to say about them.
Historical Romance
My rating: 2.5/5
I believe it should be noted that I watched the series before reading the book and then while reading the book I watched the series… again (I really enjoyed the Duke of Hastings). As a whole, I have some mixed feelings because I initially enjoyed the series but those feelings don’t match the book.
The Duke and I, a love story set in Regency London (1813) follows the relationship between Daphne Bridgerton and the newly appointed Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset. Their relationship begins as a ruse to bring attention from eligible suitors for Daphne, who is looking for a husband. In turn, this will turn attention away from the desirable Simon, who wants nothing to do with marriage or children… ever. Like any friends-to-lovers romance novel, their friendship blossoms into a relationship that is unwanted by Simon, who had vowed to his late father that he would never carry on the Hastings name because of the mistreatment Simon experienced as a boy. Their story together leads to a forced marriage at the consequence of honour and how the pair navigate their relationship and the vows that they made.
I found Daphne and Simon’s relationship lacked chemistry, something that is crucial in a romance novel. Yes, they shared a sense of humour and grew a friendship, however, I felt their relationship lacked a spark - something that was strongly visible in the show. Before touching anything Bridgerton related, I was warned of a rape scene that occurred in both. I understand that this scene was used as a later resolution between Daphne and Simon, however, I don't believe that rape or the topic of rape is ever the answer and by no means should be glorified or romanticized. If the roles were reversed there would've been an uproar of a man taking advantage of a woman. There shouldn't be a double standard. On a positive note - I loved the setting of the story. Regency London or anything London is a dream. I also loved the dynamic of the Bridgerton sibling relationships. I plan to read the rest of the series so I'm hopeful my ratings will only go up from here.
Act Like a Lady: Questionable Advice, Ridiculous Opinions, and Humiliating Tales from Three Undignified Women - Keltie Knight, Jac Vanek, Becca Tobin
Self Help
My rating: 3.5/5
Hosts of the LadyGang podcast, Keltie, Jac, and Becca share their relatable and funny stories as a way to empower and encourage readers to be their own version of a “lady.” Their respective opinions on love, friendship, career, sex, and social media were hilarious, serious, and inspiring.
While I didn’t think I would take away many lessons from a book I thought would just be entertaining, I enjoyed the realness behind each story that was shared and the continued undertone of the book, which encouraged the reader to be true to themself. This book was very on-brand with their podcast so if you’re a fan of the LadyGang podcast, I would highly recommend you read this!
Mystery, Thriller
My rating: 4/5
Jewell’s story follows the lives of three individuals, all of who are pulled to one street in London. Cate Four, mother of two teenagers and wife of Roan, a child physiotherapist. After moving to the street, Cate and Roan still try to navigate their relationship as Cate was certain Roan was cheating on her a year earlier. Across the street lives Owen Pick, a thirty-four-year-old virgin who lives in his aunt’s spare bedroom. Recently suspended from his teaching position at a college on the grounds of sexually and verbally assaulting female students and convinced of his innocence, Owen struggles to find meaning in his life and finds solace in the dark world of incel. Saffyre Maddox, a teenager who spent three years as Roan’s patient for a past trauma that she was never able to get over. After completing therapy with Roan, Saffyre feels abandoned and begins following Roan to feel close to him again. She quickly becomes invested in his life, his many secrets, and his family. On Valentine’s Day, Saffrye disappears and the last person to see her alive was Owen.
Although I wasn’t sitting on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened to Saffyre, I liked how the story jumped between perspectives and each jump would give new insight into each character and their history. Without giving any spoilers, I was happy with the ending and it also left me feeling uneasy as one character didn’t sit well with me the entire book. This was my second Lisa Jewell read and I’m looking forward to reading more of her work and may add one to my book club reading list in the near future!
Autobiography, Memoir
My rating: 5/5
Trevor Noah gets all the stars for this book.
Over the last year, I’ve spent most of my weekday nights with Trevor watching The Daily Show with Trevor Noah which since has unofficially turned into The Daily Social Distancing Show with Trevor Noah when the pandemic started in early 2020. I found solace in Trevor’s ability to accurately and charismatically talk about current events, many of which are serious and hard-hitting but Trevor’s ability to infuse humour in his monologues allows for separation between stress and a chance to laugh. When I shared with my Editor-in-Chief Ankanee that I had been watching Trevor religiously, she urged me to read his autobiography. I’m not a huge fan of non-fiction so I put off reading his book only because I knew it wasn’t something I would normally read. I regret not reading this sooner.
Simply put, Trevor’s autobiography is a love letter to his mother. Trevor begins the book by talking about his relationship and his interactions with his mother and throughout the book we see their relationship evolve and grow as Trevor navigates being a coloured boy in apartheid South Africa. Born to a Black mother and a white father, Trevor understands that he’s different and struggles to fit in when faced with social settings and understands the danger of being seen on his own in public with his white father. From an early age he knew the difference between a white, coloured, and Black church, something that he would go to every Sunday at the insistence of his mother. His mother, a woman full of faith, raises Trevor to be his own person and ensures he has a strong respect for women.
There are so many stories Trevor shares that stuck with me. Of course, a hard-hitting story Trevor included was in the first chapter when his mother shoved him out of a moving vehicle at a young age because their lives were in danger. Or the hilarious story Trevor shares about the sweet peace you feel when you relieve yourself and the one time he took a shit in the kitchen and blamed it on the devil. The final chapter was the most powerful as he recalled a relationship his mother had that nearly cost her her life.
I read the book in Trevor’s voice (something you can do if you download the audiobook) and found myself laughing at various times throughout. I would highly recommend this book to really anyone. You don’t have to be a fan of Trevor or his show to enjoy it!
Contemporary Romance
My rating: 2.5/5
While this book started with a lot of potential, it quickly turned into something where the happily ever after was just a little too perfect.
Two years after tragically losing her fiance, Solan is still mourning her past life and isn’t ready to move on. She’s abruptly met with an abandoned dog, Tucker, who she can’t help but fall for, Tucker moves into her home and Solan starts the search for his owner. After weeks of unanswered messages, Tucker’s owner, Jason, a musician overseas, reaches out and is ready to reclaim his dog. Flirty messages turn into long phone calls and before they know it, there’s a real spark between the two. But with Jason’s upcoming tour and Solan’s hesitancy to move on from her fiance, their relationship is already set up to fail before it even started.
I thought the chemistry between Solan and Jason was there in the beginning however I found they were too in love with one another too quickly. Something that did throw me off was the storyline of Jason actually being one of Solan’s favourite musical artists but she didn’t recognize him in the photos she saw of him online. As someone who would use the same words Solan used to describe herself as a fan of her favourite musical artist, I didn’t buy this one bit. The ending was a little bit too perfect and a little unrealistic for my liking.
I’m going to make my reading list a little shorter for the next quarter just so I actually finish the list this month! I’ve asked a few of my friends for book recommendations for the next quarter and am so excited to dive into these books over the next few months!
Here are the titles for the April-June reading list:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid - Historical Fiction
Second First Impressions - Sally Thorne - Contemporary Romance
Whisper Network - Chandler Baker - Mystery, Thriller
White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind - Koa Beck - Non-fiction, Social Justice
The next Book Club Wrap Up will be published the first week of June!
If you choose to read along, please connect with me on Goodreads and Instagram as I share my journey trying to complete my 2021 reading goal!
xx Lex
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