I’ve been reading a lot this year so far. Actually, I read a lot last year, too. Huh. 

So… I read a lot. And before you get bored to tears, don’t worry, it’s all generally fluffy and easy-to-read YA or books that are popular at any given time. So… the fun books. But this year, I seem to have a lot more opinions than normal. Which hence prompted this new little segment I’d like to introduce to my corner of the Internet: HOT or NOT?

We’re all familiar with the concept, right? Things you like Vs. Things you don’t like? The Good Vs. The Bad and the Impossibly Shitty? Yeah, you get it.

So, here are my current HOT Vs. NOT books of 2017 (so far!)…

HOT

#GIRLBOSS – Sophia Amoruso

Rating: 8/10

Their Summary: “A #GIRLBOSS is in charge of her own life. She gets what she wants because she works for it. Filled with brazen wake-up calls, cunning and frank observations, and behind-the-scenes stories from Nasty Gal’s meteoric rise, #GIRLBOSS covers a lot of ground.”

My Summary: With its Netflix-original series premiering mere days ago, #GIRLBOSS has been called many things. Some of them, not so great. But the whole atmosphere of this book just screams one word to me: Badass. Maybe not my cup of tea, career-wise, but definitely worth a read.

If I Was Your Girl – Meredith Russo

Rating: 8/10

Their Summary: “Amanda Hardy is the new girl at school. Like everyone else, she wants to make friends and fit in. But Amanda’s holding back. Even from Grant, the guy she’s falling in love with. Amanda has a secret.”

My Summary: (Click the link above to see my full review of ‘If I Was Your Girl’!). I think this story is so, so important to tell. It’s one that everyone who isn’t trans* (and even those who are, why not?) should read for a little walk-in-the-others’-shoes or whatnot. Even better, it’s aimed for the younger reader, so they can get started on acceptance and the whole ‘not being an asshole’ thing early. Result!

Doing It! – Hannah Witton

Rating: 9/10

Their Summary: “Sexting. Virginity. Consent. The Big O… We talk about doing it safely. Doing it joyfully. Doing it when you’re ready. Not doing it. Basically, doing it the way you want, when you want. So. Let’s do this…”

My Summary: I. Love. Hannah. Witton. As one of my favourite internet-presences, this sex-positive piece of perfection pie writing a book All About Sex was one of the highlights of my 2017. I loved how easy Doing It was to read, and how I’m absolutely going to be passing it down through the generations. Yes, you heard me. I’m giving this to my kids. Fuck you.

Get Your Sh*t Together – Sarah Knight

Rating: 10/10

Their Summary: “The no-f*cks given, no-holds-barred guide to living your best life. How to stop worrying about what you should do, so you can finish what you need to do and start doing what you want to do.”

My Summary: This blog post is being written approximately 2.5 seconds after I have finished this book for the first time. I say “the first time” because I will absolutely be reading this book again. And again. And, probably, again. Sarah Knight gives you the advice you know you need, and that you usually wouldn’t listen to, but in the driest and most straightforward way possible. She knows you’re not an idiot. You know you’re not an idiot. Pick up this book already, idiot.

NOT

Lucian Divine – Renee Carlino

Rating: 2/10

Their Summary: “Evelyn Casey’s life is at a standstill. It’s absurd, but sometimes Evey longs for for a guardian angel to show up and save the day. And then he does. Seriously. His name is Lucian and he’s a guardian angel, been on the job for two thousand years. He’s taken up drinking and he’s brazenly inserted himself into Evey’s life, going against the greatest cosmic law ever created.”

My Summary: Lucian Divine is sort of like Twilight. If Edward had stopped being such a whiney bitch and become a cocky alcoholic. And if Bella had… actually, never mind. Twilight. With angels. And condensed into 270 pages. You know what, see for yourself…

Mad Girl & The Wrong Knickers – Bryony Gordon

Rating: 3/10

Their Summary: “Bryony Gordon survived her adolescence by dreaming about the life she’d have in her twenties: the perfect job; the lovely flat; the amazing boyfriend. The reality was a bit of a shock.” And “Bryony Gordon has OCD.”

My Summary: I put both of these books in the same ‘Hot or Not’ little section because, quite frankly, they are the same book. And by frankly, I mean pretty much. And by pretty much, I mean exactly. They are exactly the same book. Same stories. Same language. Occasionally I’d get a bit of whiplash and deja vu because I’d literally read the same sentence again, just in another book with a different name. Bryony is middle class. And she went through some stuff. Fair enough. Now she’s a columnist for the time and, apparently, a novelist. Hmm. I like to think of Bryony as the wealthy woman’s Caitlin Moran.

 

And there you have it! My HOT or NOT’s for 2017 so far. What did you think? Do you agree? Did you disagree? Do you want my head on a wooden stake for offending you? Let me know!

If you have any book recommendations for me to review, let me know in a comment, or if you want to let me know your Hot or Not’s for this year, comment on this post! If you liked this post, click ‘follow’ down below, or sign up for an email notification every time I publish a post!

Until next time,

Jess x

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest