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The FF Reads | January Books

January 31, 2019


I'm kicking off the year strong with my resolution to read more and have already finished TWO books during the month of January! WAHOO!

As I mentioned in my New Year's resolutions post, I am not committing to a set number of books for the year because I don't want to feel discouraged if I fall behind. But so far, I'm feeling dedicated to the goal and am truly enjoying spending more time reading! I even created a Goodreads account because I love watching my progress and feeling encouraged by other readers.

Here's my reads and reviews for January:



I decided to read To All The Boys I've Loved Before after I watched the movie on Netflix. I seriously LOVE the movie. I've already watched it an embarrassing amount of times to admit here on the blog. Because I loved the movie so much, I went to Barnes and Noble the next day and picked up the first book. (There are three total books in the series.) I personally love reading a book AFTER I see the movie because it's easier for me to picture the characters and settings in my head to match the actors and sets.

If you haven't seen the movie and/or read the book, here's a quick summary: Lara Jean Covey writes letters to all the boys she's loved and keeps them in a box. One day, the box goes missing and the letters get mailed to all five boys, including the letter she wrote to her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. After Josh reads the letter, Lara Jean decides to fake a relationship with another letter recipient, Peter Kavinsky, so Josh doesn't get the wrong idea. A fake relationship starts to get real, and I'll just stop there so I don't spoil anything for you.

It's not that this book is bad- because really, it's not.  It's simple and cute like any young-adult romance. But I found myself disappointed because the book is MUCH different than the movie. I loved the story in the film so much that I expected the book to be close to identical and it's NOT. There are many differences, and also many additions; none of which I wished were in the movie, besides maybe the chapter where Lara Jean and Peter go to an estate sale together. It was an easy read, and I enjoyed it enough to finish it. They definitely leave you hanging at the end, so I'm still considering reading the rest of the books in the series at some point. But overall, I can't get enough of the movie. I was, however, happy to be done with the book.

"I've never gotten a love letter before. But reading these notes like this, one after the other, it feels like I have. It's like... it's like there's only ever been Peter. Like everyone else that came before him, they were all to prepare me for this."

I give it a: 3/5



You've probably seen this book EVERYWHERE because it was one of the most popular books of 2018. I just got it as a Christmas gift and was anxious to read it because some of my friends were saying how powerful it was. I'm all about books that are motivational and inspiring at the moment. 

Girl, Wash Your Face is about different lies we are telling ourselves and how we can change our thinking to overcome those lies. Rachel writes about 20 total lies (one per chapter) and relates each topic back to something that has occurred in her own life. Lies like "I Should Be Further Along By Now" and "I'll Start Tomorrow" are just a slight glimpse into the chapters; topics that I feel many 20-30 year olds will find beneficial. 

I'll be honest with you- when I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure how to feel. Based off of everyone's excitement for it, I thought I would eat it up immediately. Although I understand she is trying to light a fire under her readers, I didn't like Rachel's advice writing approach at first; it felt more like she was yelling at you than trying to inspire you. I also am NOT a fan of how she ended up with her husband. But there is also a whole chapter about not being judgmental, so go figure. 

On a more positive note, the book was much better the more I read it. I began to understand Rachel's perspective a little more and could relate to many of the "lies" she wrote about. In my personal favorite chapter, "No is the Final Answer," Rachel talks about chasing your dreams and how no one will ever care about those dreams the way you do, which I found to be very eye opening. Her next book, "Girl, Stop Apologizing," comes out in March and I plan to read that one as well. 

"Whatever it is, big or small, grandiose or simple, nobody can care about it the way you do! Even if you have a supportive family. Even if you have the greatest friends alive. Even if your spouse is the most uplifting, encouraging human and your number one fan...even then, girl, they will not want it as much as you do."

I give it a: 3.5/5


On to the next,

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