4.5 Stars. Shirin is so relatable, despite our obvious differences. Who wouldn’t be angry and withdrawn after all she’s experienced, especially when she was born in the US and speaks better English and gets better grades than most of the people who give her a hard time? “I’m tired as hell, Mr. Jordan. I’ve been trying to educate […]
The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick: Book Review
4 Stars. I read and loved Ms. Patrick’s first book, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, during my blogging break. I was excited to listen to another one of her books. I really enjoyed The Library of Lost and Found as well, and for a lot of the same reasons. Martha Storm is so lonely but she’s so kind and has so much to give […]
Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber: Book Review
2.5 Stars. I’m not really the audience for this book but I wanted a Christmas-y audiobook and it was either this standalone romance or other romances or cozy mysteries that were roughly number 52 in a series. (Yes, that’s an exaggeration but not as much as it should be.) Standalone romance it was, even though I’m not really a […]
Melissa (Formerly Published as George) by Alex Gino: Book Review
Oh my goodness. I inhaled this book in just a few hours and it left me with so much joy for George, I was almost in tears. George is afraid to tell anyone that she’s really a girl. What will they think? But as she slowly starts to share her secret, she finds so much love and acceptance. The road isn’t perfectly smooth—that would […]
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides: Book Review
I’m in the minority here, but I was not impressed. My contrarian streak shows up in all these twisty thrillers about women, which all seem to have the word girl in their title. I gave up on Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train; this one must be better since I actually finished it. Maybe the title wasn’t as derivative so it didn’t…
Giant Days Volume One by John Allison: Book Review
I loved these young ladies! They’re funny and they make mistakes but they’re loyal and there for each other. I related a lot to both Susan and Daisy. When Daisy asks about book club on her birthday, I howled with laughter! That is so me! I’m not quite sure about Esther and her drama but at least she doesn’t actively…
Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston: Book Review
These books! I keep saying this but I grin until my face hurts while I’m reading them! Even when the story takes a troubled turn, I smile in anticipation of the eventual Happily Ever After…
Hard Rain by Irma Venter: Book Review
I wanted to like this more than I did. I feel like it’s a pretty solid premise but the writing was too–jumpy? Maybe? I actually restarted it about 20 pages in because I thought I had missed something. Alex and Ranna barely seemed to know each other but Alex seemed to think that she owed him something. It was some crazy…
The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston: Book Review
This series is completely adorable! Which makes it sound like it’s for younger kids, but it is written for young adults. Still–I’m going to let adorable stand. There are so many things to love in this book. I love that Imogen has two mothers and her brother is gay. I love that everyone at Excelsicon is so unabashedly geeky. […]
Save the Date by Mary Kay Andrews: Book Review
I really, really want to give Save the Date four stars, and I would have, but somewhere about halfway through I got fed up with Cara. Up to that point, she’d been such a little fighter that I’d been rooting for her all along. And sure, she has a lot on her plate, but then she goes looking for–and creates!–trouble where none […]
Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler: Book Review
I’m sitting here thinking about what it was, exactly, that I liked about this book. I can’t really say that it was about much of anything. It’s just a slice of everyday life. But I think what stands out to me most is that this is a book about male friendship. Not “good buddies” or even battle-forged bonds. These guys just like […]