Well this was another absolutely gorgeous middle grade book from Christine Day. Maisie’s life is turned upside down after an injury means she’s no lonWell this was another absolutely gorgeous middle grade book from Christine Day. Maisie’s life is turned upside down after an injury means she’s no longer able to do ballet. Ballet was her biggest passion, it’s where all of her friends were, and now she’s on the sidelines having to watch them continue on and accomplish things without her.
I felt like this book did such a good job at exploring Maisie’s emotions and her mental health after her injury. It showed the not so pretty moments in an age appropriate way for middle grade readers. I also really enjoyed the parts of the story that were explaining Maisie’s family and their Native American tribal histories.
Christine Day just has a knack for combining the complex emotional lives of the main characters with history and cultural information about Native communities....more
What a fun, gruesome, and festive Christmas read. A family gets more than they bargained for when their Christmas vacation rental turns out to have beWhat a fun, gruesome, and festive Christmas read. A family gets more than they bargained for when their Christmas vacation rental turns out to have been the scene of a terrible crime. This is a quick horror novella. I had a great time reading it, but I think I could’ve enjoyed it even more if it didn’t switch between so many different POVs and focused more on fleshing out one or two main characters....more
What a beautiful book! I Can Make This Promise is a middle grade story about Edie going on a journey to learn more about her Native American heritage.What a beautiful book! I Can Make This Promise is a middle grade story about Edie going on a journey to learn more about her Native American heritage. Edie’s mom was adopted by a white couple when she was a baby, so Edie hasn’t had any ties to the Native side of her family. When she finds a box in her attic that has letters, journals, and pictures of a woman who looked just like her, Edie begins to delve more into her own history.
This book weaves actual history throughout the story so seamlessly. Sacheen Littlefeather, Wounded Knee, the Indian Child Welfare Act, and more were mentioned throughout. In addition to Edie learning about her family’s background there’s also a very relatable story about growing up and friendships changing. I’m definitely going to be reading from Christine Day more in the future....more
There were parts of this book that I did enjoy. The Salem, Massachusetts setting, the family secrets, the clashes between the local witches and the cuThere were parts of this book that I did enjoy. The Salem, Massachusetts setting, the family secrets, the clashes between the local witches and the cult-like religious group, reading people’s future in pieces of lace. However, I just found myself getting bored and confused by the vast majority of the book. Also, some of the reveals made certain aspects of the book more convoluted instead of fully explaining things....more
Juno is a young girl living only with her family on an isolated island. All her life she’s been told to fear outsiders, that they are after her parentJuno is a young girl living only with her family on an isolated island. All her life she’s been told to fear outsiders, that they are after her parents, that they mean their family harm. But her whole world is turned upside down when she learns new information. I felt like it was pretty easy to predict what the reveals in this story were going to be. But I still enjoyed my time reading the book to see exactly how everything would play out. There were a lot of suspenseful moments that had me on the edge of my seat.
However, I was left wanting more from the end of the book. I was hoping that the tiny section of an epilogue at the end would’ve been expanded. I wanted to see how the characters adjusted to a different life after the climax of the story. But it ended up feeling a bit anticlimactic to me.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
This was a really adorable romance about two older characters (in their 40s/50s) becoming friends and then starting up a romance. They initially meet This was a really adorable romance about two older characters (in their 40s/50s) becoming friends and then starting up a romance. They initially meet online playing a video game together and don’t realize that the other person is close to their age. So there were a lot of humorous scenes of misunderstandings related to that.
I really enjoyed Maggie as a character, she’s so prickly and just wants to be left alone. But when her son goes off to college he encourages her to go out and make friends so he’ll try being social as well. She’s already been married in the past and isn’t looking for a new relationship. Watching her friendship with Aiden grow as her romantic feelings start to blossom was great. I also loved the complexity in Aiden’s backstory. He has a lot of complicated dynamics with his family. And I also thought it was cool that he’s bi & demi. Just reading the description doesn’t make it seem like there will be any queer rep in the book.
Cathy Yardley is a new-to-me author, but I’m definitely going to be checking out more books from her in the future....more
This book completely swept me away. I’m such a sucker for stories about generations of women in a family, secrets, queer identity, and the connectionsThis book completely swept me away. I’m such a sucker for stories about generations of women in a family, secrets, queer identity, and the connections that exist even when people don’t nurture them. Temim Fruchter’s writing was gorgeous and mysterious at times, it created such a compelling atmosphere for the story. The plot of a queer woman studying Jewish folklore to try and learn more about her own family’s history had me invested the entire time. The fantastical bits of the story added even more intrigue to the overall narrative. I definitely recommend checking this one out!
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Going into this book I didn’t know anything about the author Kate Kennedy. So it was cool to learn that she’s just a few years older than me, grew up Going into this book I didn’t know anything about the author Kate Kennedy. So it was cool to learn that she’s just a few years older than me, grew up like an hour away from where I lived, and went to college two hours away from my alma mater. It made a lot of the stuff she discussed feel very close to home. Even when the types of millennial activities or styles she was discussing weren’t things that directly applied to me, they were things I remember noticing with other girls I grew up around.
Memoirs or books of essays where people use the pop culture that was important to them to explore different facets of their lives really appeal to me. It’s definitely important to know going in that much of this book is about Kate’s life and experiences. It will probably be relatable for a lot of women close to her age, but it’s also a way to get a glimpse into what life was like for a specific subset of millennial women.
I absolutely loved the writing in the book. It’s very poetic without ever feeling too flowery or too self important. The book covers a wide range of topics from the appeal of day beds, American Girl dolls, polo shirts, purity culture, mental health, AOL instant messenger, slumber party games, popular girl handwriting, and so much more.
I definitely recommend checking out the book if you’re interested in a mix of 90s & early 2000s nostalgia, modern reflections and commentary, and personal anecdotes. I did a mix of both reading the eBook and listening to the audio. Kate narrates the audiobook herself, and there are parts where you can hear her start to get choked up at emotional moments, which made listening to the book a really immersive experience.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
What a lovely book. It was so nice to be able to continue with the story of Brian and Ezra, their friendship is wonderful. This book provided a good lWhat a lovely book. It was so nice to be able to continue with the story of Brian and Ezra, their friendship is wonderful. This book provided a good look at how kids experiencing depression can reach out to get help, as well as how their friends can support them. I also liked seeing an example of how friends can navigate the experience of one person liking the other when their feelings aren’t reciprocated. It might be a bit awkward at times, but overall the most important thing to Ezra and Brian is their friendship.
I do think that sometimes the characters felt way too mature or emotionally intelligent for their ages. It would make sense for one or two of the characters, but it felt a tiny bit unbelievable for all these 13 year old boys to have so much emotional maturity. But overall this was a great middle grade book dealing with mental health and queer topics....more
After reading the book I now understand why Stephen King didn’t like Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation. While the movie version of The Shining is basicallyAfter reading the book I now understand why Stephen King didn’t like Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation. While the movie version of The Shining is basically universally regarded as a masterpiece, it cuts out so much of the internal lives of the characters. Reading this gave me such an appreciation for how much depth there is with the whole Torrance family. The additional backstory and their internal monologues add a lot to the overall story. Watching Jack try to be a better man, then seeing his downfall and how he ends up terrorizing Wendy and Danny felt way more visceral here than in the movie.
The setting, the wintery atmosphere, the isolation, the ghosts, the backstories. All of it worked to create such an impactful story. I was also surprised by how the ending of the book is different from the ending of the movie. This has definitely become my favorite Stephen King book. Now I’m looking forward to reading Doctor Sleep to see how the story continues....more
This was definitely a sweet, low angst romance. I enjoyed the chemistry between Casey and Landon, but I also never felt any super big feelings about tThis was definitely a sweet, low angst romance. I enjoyed the chemistry between Casey and Landon, but I also never felt any super big feelings about the couple. Everything ended up feeling a bit too easy/convenient and not super believable for a romance between two teammates on an NHL team.
I did like the conversations around sex that came up in the book. Casey is a super sexual person and Landon seems like he probably falls somewhere on the ace spectrum, although that isn’t specifically named in the book. So there are negotiations about what they feel comfortable doing, and they don’t end up following the typical trajectory of sexual acts that you expect to see in a romance novel, so that was cool.
I’d still recommend checking this out if you’re looking for a breezy queer winter romance that has some holiday scenes. It’s not a new favorite of mine, but it was still a nice read....more
I have so much respect for Maggie Nichols both as a gymnast and as a person who came forward to try and get justice for what happened with Larry NassaI have so much respect for Maggie Nichols both as a gymnast and as a person who came forward to try and get justice for what happened with Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics. I really wanted to love her book, but it didn’t totally live up to what I wanted from it. I understand that it was created for younger readers, but I feel like it still falls short even as a YA nonfiction book.
Much of her gymnastics career is told through pretty basic explanations and not a lot of introspection into her emotions. There were so many times with sentences along the lines of “I did my bar routine and it was great. I was excited we did well.” and so on. I just wanted more. Too often I felt like the book was drifting into cliché inspirational quotes instead of telling more about Maggie’s internal journey. You can have a memoir aimed at a YA audience and still provide a complex story with a lot of reflection.
I think the book was at its best when Maggie was going in depth with telling what was going on behind the scenes when her story about Nassar’s abuse was first reported to USA Gymnastics and what transpired after that. Her explanations of when she confided in her college coaches and team about the abuse were really impactful, along with the story of the meet against UCLA where a multitude of survivors were honored.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
This was such a delightful holiday read! I’ve never personally seen Love Actually, so I couldn’t recognize which parts of this book were references toThis was such a delightful holiday read! I’ve never personally seen Love Actually, so I couldn’t recognize which parts of this book were references to the movie. But I don’t think that hindered my enjoyment at all, it would probably just be a fun bonus for those in the know. I enjoyed getting to see the start of all these different relationships leading up to a Nochebuena party. Some were lighter and spicier while others dealt with more serious emotions, but I was sold on all of them. That doesn’t always happen for me in collections of short stories.
I’ve read from some of these authors before, but it was also great to be introduced to other writers for the first time. I’m definitely planning on seeking out some full length romances from them. I really enjoyed getting to see a wide variety of characters in the stories. They’re all focused around Latinx characters with unique backgrounds and complex lives. I’ve been meaning to read this book since it came out a couple of years ago. So I’m happy that I finally did through the newly released audiobook. It was so easy to get sucked into all these romances. Definitely give this one a shot if you’re in the mood for some swoony, spicy Christmas romance short stories.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Sometimes being able to predict the big twist in a book can end up making the whole thing feel a little bit lackluster. But then other times it doesn’Sometimes being able to predict the big twist in a book can end up making the whole thing feel a little bit lackluster. But then other times it doesn’t hamper my reading experience at all. I kind of feel like Delilah S. Dawson wasn’t really trying to hide what was going on in this story, so I can’t really fault it for being predictable in a sense.
The way the story morphs from being a cutesy, cottagecore sapphic romance at the farmer’s market to an all out horrific situation was so compelling to read. It was interesting watching Ro write off things that would’ve been red flags for her in another situation, but ignoring them because they were coming from a woman. I also loved the bit in the acknowledgements at the end where she explained where the inspiration for the story came from....more
I loved how this felt different than a lot of other romance novels. It covers a large period of time, and there is a good portion of the book when theI loved how this felt different than a lot of other romance novels. It covers a large period of time, and there is a good portion of the book when the main characters don’t get along, have other love interests, and then slowly become friends. I can understand why that might not work for some readers, but I enjoyed getting to see a different take on how two characters get together.
Something else I appreciated about the book was how Ari was bisexual and very sexually open/adventurous. It was entertaining reading about all her different dalliances before she settled down with Josh. In addition to the romantic and sexual connection between Ari and Josh, I liked the exploration of their careers and how they handle failure and setbacks.
While I did like getting to see the development of the story over a number of years, I do think the book ended up being a little bit too long. It’s almost 500 pages and I think the pacing really drags in some parts. I wish it was tightened up a little bit. But overall I had a great time reading this....more
Not thrilling. Way too many characters and too many plotlines. The inclusion of a psychic just made me roll my eyes. I found it difficult to care abouNot thrilling. Way too many characters and too many plotlines. The inclusion of a psychic just made me roll my eyes. I found it difficult to care about the story because I was constantly getting confused about who was who. The POV switched between so many characters within a single chapter.
This is the first book that I've read by Lisa Unger and I'm not impressed. Her writing did not do it for me....more
Vampires! Roller derby! Queer characters! Need I say more?
This was an adorable middle grade graphic novel about Mina, a human girl who gets chosen toVampires! Roller derby! Queer characters! Need I say more?
This was an adorable middle grade graphic novel about Mina, a human girl who gets chosen to be the jammer in a Paranormal Roller Derby league. She’d lost her passion for ice skating, just going along with the plan to try to make the Olympics. But through roller derby, and all her new teammates, she finds a new passion for a different type of skating.
I thought this story was a lot of fun. It was elevated by the super cute art and the amazing colors. I’m such a sucker for a graphic novel that uses vibrant colors. There were seriously a couple of different pages that I’d like to have as art prints, they were that gorgeous.
At times I do think the story was overstuffed with multiple subplots. I think I would have liked the book even more if the plot was a bit more streamlined, and then it could be expanded more if it becomes a series. Some parts just ended up feeling a little rushed.
But overall I had a blast reading this. I’d definitely recommend checking it out!
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
It was definitely fun to have a new book with Percy as the main character. Seeing the quest and the hijinks with Annabeth and Grover were entertainingIt was definitely fun to have a new book with Percy as the main character. Seeing the quest and the hijinks with Annabeth and Grover were entertaining. However, this didn’t totally knock it out of the park for me. I had a nice time reading it, but it also didn’t feel like anything special....more
I think it’s so impressive that V. Castro was able to create such a layered story about generations of women in a relatively small page count. The horI think it’s so impressive that V. Castro was able to create such a layered story about generations of women in a relatively small page count. The horror elements in the story work to tell a story of generational trauma, depression, the stress of motherhood, and the treatment of women throughout history....more
Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this one as much as A Merry Little Meet Cute. I was loving the first half, but some stuff gets introduced later in the stUnfortunately I didn’t enjoy this one as much as A Merry Little Meet Cute. I was loving the first half, but some stuff gets introduced later in the story that just doesn’t really work for me. The beginning of the book was great. I really enjoyed seeing Winnie becoming more sexually confident through having sex lessons with Kallum. I always find it fun to see that sort of trope introduced in romance novels. I also thought that a lot of the discussion about Winnie’s upbringing in purity culture and how that impacted her relationship with sex even into adulthood added a lot to the story.
However, a trope that I hardly ever appreciate comes into the book in the second half. I was willing to look past it because I thought that it was providing a way for the conflict to come earlier in the book rather than squeezed into the very end with a rushed conclusion. So color me annoyed when there’s another big conflict right at the end with a super rushed conclusion.
The wintery/Christmas vibes, Winnie’s sexual exploration, and her journey to forging a different path for her career were the high points of the book for me. Even though there were some aspects of the book that didn’t really align with my romance novel tastes, overall I still liked the book. It just didn’t knock it out of the park like the first book in the series. I’ll definitely still check out more books from Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone in the future. They have a great knack for writing books with a lot of heart along with really interesting and sex-positive steamy scenes....more