Reading Log by Julieta Romero

Suspect Red by L.M. Elliot

julieta_romero1 — 2024-09-10 14:48:20 UTC

The book was okay it was not my favorite though. It was confusing in some parts and it was boring, it had a few good parts, but not many. To be frank, I would not recommend it.

A Series of Unfortunate Events - The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

julieta_romero1 — 2024-09-10 14:55:22 UTC

I gave this 4.5 stars because it was engaging and I could not put it down. This book is part of the series "A Series of Unfortunate Events." There is a Netflix original series based on the books I watched the show when I was little and I loved it, so I am thrilled I got around to reading the books. In this story, there was a fire that caused the parents of the Baudelaire children to pass away. It talks about some challenges they went through including an evil man named "Count Olaf" trying to steal their fortune. Another thing that I liked about the book was how throughout the story the author would use unique words and describe them enlarging my vocabulary.

A Series of Unfortunate Events - The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket

julieta_romero1 — 2024-11-04 06:38:06 UTC

I gave this 4.53 stars because it had lovable characters that I'm looking forward to learning about. This book is part of the series "A Series of Unfortunate Events." There is a Netflix original series based on the books I watched the show and I loved it, so I am thrilled I got around to reading the books. This story talks about how the orphans moved in with their Uncle Montgomery Montgomery, a herpetologist, and grew very fond of him until something terrible happened. It talks about some challenges they went through including the evil man "Count Olaf" coming back dressed up as "Stephano", Dr. Montgomery's new assistant, and is once again trying to steal their fortune. Another thing that I liked about the book was how throughout the story the author would use unique words and phrases and describe them enlarging my vocabulary, including: "meanwhile, back at the ranch." Which is a transition to something else happening at that moment somewhere else. There were lots of plot twists, like the murder of Montgomery. I loved solving the challenges the Baudelaires were facing along with them, like when Violette was trying to figure out how to get her lockpick to slide into Olaf's lock and open it. At the last second as Olaf was about to find her, she ran to the bathroom and used soap to make it slippery, as I read along I felt the determination and stress that she was going through and was looking for a solution as well. I also annotated (which is normally a tedious task) fondly and enjoyed it. Overall, it's a great book, better than the first one for sure but I didn't want to rate it too high because I am looking forward to enjoying the rest of the series!

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

julieta_romero1 — 2024-12-02 18:48:48 UTC

I gave Fish in a Tree 3 stars because it was an okay book, it was boring and slow in some parts, especially towards the end but I did love the theme and the intent of the author. The story is set after the main character's grandpa passes away and the dad gets drafted. The book talks about some challenges the main character, Ally, goes through including her bully, Shay, and her minions making her life harder. Throughout the story, Ally grows as a character, gains more confidence, gets friends, learns more about how her brain works, and more. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about how it feels to not fit in.

A Series of Unfortunate Events - The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket

julieta_romero1 — 2025-01-15 14:06:51 UTC

I gave this book 4 stars because it was really good and entertaining but I didn't enjoy reading it as much as the other books that are part of this series. This book is part of the series "A Series of Unfortunate Events." There is a Netflix original series based on the books and I watched it so I know the general storyline but it's fun to compare and contrast the differences between the books and the show. In this book of the series, the three siblings move in with their aunt Josephine, a woman that seems to be afraid of everything and her a deep obsession with grammar. This book shows how Aunt Josephine's fears affected the Baudelairs, including, drinking cold soup because the stove was "dangerous" and not being able to touch the door knobs because they could "explode." While they were grocery shopping before a weather disaster, the orphans and Aunt Josephine found a not-so-old "friend." It was Count Olaf dressed as Captain Sham. Another thing that I liked about the book was the plot twist of Aunt Josephine faking her death and hiding her location in plain sight. Also, the orphans never fail to amaze me with their ingenuity, for example, how they got out of the diner by eating mints, decoded Aunt Josephine's letter, and deciphered how to sail a boat during a hurricane. Overall, it's a great book, it wasn't as good as the last one but still great.

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

julieta_romero1 — 2025-02-07 04:49:43 UTC

I gave this book 4.9 stars because it was engaging, and I could not put it down. This book is the second in a trilogy, which takes place during the summer. There is a show based on the books, titled The Summer I Turned Pretty (titled after the first book). I watched it but didn't follow the story much, so I came into it without much knowledge. In this book of the series, Susana has passed away, Belly and Conrad just broke up, and Jeremiah likes Belly. The book captures how grief can affect lots of people differently and that forgiving others is important. An example of grief shown in the book is Laurel; she is destroyed and does not act like herself at all. For example, before Susana passed, she was able to tell when Belly was lying right away, but after, she didn't notice when she said that she was going to Taylor's instead of the beach house. Another message is that we should value people's feelings and be nice and kind to them. For example, Conrad played with Belly's heart, making her feel bad and insecure, almost like he didn't care. Also, Belly does not seem to value Jeremiah at all; after they have a passionate moment while Conrad is taking a test, she leaves Jeremiah behind to run after Conrad. Another thing that I liked about the book was how the friendship between Taylor and Belly had evolved so much, they seemed like they relied on each other. Overall, it's an awesome book, and I cannot wait to read the last book of the series.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

julieta_romero1 — 2025-03-11 00:37:27 UTC

I gave this book 5 stars because it was engaging, and I could not put it down. This book is the first in a trilogy, which takes place during summer. There is a show based on the books, also titled The Summer I Turned Pretty. I watched it but didn't follow the story much, so I came into it without much knowledge. In this book of the series, Belly goes to the beach house like she does every summer but this time it is different because it's the last summer that they will be together (her, Conrad, and Jeremiah) and Belly had a glow-up so people are more attracted to her. The book captures how a girl grows up into a teen as shown in some flashbacks, which was interesting and made me relate in some ways. This book shows how we are all different and teenage years are uncomfortable for many people. This is shown during a flashback where Belly didn't want to wear a bikini because her body was changing and she knew she would get made fun of. Another message is that we should value our time with people because we don't know how long they will be here. The main instance that I can think of where this is shown is the fact that Susannah has cancer, everyone thought that she had gotten better but then she got sick again and her health is still getting concerns by the end of the book. This taught the characters and me to value people more. Another thing that I liked about the book was how Cam Cameron had a bigger role than in the show, from what I recall he only showed up in the first episode but in the book he was there for a while and I loved seeing his relationship dynamic with Belly. Overall, it's an awesome book and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

julieta_romero1 — 2025-04-14 12:29:45 UTC

I gave this book XXXX stars because it was (adjectives that describe the book). (My connection to the book ex: heard things about it but never actually read it). (the setting).(Quick overview without many spoilers). (Theme). (example of theme in the book). (second theme or something specific that made u stop and think). (something that u liked about the book with an example). (Overall thoughts)

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

julieta_romero1 — 2025-04-14 12:35:13 UTC

I gave this book 4.5 stars because it was a fun read with a great ending. This book is the third in a trilogy, which takes place during the summer. There is a show based on the books, titled The Summer I Turned Pretty (titled after the first book). I watched it but didn't follow the story much, so I came into it without much knowledge. In this book of the series, Belly is rushed into a marriage with Jeremiah, and she faces multiple challenges. The book captures how when you rush things and let people peer pressure you, stress can get to you. The theme of this book is how growing up can be bittersweet. An example of this is when Belly is pressured to get married because all of her peers are getting married as well. Jeremiah's love for her, which has lasted a while, doesn't make her decision easier, either. Another message is that love can be incredibly complex. For example, even though Belly was engaged with Jeremiah Conrad, it still made her doubt, even though she did love both brothers deep in her heart. Also, once again, this book shows how Belly doesn't value Jeremiah as much as she should. He has been there for her through thick and thin; I understand that he loves her and would do anything for her, but I don't think it's right for Belly to put aside her soon-to-be husband for his BROTHER. It's just not right. Another thing that I liked about the book was how real it got me. I felt a passion for it and needed to know what happened next. Overall, it's an awesome book, and I cannot believe that I finished the whole series.