May Wrap Up

I did not do a lot of reading done in May. I had emergency surgery at the end of April and I was off work and I could not concentrate enough to read. I hope to read a lot more in June.

The List
On the Pleasure of Hating by William Hazlitt (The Life of a Book Addict list)
The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler (for review/ebook)
Weightless by Sarah Bannan (for review/ebook)
The Unfortunates: A Novel by Sophie McManus (for review/ebook)
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (big book/TBR forever/ book club book)

Books I Own: 6
E-Book: 1
Audiobook: 3
Borrowed: 5
Total: 11

Oxygen by Carol Cassella
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters 
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling 
The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins 
The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
The Unfortunates: A Novel by Sophie McManus 
The Sculptor by Scott McCloud 
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater 
Redeployment by Phil Klay
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Where We Belong by Emily Giffin

June TBR

May was a flop for reading for me which I cover in my May wrap up. I hope that June is a better reading month for me than May was. 

The List
The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler (for review/ebook)
Weightless by Sarah Bannan (for review/ebook)
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (big book/TBR forever/ book club book)
Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin (Life of a Book Addict)

Review of The Unfortunates by Sophie McManus

Title: The Unfortunates
Author: Sophie McManus
Series:  Standalone
Source: From the publisher for review
Release Date: June 2 2015
Rating: 2/5









Goodreads Summary:
Cecilia Somner’s fate hangs in the balance. A larger-than-life heiress to a robber baron’s fortune, once known for her cruel wit as much as for her tremendous generosity, CeCe is now in opulent decline. Afflicted with a rare disease and touched by mortality for the first time, her gilded, bygone values collide with an unforgiving present. Along with her troubled son, George, and his outsider wife, Iris, CeCe must face the Somners’ dark legacy and the corrupting nature of wealth. As the Somner family struggles to find a solution to its troubles, the secrets and lies between CeCe, George, and Iris grow entangled. CeCe’s world topples, culminating in a crime as unforgettable as it is unexpected.

I am really not sure what direction this book was trying to go in. It starts off really slow and I was not quite sure the story was trying to tell me and I don't really know what genre this is suppose to be or trying to be. 

The characters are not likeable and I have never met anyone like George before and I really hope I never do. George is a terrible person. His mother always bails him out of everything and he says he loves his wife Iris but I don't think he truly understands love. The way he treats Iris is terrible. CeCe is George's mother  and one of the narrator's of the story and she is suffering from a disease similar to Parkinson's disease and she is very old fashion and does not want people to know she is sick. Iris is George's wife and she comes from a completely different background from George. There was a lot of minor characters who appear and disappear from the story. 

We start the story with finding out CeCe will be heading to a trial drug program away from home. She starts to change slowly and gets a new perspective on her life and on her son, George. CeCe is not a fan of iris, even though Iris has never done anything to CeCe besides not being from old money. Iris learns some of the truth about George when his mom is no longer there to bail him out. She sees a whole new side of him, but she still allows him to treat her terribly as she attempts to shelter him from what he's done while also trying to keep her personal and work life together,  The story is a little sporadic and it jumps all over the place. 

Overall I was not a fan of this novel. I had a really hard time getting into the story and I felt the characters were not realistic, however I do assume that there are characters who act like George and CeCe, but I have not met them and I do not know anyone who has.  I'm glad I checked this out as it is her first novel, but I just did not connect to the story.

Stacking the Shelves

Borrowed from the Library
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige
Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein
Empire of Night by Kelley Armstrong 
Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman 
Solitaire by Alice Oseman 
Sculptor by Scott McCloud 

Borrowed from a Friend
Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire 
Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire
Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire 

What did you get in your mailbox?

Spring Unhauling

I was off sick so when I started to feel a little better I did a little spring cleaning. I got rid of a ton of books and my husband took care of cleaning out most of our kitchen cupboards.

Here is what I am unhauling: 

Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts
Rage Within by Jeyn Roberts
The Future of Us by Jay Asher 
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga 
Rot and Run by Jonathan Maberry 
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto 
The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
The Lives We Lost by Megan Crewe
Angelfall by Courtney Allison Moulton
Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho
Eona by Alison Goodman
Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter 
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter 
Glimmerglass by Jenna Black
Beautiful  Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl 
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles 
Plague by Michael Grant 
Hunger by Michael Grant 
Lies by Michael Grant 
It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini 
If We Kiss by Rachel Veil 
The Awakening (The Vampire Diaries, #1) by L. J. Smith 
The Struggle (The Vampire Diaries, #2) by L. J. Smith 
The Fury (The Vampire Diaries, #3) by L. J. Smith 
Dark Reunion (The Vampire Diaries, #4) by L. J. Smith 
Frozen by Robin Wasserman 
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles 
Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles 
The Bandito Massacre by Peter Edwards 
Stone in the Sky by Cecil Castellucci 
Rodie: My Life on the Road with Coldplay by Matt McGinn
Where Rainbows End by Ceclia Ahern 
The New World by multiple authors, edited by Christopher Golden