‘Love, Simon’ (Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda) Movie Review

Movie poster via IMDb.

I had a night alone and didn’t think this movie was high on my husband’s ‘to-watch’ list. He’s been trying to cram in all the Marvel movies he missed before seeing Endgame. So I figured I’d watch this one alone and I really enjoyed it! I’m so glad I saw it rather soon after finishing the book because so much was fresh in my mind.

Things I Thought Were Awesome

Martin. I had a lot of trouble picturing this character as I read the book. He seemed to fit in, but not be accepted anywhere and I had an issue figuring out who this person was and how he fit into the story. I thought the portrayal by Logan Miller was great and let me get a much better idea of Martin and who he was.

Realistic High School. This is the same compliment I gave the book. High school life tends to look very glamorous in a lot of movies, with actors in their late 20s pretending to be teenagers. I felt this film did a good job of keeping the image realistic and it felt like the high school I attended and that I’ve heard about from others.

Changes That Didn’t Really Bother Me

Less focus on parents. There was a bit focus on Simon’s parents in the book. They’re very relaxed and informal with Simon to the point that it bothers him, but he loves them fiercely. I know the movie didn’t have time to get into this relationship, but it was something in the book I really enjoyed. I don’t think teenagers and adults get along in books as often as they do in real life.

Cover image via Goodreads

Things That Were Taken Out and I’m Still Wondering Why

Alice and the sister relationship. Simon’s older sister, Alice, was going through changes at the same time he was and I think it made it easier for him to tell his parents he was changing, too. Taking Alice out for the movie made sense, though. I did miss how close Simon was with Alice and Nora. The Nora in the movie wasn’t as prominent as the one in the book and I thought her support of Simon when Martin posted on Tumblr seem odd. In the book, it made a lot of sense because she and Simon were so close.

Cal. Simon built Cal up in his mind a lot in the book, thinking that he was Blue and developing a crush on Cal separate from his crush on Blue. I felt that Simon’s desire for Blue to be Cal was part of what pushed the real Blue away. He felt rejected because Simon was physically attracted to someone so different from himself. Simon had never once guessed the right identity for Blue, even though in the movie he did. I thought this made the reveal a little less surprising and a bit more of a letdown.

Things That Changed Too Much

Leah. Leah’s character was so different! I didn’t like her much in the book and I could have liked her in the movie if I wasn’t so mad about her being different! Changing her crush from Nick to Simon was too clean. The fact that she liked Nick when Nick liked Abby was part of the complication in the book that made it interesting. Add on to that she was a lot more social and likable and upbeat, and it’s a different character. I wish they’d gone with the original Leah and not forced Leah and Nick on a date. It was too weird.

I can see why this did so well at the theater. It’s a great love story and a very realistic depiction of high school and the social perils involved. Reader, have you seen the movie for Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda / Love, Simon? What did you think?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

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Challenge Update, April 2019

Who would have guessed Half Ironman training is so good for reading time? Not as good as last month, I concede, but still awesome. I’m OK being a bit behind on reviews because I’m not struggling for things to blog about lately. You can look at my progress at any time on my challenge page.

Books finished in April:

News of the World // Paulette Jiles (4/5)
Daughter of Smoke & Bone // Laini Taylor (4/5)
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda // Becky Albertalli (5/5)
Midwives // Chris Bohjalian (5/5)
The Power // Naomi Alderman (3/5)

I’m loving this so much. I’ve got a few more cooking but I’ve got time to get to them. I’m just glad to have gotten through one physical book this month. I think that’s where I’ll continue to be slow. My audiobook game is killing it.

When Are You Reading? Challenge

7/12
Killing it so far! Two time periods knocked out this month. News of the World is set in the 1870s which knocked out 1800-1899. And then The Power is set in the future, knocking that one out. Yay for book club picks! Maybe they’ll help fill in some of the other time periods and I won’t have to worry about this challenge at all. Or maybe that’s wishful thinking.

Goodreads Challenge

23/52
I’m still flying through these books and I’m seven ahead of schedule now. I don’t know if I’ll keep this up since I started a long audiobook lately and training will end in July. I’ll have to find another way to read more than is normal and keep this going because it feels really good.

Book of the Month

This seems to be an easy pick every month. This month the easy winner is Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. My review went up Monday if you want to hear more about how much I adored this amazing book and why everyone should read it. I think I’ll watch the movie tonight…

Added to my TBR

72! I’m still taking it down, even if it’s just a bit at a time. I’ll get to a manageable number, I’m sure, but I’ll keep adding to the list so it may take a while.

• Viola in Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani. I heard Trigiani speak a few weeks ago and when I found out she had a YA title, I had to snatch it up. I hope it doesn’t take me forever to read this one. I need a happy YA title from time to time.
• Exit West by Mohsin Hamid. The book club has spoken and this one is coming up soon! I hope the hype was worth it and I enjoy this one.

Personal Challenge

I’m gearing up again to track personal goals here. This is a great way to keep me accountable and to tell you about me outside the wide world of books.

• Finish 70.3 Half Ironman: I thought I’d be able to ride outside in April but I’m still out of luck. Rain and (believe it or not) snow have kept me on the trainer. Maybe I’ll have one good weekend before July?
• Attend six weddings: On pace. I have hotels booked for all except one and I don’t have an invitation for that one yet. So things are looking good!
• Finish a weather blanket: I’m caught up through mid-April so I’ll say I’m on pace for this. I tend to let myself fall behind before catching up on this so I can binge-knit while I binge-watch TV. They go well together.
• Write: Going wonderfully! I’m actually close to querying. I KNOW! I never thought I’d be here but I am and it feels wonderful.
• See my friends more: I didn’t do so great with this one this month. I have a lot going on in May so April ended up being a lot of focus on me. I have some friends who got face time, but it was their asking, not mine. May already demands some travel and friend time so I think I’ll do better next month.

How are your challenges going so far? I hope you’re off to a good start If you love historical fiction, give some thought to my challenge for 2019, it’s fun!

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

WWW Wednesday, 1-May-2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community. 

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Currently reading: I’ve had to work through lunch a lot the past few weeks so I haven’t made much progress on Becoming Madame Mao by Anchee Min. Partially, it’s because I’m not super interested, but it’s mostly because of time. I hope work slows down and I can get back to it soon.
I’m still moving forward with Hawkes Harbor by S.E. Hinton. I hoped to be done with it by now, but it’s not gripping me. I actually dislike it so far, but I’m hoping things turn around a bit and finish on a better note than they’ve started. I’ll be really disappointed otherwise.
I’ll finish The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing by Mira Jacob by next week. This one has been enjoyable and I like the back-and-forth timeline it’s using to build suspense. And I keep thinking about the title and all of the things it can mean for the book. I wonder what I’ll finally decide on when I’m done.
As predicted, A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin will be a long haul. I’m on disk four of 36 so I feel like it’s going pretty well. We’ll see if I can keep this pace up for a few weeks and actually finish before it’s due back at the library. I might have to beg for a long renewal.

Recently finished: Nothing new this week, unfortunately. I’m OK with this because I’ve been so far behind on reviews and I finally get a chance to catch up! I think there will be two here next week, though.

I’ve knocked out one more review this week, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. I absolutely adored this book and I wish I could imitate Simon’s voice. Albertalli is so talented. I gave it Five out of Five Stars.

Reading Next: I’m leaving for a trip tonight and I’m taking Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi with me. I hope to start reading it while I’m gone and on the plane home at the latest.
I’ll need a new eaudiobook soon as well and I’ll be picking up our next book club selection, Exit West by Mohsin Hamid. I’ve only heard good things about this one so I’m excited to dive in soon and see what all the fuss is about.

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Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Book Review: Simon vs. the Homo Sapien’s Agenda by Becky Albertalli (5/5)

I put off reading this book for FAR too long. I knew about it, knew it was well reviewed and knew about the movie and the hit that it was. But I kept putting it off! I feel like I have to apologize to the book for this. I could have been telling other people to read it well before now and I wasn’t. I’ll always have that on my heart. Sigh.

Cover image via Goodreads

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Summary from Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

I just adored this book. Loved it. The dialogue was my favorite part. It sounded very natural and reminded me vividly of being in high school. Albertalli nailed the sarcasm and discomfort of being a teenager and now knowing who you are. I adored it. I envied it, even. It was brilliant.

The characters were spot on and I loved it. Leah’s anger at being left out, Nick’s obsession with playing his guitar and girls obsession with Nick playing guitar was spot on. I really adored Simon’s relationship with his older sister, Alice. I thought it was really realistic how they changed when she moved away, but how much they still loved each other. It reminded me of when I left for college and how my relationship with my brother has never been the same. Everything about these characters enchanted me. It was great.

Abbey ended up being one of my favorite characters. And as much as I liked her, I saw why Leah disliked her and I think that made her more real to me. Not everyone is infinitely likable. I liked that she did sports and drama and was a real friend. I understood why Martin liked her and why Nick did. And I understood why Simon opened up to her. It was a nice touch having a character who was new to school and I liked the dimension she added to the story.

Simon was so easy to relate to. While I didn’t have to come out as gay in high school, I still felt like I had to hide part of who I was and I think most high school students feel the same way. You hide who you have a crush on or things you enjoy or what you do outside of school, anything that you fear may make you ‘uncool’ or your friends doubt you. It’s not always something as big as sexuality, but his struggle is universal to growing up.

Becky Albertalli
Image via Atlanta Magazine

I loved the emails back and forth with Blue. The flirting was adorable and I blushed at it constantly. I remember flirting over AIM and texts so it gave me flashbacks. I was sad when Blue stopped emailing back, though he had very valid reasons. It was a really sweet way for them to grow their romance and I had a blast guessing who Blue was. For the record, he dropped a really major hint that I picked up on and I TOTALLY got it right. Win.

I thought the talent show was really anti-climactic. It resolved the sibling’s plotline a bit, but not really for me. It just felt like a little too much and a weak excuse to get Simon’s parents out of the house for a bit. I think something else could have been used to keep that complication out of the plot.

My audiobook was narrated by Michael Crouch. He was absolutely amazing and I adored him. He read with the right amount of teenage angst to be authentic without being trying. He nailed Simon’s voice and those of his friends and family. It was the kind of performance that would make me seek out other narrations he’s done.

Simon is rightly scared to be open about his sexuality. When he is, he’s mocked and people say and do hurtful things. But his friends and family don’t. They love him and support him and fight for him. What I got from this book is that we have a right to be scared of things that could hurt us. But we will also be supported by our friends and family when we are scared and it will all be OK in the end.

Writer’s Takeaway: The dialogue here was just amazing. I can’t say enough good things about Albertalli’s insight into the teenage mind. It honestly made me doubt my own writing and that it’s any good. I worry that I don’t remember what it’s like to be a teenager as well as other writers do so maybe my writing for them will be irrelevant. It’s always good when a book is so great it makes you doubt your own writing, right?

This book blew me away and I adored it. Five out of Five Stars.

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Related Posts:
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (SPOILER FREE) | Sid’s Take On Books
Book Review: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli | Udayology
Review: Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli | Let the Pages Reign

WWW Wednesday, 24-April-2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community. 

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Currently reading: I’m still moving forward with Becoming Madame Mao by Anchee Min but it’s starting to drag. It feels like nothing has happened in a while and I’m starting to get a little bored of this one. I hope something major happens soon, it feels like it’s due.
I’ve made decent progress on Hawkes Harbor by S.E. Hinton despite being so busy the past week. I try to read a chapter before bed each night, but I keep falling asleep too quickly to finish. I think I can have this one finished next week, though.
I started The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing by Mira Jacob over the weekend. I’m having flashbacks to Lahiri’s The Lowland so far but I’m not sure if it will continue that way. It’s just something about brothers fighting in India that’s got me comparing them.
I started the long journey that is A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin. This monster is 36 disks long and I’m on disk 3. And I’m happy with that. It will be on here a while longer, I’m sure. This is going to be fun.

Recently finished: I finished Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli and absolutely loved it. I can’t wait to see the movie as soon as I find a copy. I adored Simon’s voice and I’m not sure how that will translate to film, but I can’t wait to see them try.
I finished The Power by Naomi Alderman over the weekend. I’m still feeling out how I feel about this book. I liked the idea and how it played out, but I’m not sure how I felt about the characters. Sometimes, it was just a little too much for me.

I’ve got two book reviews posted as well. The first was my review of Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor. I’m still vacillating about reading the rest of the series. I have an opinion poll on the review page so please check that out.
I also posted my review of News of the World by Paulette Jiles. My book club will be meeting next Monday to discuss this so I’m glad I was able to review it before then. I’ve been falling so far behind that’s become a problem.

Reading Next: I’ll read Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi as my next physical book. It’s been sitting on my shelf for so long. I’m glad to finally get it off.

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Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

WWW Wednesday, 17-April-2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community. 

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Currently reading: It’s still steady-going with Becoming Madame Mao by Anchee Min. It’s not engrossing me as much as I would like and I keep waiting to be swept into it, but I’m almost halfway through and it’s not happening. I’ll keep pressing forward!
I’m obsessed with Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. Simon’s voice is so perfect, I’m loving it. Honestly, it’s making me feel like my YA novel is never going to get published if this is the standard I have to stand up to. I’m finding excuses to drive around so I can listen to this.
I’m getting toward the end of The Power by Naomi Alderman and finally starting to see where it’s going. There are jumps forward and backward in time and they slowly merge into a big event. I’m getting close to it now. I think it’s safe to say this one will be finished next week.
I started reading Hawkes Harbor by S.E. Hinton. Hinton is the author of one of my all-time favorite books, The Outsiders so I’m excited to pick up something new by her. This one is relatively short so I hope it doesn’t stay on this list very long.

Recently finished: I’m happy to say I finished Midwives by Chris Bohjalian. This one had me staying up late to read just a few more pages each night and I think I frustrated my husband by keeping the light on later and later. There’s a movie of this one and I can’t wait to see it. What a complicated issue Bohjalian created. I think it will play out well on screen.

I was able to post one review this week, Dodgers by Bill Beverly. My book club met this past week to discuss it as well so I’ll have another post about this one coming up soon. I enjoyed the book but the discussion actually brought up a few issues I hadn’t thought of before so I’m really glad for this group of people who have challenged me to think more about books.

Reading Next: I still plan to pick up Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi as a physical book, I’ve just pushed it back one. I’ll get to this when Hawkes Harbor is done.
My next eaudiobook will be The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing by Mira Jacob. This book was hyped a lot a few years ago and I haven’t heard much about it since but it’s lingered on my TBR all the same.
I think it may finally be time. I tend to listen to ‘bad summer books’ in the summer. I’m going to start on A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin. This will be a long endeavor to be sure, but I’m ready for it. I’ll be caught up to my husband finally. And it will be good to be catching up on the books as the show ends.

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Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

WWW Wednesday, 10-April-2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community. 

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Currently reading: It’s still steady-going with Becoming Madame Mao by Anchee Min. I only had two lunches last week to read and this week isn’t looking better. I’ll keep making my way through, though. No rush on this one.
I’m really enjoying Midwives by Chris Bohjalian. I squeezed a little extra reading time this weekend even though I couldn’t afford it. I hope to finish this one soon and not have it linger on this list for more than one more week.
I got my hold on Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli and was finally able to start it! I hope I have some long drives to get through this one quickly because I’ve been waiting for it forever!
I started reading The Power by Naomi Alderman on Sunday. Not too far into this one yet. I’m excited to stay one step ahead of my book club, though! We didn’t get our copies of this until Monday. Staying ahead is letting me focus on books I want to read, not just those for groups.

Recently finished: I was able to finish up News of the World by Paulette Jiles which was a lovely little book. I hope I remember it well enough for our next meeting because it seems so far away. I’ll get around to a review at some point. I feel so behind in reviews that it could be a week or two before I finally get to it! Better this than struggling for content, though.
I finished Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor Sunday morning. I enjoyed the story but it’s clear this is the first of a series. It was very unfinished and I was a bit disappointed. I hoped there was something more I would get before the book ended, but it was a set-up for the next books. I’m still debating if I’ll finish the series.

I posted two reviews this week. The first was for Thunderstruck by Erik Larson. Not a favorite read, but a solid one. I enjoy Larson’s style but this topic didn’t grab me as much as earlier ones have. I’ll have to try again soon. I gave the book Three out of Five Stars.
I also reviewed Wonder by R.J. Palacio. This book was a joy for me and I hope I can see the movie soon and experience it all over again! I gave the book Four out of Five Stars.

Reading Next: I’ll grab another book off of my shelves next. I’m feeling great about getting through so many! Next up is Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi. I added a number of concentration camp memoirs to my TBR after listening to Anne Frank’s diary a few years ago. This one was a little harder to come by but I have a copy and I look forward to reading it!

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Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

WWW Wednesday, 3-April-2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community. 

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Currently reading: I made a little headway with Becoming Madame Mao by Anchee Min but not much. I’ll be on this for a while, to be sure. I’m still getting used to the style, how it switches from first-person to third-person. I’m not sure I like it yet.
I’ve gotten to halfway through Midwives by Chris Bohjalian. I haven’t been reading as much before bed because I’m making sleep a priority and getting to bed earlier. It’s been great, but it is eating into reading a smidge.
I’m really liking Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor on audio. It’s getting really interesting and keeping me listening as long as possible through each workout. I might be on to a series I’ll finally finish!
Since  News of the World by Paulette Jiles is so short, I’m making great progress with it. I should have this one wrapped up later this week at the latest!

Recently finished: I knew it was coming so no big surprise here: nothing new finished this week. I killed it in March so I’m not surprised with a small slow down. Though I do expect more books finished next week! Also no reviews this week. I’ll be back at them next week so don’t worry!

Reading Next: I’m still waiting for Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. I’m getting anxious since I’ll be ready to start it very soon. I’ve got my fingers crossed it comes in this week!

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Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

WWW Wednesday, 27-March-2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community. 

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Currently reading: It’s been slow going with Becoming Madame Mao by Anchee Min because of a crazy work schedule. I hope to read a bit more of it during my lunch breaks this week, but I’m not planning on it. I work through ebooks slowly and this seems destined to that fate.
I’m making decent progress with Midwives by Chris Bohjalian before I go to bed at night. Though I suspect this book is increasing my anxiety because it seems impossible that someone is put on trial for doing their job and questioned so much!
I needed a new e-audiobook faster than expected and I picked up Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor. There were some issues borrowing from the library so it took a bit longer than I hoped before I could start this one, but all is good and I’m going strong! Maybe I’ll finish this one as fast as I’ve finished my last few audiobooks.
I started a new audiobook in my car while I wait on my library hold. This is my next book club selection, News of the World by Paulette Jiles. It’s a nice short one so I’m optimistic that I’ll wrap it up quickly!

Recently finished: I wrapped up Wonder by R.J. Palacio on Saturday and adored the ending! I have some minor quibbles about the style, but the story and premise were wonderful. I’ll be reviewing this in the next couple weeks (because I’m so backlogged on reviews!) and I’m giving it Four out of Five Stars.
I absolutely flew through Dodgers by Bill Beverly. The story grabbed me and made me think about race relations more than I thought it would. East was a great voice to tell this story. This should be a great discussion point for my book club when we meet in April.

Two book reviews to share as well! The first is Origin by Dan Brown. This was a fun read for me and I’m glad I’m caught up on Robert Langdon’s adventures. I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of the professor and I’ll be ready for the next one when it comes. I gave the book Four out of Five Stars.
I also reviewed This Is a Book by Demetri Martin. This was a little harder to review just because there wasn’t much of a plot to this collection of comedic stories. I liked it, though, and it had my husband giving me weird looks as I laughed out loud in bed. I gave the book Three out of Five Stars.

Reading Next: I’m still waiting for Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli to come in at the library. I’m hoping it’s soon but not too soon so I can finish my other audiobook first.

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Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

WWW Wednesday, 20-March-2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community. 

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Currently reading: I’ve been really enjoying Wonder by R.J. Palacio. The way the plot is told is really engaging and I like how each character reveals a bit more about the plot. It’s making me want to drive around just to listen more.
I began a new ebook and decided on Becoming Madame Mao by Anchee Min. This was one that was recommended by my page-a-day book calendar in 2013. I’m still working that calendar off. Maybe once every ten years will be good for another one.
My book club’s next pick is Dodgers by Bill Beverly and I’ve grabbed it on audio. I don’t know anything about it, really, I’m just going in blind like I normally do. I’m so early into this one that I’m not ready to form an opinion yet. More to come.
I’m making a great effort to tear down my TBR mountain and I’ve started another one from the list, Midwives by Chris Bohjalian. I’ve been reading Bohjalian for a few years now and my copy of this one is actually autographed. I’m keeping my fingers crossed but I’ve got a feeling this break-out hit will be a win with me.

Recently finished: I finally finished Origin by Dan Brown while I was waiting for my computer to update on Friday. I didn’t realize how close I was to finishing it. I’m glad to be caught up on the series and I’m excited to see what else comes next from Langdon. I’m sure there’s more to tell. I gave the book Four out of Five stars. A review will be up next week.
I was able to finish This Is a Book by Demetri Martin quickly. It was a fun book of essays, drawings, and lists. Not much substance to it but fun all the same. I gave it Three out of Five stars.
I think I’ll have finished Thunderstruck by Erik Larson by next week. I’m getting through it pretty quick with my long bike rides. It’s not my favorite thing to listen to while riding because it’s so technical, but I can tell the plots are about to intersect and I’m excited to see how.

And so many reviews as well! I was first able to review Books for Living by Will Schwalbe. This one was really touching and a great book for book lovers. The post went up last Thursday, please go check it out.
I also reviewed The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton. This was a surprise winner for me and I’m so glad I finally gave it time. I wish I’d gotten to it earlier. Four out of Five Stars.
I also wrote a review yesterday for Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys. Yes, that is a review every day since my last WWW Wednesday! I’ve had so many good books to review. This book blew me away and I think I may soon have a new favorite YA author. I gave the book Five out of Five stars, changing my rating when I started reviewing it and realized I had nothing bad to say about it.

Reading Next: I’ll need a new car audiobook soon and the next up is one I’m very excited about, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. I’ve been wanting to read this one for a while and I’m getting giddy about starting it soon.

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Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!