Hello there!
Finally trying to get back to a more or less normal schedule for the blog, and I'm starting with posting all the reviews that I have pending! Which adding the books I read while on vacation... well, they're quite a few!
I'm starting with the review for a book that I read before leaving but I didn't get to write a review for the blog before vacation time, so it's only fair I go back to it. So the first Mark This Book Monday entry after my hiatus/vacation is all about Twelve Winter Romances!
Aside from my review, I'm also adding the GR updates that I did for each of the stories, I saw Kaitlin from Reading is my Treasure doing it for her reviews as of late and loved reading her reactions to the books, and I think that when reading an anthology is even better, since it's your reaction right there after each story! Thank you for letting me steal your idea, Kaitlin!
My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Word of warning, I'm not the most enthusiastic person about Christmas you'll ever find. I'm not a proper Grinch but you won't usually find me reading Xmas anthologies as a rule, BUT I heard about this book and saw all the authors that were part of it and I thought that I had to give it a try for sure!
And that was a very good choice! I'm giving the book as a whole 5 stars because it's one of those books that I might have not been my usual read but even if I told myself just one story per night, I couldn't help but wanting to read the next one! Not all stories are 5 stars, not for me, but many of them were 4 stars, a few 5 stars and very few were 3.5. Add that to the amazingness that is the UK edition that I got, with the beautiful blue cover, the gold, the graphics and letterings... and it is a 5 stars book!
If I had to choose, my top 3 stories would be the ones writen by Rainbow Rowell, Stephanie Perkins and Kiersten White. They were Xmas-y but with enough of a different touch to not make it exactly only about the Xmas spirit, but still full of a certain magic! And let's not forget the Gayle Forman's story because that was a lovely adorable and hilarious surprise for me!
Jenny Han's story I found really intriguing and different but felt like it was cut too abruptly for my taste. Laini Taylor's story was gorgeously written but somehow something felt missing for me, but I think that might have also been because I was hoping the story featured here would have characters from the DOSAB trilogy and I was disappointed they weren't. Holly Black's was a great story with enough creepy to make it a very different kind of magical holiday spirit! And both Myra McEntire's story and Ally Carter's had more of a typical Xmas spirit but were still very cute!
The other three stories were the 3.5 stars, still cute and lovely but David Levithan's felt a lil too sad, Matt de la Peña was cute but a bit too much Hallmark's movie and Kelly Link's was intriguing to read but too much a mishmash of genres in one story. Enjoyed them a lot, but not as much as the previous ones.
View all my reviews
Finally trying to get back to a more or less normal schedule for the blog, and I'm starting with posting all the reviews that I have pending! Which adding the books I read while on vacation... well, they're quite a few!
I'm starting with the review for a book that I read before leaving but I didn't get to write a review for the blog before vacation time, so it's only fair I go back to it. So the first Mark This Book Monday entry after my hiatus/vacation is all about Twelve Winter Romances!
Aside from my review, I'm also adding the GR updates that I did for each of the stories, I saw Kaitlin from Reading is my Treasure doing it for her reviews as of late and loved reading her reactions to the books, and I think that when reading an anthology is even better, since it's your reaction right there after each story! Thank you for letting me steal your idea, Kaitlin!
My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie PerkinsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Word of warning, I'm not the most enthusiastic person about Christmas you'll ever find. I'm not a proper Grinch but you won't usually find me reading Xmas anthologies as a rule, BUT I heard about this book and saw all the authors that were part of it and I thought that I had to give it a try for sure!
And that was a very good choice! I'm giving the book as a whole 5 stars because it's one of those books that I might have not been my usual read but even if I told myself just one story per night, I couldn't help but wanting to read the next one! Not all stories are 5 stars, not for me, but many of them were 4 stars, a few 5 stars and very few were 3.5. Add that to the amazingness that is the UK edition that I got, with the beautiful blue cover, the gold, the graphics and letterings... and it is a 5 stars book!
If I had to choose, my top 3 stories would be the ones writen by Rainbow Rowell, Stephanie Perkins and Kiersten White. They were Xmas-y but with enough of a different touch to not make it exactly only about the Xmas spirit, but still full of a certain magic! And let's not forget the Gayle Forman's story because that was a lovely adorable and hilarious surprise for me!
Jenny Han's story I found really intriguing and different but felt like it was cut too abruptly for my taste. Laini Taylor's story was gorgeously written but somehow something felt missing for me, but I think that might have also been because I was hoping the story featured here would have characters from the DOSAB trilogy and I was disappointed they weren't. Holly Black's was a great story with enough creepy to make it a very different kind of magical holiday spirit! And both Myra McEntire's story and Ally Carter's had more of a typical Xmas spirit but were still very cute!
The other three stories were the 3.5 stars, still cute and lovely but David Levithan's felt a lil too sad, Matt de la Peña was cute but a bit too much Hallmark's movie and Kelly Link's was intriguing to read but too much a mishmash of genres in one story. Enjoyed them a lot, but not as much as the previous ones.
View all my reviews
Why do I not have this book in my hands yet Pili!!!!???? Now that it's officially November, I'm starting to look toward Christmas (I can't bring myself to do so before Halloween despite the fact that a number of stores started putting Christmas stuff out already) and I can't wait. This sounds like the PERFECT anthology to get me in the holiday spirit!!!
ReplyDeleteIt really is Jenny, you need to get it ASAP!! It managed to put ME in a holiday spirit and I'm a bit of a Grinch...
DeleteI seriously love anthologies! I'm so glad you enjoyed this one because it has some of my favorite authors out there!
ReplyDeleteLove your GR reactions! It makes me want to read even more!
I hope you do, Lis! This was so adorable!!
DeleteWow... five stars... anthology... holiday... Perkins... wow O_O This sounds like so many things that I don't read enough of! I'm so glad that you enjoyed this one, Pili :D Excellent review!
ReplyDeleteAlyssa @ The Eater of Books!
I must confess I added a star because the book is simply too cute for words makes you want to hug it!
DeleteThank you, Alyssa!
Aw, yay. <3 Amazing review Pili. I'm glad you enjoyed most of the stories :D I own this one too, just need to read it, hih ;p one day, I hope. <3
ReplyDeleteRead it around the holidays Carina, it will be perfect to put you in a better Xmasy mood!
Delete