Pod Sibs Book Club . Get A Life, Chloe Brown (February 2021)

 Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert 

I’ve been MIA on the book club for a year now since reality is happening and book is not working on distracting me so I stopped reading books. 

This year was a little bit better than the past months so I decided to get back reading and this hobby shouldn’t be stopped for a long period of time again. I checked what was the book that was on the past list from the club and somehow I decided to read this book from last February 2021. 

I gave this 2 stars on good reads although I also like this kind of genre on books it’s just not a good book to read if you are a first time reader or in my case, a returnee.

On the another universe, this can be an adventure and a love story but as far as I can remember there are probably 3 or 4 that checked on her list when she meant “getting a life”. Her condition was exceptional but sometimes it tend not to be bother on some situations and really just camping? Camping was the only far most adventure she got. Getting a life is more than what was just written or maybe that was already an adventure to some. Though in books, the world unpredictable and anything can happen and there are a lot more that what happened in the book. I didn’t expect anything but somehow I wish I was surprised on the latter. 

It was also somehow became, get a sex life, chloe brown. 

To be honest, I was also flipping a lot of pages just because I don’t find it entertaining. 

I think I didn’t highlight anything on this book, oh wait there is one. 

“As long as you cried, you’ll be okay” - Red | Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Pod Sibs Book Club . And Then There Were None (March 2020)

I really plan to read this on the second half of March but due to the lockdown / quarantine, I was eaten up by by anxiety and never read a book for the rest of the month. I did watched a couple of TV series then spent the rest of the month comforting a friend and freaking out inside on what might happen next. March ended and wasn't able to read any book. 

Still trying my best even not participating on the book club discussion by committing on reading the book for the past month before moving to the next one. 

Mystery is not my genre on books but I love watching crime series but it is different on books because I usually read at night or when waiting in line or when I'm alone so there will be no distraction. Imagine reading this before sleeping, I know not the right thing to do. 

When I'm 30% into it, I can't stop flipping the pages to be honest. 

Then due to the quarantine and social distancing, there is now a line before going inside the grocery store and I'm so hyped that I will still be able to read while waiting, I read 20% of it. Not bad.

I also just need to stop before the last chapter just because I was so hyped up on what will be the ending of it.

Will I recommend it? Yes. 

This is my review on good reads;

Mystery is not my genre of book but I love crime shows. Its hard to figure out the start of it but I get the hang of it. Read a little bit of spoiler just to make me interested on finishing it but then I questioned the spoiler that I read, dismissed the idea and go on. I had to stop before the last chapter just to think about it but go on. I was convinced that it end with Vera but then, a manuscript on who knows how long before someone found it.

~ 

“Ten little Indian boys went out to dine;

One choked his little self and then there were nine.

Nine little Indian boys sat up very late;

One overslept himself and then there were eight.

Eight little Indian boys traveling in Devon;

One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.

Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks;

One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.

Six little Indian boys playing with a hive;

A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.

Five little Indian boys going in for law;”

“One got in Chancery and then there were four.

Four little Indian boys going out to sea;

A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.

Three little Indian boys walking in the Zoo;

A big bear hugged one and then there were two.

Two little Indian boys sitting in the sun;

One got frizzled up and then there was one.

One little Indian boy left all alone;

He went and hanged himself and then there were none.”

And Then There Were None | Agatha  Christie

Pod Sibs Book Club . It Ends With Us (Feb 2020)

What a roller coster ride. Another book by Colleen Hoover after years and this is one is like greeting and saying "Welcome back!".

I'll start to let myself catch up on the years that I've missed that in fact I may read another book after typing this one.

I somehow let go of reading such genre because I think it was too much for me. Too much feels. I feel like I was being trap on such fantasy that I’m looking for it on reality as well which in fact I know will never be the same as the story on the book. After reading this book, I’m thinking of going back on this kind of genre and maybe read another genre in between so I will not be trap in fantasy. 

Going back to the book, this is not a love story. Oh wait, it is a love story. 

Being abusive doesn't just take effect physically, it's also emotionally and mentally. One way or another there is much worst than the other but abuse is something that we shouldn’t be tolerating at the first place. 

Just when I was started reading this on the first chapter or just on the first paragraph, oh no I'm so in it and I already know that deep down that I can totally relate to this. Relate not in abusive way but somehow tolerating some cycle. Good thing for others that there’s an option to get out but imagine when some doesn’t have that option. 

There's so many lines that I highlighted and I'm not sure what to do with those! lol 

Also that ending !!! I’m not so surprised but I’m happy that Lily made the right decision. Sometimes it just requires a lot of courage to make huge life decisions. 

There's too much that can be said on this but I'm keeping it on myself before I spill more spoilers.

One of the best from Colleen really but all of her book are the best. 

“Naked truths aren’t always pretty”

It Ends With Us | Colleen Hoover

Pod Sibs Book Club . Girl, Stop Apologizing (Jan 2020)

This book is honestly a hard read for me. Don’t get me wrong it is really an easy one but took me 2 weeks to read this book. I’m not sure if I’m still having trauma with “The Stand” or I’m just really lazy for this. 

For real, this is an easy read. 

Why did I say that this was a hard one? Well if you have you’re own beliefs and somehow being just too realistic in life or just analyzing my own if I’m doing this life decisions right or because it’s just hitting the right places, it’s a hard read. (Didn’t make sense. I know). 

I like and rate this book 5 stars on good reads. 

I’m somehow already practicing on my own some things that was written or mentioned but also got some additional tricks on how to play the cards while I was reading this. 

Somehow makes me question some life-decisions that I made. 

Also this was the first book that I read with this kind of genre. Maybe the closest one that I read to this was “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne (not really read but I watched/listened the video of it). 

It was also hard because we are not on the same path and somehow hard to maneuver the lesson and apply it on your own situation. Maybe on mine, it’s just hard to apply it on a daily basis though as I analyze just my own self, I also assured myself that It can be still useful on some aspect. 

If you are being lost on track and need some motivation, this is a good read. For the past days that I’ve been reading this, I somehow needed to be reminded about some contents on this book. Somehow we forget the important lesson or strategy in this life and a little reminder and add-ons are very important for us to be back on track. 

This is a good read, really and an easy one. 

Be always reminded that everything is a process. 

“There are a hundred ways to learn to swim and one very easy way to drown, and that is by being unwilling to admit you’re drowning in the first place.”

Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals

Rachel Hollis

Pod Sibs Book Club . A Man Called Ove (Dec 2019)

First thing first, there are so many quotable quotes in this book. 

I love this book. A perfect breather coming from The Stand (lol) but I took a very long break after The Stand that I wasn't able to join the discussion for this book. I spend time catching up on some series and it was a good break. 

When I decided to switch reading on digital than an actual book, I think this was the first book digitally that I got a lot of highlighted lines. 

Pre-digital era, I write quotes on a notebook but now, highlight is the key. 

I didn't really expect so much on this book as long as it is not as long as The Stand.

My favorite scene will be all of the events that prevented him from doing it. Sonja is happy about that too. 

I tried to watch the movie adaptation after but I know that I will just rant on how it is different from the book but I did watch a few scene and movies really ruin my imagination.

Btw, I'm a little bit of an Ove and Sonja. I can't be just Ove or a Sonja. 

"He was a man of black and white.

And she was color. All the color he had"

A Man Called Ove - Fredrik Backman

Pod Sibs Book Club . The Stand (Oct & Nov 2019)

This is for the month of October and it feels like forever before finishing this that I'm not sure if anyone will be done before this month ends I hope we do, really.

If I will not be able to finish this for this month, I will make sure that I will still read this until the last page.

I'm currently on Chapter 34 and still a long way to go but this book was so detailed, on the introduction part it was said that pages has been deleted on this revision but I think that it can still be more than that. I get it on what Stephen King wants to make people understand but sometimes its just too much that I personally having problems on who is who because the characters are too much.

This is my first Stephen King book and I know now why people like him as well as the TV or movie adaptation but still books over movies!

One thing is for sure this book reminds me of the The Walking Dead and Fear The Walking Dead less the zombie and I may or may not know what will be the ending on this, but lets see on how it will happen.

"Hurt's a reason to change, but all the hurt in the world don't change facts."

The Stand - Stephen King

Pod Sibs Book Club . Where The Crawdads Sing (Sept 2019)

I was hesitant to read this. I don’t know why maybe the cover? Because before there are just certain genre that I read. 

I usually read something about a book before deciding on reading it but I didn’t look up anything about this book until I finished it. I’m glad I did. 

Though I’m so open on reading any book when I decided to go back on reading. 

This book was so detailed but it fails to elaborate a certain situation but as a reader it will make you think on why this and that. Maybe some things are really better unsaid than had billions of people will question your decision and you have to make them understand on why. 

I was surprised with this but I’m also left a quiet hanging situation. I’m a bit fan of open-ended ending but why. Lol

The first part was also a bit boring but once you read into the mid chapter you will keep on flipping the pages. 

This will also be adapted to a movie soon. I hope it will be good. 

“Time is no more fixed than the stars. Time speeds and bends around planets and suns, is different in the mountains than in the valleys, and is part of the same fabric as space, which curves and swells as does the sea.”

Pod Sibs Book Club . The Hate You Give (Aug 2019)

This was a very easy to read coming from a very long hiatus. It was very light but its all about the black community in the US and the reality of it. 

Racism it is. 

It's very light to read and intense sometimes. 

I decided to watch the movie adaptation after and it was a bad decision. Books over movies, always. 

This book is also a representation of living in a small community / town and some pros and cons of it. 

This makes me miss my dad and the family set up that I grew in. 

Even one character was missing in the movie, I will put the trailer here for people who doesn’t enjoy reading and can waste 2 hours watching it. It was a good movie but not when you read the book. 

The Hate U Give Little Infants Fuck Everybody 

Books

I stopped reading books years ago. For some personal reasons and I was planning to go back to reading this year but movies and series are winning over. 

I’ve been listening to Wake Up With Jim and Saab for a year now and on one episode Jim mentioned the Intelligent People group chat on Telegram then the link was posted on Facebook. I downloaded the Telegram app and been there for 2 or 3 months now. Aside from that group they created a group for gamers and another for a book club. 

I can’t promise to join every end of the month discussion on video conference but I tried to join the reading program. 

We are done with 2 books now and I haven’t join the discussion I wish they can agree on discussing it on chat but that’s not appropriate for “discussion”. 

I’m bringing back my book post even I don’t have a lot of it from the past. My next post will be about the two books that was done already and I’m proud to say that I finished that within the time frame of the month. 

I’m happy and proud of myself that I’m slowly getting back to reading and discovered that over the years that I’m not paying attention to books, there were too much that I want to give a try. 

Even I was hesitant to join, Yay for book clubs but sorry if I can’t join the discussion. Sometimes its just the busy reality that’s getting in the way. 

I’m not an expert on reviews, don't expect too much.