Week of November 23rd, 2020

Book Review:
The Happy Ever After Playlist
By Abby Jimenez

Abby Jimenez can make her readers laugh, like, spit-out-their-coffee laugh, but she can also tug at your heartstrings and make you feel every emotion imaginable.

If you haven’t read The Friend Zone yet, start there. The Happy Ever After Playlist can be read as a standalone, however, if you’re planning on reading The Friend Zone, please do, because there are spoilers for this book. Trust me, you won’t regret reading both of these books.

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Week of November 16th, 2020

Book Review:
Strange the Dreamer
By Laini Taylor
*Top Recommendation!*

My husband was right. There, I admitted it. After a couple of years of him suggesting that I read Strange the Dreamer, I finally got around to it and, to be honest, I couldn’t be happier.

Strange the Dreamer is a fantastical story, complete with fabulous world-building, unusual beings, and a story that grips the reader. I was slightly worried that some of the fantasy elements would be lost on me and that I may not be the ideal reader for this book, but after reading it I found out that I was exactly the reader for this book. Laini Taylor transported me to Weep with all of her strange and wonderful characters, and I was a willing guest there, happy to be immersed in the story and more than a little intrigued to find out all of the curiosities and mysteries of Weep.

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Week of November 9th, 2020

Book Review:
Beach Read

By Emily Henry

This book was on my to-be-read list since its release. I am so happy
that I finally got around to losing myself within its pages. First of all, the premise of the book immediately piqued my interest. How could it not?

A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.

If you’re looking at this book and think that the cover is absolutely adorable and that it looks like a rom-com extraordinaire, well, you’re partially right. The cover is adorable. But if it’s a romantic comedy that you’re in the mood for, this might not be exactly the book you’re craving. Don’t get me wrong, this book had me laughing out loud multiple times, but what I truly enjoyed about Beach Read was what a well-rounded reading experience it was. It was emotional, contained a great deal of depth, had a slow-burning romance that kept my anticipation at a high, and made me feel so much.

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Week of November 2nd, 2020

Book Review:
The Whisper Man
By Alex North

The fall is always my favorite season to read creepy books, and The
Whisper Man proved to be the perfect choice for this time of year.

I was instantly entranced by this novel. It was everything eerie and frightening that I was looking for. While reading in bed one night,
the end-of-cycle chime on my dishwasher sounded and I nearly jumped out of my skin. That can only mean that I chose wisely.

After a rough year, Jake and his father moved to a new town for a fresh start. Hoping that their new surroundings could help them heal and bring them closer together, they begin to settle into their new house and routine. But this community has a dark history, one that comes back into the forefront as soon as a young boy goes missing, mimicking the same crimes that the Whisper Man was responsible and put behind bars for committing, over twenty years ago.

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Week of October 26th, 2020

New Release & Review:
Love Your Life
By Sophie Kinsella

I can always count on Sophie Kinsella’s books to put a smile on my face. Love Your Life was just another example of why I enjoy her novels. It was lighthearted, fun, witty, and had a great cast of
characters that kept me entertained.

One of the elements that I always appreciate is this author’s ability to create interesting, quirky characters. They are always characters that I am able to connect with on some level. Yes, their antics and personalities are sometimes over the top, but they are there to entertain us, bring some levity to our own lives and, honestly, who couldn’t use a good laugh these days?

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Week of October 19th, 2020

New Release & Review:
Sorrow
By Tiffanie DeBartolo
*Top Recommendation!*

A new book by Tiffanie DeBartolo was a bright spot in this tumultuous year.

With a book titled Sorrow, I knew that there was a high probability that this would put my emotions through the wringer, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from this author. It’s a love story, an ode to nature, music, and art in its many forms. It’s a beautifully written story that is both profound and thought-provoking. There were so many thoughtful and heartfelt passages that I wanted to highlight and share, but to be honest, it’s so much better to discover them and relish them on your own. Sorrow is not the type of story to read if you’re just trying to pass some time. It’s deeply moving, rich in emotion. It’s a novel that needs to be savored.

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Week of October 5th, 2020

New Release & Review:
In a Holidaze
By Christina Lauren

This book was like a big hug. I think if there was ever a year that we could all use some cheer, holiday cheer or otherwise, it is this one,
and Christina Lauren delivered it. In a Holidaze was filled with heart, charm, humor, lovable characters, and plenty of holiday warmth and shenanigans.

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Week of September 21st, 2020

Book Review:
Heart Bones
By Colleen Hoover

Heart Bones is full of heart: heartache, heartbreak, and plenty of moments that made my heart beat faster. With intriguing characters that I connected to immediately and a unique storyline that kept me invested throughout, this is exactly the kind of story that I’ve come to expect from Colleen Hoover.

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Week of September 14th, 2020

New Release & Review:
Don't Look For Me
By Wendy Walker
*Top Recommendation!*

I started reading this novel right at bedtime. I’ll admit that this wasn’t one of my wisest decisions. This is definitely not the type of
story to relax your mind and bring you down a few notches in anticipation of a much-needed slumber. I read this book late into
the night, deciding to read one more chapter, which quickly turned into another…and another. I love a good thriller, but what I wasn’t expecting was the high level of creep factor that this novel had (I loved it even more). My heart was pounding, I was chilled to the bone, and I was glued to the pages. Who needs sleep?

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Week of September 8th, 2020

New Release & Review:
Anxious People
By Fredrik Backman
*Top Recommendation!*

Some books fill you with emotion, some captivate you with top-notch writing, and some take you places that you never thought you
needed to go. Anxious People did all three.

Anxious People is a unique novel. It has humor, suspense, and a great deal of heart. Backman tells an intriguing story filled with
characters that are as original as the novel that they are in. What is the story about? It’s about people. Anxious people. Readers may find a character, relationship, or situation that they can relate to, but if they can’t, surely, they can recognize someone that they know in one or a few of them. It’s a character-driven novel that tells an unusual tale of a hostage situation and in the process weaves a masterful exploration of the human condition.

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Week of August 24th, 2020

Book Review:
You Were There Too
By Colleen Oakley
*Top Recommendation!*

This book stole my heart. You Were There Too is a tricky novel for me to review. What can I possibly say about this book that will
express everything that I’m feeling and do it the justice that it deserves? I think that I’m simply going to tiptoe lightly so that I don’t spoil it for any other readers. It is better to experience it
for yourself, live through it all with the characters, and let the author take you on this emotional journey.

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Week of August 17th, 2020

New Release & Review:
Little Disasters
By Sarah Vaughan

Little Disasters is a propulsive read that pulled me in from the very beginning and didn’t let me go until the very last page. In my opinion, this book is so much more than your average domestic/
psychological thriller. It had all of the elements that make for a wonderful edge-of-your-seat reading experience, but it had an emotional, raw, heartbreaking story that I felt right in the pit of my stomach.

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Week of August 10th, 2020

Book Review:
The Friend Zone
By Abby Jimenez

I’ve been wanting to read this book for quite some time and decided that my family staycation was the perfect time to finally take the
plunge. A poolside chair, a cold beverage, and The Friend Zone in my hands proved to be a wonderful retreat.

You don’t have to be too many pages into this novel to know that this author has a wicked sense of humor. I was laughing out loud, reading passages to my husband, and simply enjoying the characters and their witty, sarcastic banter. But with that being said, this book isn’t all fun and games. There is a serious side to this story which deals with some heavier subject matter.

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