Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before (#1) by Jenny Han

Title: To All the Boys I've Loved Before (#1)

Author: Jenny Han

Published by: Simon & Schuster BFYR

Released: 2014

Source: From My Own Shelf, I Own It!

Synopsis: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. 

But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. 

As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: This was adorable and I loved it! I love the fake dating trope. It's just everything that I want. This was such a fun read. It was addictive, cute, adorable. I want my own Peter Kavinsky.

I've been meaning to read this book for the longest time because I wanted to see the Netflix movie. I ended up watching the movie first and it was adorable. So, so adorable. I knew then that I needed more of Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky. I needed that cuteness in my life.

I flew through this book. I was addicted. In fact, I couldn't even stop after To All the Boys I've Loved Before and I just went and binged the whole series. It has been so long since I've done that, and it felt good.

I love Lara Jean and her family. It's just so cute. I will say that Margot can be kind of bossy. I get it that she kind of to grow up fast and be the mom to her sisters, but she can be a little hard. I love Kitty, she's fun. Lara Jean can be a little immature, but I understand her. In some ways, I can see parts of myself in her. She definitely has more style than I will ever have and her food is probably much better tasting, but I connect with her on some things.

Peter Kavinsky, I mean, come on! He is dreamy and I want one of him for my very own.

This whole book was just so cute. What else can I say but that it was adorable.

The Movie is very similar to the Book, which I appreciated. There are some differences of course. There is more of a slow burn in the book between Peter and Lara Jean. The characters are a little on the younger feeling side. Josh is more present in the book then he is in the movie. But a lot of it was pulled right from the Book.

I loved this so much. All the feelings, emotions. I mean, I got a little obsessed. Probably going to re-watch the movie a bunch more times and I'm not even sorry about it.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.5/5

I'm Obsessed and Addicted

Reading Right Now! (237)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

 

Always and Forever Lara Jean (#3) by Jenny Han -- I have been obsessed with this series. I'm actually bingeing it. It's been forever since I binged a book series. It's like crack to me. I don't know what it is about it, but I'm addicted.

So, I watched the movie on Netflix, I hadn't read any of the books yet, but the trailer for the sequel came out and I just thought screw it, I'm gonna watch that movie. I loved the movie! So then I knew that I needed to read the books.

I've been flying through the series. I finished the first one maybe in three or four days, I finished the second book in two days, and now I'm on the last one. I know some of you out there are much faster readers than me, but for me, this is fast reading. It's so adorable and romantic and I love it. I want a Peter Kavinsky of my very own.

Iron Kissed (#3) by Patricia Briggs -- I'm also planning on starting this third book in the Mercy Thompson Series. I really enjoy this series too. I know it's going to be fast and fun.

And that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you reading? This year is almost over. I can't believe it. Hopefully I can read these two before the year ends so I can add it to my yearly goal. That would be cool.

BLOG TOUR: Husband Material by Emily Belden

I am very excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for Husband Material by Emily Belden. I received an arc for honest review from the publisher. I've been in the mood for cute books lately, and as soon as I saw the cover for Husband Material, I knew I wanted to read it. Thanks so much to Graydon House and Emily Belden for letting me be a part of this fun tour!

Title: Husband Material

Author: Emily Belden

Published by: Graydon House 

Released: December 30, 2019

Source: e-arc from Publisher through Netgalley

Goodreads  Amazon

Synopsis: Sometimes love is unpredictable…

Twenty-nine-year-old Charlotte Rosen has a secret: she’s a widow. Ever since the fateful day that leveled her world, Charlotte has worked hard to move forward. Great job at a hot social media analytics company? Check. Roommate with no knowledge of her past? Check. Adorable dog? Check. All the while, she’s faithfully data-crunched her way through life, calculating the probability of risk—so she can avoid it.
Yet Charlotte’s algorithms could never have predicted that her late husband’s ashes would land squarely on her doorstep five years later. Stunned but determined, Charlotte sets out to find meaning in this sudden twist of fate, even if that includes facing her perfectly coiffed, and perfectly difficult, ex-mother-in-law—and her husband’s best friend, who seems to become a fixture at her side whether she likes it or not.

But soon a shocking secret surfaces, forcing Charlotte to answer questions she never knew to ask and to consider the possibility of forgiveness. And when a chance at new love arises, she’ll have to decide once and for all whether to follow the numbers or trust her heart. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: This was really cute! I had a good time reading this. Charlotte Rosen is a woman who does not like to take risks. She lives her life avoiding uncomfortable situations and is mostly happy that way. Then her life takes a turn and she discovers more about her life then she could ever have expected. Along the way she gets teamed up with her dead husbands best friend, and things happen.

I thought this was really fun. In some ways, I can relate a little bit to Charlotte. I do not like change either. I don't think I take it to her extreme though.

I liked the romance between Charlotte and Brian. I thought they were cute.

I really enjoyed the cast of characters in the book, not just the mains, but the secondary characters. They added some doses of fun to the story.

I liked the writing. It was the perfect kind of book to lose myself in.

I enjoyed this and I'm glad I got to give it a read. It was the perfect, rom-com, fun book I needed. Thanks so much to the Publisher and Emily Belden for providing me with an early copy for review.

Emily Belden is a food journalist, social media marketer, and storyteller. She is the author of the novels Hot Mess and Husband Material, and of Eightysixed: A Memoir about Unforgettable Men, Mistakes, and Meals. After she tiled her bedroom floor in over 60,000 pennies – all heads up for good luck – she was a guest on The Today Show and her story was covered by media outlets across the country. A Chicago native, Emily lives with her rescue dog in the West Loop, conveniently close to many of the city’s best restaurants.

Reading Right Now! (236)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...
The exact same things I was reading last weekend. I don't know what happened to me this week. I felt like I would read, but I just wouldn't make the progress that I thought I was making. It's just weird. I don't feel like I'm reading slow, but I didn't manage to finish anything. Bleh. I mean, it could be because I was watching some Disney+ and Netflix. I've been bingeing Lizzie McGuire recently. It's just so nostalgic and reminds me of good times. I also just watched To All the Boys I've Loved Before and I LOVED it! It was adorable. I might have to watch it again. And, because I'm a bad person, I've never read the books. I think I'm definitely going to do that next. I need more Peter Kavinsky and Lara Jean.

 

The Hunted (#2) by Matt de la Pena -- I am so close to being done with this and I'm enjoying it. If post-apocalyptic stuff is your jam, then I'd definitely recommend it. I actually think, of the two books in this series, the first book is the more interesting of the two. It's called The Living if you want to check it out. But this sequel is good too.

The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind by Jackson Ford -- I'm enjoying this a lot. It's fun. It's action-packed. I like it.

And that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you reading? Hopefully next week, I'll be reading some new books and not bore you with the same old ones.

Review: Unnatural Creatures by Neil Gaiman and Others

Title: Unnatural Creatures

Stories Selected By Neil Gaiman

Published by: Harper 

Released: 2013

Source: Library

Synopsis: Unnatural Creatures is a collection of short stories about the fantastical things that exist only in our minds—collected and introduced by beloved New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman.

 The sixteen stories gathered by Gaiman, winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards, range from the whimsical to the terrifying. Magical creatures from the werewolf, to the sunbird, to beings never before classified will thrill, delight, and quite possibly unnerve you in tales by E. Nesbit, Diana Wynne Jones, Gahan Wilson, and other literary luminaries.Sales of Unnatural Creatures benefit 826DC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students in their creative and expository writing, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this collection of strange short stories. I found most of the stories included to be really interesting. There were only a couple that didn't do it for me.

This collection did a great job of sticking to the unnatural creatures criteria. They were really imaginative and didn't stick to the norm.

I also liked the diversity of the selections, and by this I kind of mean in time periods they were written from, but it does work the other way too. There is a good mix of new stories and stories from time periods gone past. They were all really fun to read.

I was also a really big fan of all the illustrations done at the beginning of each story. It just helped add that little bit of extra to the experience. It made for a very pretty book too.

I had a good time reading this collection of strange stories. Some were funny, some were weird, some were sort of scary. I liked this.

I documented how I felt about each story while I was reading them in my Goodreads Status for the book. Hopefully they can also be seen in the review.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.7/5

Oh my, Oh my.

Review: Bring Me Their Hearts (#1) by Sara Wolf

Title: Bring Me Their Hearts (#1)

Author: Sara Wolf

Published by: Entangled Teen

Released: 2018

Released: arc from Publisher / Physical Copy from Library

Synopsis: Zera is a Heartless – the immortal, unageing soldier of a witch. Bound to the witch Nightsinger ever since she saved her from the bandits who murdered her family, Zera longs for freedom from the woods they hide in. With her heart in a jar under Nightsinger’s control, she serves the witch unquestioningly.

Until Nightsinger asks Zera for a Prince’s heart in exchange for her own, with one addendum; if she’s discovered infiltrating the court, Nightsinger will destroy her heart rather than see her tortured by the witch-hating nobles.
Crown Prince Lucien d’Malvane hates the royal court as much as it loves him – every tutor too afraid to correct him and every girl jockeying for a place at his darkly handsome side. No one can challenge him – until the arrival of Lady Zera. She’s inelegant, smart-mouthed, carefree, and out for his blood. The Prince’s honor has him quickly aiming for her throat.
So begins a game of cat and mouse between a girl with nothing to lose and a boy who has it all.
Winner takes the loser’s heart.

Literally. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: I received an e-arc of Bring Me Their Hearts from the publisher for honest review. Thanks so much to Entangled Teen for letting me give it a read.

This was so great! I really, really liked Bring Me Their Hearts. It had that magical, addictive quality to it that just pulled me into the story immediately.

I liked Zera. She was an interesting character. She's very sassy, almost too sassy at times. Her battle with her monster was pretty compelling.

I liked Lucien. He was great.

I liked Y'shrennria, especially with how her relationship grew with Zera. I liked everyone in Y'shrennria's household. I just like the little family they created.

I liked Malachite. He was cool.

I'm unsure about Fione. I feel like she has more simmering beneath the surface then she lets on. I'm almost suspicious of her, and I don't know why.

I enjoyed the world. It felt medieval, steampunk, and sort of spacey all at the same time. It was fun to read about.

The ending is brutal! It leaves on such a big cliffhanger. I'm glad I can go right to the next book so I can see what happens. I need to know how all of this resolves itself. Will Zera get her heart back?

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.5/5

Everything I wanted!

Reading Right Now! (235)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

 

The Hunted (The Living #2) by Matt de la Pena -- I read The Living by Matt de la Pena soooo long ago and always meant to continue on with the series, and now I finally am. The Living was a really cool book about a cruise ship disaster, and some other craziness. The Hunted picks up right where The Living left off. It is pretty much the apocalypse, and I love reading books about that! So, I'm definitely enjoying The Hunted so far. It's super fast. I'm excited to see where this story goes. I'm about 100 pages in.

The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind by Jackson Ford -- As soon as I read the title for this book and saw it compared to X-Files and Alias, I knew I wanted it. I'm not very far in, but it definitely does have a fun feel to it. Our main character is telekinetic and works for a secret government organization. I'm excited to read more.

And that is what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you reading? Also, Happy Friday the 13th!

Review: Mirage (#1) by Somaiya Daud

Title: Mirage (#1)

Author: Somaiya Daud

Published by: Flatiron Books

Released: 2018

Source: Library

Synopsis: In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated moon.

But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place.

As Amani is forced into her new role, she can’t help but enjoy the palace’s beauty—and her time with the princess’ fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection...because one wrong move could lead to her death. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: I'm sort of meh on this one. It really didn't do much for me. I liked the writing style. It was easy to get into and flowed well.

I loved the design of the book. I really enjoyed how whenever we traveled to a different place, it had an illustration of the doorway we would be going through. I really liked those details, it made for a very pretty book.

I didn't really get the world building at all. It was a mix between sci-fi and Moroccan Desert Tribes. I just couldn't get a clear picture of it in my mind. It was almost like two distinctly different things that just never meshed together.

My other issue was that nothing really happened in this story. There was an exciting beginning and an okay end, but the middle/majority of it was just very ho-hum. The main character traveled a lot, but it almost felt like a way to take up time.

Also, I'm not really a fan of the insta-love. I would have liked more development. It just didn't really feel real or deep.

I'm also trying to wrap my head around Princess Maram. When we first meet her, she's brutal in her cruelty, but after that, it's just like a sudden shift. Suddenly we are supposed to almost pity her. It was weird.

Our main character Amani is not the most exciting of main characters either.

I think Mirage has a cool premise, but it never seemed to go much of anywhere. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. I found it to be very average. I'd be curious to see how it all continues.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.3/5

I'm kind of whatever about this

Review: One Dark Throne (#2) by Kendare Blake

Title: One Dark Throne (#2)

Author: Kendare Blake

Published by: Harper Teen

Released: 2017

Source: Library

Synopsis: The battle for the Crown has begun, but which of the three sisters will prevail?

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.

In this enthralling sequel to Kendare Blake’s New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns, Fennbirn’s deadliest queens must face the one thing standing in their way of the crown: each other. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: This was so good!! I was hooked. It picked up right after the events of the last book and just kept up this crazy, intense pace. This world that Kendare Blake has created has sucked me right in. I would not want to live in that world, but I'm definitely enjoying reading about it. I couldn't put it down, I couldn't look away, and now I need to know what is going to happen next.

My favorite sister is Arsinoe. I feel like she had the most normal upbringing out of the bunch. I like that she has people that genuinely care about her. I also love Billy Braddock. I don't hate Mirabella, but I think the power that she was granted can kind of go to her head sometimes. And Katharine ay-yi-yi, there is something seriously wrong with her. The events that happened in the first book have changed sweet little Katharine a little, she's a bit crazy.

There was just so much going on in One Dark Throne, so many twists and turns. Some definite shocks that I couldn't believe happened. This island is crazy. Triplets born for the sole purpose of killing one another crazy. It sure is fun to read about though.

This series man, this series.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4.5/5

So Good! So Intense!

Reading Right Now! (234)

What I'm Reading Right Now! is...

 

Kill Creek by Scott Thomas -- I am really enjoying this one. The short synopsis for this book is four famous horror writers stay the night in a house that might be haunted. I mean, how could I not read it when it had a hook like that? I'm about 72% of the way through this and it's great. It kind of gives me the same feeling that I had when I read Night Film by Marisha Pessl. That feeling of I have no idea what's going on, where it's going to go, or how it's going to end. I'm definitely going to finish this one soon.

Unnatural Disasters by Jeff Hirsch -- This one was mainly a cover grab. I'm not really sure how I'm feeling about Unnatural Disasters yet. I'm not really getting the point of the story, the plot. I'm a little scared that it's going to be one of those preachy climate change, we destroyed the world, shouldn't we be ashamed types of books, and I gotta be honest, I HATE getting preached at. So far, this centers around a girl named Lucy who's living life. As far as I can tell, she doesn't really go to school that often. She's got a super hot boyfriend. And her dad is cool with letting her do whatever. Then a tragedy takes place, and that's it, that's all I've got. I don't know about this one. The writing is enjoyable enough. It's very fast. So, I'm still on the fence about this one. I'm about 33% of the way through.

And that's what I'm Reading Right Now! What are you reading?

Review: The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James

Title: The Loneliest Girl in the Universe

Author: Lauren James

Published by: HarperTeen

Released: 2017

Source: Library

Synopsis: A surprising and gripping sci-fi thriller with a killer twist

The daughter of two astronauts, Romy Silvers is no stranger to life in space. But she never knew how isolating the universe could be until her parents’ tragic deaths left her alone on theInfinity, a spaceship speeding away from Earth.

Romy tries to make the best of her lonely situation, but with only brief messages from her therapist on Earth to keep her company, she can’t help but feel like something is missing. It seems like a dream come true when NASA alerts her that another ship, the Eternity, will be joining the Infinity.

Romy begins exchanging messages with J, the captain of theEternity, and their friendship breathes new life into her world. But as the Eternity gets closer, Romy learns there’s more to J’s mission than she could have imagined. And suddenly, there are worse things than being alone…. (Synopsis from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: What a wild, wild ride. I liked The Loneliest Girl in the Universe a lot! It was a very fast read, intense, fun, and crazy. So, so crazy.

It really did a good job of showing that feeling of extreme isolation. Romy is damaged definitely.

I enjoyed the mystery of this book. I needed to know what had really happened that ended with Romy being all alone, hurtling through space.

It was a very quick read, in some instances, it was almost too quick. I was getting whiplash from all the twists and turns. I wish some things had turned out differently.

I also wish I had gotten a little more from the ending, more closure for Romy's future. I like closure.

I liked it! The Loneliest Girl in the Universe would make a great movie. I'm definitely going to read more by Lauren James.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

You Crazy!

November Wrap-Up 2019

Here is everything I read in November. It was a pretty average reading month for me. There's a sad part of myself that wishes I had read a little more, but I had a busy month. From visiting family to having family come and visit, I just couldn't be as anti-social as I wanted to. I was still a little anti-social because that's just me, but all the family stuff took some time away from reading all the books.
I hope to end the year strong. I don't think I'll beat my all time goal for books read in a year, at least my number since I started keeping track of it, but as long as I keep going strong, I'll beat the number that I read last year.
So, here's what I read in November 2019

  

  

Unnatural Creatures Stories Selected by Neil Gaiman -- 3.75/5 -- I enjoyed this anthology. It was a mix of new stories and old, which I wasn't expecting. There was only a couple stories that I didn't love, but all the others were pretty fun to read. They were strange, they were different, and they all stayed true to the theme of Unnatural Creatures.

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James -- 4/5 -- This was pretty crazy. Such a fast read. Sometimes, things happened almost too fast. It was a very interesting story. I could see this making a cool movie.

Queens of Fennbirn (Three Dark Crowns Novellas) by Kendare Blake -- 4/5 -- I am kind of hooked to this Three Dark Crowns World. These novellas were really fun to read. I liked the history and backstory they presented. This is such a fun series. I can't wait to read Book 3.

The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees -- 2/5 -- This was my struggle bus read of the month. I really didn't like it. The writing style was such a chore for me to get through. It was very much a story where it was style over everything else. It was bloated with similies, metaphors, alliteration, words said thrice. I did not enjoy myself reading this book.

Bring Me Their Hearts (#1) by Sara Wolf -- 4.5/5 -- This was great! It was so addictive, fun, fast-paced. It was so easy for me to read this and just get lost in the story. It was awesome! It ended on the cruelest of all cliffhangers, so I'm glad that Entangled Teen provided me with a free review copy of the second Book. Thank you Entangled Teen! I feel so special to have been given the chance to receive it.

Mirage (#1) by Somaiya Daud -- 3.3/5 -- This was just a very ho-hum read for me. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. There just wasn't a lot action wise that happened. I wouldn't say that it was a boring story, but there just wasn't a lot going on. It had some insta-love that did nothing for me. The world was also confusing to me. I couldn't wrap my head around it or place myself in it. It's a mix of sci-fi and Moroccan Desert Tribal kind of thing. I will say, it's a very pretty book when it comes to design. The writing was good too. It was just very meh for me.

Favorite Read of the Month

Bring Me Their Hearts (#1) by Sara Wolf!!!

And that was what I read in November. How did your reading go? Can you believe there is only one more month until the year ends? That's just craziness to me.