Read in June

Book review: Book Lovers

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“That’s the thing about women. There’s no good way to be one. Wear your emotions on your sleeve and you’re hysterical. Keep them tucked away where your boyfriend doesn’t have to tend to them and you’re a heartless bitch.”

Nora Stephens has the best life ever and all of it involves books and while she doesn’t think of herself as a heroine like the ones in the books, her clients would beg to differ. When she’s not reading books, she’s scoring enormous deals for her literary clients including her sister, Libby. When her sister comes to her with an idea to head out of town for awhile, Nora takes it up without even a second chance and before long she finds herself in a different kind of adventure. Once established in Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, she is ready to relax and unwind but life has other plans as she is finding herself thrown together with Charlie Lastra, a brooding book editor from back in the city and the two are less than happy about it. But, the more time the spend the more they begin to realize that they might not be so different at all.

This was a fun ride from beginning to end! I have been a fan of Emily Henry’s books for awhile now and although I still have issues with Beach Read but I won’t go into that. I did this reading with a friend and that was a lot of fun as I found it enjoyable reading this with someone else. Buddy reads don’t always go so well but this one did so I was glad that I was able to have that this time. I found the plot very interesting and Emily really does a good job with creating complicated and flawed characters that seem so real you feel like you know them. The tropes were brilliantly done and the dynamics between Nora and Charlie were fantastic! All in all, a very fun and entertaining read!

Book Review

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So, you’re Cat’s new pet, huh?”

After a difficult year at NYU, aspiring writer Lora Ricci feels like things are starting to turn around when she lands an summer internship with Elle, a famous fashion magazine. Upon her arrival, she meets Cat Wolff, the contributing editor and soon Lora finds herself spending more and more time with Cat. Their friendship over the course of the internship leads to Lora dropping out of NYC to be Cat’s ghostwriter and Lora feels like all this is good to be true but at the same time she’s willing to make the move. But, Lora begins to wonder if she made the wrong choice as Cat’s perfect exterior begins to crack leaving Lora to question who she really is.

This was such a wild ride and I love how it unfolded from beginning to end. I found the way of using text messages, emails, phone calls transcripts as a way to tell the story was very interesting. It did take some time to get used to that because most books aren’t done that way but I did like it for the most part. The plot was super interesting and I did find it hard to put the book down because I had to find out what happened next. As for the characters, I found Lora and Cat very interesting and the dynamics between felt very real and although Cat did some very dumb things, I did feel for her at times. All in all, I enjoyed it and if you’re looking for a good mystery thriller, this is it!

BOOk Review

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“It occurred to Delilah that this was probably the longest she’d ever really looked at her stepsister. She’d spent years perfecting the art of avoidance, of protection, of never letting Astrid see how much Delilah was hurting. If eyes were the window into the soul, Delilah’s had long been shuttered.”

If Delilah Greene had it her way, she would never go back to that dreadful city that is Bright Falls where her distant and cold step family are and memories of a childhood that she never had. Her life is in New York City where she is making herself out to be a skilled photographer and while she does want a relationship, being with a different girl each night is fine with her. Until the day she gets a phone call from her estranged sister, Astrid who ends up guilt tripping Deliliah into coming home for wedding and although she wants to say no, the five-figure check would be nice to have. Delilah ends up going but is not going to enjoy it. Or so she thinks.

This was an emotionally packed roller coaster from beginning to end and also hit me really hard as I related to Delilah’s heartache and pain from how her cold and distant family treated her. I really felt for her and found her to be a very real and relatable character and not just because of her trauma. In addition to that, I did enjoy seeing her relationship with her stepsister Astrid get better as things were discovered that the two girls didn’t know and ended up becoming closer because of it. Although, I wasn’t a fan of one of Astrid’s friends, Iris who was flat out a bully and treated Delilah like a child and I found myself speed reading whenever she was present. On the other hand, Delilah does become close with Clarie and I found their chemistry very real and loved the dynamics between them! Overall, an enjoyable book with a few bumps in the road but I highly recommend it.

Book Review

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“Maybe the universe is filled with introverts?”

Shizuka has made a deal with the devil and she only needs one more soul so she can trade their souls for success and she doesn’t have to wait long to find her final victim, Katrina Ngyuen as she can almost feel the curse lifting. But when chance and fate decide to intervene when she meets Lan Tran in a donuts shop, her mission soon moves to the back of her mind as she finds Lan Tran’s smile and personality are making her wonder if success is what she really wants and if not, is this finally the right time for her to open her heart? Follow the lives of Lan Tran, Katrina, and Shizuka as they find themselves connected through a journey of identity, hope, curses, magic and most importantly love.

This was such a fantastic book!!! I loved every bit of it, I wish I’d read it sooner as I found the plot, characters, and how it progressed very engaging. Lan Tran, Katrina, and Shizuka were all unique in their own way while also feeling so real and their dynamics were well done and that’s always a plus. It’s such a drag when the characters are so underdeveloped and for me it makes me less interested in the story. How the characters fit in with the plot and how it developed until the end flowed very nicely and nothing really felt out of place and I have always loved the found family trope and I felt that it was really well done in the book. There are times where it can be overdone and under developed but it wasn’t here so I was very happy about that. While the book does have a lot of heart-warming and fun moments, it also shows the unpleasant horrible, and dark moments especially for these characters. Lastly, the LGBT representation was fantastic and not used as plot devices but actually human beings because sometimes it can be disappointing when the rep is there but they’re only there as a plot device. So, this book was fantastic all around so I highly recommend it.

Book review

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“Maps are love letters written to times and places their makers had explored.”

For as long as Neil Young can remember cartography has long been her passion and it’s one she shared with her father, Dr. Daniel Young who is a legend in the field and Neil’s personal hero. But, the pair had a nasty falling out due to an old map that she had found and haven’t spoken since he fired her and destroyed her reputation. When Neil hears the tragic news that her father was murdered, she soon finds that out that map that drove them apart is incredibly rare and even if old wounds resurface, Neil knows it’s her duty to find out what happened to her father.

Finally got around to reading this and I’m glad that I did. While it did take sometime to get into story, I did enjoy the plot, characters, and how it developed until the end. I didn’t even really know what Cartography was in depth before this book and it actually made me more interested in it. The way that Shepard weaves into the writing added to the plot and it was very interesting to learn and read more about. What really made me invested into the book were the characters and the writing as I found it engaging and each character were well written with flaws, quirks, and I did enjoy the dynamics with each character. Overall, it was a very good read!

JUNE TBR

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Hello, I can’t believe it’s June!! I’m super excited to share my tbr for this month because I’ve picked out some really good ones!

The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
Genre: Adult, Fiction, Mystery

Cover Story by Susan Rigetti
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Change of Heart by Clare Lydon
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, LGBT

Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman
Genre: Adult, Horror, LGBT

Deliah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake
Genre: Adult, LGBT, Romance

From Bad To Cursed by Lana Harper
Genre: Adult, LGBT, Fantasy

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, LGBT

Like A House On Fire by Lauren McBrayer
Genre: Adult, LGBT, Romance

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Akoi
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

My Heart To Find by Elin Annalise
Genre: Adult, Mystery, LGBT

No Strings Attached by Rachel Lacey
Genre: Adult, LGBT, Romance

The Queer Principals of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian
Genre: Adult, LGBT, Romance

Scorpica by G.R. Macallister
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, LGBT

So Happy For You by Celia Laskey
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, LGBT

The Thousand Eyes by A.K. Larkwood
Genre: Adult, LGBT, Romance

Wrath Goddess Sing by Maya Deane
Genre: Fantasy, LGBT, Mythology

People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Heard

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Rating: 4/5

“But most of us are too scared to even ask what we want, in case we can’t have it.” 

The book follows Poppy and Alex, two best friends who literally couldn’t be more different. Poppy is free spirit, wild, and loves traveling and being spontaneous where Alex is perfectly content with staying home and reading a book. Yet, ever since that fateful car ride home years ago, they are still the very best of friends. Well, they were up until two years ago where they ruined everything and haven’t spoken since.

Now having everything she could want, you would think that Poppy is truly happy,? But she’s stuck in a rut and she knows the only thing that can make her truly happy. But, she knows it’s impossible unless some kind of miracle happens. Much to her surprise, he agrees to spend a week with her and she has exactly that much time to fix things. Will she be able to fix things or will she lose him forever?

This was a fun read! Before this, I had read Beach Read by the same author and enjoyed it. I’m not surprised at how much I enjoyed this as it’s opposites attract, friends to lovers, and second chance trope which I love. I loved Poppy, she was a lot of fun and I did enjoy her dynamic with Alex, they’re so different yet they fit so well with each other. They had really great chemistry and that’s always a plus while still being their own person. What really drives the story are the characters, Poppy and Alex and I was just rolling along with them wanting to know what would happen next.

If you’re looking for a fun and cute read, this is it!

Tomorrow Will Be Better by Sarah McBride

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Rating: 5/5

“Hope can be limitless. Inspiration can always be found. Ideas are endless. But time, t“Each of us has a deep and profound desire to be seen, to be acknowledged, and to be respected in our totality. There is a unique kind of pain in being unseen. It’s a pain that cuts deep by diminishing and disempowering, and whether done intentionally or unintentionally, it’s an experience that leaves real scars.” 

Tomorrow Will Be Different tells the story of Sarah McBride and their journey of loss, heartbreak, love, acceptance with their identity and their fight for the trans community. In 2016, McBride made history with being the first transgender to speak at the Democratic National Convention. McBride’s mission of being an advocate for the community has launched them into the spotlight as a relentless fighter who just wants equality for the transgender community.

“Hope can be limitless. Inspiration can always be found. Ideas are endless. But time, that is the one resource that none of us can afford to waste.” 

But, before all this, McBride was a teenager struggling with her identity. McBride’s raw honesty and emotional depth share her personal struggles of how they came to fully accept herself and found her way as a woman. Her story has inspired millions and she not only found her calling but created a platform for herself and others to speak their truth.

“None of us know how long we have, but we do have a choice in whether we love or hate. And every day that we rob people of the ability to live their lives to the fullest, we are undermining the most precious gift we are given as humans. 

Memoirs aren’t usually my thing but I wanted to find a book for the Goodreads Bingo that happens every month and I stumbled upon McBride’s memoir. Safe to say that I was absolutely blown away by her story and the ups and downs that had occurred in her life. The way she writes is simple but has a rawness to it that keeps you hooked to the page. Not only was this a painful yet beautiful memoir but it really shows how much work there is still to do regarding the transgender community ensuring that they have the same rights as others. There were a lot of emotions felt throughout the book and I couldn’t put it down.

“Having certain privileges does not mean that your life is easy or that you do not face challenges. It just means that you don’t experience specific kinds of obstacles or barriers faced by someone with a different identity or background. And our empathy should require us to acknowledge the plight of others in both its similarities to ours and in its differences.” 

One of the things that I loved about the book and how McBride emphasizes her own privileges while discussing intersectionality. She is able to be honest and open with readers with those issues and I found that incredibly well done and powerful. This book moved me and I would definitely recommend it others especially if they are wanting to understand the struggles and issues that the transgender community faces with their fight to equality.

Cinderella Is Dead by Kaylnn Bayron

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Rating: 3.5/5

“Do not be silent. Raise your voice. Be a light in the dark.”

Cinderella Is Dead is a retelling of an old class but this time there’s a twist. 200 years have passed and the fairy tale is over and now teen girls are required to attend the ball in hopes of finding a suitable match and if they don’t get one, the girls are never heard from again. One such girl, Sophia would rather marry her best friend, Erin than attend a ball in hopes of finding prince charming or paying the price for not being suitable as a wife. But, like the girls Sophia doesn’t have a choice and while she’s at the ball, she befriends Constance, the last known decedent of Cinderella and her sisters. Together, they plan to bring down the King forever and while in the process, they learn more about Cinderella’s story than they ever knew.

“It’s risky…But sometimes that’s the only way to get things done. Take the risk, light the fuse. Onward.” 

I absolutely loved retellings so I was really excited to finally get this in my hands and read. The premise of the book was very intriguing and I did like how it was written, the prose was sharp, interesting, and engaging. The beginning of the book was great, fun, and I loved how the first few chapters showed the harsh, cruel, and patriarchal world that young woman have to strive to survive without fear or judgement of being who they want to be. The characters were great, I liked Sophia and Constance and I found their relationship interesting and Sophia was a relatable character with not wanting to conform to what society wanted her to be.

“You weren’t selfish. You saw a future for yourself that she couldn’t imagine. You wanted her to believe that the two of you could find a way through all this. That’s what happens when you care about someone. And when you’re brave enough to imagine a different life.” 

But, the second latter of the book fell flat for me and I hate to say that. There were parts that didn’t make sense and I found some plot holes and the worldbuilding wasn’t as good as it was the first part. This is a very cute retelling but there was a lot in the second part that made me not enjoy it as much as I wanted.

But, if you’re looking for a twist on an old classic then you should give it a try! Who knows you may end up liking it!