Mini-Reviews: August Reads

What You Wish For by Katherine Center

I find Katherine Center’s books to be very readable and this one is no exception. There was heart and emotion from the beginning. She did a good job of illustrating all of the different character motivations in a way that made sense and helped the reader to sympathize with them. I’ll say that I wanted more from Tina Buckley’s character…but she came through in the end I guess. 4/5

Paper Girls Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan

I’m just not huge into sci fi in general but specifically time travel so this one isn’t really grabbing me…but I’ve got the second one out from the library so I’ll probably at least read that one too? And maybe I’ll power through the rest since I like Vaughan and it’s a short series. 3/5

The Lost Husband by Katherine Center

This is probably about as close as I’ll ever get to wanting to move to a farm out in the country. A lot of things about it sound completely idyllic, but I know deep in my heart that I’m a true city girl. I really liked Libby’s relationship with her kids in this book. Obviously Abby had more of a central role, but I liked Tank as well. I thought Jean seemed a little too good to be true, but I’m not really going to quibble about it. 4/5

Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

It took me way too long to realize that these characters were also in “What You Wish For” and with that in mind, I’m even more blown away by Duncan’s character development. I liked the setting for this book. It ALMOST makes me think I could sign up for something like it and be okay. I didn’t love the conflict involving Windy, but I thought it was handled well by Helen throughout the book. Overall, I liked this book quite a bit and was glad to know readers are able to catch up with the characters in a later book. 4/5

Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson

For me, this book was just fine. I felt so much secondhand stress over Nora’s finances and also basically every single decision she made. I also found it difficult to keep track of most secondary characters. And what was the deal with her roommate? Why even include her as a character? Overall, it also kind of makes me hate all publishing houses. So there’s that. 3/5

The Bright Side of Disaster by Katherine Center

I can definitely tell this is one of her earlier books because I don’t feel like the relationship between Jenny and Gardner was as developed as I would have liked. I also thought the book took a while to get going. We all knew Dean was going to leave so it was a bit torturous to wait for it to happen. With that being said, the depiction of early motherhood was fresh and felt really authentic. Overall, I still liked this one, just not one of my favorites. 3/5

How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder

I felt like this one started with a lot of promise, but it got darker than I expected after a while. I’m not opposed to reading about tough things or relationships, but something about this specific relationship just wasn’t very fun to read. It felt like a toxic relationship and that didn’t resolve itself for me by the end. 3/5

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

I liked Cassie quite a bit as a protagonist and I feel like I learned a lot about firefighters. I would have liked a little more time spent developing her new crew, but that probably would have made the book feel a lot more crowded. I also felt like the ending was wrapped up a little too tidily. What a complaint, right? The ending was too happy! Overall, I still really liked this book and it actually gave me stuff to think about regarding forgiveness, etc. 4/5

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

This book was a little harder to read than some of her other ones. I still really liked it, but it was so hard to read about Maggie’s suffering. I could not even imagine experiencing something like that and her mom drove me absolutely crazy! I did really enjoy the dynamic between Maggie and Kit as they worked to repair their relationship. I appreciate that that was given as much if not more screen time as the romantic relationship. Overall, I really enjoyed it and I feel like it helps me to appreciate my own life more. 4/5

Get Lucky by Katherine Center

I didn’t like this one quite as much as the rest of her books. The main character wasn’t as likable to me—she’s doing this incredibly selfless thing for completely selfish reasons! I also didn’t feel like Sarah and Everett really spent enough time with each other. I know they have a history, but they barely talk throughout the book. Overall, I’m not mad I read it, but I wouldn’t read it again. 3/5

Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center

This book made me feel so stressed! And that ended up being my primary emotion throughout the book. It didn’t make me eager to pick the book back up after putting it down. In the end, I liked it alright. I enjoyed the flashback scenes to Lanie and Peter getting together in college, but I almost wish we had gotten fewer flashbacks of the process and more of their dating and early marriage. 3/5

Set On You by Amy Lea

This one was just okay for me. I think the overall message is supposed to be that we’re more than just our bodies, etc. But at the same time, it doesn’t feel like there was anything more than Scott’s physical attraction to Crystal at least in the beginning. I always like to know WHY our characters like each other and I don’t feel like I got enough of that in this book especially before the “L word” started getting tossed around. 3/5

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Ummm…did the person who designed the cover art even read this book? It’s a completely different tone from the story it contains. But anyway. This book was so good and it made my blood boil in so many different parts. I loved Elizabeth as our protagonist and I also enjoyed getting to know Mad and to an extent Calvin. I can tell you right now, I would not have survived as a woman in the 60s or whenever this book was set. Perhaps I’m simply a product of my time, but man. It would have been torture.

This book was a lot deeper than I thought it was going to be. The cover makes it look like it’s a generic rom com. It’s not. I wouldn’t even classify it as a romance of any kind. This is historical fiction and I think the cover actually goes against everything this book is for. Overall, ignore the cover and read this book because it’s well-written and it features incredibly strong females all around. There are an infinite number of ways for women to be strong, and this book showcases a fair number of them. 5/5

The Change by Kirsten Miller (ARC)

This was the second book in a row that I’ve read with men being horrible and entitled (though this one definitely is worse than Lessons in Chemistry). I think I need something much lighter for my next read haha. This book had a lot of twists, but I enjoyed them. I liked that this story is all about strong women especially at an age when they’re often forgotten and ignored. Things come together slowly, but there are enough pieces for the reader to put things together on their own. The fact that stuff like this actually happens in the real world makes me sick. Overall, I wouldn’t say this read was necessarily ENJOYABLE, but it was well-plotted and I cared about the characters. 4/5

Note: I received a copy free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Talk about a guidebook on how NOT to be a mom… Jokes aside, it really did make me reflect on what kind of a parent I am. My kids are still young, but there are so many ways that we try to impose our will, beliefs, hopes, and dreams onto our children without really thinking about how they are their own people too. Obviously most of us aren’t as bad as Deb was, but we all have the tendency I think. Jennette is open and raw throughout this whole memoir and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to watch iCarly the same way knowing how miserable she was the entire time. Overall, this book will not be for everyone—I think there are a lot of triggers and there’s a lot of hard material to get through. But it does shine an interesting light on how fame effects child actors. Perhaps without meaning to, Jennette provides an the reader an interesting foil in Miranda. If you can handle the hard stuff, this book is worth a read. 4/5

Mini-Reviews: July Reads

The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd

I’ll be honest, parts of this book were really confusing for me. I’m not entirely sure what the Haberson map was all about. And the ending was a tad fuzzy for me as well.

With that being said, Shepherd is a good writer and the flashback scenes were really great. I didn’t LOVE Nell and it’s always hard for me when I can’t really connect to a main character. But I thought the other characters were fine.

I was really anticipating this book, but overall it was just okay for me. 3/5

Flying Solo by Linda Holmes

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It was a little boring at times and I had a hard time relating to Laurie in general. I liked the heisty bits, but that really wasn’t very much of the story. I would have liked more of Laurie’s brothers maybe? More of her immediate family? I don’t know. It just didn’t feel totally well-rounded to me, though I did appreciate Laurie’s journey of self-discovery. 3/5

Love at First by Kate Claybourn

Light and easy with a fun cast of secondary characters. I thought this book had a good amount of depth with our main characters without getting too heavy. I enjoyed both Will and Nora as characters as well. 4/5

Counterfeit by Kristin Chen

This book was written in a unique way and I didn’t always enjoy it. I didn’t like the main characters and couldn’t relate to any of the decisions they made. As a young Chinese American mother myself, I expected to relate to Ava more, but I just didn’t. At all. I feel like the plot itself could have been written in a more suspenseful way. Overall, I just feel pretty disappointed in this one. 2.5/5

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

TO NO ONE’S SURPRISE, I LOVED THIS BOOK. Anyway, it had just the right amount of romance while also balancing the Stapleton’s family dynamic and Hannah’s past. I liked the other members of the Protection Agency as secondary characters. The ending genuinely took me by surprise and I wondered how the author was going to explain it, but everything made sense in the end. I thought the pacing was great. We got enough time with the main characters without feeling like the story was dragging. Overall, if you’re a fan of celebrity romances, this should definitely go on your list! And if you’re not, this is still a fun book! 5/5

Daughter of Sparta by Claire Andrews

It was just kind of hard for me to buy Daphne as the savior of Olympus. Every single time she fought someone, she was always “barely” getting out of the way of a fist or sword or whatever. Her fighting skills just didn’t seem that impressive and the reader wasn’t let in on her thoughts or strategy most of the time. So in the end, it feels like our heroine just happens to win a bunch of fights. Also, the romance with Apollo is just not it. 3/5

Mini-Reviews: May Reads

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

Well. I can’t say any of the characters were very likable (maybe just Lawrence). Seriously though! This may be one of the most unlikable families I’ve ever read about. I’m not sure what I was supposed to get out of this book either…what was the moral? Forgiveness? Living your truest self? Having children is the greatest joy you could ever have? Idk. Maybe this book was just over my head. 3/5

Book of Night by Holly Black

I really wanted to like this book. I REALLY wanted to like it. And some parts I actually did like, but mostly this book just felt kind of messy. The world didn’t make a ton of sense. And where Black’s vision of “Fae” is so clear, this more urban fantasy (which she’s done so well in the past with her Tithe books) just fell flat. The magic system didn’t make a ton of sense to me and there were so many new terms being thrown at me that I never got a good grasp on.

The parts I did like: the last confrontation at Salt’s house. That’s kind of it. The rest was just okay. The ending was unexpected and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

Overall, I’m disappointed and disappointed in my disappointment. 3/5

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

It’s definitely an interesting experience to read a book as an adult that you loved as a teenager. I love the way Sarah Dessen writes. It’s like slipping on a cozy sweater on a cold day. It’s just so comfortable and easy for me.

This book in particular I reread before watching the new Netflix movie. And while I still enjoyed Auden as a character, the one who really stood out to me this time was Heidi. I hadn’t read this book since becoming a mom myself. Two kids later, let me tell you, that scene of Heidi sitting in the dark with the baby is SO REAL. I mean, I even have a really present husband, but with my first there were times when I would sit and cry and hope that ANYONE would come save me. The depictions of new motherhood were clearly written by someone who knows what it’s like.

Overall, I really enjoyed my reread. This is one that I forget about sometimes, but it’s up among Dessen’s best imo. 4/5

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

I’m so happy I liked this book! I really liked Beach Read, but People We Meet on Vacation was just okay for me. I liked the premise of the city girl who always gets dumped for the small town girl being able to tell her side of the story. Nora and Libby had a really sweet relationship and I almost wish we’d gotten MORE of that. Charlie was sweet and all, but the romance didn’t need to be as big a part of it in my opinion.

I always like getting a peek behind the publishing curtain, so that aspect was fun too. I’d like to think that in another life I’d have gotten into publishing.

Overall, I thought Henry did a good job playing with tropes. Honestly, my main complaint is that she’s managed to create another fictional book within her book that I’m dying to read. 4/5

Bad Luck Bridesmaid by Alison Rose Greenberg

I just didn’t love Zoey as a main character. Firstly, she seemed a little implausible as a person (manic pixie dream girl but as a super successful advertising exec). Secondly, I think we’re just too different. I couldn’t relate to her at all.

Then there are the flashbacks. So many flashbacks. I think the first 10 chapters is all flashback. I didn’t personally gel with the writing style from this book. Not to say that it was poorly written, I think it was fine, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Overall, this book was a bit of a disappointment for me. 2/5

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I went into it with low expectations since I wasn’t jazzed by the synopsis and didn’t love Carrie from Malibu. But it’s TJR so I was going to read it regardless. And it totally took me by surprise. Obviously it’s beautifully written and it actually made me care about tennis (which is a true feat).

The relationship between Carrie and her father was a perfect focus for this book. Javier was a bright spot every time he was on the page. Plotwise, this book was very predictable. However, it’s still so enjoyable that I didn’t even care. Carrie is fantastic and is truly a great character. She’s complicated and imperfect but also unapologetically herself.

Overall, I just loved this book. If you’re a TJR fan, read this book. If you’re not yet a TJR fan, read this book and then binge her backlist. 5/5

Note: I received a copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mini-Reviews: April Reads

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

This is my second Backman book and I loved it. There’s something about the way he writes that is really enjoyable to me. The characters weren’t completely likable, but that was the whole point. Each character had depth and none of them were what they seemed at first glance. I liked the way that Backman played with expectations. I thought I had everything figured out, but the way he gave the reader just a little bit of information at a time made me realize that I was only thinking what he wanted me to think. Overall, I found this book thought-provoking and emotional with some laugh out loud moments as well. 5/5

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

So many pages. And so many characters and organization names it was hard to keep everything straight. I feel like I still don’t know half of what’s going on and I just read 800 pages of it. Also, I think that last line before the epilogue was supposed to be really epic and impactful but…I haven’t read her other series’s so I think I’m missing something. Anyway, it’s fine. World-building feels clunky. Character motivations aren’t clear. Overall, just too much going on (much too many pages). It’s fine. 3/5

Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier

Honestly, I didn’t hate this. The characters are all terrible and parts of it feel far-fetched, but I’m so far from the world depicted that who can even say what’s plausible? I thought Lyla’s internal struggle throughout was well done. She doesn’t exactly redeem herself, but it was nice to see her being differentiated from Graham and Margo. Demi was an interesting character and I actually liked her narration better than Lyla’s even though Lyla had more of the book. The ending was well-played in its ambiguity. 3/5

To Marry and to Meddle by Martha Waters

A continuation of the series and I think Emily might be my favorite protagonist so far (until Sophie’s book comes out, fingers crossed). I liked her dynamic with Julian as they were both pretty straightforward with each other. It was nothing groundbreaking plot wise, but still enjoyable. I liked the resolution between Julian and his parents as well but wish his siblings had gotten more screen time. There were a couple of moments where a chapter would end with some pressing realization, but then the next chapter would start with “a few days later” and I’m left going “How has this information not come out over the course of a few days?” Minor quibble though. 3.5/5

Cover Story by Susan Rigetti

I ACTUALLY did not see that twist coming. It had me flipping back pages and pages and putting clues together that had been RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY FACE. I felt a little foolish, but in the end I think the twist was masterfully pulled off. I’m not going to say I liked Lora as a character, but she was sympathetic and it was hard not to feel for her as she got taken in by Cat. And I could definitely see all the ways this was inspired by the Anna Delvey story (I’d listened to a podcast about it a while back). Overall, this was a light thriller that, while not scary, definitely had its tense moments. 4/5

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

I’ll be honest, I didn’t LOVE Feyre as a character. I always have trouble with protags who find themselves in a new environment and then blatantly disregard everything they’re told/advised by the people who are actually from that environment. Feyre’s actions on Fire Night had me wanting to bang my head against a wall. I liked the tasks element of the book, but it almost felt like it should have been a completely separate book. The reader is rushed through it so the ending feels especially sudden. I also thought the riddle was pretty obvious.

The retelling element of it was interesting…if a bit corny at times (Tamlin showing Feyre the library was completely unnecessary). Honestly, I just started this series after finishing the second Crescent City book because I felt like the last chapter had no impact without me having read this series first. And I didn’t want to be confused in the third book with the inevitable crossover.

Overall, would I recommend this series? Not especially. But I’ll probably continue reading just so I understand context for the third CC book.

Tl;dr – This book is fine. As far as fairytale retellings go, it’s fine. Feyre kind of sucks, but I’m just reading this series for the Crescent City tie in (probably not worth it). 3/5

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

This book is SO LONG and yet very little happens I feel like. I liked getting to meet a new cast of characters, but didn’t feel like we got to know them all that well despite the plethora of pages. Plotwise, I’m left wondering throughout most of this book how much of it was planned from book 1. Are we….are we being gaslighted by SJM? I feel like I did after reading the last Hunger Games book. The end result cheapens all the things that happened previously imo.

Also, she used the word “bark” “barked” “barking” about fifty million times with not a dog in sight. Again, I will continue this series, but just because I know that she’s tying this one together with CC and I feel like I need to have the context.

Also also, that ending re: Lucien is just a big “wut”. 3/5

The No-Show by Beth O’Leary

Honestly, this book was kind of off to a rocky start for me. A lot of time is spent making Joseph Carter seem like a really scummy guy and then when everything is revealed we’re just supposed to let all those feelings go? With that being said, I really did like Siobhan, Miranda, and Jane as characters. They were all really different but equally enjoyable. Which made it hard because it feels like they’re competing with each other throughout the whole book and it’s like you have to pick a favorite (Miranda). Anyway, not exactly what I was hoping for, but better than The Road Trip for sure. 4/5

The Devil’s Music by Nathan Page

Al and Rachel? Yeah, I ship it. This book was less mystery-heavy and starts to dive a little more into the Montague twins’ past. I continued to enjoy the characters and thought it provided a good backdrop for talking about mental health. 4/5

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

More barking (though not as much as in book 2 luckily). And I’m getting really confused about all the “retellings”. Like…now we’re getting Bible retellings? V confusing. But anyway, this series continues to be fine. However, I do not understand why authors keep using the word “bemused” to mean amused. I understand the lexicon changing etc etc. But. Technically “bemused” means confused. AND WHAT IS SO WRONG WITH THE WORD “AMUSED” ANYWAY. IT MEANS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY AND THE WORD YOU’RE CHOOSING TO USE MEANS SOMETHING ELSE SO I DON’T GET IT. Anyway. That’s a rant that I have every couple years or so.

I liked that the relationship between the sisters was more heavily emphasized in this book. I’m always here for a good sister relationship. I didn’t love how their dad ended up playing into the story but…it’s whatever. I also don’t love the weird tangled relationships between Mor, Azriel, Elain, and Lucien. Obviously Mor is who she is and can do whatever she wants, but it just feels like unnecessary drama.

Also, what’s up with all of the character names being so similar? I had a heck of a time telling Tamlin, Tarquin, Thesan, and Helion apart. And Hybern is a guy, but also a people? So when Hybern “shows up” I was always confused for a couple pages.

Lastly, these books are fine character and plotwise but I always come away feeling like so many conversations or descriptions or action sequences were too long. This book could easily be trimmed by 200 pages (or more) imo. 3/5

Mini-Reviews: March Reads

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

This book is LOOOONG and I kind of feel like not much happens? It probably could have been half the length. With that being said, I felt like the world building was pretty good. The magic system was a little hard to understand but I kind of just let it happen. Characters were fine. I didn’t really LOVE anyone but the new witch queen (Hecuba? Idk I don’t remember). That’s a thing too though—so many characters! Anyway, overall I thought this book was pretty intriguing and I plan to read the next one. 4/5

Gallant by V.E. Schwab

I knew nothing about this book going in. If you tell me V.E. Schwab is writing a book, I’m all in immediately. On a side note, I just love how different all of her books are.

But back to Gallant. I liked Olivia as a character! She was plucky and determined and even though she made some questionable decisions, she was still a sympathetic character. I actually felt like Schwab did a lot in this book without that many characters.

The atmosphere of this book was everything. I’d almost describe it as horror-lite? It was just a little spooky especially when she visits the other Gallant. I didn’t see those two little twists at the end coming and my heart was actually pounding as it came to a conclusion. I thought the final conflict ended a tad abruptly, but overall I still enjoyed the ending.

I was really happy with this book! It wasn’t a completely new world as Schwab sometimes dives into, but I could still lose myself in it. Would definitely recommend! (Especially if you’re already a huge Schwab fan like myself). 4/5

The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith

From the very first page I loved this book. The way that Greta and Conrad were obviously both still in the middle of their grief just chipped away at my heart with every word. I loved the characters, I loved the setting, I loved the relationships. Greta’s not a perfect main character and as the story continues, we learn more about her relationship with her parents. We see how both sides were responsible in causing damage. The resolution felt natural (if a little exaggerated by the end). The romantic subplot was a bit unnecessary for me, but I see how it helped Greta to come to some personal revelations. Overall, I loved this book and I thought the ending (prior to the “After” section) was absolutely perfect. 5/5

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

This is a book about sisters and motherhood and what it is to be a woman. I thought the plot was slow moving at times, but it gives us time to get to know Bella, Agnes, and June. The writing was beautiful and I felt everything with every scene between Agnes and Eve. 4/5

Mini-Reviews: February Reads

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I really wanted to like this one more than I did because I loved the first book (and everything else I’ve read from this author). But this book really doubled down on two things I hate: love triangles involving siblings and bad boys who refuse to call the protagonist anything other than an annoying nickname.

In addition, I felt like the mystery/puzzle aspect was kind of convoluted and hard to follow. I wasn’t always sure what was happening even when the characters were making it seem like the next step was obvious. Not sure if there will be another book after this, but if there is, I’d be pretty on the fence about continuing. 3.5/5

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano

I liked the first book quite a bit but this one didn’t live up to it. Everything was just SO messy. And while I think that was the point, it was just too much for me. Absolutely nothing went right for Finlay and Vero. Also, part of what I liked about the first book was Finlay juggling being a mom with everything that was going on, but in this book the kids are mostly with other characters off-screen.

Overall, this book was fine for me. I’ll continue with the series and I’ll admit that the twist at the end got me. But I could’ve done with just a little less mess. 3/5

Manu by Kelly Fernandez (ARC)

Kind of confusing at times. I had a hard time telling characters apart, but that could be because my ARC wasn’t finished color-wise. 3/5

On a Night Like This by Lindsey Felk

I’m a little surprised with how much I enjoyed this one? I found Fran to be a very easy character to root for. I wanted so badly for her to get out of her situation with Stew and to do well at this new job! The Crystal Ball sounded insane and I don’t even want to know if the super rich of the world actually have events like that. Also, I was glad for the Below Deck reference because as soon as she got on that yacht I thought “this is like Below Deck”.

Anyway, long story short if you enjoy these British romances featuring 30-something women (Mhairi McFarlane, Giovanna Fletcher, Beth O’Leary) then you’ll like this one too. 4/5

How to Be Perfect by Michael Schur

This book was delightful! If you’re a fan of The Good Place or Modern Love by Aziz Ansari, I’d recommend giving this one a read. And I’d ESPECIALLY recommend the audiobook as it features cameos from the cast of The Good Place and it’s just nice listening to Michael Schur narrate.

This book gives a good overview of several top philosophers and I felt like I came away with a pretty good, basic understanding and of ethics and moral philosophy. It honestly would be pretty interesting to rewatch The Good Place with this new background. Schur tackles some touchy subjects and is pretty obvious about his stance on them (in the context of ethics) so readers with opposing viewpoints may take issues with that.

Overall, I found this book to be very informational while having a liberal dose of humor and some fun anecdotes from Schur’s career. 4/5

Romance Mini-Reviews

Lately I feel like I’ve been having a tough time getting through books. Even books that I’m enjoying, it seems like it takes me weeks instead of days to complete them. The only exception being romances. I’m not sure why, but I can zip through a romance in a couple of days while every other genre is a slog and this month I just decided to lean into that all the way. So without further ado, here are mini-reviews for some of the romances I’ve read this month so far.

Billy & Me by Giovanna Fletcher

This book was fine. The writing seemed a bit immature at times and I thought Sophie and Billy’s relationship developed REALLY fast. I didn’t love that the conclusion seemed to be that a compromise between their careers wasn’t possible. But on another note, seeing as how Gi is married to Tom Fletcher from the British band McFly, it makes me really wonder how much of Sophie’s experiences here are autobiographical. The press and people on social media can really be terrible—it’s disgusting. 3/5

Order: Hardcover | Paperback | eBook

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

Coming off of watching Enola Holmes on Netflix, it was interesting to learn a little more about women’s suffrage in England. I liked that the romance didn’t get bogged down by the history and vice versa. I’m not going to pretend like the love story between our main characters was super realistic, but it was still enjoyable. I thought they were both pretty good characters. Let’s get Hattie her own book though, mmmkay? 4/5

Order: Paperback | eBook

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

I thought this book was so sweet and was exactly what I needed right now. I liked Evvie as a character a lot and her relationship with Dean seemed to progress at a good pace. I like that they had adult conversations and there were no angsty misunderstandings. I liked the ending too! I felt like it was realistic but still sweet. Lastly, I just wanted to say that I feel Monica is extremely underrated as a character. Her friendship with Evvie was really great and she just seemed like an awesome woman in general. 4/5

Order: Hardcover | Paperback | eBook

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

This book was surprisingly funny. I thought the narrator’s voice was super cheeky and really added to the story, though I don’t know that I would want to read a million books like that. Nina was equal parts charming and infuriating as a protagonist. She made quite a few decisions that I wouldn’t have, but then some decisions that I really liked as well. Overall, I liked the combination of her having to deal with her father’s death/inheritance/new family and figuring out how she felt about Tom. It gave the story more dimension to kind of have two different storylines going on at the same time. 4/5

Order: Paperback | eBook

If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane

I really liked this book! It took a little while to really get going, but I think that eventually ended up being really important in understanding who Laurie is as a character. Jamie as a love interest was a little too perfect at times, but I still liked him and the scenes of him and Laurie together just talking were always really fun. While this book is ultimately a romance, I appreciated how it talks about some heavier themes and specifically about being mixed race. As a mixed race person myself, I cannot tell you how many times I’ve gotten the, “Where are you from?” question. Born in America same as you random white person, thanks. And like…why do you even care? Does my heritage change anything about our relationship? Anyway…bit of a triggering topic for me I guess, but there you have it. 4/5

Order: Paperback | eBook

Fall 2020 Mini-Reviews

These are some books that I’ve read recently that I think are perfect for the fall season. Atmospheric, lyrical, and perhaps a little spooky.

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

This book is centered around Shakespeare’s family–specifically his wife and children. It’s interesting, though, because Shakespeare himself is never actually mentioned by name. Despite that, Agnes (his wife) is such an interesting character and Shakespeare’s absence just made me want to pick up a biography on him. This book took me a little while to get into and I thought the writing was a little too flowery for my taste, but in the end I still really enjoyed it. I could definitely tell that this book hit me different now that I’m a parent than it would have before I had kids. There were just so many mom feels–the desperation to protect your kids from anything and everything…it was real.

Overall Rating: 4
Language: None
Violence: Mild
Smoking/Drinking: Mild
Sexual Content: Moderate

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The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

I honestly can’t believe I haven’t read this book before now! Holly Black is so masterful in creating these parallel worlds that are close to what we have now, but with one fantastical twist. I thought the beginning of the book very smoothly introduced the world and its rules. I also thought the flashback chapters were a great way of creating context without interrupting the story or forcing characters to unrealistically reflect on something. I really liked Tana as a main character and loved that she stuck to her guns throughout the story. I often have a problem with these “immortal beings falling in love with average mortal girl” story lines, but I thought for once we were given a compelling reason as to why Gavriel fell in love with her–there legitimately was something different about Tana. I definitely thought something was up with the San Francisco Coldtown and that they were get involved, but that didn’t end up happening. I can’t believe this is a standalone book! I really feel like we need a book specifically exploring the San Francisco Coldtown.

Overall Rating: 4
Language: None
Violence: Heavy
Smoking/Drinking: Mild
Sexual Content: Mild

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The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I just want to start this review by saying that I enjoyed this book. Reading over my notes, I had some issues with it so it might seem like I didn’t, but I really did. It’s very The Westing Game meets Knives Out and I was super into it. In general, I liked Avery as a character, though it feels like JLB tends to write the same protagonist into all her books. Don’t get me wrong, I like that character, but they’re pretty interchangeable between books. I liked that Avery had a strong relationship with Libby and I hope that gets explored more in future books. I also really liked the puzzle aspect and it was enjoyable for me to watch Avery try to figure them out. My main issues really all center around the romantic subplot. First of all, I hate–HATE–love triangles involving siblings (usually brothers). It just feels like there’s no way for that to end well in the long run. Second, I’m really over the “hot bad boy gives protagonist an annoying nickname” trope. It just feels so cringe to me. Every time. Lastly, THERE IS NO COMPELLING REASON WHY JAMESON AND GRAYSON ARE SO PROTECTIVE OF AVERY. They just ARE all of the sudden and it’s like…why? In the end, though, I liked this book and am FOR SURE reading the next book in the series.

Overall Rating: 4
Language: None
Violence: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking: Mild
Sexual Content: Mild

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The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Okay, since finishing this book I’ve read some pretty negative reviews about it and that just makes me so sad! This book has my whole heart and I realize it’s not going to be for everyone, but some people are really just missing out. This is different from any other book Schwab has written, but it still has her signature worldbuilding. It’s more magical realism than fantasy like some of her other books have been, but I feel like that makes the entire story more poignant. There’s this pervasive sadness throughout the book–even when Addie is with Henry, you just feel like any happiness cannot possibly last. I really liked that Schwab didn’t gloss over the beginning of Addie’s story while she’s figuring out her curse. I feel like I really liked having that backstory as a reader and her struggle provided some good perspective. Despite the romantic subplot with Henry, this story is not about the two of them or even about Addie and Luc–it’s about Addie alone and the ending makes that very apparent. This story was beautiful and heartbreaking and I’ll admit to sobbing through the last couple chapters. (Honestly, my only qualm is that Schwab used the word “palimpsest” like 50 times throughout the book).

Overall Rating: 5
Language: Moderate
Violence: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate
Sexual Content: Moderate

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The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton

I very much enjoyed Turton’s debut, The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and was pleasantly surprised to hear that he had a new book coming out! This book is just as twisty a mystery as Evelyn Hardcastle was, but with even more of a supernatural element to it. Right off the bat, it felt like there was a lot going on–we were meeting all kinds of characters and learning the backstory for the legend of Old Tom–but at the same time nothing was really happening. Our characters were running around doing a lot of things, but not learning anything. As the book progressed, I did feel myself getting more and more invested in figuring out what the heck was going on, but I also became certain that there were only two possible endings. One of those endings would be a great payoff, but the other would be incredibly lame and ruin the book. In the end, I thought the “solution” was pretty good, but felt a little rushed in its explanation. Regardless, this was the perfect book to be reading this time of year. Slightly spooky and very atmospheric.

Overall Rating: 4
Language: Mild
Violence: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate
Sexual Content: Moderate

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MINI-REVIEWS: Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All; Mexican Gothic; and The Lion’s Dean

Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All

I thought this book was so interesting the way it was narrated! It kind of reminds me of The Book Thief in some ways. I liked that we learned things about Pearl and her life along the way even though she wasn’t our classic “main character”. This book felt like a slice of life from Chicago during WWII and I really enjoyed getting that view. A lot of this story is just quiet and slow, but it’s so well-written (even though I think the imagery with doors kind of went over my head). The ending made me want to go straight back to the beginning to reread the prologue. I would definitely recommend this book, but it may be something that you have to be in a specific mood for. With that being said, I think these fall/winter days coming up will create the perfect atmosphere for this book.

Overall Rating: 4
Language: Mild
Violence: Mild
Smoking/Drinking: Mild
Sexual Content: Mild

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Mexican Gothic

This book felt so slooooow to me even from the very beginning. For a long time, I just felt like nothing was happening and it didn’t seem like Noemi was learning anything important. So that goes on for like the whole book until the last 20 pages which end up being super intense. I don’t want to give anything away, but it ended up being so different from what I expected and just really weird. It wasn’t scary or even that thrilling, though I’d probably still classify it as horror. Lastly, some uncomfortable topics were touched on that I didn’t love (incest, infanticide, and cannibalism).

Overall Rating: 3
Language: Moderate
Violence: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate
Sexual Content: Moderate

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The Lion’s Den

I didn’t LOVE the story itself, but I thought it was written well and it successfully kept the suspense and mystery high. I think that’s tough to do, so kudos for that. Part of what helped with that was that it was really difficult to know who the “good guys” are throughout the book–there was a moment where I was even contemplating how reliable a narrator Isabelle was. Despite not loving it, it did make me want to reread some sections after I finished to pick up on the things that I missed the first time. I think another reader would really enjoy this book, it just wasn’t totally for me.

Overall Rating: 3.5
Language: Moderate
Violence: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking: Moderate
Sexual Content: Moderate

Order: Hardcover | eBook

New-ish Release Mini-Reviews

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

I went into this book kind of wondering why it was necessary, but I was sucked back into Panem right away. I forgot how engaging Collins is as a writer and this book brought to mind everything I loved about The Hunger Games in the first place. I thought it was really interesting to see what the early Games were like and how Coriolanus introduced some things that lasted even until Katniss played. In a lot of ways, this book is really reminiscent of Marissa Meyer’s Heartless. In both books, we know that our main character will eventually become a horrible person, but it’s not immediately clear how they get there. I felt my feelings towards Coriolanus slowly changing as the book went on. He was someone I could sympathize with at the beginning, but over time he turned into someone I really didn’t like. I’m curious to know how much of his backstory already existed while Collins wrote The Hunger Games and how much she pulled together for this book. I thought it was so interesting how Collins weaved in all the things in his background that explain just why he hates Katniss so much. Almost everything about her must remind him of Lucy Gray. Overall, if you were a fan of the original trilogy, I would definitely recommend this. I didn’t feel like it was a waste of time at all. 4/5

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Big Summer

I had no idea what this book was about when I started it so I was STUNNED that it turned into a murder mystery. Despite that somewhat pleasant surprise, I only found this book to be okay. There were so many flashbacks to the point where I was getting confused about what was actually happening in the current timeline. I kept losing track of where my character was supposed to be while she was thinking about the past. The ending was okay if not the most satisfying–it didn’t totally make sense to me. I didn’t find Nick and Daphne to be very convincing as a couple. I felt like they needed to have more of a confrontation than they did regarding Nick’s ulterior motives. My main takeaway, however, is that Darshi is an amazing angel friend and Daphne doesn’t deserve her. 3/5

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Happy & You Know It

This book also wasn’t quite what I wanted it to be. I didn’t find Claire to be a very likable character. A lot of the time I felt a little impatient with her. I also didn’t understand the depth of the betrayal she felt when she learned certain facts about the group–I thought she wildly overreacted. This book definitely had some Big Little Lies vibes to it almost where we have a group of mom and their secrets. I thought the prologue at the beginning of the book did a really great job of keeping the momentum going towards the end (again, similar to BLL). I thought the ending was a bit unexpected, but interesting and in retrospect, I can see the seeds that were planted along the way. Overall, I didn’t love the characters or the book as a whole, but I appreciated the frank depiction of what it’s like to be a new mother. I can testify that all those feelings about motherhood are real and accurate. 3/5

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Oona Out of Order

I was so disappointed by this book! My main problem was just that I didn’t care for Oona. I don’t think she made a single decision that I agreed with. Seriously. Not a single one. It’s so hard for me to connect with a character when I don’t agree with their decision-making. I just can’t separate myself like that. I didn’t totally understand her obsession with Dale. I understand that he was her high school boyfriend and first love and she didn’t really get closure on their relationship right away, but she’s as hung up on him after seven years (and other relationships) as she was in the first year. It just didn’t ring authentic to me. But what do I know? I never had a high school boyfriend. I also thought the pacing of the book was off. Each year, we would spend a lot of time on just a few days and then the rest of the year would take up like two paragraphs and we’d be on to the next. My last issue is the fact that we never really get to see Oona turn into “future Oona”. They felt like two completely separate characters and I really wanted to see Oona turn into that person who is “future Oona”, but we never do. There were definitely some twists that I didn’t see coming, but they weren’t enough to redeem this book. 2/5

The Vanishing Half

Oh gosh, I really feel like I’m in the minority with this one, but I thought it was just okay. The premise itself is pretty intriguing, but something about the pacing was off to me. The different narratives all felt really long and I think it could have benefited from alternating narratives or something. The whole story just seemed to move really slow. I’m not necessarily opposed to a leisurely paced story, but I really wasn’t getting anything out of this one. Despite the slow pace, I never felt connected to any of the character. It made it so I just didn’t really care much what was going on. Honestly, there were a couple of times that I almost set this book down for good. In the end, I think the relationship between Jude and Desiree was compelling and encouraging, but it was kind of offset by Stella and Kennedy’s relationship. 3/5

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