Everyone knows that the worst invention in world history is the surprise. There‘s a reason they don‘t exist in the animal kingdom unless murder is involved.

I went into this read with high hopes for a Magicians-esque trilogy but it didn‘t deliver. Some characters were too cringy and others fell flat. I‘ll admit I made it to the end to know how the story would end. However, I won‘t read the rest of the books. Will I watch the forthcoming series? For sure!

I enjoyed The Book of Dust from the very start but found it a bit slow to pick up. I'm glad I stuck with it because the second half was riveting and I want to know what happens next and further dive into Pullman's universe. I know I'm in for a treat because I have not read His Dark Materials. Since I'm new to this world, I figured I'd start at the very beginnng. Now I'm torn about where to jump in I next! I'm also curious about the TV series.

The author of this memoir is strong, courageous, and inspiring. Somebody‘s Daughter made me think long and hard about family bonds and forgiveness. The author grows up in a family with an incarcerated dad, an unstable mom, and a grandmother who is a strong matriarch. She overcomes hardship and trauma (trigger warning without a spoiler) as she comes of age, finds herself, and makes amends with the demons from her past.

At first, I didn‘t get what the hype was about. The characters didn‘t grow on me and I thought it was simply a story about a poor little rich girl and her relationship with a working class boy. I gave it a chance and got into the second half. Rooney creates very human characters driven by their flaws, needs, fears, and traumas. We‘re all messed up “normal” people trying to figure out life.

Believe the hype! I couldn‘t put this book down and can‘t wait to read book two. I was excited to learn Lucasfilm is involved in the adaptation. I loved the strong female characters, themes, and use of Yoruba language and reference in the book. Adeuemi is a superb storyteller. Make sure you read the author‘s message and manuscript notes at the end of the book.

Dark Matter has been on my TBD list for years and I finally got to it. Now, I can't wait for the movie adaptation! It was a fun sci-fi thriller that I zipped through in just a few days. A perfect vacation read!

I'm reading the book and listening to the audio version at the same time. I'm enjoying the audio experience more than reading. The multiple narrators and accents are brining the story to life in a cool way. I picked this up because of all of the comparisons to Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. So far, I'm digging it!

Perhaps out of loyalty to the breed, he addresses my mother as Cairn. “Oh, yeah, he married me because I‘m a human terrier,” she told me once, with admirable equanimity. “I‘m excitable, I‘m hairy, I have a great sense of smell, and I‘m a bitch.”

She didn‘t like being older in this moment, despite all the years she‘d wished she could just get over the awkward, in-between feeling of being a teenaged girl, the feeling of being ugly in the body that is probably the most beautiful you will ever have.

Loved the characters, their struggles, different viewpoints, and was able to empathize with them all. Now, I can't wait to read Celeste Ng's first book.

Not for the faint or heart and lots of trigger warnings...child abuse, violence, etc. A haunting story of survival and finding one's inner strength. I enjoyed the writing and lush descriptions of nature. After finishing the book, I can't stop thinking about Turtle.

I stopped reading halfway through the book. I simply didn't care about the characters. I appreciated the author's wit but it wasn't enough to keep me going. The premise would make for a great sitcom.