Couple meets: love at first sight. They enjoy spending time together and are in love and everything is perfect. There wasn't a whole lot of character development or story development. But, this is a very light hearted and easy holiday read. As the story grew, the couple's love grew. It was a great feel-good for the holidays, especially if you need something light while you are preoccupied with holiday gatherings

This is a spin on the Stepford Wives, except all of the husbands are perfect... that being said, this book was NOT for me! I could tell that the author was trying to touch on topics like the differences between household role/ parenting styles. That being said, I found myself cringing through most of it. The last 25% ended up being really good and interesting, but couldn't make up for the first 75%

I was not expecting this to be so steamy, oh but it was! I really did love this story. It was such a cute love story with lots of comedy and relatable moments. It also touches on important topics like the roles women play in academia and STEM, challenges they may face including assumptions, bias, and discrimination.

This was a quick read that is funny, romantic, and adorable!

I am sadly disappointed with this one. This novel was a bit long and wordy. The protagonists go on a journey, much like the ones referenced in the book. The history they discuss is a little bit more interesting than their journey. The characters were great but the story development was a little boring.

I think Rachel is a factional me. I also am obsessed with all things Christmas. The only difference is that I shamelessly flaunt my obsession. This holiday rom-com mixes Christmas with Hannukuh into a beautiful love story. This has all the enemies to lovers conflict we all know and love. This debut novel mixes in holiday cheer and wraps you up in a big blanket of Jewish culture.

I will start off by saying that I am typically not a fan of “groundhog day“ stories of ANY kind. I hate how repetitive it is. That being said, I loved this one! It is another great holiday romance that I am all about. I never realized I was this type of person, but here we are. If you are a lover 9f Hallmark holiday movies, this one is for you. It is corny, predictable, and filled with all the things you love in a holiday romance.

Is this considered a children's book? I think it is an every-age book. This touches on important concepts like friendship, loneliness, the purpose of life, who we are, and working through challenges. The illustrations are beautiful and the hand-written text is unique.

If I had to explain the feeling of this book, it is like a long hug with a loved one or a warm cup of cocoa.

I couldn't WAIT to get my hands on this after I saw it all over instagram. I am glad I followed the reading recommendation because I was instantly hooked. It sucks you in from the very beginning, unravels throughout, and leaves you wanting more!

Do you ever get a reading hangover? Or seriously depressed after you've finished an amazing book? That's exactly how I felt after finishing this one. I loved everything about this book! The characters were amazing, the story was beautiful, the relationships they built were inspiring, and it touched on themes like the purpose of life, what we do with the time we have left, and every life is beautiful no matter how long they have been alive.

If you are a reader of holiday stories, this one will not disappoint. It is just like a Hallmark movie in book form. It is full of holiday cheer, warmth, and no real real challenges to worry about.

If you are not a fan of holidays reads, you should likely skip this one. If you are looking for something light and feel good that you can curl up with next to the fire, this one is for you!

Another great read from Sally Rooney. I loved Normal People and was captured by the similar style of this book. If you are a lover of this author, then you likely enjoy her character development and deep-dive into the complexities of romantic relationships. This book had all of the aspects you love with Rooney's writing while presenting a new story of love, loss, and friendship.

This has major “Misery“ and “Shining“ vibes. When a couple wins a winter-getaway, they soon discover it is not at all what they were expecting. As things slowly go awry, the couple begins to think someone has lured them here to fulfill a sinister plan.

An amazing read that has you hooked from the first page! It does pick up during the last 20% and speeds right along. If you want something that feels spooky but not scary, this one is for you!

Yesss! This “Desperate Housewives“-like book dives into the lives of everyone in the neighborhood as specific patrons are targeted by vandalism. As the story develops we learn that everyone has secrets. What are the lengths people will go keep them hidden?

I loved the character development, drama, whitty humor, and thrill of watching the story unfold. I wouldn't consider this a mystery or thriller, but more of a dramatic TV series.

I have been meaning to post about this for some time now, but convinced my book club to pick this for this month's read.

“A smart, imaginative , and evocative debut novel of love, betrayal, revenge, and redemption, told with razor-sharp wit and affection, in which a young woman discovered the greatest super power - for good or ill- is a properly executed spreadsheet“

I loved the first 75% of this book and was so invested in the stories of the women. As the story developed, I was intrigued with the complexities of each character, along with the author touching on themes related to everyday challenges of women. I really thought this would be a 5 star rating for me, but sadly I couldn't get on board with the direction it took. It left me saying “oh come on!“ Sadly, this is a pass for me

Please turn this into a TV series!! L. A. Weather was a dramatic multigenerational novel that follows a family as they navigate many of life's challenges while living in L.A.

Major themes consist of divorce, infidelity, love, sickness, mental illness, debt, family secrets, and fulfillment in the life we live.

I loved all of the drama and moments of humor. Definitely would recommend!

I loved how Colleen Hoover wrote such suspense in Verity and was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this one, even though it is not a thriller.

She has an amazing way of capturing her audience and making her material impossible to put down!

The thing I wasn't expecting? The large role Ellen Degeneres plays throughout the story. I wonder if Ellen will ever read this one? I sure hope so!

Loved this one, but rest of the series got bit lengthy. If you are ready to dive into a complicated fantasy universe, this one is for you!

Welcome to my quiet place. This book has a lot of “Desperate Housewives“ vibes. I found this story was a bit of a challenge to get in to. So much of it was repetitive, and there was not a lot lot character development, which I became frustrated with.

This is an interesting thriller/ mystery where the reader discovers the secrets of every neighbor in the neighborhood. If you like drama mixed in with your mystery, this is the one for you!

This was NOT what I was expecting at all. Based on the cover alone I was expecting something more like “The Guest List.“ I had a hard time getting into this one. It did not capture my attention like I was hoping.

Oooof, this one hit my in the gut. I cried more times than I could count. Happy tears, sad tears, frustrated tears, complicated tears... all of the tears! Hannah has an amazing capacity for cresting characters with so much depth and range of emotion. I have been in love with Alaska for a long time. This book reminded me why it is on my bucket list.

Did you know, the are over 7,000 unsolved murdered every YEAR!? Meaning there are likely around 7,000 new murderers a year walking among us thinking they got away with it... terrifying, right?! I was getting serious Roommate or Single White Female vibes from this one. Without revealing too much, this book asks us, “can you really trust anyone to help you get rid of a dead body?“

Someone come get me, I'm still at the edge of this cliff!

This novel asks us to face our unconscious (and sometimes conscious) biases when in the face of crisis. Would your actions change when the situation becomes life or death?

Is this book about the apocalypse? A warning against too much screen time? World War 3? Radiation poisoning? Global warming? ... the answer is...

I loved ALL of the literary references in this one! This was a sweet story of a village library at risk of closure. The patrons of the library must band together and get creative if there is any hope in saving their beloved space.
This book reminds us that we should not judge a book by it's cover, to get outside of our comfort zone, and take risks for the ones (and things) we love.

The slow burning theme was very relevant 😂 the build up in the story was very intriguing and had twists throughout! The plot was a little disjointed and had a non-linear timeline. Some aspects were difficult to follow, but like most crime novels, all the details came together.

I loved the slow burn! 😂🤣

Without giving too much away, this book touches on important topics that are rarely discussed like grief, suicide, loss, and death/ dying. This book allows the characters to touch on the various layers and complexities of death. This book asks “what will we do with the time we have left?“ and “what if after we die we start to live?“

I am loving all the Halloween vibes with this one! 🐺

This is a modern take on Little Red Riding Hood. This engaging and exciting story asks big questions about sustainability and makes us question our role in the ecosystem. It leaves us asking, “who is the real monster?“

After mulling it over, I had a few issues with this book. So much of the book was communicated through gifs and emojis. I don't have a problem with that, but the book only showed the code for the emoji and gif. By the end of the book I had no clue what they were trying to say. 👀 🧹 Couldn't they have just printed the emojis!? It is such a small detail but really was a large part of the story. Final thoughts: :dust-stick:

I gave myself some time to process this book before I wrote a review in hopes that I could come to some sort of conclusion. It reminded me a lot of abstract modern art. There must be depth and complexity I am just not understanding? I was a little disgusted, a little confused, and a little horrified. It was difficult to look away and I consumed this entire book in less than an hour and a half.

This is my first Stephen King book. I chose it because it had amazing reviews (like all of his books), seemed to be on the shorter end and had an audio book accompanying it. I have always been intimidated by picking up Stephen King books because they are so long and seem to have so much depth. I have been afraid I would get lost and not love his books like I want to.
This reminded me a lot of Stranger Things. Definitely worth the read!

This story looks at the lives of two dancing sisters (Marie and Dara) and Dara's dancing husband, Charlie. They own a house and dance studio together. As they are preparing for their yearly performance of The Nutcracker, devastation ensues. During this time, Marie begins to explore her sexuality and identity. She gets close with the help, Derek, and he finds ways to stick his claws in and attempts to manipulate the whole family.

I love the movie because it brings so much Nostalgia and gets me ready for #spookyseason. I thought the book would add context and insight into the movie, let us see something we didn't already know... that was not the case

It seems like the author took the exact script and changed the formatting to make it look like a book. This book ads nothing to the movie. It is exactly the same as the movie, down to what the characters were wearing.

This was an interesting read, taking a modern spin on traditional Asain legends. I enjoyed some short stories more than others, which is to be expected. I like the way these authors brought the stories to life and provided a different context. Each legend was described at the end to discuss the adaptation, which I appreciated as well.

A wealthy couple is murdered in what looks like a robbery gone wrong. But as the evidence begins to come to light, it seems that this was an act of murder by someone closely involved with the couple. With many suspects, all with motive and a shaky alibi, the police begin to investigate the couple's four living children. Family secrets begin to emerge. We find that this was NOT a Happy Family, but would that lead one to commit murder?

This book is about a fourth grade girl named Melissa, who is in a male body with the given name “George.“ She wants to try out for school play “Charlotte's Web“ as the part of Charlotte. Melissa expressed a lot of bravery and courage to try out for the “girl“ part, though she would not be the traditional choice. We get to see how Melissa navigates the situation, how she stands up for herself, and how she honors her true identity

Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars. What's not to love!? The 4 main characters were in the wrong place at the wrong time and now are the main suspects in a murder! We spend the entire book trying to figure out who did it!? As we try to figure out who the killer is, dirty little secrets start to pour out. No one leaves unscathed.

You know you love me 😘
XOXO
-Gossip Girl

I WISH this were one of my required readings in high-school. I found myself getting lost in the tangential thought and loose associations throughout this book. A little extra guidance from an English teacher would have been very beneficial. After reading the book, I spent some time researching the author and the popularity of this specific title. After gaining this insight, I have a deeper appreciation and understanding of the story.

This story reminded me of a stereotypical Irish family from New Jersey. The men have tempers. The women are confrontational. They live the motto of “blood is thicker than water.“ I enjoyed the story development and the characters development. It seems everyone has secrets and it is surprising the lengths they will go to keep them. The layers and layers of secrets kept my interest to finish this book.

I was skeptical about picking up this book because I wasn't very interested in the dust bowl. I saw this book was nominated for best book of 2021, so I decided to finally give it a try. Boy, was I wrong. I became SO interested in the dust bowl when reading this book. The themes from this story are so synonymous with the current pandemic that aspects seemed to parallel the lives many live today.

This is just not my type of book. It reminded me a lot of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I am not a fan of dry humor. This book would be great for someone who enjoys that type of book, it is just not me. There are many rave reviews and great comments. If you are a fan of Hitchhiker's Guide or Dogma, you will likely love this one as well.

This book makes me miss vacation! It took me a minute to get into this book. I should also preface that I am not a huge fan of romance or sappy love stories. I found this best friend duo a little insufferable in the beginning. But, as the story continued to develop I found each of them held a special place in my heart.

I had such high hopes for this book, which may be why I was so disappointed. I mean, a group of women who were all final survivors of classic horror movies!? How awesome would that be!? I was expecting there to be classic slasher vibes, over the top acting, and plot holes left and right. I got all of that and more... not in a good way!

What an interesting book! The character development was everything I wanted it to be. I appreciated the way the children attempted to break their systemic patterns in their family to create a new life. I enjoyed how each character was different but also devoted to their family. I was slightly perturbed by the way things unfolded, but it was interesting enough to keep me interested. I would love to see this adapted into a TV series

I read this book on the 21st of September to officially get ready for the fall. I loved the tone of this book, making me feel like it was fall. Does that make sense? The way this book moved was melancholy, bittersweet, and optimistic. It was a quick read and got me fully into the fall spirit!

This was such a cute book! I really adored the little girl who was an alien and the unlikely match between the PhD student and farmer. I was slightly disappointed by aspects of the story. The story was whimsical, inspiring, and makes us think about what matters most to us. It was very sweet and thoughtful.

I have seen so many great reviews for this book. I just could not get into it. This book just did not grab my attention. Maybe I have just been too distracted or thinking of other things, but I noticed myself having to reread sections of the book because I did not comprehend anything that happened. It has all the pieces that make up a great book, it just wasn't for me.

I was very surprised how little of this book was actually about the many husband's of Evelyn Hugo. I guess that is the point? I guess it is a great reminder that celebrities are people too... and you can't judge a book by its cover... and you don't know the kind of events that have transpired in one's life... and blah blah blah. I picked up this book looking for scandal. Instead I got a love story and the compromises people make to be together.

Nope! Everyone loves this book and I thought I would give it a whirl, especially as school is back in session and fall is in the air. I hated The Goldfinch but heard amazing things about this book that I gave it a try. I was reminded instantly why I chose to stay away from this book. Many people love the writing style but I think it just draaaaagggsss ooonnnn.

Yikes! This book was amazing! It was very mysterious, scary, and difficult to expect what was coming next. I noticed myself being seriously creeped out while reading at night. I also couldn't put the book down.

This was one of those books where you want to savor every second but also can't put down. Please let me know if you have read this book! I need to discuss!!

This was a very fast paced detective novel that had me guessing until the very end. I was interested to see how the plot unfolded and who was involved in the murder. It was an interesting story with lots of twists and turns. There were some aspects of the book I thought were a bit over done, but it was entertaining all the same.