A Book Lover's Bookish Thoughts

The Death of Irish Nell: A Detective Lavender Short Story by Karen Charlton My rating: 5 of 5 stars Note: I received an ARC generously in exchange for an honest review. Another Note: This is a short prequel to the full length novel The Willow Marsh Murder (releasing Feb 2020) in the Detective Lavender Mystery series. It might be a good idea to start from this one, to get a proper introduction to Lavender and Woods, the duo who try and solve their case with every obstacle within sight of their cases and fight back hard. Honestly I have to admit that this was a very interesting and intriguing written novel, despite its short length. The best things about this novel were 1. the fact that there's no wasting time on delving right into the case, with some flashbacks to a previous murder (which link, duhh). 2. The writing is fast-paced and kept me turning pages with intrigue over every clue they found and every obstacle they met head on. 3. Also calling...

Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson My rating: 5 of 5 stars Note: I received an ARC from Edelweiss, the publisher HarperTeen, and the author in exchange for an honest review. *Warning*: This book does deal with heavy stuff such as separation anxiety (in a way, I think), grief, learning to get support, manipulation by families, sexual assault, teenage angst at an all time high, miscommunication (sort of between the main characters and others too). So be warned if you read this book. I already told you so. But let's move on. "A good destiny is two people finding each other without even looking." (Anonymous) I think that quote up sums up Adam and Jolene's budding friendship to first love quite perfectly. This book ruined me, shattered me, pulled me up and down, wrung my emotions out every which way it could, and yet..I still loved it for doing all that. I thank the almighty god and my goodreads pals for loving it and pushing me (no...

Tremor by Tonya Plank My rating: 3 of 5 stars Note: I received an ARC generously from Netgalley, the publisher, the author in exchange for an honest review. Another Note: This is a series. This book can be read out of order/as a standalone, but there are mentions of previous characters. So it would be advised if you read this novel in order. This is 6th in the series. AH, this literally killed me. And not in a good way. I mean it had the recipe to be one of my favorite novels of 2020. 1. Dance -Ballroom, yesss, my jam. 2. A chance for two people to dance together - I tell you the chemistry lies closest in dance, no question. 3. A hot male ballroom/theatrical dancer -Fuck yes. My dream come true. 4. A broken showdance/ballroom female dancer -My heart sang at the summary. Then why the fuck did it turn it out anything but perfect? Well let me explain. Let me start by telling you the good things first. 1. The cover (I just exploded with mushiness..) 2. T...

Credence by Penelope Douglas My rating: 1 of 5 stars Note: I bought this on Kindle Unlimited after I saw a couple of friends rave about it. This book is exactly what it says in the pages. A hot, heavy mess. (But for me, not in a good way..) Let me explain. 1. There's no consent during her adventurous nights or mention of her being underaged (yes, I know, her birthday was going to come in a couple of weeks, but still she's underaged...) 2. The s0-called "heroes" are nothing but mere bullies and beasts (way different from the type I like..) - Look, I do prefer hot jerks in books (forgive me, a lot of people are shallow at my age) but these were over the top. These so-called jerks don't even know what being nice means. Plus what it means to seduce someone, they have no clue, WHAT-SO-FUCKING-EVER. How can you expect me to root for them? 3. The heroine apparently has no self-respect or gumption. -Every time they behave badly with her...

Circe by Madeline Miller My rating: 2 of 5 stars Note: The dates are only skewed because of the constant interruptions and other commotions which did not help me read this on time. Hence why. Let's move on. .............................. Another popular book of 2019, which I yet again did not like. This one revolves around a more "feminist" retelling of one of greek mythology's heroines, Circe, and her journey of development into "supposedly" being better. That above was the intention of this novel. However my interpretation of this novel was: A slightly changed but still the same play-by-play version of the events that happened in greek mythology, around Circe and in Circe's journey. Which does not count as a retelling. At all. Apart from the good and not at all boring writing style, this book was nothing original or even close to being an exciting retelling which would keep me turning pages and wishing for more. If I...

Getting Off Easy by Erin Nicholas My rating: 4 of 5 stars Note: An ARC was given generously by the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review. Plus this a series. Although this can be read as a standalone, advice would be to read other stories in the series too to understand the backstories. The redeeming qualities: The cover, oh so darn hot, hot, hot! The summary, about a firefighter younger man trying to impress his neighbour next door for the past 6 months but unsuccessful so far. And a baby drops in, and he asks for her help again and together they both try to deal with being unofficial "parents to the baby" while figuring out their own attraction. The characters are both charming and witty, and cute and adorable, and so darn loveable. The writing is fast-paced, no grammatical errors, and connecting the plot in a fabulous way to keep you turning the pages and enjoy the story at every turn. The ending -Is also loveable and...

What Are Friends For? by Sarah Sutton My rating: 3 of 5 stars Note: I received an ARC generously from the author in exchange for an honest review. So to summarize y'all, it's basically a closet game gone wrong. But the good kind of wrong. The cover - Is quirky and hints at the what story may be. The summary - A close, easygoing friendship can all change with just one kiss. Seventeen-year-old Remi Beaufort learns this the hard way when she plays a blindfolded kissing game at a party. She thinks she's kissing Jeremy, the totally hot basketball player she's been crushing on. And the kiss...it's amazing. Heart-stopping, world-changing, toe-curling. The kiss makes her forget about her overbearing mother, the next-door neighbor's drama, and the probability that she'll fail her senior year. The best kiss of her life makes all that fall away. Until her blindfold falls off, and she realizes that instead of kissing her crush, she...

Cruel Prince by A. Jade My rating: 2 of 5 stars Note: Do not cuss me out about my opinions. If you do, then make sure to make yourself another account or a life, because trust me I will make sure you have nowhere to run from my haunting for the rest of your miserable life. Another Note: I received an ARC generously from the author in exchange for an honest review. And honest, I will be. So here we go. The redeeming features - The summary about a rebel girl being enrolled into an academy to fix her life, and to deal with her past, including an old friend/now enemy and his clique. The cover, oh so darn swoon-worthy. The not-so redeeming features -Kissing cousins, girl helping bully despite bully literally screwing with her all because of their "past friendship", the girl still being enrolled into a private school despite her previous experiences against her will, having friends who are attracted to jerks. 1. Kissing Cousins - Yes I know y...

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas My rating: 1 of 5 stars This one didn't hold my attention, almost the same problems I had with this one, and with the previous novel, written by this author. That's all. Until the next read, TMR View all my reviews

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas My rating: 1 of 5 stars Note: There's also a film, with the same name, starring Amandla Stenberg. I can't really remember the reasons why I would have liked this novel. All I can remember is, that was not likeable about this novel, was the fact that there was too much teenage drama, the pacing was too slow for my poor soul, and there's some hate on other religions or misconceptions about other religions. Another thing - I never understood why the girl's parents ever bothered sending her to an all-white-rich kid school, if 1. they're not rich. 2. they don't really trust the "white" folks. If all this had been corrected/removed/changed, then this book would be 100+ pages shorter, and not a time waster. Hence why, not a recommend. Until the next read, TMR View all my reviews

Normal People by Sally Rooney My rating: 1 of 5 stars Note: Previously, I had received my copy from the library with an alternate cover, which was definitely more cute than this plain two-shade color palette. On to the review then, y'all. The cover, I have to admit was the selling point for me to get this book, so was the popularity this book held among friends and everyone else on goodreads. One and a half reasons why I got this book at all. (Could be a good title, one and a half reasons, hmm..) Anyway. On to the not so favourable reason why I rejected this book automatically after having read several pages. The main reason, the game changer reason for wanting to have no memory or feel of ever touching this book or reading it: The writing style. You heard me right. The writing style. It was so darn confusing. Disjointed and the poor narrator is not sure which path it should take. Here's how it all happened. .....................................

Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner My rating: 2 of 5 stars A popular pick from 2019, which I'd been lucky enough to pick up recently. The only redeeming qualities about the book are the cover (ooh upside cities..) and the summary itself. The non-redeemable quality of this book, it sounds like a self-indulgent journal of your inner desires, after tumultuous events. Hence no recommend here. Until the next read, TMR View all my reviews

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang My rating: 2 of 5 stars Note: This is the second book in the series and can be read as a standalone. But if you want to understand the background of each character mentioned in this story, then reading the previous story would help. Thanks. So this story. I was just so gosh darned excited for it. I mean reading this was a dream come true in a way. But oh god the many, many faults in this disaster... Let me recount them. 1. The way his bride is selected - Which wacked out parent selects a bride in a bathroom? I just can't even. It's too hilarious to think about. God if my mother ever found me a groom like this, I'd literally cut ties with my family. And, she's such a controlling busybody. She's always deciding shit for him, like I get it, he's not exactly the average joe, but he's 26 years old. Trust him to have some brain for his own. 2. The "supposed" bride is actually a cleaner. Th...

Texts from Jane Eyre: And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters by Mallory Ortberg My rating: 3 of 5 stars A fun little book where messages are exchanged with your favorite literary characters. The only reason why I had to DNF this as it got boring in the end, no matter how many laughs (which weren't a lot) I got from this book. Another reason would be that I didn't know a whole lot about the many literary characters that were mentioned here. But it was enjoyable while it lasted or at least while I lasted through this book. Hence the 3 mediocre stars. Until the next read, TMR View all my reviews

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer My rating: 5 of 5 stars Note: This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. This is also a series, so this is the first book in order. Next is A Heart So Fierce and Broken (Which releases on the 7th, and today is the 6th Of Jan, aaaaah so excited!). So please read in order. Thank you. This novel. Ruined me. Slayed me. Ended me. Shattered me to no extent. God I'm so in love with this book. This series takes an honorary 1st in the series that I love, alongside the Folk of Air Series (believe me, they're a lot similar than you think (especially that last book in the series, QON, what a bloody plot twist..anyone else?) And yes, this will also be another series, which I might end up crying on because it was so loved by moi. Oh the heartache would be too much.. But so far we haven't reached the end. So hah, no heartache yet. Realist Me: Yet. Emotional, dreamy Me: Shut up. SO yeah. As for the songs that...

The Weekend by Charlotte Wood My rating: 2 of 5 stars Ah this novel.. It was quite a crowd favorite last year. And like always, I always showed up late to the party, even beyond "said" fashionably late. But still I was intrigued enough and curious to see why this novel had so much love from people. So I picked it up from the library as a hot read (Lasts only a week) and started reading it. But boy was I disappointed. The cover was intriguing in a way I can't really place. But it was intriguing. Hence the star. The summary was like a novel version of Grace and Frankie (it's a very intriguing tv show, which is recently going to end, kill me...*crying emojis*) and the golden girls (if you've never watched it, boy you are missing out on some educational shit, and what it means to be an elderly woman having to depend on yourself once you've stopped tending to a family and your kids are out of the picture..go watch it, damn it.) I...

The Case for Temptation by Robyn Grady My rating: 1 of 5 stars Note: I received an ARC generously from Netgalley, the author and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I should've been tempted to read and like this novel too..I mean look at the title. *waits for everyone to catch up* Yeah well, now you got it. I mean look at the summary. A one night stand between two enemies (who have no idea they are enemies) which may turn to something else but before that happens, they find out the truth about each other and it becomes an all out-third world war between them. But can they beat this war in order to salvage their future? Highly unlikely. That's what I can tell. But then again even this amazing summary couldn't help me keep the attention towards the book, and eventually I fell asleep or skimmed through the dialogues while reading. So you can tell that my case for this temptation was at a success rate of 0%. Until the next read, T...

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle My rating: 1 of 5 stars Note: An ARC was generously given by Netgalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review. Ah in five years...more like 5 minutes of time travel and warming up to the new guy whose house she winds up being in. The plot is the only interesting thing I seem to like. It starts of as an interviewer asks our heroine, what she might end up doing in the next 5 years (usually it's 10 years..but guess they wanted her young..) and her fiance and her go to a dinner, they get engaged (blah, blah, blah) and she wakes up next morning to find out she's somewhere else, and with someone else. Real fun, you see. Not even being able to understand your future. But. The plot is a bit too fast-paced for my liking, the writing is fine as it can be. However the romance is a bit hard to believe and there seems to be not a lot of the summary involved, the cover also seems to be missing. So... F...

Hearts and Thorns by Ella Fields My rating: 2 of 5 stars Note: An ARC was given generously in exchange for an honest review. Well folks, once again nothing good seems to come out of this arc that was given. The only two things that I can remember or actually bother to recount would be the quirky cover and a well loved but not original summary. That's it. As far as the writing goes, the author never seems to come out of their childhood/teenage phase. And the characters don't seem to have a strong personality, they can't stand up for themselves for long and neither are they that loveable, that would help in their favor to be able to move the story along. The romance feels forced and too quick, there's no reason either why both characters should fall in love with each other, no quality that would charm each other. It's just wham bam slam, yup done, thanks, see ya later move by the author in terms of romantic attraction. The sexual te...

Love, Jacaranda by Alex Flinn My rating: 2 of 5 stars Note: An ARC was granted generously by the publisher HarperTeen, the author, Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited for this novel, one because the cover is cute as hell, two some of my friends loved it and I in general loved the summary. SO these were obvious reasons why I requested an ARC from Edelweiss. But then it all fell to...nothing. Disappointed me beyond hope. So let me tell you how it all happened. First of all the cover - The cover was cute as hell, a guy and a girl holding each other at night, so yeah cute as heck image and I liked it immediately: 1. the night. 2. the couple. SO yeah definitely a favorite cover of mine. Hence a star. Second - The summary - Jacaranda is a girl who has a talent of singing even though lives in a poor condition, works and still goes to school and behaves like a normal 16 year old as best as she can. One day while singing for a custome...

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black My rating: 5 of 5 stars Note: This is a part of the series, Folk Of Air. First comes The Cruel Prince, next in line (get it, next in line..*laughs* hehe) is The Wicked King, final is The Queen of Nothing. Please read in order. Thank you. Another Note: First review of the year, y'all! GO me! Feel free to read my reviews for the previous books in the series. 1. The Cruel Prince: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... 2. The Wicked King: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Nilufer's review of QON: There are the letters which Cardan has written to Jude and she's never known about them: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... (The rest of the letters are on the internet, so ahead and find them). I would have included the letters, but this review was already long and I would have gotten more emotional seeing those letters (but I do have them stored in my photos app, so hah, I haven't let go of th...

The Lineup by Meghan Quinn My rating: 5 of 5 stars Note: This is my last review of 2019. Another Note: This is a series, so this all goes in order. First comes The Locker Room, then The Dugout, third and final (for now) is The Lineup. They can all be read as standalones but it would be recommended to read in order, to understand every character's backstory. Thank you. Songs applying here: 1. It's A Lie by the Vamps. 2. River by Charlie Puth. 3. Kiss by The Vamps. 4. Good Boys by Josie Dunn. 5. I Wish You Were Here by HRVY. So Jason Orson. Dottie Domico. You two. Have. Got. My. Heart. That's all I can manage to stay. Third couple to win this trophy. Anyway. These two have my heart so bad for being so endearing, wonderful and perfectly hilarious peeps of nature. I don't think I'll ever find a replacement. Gah.. Anyway let me start this review for real. It's already getting so long. Here we go. The cover - So darn swoonworthy, no...