| | | | | 1728209927
| 9781728209920
| 1728209927
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336
pp
| 3.80
| 4,802
| Jan 06, 2015
| Jul 07, 2020
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liked it
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3.5 stars
By the end of the first chapter I was reminded how the whole high school experience was not pleasant at times. Even though I'm old enough to
3.5 stars
By the end of the first chapter I was reminded how the whole high school experience was not pleasant at times. Even though I'm old enough to be the main character's mother, I found it fairly easy to jump right back into that teenage mindset. Definitely would not have done everything the character did, but at least I could understand the thought process behind it.
Piper Woods is a photographer and is on her high school yearbook staff. She finds a notebook at school with a list of some of the not so good things her classmates have been up to this year. After Piper witnesses a heated discussion among some students, one of them winds up dead. Of course, Piper has suspicions that the tragedy was no accident. She then receives an anonymous text with the instructions on how to make things right, so to speak. All she needs to do is provide a name, and that person will receive a proper punishment.
I apologize if my synopsis makes the story sound weird and confusing, that's more to do with my lack of writing skills. The plot does make sense in a CW tv series type way. Basically don't analyze it too much or you'll get less enjoyment out of the story. The whole revenge type plot is intriguing and it ended up being a decent YA mystery.
Piper might not be my favorite character, but I could relate to her on some level. Most of us have faced a situation in which we try to justify our behavior even though we have a pretty good idea of the differences between right and wrong.
I received a copy of this book from FIREreads Midnight. All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
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Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 23, 2020
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Paperback
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| | | | |
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| B07Z442R61
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271
pp
| 3.60
| 1,360
| Jan 26, 2021
| Jan 05, 2021
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really liked it
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This book is a fascinating collection of essays written by the former editor-in-chief of Nylon, a lifestyle magazine known for its focus on pop cultur
This book is a fascinating collection of essays written by the former editor-in-chief of Nylon, a lifestyle magazine known for its focus on pop culture and fashion. A highly respected gig as Gabrielle Korn was responsible for shaping the magazine's content. Invites to every industry related party, and free access to clothing from all the hottest designers are other pretty cool perks of the job. She was living the dream! Except we all know things are never as they seem. These essays are raw, honest, and powerful and make for a thought-provoking read.
There are so many subjects explored in her writing and each reader has the potential to take away something different. I personally was drawn more to her stories of working in the publishing industry rather than her personal life although they were all good reads. It kinda is mindboggling that so many publications attempt to promote body positivity but yet frequently miss the mark. And it's sad although not too surprising that most female industry professionals still strive for that size 2 body.
A must read if you enjoy reading nonfiction that explores the topic of feminism and many other worthwhile subjects.
Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
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Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 18, 2020
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Kindle Edition
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| | | | | 1984812238
| 9781984812230
| 1984812238
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368
pp
| 3.56
| 4,292
| Nov 17, 2020
| Nov 17, 2020
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liked it
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3.5 stars
This book was a bit of a slow grower as I struggled with the premise at first. Around the halfway point or so I realized the positive aspects
3.5 stars
This book was a bit of a slow grower as I struggled with the premise at first. Around the halfway point or so I realized the positive aspects of the story outweighed the negative, and I settled into a good reading groove. Surprisingly, given the title, the romance is not the strength of the story. But the main character, Sunny Dae, is someone worth getting to know, in my opinion.
Sunny Dae admits he is a nerd. Along with his two best friends, Jamal and Milo, he plays Dungeons and Dragons. They also like to post DIY videos for those diehard fans who LARP, aka live action role playing. (I'm trying my best to get the lingo down!) When Sunny meets the new girl at school, Cirrus, he doesn't think he will win any cool points with her if he mentions his hobby. So instead he just straight up lies and tells her he is in a rock band. Hmm.. lying to impress a girl, let's see how this one is going to play out.
I'm a frequent reader of romance novels, so it's not like I am unfamiliar with the whole "pretending to be something I'm not" premise. However, even I thought the rock band storyline was a stretch of the imagination and I could never fully get on board with it. At least after awhile, I was able to stop analyzing it to death and focus on the parts of the story that were more enjoyable to me.
There wasn't much character development when it came to Cirrus and that might be why the romance fell a bit short in my eyes. On a friend level, Sunny and Cirrus were a good match, but beyond that I didn't see much chemistry. Thankfully the author does bring some substance to other aspects of the story which made it a worthwhile read. Discussions of racism and how Sunny was treated in his community gave the story depth. And I loved how in the last few chapters of the book, you really got the opportunity to know the rest of the Dae family as well. That's the heart of the story.
Might not have been a perfect read, but I'm glad I read it.
I won a free copy of this book from BookishFirst and the publisher. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
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Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 15, 2020
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Hardcover
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| | | | | 1631527452
| 9781631527456
| 1631527452
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316
pp
| 3.96
| 320
| Sep 15, 2020
| Sep 15, 2020
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liked it
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A bit underwhelming in terms of the characters and the soap opera style plot. I think what it comes down to is I never felt invested in the characters
A bit underwhelming in terms of the characters and the soap opera style plot. I think what it comes down to is I never felt invested in the characters and therefore I didn't really care all that much about their messy lives. The aspects of the story that were meant to be shocking just didn't pack a punch in my eyes. To be fair though, I grew up during the heyday of both daytime and nighttime soaps so just about everything I've seen before and it's hard to catch me completely off guard.
Kassie O’Callaghan has wanted to leave her husband, Mike, for awhile now but she needed to get all her ducks in a row, so to speak. She's been having an affair with a guy named Chris and he's moving into town so they can live together. She's finally ready to set her plan in motion and tell her husband she wants a divorce. But before she is able to discuss it with him, Mike ends up in the hospital. And that's when Kassie finds out Mike was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease years ago and never told her. Perhaps announcing your intentions to divorce is not ideal timing when your husband is in the hospital.
The story follows multiple characters but in my opinion, Kassie is the lead character. When it comes to fiction, I don't mind an adultery plot and it isn't a factor in whether or not I like certain characters. The characters in this book just didn't come alive on the pages if that makes any sense. It didn't seem like there was a compelling reason for me to care about any of them. I almost wish the author would have cranked up the craziness a few notches and made the characters so outlandish so they were fun in a love to hate type way. Instead, I didn't find them fascinating and somehow they came across as boring.
Just my two cents. Judging by other reviews, many readers enjoyed the book. Sometimes characters click with you, and unfortunately that just wasn't the case for me with this particular book.
I won a free copy of this book in a BookTrib giveaway but was under no obligation to post a review.
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1
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Nov 08, 2020
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Paperback
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| | | | | 0063032007
| 9780063032002
| 0063032007
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357
pp
| 3.69
| 4,620
| Jan 05, 2021
| Jan 05, 2021
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really liked it
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The Heiress features the character, Anne de Bourgh, who appeared in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It's been years since I read that book so I was
The Heiress features the character, Anne de Bourgh, who appeared in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It's been years since I read that book so I wasn't sure if I'd be able to follow along when reading this one. Thankfully, The Heiress can easily be read as a standalone novel although I do think the reading experience will be enhanced a bit if you know the basics of the Pride and Prejudice plot ahead of time.
When Anne was a baby, her doctor prescribed her laudanum. She continued taking the drug as she grew up because she was so sickly and frail. It's understood that when she is of age, Anne will marry her cousin, Fitzwilliam Darcy. (yeah, it's the 1800s, we have to roll with the whole marrying cousin thing) And of course if you read P&P, you know who Darcy ends up with instead of Anne. After Anne's father dies, she questions if the medicine she has taken for years is truly helping or hurting her. Is she meant to be confined for the rest of her life or is there a better life out there if she's brave enough for making a drastic change?
I like how addiction was a part of the storyline and as a reader you feel so frustrated for Anne and want to strangle the adults who thought giving a child opium every day was a good idea. Sounds crazy but it's really not that far fetched that most people would not have a good grasp on drug addiction back in the early 1800s. The time period of the addiction as well as a child trusting the adults to take care of her made it a unique and interesting plot.
One of the other neat aspects of the plot is something that is set forth pretty late in the book. To me that falls into spoiler territory so I'm not going to get into any details about it in this review. It's just another thing that made this a good read.
I think most readers will find this book to be a satisfying read regardless of whether or not you are a diehard Jane Austen fan.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
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Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 01, 2020
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Hardcover
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| | | | | 1250224357
| 9781250224354
| 1250224357
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258
pp
| 3.84
| 9,410
| Mar 09, 2021
| Mar 09, 2021
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really liked it
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3.5 stars
In the 1980s and 1990s, the Last Call killer targeted gay men in New York. I've read quite a few true crime books over the years, and it's no
3.5 stars
In the 1980s and 1990s, the Last Call killer targeted gay men in New York. I've read quite a few true crime books over the years, and it's not hard to feel sorry for the victims and the loved ones they left behind. My heart weighed extra heavy after reading this book knowing due in part to the victims' sexuality not much attention was paid to the crimes back then or even now. What is also sad is knowing there are most likely other undiscovered victims of this serial killer.
If you do not count the Acknowledgments and Notes, this book is a little bit over 200 pages which is on the shorter side for a true crime book especially one featuring multiple crimes. I think it is worth noting that even though you get some of the details of the crimes, the victims, and the killer, this book is also just as much about the gay community in New York during the 80s and 90s. The author does a good job painting the picture of what life was like for a gay man during that era. You have the AIDs epidemic, the fear of being outed if you were closeted, rampant homophobia, and hate crimes that weren't taken very seriously by the general public or law enforcement. It's a heartbreaking and infuriating read but one that is certainly important in order not to forget the history.
I think this book is a worthwhile read but it is not the strongest true crime book I have ever read. I felt more like I was getting a snapshot of the victim's life and then the author would move on to the next one. There were many names brought up in the book, not just victims, but others that were part of the NYC social scene and it was difficult at times to keep track of everyone. I also was surprised the author barely devoted any time to the court case. That's just minor criticism though as overall I found it to be a fascinating read.
I received an advance copy from Celadon Books. All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
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Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 23, 2020
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Hardcover
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| | | | | 0374194327
| 9780374194321
| 0374194327
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227
pp
| 3.52
| 101,064
| Aug 04, 2020
| Aug 04, 2020
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it was amazing
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An impressive debut novel. I'm actually ticked off this book was left off the final voting round for the Goodreads Choice Awards. Hands down, one of t
An impressive debut novel. I'm actually ticked off this book was left off the final voting round for the Goodreads Choice Awards. Hands down, one of the best written novels I read this year. There was a seamless flow to the words and despite the fact this book is rather short at just over 200 pages, you feel like the author made the most out of every single word on the page.
There was just something about this character that grabbed ahold of me and wouldn't let go. The reading experience was interesting as it started off with me pausing in between chapters as I would contemplate what I had just read. Like I needed to soak it all in. But the more I got to know Edie, a 20-something year old Black woman, it was like I was entranced and I couldn't put the book down until the story was over.
Judging by other reviews, the odds are you will either love this book like I did or be the opposite and not get all the hype. It's just one of those books that you might have this strong connection with or it might not be the best fit for you, which is perfectly fine too. I think it's worth taking a chance on though.
Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing me with a copy of this book! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
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Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 23, 2020
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Hardcover
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| B086823SWK
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288
pp
| 4.21
| 348,021
| Oct 20, 2020
| Oct 20, 2020
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it was amazing
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4.5 stars
It's fair to say Matthew McConaughey marches to the beat of his own drum. And bongos. (Yes, the infamous naked bongo playing arrest is brough
4.5 stars
It's fair to say Matthew McConaughey marches to the beat of his own drum. And bongos. (Yes, the infamous naked bongo playing arrest is brought up in this memoir, and yet, it doesn't seem as weird now in 2020 as it did back when it happened in 1999.) So it wasn't surprising to me that he wrote a unique memoir. While I enjoyed reading this book on my Kindle, I do think it might be even better as an audiobook. The life advice type stuff that is interjected throughout the book will probably flow better with the audio version, especially if you are listening to that famous Southern drawl.
Many celebrities use a ghostwriter when coming out with a memoir. Matthew McConaughey has kept a diary for decades so he had a lot of material to work with and this is one of the rare times I believe the famous person wrote it with minimal or no outside help. In his memoir he shares stories from his childhood, career, and life as a husband and father. If you are looking for a memoir full of dirt and gossip, this one isn't it. But even though he doesn't really go into his dating life prior to meeting his wife and there isn't much behind the scenes movie tidbits, I did walk away after reading this memoir feeling like I got to know the real Matthew McConaughey. He somehow found a way to let you into his life while still maintaining a sense of privacy.
I've read many celeb memoirs over the years and hands down, this one is among my favorites. Definitely recommend reading this book as he is a fascinating person. And now I feel like I have to go look for my dvd of A Time to Kill to rewatch his breakout role.
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Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 20, 2020
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Kindle Edition
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| | | | | 1250232422
| 9781250232427
| 1250232422
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374
pp
| 3.76
| 98,211
| Sep 22, 2020
| Feb 02, 2021
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really liked it
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I'm a big Jane Harper fan and this book did not disappoint. It had her trademark atmospheric writing which made the setting like a character in the st
I'm a big Jane Harper fan and this book did not disappoint. It had her trademark atmospheric writing which made the setting like a character in the story. She also came up with a fairly complex mystery that had me constantly coming up with theories or reworking theories.
Going to try and keep things vague as the less you know ahead of time usually makes for a better reading experience. Kieran has come back to the small coastal town he grew up in to help his folks pack up and move. A body is found on the beach and that gets Kieran thinking about tragic events of the past.
When I first started reading this book it felt somewhat different because it was a coastal setting. In some of the author's other books, after reading about heat and drought, it's almost like you feel like you are there. With this book you get that same type of feeling of being present in the setting but it does take longer to feel it. The strongest examples of it are in the second half of the story.
This book is more of a slow burn mystery but I was never bored while reading. There were a few times when I would read something and would make a mental note that it could be a factor further down the line and I was proven right. But yet I could never figure out on my own why a piece of the puzzle was important, just that it belonged somewhere in the overall picture. And that's why this was a fun read because I was unable to put it all together. There were also plenty of things I didn't see coming at all.
Definitely recommend checking this book out if you have enjoyed other books by this author and/or you like a good, solid mystery.
I received a free ARC of The Survivors by Jane Harper from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.
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Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 20, 2020
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Hardcover
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| | | | | 1728216273
| 9781728216270
| 1728216273
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400
pp
| 4.01
| 2,037
| Jul 25, 2019
| Dec 01, 2020
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really liked it
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Wow, that was a wild ride! The author truly took me on a journey as the story just got more and more crazy. It was a creepy and weird and well, fun re
Wow, that was a wild ride! The author truly took me on a journey as the story just got more and more crazy. It was a creepy and weird and well, fun reading experience.
I highly recommend going into this one blind. To keep it vague, it's a young adult mystery/thriller. A teenage girl has come to stay with her grandparents in Washington after something terrible happened back home in New York. That's seriously all you need to know ahead of time.
The story hooked me right away as I was curious to why the main character became persona non grata and had to flee all the way to the other coast. Bit by bit you got the backstory and it's fair to say she is a complex character. And because of that the present day storyline becomes even more interesting. The character's past is so unsettling that you can't be too sure what is going on and so you just sit back and watch everything unfold.
I don't want to overhype this book and act like it's the best mystery or thriller ever written. But the author really wins a lot of points for creativity which is something I place a high value on when it comes to reading. I've read so many books in this genre over the years, and any time I feel like a story is unique and different, that's a good thing.
I received a free advance copy of this book from FIREreads Midnight. All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
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Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 16, 2020
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Paperback
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| | | | | 1250237300
| 9781250237309
| 1250237300
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320
pp
| 3.57
| 34,504
| Jan 12, 2021
| Jan 12, 2021
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liked it
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3.5 stars
With the popularity of ancestry DNA testing kits, some test takers have gotten unexpected results. I like how the author incorporated that in
3.5 stars
With the popularity of ancestry DNA testing kits, some test takers have gotten unexpected results. I like how the author incorporated that into a story as the main character in this book finds out she matched with a sibling she didn't know existed. And of course learning something that big is going to have an impact on her life and seeing how the situation played out is what I loved most about the story.
Abby signs up for a DNA testing service mainly because her best friend, aka her secret crush, Leo, is doing it as well. Big shocker when the results indicate she has a sister named Savannah. This sister she never knew about goes by the name Savvy and is a semi-famous Instagrammer. So why was Savvy put up for adoption? Well, neither girl is quite ready to ask the biological parents or the adoptive parents all the details so they hatch a plan to spend time together at a summer camp to try and figure it out. And it just so happens Leo works as a chef at this same summer camp as well. What a coincidence.
I read the author's other book, Tweet Cute, and I ended up giving this book the same star rating although each book had different strengths and weaknesses. While I liked the romance in Tweet Cute, I thought this book lacked proper development when it came to her love life. I actually would have preferred if the story focused only on the relationship of the sisters and the family drama.
Normally I'm game for a summer camp setting (shoutout to The Baby-Sitters Club: Super Special #2!) but it didn't work for me in this book. There were minor characters and storylines at the camp that seemed pointless because they weren't fully fleshed out. Not to sound like a broken record but the family stuff in the story was great, but just about everything else needed some fine tuning.
Overall, I did enjoy this one even though it wasn't a perfect read. With romance not being the number one plot, I think the book best fits in the young adult fiction genre.
Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an advance digital copy! All views expressed are my honest opinion.
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Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 14, 2020
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Hardcover
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| | | | | 1643855697
| 9781643855691
| 1643855697
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288
pp
| 3.07
| 749
| Feb 09, 2021
| Feb 09, 2021
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liked it
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The book started off strong and I was definitely intrigued, but by the second half it started going downhill. I guess you could say I liked some of th
The book started off strong and I was definitely intrigued, but by the second half it started going downhill. I guess you could say I liked some of the journey, but wasn't all that impressed by the final destination.
Theo Snyder became famous after his documentary film, The Basement, was a critical and commercial success. Unfortanely, his star fizzled after a public blunder. He's hoping his next project featuring the notorious serial killer nicknamed "Halo Killer" will put him back on top. The more research Theo does including interviewing the killer at the prison, the more he questions the circumstances that led to the apprehension.
The story has some mystery to it as well as some thriller elements. The premise was enough to hook me in right away as I was curious about the Halo Killer and wanted to know the backstory. The first half of the story has good pacing and the writing has focus. The second half is where I felt the train left the tracks.
A huge problem was the lack of fully developed characters. Some characters might get a brief mention early on in the book and then way down the line they are part of the story and it's like, "who is this person?". The four main characters also remain somewhat of a mystery to me as it I can't say I truly understood each one. Some of the writing started to get sloppy with weak transitions and over the top dialogue. And for me the story pretty much ended after the big climatic scene as everything after that just felt lackluster and pointless. I think this is a book in which it would help me tremendously to learn more about the author's writing process and what he was going for with this story.
The potential was here but it needed more work to get to awesome level.
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for sending me an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
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Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 07, 2020
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Hardcover
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| | | | | 1250103460
| 9781250103468
| 1250103460
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320
pp
| 3.74
| 741
| Jan 12, 2021
| Jan 12, 2021
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really liked it
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4.5 stars
I had enjoyed another book by Matthew Dicks, Twenty-one Truths About Love, so I just dove into this one without reading the publisher synopsi
4.5 stars
I had enjoyed another book by Matthew Dicks, Twenty-one Truths About Love, so I just dove into this one without reading the publisher synopsis ahead of time. I absolutely adored this book. Maybe the main character, Michael, isn’t for everyone, but man, I’m glad I got the chance to be part of his world for a bit.
Michael is a 13 year old boy and he's dealing with some stuff. One of his problems is he doesn't believe is mother is truly his mother. No, this isn't some adoption thing. Michael thinks that the woman at his home who looks like his mother and talks like his mother, is actually some type of imposter. I'm sure that sounds weird and confusing but that's due to my lack of writing talent. Just read the book and it will all make sense.
There was just something about this character that drew me in right away. To say I was emotionally invested in Michael is spot on. The story takes place over a short period of time and it's not an action filled plot. But there is so much substance and heart that it isn't some simple story, it truly was a worthwhile read.
I recommend checking this one out. Don't discount it just because the story is told from a child's perspective. It's kinda like watching the show, The Wonder Years, as you will probably appreciate it more because you are an adult.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with an advance digital copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
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Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 06, 2020
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Hardcover
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| | | | | 1538746832
| 9781538746837
| 1538746832
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501
pp
| 3.73
| 12,235
| Nov 10, 2020
| Nov 10, 2020
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liked it
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3.5 stars
This true crime book featured a fascinating case but I thought the author inserted herself into the story more often than necessary. Stuff li
3.5 stars
This true crime book featured a fascinating case but I thought the author inserted herself into the story more often than necessary. Stuff like her dating life or going to a bachelorette party was odd filler. I would have been completely fine if the author condensed her thoughts about how the case and victim related to her life and stuck it in the Author's Notes at the end of the book. It's not that I don't think her thoughts aren't worthy or interesting, but at some points it was feeling like a half-memoir/half-true crime read.
In 1969, Jane Britton was a graduate student in Harvard's Anthropology Department. She was found bludgeoned to death in her apartment and her case remained unsolved for almost 50 years. One of the more popular rumors was a married professor killed her after she threatened to expose their affair. The author of this book, Becky Cooper, became interested in the case while she was an undergrad at Harvard and spent 10 years trying to uncover the truth about who killed Jane. In 2018, the world finally got some answers as this decades old cold case was deemed solved.
By far the strength of this true crime book is it reads like a whodunit mystery. There's more than one suspect and just as I would start to get a feel for what I think happened, the author would shift gears and present other information about the case. I've read many true crime books over the years, and it's pretty rare to not know who the killer is until the very end of the book. The pace was a little slow at times but it's worth sticking around to find out the resolution of the case.
The author spent many years researching the murder of Jane and in some parts of the book it was confusing trying to figure out the timeline for when she was interviewing people or gathering info. The execution of the book might not have been the best, but I do recommend checking this one out if you are a fan of the true crime genre.
I won an advance copy of this book in a giveaway by Novel Suspects and Grand Central Publishing. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
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1
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Oct 03, 2020
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Hardcover
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| | | | | 0063000806
| 9780063000803
| 0063000806
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370
pp
| 3.87
| 54,688
| Nov 10, 2020
| Nov 10, 2020
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really liked it
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With the craziness of this year, I have found myself seeking out cute and charming stories more than usual. This book provided a pleasant, escape from
With the craziness of this year, I have found myself seeking out cute and charming stories more than usual. This book provided a pleasant, escape from reality type of reading experience. The two female characters had good chemistry and it was fun rooting for them to find happiness.
Darcy and Elle are set up on a blind date by Darcy's brother, Brendon. The date is a bit of a disaster and the two go on their separate ways. That is until Darcy decides to tell Brendon she hit it off with Elle and they are now dating. A bit of a spur of the moment idea but this will hopefully get Brendon to stop playing matchmaker. Elle agrees to go along with the whole fake dating scheme because now she can bring her as her date to her family's Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe now Elle's family won't look at her as such a disappointment if she is "dating" someone like prim and proper, Darcy. This fake relationship might actually turn out to be mutually beneficial in more ways than one.
The story uses the popular trope of "let's pretend we're dating" and it's best to just roll with it rather than analyze it to death. Darcy and Elle are opposites in terms of their personalities. Elle is more of a free spirit, with her head up in the stars, so to speak. Darcy on the other hand is a practical, do everything by the book type of person. In spite of their differences, they really made sense together.
Definitely recommend if you are in the mood for a good romcom! And I am very happy to learn the author has a book in the works featuring a character from this one.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
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1
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Sep 29, 2020
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Paperback
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| | | | | 0063019086
| 9780063019089
| 0063019086
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434
pp
| 3.66
| 3,549
| Feb 04, 2020
| Oct 27, 2020
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really liked it
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3.5 stars
I don’t normally read many books with time travel plots but this one had Jane Austen landing in the 21st century looking for love and that’s
3.5 stars
I don’t normally read many books with time travel plots but this one had Jane Austen landing in the 21st century looking for love and that’s just too neat of a premise to pass up. I was hoping for a cute and enjoyable read and thankfully that was the case here.
At the age of twenty-eight years old, Jane Austen hasn't been lucky when it comes to finding love. She would be content writing all day but her mother doesn't approve and forbids it. A single woman making a living as a writer just didn't really fly back in the 1800s. In her search for love, Jane ends up time traveling to the 21st century. Well, best of luck to you, Jane!
I've read a few of Jane Austen's books but I honestly didn't know much about her. Obviously with a time travel plot, this book is a work of fiction. However, this author does bring in some known facts about Jane so there's a bit of a historical fiction vibe as well. Whatever genre you want to place the book in, I do think the author came up with a creative story. This book has also motivated me to seek out nonfiction books about Jane Austen as well as catch up on her other novels. It's always cool when one book sparks interest in others.
The story follows a few characters besides Jane. I enjoyed the book but I do have mixed feelings on whether certain characters enhanced the story. I can't help but wonder if the romance would have been stronger had more attention been devoted to it rather than Sofia's career. I appreciate the author wanting to bring a lot of things to the table but unfortunately not everything felt fully fleshed out.
Might not have been a perfect read but I did have a good time reading this one. This is a nice story to sit down with after a hard day.
I received a free copy of this book from William Morrow. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
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1
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Sep 29, 2020
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Paperback
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| | | | | 0008347204
| 9780008347208
| 0008347204
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623
pp
| 3.65
| 25,487
| Oct 20, 2020
| Oct 20, 2020
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liked it
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This might not have been a 5 star read for me but the author definitely has writing talent. A unique storyteller for sure. However, the pace was a lit
This might not have been a 5 star read for me but the author definitely has writing talent. A unique storyteller for sure. However, the pace was a little slow in my opinion and I do think the 600+ page count could have been trimmed down.
The story is told in an interesting way as you are being talked to and referred to as the reader throughout. (I'm not explaining that very well, but you'll understand what I mean if you read the book) The Brookhants School for Girls closed for good in the early 1900s after some mysterious deaths on the property. Merritt Weaver wrote a book about the creepy history of the school and now a horror movie is set to be made based on her book. The story will bounce back and forth between the past in which you get the backstory about what happened at the school a century ago and the present day following Merritt and two actresses.
I always have to give myself a pep talk when tackling a book that has more than 400 pages. It's a bit of a time commitment, and the older I get, the more I value my time. Pretty soon after I started reading this book, I thought this might be an unusual but cool reading experience with the clever writing, random footnotes, and occasional illustrations. And for the most part that turned out to be true but I just don't feel like I got as much as I wanted to out of this book.
At the 100 page mark, then the 200, and even at 300, I kept wondering why it felt like the story hadn't progressed all that much. It was this strange combination of being interesting and yet boring at the same time. I think part of the problem was too much witty commentary that really wasn't necessarily even if it was amusing at times. And while things get moving more in the last third of the book, by that time I was mentally checked out.
For me this was more of a creepy read rather than a sleep with the lights on type horror book. Despite some of my issues with the execution, I in no way regret reading it. I appreciate the author's creativity and how she was able to build a story around the real life memoir by Mary MacLane. That memoir was published in the early 1900s and was considered controversial due to the feminist ideas and Sapphic love themes in the book.
I won a free advance copy of this book as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
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1
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Sep 28, 2020
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Paperback
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| | | | | 1338620827
| 9781338620825
| 1338620827
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288
pp
| 4.22
| 14,957
| Jun 05, 2017
| Nov 10, 2020
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it was amazing
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By the end of the first chapter I had already fallen in love with the main character. One of the great things about reading is sometimes you just tota
By the end of the first chapter I had already fallen in love with the main character. One of the great things about reading is sometimes you just totally click with a fictional character even though you might not have much in common with them. Felipe is someone worth knowing and I strongly encourage all the young adult fiction fans to give this book a look.
Felipe is 17 years old and lives with his single mother in Brazil. He gets picked on at school for his weight so he is thrilled a school break is coming up so he doesn't have to deal with the bullying for awhile. His mom drops a bombshell on him when she informs Felipe that Caio, the kid his age in their apartment building, will be staying with them while his parents are on vacation. Felipe has a major crush on Caio and now he is expected to share a bedroom with him for two weeks? Hmm... this should be interesting especially since Felipe is shy when he's around Caio.
As someone who is painfully shy, I totally related to Felipe's dilemma of finding it difficult to carry on a conversation with Caio. I loved the discussions Felipe had with his therapist on the subject and how to set goals to make it a bit easier in the future. It might sound strange for the outgoing and talkative folks, but having somewhat of a game plan before starting a conversation can be very helpful for those of us who tend to get tongue tied when speaking to people we aren't completely at ease with yet.
One of the things I loved about this book is it captured those awkward teen years quite well. You don't necessarily have to be an overweight, gay teenage boy from Brazil to relate to much of what Felipe is going through. I think that's an age in which you have a pretty good idea of the person you want to be, but you might not have the inner confidence to really project that out into the world yet. I haven't set foot in a classroom for two decades, but reading this book brought me back to all that teenage angst.
One of my favorite YA reads in recent memory. A great balance of humor and heart.
I received a free copy of this book but was not obligated to post a review here. All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
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1
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Sep 28, 2020
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Hardcover
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| | | | | 0063019566
| 9780063019560
| 0063019566
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400
pp
| 3.84
| 1,272
| Nov 17, 2020
| Nov 17, 2020
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really liked it
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3.5 stars
I've read quite a few books with second chance romance plots and I'm impressed the author came up with an interesting setup for Little Wishes
3.5 stars
I've read quite a few books with second chance romance plots and I'm impressed the author came up with an interesting setup for Little Wishes. I enjoyed the story and characters but wish it had left more of an emotional impact. It fell a bit short in that department.
Fifty years ago Elizabeth Davenport fell in love with Tom. However, they did not end up together due to certain circumstances. Once a year, a gift and a note that begins with "I wish..." is left on Elizabeth's doorstep. Forty nine years of gifts and wishes left by Tom but he doesn't stick around to ever talk to Elizabeth. Well this year, he fails to leave anything so Elizabeth becomes concerned that something might have happened to Tom. So she sets off to London hoping to reunite with her first love. The story alternates between the present day and 50 years ago when they first met, or got to know each other is a better way to phrase it.
The publisher synopsis goes into more detail and going into this book I thought it might be a tearjerker story. Now whether or not I would cry due to happiness, sadness, or a little bit of both, I was unsure, but I was eager to find out. There were some good moments in the story and I liked the characters but I don't think this book reached it's maximum potential. The bare bones were laid out for something incredible and it just didn't reach that level.
Part of the problem is the story followed Elizabeth both in the present day and in the past for a long time. All of the sudden, you start getting Tom's perspective as well. While I liked hearing his version of events, I also like consistency and believe he should have been added early on in the story. What's even worse is very, very late in the game a third character is thrown in the mix which seemed to be added at the writer's convivence just to wrap up the story. That's one of my reading pet peeves as it comes across as the easy way out for the writer. Figure out how to tell the rest of the story with the already established voices, please!
Don't get me wrong, I liked the book. It just didn't wow me. That's okay as a pleasant read is better than nothing at all.
Thank you to William Morrow for sending me a copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
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1
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Sep 04, 2020
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Hardcover
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| | | | | 1982151617
| 9781982151614
| 1982151617
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274
pp
| 3.69
| 10,603
| Jan 05, 2021
| Jan 05, 2021
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really liked it
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This book was a solid psychological thriller, or domestic suspense novel, or whatever you want to call it. I had a fun time reading it because it held
This book was a solid psychological thriller, or domestic suspense novel, or whatever you want to call it. I had a fun time reading it because it held my interest from start to finish. That might seem like a minor thing but I've really been struggling with my reading concentration levels during this crazy year. I'm always happy to stumble upon a page turner like this one.
Georgina's seven year old son, Cody, says he met a new friend at the park. He calls her New Granny. Hmm... Georgina's mother recently passed away, did Cody make up an imaginary friend to take her place? But the more Cody talks about this New Granny, Georgina starts believing him and becomes concerned for Cody's safety as that's pretty creepy someone keeps approaching her son when she is not around. As anyone knows, a good mother will go to great lengths to protect her child.
There's just something about the whole "is this person off their rocker or are they truly in danger" premise that sucks me in every time. As a reader it's like you feel protective of the characters and need to make sure they are okay so you gotta keep reading to find out. And that's what made this a fun read as the author played right into that natural curiosity I have when it comes to these types of stories.
Towards the end there's a bit of a creative tangent which I sorta liked and I sorta did not like. Maybe the best way to put it is the payout isn't super satisfying but yet points should be awarded because I doubt any reader will be able to predict with 100% accuracy every single detail of how it all plays out.
For me this fits my definition of weekend read in that it's not taxing on the brain and it's entertaining. An impressive debut novel and I'll be on the lookout for more books by Rachel Ryan.
Thank you to Gallery Books for providing be with an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
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Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 01, 2020
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Hardcover
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