Short Book Reviews (Show us Your Books February 2020)

Happy February!! Linking up today with Steph and Jana and my favourite online bookworms for Show Us Your Books. My reading life has been incredible in the past few weeks. I feel like I have read a lot of books that have helped me forget, for a few minutes, that it is a cold, grey, gross, wintery time of year. Haha. I’ve leaned VERY heavily on audiobooks in the first month of this year due to currently having Scribd and also just because I have a lot of organizing to do around the house and audiobooks help me get through that.

Long Bright River by Liz Moore

4.5 rounded up to 5. This book appeared to be very daunting when I first picked it up on the holds shelf (it is almost 500 pages!) and I debated whether I’d have time to get through it in my 3 week loan period, but it completely flew by in a few days. I could NOT put this story of two sisters down. I enjoyed the Then/Now timelines and how they provided us with so much family history and reasoning behind the very very different lives these two women were leading. I don’t want to say too much about the plot, because there were a few things that I really did NOT see coming and this delighted me, but the connection between these two sisters despite their slight estrangement really developed as we were fed different pieces of information in this story.

This book doesn’t *really* fall in the suspense/thriller genre exclusively though there is a very intense mystery storyline and I absolutely found it captivated me in ways I did not expect. Not an easy read by any means – this book is saturated with vivid and real descriptions of the lives of those suffering from intense addiction -but it was so, so good.

A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn

So, overall, I loved this book. I anticipated it for a year. I love the characters and the setting and the era. I knew this book would tread into some new territory for Stoker and Veronica and that was super fun to read. For me, the actual mystery/plot of this story read a bit slower than A Dangerous Collaboration but I still flipped the pages pretty quickly near the end. The new (main) character introduced in this novel as well as the re-appearance of some past characters all just added to the appeal. Of course, the ending was perfectly satisfying and I would read books about Veronica and Stoker happily for the rest of my life.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This series is one of my favourites ever.

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain

3.5 stars. I liked this book, but I never felt SUPER into it like I probably should have. The mystery component was interesting and I was definitely curious about what happened to Anna Dale in the historical perspective and how that related to Morgan in the present day. I did truly feel like the dual-timeline/dual-character perspective worked well in this book and that isn’t always the case for me. Overall, I just didn’t connect with the characters in a way I would’ve hoped to. There were themes of racism and discrimination, sexism and legal injustice, mental illness, and poverty in this book and parts of it were hard to read but they really made the story stand out among other similar novels. The ending was also a bit far-fetched but also surprising and well done. Thank you to St Martins Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan

I’d heard about this book years ago and many people recommended the audiobook with music in it. I agree with them all – this book was fantastic on audio. This took me a little while to get into because there are three unique stories about seemingly unrelated children and my least favourite of the stories was the first one, but I enjoyed the second two and how they all came together. This is definitely an excellent middle-grade war-era book and I really enjoyed the ending and the message of hope presented through music.

Gratitude Daily: 21 Days to More Joy and Less Stress by Nataly Kogan

I absolutely loved this and found all of her little tips and tidbits really specific and inspiring. I can’t wait to go through it all again over the course of 21 days. Highly recommend if you want some actionable tips for making a gratitude practice a daily habit in your life.

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

I’d seen this book mentioned many times over the past year and I can’t remember whose review finally convinced me that I needed to try it, but boy am I glad I did. I really loved this!! I know there are some mixed reviews, but I found this overall to be light, VERY funny, and heartwarming. The plot had some predictable parts but it also included some unexpected/unique elements such as a very close male/female platonic relationship and some mixed feelings as a young widow, which I found really interesting. There were some FANTASTIC banter dialogues in this book and I really enjoyed the writing. It is not often that a book catches me off guard and makes me laugh out loud and that definitely happened here, even in public, on the bus. Haha. Well worth it in my mind. 🙂

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

This book did not disappoint and all of the hype over it is completely deserved. It had a quick pace and I instantly felt very connected to the characters and sympathized with them. The multiple perspective shifts were interesting but I found myself not really relating to the antagonist. The ending blew me away a little bit despite “figuring out” a bit of the story prior to that. I don’t want to say much more but definitely add this one to the list if you have enjoyed her other books! The audio narration was spot-on too and it’s on Hoopla 🙂 There was one line in the middle that I wrote down because I absolutely loved it – I will not share it here because #possiblespoilers but it was about marriage.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Overall, I found this to be a captivating and interesting book. Emira and Briar were probably my favourite characters. Alix drove me bananas throughout the book but I was definitely still intrigued by her. It was just hard to relate to her as a person but I understand that she was written that way for a reason. Parts of this towards the end really made me gasp/cringe/panic so there is definitely something to look forward to from a “wow, where is this going?” point of view. This would make a great book club book because I truly feel like there is a lot to discuss here – prejudice, holding grudges, misperceptions, racial perceptions, social class, expectations, violation of privacy…all of it. Phew. Ultimately, I really enjoyed the ending and I can definitely say that once I got into this it held my interest and became quite the contemporary fiction page-turner. Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and Edelweiss for the copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson

This was a great conclusion to the trilogy and it didn’t quite go where I expected it to, which was nice. Ultimately, I found these three books to be fast-paced and unlike most other books I’ve read, but there was a little something that I didn’t 100% love about them. Maybe the mystery was just a bit too stretched out over 3 books, but I might feel that way less if I was able to binge all three at once. Enjoyed both the audio and print versions of these. Great cast of interesting characters, unique and fun setting, and highly recommend for YA and up.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

I did not realize until I finished this book that this is often considered to be one of Christie’s best books. It was not my favourite of the 4ish I’ve read, but I can see the appeal. The ending was definitely NOT what I saw coming, but the entire plot leading up to it just didn’t quite captivate me the way some of her other books did. Part of that could have been me and my January attention span though. 🙂

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover

As was the case with the other Colleen Hoover books I’ve read (and from what I understand, most of her books in general), this book made me feel ALL OF THE EMOTIONS. It was extremely readable but I didn’t *completely* love aspects of the plot because I felt some immense rage. It was such an interesting take on how characters might react to this type of situation though, and I appreciated that aspect a lot. In a way, it was strange because there were a lot of relationships to sort through/root for in this book (don’t want to spoil anything) but I was ultimately content with the ending even though it isn’t a perfectly tidy one – which I think is fair enough given the entire plot. Anyway, I think less is more when it comes to reviewing one of these books so you can discover it for yourself, but I plowed through this in about a day and could scarcely think of anything else while I was reading it so that speaks for itself, in my mind.

Mermaid Inn by Jenny Holiday

Aside from Jenny Holiday being Canadian and setting her books in Ontario and including bookworms (and a librarian!) in her books, I love her smart writing, great friendships, and upstanding male lead characters too. This book was so fun to read and second chance isn’t always my favourite, but I loved these characters and this town and everyone in it. Very Gilmore-Girls ish in some ways (with the Inn thing) and if you are a fan of the Little Mermaid, this might just end up being your favourite book ever with all of the references. 🙂 The writing is on the wall here for a few other couples in this series and I CANNOT WAIT for that too. Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Children of Virtue and Vengeance by Tomi Adeyemi

I will once again state that Bahni Turpin can do no wrong and I would have not enjoyed this at all without her magnificent narration. That being said, this book was definitely a letdown compared to the first. I did enjoy some of the magical development and the spotlight on a few minor characters, but a lot of this was repetitive and went in a circle that just seemed long-winded and unnecessary. The ending definitely set me up to want to read the third book though, despite all of this. And definitely on audio.

CURRENTLY reading:

The Poisonwood Bible, The Worst Best Man, Where Dreams Begin, and reading The BFG to my kiddos!

Show us Your Books – Book Reviews for January 2020

Hello there! Back for the first Show us Your Books post of 2020! Here I am including some brief thoughts on the books I’ve read since the last link-up in mid-December. There are some good books here if you need to expand on your 2020 TBR list!! 🙂 Check out Steph and Jana’s blogs for even more book review posts today too 🙂

The Place on Dalhousie by Melina Marchetta

Note: There are two books by Melina Marchetta that would be best read before this one: Saving Francesca and The Piper’s Son. It’s not necessary to read the other books first, and honestly I didn’t remember them extremely well having read them years ago but I don’t think I would have felt HALF the feelings I felt reading this book if I hadn’t familiarized myself with some of those characters earlier. This book absolutely surpassed my expectations and I had gone through the past few years never hoping or feeling the need for a sequel to those other two books but this was wonderful, lovely, emotional, and so good. Marchetta’s writing is excellent and her way of weaving a story together is just so good. I can’t recommend this one enough: it’s not too long but it has a lot of substance, it is very Australian which is super fun, it is both a coming of age and an aging gracefully story. Go get it now!! (It’s on KU too!)

Headliners by Lucy Parker

I absolutely loved so much about this book. I have come to adore the entire series, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this and read about Nick and Sabrina. The story itself exceeded my expectations and was just so.much.fun. to read during the holiday season this year. It takes place leading up to Christmas, so I loved that about it as the plot followed a bit of an “advent calendar” timeline. The work setting and supporting characters were beyond fun as were all of the mishaps that these two found themselves in. Despite all of this, the book had a level of depth that I really appreciated and I enjoyed every single second of it. If you are looking for an excellent contemporary romance, look no further. This is the 5th in a series but I’d say it stands alone – EXCEPT for quite a few events in the 4th book that would be necessary to understand in relation to the characters in this book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

PS – isn’t this cover just perfect!?!?

The Princess Plan by Julia London

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, much more than I expected to. The set-up was a bit unique, the characters were really fun, and the romance was totally swoon-worthy. I enjoyed the inter-cultural component of it which made it feel a bit different from other historical romances. Will definitely continue with the series and am dying to read the next already.Thank you to Edelweiss, Netgalley, and Harlequin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

What can I say about this book that hasn’t already been said? It’s one of the best books ever written, period, end of story. 🙂 (I know this is still my opinion but it is just sooo good). This Audible narration is exceptional too and this was just such a gift to have this story in my ears during a busy season of the year. It felt like a hug from a good and familiar friend 🙂

You Are Awesome: How to Navigate Change, Wrestle with Failure, and Live an Intentional Life by Neil Pasricha

I have followed this author’s blog for years (I’m sure most people have heard of him) but I think this is the first full book of his I’ve read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In some ways, there’s nothing TOO new here if you read a lot of inspirational/self help type books but I love reading these types of books in the new year to just build myself up and keep working on a more positive and uplifting mindset. This is perfect for that. Some really great points here about reframing your story, self talk, shame, gratitude, and all of that. Highly recommend.

The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren

It took me a little while to find my footing with these characters because there were certainly some very unlikeable/awkward/cringe-worthy moments, especially at the start but also throughout. The format of dual perspectives and interview components also took a second to get into. HOWEVER, by the end of this book I was pretty much definitely on board with the characters I loved and the ending pushed this into 4 star territory for me. James and Carey were so fun and I LOVED that they wrote a character with a movement disorder – I see patients with these in my work life so I just found that part really well handled and interesting. Loved the chemistry and steam between the characters too. All in all, I was not disappointed by this upcoming release but it didn’t make me laugh QUITE as hard as My Favorite Half-Night Stand 🙂 Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I read this for Erin’s challenge 12.0.

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

This audiobook was so well narrated and I could not listen fast enough to find out how everything worked out for this family and what actually happened. It isn’t 100% thriller-paced but it is definitely compelling. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and the past/present switch. Ultimately, my heart broke for the difficult relationships in this family but the story itself was utterly addictive to listen to. Looking forward to reading some of her other books!! Trigger warning: infertility I read this for Erin’s challenge 12.0.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

I’d read this years ago but it is a bit more meaningful after seeing the Fantastic Beasts movies. The kindle motion version of this book is SO wonderful and beautiful and I adored it immensely!!! It’s on Kindle Unlimited so it’s worth a browse just to see all the animals move, if you’re interested in magical creatures from the HP world 🙂

Stay by Catherine Ryan Hyde

This was an emotional but unputdownable read. I resonated so much with Lucas and his worry for others around him. I was saddened by the difficult events and relationships in this book, but ultimately hopeful. In some ways, probably because of the era, this reminded me a tiny smidge of one of my most beloved books, The Wednesday Wars – but it is more intense than that and not written for middle grade. I really need to read more of her backlist because this writing is incredible. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Currently reading: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell, Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain (comes out today!) and Mermaid Inn by Jenny Holiday

My Best Books Read in 2019

Belated Merry Christmas wishes and a very happy 2020!! We had a wonderful Christmas Day and we are off work til January 6 so the celebrations with everyone in our lives are still continuing daily.

I plan to share some of my actual reading stats from 2019 in another post next week but here’s a quick glance at it today:

I read 68046 pages across 208 books

As you can imagine, it was difficult to narrow done my “best books” from 208 books so far. My best ones were, in many ways, the few books I re-read. I included those at the bottom of this post. Linking up with Steph and Jana today!!!

Here are the best books I personally read in 2019, in no very particular order:

1) The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman – you should read this if you like books about bookworms, a little touch of romance and some self-development. It was a fun contemporary fiction book with a great cast of characters and TONS of quotable lines. I absolutely loved this and my love for it was heightened by reading it along with Kristen and swooning every few pages together. 🙂 Buddy reads are so fun!!!

2) Sherry Thomas’ Lady Sherlock series – I love these books and I am so glad I gave them a chance. They are so well done and interesting and I especially loved them on audio. So far, The Hollow of Fear was my favourite of the 4 I’ve read. They are historical mysteries based on Sherlock Holmes reimagined as a female. Can’t wait to read the next in the series.

3) Truly Devious & The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson – every time I think of this series I burst with anticipation at reading the final book and conclusion to the series in January. IT CANNOT COME SOON ENOUGH. These are YA mysteries with dual timelines and extremely good but they end on massive cliffhangers so I’d wait and binge read them all at once if you can.

4) Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen – This book moved me in a way I might never forget. I still really need to read his other well-loved book, The Man in the Window.

5) The London Celebrities series– I made my way through the last 4 of the 5 books in this contemporary romance series this year and although I really enjoyed them all (and their unique “theatre setting” in London), my favourites were Pretty Face and Headliners (which comes out in Jan 2020).

6) The Friend Zone by Abby Jiminez – this book completely rocked me in a way I did not expect AT ALL. I won’t say much more about it but holy smokes. The sequel comes out in April and I am dying to read it.

7) Becoming by Michelle Obama – I listened to this on audio and I could not put it down. It was so wonderful to hear about her experiences.

8) Atomic Habits by James Clear – another audiobook that I couldn’t stop listening to and basically told everyone I know about it. I actually need to re-read it sometime soon I think – it would be a perfect New Years read.

9) Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend (Nevermoor series book 2) – this second book in the Morrigan Crow/Nevermoor series did not disappoint at all. This series is fantastic.

10) Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman – I keep intending to continue this series but this middle grade book was one of the best I read in that category this year. It was just SO fun!

11) A Better Man by Louise Penny – is it even a “best of” book post from me without a Louise Penny book on there? This 2019 publication was perfect, as usual.

12) A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh – this was a recent edition to this list because I just read it in December but I was blown away by it overall.

13) Every Last Breath and Nothing to Fear by Juno Rushdan – these were HIGHLY readable romantic suspense books. Very fast-paced and different from others in this genre.

14) A Curse so Dark and Lonely and a Heart so Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer – I cannot thank the ladies on Currently Reading podcast enough for their praise of this book and then its sequel which led to me also loving it. This Beauty & the Beast retelling was so captivating.

15) The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary – a contemporary fiction/light romance with some deeper moments interspersed. Super cute and such fun characters.

16) Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – this book has been popular with lots of people this year and it was quite a profound reading experience but I definitely enjoyed it.

17) Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane – this book was another one that was completely unputdownable for me even though this isn’t always the kind of book I love. It was highly intense!!! If you ever decide to read this with a book club, I did a whole guide on it 🙂

18) The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller – I cannot, CANNOT wait to read more from this author. This historical fiction/romance with a hint of the paranormal and mystery blew me away.

19) Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston– I love royal romances but this one didn’t sound too appealing to me with all of the political agenda. However, I could NOT stop reading positive reviews of it so I finally gave it a chance and it definitely didn’t disappoint. LOVED these characters and the whole plot.

20) Lethal White by Robert Galbraith – I have mixed feelings about this series as a whole but this one on audio was definitely very well done and I look forward to the next installment sometime.

21) Things you Save in a Fire by Katherine Center – I love all of her books and this one was no exception for me though it didn’t quite top Happiness for Beginners.

22) The Lost Man by Jane Harper – utterly chilling but SO good

23) The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan – this somewhat romantic family drama Christmas book was everything I needed in December

24) Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge– this book was all the rage in one of my online book groups a few years ago and I put it off until this year. It was soooo powerfully written and sucked me right in and I adored the audiobook which is on Hoopla. Short but packs quite a punch.

25) A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles – it took me a bunch of library renewals on audio, e-book, and print to get through this but eventually I did and I have no regrets. It is KIND of a very long book with minimal fast-moving plot though, so there’s that to consider if that isn’t your thing

Honourable mentions: The Ravenels series by Lisa Kleypas, Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore, Don’t You Forget about Me by Mhairi MacFarlane, The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes, Hate Notes by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Britt Marie was Here and Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman, The Prenup by Lauren Layne, Wild Aces trilogy by Chanel Cleeton, In Want of a Wife by Noelle Adams (novella), and The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves, The Huntress by Kate Quinn (on audio).

Best Re-Reads of 2019:

Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center – if possible, I loved this even more than the first two times I read it. SO good.

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne – this was great on audio EXCEPT for the super steamy bits haha

The Winston Brothers by Penny Reid in anticipation of the final 2 books in the series. Duane and Beau for life!!!

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson – this was gorgeous on audio and I love this couple so much

Pride & Prejudice – literally listened to this in the last 24 hours thanks to my new headphones 🙂

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE illustrated edition with my family (this was the best!!!)

The Secret World of Og by Pierre Berton

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe with my kids

Anne of Green Gables (Rachel McAdams audio version), Anne of Avonlea, and Anne of the Island (swooooon!)

Books I’ve Read Lately

Back for the final “official” show us your books link up for the year!!! WOW!!! I’ll also share my top reads of the year later in December and I look forward to that, but here’s what I’ve read since the last link up. Check out Steph and Jana’s blogs for other book posts, especially if you need any ideas for Christmas gifts!! 🙂

Books I’ve read lately in no particular order:

Beard with Me by Penny Reid

This book was emotional – I knew it would be but goodness gracious Scarlet and Billy had difficult times in their youth! I felt heartbroken, tense, mushy, and all over the place while reading this but ultimately I am glad I read it to understand a bit more of their youth that we read so much about in later books. It was cute too. Not a happy ending though- as expected!

Beard Necessities by Penny Reid

I had over the top Everest-level expectations for this book after dying to find out what happened to Billy and Claire in the end after so many hints in past books. In many ways, this satisfied my hopes for them as characters and it was extremely fun to read about all the Winstons’ shenanigans in Italy too. It didn’t have quite as much emotion/angst as I was expecting but there were a few heart wrenching moments to read about. Loved the preview for the new spin off series with Cletus and Jenn 🙂 Thankful that Penny Reid wrote about all these amazing and complex characters and their lives in this series. The epilogue was wonderful.

Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters

There is quite a lovable (and also a few irritating!) cast of characters to enjoy in this book. I am predisposed to love British holiday-time books and this one was no exception. It was adorable that way. It was a bit predictable, but I didn’t mind that. It read a bit like a Sophie Kinsella/Mhairi McFarlane book with a character who needed to have more confidence in herself and then grew that way throughout the book. It also reminded me a bit of Waiting for Tom Hanks with all of the romcom mentions and the film world setting. It took me a while to get used to some of the formatting in this book when she was acting out meet-cute scenes and writing about them. Still though, this passed the time nicely and the supporting characters were really fun so I don’t hesitate to recommend it. I definitely laughed out loud more than once and that doesn’t always happen so that counts for something 🙂 Thank you to Edelweiss and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

This was a fun, quick, fall book with beautiful illustrations. Definitely YA but I really liked the characters and the tour around the pumpkin patch 🙂

Let it Snow by John Green

This book had some cute moments but the problem with short stories is that I almost always want a little bit more 🙂 The stories also made me feel cold since there was SO MUCH SNOW, haha. Cute little characters and now I can watch the movie on Netflix though!!!

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

I was feeling a strong urge to re-read this book so I did so on audio and it was so lovely, as before. A few irritating FIGURE IT OUT ALREADY moments but love these characters and so many quotable lines in this book. I really wish she’d write another someday!!!

What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

I’d say that I enjoyed the second book in this trilogy about as much as the first. It was generally a fun way to pass the time and made me want to go to this island and have all the adventures like this family. LOL. The diary entries were an interesting addition to the plotline and I will definitely end up having to read the third in the series to see how all of this family drama/small mystery type situation wraps up.

A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh

This book was soooo creepy and good and compelling and not easy to put down. The culture and community and characters were so well written and interesting. The mystery aspect itself was not easy to figure out and I was mostly guessing till the last page. Really enjoyed this and would recommend for fans of authors like Lisa Jewell and Jane Harper. Now I need to give Nalini Singh’s more dominant genre (Paranormal) a try!!! Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Trigger warning: domestic abuse.

The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan

Loved this Christmas book SO much!! The ending made me tear up. This is aprt family drama with a little bit of relationship drama and a cozy and fun setting. There are three very different sisters who are altogether not as close as they could be but they find they have more in common than they thought. I’d say this is one of the least sappy/Hallmark romance type Christmas books I’ve read that still really makes you feel the spirit but not in a super cheesy way. Highly recommend. The book itself is absolutely gorgeous too if you end up with the metallic/glittery paperback like I did from the library. So special.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

I have had this book on my list of books to read for YEARS but I was always a bit scared that I wouldn’t like it. One day, I just decided to go for it when I saw it was available on audio from the library and I really, REALLY enjoyed it. Unfortunately, this means that my book bestie has basically disowned me, haha, but I’m still going to stick with my opinion 🙂 I am excited now too because I have an ARC of her new 2020 book that I am looking forward to reading!!
It I can 100% see how this book isn’t for everyone, and I think I truly just happened to pick it up at the right time. I might not even have enjoyed it as much in paper format because the narrator was really excellent. There is a lot of jumping around in this book between time periods and groups of people and that can be a bit confusing or seem pointless but I loved it. It was extremely interesting to come full circle with who ended up owning the Station Eleven comics years later. I really enjoyed that parts of this book took place in Canada and I love that St. John Mandel is another Canadian author for me to appreciate.

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

With this book, I’ve officially read every book Fredrik Backman has written…so now he’s due to write me another one 🙂 I knew Britt-Marie (and Kent) from My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises and I’m glad I read that one first. This audiobook, as all of his books, was wonderfully well done and an excellent way to take in his words. Britt-Marie is a lovable and interesting character and my heart goes right out to her. I loved reading her flourish in this book. It was excellent if you have enjoyed his other works though I know this type of fiction is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

This was extremely readable, super cute, and really fun. Loved these characters and the entire plot. It was definitely YA fluffiness but it was adorable and too much fun and gave my brain a much needed little break so no complaints here!!! 🙂 Enjoyed the dual perspectives too. Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Secrets and Suitors by Joanna Barker

This book was adorable and I wasn’t quite sure where I wanted it to go – which is always fun. Really liked Nora and was glad to see her grow and stand up for herself. A sweet and fun little proper romance book – highly recommend if you enjoy this genre. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

TL;DR – I highly recommend Station Eleven (if you’re not one of the people who hate it LOL), The Christmas Sisters, A Madness of Sunshine, and Penny Reid’s Winston brothers series if you like contemporary romance.

Currently reading: Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris and Stay by Catherine Ryan Hyde. 🙂

Recent Reads and Reviews

Happy Show us Your Books day for November!!! I haven’t been reading quite as much as I’d like lately – I still read some really great books in October, but it was SUCH a busy month. We somehow have all of our weeknights stacked with children’s activities and I find once I get them to bed at 7 or 7:30ish, all I really want to do is stare at the wall. LOL. That being said…we have had some lower-key weekends and more to come heading into winter, I think, and I just want to be cozy and relax as a family and get some work done inside our home.

Here are a few of the books I read in the last month or so! Linking up today with Steph and Jana, as always. Check out the link up to see some other great, quick book reviews!!!

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has been on my TBR for a super long time. It was quite long, and strange in the sense that it was a thriller but a LONG one. It was captivating though, and the audiobook held my interest the entire time. This is quite a saga that goes back and forth in time a little bit and it is easy to forget that it is fiction. At times, I really wanted it to go just a bit faster to find out how it all worked out but the journey to that final destination was definitely interesting. Some of the characters were very easy to follow along with even though I wouldn’t call it a character-driven novel.
This definitely wouldn’t fall in the category of a quick thriller/mystery but if you have the time and want to commit to the story, I found it absolutely worth it and wish I had picked it up sooner. HIGHLY recommend the audiobook – the narrator was fantastic.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Reading this aloud to my daughter was so wonderful. I love the illustrated books. This has usually been my favourite in the series though I go back and forth a little bit. I just love the whole Triwizard Tournament aspect and the growth in everyone’s relationships and transition to maturing etc. I was a bit concerned about my 8 year old’s reaction to the ending and the darkness to come, but I think we will be able to talk about it for years to come and we’ll hold off on Order of the Phoenix for a couple more years. (Not me though – I am going to re-read that one myself asap).

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

Jacqueline Woodson is such a phenomenal writer and this story was so well told. It wasn’t long, nor was it easy to read. It was a beautiful story of family and it stayed with me long after I finished it.

Not the Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This wasn’t quite as good as I was expecting. It definitely had some cute moments and also definitely did remind me a bit of How to Lose A Guy in 10 days but the writing just wasn’t my favourite ever. The cover and description sucked me in but it just didn’t deliver for me personally.

The Winston Brothers series by Penny Reid

Did a re-read with Kristen of the first 4 Winston Brother books in less than a week – this is such a loveable family and these books were exactly what my tired and grumpy brain needed in the week after daylight savings time. LOL. Now I’ll re-read the 5th one ASAP and get to the two NEW BOOKS including the conclusion to the series. Penny Reid writes complex and smart characters in a contemporary romance genre and I love her books. My favourites so far are Truth or Beard and Beard in Mind but I’m sure I will love the final book.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow, this book completely held my attention and I was super absorbed in all of the events unfolding at Ellingham. I’d say this reads like a slightly creepier and older The Mysterious Benedict Society, kind of?! It jumps from past to present and I didn’t mind that. I loved the present-day characters and the mystery component was SO good. I knew this one ended on a cliffhanger so I knew I had to start the second book right away but I was NOT expecting the cliffhanger to feel like the author actually just stopped writing mid-sentence (the sentence was complete but UGH!!!). So just be warned, you will need to have the next book right next to you to start right away. I alternated between audio & ebook and enjoyed the audio narration very much. FANTASTICALLY creepy but not too scary fall read. (YA)

The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The only thing I didn’t like about this book is that its sequel IS NOT OUT YET.

Seriously though, I loved all the extra information we got here and even though many of the relationships had more tension here than in the first book, I still enjoyed the plot and characters immensely. Ellingham continues to be a creepy setting and you still don’t QUITE know who you can trust. The ending of this one was yet another cliffhanger that left me dying to read the third and final book in this series, so if you can wait until all 3 books are out, you might be a happier reader. LOL. (the third book comes out January 2020).

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In some ways, this book was completely different in tone (and definitely setting) than A Curse so Dark and Lonely. I think I loved it equally as much once I adjusted to that though. Grey is one of my favourite characters maybe ever. He is complex but he is so kind, he is strong but he is also human. I really, really enjoyed the whole journey-adventure-being on the road plotline in this book. I definitely felt extreme tension near the end and was utterly shocked at the conclusion of the story. Yet another series with a cliffhanger and a third installment that doesn’t come out for months (in this case, years, ahhhhhh). Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I think that’s about all I’ve read lately!!! Currently reading: Still Life (Three Pines Re-read) but slowly!!!, Would Like to Meet, and hoping to plow through some more ARCs before the end of 2019!!! What have you read lately?! Anything I really need to check out asap?!

Recent Reads (October show us your books!!)

Happy 5th Anniversary to Steph and Jana and Show us Your Books!! Wow!! Thank you for the time and effort you both put into this link up. Show us Your Books day is always one of my favourites in the month and I love reading everyone’s reviews of the books they’ve been reading lately. Long live SUYB!! 🙂

Fall reading is in full swing over here (I LOVE reading in the fall, lol, well, actually any season, but my attention span gets longer in the fall as opposed to the summer). I’ve read some great books lately and cannot wait to chat about them today!!

SERIOUSLY wonderful books

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

I absolutely devoured this book. I can’t even explain what it is that I liked about it so much, but the characters and the plot were so compelling and the writing was incredible. The audiobook was especially well done. I cannot rave about this book enough and I highly recommend it. I don’t want to say too much about the plot here because I really think this is best gone into without much idea of what happens, but there are a few content warnings to heed if there are themes that you’re sensitive about. This is one of those books that I’d recommend to (almost) everyone though – it’s just so well done and so much to think about/discuss.

View all my reviews The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

I had heard a lot of positive praise for this book, so I had high expectations when I started it despite not being very clear on the genre or plot. I am pleased to report that I absolutely LOVED this book. It took me a chapter or two to get into, but then I was completely engrossed. This book actually crosses genres a little bit, but at its heart, it is a historical mystery/historical romance, in my opinion. There is a slight supernatural element as well. I adored these characters and the main male character, Sam, reminded me a little bit of Newt Scamander from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (the movie). He definitely had that mad scientist thing going on and it was soooo fun to read about. His family, on the other hand, reminded me of my beloved Bridgertons though there are fewer of them here. They were absolutely heartwarming and just the kind of beloved family that you want to read about. There were humorous moments, suspenseful moments, steamy moments, swoon-worthy lines, and moments of relief and joy in this book. The writing was superb and I cannot wait to follow this wonderful author’s career in the future. Thank you to Edelweiss, Netgalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is a perfect fall read if any of this sounds wonderful to you too.

The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas

I am completely hooked on this series about Charlotte Holmes and this addition to the series was wonderful and enticing to read. These characters are lovely and the introduction of several new characters including the Maharani of India and Lord Ingram’s friend
Lieutenant Atwood. I loved the touch of romance in the third book and that tension was still present in this book though I am dying for things to move forward a bit in that regard 😉 It was interesting to have Livia and Stephen Marbleton play a more critical role as characters in this book and for the development of the series’ plot with Moriarty too. All in all, I adore this series and I now intend to seek out all of Sherry Thomas’ other works although I don’t expect them to be similar to this. Highly recommend starting this series at the beginning and savouring it all. Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend reading this series in order!!!

The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction by Meghan Cox Gurdon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was so thought-provoking and inspiring. This book definitely makes an extremely strong case for the power of reading aloud to children AND to adults and highlights the human connection we are able to embrace when reading together. I loved it.

BOOKS I LIKED

We Met in December by Rosie Curtis
3.5 stars – I really liked this and read it quickly and loved the characters. The plot felt a bit off and on at times. This is definitely not a Christmassy book in any way – and it reminded me a lot of One Day in December which I had similar feelings for last year 🙂 Thank you to Edelweiss and William Morrow paperbacks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

This was hilarious, read by the author. I liked it a lot. I’m probably one of the last people around to read this so not much more I can say about it but if you are a fan of hers at all, you will like this!

Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie

These books definitely pass the time nicely and are interesting enough for the mystery aspects but not ground-breakingly incredible for me either. I do really like the characters but I didn’t enjoy some of the interpersonal issues in this book – although I’m sure it moves forward in a better way than this book.

Twenty-one Truths About Love by Matthew Dicks

The format of this book was a bit difficult because I tend to (unfortunately) be a bit of a skim reader and I found it difficult to focus my attention on the lists. I also found it difficult that we rarely got other character’s perspectives. However, the lists were heartwarming and the way the story was told was pretty funny at times. It was also a bit “out there” in my opinion, but the ending was cute. It reminded me a little bit of The Rosie Project. Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Currently reading: A Heart so Fierce and Broken, Mourn Not Your Dead, Bringing Down the Duke, and Finnikin of the Rock. About to start a re-read of Louise Penny’s series and anxiously anticipating our arrival of the new Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire illustrated edition to read to Molly this fall!! (It comes out today!!!)

Happy reading, everyone!! If you’ve read any of these books or you want to, please tell me what you think!!!

Show us Your Books September Book Reviews

Phew! I finished this post just in the nick of time after losing power for 48 hours after Hurricane Dorian swept through the Maritimes. Fortunately, there were no major injuries in this area and we personally did not have any major damage done to our home or neighbourhood. Others were less lucky and I am keeping them in my thoughts this week.

Anyway, time for another book review link-up for Show us Your Books with Steph & Jana!! I felt like I barely read at all in August – I had no energy to do so after chasing the girls around for 18 days straight. Haha. I definitely get more reading done when we are more in our “fall/winter/spring” routine aka the kids are in school 🙂 That being said, I did read a few books!! I’m back on my reading game the last week or so too and looking forward to some great fall reading.

A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas

This series is so excellent. I love Charlotte Holmes’ character and the parallels to the deductive mind of Sherlock Holmes. SO fun. It is excellent feminist fiction for the time period and so well written and interesting. Definitely reminds me a lot of Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series, which is one of my favourites ever. Definitely start with the first book.

The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas

This third book in the series completely blew me away. I could NOT stop listening to it. Not only is the audiobook narration absolutely fantastic, but the plot was also thick in this novel and the character development was spot-on. I loved it. 4.5 stars but rounding up to 5 because it was just so highly readable (listenable?!). Cannot wait to continue the series ASAP and see what the future holds for this wonderful cast of interesting characters. There is plenty of feminism, friendship, a hint of love, intrigue, mystery, and humor in this series and I am here for it 100%.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

Oh, wow. This book. I loved (most of) the characters in this book. I loved the setting. I loved the characters’ resilience and determination to better their lives. I loved the tension created near the ending. This book was so wonderfully written with such an interesting plot and storyline that was well-paced and so enticing to read. I can’t recommend this historical fiction about traveling librarians enough.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

As far as Christina Lauren books go, this one was more along the lines of Love and Other Words than similar to Josh & Hazel or My Favorite Half-Night Stand. It’s not a funny book, but it was well-written and I gobbled it all up in one sitting and loved the characters so it was still wonderful in that sense. I could have easily read another 50 pages ish about the whole plot and especially towards the end, I felt like it wrapped up a bit earlier than I wanted it to – but that’s life!! I definitely liked it a lot and I will probably eventually read everything they’ve ever written.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Aussie Next Door by Stefanie London

This book was super cute and absorbing, but it wasn’t my favourite in this genre. I did love the characters, especially Jace and his career, but I found parts of it a little bit too disjointed. Overall, still a cute little book about an American in Australia with some fun side characters and a HEA ending.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata

I tried to hold off on reading this one for a little bit, but I couldn’t, and I’m glad I didn’t. This book is definitely maybe one of my favourites from Mariana Zapata and it was so good. It was EXTREMELY readable and even though her books are always quite long, I had no trouble at all finishing this in a day. I loved Lenny and Grandpa Gus, and Jonah and everyone. It was cute, it made me laugh, and it brought a tear to my eye as well. Highly recommend if you like contemporary romance or her other books.

The Love Solution by Ashley Croft

This book made me laugh out loud at times. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the sisters and certain moments definitely pulled at the heartstrings. I much preferred one of the love stories to the other, which is often the case. Overall, it wasn’t a hit-out-of-the park romance for me but it was cute at times and easy to read. The Britishness always bumps it up just a touch for me, too.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days by Chris Guillebeau

This book was good, and I liked the audio version. It was motivating and there were some great ideas. It wasn’t EXACTLY what I was expecting/hoping for, but it is certainly a worthwhile read if you are trying to figure out some plans to grow your income on the side.

READ ALOUD RECOMMENDATION:

The Secret World of Og by Pierre Berton

It was a total delight to read this book aloud to my children this summer. My grade 3 teacher read it aloud to us and it has stayed with me for years. The illustrations in this edition are wonderful and the story kept both my girls quite captivated.

Currently reading: The Dreamers (but I’m getting closed to DNFing it) and The Art of Theft, which is the 4th in the Sherry Thomas series I am hooked on. Also started A Heart So Fierce and Broken!!

What have you read lately? Any good recommendations for me? It’s been a while since I’ve read a good contemporary-ish mystery/thriller….

Recently Read: Show us Your Books August 2019

Happy August!! Another summer month gone by and some more books to chat about. I’ve read a LOT of 2.5-3.5 star books lately and it’s a bit of a bummer. That being said, I need to stop seeking out ARCs unless I really know the author or have heard amazing things. I did have a few great reads this month and I haven’t included everything here either but you can always follow along on Goodreads to see everything I read!! 🙂 Linking up today with Steph and Jana!!

Anyway, here’s what I’ve been reading lately!!

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

I really liked parts of this book very much. It was humorous at times, interesting to read, and easy to follow along with the characters. Parts of it were glamourous and scintillating and so different from my own life that it felt like very much of an escape. I will admit that I think I much preferred the VERY well done audiobook although I switched between the audio and the e-book throughout.

One strange thing is that this entire book is written as a letter to someone, but you kind of forget that through the book because it is really more like Vivian’s memoir. We don’t get to the subject of the letter until the last 20% maybe. This was a bit different than I was expecting when I began the book but it wasn’t a total deal-breaker – I just found the ending really interesting and kind of wanted more of all of that! Thank you to Edelweiss and Riverhead for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

I was extremely wary of this book for months. I slowly saw friend after online friend rave about how wonderful it was, but I don’t typically enjoy M/M in my romance books, so I kept this one off my TBR list. Eventually, I sought out a couple of opinions about the steam level in the book and decided to give it a try. Umm, I was immediately hooked. These characters are some of my favourites ever and I was sad to say goodbye to them at the end of the book.

This book IS a romance between a fictional British prince and a fictional son of the First Lady of the US. But it is SO much more than that. There are other exceptional characters. The two main men are hilarious, witty, sarcastic, and there is a touch of enemies-to-lovers that is really well executed. The political part was interesting since this was set (fictionally, again) after the Obamas’ stay in the White House. In short…this whole book was SO.MUCH.FUN and I completely gobbled it up.

I will admit that I still don’t intend to necessarily seek out M/M romance because it just isn’t my preference (I am SO glad it is out there and I truly believe it can be well done – it just isn’t my personal preference if it’s steamy). However, I am so glad I read this book because I would have missed out on exceptional writing and great characters.

Nothing to Fear by Juno Rushdan

This book was fast paced and I loved the storyline – maybe even more so than the first in this series, which I also flew through. Gideon and Willow were exciting to read about. Overall, I hope this series continues because it makes for intense romantic suspense!! The characters are all great and the plot keeps thickening! (Though this ended on less of a cliffhanger than the first, so it might be done – not sure!!!) DEFINITELY read the first book first in this series – Every Last Breath – I also read it this month and enjoyed it immensely.
Thank you to Netgalley, Edelweiss, and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery

I hadn’t read this since I was 12ish so this was a pleasant re-read that gave me all.the.feelings especially after seeing the Anne and Gilbert musical last summer. OMG I love this book so much and it might be ONE of my favourites of the series (which I am loving re-discovering these days). The side characters here are all excellent, it takes place in a fictional HALIFAX (where I live), and everyone is growing up – including Anne (at least by the end). Loved this on audio and also went through and highlighted a bunch of my favourite lines in my copy of the book 🙂

Well Met by Jen DeLuca
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Honestly, this book started off a bit slow for me and I wasn’t feeling compelled to pick it up but around 40% it really got better and I was sucked in all the way to the end. It was so cute. The setting and plot surrounding the renaissance faire was super cute and very different and this was a pleasant fluffy summer read for me.
Thank you to Edelweiss and First to Read for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

This book was very well done on audio and I did enjoy the plot and the characters. I found it lagged a bit towards the end, but I did really enjoy the ending so that made up for it. The first half was a bit more exciting and captivating with regards to the characters.
Looking forward to checking out some of this author’s other books, which I’ve heard are excellent and more readable than this one. Read for Erin’s book challenge.

Say You Still Love Me by K.A. Tucker

I really liked the characters in this book and Piper’s work and leadership role in her father’s company. The flashbacks to the characters in their teen years were fun to read. The chemistry between the two main characters seemed a bit inst-lovey to me but was still definitely good. Overall, this book held my interest and I enjoyed it. Great summer read since half of it takes place at a summer camp for children 🙂 I had a few ups and downs with the plot in this book but many people likely will not feel that way. I will definitely pursue other books by this author in the future. Thank you to Netgalley & Atria/Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

This book was extremely well written, very interesting, and the characters were so fascinating. I really enjoyed learning about this aspect of history that I knew nothing about. I both read and listened to this and the narration was excellent.

My heart went out to Young-sook and her family and Mi-ja and all of the hardships they experienced throughout the years spanned in this book. Lisa See’s writing is quite lovely and I cannot wait to read her other books in the future. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Playing House by Ruby Lang

This book was cute and I felt like I finished in about 5 minutes. No joke, it was pretty short (novella length), but I knew that going into it. I was interested in the two character’s past encounters in their friend group as well as their chosen career (urban planners). The scenes in which they pretended to be together in order to view apartments were fun. I am undecided whether I’ll continue the series or not, but this certainly passed the time okay. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret of the India Orchid by Nancy Campbell Allen

This was a fun book to read – I alternated between the audio and the ebook and enjoyed both. I really liked the characters but I was sad not to have some background of the time when Anthony and Sophia met – I love those early “meet cute”/courtship days in historical romances. The actual plot moved along quickly and all of the side characters were interesting. I enjoyed the setting and, of course, there were some wonderful swoon-worthy moments, including the ending 🙂 Read for Erin’s challenge.

That’s about it! Yesterday I did an in-depth review of a reading app called Scribd. Go check it out here! Tomorrow is my birthday and I am antsy to get some extra reading time in, but let’s be honest, since I’m home with the kids it will mostly be a beach day, I think 🙂 (NO complaints here ;))

Currently reading: Mariana Zapata’s newest book which came out August 7 (so far SO good!!), The Dreamers, and Side Hustle.

What I’ve Been Reading Lately – July Reviews

Happy Show us Your Books Day!!! Linking up with Steph and Jana today to share some recent reads. Hope you are all enjoying this summer reading season. I know I am! The only problem is that summer is soooo busy that there are nights when I sit down to read and I do not even have the energy to look at the words on a page. This happens every year and I just have to embrace it 😉 The warm weather and socializing make up for it, of course!!! I am mostly reading ARCs and library books these days, and I’m ok with that. I have to keep up with those ARCs so I can keep being approved for them, after all!

That being said, it took me a lot longer to get through some of the books I read this month than it normally would – but here are the books I’m dying to talk about:

Here are a few books I loved:
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

I absolutely loved and devoured this book. As in, tried to ignore almost everything in my life for 3 days to finish it. It was SO good. Mind you, this book probably isn’t for everyone – it’s a retelling of Beauty & the Beast with very loose ties to the original. It’s not high fantasy though, it’s pretty readable and it was definitely very compelling to follow along with. I can’t WAIT to read my ARC of the second one asap because this one leaves you hanging just a little bit!!

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

I absolutely loved this. So relatable and applicable and motivating. I don’t always find non-fiction/self-help type books to be easy to read or pay attention to, but this one is definitely one with a lot of little tidbits that I HOPE will lead to lasting change in some areas of my life. His website and newsletter are also excellent. (I listened to this via Scribd).

Becoming by Michelle Obama

I think it is almost impossible not to enjoy this book. I really enjoyed the inside peek into the White House life, but I also LOVED hearing about her early life, how she met Barack, her family and education, and the initiatives she took on as the first lady. So good. Her narration was also excellent and I highly recommend the audiobook – it is not a short book, but it held my interest throughout.

Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews

I LOVED the first three books in the Hidden Legacy series so I was highly anticipating this one. I knew it was about a different main character, Nevada’s sister, Catalina, and I grew to really love her too by the end of this book. I am simply DYING to read the next in the series now though and I can’t, for years to come!! UGH!!! Catalina’s magical abilities are SO cool and interesting. She is a strong character and she has definite similar tendencies to Nevada. I love their family loyalties and willingness to help others even if it maybe isn’t in their best interests.
Anyway, like I said, I loved almost everything about this book except for one little thing which I am happy to talk about if you’ve already read it too. This whole world is very fascinating to me. Thank you to Avon and Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Recursion by Blake Crouch

I really liked this, and it was exactly what I expected from Blake Crouch after enjoying Dark Matter. However, I found parts of it suuuuper confusing and had to re-read sections. This was probably more me than the book and I shouldn’t have chosen to read it during such a busy season in my personal life. I loved Barry and Helena. The last half was really intense and heartfelt and I loved the ending. Highly recommend this book – I can’t say I will read everything he ever writes because I still feel like too much of a wimp to try Pines but I do love this writing. Thank you to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC of this book which published June 11.

Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

Oh, I really loved this book. It was charming and hilarious and adorable. It was also long – but it flew by, for me. I love how British it is. It reminds me of a better Sophie Kinsella book – the main character is perceived as a bit of a hot mess, but she isn’t as much of one as the Kinsella books I’ve read. Haha. I would re-read this in a heartbeat and I did re-read several pages immediately after finishing. This is perfect chick lit/women’s fiction for the summer time. It’s romantic but not really a romance book. Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Collins for the ARC of this book!

The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare

This series continues to be so fun to read. I loved Penny and Gabe and being “reunited” with the other characters from the previous books. I absolutely feel the need to read all of Tessa Dare’s books at some point in this lifetime. If you like cute and funny historical romance, try this series! Start with the first one, The Duchess Deal though 🙂 There will be one more to come and I cannot WAIT for that!!! Thank you to Edelweiss and Avon for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Lady in the Coppergate Tower by Nancy Campbell Allen

This was a solid addition to the series and I loved Hazel and Sam and their adventure in this book. Now I want to re-read the other two books. I get the feeling there will be a fourth…fingers crossed?!

Thank you to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the ARC of this proper romance book – it comes out Aug 6!

Other books I liked enough:

The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai

I definitely liked this – the characters were mostly great, I found the CTE in football aspect extremely interesting, I liked the whole dating app competitors thing and the set up of the main love interest. It didn’t hold my interest quite as much as I was expecting though, and I’m not sure why. I also found Annabelle hard to get on board with even though I know she was intended to be that way. I will definitely read more from this author in the future. Thank you Avon & Edelweiss for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Don’t Ever Tell by Lucy Dawson

This started out feeling pretty creepy to the extent that I didn’t feel like reading it before bed (but I’m a bit wimpy these days)…however, ultimately, it fell a little bit flat. I guessed most of the twists except one and that maybe didn’t help. Interesting concept and definitely had me hooked to the page and not super long so would make a good beach read. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory

I liked this book enough and read it in mostly one sitting. The characters were fun, cute, and loveable. It was especially fun to re-connect with characters from the first two books in this series although it took me a few minutes to sort out the timeline and I’ll admit that I didn’t remember Theo particularly well from The Wedding Date. I just didn’t love it as much as the first two in this series…and that happens sometimes!
Thank you to Berkley and Edelweiss for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor

I flew through this book pretty quickly and I liked the concept of it, despite it not really being about Grace Kelly aside from her being a peripheral character. I enjoyed the dual perspectives. I really liked the characters overall and the setting. The plot moved quickly and it was fun to read. I had some issues with some things that happened near the end though, and I can’t rate it higher because of that…don’t want to spoil anything but it just didn’t quite end up the way I expected overall. I will still pursue other works by these authors as I enjoy their style though!! And that cover…WOW!!! Thank you to Edelweiss and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Hattie’s Home for Broken Hearts by Tilly Tennant
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was cute and I liked the plot, the setting, and the characters. The writing wasn’t my favourite of all time, and I think it is a bit forgettable overall but it was still a good enough read at the time. I will admit that I picked this up solely based on the main character’s name which is the same as my niece, and the cover – which satisfied a category in Erin’s book challenge. 🙂
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

And that’s about it! What have you been reading lately?

Currently reading: Soulless by Gail Carriger (so good) and Washington Black by Edi Edugyan

June Book Reviews

It’s time for another link up with Steph and Jana for Show us Your Books! When I went to write this post and remind myself of what I’ve read lately on Goodreads, it seems like a lot of time has passed since the last link up…and there is always a book or two that I’ve forgotten that I read. Happy summer reading, friends!! I love it!! Can’t wait to browse all the posts and add to my summer/fall TBR list.

Here are the books I really loved and recommend this month:

A Better Man by Louise Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Obviously, I loved this, because I adore this series. I can’t recommend this one without telling you to start at the beginning and unfortunately, expect the books to get INFINITELY better around book 4. I squealed with delight when I got an ARC of this much-anticipated book because there were no arcs for her last book!! This book felt more like “coming home” to Three Pines than others, and I was so pleased with that. I won’t say much more about it, since it’s hard to recommend book #14 in a series, but trust me, these books are amazing. I will say that Louise Penny’s writing in this novel felt like I was sitting down among friends. The main character, Gamache, is at his best in so many ways here and such a character to look up to in times of uncertainty. I don’t know how she does it, but I’m so grateful that she does. Fans of the series will love this new addition.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Edelweiss and St Martins Press/Minotaur for the ARC of this book (comes out August 27).

Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I described this to a friend as a less-sad read-alike to Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I. The characters in this book are wonderful, and there were many lines that I re-read because it was beautifully written. The love story is war-based and lovely and it was all just so highly readable. It’s the first in a series, so I can’t wait to get to the rest sometime.

Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This book seemed to be extremely widely recommended by some of my online friends about 2 years ago and my library did not acquire it so I purchased it and then it sat on my shelf for 2 years. I did have the ending spoiled for me, so that made me a bit more reluctant to pick it up, I think. However, after finally deciding to check out the very short and extremely beautiful narrated version on Hoopla, I can see the hype around this book. It is so wonderful and these characters will stay with me for a long time. I loved so much about this. I don’t want to say much more about it but trust me when I say it is worth the time. Also, if you happen to speak a little French, you will enjoy that part of this book – one of the main characters is Parisian and the other is American, so it is funny reading them (or listening to them, in my case!) chat. Don’t let that hold you back though if you know NO French. Just an aside 🙂

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book came recommended on a podcast that I love, and then the cover won me over, and Netgalley was kind enough to provide me with a free review copy so I was excited to read it. It was SO good!! There were some VERY funny moments. It was definitely slightly predictable at times but not too much, in my opinion. I definitely did not know how it would all end up.

The basic premise of the story is that Amy Byler, SAHM turned private school librarian, who was left unexpectedly by her husband for three years, runs into said husband at the supermarket and he wants to be back in his teenage children’s lives. As a do-it-all amazing mom forced reluctantly into single motherhood overnight, Amy is hesitant and angry at her (still) husband and wants to refuse him. Then, she searches for library conferences to attend and finds one nearby in NYC and decides to go on her own for the week.

Her children are fabulously wonderful and so fun to read about and she is exactly the kind of mom (in many ways!) that I would love to be, so I saw myself in Amy in many ways. Her daughter writes her letters in a journal throughout their time apart and those lines were some of my favourites in the book. Can’t recommend this book enough for a lighthearted and enjoyable summer read with a splash of romance, some great friendships, and some fun family moments. Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union publishing for the complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. And thank you Kaytee, for recommending this on Currently Reading!!!!

The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I saw this book on a summer reading list, instantly put it on hold at the library and then promptly forgot completely what it was about until I picked it up a week or two later. Since I’d forgotten why I requested it, I sat down to read the first page and basically read the rest of the book in one or two sittings after that. It was SO much fun to read. Note: this book was basically tailor-made for me to love because the main character is intensely obsessed with Harry Potter and Jane Austen and can basically become my best friend anytime now.

The premise here is a bit cheesy, and this book is a bit shorter than I may have liked, but it was just so fun and cute and humorous and did I mention fun??? One twin is a beauty queen and she develops a severe and acute allergy so since her twin sister is staying with her, she asks her to step in and compete in her place – just for the preliminaries. This leads to hilarity and some awkwardness and some self-realization along the way.

“Passed the Time Just Fine”

The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not quite as good as the first, still, but better than the second. I would say I feel similarly about this series as I do with the Me Before You trilogy (though they are absolutely nothing alike). I loved the first book and it was mind-bogglingly unique/interesting to me – I didn’t mind but wasn’t as in love with the second books, and the third books brought things around and tied it up nicely. ANYWAY, more about this book – I loved watching Don and Rosie as parents. I laughed out loud at some of Don’s thoughts and things he said, as before. He really is such a fun character to read. His and Rosie’s son, Hudson, was great too as were the parents they interact with and Don’s friends from the previous books. This one was set back in Australia, so that was fun too. Most of the plot focuses on parenting Hudson and is he like Don and how can Don work on the Hudson Project? It has a heartwarming ending and a lot of great moments. It took me awhile to get into and continue, but I did still really enjoy it.

Thank you to Text Publishing and Edelweiss for the ARC of this book.

View all my reviews Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had high hopes for this book, and while a lot of it was definitely interesting, some of it was a bit too much common-knowledge for me. Then again, I have two degrees in psychology, so it might not be common knowledge for everyone? I’d recommend listening to this podcast episode if you are interested in this instead of investing in the whole book. I did really enjoy the format and the anecdotes and it was very interesting, but it just didn’t change my life quite the same way others said it did for them. Maybe I’m not burned out enough:)

Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had heard amazing things about this book and it was definitely fascinating – more so than I expected it to be. I listened to it and it is read by the author – it was quite quick and thought-provoking but not earth-shatteringly good, in my opinion.

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It took me a little while to get into this book, partially because of the characters, and partly because of the pacing. However, once I got mid-way into it, I had no issues with it sustaining my interest. I actually found it easier to enjoy this once I removed the P&P comparisons from my mind because it is far from a direct retelling. There are certain minor similarities, but not throughout, and I got myself a bit confused trying to figure out who each character was supposed to be from P&P.

Overall, this story was interesting and absolutely opened my eyes to one perspective of the Muslim community in Toronto (fictionally, of course). I liked the ending, enjoyed some of the minor characters, and hated the ones you’re not supposed to like..it just wasn’t my favourite. Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book took me a while to get into, and I didn’t love parts of it, but it won me over by the end. I’m no stranger to bookshops as settings in books these days; it is a very popular theme lately. While this one wasn’t my favourite of these types of books, I did begin to really feel for the characters and root for their success by the end of the book. I just didn’t emotionally connect with the characters as I maybe thought I could have.

Thank you kindly to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley and Edelweiss for the ARC of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Romance Reads:

Just One of the Groomsmen by Cindi Madsen

This is an adorable best-friends-fall-in-love contemporary romance that I highly recommend!! It was funny and fun to read, and the first in a series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled for the ARC of this cute romantic comedy in exchange for an honest review.

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I first read the concept behind this book, I laughed and thought it was awesome. A men’s book club that reads romance to understand women better – I mean, it is very funny! A bit unrealistic, maybe, but that’s what fiction is all about 🙂 I was right with my initial feelings; there are some very funny moments in this book.

Parts of this were highly relatable, and it was so refreshing to read a book about a married couple working on some real issues. It didn’t feel overly angsty, the issues felt real, and it was interesting to have some insight into how someone’s “backstory” and the road to marriage can impact the relationship down the road.

Thank you to First to Read and Edelweiss for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I also read Meet Cute and Unexpected, neither of which I am able to truly recommend though if you were to choose one, I would recommend Unexpected over Meet Cute. Helena Hunting’s writing just might not be for me.