Category: Book Recommendations

December 2021 Reads

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Our book club pick for December, I went into this book hoping for something fun. Charles Dickens pulls a Sherlock Holmes? Yes, please! Instead, what I got was a Charles Dickens of his time, views on gender roles and all, and a mystery that was not as fun as I had expected. I wish the author hadn’t been so rigid in keeping with historical accuracy. I could have used a good, strong female character.

3 Stars

A cute YA holiday romance, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I felt that the characters were beautifully developed, and the pacing was very realistic. This book definitely met my expectations of a cute holiday read.

4 Stars

I felt the first book was pretty good, and decided to read the sequel because, why not? I went into the book thinking it was a duology and this book would complete the series. And I grew to love El and Orion even more than before as the book move through their senior year and the choices they made for their classmates and their relationship. However, with 20 minutes left of the book I realized Naomi Novik changed the book to a TRILOGY and I may have screamed in the parking lot of Kohl’s at the last line of the book. Now I’m anxiously awaiting book 3 in September.

4 Stars

Bayliss’ Twelve Dates of Christmas was one of my favorite holiday reads last year, so I was looking forward to reading this new book from her. And it did not disappoint. I fell in love with the small town of Willow Bay and found myself longing to visit. Annie and John had the perfectly paced slow burn, and I found myself sad when I reached the end of the book, wanting at least a hundred more pages so I could stay with Annie, John and the rest of Willow Bay’s residents.

4 Stars

Hallmark Christmas movie in a book. This was the perfect Christmas romance, and I just ate it up. I loved Annie. The twins were just freakin’ adorable. And the romance was great. Perfect holiday fluff read.

4 Stars

Twins swapping places, food network baking competition, small snowy town, and romance. What more could you ask for in a Christmas read? I could not put this book down, and loved every second of it. It was so cute, and I loved that I got two love stories for the price of one. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Prior to reading this book, I could not name one Foo Fighters song, and could only name one Nirvana song. I chose to listen to this book because I heard it was a great memoir. And it was. I really enjoyed it, and I fell in love with Dave Grohl. I have since listened to some of his music.

5 Stars

Chosen for my book club I do with my sisters, I was really excited to read this book since Project Hail Mary was easily the best book I read all year. Artemis, however, really fell short. I think my expectations were too high after Mary and The Martian. This book was a lot different than the other two. That being said, I still enjoyed the book, and loved the thriller aspect. It did start a bit slow, but it picked up.

4 Stars

Typically I read to escape reality, so I almost didn’t pick up a book so firmly set during the beginning of Covid. The concept of a woman being stuck in the Galapagos intrigued me though. And I have to say, this was a great book. I really loved the stuff on the Galapagos. However, there’s a twist that happens at about 60% that really knocked me for a spin, and knocked a star off my rating. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it was jarring and a bit disappointing. However, I’m going to choose to believe it ends the way I want it to end, and that will keep it at the higher rating.

4 stars

November 2021 Reads

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Trejo was an amazing memoir. I really enjoyed learning about what Danny Trejo was like before he was famous. I think the most impressive thing I learned about him was his role in the recovery community in L.A. Danny Trejo is really who you would hope he would be based on his social media and public persona.

4 Stars

This book was so good. I went into it thinking I wasn’t going to like it, and ended up absolutely loving it. The characters were so well written, and the plot was such an original idea. And I absolutely adored the summer camp setting. The book made me laugh and it made me cry. This was our book club pick and it is hands down my favorite book we read this year.

5 Stars

Now, this was a thriller. The entire book really kept me guessing. The most difficult part was keeping track of the dates at the beginning of each chapter. But I thought I had figured out what had happened and I was so proud of myself, but I was very wrong, and I was very happy. I really didn’t expect the ending. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Easily the best memoir I’ve ever read. If you get the chance, listen to it. Ron Howard’s life is just as wholesome as you would expect Opie and Richie Cunningham’s life to be. And I loved hearing about the relationship he had with his dad growing up in Hollywood. I learned a lot about Clint I didn’t know. I had no idea he was a child actor in his own right. This book was though provoking and lovingly told.

5 stars

Reading this book set in 2026 in the year 2021 was a bit unsettling. The world building was very realistic, and had the desired effect on me. I really enjoyed the slow build of events. It was a hard read, outside of my comfort zone. I really enjoyed the characters and the abrupt ending has made me want to read the next book.

4 Stars

A quick , but interesting read, I learned a lot about pioneers in Queer history. There were some I learned about I didn’t even know were queer, like Lincoln, and some I had never even heard of at all. Geared toward the YA crowd, this book was very educational. It comes with a glossary at the end defining all the terms used in the book.

5 Stars

I can’t believe I had never read this book before. I read this aloud with my son, and I absolutely loved this book. It is full of my favorite humor: Puns. This was such a fun read

4 Stars

I really enjoy reading holiday books around the holidays. This year I was so excited to see a Rom Com around Diwali. The book was a really cute romance set around Diwali. However, the plot just didn’t suck me in as much as I would have liked, and it took me a very long time to finish it. It felt like a lot of the romance elements were a bit forced.

3 stars

Following my expanded holiday reading, I found this new release debut novel about Hanukah. It was so. good. I really loved the dual points of view, and the representation of a chronic illness in such a positive light. I laughed, I cried, this book was everything I love in a romance book.

4 Stars

October 2021 Reads

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This book moved slower than I would have liked, I wish the romance had started a little sooner, and the break up seemed a bit contrived, but overall I enjoyed the book. I loved Lucie and Tristan together, and wish more pages had been devoted to them together rather than apart. I love how well researched these books are, and how angry it makes me to read about how little women had in so far as independence and rights in the 19th Century. It truly makes me grateful that I live now instead of then. (BOTM)

4 Stars

This was easily my favorite book of the three. I felt the romance was earned more in this one than in the other two. It may be because Hattie has always been my favorite and I was so happy for her to get her HEA. Taking Lucien and Hattie out of London and up into Scotland was brilliant, and definitely gave the story more depth. I loved all the side characters and hope to see them again of there are more books. (BOTM)

5 Stars

I wasn’t quite sure what to think starting this one, with yet another huge time leap between books and 100% new characters, however, I found myself enjoying this one quite a bit. In true Herbert fashion the book is SO MUCH set up, however, I love the way he world builds I honestly don’t care that nothing really happens for the first three fourths of the book. The ending and the revelations in the last fourth are totally worth it. I had a lot of predictions that turned out wrong, but I find myself really looking forward to the final book in the series.

4 Stars

What a great book. Everything in love in a romance and some of my favorite tropes. We had friends to lovers, game dating and only one bed all in one book. Add in a strong independent Latina protagonist I could identify with and you have a book I could devour in a day. I loved the pace of Gabe and Mich’s relationship and I loved their extended families. The book made me laugh, and it made me cry.

4 Stars

What a beautiful book. Really makes you think about the way you live your own life, what is your legend journey? What is your treasure? Are you listening to the world around you? The prose was beautiful. I was moved to tears at points.

4 Stars

Other than the fact that I couldn’t stop picturing Piper as Season 1 Alexis Rose and Brendan as Ron Swanson through the entirety of the book, which made for some interesting visuals when they started bumping uglies, this book was a lot of fun. I enjoy a good enemies to lovers book, and I love a good fish out of water book, and this provided both. The writing was smooth, the characters well developed, and I rooted for them from the first page. I’ve already put the next book on my TBR.

4 Stars

Powerful book about a horrible event in our history. Colbert does a great job contextualizing the massacre in history and bringing the event to life. Written for a teen audience, the book isn’t too bogged down by complex sentences. The history is told concisely and simply and it’s easy to follow and read.

5 Stars

This book was everything I had hoped for in a sequel. It was just as good and beautiful as the first book, and picked up the second after the first book ended. I fell in love with Ari and and Dante even more than I did before. They are so well written. And Ari’s journey was so great. I know it probably won’t happen, but I would love to see at least a short story following Ari, Dante, the girls, the parents, et all maybe like twenty years later, just to see where their lives are. If I don’t get that, I’ll be happy. The ending of this book was perfect. This book was…perfect.

5 Stars

Now THIS was a thriller. Everything that I thought would be a last minute twist happened in the first 50% of the book, and I honestly had no idea how it would end. The book kept me at the edge of my seat and I didn’t want to stop reading. (BOTM)

5 Stars

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve read a lot of these dystopian female heroes books or what, but this one just didn’t wow me. I enjoyed the book okay, but if it weren’t picked for my book club I may have set it aside. The only thing that compelled me to keep reading was the relationship between Immanuelle and Ezra, and even then there wasn’t enough there. I would have loved to see their relationship flushed out. And more of them together. The book wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t AMAZING. I don’t think I’ll be reading the next book in the series.

3 Stars

This was a fun book to read during October. I really liked the Jones girls and I liked how magic was just a thing in the world. And I really like Rhys. I’m a sucker for a Welsh man. (BOTM)

4 Stars

This book was okay. I wanted to love it more, but I just couldn’t get into the way it was written. Too many pop culture references, not a lot of character development, which I know can be difficult in a novella, but can be done. Maybe I was walking into this expecting something different, but whatever I was expecting, this wasn’t it. It just didn’t draw me in. 

3 Stars

July 2021 Reads

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Northern Spy is billed as a thriller, but that wasn’t the book I read. I went in expecting a spy thriller set in Northern Ireland. What I got was a story about a woman experiencing motherhood for the first time, and maybe a little about being a spy.

The setting was also suspect. I had to actually Google the IRA and whether it was still active today, it isn’t. All around the book was a bit of a disappointment, even though it was well written.

3 Stars

Project Hail Mary was one of my most anticipated releases of this year, and it really didn’t disappoint, it actually exceeded my expectations. Science Fiction, emphasis on the science, Hail Mary tells the story of Grace, a scientist sent to the edges of our universe to try and solve the problem of our dying sun.

Full of twists and turns and edge of your seat action, this book diverges from Weir’s The Martian by bringing in a surprising ally to Grace, and turning the story into one of not only survival but to one of unlikely friendship and hope.

This book is easily my favorite book I’ve read so far this year. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Well Met was such a fun romance set in a small New England town and their annual Renaissance festival. Simon and Emily’s enemies to lovers story was absolutely fantastic, and I loved every second of their banter.

I enjoyed this book so much that I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series. And I also really want to go to Faire. (BOTM)

4 Stars

The Lost Apothecary is probably the book I was most disappointed with this month. Billed as Historical Fantasy, I just didn’t see any sort of fantasy elements, at least not until the very end, and even that was a stretch. The inside flap also implied time travel, but again, there was none of that.

The dual storylines were okay, but they were so loosely tied together I often wondered what the point was.

Overall, the book left a lot to be desired and was nothing what I expected it to be. (BOTM)

3 stars

This. Book. The timeline through Alex and Poppy’s relationship was an absolutely stunning way to tell their story. Their friendship was beautifully told, and the slow realization of Poppy’s feelings for Alex was so realistic.

This is a book that I will definitely be keeping on my shelf in order to re-read. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Sometimes when you go into a book with low expectations, you’re pleasantly surprised. I loved Daniel. He was hilarious and very relatable as a person. The story flowed perfectly from beginning to end. And it even got suspenseful near the end, which was something I really wasn’t expecting! Overall if you want a fun Rear Window type book, this is the book for your. (BOTM)

4 Stars

I highly recommend listening to Born a Crime on audiobook. Listening to Trevor Noah tell his own story is compelling and powerful. And I think it helps inject humor into the story, with his voices and inflections. I learned more about Apartheid from this book than I ever did in school.

5 Stars

I think I went into One Last Stop with high expectations since Red, White, and Royal Blue was one of my favorite books I read last year, so I was let down just a little. I still really enjoyed the book, but I didn’t immediately go to Pinterest and start pinning fan art of it either.

I really enjoyed the concept of the book, and I LOVED August and Jane, their chemistry was undeniable, and they were so cute together. I also loved the theme of found family.

I can’t put my finger on what fell short with me preventing me from giving this book five stars, but I really loved this book, just not as much as I had hoped I would. (BOTM)

4 Stars

I chose this book because I needed a debut to finish off my Book of the Month challenge and earn my free socks. We Are the Brennans was a huge surprise. I LOVED this book. It reminded me of Parenthood, one of my favorite tv shows.

The characters were all flawed, but that just made them more endearing. I loved this book so much I’m really hoping Lange will write more books about this family. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Brave New World was my book club’s pick for July. This was my third time reading it, and I have to say I still loved it the third time around. The commentary about consumerism and society is still spot on nearly ninety years after its publication. While the characters are not super strong and just a means for pushing the plot forward, Mustapha Mond and John still have one of the most iconic pieces of literature I’ve ever read. If you haven’t read this classic, you should.

4 Stars

I think I was expecting a little more thriller in The Maidens so I was a little let down, but the book still pushed me through and I couldn’t put it down. Starting out a bit slow, once Marianna really started investigating the mystery, the action picked up and I really didn’t want to stop reading. The ending really made up for the slow beginning. (BOTM)

4 Stars

A fun summer Rom Com set in a beautiful setting, Shipped was the light reading I needed after a month of heavy books. Graeme and Henley were a match made in Rom Com heaven, and their enemies to lovers relationship was to die for. Not only did this book have a wonderful love story, I really enjoyed the focus it had on ecotourism and the plight of women working in a male dominated industry.

4 stars

June 2021 Reads

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Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake is the first book in Alexis Hall’s new queer Great British Bake Off series, and it is delightful.

The book follows Rosaline, a single mom, as she works her way through the different stages of a Great British Bake Off-esque show. The character development is amazing, and I absolutely fell in love with Harry. I really wish I could have watched this as a show.

5 Stars

Dirty Dancing meets Schitt’s Creek, The Last Summer at the Golden Hotel was a fun read. An abundance of characters, and a family tree as reference, it is not difficult to keep track of the zany characters. Even with the point of view jumping all over the place.

The book felt nostalgic, even though I have never been to the Catskills. The end of the book moved me to tears, and overall the book had a very magical feel to it. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Easily my favorite read of the month, The Guncle follows Patrick, a gay former television star, as he takes in his niece and nephew for the summer after their mother (his best friend) dies and their father (his brother) enters rehab. A coming of age story, if you can come of age in your forties, The Guncle tugs on your heartstrings as you watch Patrick help his niece and nephew navigate their grief and come to terms with their new reality.

The book is all at once heartfelt and heartbreaking, humorous and tender. The book made me laugh and cry, and when I finished all I wanted to do was hug it close to my chest. It is a book I wish I could completely forget so I could experience reading it for the first time again.

5 Stars

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a new favorite author of mine, and Malibu Rising is a book I highly anticipated the release for. And I was not disappointed.

Following the Riva siblings, children of Mick Riva the rock star, Malibu Rising‘s A-plot takes place during a single day leading up to and during the annual end of summer party. The B-plot takes place in the past, weaving in the siblings past to give a clearer picture of the choices they make the day of the party.

Like her previous books, Reid’s characters make the story. They come to life on the page and draw you in never letting you go. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Your typical regency romance, The Duke and I was our book club pick for the month of June. While I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype surrounding it with the Netflix show, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Fake dating and friends to lovers are two of my favorite romance tropes, and they were both included here. The relationship between Simon and Daphne was fun, and I loved seeing them interact. I enjoyed all of Daphne’s siblings as well, and I am planning to read the rest of the books in the series.

5 Stars

Another highly anticipated release, John Green’s Anthropocene Reviewed is a series of essays in which Green reviews aspects of the Anthropocene on a five star scale, all while interweaving personal stories.

This book is a beautifully written, honest and heart wrenching picture into Green’s life, and this book has catapulted to the top of my list as my favorite of his books. While I had heard some of these personal stories before on both his Vlog and his Pod, some he has never really told before. Deeply personal, and extremely eye-opening, I love that Green has shared this book with the world. (BOTM)

5 stars

The Road Trip is such a lovely book. While telling the story of two exes who are forced to take a road trip to a mutual friend’s wedding, we get flashbacks to their time as a couple.

The “then” storyline was very frustrating for me to read, but I understand in order to root for them to reunite, you have to understand why they broke up in the first place. In all I didn’t find the character of Marcus to be at all redeemable, but I loved Addie and Dylan, and I just wanted their love to succeed.

4 Stars

Have you ever really looked forward to a book, and then when you read it are utterly let down? That’s me with Anne of Manhattan. I’m a sucker for retellings, just look at my bookshelf and you will find at least 3 retellings of Beauty and the Beast. And this was a retelling of one of my favorite books, Anne of Green Gables. However, this book ended up falling way short for me.

The book read like fanfiction, which as an avid reader and writer of fanfiction I’m very familiar with. What I mean by that is the author never really delved deeply into the familiar characters. We only saw them, and their romance, at surface levels. She did a lot of telling, and not a lot of showing. Which was very frustrating because I love Anne and Gilbert, and wanted to see a modern take on their romance.

3 Stars.

Book two in a series (oops!), Hang the Moon tells the story of Brenden and Annie and their journey to love.

Typical friends to lovers trope, this book is fun and lovely and hits the right spots if you love a good rom com. I enjoyed the story, and never felt like I was missing something even though I didn’t read the first book. I really enjoyed the flipped character trait of the man being the hopeless romantic and the woman being the cynical one.

4 stars

A fast-paced thriller from beginning to end, Riley Sager’s Survive the Night is one to read if you like to be kept guessing.

Charlie wants to get off campus ASAP after the tragedy of her best friend being murdered, and she finds a ride home with a stranger, Josh. From the second she gets in the car until the end of the book, it’s impossible to put down. Taking place in 1991 without cell phones and social media, it’s the right setting for keeping you on the edge of your seat. I was able to guess some of the twists, but only paragraphs before they were revealed, and guessing didn’t detract from the story at all.

Completely satisfying, I read the book in two sittings. (BOTM)

5 Stars.

May 2021 Reads

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I look forward to every Black Dagger Brotherhood release each year, and I’m never disappointed. In Lover Unveiled, I really liked the new couple, Mae and Sahvage, but I felt like their story isn’t complete. I have a feeling their story is going to bleed into the next book, which JR Ward is not spilling the beans on yet.

I also am super intrigued by Balz and the detective. I have a strong feeling they are going to be the new book, and their story is going to intertwine with Mae and Sahvage.

I think the best part of this book is the HUGE reveal for Lassiter at the very end. I love Lass, and I know he’s getting a book, and I’m just so anxious for it.

5 Stars

Second First Impressions was so cute. I loved this book so much. I absolutely fell in love with Teddy. I read a lot of romance, but Teddy stood out amongst all the male love interests. He was hilarious, and cute, and just *sigh*. Not be outdone, I also loved Ruthie. I wanted to be here friend.

Their relationship just felt so organic, moving from acquaintance, to best friends, to lovers. There was not one thing I didn’t love about this book. I wish I could go back and read it a first time again.

5 Stars

There are some books that you read that will stick with you forever. The Death of Vivek Oji is one of those books. This is a powerful story about an important topic that needs to be told and read. I can’t really say much more than this, since I don’t want to spoil anything about the book. This is definitely a book that will be read for generations. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Man Enough was written for men, but it can be read and enjoyed by anyone. Justin Baldoni wrote his truth and a book that gives men to be themselves and not what society expects them to be. The book really gave a lot of insight into adolescent boys, which will be useful for me to reflect on as my son gets older.

4 Stars

A Longer Fall is the second of the Gunnie Rose books, and I actually enjoyed it better than the first. A lot less worldbuilding. A lot more character development. I love the characters of Lizbeth and Eli so much, and I love their relationship building.

This book took us to a new section of the old United States, and it was really cool to see the difference.

4 Stars

The Gunnie Rose series just gets better and better with each book. I loved The Russian Cage the most. It’s probably because I’m a huge fan of romance. But in addition to the growing romance of Eli and Lizbeth, there was a lot more action and mystery. I really enjoyed the new setting of The Holy Russian Empire.

4 Stars

Picked to read with my sisters, I really enjoyed this book. The first half was very slow, but then the haunting started and the second half flew by. I found myself sitting in my car long after arriving home just to read a little bit more. If you’re a fan of Shirley Jackson, you’ll enjoy this book.

4 stars

Ever since I knew they made this a real book, I had been looking forward to reading it. However, I was super disappointed once I read it. I know in the show they made a big deal about it being Jane’s story, but I didn’t expect it to be a complete word for word retelling of the first season of the show. I was a little annoyed with it. Not my favorite book.

3 Stars

My kids and I have started reading together every night again, and our first book was Fortunately the Milk. And it was so funny. We alternate who reads, and we couldn’t stop laughing. It’s a quick read, and I think everyone should read it, young or old.

5 Stars

This book was a very uneven read. The first 3/4 of the book was so good. I loved reading about the victims and their lives, and about queer New York. However, where the book fell flat for me was when you learned that while the killer was caught, he never confessed, they never found the place he was killing these men, and there was never a clear motive found. I know the case is very recent, but the part I love most about True Crime is learning the why and how. And this book was missing this. The book ended so abruptly, it left me me feeling like the book was incomplete.

4 stars

The second book we picked to read as a family, if you like cat puns, this is the book for you. This was a short fun graphic novel, that was the third time my son read, however, he was so excited to read it with me, his excitement rubbed off on me.

4 stars

This was a cute book. And one that was hard for me to put down. The characters were fun, the romance was believable, and I wanted to be friends with Kara. As a fellow romance author, I loved the breakdown of what makes a romance novel. A fun book to read while camping.

4 Stars

Christina Lauren are quickly becoming my favorite RomCom authors. I have read three of their books in the last six months, and I have read each of them in one day.

My favorite thing about The Souldmate Equation was how swoony the romance was. Jess and River’s chemistry was palpable. The addition of Juno took the story to the next level.

What I appreciate about Christina Lauren is that their characters fall in love doing the mundane, and they know how to write a love story.

4 Stars

April 2021 Reads

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Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay is a thriller that delivers. From the minute it starts, the plot does not slow down. Finlay is really good at keeping the reader in suspense, and while some of the plot was slightly predictable, it didn’t detract from the story at all. I read this book in two sittings, and stayed up way too late at night reading.

4 Stars

After reading Kristin Hannah’s The Four Winds last month and loving it, the next logical step was to read The Grapes of Wrath. A classic that I had been meaning to read since high school, I’m glad I waited to read this as an adult. I think I could appreciate it better.

I loved the alternating chapters, one which told the stories of actual refugees from the dust bowl, and one which told the story of the Joads. The book was a grim window into the realities of the Great Depression and the Dust bowl, and the discrimination “Okies” faced trying to find a better life for themselves in California.

My only complaint is I wish there was more story to tell. I want to know what happened to the Joads. I like to imagine things got better for them, and they were able to reunite with those they had to separate from.

5 Stars

Pretty Things was my book club’s pick for April. At first I didn’t think it would be a book I would enjoy, but in the end I thought the book was pretty good.

A thriller, it took about half of the book to really become what I would define as a “thriller.” Once I passed the halfway mark, I didn’t want to put the book down.

My one complaint would be there just seemed to be too many twists to make sense. I think with so many twists you were really expected to suspend your disbelief a little too much, and it really made Nina and Vanessa seem dense and oblivious most of the time that they weren’t able to see some of these situations before they arose.

4 Stars

I had been really looking forward to reading The Paris Library, and while it was a good book, I felt slightly let down by it.

Odile’s story was really the part of the book I cared the most about. I loved hearing about her life in Paris both before and during the War. However, it took a very long time for it to get to the war, and I guess I was expecting her to play a bigger role in things. But as my husband pointed out, sometimes it’s the stories of people who do mundane things, or the small things that need to be told, and that was Odile’s story.

Lily’s story was one that I really didn’t understand why it was there. I found myself struggling through her portions. It wasn’t until the final chapter that the inclusion of Lily made some sort of sense.

The story took a while to get into, but once it picked up, it was hard to put down.

4 Stars

Accidentally Engaged tells the story of an arranged engagement, but with the twist that the two characters meet before their parents can introduce them and they fall in love on their own terms. In this case, around baked goods.

I loved Reena and Nadim, and their whole story. They were cute, and nothing about the plot felt overly contrived. It seemed to move at a realistic pace. And it made me really hungry, especially for sourdough.

4 Stars

After being burned by Charlaine Harris with the end of the Sookie Stackhouse series, I’ve been very hesitant to support her or read anything else by her. However, for the PopSugar Reading Challenge, I needed a genre hybrid, and An Easy Death came highly recommended, so I gave it a try. And I’m glad I did.

I really like the characters of Lizbeth and Eli. I like their chemistry, and how they work together. I enjoyed the mystery, and the pace in which it was told. I was super bothered by the time line. No matter how much I mathed, there’s no way Eli could be the age he is if the events really unfolded the way Harris laid them out.

Overall the book was entertaining enough that I have the second book sitting in my TBR.

4 Stars

Recommended by a friend, A Deadly Education took a minute to get into, the narration was really hard to breath through, but once you’re in, you need to figure out what happens next.

Set in a magical school that is out to kill you, El is just trying to survive, but she’s a magnet to all the Mals in the school. Orion likes to rescue people, and the two clash often throughout the book, until they don’t. The book is a little heavy with world building and exposition, but the plot really does shine through.

I enjoyed the book enough that I will probably read the next one. Who am I kidding? With the last paragraph of this one, I’m intrigued enough that I will definitely be picking up the next book in this series.

4 Stars

I really wanted to love The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, and on paper it seems like the perfect book for me. However, the pacing of the book, and just the way the story was told really just fell flat for me.

I felt like the book was trying to do too much at one time. I wish it had chosen one thing to focus on, either Nina’s discovery of this whole family she had no idea she had, or the romance with the rival Trivia Team Captain. By trying to fit in both, the story just felt super rushed, and none of the characters felt very developed.

3 Stars

Another book that I really wanted to love, but fell flat, We Could Be Heroes just didn’t resonate with me the way I had hoped it would.

I don’t know if I wasn’t in the right mood, but this book felt like a struggle to get through. It didn’t hold my interest at all. Which is unfortunate because I really liked Zoe and Jamie. And I was really interested in their story. I just walked away from the book feeling very “meh.” (BOTM)

3 Stars

Slowly making my way through the Dune series, and Children of Dune found me saying out loud, several times, “What is going on? This is so weird. They are NINE.”

I have really enjoyed this book, and this series, but I have a feeling as I continue to the next book, things are just going to get weirder, and things were also really weird in this book. I’ll never fully understand the pre-born, and some of the situations the Atreides twins were in made me understand why the mini-series aged them up significantly. My favorite character is still Duncan Idaho.

4 Stars

March Reads

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I am a huge Greek Mythology nerd, and when I read Circe a couple years ago, I really loved what Madeline Miller did to a very familiar story. I feel the exact same way about The Song of Achilles.

The story is incredibly poignant. The love story told through Patroclus’ point of view makes the Trojan War come to life in ways that I never could have imagined. I absolutely loved the relationship between him and Achilles. The love they shared was beautiful, and I really enjoyed that it didn’t follow any romance tropes. They fell in love, and they stayed in love. I may have cried, a lot.

5 Stars.

The Bad Muslim Discout is a book I probably wouldn’t have found without being a member of Book of the Month Club. It is a little bit out of my comfort zone as far as content and genre, but it’s a book I was really glad I read.

While it was a book that I read slower than any other I’ve read recently, it wasn’t something I had to struggle to get through. I really liked it. The contrasting stories of Safwa and Anvar give you a really good window into what it’s like to be an immigrant to America, and a Muslim one at that.

While it’s a book that is a commentary on living as a Muslim in America, and living life as a Muslim in general, the book doesn’t take itself seriously. Anvar is hilarious, and so is hid dad. (BOTM)

4 stars

I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan, and my goal in 2021 was to read all the books. I discovered in the last year that “classic” books are easier for me to read through the audiobook format. And so I found Fellowship of the Ring on audiobook, and discovered it is a BBC Radio dramatization of the book. And I rejoiced.

This was a really fun read. And quick. At only five hours, they do make some cuts: less walking through the woods, no Tom Bombadill, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. If you like the movies, but the books intimidate you, this is the way to go. The actors are great, and there’s music. It’s like watching a film.

4 Stars

Snow Like Ashes was our book club pick this month. When this book came up on our randomized spinner, I was worried. I didn’t think I was going to like it. And for the first couple chapters I was sure that feeling would be confirmed. However, it turns out, this book wasn’t terrible, and I actually enjoyed it.

Like most YA Fantasy books, it’s pretty predictable, however, even with the predictability, the book is very enjoyable. The plot moves quickly, it holds your interest, and I’m now looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy. Team Mather FTW.

4 Stars

My sisters and I are doing a book club together this year, and our next book to come up on the wheel of chance was Prisoner of Azkaban. This was obviously a re-read for me. The book hasn’t lost anything in the ten years since I read it the first time. This is one of my favorites of the series.

5 Stars

I love me a good romance novel, and Love at First is just that. It’s your cliche romance novel. I read this in two sittings, and really enjoyed the story. The slow burn was a bit too slow for me, but the story was fun. Will’s backstory reminded me a lot of the Willoughby’s, which if you’ve seen it, or read the book, you’ll know what I’m talking about. I think my favorite part was the “fate” aspect of the book.

Heiress Gets a Duke is another typical romance, this time it’s a historical romance. This was a fun book. August and Evan and their banter was just amazing.

When I’m reading a romance novel, I prefer a strong, independent female lead, and this book delivered. It took it one step further with the male lead falling in love with the female lead because of her independence. This led to the two having amazing chemistry. (BOTM)

4 Stars

The Kiss Quotient intrigued me with the concept: a gender swapped Pretty Woman. Add in the fact that it’s an #OwnVoices work written by an Autistic AAPI woman, I was sold.

The book was really fun, and pretty funny. I loved all the characters, and I will probably read the other books in the series. I felt that the relationship between Stella and Michael was very believable and the pacing was good. Michael’s family was probably one of my favorite aspects of the novel.

Warning: This book is STEAMY (BOTM)

4 Stars

The Four Winds gets the honor of being my favorite book I’ve read this month. Set during The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, this novel tells the story of Elsa.

The story is told so very vividly, I had dreams that I was living during that time. I could feel Elsa’s plight as she tried to save her kids from illnesses borne of breathing in the dust that flew during the storms, and from starvation once they made it to California.

This book is about the courage of women who would do anything for their children. You couldn’t help but root for the Martinellis. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Continued with my BBC Radio Lord of the Rings listen with The Two Towers. I learned that the movie wasn’t the whole book. The book included what ended up being the beginning parts of Return of the King. Also, the movies really didn’t take advantage of Treebeard singing. It was probably my favorite part. The book ending with the encounter with the giant spider really makes you want to listen, or read, the next book right away.

5 Stars

If The Four Winds was my favorite book of the month, then The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is my runner up. I was worried this book wouldn’t live up to the hype. I’ve been hearing about how great this book was for months. However, not only did this book live up to the hype, it exceeded my expectations.

Addie’s story was very compelling, and I loved the way Schwab chose to tell it. At first I thought things were moving a bit slowly, but then the book introduced Henry and I couldn’t put it down. The love between the two catapulted the story forward. And the end? I just had to sit there and hold the book for a minute, and soak it all in. Highly recommend. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Do you like superheroes, but wish they were more gay? The Extraordinaries is the book for you then! This was a hilarious tale about a high school boy pining over the local superhero. It is very much a YA book, but even adults can enjoy it. I fell in love with Nick and Seth, and I am counting down the days for the sequel. I don’t want to say too much more, because I don’t want to spoil anything, but please do yourself a favor and go pick this book up today!

5 Stars

February 2021 Reads

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This book was the perfect book to kick off Valentine’s month. It was fun and cute and perfectly hit all the romance beats. I loved Daisy’s Avenger’s obsession, it made her so much more relateable. Loved how sensitive Liam was. And it was the perfect friends to enemies to lovers trope. Their shared history is what made the book so much better.

I ended up reading this book in one sitting, and I have no regrets. For a book I picked out just because the cover was pretty, I think I did a good job. (BOTM)

4/5 Stars

This was our book club pick for February, and I will admit, I wasn’t sure about this. I had heard good things about it though in many of the book groups I’m a part of, so I gave it a chance.

Matthew McConaughey is a storyteller. He knows how to weave a tale. And he has certainly lived an exciting, and different, life. However, one couldn’t help but wonder as you’re reading, how much of this is an exaggeration? How much is he using his storytelling to push forward something by bending the truth just slightly? Either way, I really enjoyed reading this book. And now I want to watch all of his movies.

4/5 Stars

This was a beautiful story. Therapist finds a suicidal man on the side of a bridge ready to jump and saves him. She brings him into her life for a weekend and both of their lives are changed forever. I never wanted this book to end. I could have stayed in their world for at least 200 more pages. Everything about the story Cross-Smith wove was beautifully done. The book moved me to tears several times over. Did I like the ending? It wasn’t one I expected, but it was realistic and just like the rest of the novel, perfect. (BOTM)

4/5 Stars

What can I say about this book? This is my favorite read of February. I’ve had this book sitting in my TBR for a few months, and I don’t know why it took me so long to get to it. Azere and Rafael are serious couples goals. My favorite thing about this book was how it was a traditional romance, and hit all the traditional romance beats, but it also interwove this complex story about being an immigrant and having to try and balance maintaining your own culture and trying to fit in with your new culture.

Everything about this novel was beautifully written with ease. I predict that I’ll be reading this book over and over and over again. (BOTM)

5/5 Stars

After beginning the series a year ago, I am finally done, and I have to say, the series has a fairly satisfying ending, although I can see why they made the video games.

The book was very long, and dragged at times, and I felt a lot of it was unnecessary, however, it was a really good end for Ciri. Her story wrapped up very nicely, and I loved seeing her come into her own, become a Witcher, and have a mostly happy ending.

4/5 Stars

This. This was a fun read. I love, love, LOVE retellings of popular stories. Especially when they’re taken from their typical setting and placed in a completely new one.

Pride takes Pride and Prejudice from Regency Era England and plops it down in 21st Century Brooklyn. And the story just…fit. I loved the new time bending and race bending of the characters, and their relationships. Zoboi fit it all in. Everything. But updated. If you’re a fan of Jane Austen, then you should definitely give this book a try.

4/5 Stars

Well, this was definitely a book that was well outside of what I would normally read, but I’m so glad I read it. Clarke is a master at storytelling. When the novel begins, it’s very unclear what is happening. But slowly, things start to get revealed, and once you know what is going on, the novel just becomes even better. The build up of the mystery of what exactly was happening to Piranesi made me want to keep reading. I won’t say anymore, because this is a book best to go into cold. But I will say, if you do pick it up, keep reading. You won’t regret it.

5/5 Stars

The second book I read this month in one sitting. My second Christina Lauren book, and just as the first I read (In a Holidaze), I loved it so much I couldn’t stop reading. A romance that hits all the romance beats, and featuring one of my favorite tropes (enemies to lovers), The Unhoneymooners is hilarious, swoonworthy, and tear inducing. The banter between Olive and Ethan was enviable. I hope I can write banter that good. There was absolutely nothing I didn’t like about this book.

5/5 Stars

I didn’t think I would be reading this book so soon, I was on a very long wait list at the library. However, I was lucky enough to score a skip the line copy, and I’ve never been so happy.

A prequel to The Hate U Give, Concrete Rose is Maverick’s story when he was Seven’s age. It begins with him learning he’s Seven’s dad, and moves through about a year in his life. Prequels are usually hit or miss, and sometimes they can ruin a character for me (I’m looking at you Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) however, this book was not that. This book made me love Maverick even more.

I loved the relationship between Maverick and Seven, and between him and Lisa as well. Everything felt fluid, and made me want to re-read The Hate U Give.

5/5 Stars

This book, I really don’t know what to say about it. I think I’m still trying to process what I read. Written as a satire of tech startups, Black Buck is a commentary about race in the tech world. And race in the world in general.

Saying all of that, this book was weird. Not bad weird, just weird weird. You have to remind yourself that the book is satire so when it goes off the rails, you still keep reading. I will say the pacing was a bit clunky, and this is the book that took me the longest to read all month. However, I enjoyed Buck’s story, and never was tempted to abandon the book. (BOTM)

4/5 Stars

The shortest book in the Dune series, and I listened to this book for 9 hours, and I can probably summarize what happened in just a few sentences.

But while not much happened plot wise, I really enjoyed it. I’m sad about the fate of Paul, but he also had one of the most badass scenes out of either of the books I read, so I guess I will forgive him for the choice he made at the end.

4/5 Stars

I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked up this book, but it wasn’t what I got. If you are loooking for a great feminist Western, this is your book. I didn’t expect alternative history, nor did I expect for the reason why the gang was formed, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The book drew me in with its amazing first line, and kept me there. I’m not quite sure I liked the ending. It felt very abrupt. But it didn’t ruin the book. I really liked Ada and The Kid, and the rest of the Hole in the Wall Gang. I just wish I had some more closure at the end. I was instead left wanting more. (BOTM)

4/5 Stars

January 2021 Reads

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Hamnet

My first read of the new year was actually supposed to be my last read of the previous year, but I didn’t get it finished in time. Hamnet is the story about Shakespeare’s family. The story is very historical fiction, as we don’t really know much about Shakespeare and his life. And to tell the truth, the story more revolves around the women in his life, and Shakespeare isn’t really ever really named.

The novel deals very heavily in the loss of a child. Historically, Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, died at the age of 11, cause unknown, but heavily believed to be from the bubonic plague. The story is beautifully told, and I really enjoyed the dual storylines of Agnes’ past and present in the front half of the book. If you can’t handle reading about a child dying or reading about a mother’s grief, you may want to hold off from reading this book for now.

Rating: 4/5

The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany

This book was so beautifully written, it just transported you to Italy. Everyone knows that the second born Fontana daughter is cursed to never find love. Which is why when Great-Aunt Poppy calls Em and Luce and tells them she can break the curse on her 80th birthday if only they all go to Italy, what is there to lose?

Nothing. There is nothing to lose, and what follows is a fun story about finding yourself at any age, and not letting a family legend define you. The characters leapt off the page and sprung to life, and this book should be a study in character development. And interwoven with the Italian adventure of Poppy, Em and Luce is a beautiful love story between Poppy and Rico that will equally break your heart, and make it swell in joy. (BOTM)

Rating: 5/5

Play it as it Lays

Realistic Fiction is not my favorite genre, so I dreaded this book a little when it came up as the randomized choice in the book club I’m doing with my sisters. And while it was not something I would normally pick up, it was okay. The problem with realistic fiction is it doesn’t really feel like anything really happens in the book. The plot moves slowly. Also, in this book the characters were not very likeable, and there was absolutely no character growth. The book didn’t really hold my interest, but I didn’t hate the book, and I’m glad I read it and went outside of my comfort zone.

Rating: 3/5

Pretty Little Wife

When everyone started raving about Pretty Little Wife in the Book of the Month Club Facebook group, I knew I needed to read it. Thankfully my friend had it and let me borrow. I went into the book thinking it would be very much like Gone Girl or Girl on a Train, and a lot of it read that way. Spouse mysteriously disappears, surviving spouse is the prime suspect. However, there are multi-layers to this book.

The story starts off pretty slow and predictable, but soon the story picked up and the suspense kept me reading. And then the end. Let me tell you. If you like good endings to your suspense/thrillers, this is a book for you. (BOTM)

Rating: 4/5

The Giver

My book club book for January was The Giver. I hadn’t read it since I first read it in middle school over twenty years ago. And let me tell you, reading it as an adult is a completely different experience than reading it as a pre-teen. When you’re twelve, you’re reading it as if you’re Jonah. As an adult, you can see more of the nuances of the community. Also, since having read this previously, I had also read two of the sequel books. Knowing what comes next really takes away from the ambiguousness of this books endings. All of this being said, I still loved the book very much, and it is one that absolutely holds up through time.

Rating: 5/5

The Book of Longings

What. A. Beautiful. Book. Told from the point of view of Ana, Jesus’s wife, The Book of Longings brings to life Israel at the time of Jesus. Relegated to a mere side character, Jesus is treated as a historical figure rather than a religious one, and I think that is what makes the book so beautifully done. Yes, Ana is Jesus’s wife, but she is also so much more than that. Feminist in a time when it was unheard of, Ana longs for her freedom, and to write.

Ana is such a well drawn character, it’s hard to imagine that she wasn’t real. She starts off as a wealthy girl, who doesn’t want to be forced to marry someone she doesn’t love, transitions into her role as Jesus’s wife where she learns how to farm and do domestic chores, and finally as a devout religious figure who writes for the rest of her days.

We all know how Jesus’s story turns out, and even though I know the story of the crucifixion in my sleep, it’s even more devastating told through the eyes of the woman who called him beloved.

The prose is beautiful, and I can’t believe this is the first time I’ve read a book by Sue Monk Kidd. (BOTM)

Rating: 5/5

Tower of Swallows

Book 6 in the Witcher series, and the penultimate book at that. This was my audiobook for the month, because at about twenty hours, I can only listen to one audiobook a month right now.

This book was mostly about Ciri, and her journey to The Tower of Swallows. The book was mostly filler, and not a whole lot happened to advance the plot very much. Geralt and Yennefer are barely in it. My favorite part of these books is the analyzing of Ciri’s genetics, which sounds weird. I probably wouldn’t enjoy it so much if I was physically reading all of it, but I love listening to it.

There’s a big reveal at the end about Ciri that made me yell in the car, and I waited very impatiently for the final book to arrive in my library app.

Rating 4/5

Boyfriend Material

Boyfriend Material is such a fun book featuring one of my favorite romance tropes: fake dating. Luc is the son of two former rock stars, so basically famous by association. When he gets a series of bad press, his job tells him he needs to clean up his image or get fired. So, he gets set up with Oliver, a straight laced attorney who needs a date to his parents’ anniversary party. What follows is exactly what you would hope from a fake dating romance.

Luc and Oliver’s relationship was very swoonworthy, even before the fake dating turned into real dating. The book also had amazing side characters and made me laugh out loud several times before utterly breaking my heart and making me cry. This book is all around perfect. I had been looking for something to stand up against Red, White and Royal Blue, and this one hit the mark perfectly.

Rating: 5/5

Winter Counts

Winter Counts was a very interesting book. It was advertised as a thriller, I would categorize it more of a suspense than a thriller. It definitely kept me reading. It was a slow burn, but totally worth it. Virgil is a vigilante on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, taking care of cases law enforcement won’t, bringing justice to the people. When hard drugs start finding their way to the rez, and his teenage nephew he’s caring for OD’s, it becomes Virgil’s mission to find who is bringing in the drugs, and bring them down.

What follows is an intricate story of finding the balance between biding your time and following the laws, and bringing about justice for those you love. All of which is interwoven with what every day life is like on an Indian Reservation. The story is both simple and complex, and it builds to an amazing finale that has me hoping Weiden will make this book the first in a series of Virgil the Vigilante books. (BOTM)

Rating: 4/5

The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living

This was a very cute book. It was a nice formulaic romance about a baker who moves to a small town to bake for a tiny little inn. She finds love and family and plays in a bluegrass band. All while baking delicious pies and cookies and all manner of desserts. I absolutely adored Livvy and thought she was a very well developed character. I do wish there was more Martin, and that the author showed more of their relationship developing rather than Livvy baking practice pies for the pie contest. Other than that, I felt this was a great book, and it made me super hungry for apple pie.

Rating: 4/5

Conversations with Friends

Another pick for my book club with my sisters. The randomizer seems intent on bringing me out of my comfort zone with realistic fiction. This one, though, was a chore for me to read. I was already a bit against it when I flipped through and noticed there were no quotation marks. And then as I was reading, the prose felt more like Rooney was making lists of things that happened.

The book was definitely not one for me. This book was just another strike against realistic fiction, and a very big one. The characters were all terrible people with nothing redeeming about them, especially Frances, the narrator. The only character I felt anything remotely close to sympathy for was Nick, and that’s because I felt sorry that everyone was treating him terribly. This was advertised as a romance, but I found absolutely nothing romantic about it, and I was rooting for Nick to just leave both Melissa and Frances and go live with his sister and beloved niece. The ending just made me rage. The story felt like it dragged, and nothing seemed to actually happen in the book. I don’t plan on reading anything else by this author.

Rating: 2/5