Book Review: The Humans by Matt Haig

 

Goodreads Summary: When an extra-terrestrial visitor arrives on Earth, his first impressions of the human species are less than positive. Taking the form of Professor Andrew Martin, a prominent mathematician at Cambridge University, the visitor is eager to complete the gruesome task assigned him and hurry home to his own utopian planet, where everyone is omniscient and immortal.

    He is disgusted by the way humans look, what they eat, their capacity for murder and war, and is equally baffled by the concepts of love and family. But as time goes on, he starts to realize there may be more to this strange species than he had thought. Disguised as Martin, he drinks wine, reads poetry, develops an ear for rock music, and a taste for peanut butter. Slowly, unexpectedly, he forges bonds with Martin’s family. He begins to see hope and beauty in the humans’ imperfection and begins to question the very mission that brought him there.

    Praised by The New York Times as a “novelist of great seriousness and talent,” author Matt Haig delivers an unlikely story about human nature and the joy found in the messiness of life on Earth. The Humans is a funny, compulsively readable tale that playfully and movingly explores the ultimate subject—ourselves.

Goodreads Rating: 4.09 stars with over 82,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Humor, Contemporary, Fantasy, Aliens

Goodreads Challenge: 5/48

2022 Reading Challenge: #2 Read a book under 350 pages (You can find the entire challenge here)

Book Review:

I read a book?  I read a book! This feels more and more like a surprising feat lately. I'm still not really back in the full swing of reading as I had hoped. I'm still working through The Octunnumi, but I think other than that I'm going to take a break from the really heavy books for a while. It will be interesting to see what I can find that my brain will actually process.

Anyways, on to the book review. I thought the whole concept of The Humans by Matt Haig was really interesting and unique. I don't really read a lot of books about aliens, but based on some movies I've seen, it was a nice change from the Aliens are invading trope. I found myself interested in it pretty quickly. The way it is written is very easy to read. 

There is a lot of humor in the book, and it reminded me a lot of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I love humor that's a little dry, dark, and sarcastic, and this really fit in well with that. There were parts where I was actually laughing out loud and would have to read the funny part to my husband. I really needed the laugh it provided.

Even though it was humorous, there were some dark parts as well. The book does discuss teenage suicide. I'll try to get better at pointing out subjects I know can be a concern for others. If you are considering reading a book I've reviewed and have a specific trigger, by all means please ask in the comments or by using the contact form. Really, if you have any questions about the books I review, please ask. I don't mind answering, I just try to keep the reviews as spoiler free as I can.

I think this book is one that could be enjoyed by a lot of people, even if Science Fiction or Fantasy isn't really their thing. At the core of a book is a character who ventured out of their comfort zone and experienced new things for the first time. I thought the way the main character was able to experience music, food, and love for the first time was beautifully written. There is a lot of growth and development, and a lot of setting preconvieved biases aside and seeing the good in someone. 

One last point on this book. It didn't dawn on me that since the person the alien impersonatees is a mathematician that there would be math. 

Math trauma aside, I loved the book, which surprised me. I did not expect to.

Book Review: When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal

 

Goodreads Summary: Her sister has been dead for fifteen years when she sees her on the TV news…Josie Bianci was killed years ago on a train during a terrorist attack. Gone forever. It’s what her sister, Kit, an ER doctor in Santa Cruz, has always believed. Yet all it takes is a few heart-wrenching seconds to upend Kit’s world. Live coverage of a club fire in Auckland has captured the image of a woman stumbling through the smoke and debris. Her resemblance to Josie is unbelievable. And unmistakable. With it comes a flood of emotions—grief, loss, and anger—that Kit finally has a chance to put to rest: by finding the sister who’s been living a lie.

After arriving in New Zealand, Kit begins her journey with the memories of the past: of days spent on the beach with Josie. Of a lost teenage boy who’d become part of their family. And of a trauma that has haunted Kit and Josie their entire lives.

Now, if two sisters are to reunite, it can only be by unearthing long-buried secrets and facing a devastating truth that has kept them apart far too long. To regain their relationship, they may have to lose everything.

Goodreads Ratings: 4.19 stars with over 151,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Mystery, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Book Club

Goodreads Challenge: 14/50 

2021 Reading Challenge: #32 Read a book by an author with the same first name as one of your grandparents (find the full challenge here)

Book Review:

So one of the ideas behind the Reading Challenges is to help get people out of their reading comfort zones. This is one of those examples for me. I doubt that I would have gravitated towards When We Believed in Mermaids otherwise, but it fit the grandparent category and seemed mildly interesting. I will say I thought it was going to be more of a mystery than what it was. I'd consider this more a contemporary romance than anything. When I think of mystery, it makes me think of solving a case, whereas this was more explaining a situation that happened but leaving certain pieces out to build suspense. 

I did enjoy how the story unfolded. Each chapter gives one sister's perspective of both their current view and the past. It's done in a way that allows the story to flow without the Kit or Josie restating what the other sister already told. I feel like the "mystery" is more what happened to Josie and why she did the things she did. All of this leading up to what happened to Dylan, their sort-of adopted brother. What happened to her was sad, but at the same time, I hated her for the decisions she made. That may be intentional, and probably a bit how Kit felt. I think the way the story was told was meant to keep the reader guessing about the secrets, but honestly, I didn't find them all that surprising. 

I felt like Kit built such a wall around herself that it made her lack personality. Her story was interesting, but she wasn't. Hopefully, that makes sense. Surprisingly, I didn't mind her romance with Javier. I thought he came across as sweet. I did enjoy the casual meeting of staying in the same building while on vacation. I liked that Kit started to let loose once she got comfortable with him. 

I did enjoy the subtle psychology that When We Believed in Mermaids contained. Kit and Josie came from the exact same neglectful environment, and how they handled that neglect showed in two very different ways for most of their lives. I will say that I think some of this is Josie's experiences were a lot harder than Kit's because Josie and Dylan protected Kit from what they experienced. 

The ending was a bit cheesy, and I didn't really feel like certain parts fit with the story. Maybe it's my logical brain over-analyzing things, but I didn't really feel like Josie's husband Simon's reaction was genuine when they surprised Kit. It just didn't make sense with the last few chapters. I also thought way too long and too hard about the legal ramifications of Josie's situation, but I won't get into all of that.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was easy to get into and stay interested in. It's only about 345 pages, so I ended up reading most of it in one night. It was a little predictable, but not so much that it was boring. The characters were decent enough. I didn't love them, but I didn't hate them either. If I gravitated towards books like this, I'd probably have liked it more than I did. But I think if you're a contemporary romance/thriller reader, you may like it quite a bit. Some topics discussed in When We Believed in Mermaids can be sensitive subjects for some like rape, drug use, alcoholism, and child neglect to name a few. I figured I'd mention this as a trigger warning. Otherwise, if you don't have a problem reading about those subjects, it was a decent book. 

Book Review: The Secret, Book, & Scone Society by Ellery Adams

 

Goodreads Summary: From New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams comes the first in an intriguing new series set within a quirky small-town club where the key to happiness, friendship—or solving a murder—can all be found within the pages of the right book . . .

Miracle Springs, North Carolina, is a place of healing. Strangers flock here hoping the natural hot springs, five-star cuisine, and renowned spa can cure their ills. If none of that works, they often find their way to Miracle Books, where, over a fresh-baked “comfort” scone from the Gingerbread House bakery, they exchange their stories with owner Nora Pennington in return for a carefully chosen book. That’s Nora’s special talent—prescribing the perfect novel to ease a person’s deepest pain and lighten their heaviest burden.
 
When a visiting businessman reaches out to Nora for guidance, she knows exactly which novels will help. But before he can keep their appointment at Miracle Books, he’s found dead on the train tracks.
 
Stunned, Nora forms the Secret, Book, and Scone Society, a group of damaged souls yearning to gain trust and earn redemption by helping others. To join the society, members must divulge their darkest secret—the terrible truth that brought each of them to Miracle Springs in the first place.

Determined to uncover the truth behind the businessman’s demise, the women meet in Nora’s cramped and cozy bookstore to share stories and trade support. And as they untangle a web of corruption, they also discover their own courage, purpose, and a sisterhood that will carry them through every challenge—proving it’s never too late to turn the page and start over . . .

Goodreads Rating: 3.76 stars with over 10,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Contemporary

Goodreads Challenge: 45/60

2020 Reading Challenge: #25 Read a book with the word 'Book' in the title ( see the full challenge here )

Book Review:

This year is winding down fast. I never really expected to actually hit 60 books, but pretty excited about getting to 45. I'm hoping I can squeeze at least two more books in before December ends. I talked to a friend about the books I read this year, and I realized most of the books I read feel like they were a really long time ago.

The Secret, Book, & Scone Society by Ellery Adams fit really well for #25, which was one I was struggling to find. The story follows Nora after she escapes some unknown tragedy and starts over in Miracle Springs, North Carolina. She opens up Miracle Books and conducts what she refers to as "Bibliotherapy." After a series of murders in the normally quiet town, Nora helps solve a mystery, makes a few friends, and finally gets the courage to tell her story.

I wouldn't say that I was instantly drawn into Nora as a character. She was really reserved by design because of her secret, and it came out in pieces. It wasn't really fully explained until the very end. She wasn't unlikeable; just by design felt like something was missing. I really liked how her shop was described, and the fact that she lived in a Tiny house was awesome. I'm a huge fan of the tiny house movement, and I'd love to own a book store. The idea of bibliotherapy was really cool, especially given that she went through it herself. 

Due to the murder of one of her Bibliotherapy clients, Nora starts becoming friends with a group of local ladies who want to help solve the murder. Like Nora, they all have a deep dark secret that they reveal to the group as a way to show that they trust their new friends. Of Nora's friends, I probably like June or Hester the best, but they all have their quirks. I thought it was interesting that Hester had a similar skill as Nora's Bibliotherapy, but with the use of baked goods. 

I didn't really feel like the mystery was all that surprising. It didn't really give any alternate options of who the culprits could be. There's a large group of people involved in some capacity, so the only unknown is who did what and why. There was a little surprise regarding some help they had to make it work, but other than that, I felt like the who was always known. 

To me, the mystery wasn't really the main plot of the story. It was there and moved the characters along, but it wasn't really what it was about. It seemed like it was more about the growth Nora, Hester, June, and Estella went through and how they could grow, let their guards down, and develop friendships. 

Because Nora owned a bookshop, there was a lot of book references in the story. I'm a little torn on whether or not I liked it. Some of the references were cool to see, but it got to be a little unnecessary after a while. It felt like they were just included anywhere possible. Obviously, I'm a self-proclaimed bookworm, but it just feels unnatural to reference a book in basically every conversation. It started to feel forced.

I enjoyed the book and got through it pretty quickly. It was a nice read, but I wasn't in love with it. The way that Nora's secret was drug out made it hard to relate to her. I may pick up the next book in the series at another time, but I don't really feel like I need to rush right into it. 

Book Review: The Maverick by Jennifer Valenti

 

Goodreads Summary: Jane Valiante had put so much of her life on hold to care for her father and little brother back in Florida since her mom died that she’d all but forgotten she once had ambitions of her own. She had nearly resigned to a life of ordinary when the hottest tech company in the world offers to fly her to New York for the job of her dreams. After what shapes up to be a whirlwind of an interview, Jane starts to feel overwhelmed and insecure about her chances. Feeling defeated, she’s surprised to receive an invitation to the holiday party from the CEO and Founder, Peter Wright, planned for that evening. Hoping this could be her opportunity to seal the deal, she happily accepts. That’s when everything in her world turns upside down as she finds herself back at her hotel room with Peter after the party. What started as a drunken misunderstanding leads to a brutal sexual assault that leaves Jane shattered.

Torn by the violence of what happened that night and the shocking choices she inevitably makes, Jane embarks on a precedent-setting journey to right the wrongs she has endured that could ultimately define the fate of a generation.

Goodreads Rating: 4.38 stars with 16 reviews

Genre listing: Contemporary, Adult Fiction, sexual assault 

Goodreads Challenge: 40/60 (Quick, someone get me some 150-page cozy mysteries on KU!)

2020 Reading Challenge: #48 Free Space! (Find the full challenge here)

Book Review:

First, the legal thing: I received a free arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through the Author's publishing team/net galley.

Trigger warning: This book details rape. My post will also talk about it because of its relevance to the book.

I was really hesitant to agree with reading the Maverick by Jennifer Valenti. I almost didn't accept the request. The book is about a woman's rape and sexual assault experience, and truthfully I didn't know if I could bring myself to read it without triggering memories of some assault/harassment experiences I've had. Also, without even reading the book, I could tell that this experience was based on the author's life. I was worried that I'd hate it and then be stuck writing a review, essentially trashing someone else's experience. It's a little different when it's entirely fiction, and I can provide constructive feedback. It's an altogether different thing to provide constructive feedback on something the person went through. 

All of that being said, I think that this is a book that a lot of people should read. If you've been in a  similar situation, it will make you realize you're not alone. Somethings have happened to me starting from the time I was a teenager into my thirties. I struggle with what to classify them as, but I don't think that I was raped (long story...) Assaulted? Maybe. Harrassed? Absolutely. Regardless of what you call it, this book helped me feel not alone. If you haven't been in the situation, you may gain some (more?) empathy for those who have been and even start to understand why so many sexually-based crimes go unreported. 

Obviously, I hate the situation that Jane went through. I was disgusted, and all I wanted to do was hug her and tell her she would be ok. What I liked most about Jane was how strong and brave she was. Jane may not have felt like it, but she was. She had moments of weakness and was so incredibly relatable. She did something a lot of people can't do- stand up for themselves. I was cheering so hard for her to get justice. I wasn't quite sure what that justice was going to look like, and I think that the approach taken was an interesting one. Sorry trying to not give out spoilers. 

Overall, despite the topic, I enjoyed this book. It felt like I was sitting down with a good friend over coffee, and she was catching me up on what had happened to her. Jane was strong, brave, surprisingly funny, and relatable. I like that she starts figuring out a way to use her situation to help others in the end. The book's topic is hard to read, but beyond that is a story of a strong woman overcoming something that happened to her and using it to protect others and better the world around her.

Book Review: Suddenly Psychic by Elizabeth Hunter

 

Goodreads Summary: Every woman goes through changes in their forties.Just not… these changes.

Robin Brannon was a normal wife, mom, and antique shop owner until a brush with death turned her day-to-day life upside down. Now she and her two best friends are seeing things that belong in a fantasy novel. Ghosts. Visions. Omens of doom. Nothing that belongs in the peaceful mountain town they call home.

Added to that, Robin’s marriage is on the rocks, her grandmother’s health is failing, her mother is driving away the customers at her shop, her teenage daughter refuses to get her drivers’ license, and her left knee aches every darn morning.

Robin doesn’t have the time, energy, or knees to unearth the secrets buried at the bottom of Glimmer Lake, but fate doesn’t seem to care. Some secrets are just dying to be exposed.

Goodreads Rating: 4 stars with over 6,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Paranormal, Fantasy, Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Ghosts, Romance, Contemporary, Cozy Mystery

Goodreads Challenge: 39/60 (I'm picking up steam!)

2020 Reading Challenge: #47 A book by an author named Elizabeth/Beth or a variant (find the full challenge here)

Book Review:

Happy Saturday, Readers! I am SO glad it is finally the weekend. Finding something for the Elizabeth/Beth variant was surprisingly tricky. I really expected to see a ton of books to fit in this category, but it took me a while to not only find one but find one that grabbed my interest. I had picked up a few and just could not get into them. However, when I found Suddenly Psychic, I thought it seemed like a cute story idea and gave it a shot. 

Suddenly Psychic is a shorter read- around 300 pages and was really easy to get into. I instantly liked Robin, and even though I'm not a mother or in my 40s, I found her relatable and funny. I liked how she, Monica, and Val were all different personalities but were still really close. They each had their own voice, and I felt like it was easy to distinguish who was who. 

I felt like there was a surprising amount of Ghosts in Suddenly Psychic, which was refreshing. I feel like some books just limit the ghost interaction to weird noises, or feelings, or whatever. Suddenly Psychic had several ghosts, and most had some kind of background story or interaction with Robin. I loved the way she was able to conjure them. I thought it was different and really interesting. Some of the interactions were actually mildly creepy, which I thought was great. 

There was a bit of mystery in Suddenly Psychic. I thought it was a little predictable, but I honestly didn't mind that much. It made sense for the story, and I don't know that every mystery needs to be an absolute rollercoaster of who committed the crime. The presented information seemed logical for the characters and added up to the build-up with the final ghost. Boss Ghost? 

Buried underneath all of the Ghosts and psychic powers (heh, pun intended), there's a terrific story about a group of women feeling lost and not sure who they are going through the process to find themselves. Robin is often found reciting, "Is this my life?" negatively during the beginning of the story. However, after everything she goes through, it becomes "I can't believe this is my life," but with a positive spin on it. 

I really loved this book, and I can't wait to read more in the Glimmer Lake series. I think the next book follows Val, who was a lot of fun in this book. Suddenly Psychic is a quick read that stays light-hearted and funny even during some darker times of the story. The characters are relatable and entertaining. I stayed interested through the entire book and didn't want to put it down. Plus, there are ghosts!

Hidden Star by Nora Roberts

Goodreads Summary: Diamonds can be a girl's best friend…or her worst enemy. Bailey James can't remember a thing, including why she has a satchel full of cash and a diamond as big as a baby's fist. It's clear she's in big trouble, and Bailey desperately needs private investigator Cade Parris to help her live long enough to find out just what kind. The moment the coolheaded detective laid eyes on Bailey, she almost had him forgetting who he was. Surely she isn't a criminal—but how can he unravel this mystery if he keeps tripping over his heart?

Goodreads Rating: 3.87 stars with over 9,000 ratings

Genre listing: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Fiction

Goodreads Challenge: 22/60

2020 Reading Challenge: #33 a Book with the word "Star' in the title (find the full challenge here)

Book Review:

I ended up picking this book because I needed something for #33. What few Nora Roberts books I've read are kind of hit and miss for me. I'm not a huge romance fan. I'll read it if it's mixed in with a bigger plot, but I'm never really wanting to read something that's solely romance. Luckily, there was a little bit of mystery in Hidden Stars to keep me entertained.

I think I would have liked this a lot more if Cade wasn't an absolute sleazebag through most of the book. Ugh. I wanted to pepper spray him and have sexual assault charges filed on Bailey's behalf. (No, that's not an attempt at humor. I felt like his actions were borderline sexual assault through most of the book.) The majority of the book, I thought it was gross how he was coming on to her so strongly and being demanding with her. Bailey had amnesia, hired him to help her figure out who she was and what happened to her, but he just had to hit on her the entire time, despite her requests for him to stop. 

As I said before, I'm usually not a huge fan of romance. If I read it, I like for there to be some building to the characters feeling the way they do. I want it to make sense. Maybe part of that is because my husband and I were friends before we started dating. For me, the whole spend a weekend together, and wanting to get married wasn't realistic, and I rolled my eyes at it a lot. 

I thought the take on the amnesia was interesting. I liked the idea of Bailey still being who she was, even if she didn't realize it. Despite my disdain for his sexual advances on Bailey, I thought that his way of helping her find herself was thoughtful. He took the time to explain well you probably do this because of this reason, or if you hate this food before, you probably still hate it. Putting the pieces together like that made the private detective job make sense and fit well within the story.

I think what saved this book for me was the mystery. The idea of Bailey being a gemologist and jewelry designer appealed to me because I make jewelry and, at one time, thought about becoming a gemologist. I wasn't really sure where the mystery was going to go, or what Bailey actually saw. I wasn't expecting her connection to the culprits. This was the part of the story I really wanted to read. How she got her memory back, what happened to her, and why was the diamond so valuable. 

Overall, I did like the book. It was a short read, which I got through quickly. I liked Bailey a lot, but couldn't stand Cade. The mystery kept me entertained. I do tend to think that Nora follows a couple of formulas for her books, and I could kind of see already how it was setting it up for the other two books in the trilogy. I don't know if I'll pick up the other two. I enjoyed it, but not enough to where I feel like I need to continue on with the trilogy.

Book Review of Public Secrets by Nora Roberts

Goodreads Summary:  From Nora Roberts, the incomparable New York Times bestselling author of Sanctuary and Montana Sky, comes a mesmerizing story of a woman trapped by a dangerous desire and threatened by a murderous secret, one of Nora Roberts's most popular novels. Emma. Beautiful, intelligent, radiantly talented, she lives in a star-studded world of wealth and privilege. But she is about to discover that fame is no protection at all when someone wants you dead....
All she has to do is close her eyes and she remembers the magical day her father came into her life. She was a frightened, lonely toddler, hiding, always hiding, from her mother's wrath, when Brian McAvoy swept in and took her away. She didn't know then that she was his illegitimate daughter or that she had just been rescued by pop music's rising new star. All she knew was that suddenly she felt safe.
And there wasn't only Brian...his new wife became Emma's loving stepmother, his band members became her surrogate uncles, and soon Emma even had a new baby brother to care for. Then just when everything seemed perfect, a horrifying event shattered all their lives: a botched kidnapping attempt, shocking the
world, traumatizing Emma, leaving her bereft of her newfound happiness.
Yet now, after so many years of pain and guilt, of being overprotected and hounded by the press, Emma finally feels as if she's put the tragedy behind her. A determined, self-sufficient young woman, she has carved out a thrilling career, and even dared to fall rapturously in love. But the man who will become her husband isn't all that he seems. And Emma is about to awaken to the chilling knowledge that the darkest secret of all is the one buried in her mind--a secret that someone may kill to keep.
With Public Secrets, Nora Roberts has woven an absorbing tale of a woman you can't help but care for, trapped in a terrifying web of suspense that will keep you reading long into the night.

Goodreads Rating: 3.94 stars with over 10,000 ratings
Genre Listing: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery
Get the Book: Amazon, Book Depository
Reading Challenge: #46 a Romance Novel
Book Haul: January 2016

Review:

Let it be known that my Sister-In-Law is a damn enabler. She and I went to Half Priced Books back in January, and I told her to pick me out a Nora Roberts book. This is one of her favorite authors, and she's always trying to get me to read Nora's work. I finally caved, and she picked out Public Secrets for me. I can not stress enough that I could not put this book down. I was completely engrossed in this book. I found myself doing a little bit of work and then reading a few chapters, going back to work, and stopping to read a few more chapters. And then staying up way late into the night to finish it. I actually had the book done a few days ago, I've just been trying to catch up from reading it that I haven't been able to do a post about it. I'm in trouble because I know Nora has like 800 books, so I'm probably never getting anything done ever again if I try to read any more of them.

This book has just about everything, rockstars, romance, mystery, awesome characters, less than savory characters. It's incredibly well-written, and I liked how the tone of the book changed with Emma aging. The book starts off when Emma is just three and is living with her awful excuse of a mother. Jane Palmer, Emma's mom, is a coniving terrible witch of a woman. Everything about Jane made me disgusted and feel sorry for Emma and Brian for having to deal with that woman. Luckily, it made Emma into a really strong character. I instantly felt sorry for her and wanted to read about her growing up and getting beyond all the hurt caused by Jane. I think that Emma is one of the strongest characters I've read about, at least any time recently. She overcomes a great deal of pain to eventually find happiness.

I thought Brian was an interesting character and showed a lot of depth. He was a rockstar, devoted husband, and father, but then he also had his flaws. I really felt like this book showed him working through a lot of his issues with the help of Emma. I liked his bandmates as well, with Johnno being my favorite. I thought he played the role of charming surrogate uncle very well.

I thought that the who Emma ends up with and who the killers were was pretty obvious for a good chunk of the story. It didn't really deter me in any way, there just wasn't any real shock and awe factor for me because of it. She definitely ended up with who I wanted her to end up with, and I think it played out in a really interesting way. The other one is completely vile, and not worth mentioning. That being said, he definitely gets what he deserves.

I loved this book, and can't wait to read more of Nora Roberts books. Though, I think I'll have to devote time to them as I'm sure I will not be able to put them down. 

Book Review of The Beautiful Ugly by James Snyder

Goodreads Summary: She's sixteen. She's alone. And the world thinks she's crazy. What could possibly happen next? Well, she's going to show them...
When sixteen-year-old Connelly Pierce wakes up inside an unknown psychiatric hospital with both her wrists slashed, she begins the arduous task of piecing together the events of her life that led her there. Her own cognitive behavioral therapy (as she had learned so well from them). Beginning with the sudden death of her mother and father when she was six, and the only world she knew disappeared, literally, overnight. That's when, with no known or, at least, close relatives, she and her nine-year-old brother Eric find themselves cast into the nightmare quagmire of government child protection agencies, and Connelly begins her incredible fourteen-year journey--her dark odyssey--into her own brave new world. The world, she realizes, she must not only quickly adapt, but fight back as well if she hopes to survive. (Please note: this is the complete three-book trilogy in one volume.)
Goodreads rating: 3.90 stars with over 150 ratings.
Genre Listing: Mystery, Young Adult, Contemporary
Get the Book: Amazon

Review:

Edited 12/1/2016

Happy New Years Book-friends! It's been far too long since my last post, which is sadly becoming my trend in between books. I'm hoping 2016 will be kind and give me more time to read.

The Beautiful-Ugly is a trilogy by James Snyder and is not a book I would normally have chosen to read, but the book sort of picked me. I say this because as I was trying to find something on Kindle Unlimited to read, my Kindle freaked out. The screen was flashing, weird things happened, and the result ended up being this trilogy downloaded to my Kindle. Apparently, it wanted to be read, and so I did. It just took me a very long time.

I was instantly hooked by this book. It was dark, graphic, morbid, and oh so twisted. I like a good gritty novel now and then. I was shocked by how many just awful ordeals one little girl could go through. At first, it was interesting to me because Connelly seemed to keep a good head on her shoulders.  I felt a little sadistic being so immersed in something so morbid.

For the most part, the books started to keep me interested until Connelly got to New York. It was still interesting, but it didn't hold my interest as much as her earlier childhood did. I felt like by teaming up with Roxy (Was that her name? I can't even remember now.) she was losing so much of herself. It seemed to get a little ridiculous at that point. It just appeared to become this game of "how much twisted stuff can be put into one story?", but still, I read on.

What soured this book for me all of the after story with Liz and Will. I would have been perfectly content with this book if it ended with Connelly meeting Liz and them driving off to Texas together. I could have let my imagination wander on what happened. However, the book kept going on, and just proceeded to drag on and on and on. And then, enter Will. It was like at 80% this book became an entirely different book, specifically one of those $1.99 western romances that you can get at the Pharmacy. I don't get her relationship with Will. It was portrayed like they never spoke and then she fell in love with him. What? She's been through 10 years of brutal crap, and she's had a healthy life for five minutes and is in love with a guy she never even speaks to? No thanks. Not my cup of tea.

The rest of the book for me was this forced romance story. I was hoping that with all the dark, gritty morbid story line, in the beginning, there would be some profound ending making sense of it all. I don't feel like that's what happened at all. I really could have just done without this entire section of the book. It might have been better if it wasn't put off until the absolute end, and somehow brought in closer her to arriving at Texas. The way it is, however, just makes it seem like an afterthought. A sort of  "Oops. Forgot to give it a happy ending." type of thing. From the time she got to Texas on I just wanted to the book to end so, I could start something else.

Book Review of The Story of Awkward by R.K. Ryals

Goodreads summary: If you are looking for a happy book about beautiful people, this is the wrong story.

If you are looking for a narrative without emotion, without regrets, and without mistakes, this is definitely the wrong story.

This is by no means an uncomplicated tale about uncomplicated people. It is by no means sweet or light.

This story is ugly.
This story is complicated.
This story is emotional.
This story is tragic.

In short, this story is about being awkward.

Peregrine Storke is an artist with an odd sketchbook full of pictures she’s drawn since she was a child. It is a book full of strange sketches and awkward characters, for there is no better way to hide from bullying and life than to create a world of your own. With a stroke of her pencil, she has given life to a spectacled princess, a freckle-nosed king, a candy-loving troll, a two-horned unicorn, and a graceless fairy.

At nineteen, Peregrine leaves her home, her sketchbook, and awkwardness behind. But what happens when something goes wrong in the world of Awkward? Trapped inside of her complex realm with the bully she thought to leave behind, Peregrine discovers there is nothing worse than falling for your own villain.


Goodreads rating: 3.93 stars with 903 ratings

Genre Listings: Young Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary, Romance, Fiction, Paranormal, Fairy Tales, New Adult, Coming of Age

Get the Book: Amazon- Paperback

Review:

Edited 12/1/2016

There's something wonderful about picking a book at random and it being the exact book you needed to read. When I started this book, I didn't know much about it. I just thought the cover and title were quirky and that I'd give it a shot. The Story of Awkward, however, ended up being a gift from the book Gods. This book is very likely going to have a place near and dear to my heart for years to come. That being said, it is not a  great book. It's a very entertaining story that pulls at the heartstrings, but it still has some flaws. Which, I guess is fitting since it's a story about embracing those flaws. My mind is spinning with contradictions right now.

Let me start out this review with a disclaimer: If you do not like overly cheesy stories, this may not be the book for you. Despite the description saying it's ugly, emotional, and tragic; it's a very sweet story.

The Story of Awkward is a very short read, to the tune of 265 pages. Despite the issues it tackles, I found it to be a very light, and at times even a comical read. In the beginning, of the story, we get a very brief overview of the torment Perry has gone through. I found her to be easy to relate to. It's not an overwhelming amount of character depth, but I feel like it's enough. Perri threw her torment into her drawing and created a fictional world where she belonged. I think that's what made me relate to her, but instead of pictures I threw myself into books (shocking, right?). Perri's real-world is shaken when she finds out that her fictional world is real and needs her.

She's thrown into saving the world she created with Foster, her best friend's brother and one of her tormentors. This is where the story gets pretty cheesy. To save her world, Perri has to admit a lot about herself, learn about herself, and even learn to forgive Foster. From here out, the story is cliche. I think it might have meant to be cliche, though. Despite the cheesiness and predictable storyline, I still found it endearing.

Going back to my initial comment about needing to read this- I did. Even at 27 years old I still struggle with my awkward quirks. This book is about accepting those quirks and has a great message. This is a journey about going from wanting to forget the past, to realizing the past is what shapes you. I admired that, even if it was cheesy.

Aside from Perri, Foster, and Elspeth, there isn't much character development. I'm oddly okay with that because I don't know if giving Nimble, Herman, and Weasel more development would have improved anything. I did get slightly miffed because once they were away from the swamp Herman seemed to disappear like the author forgot about him completely. I found myself wondering where he was and it distracted from the story, even though he wasn't a big part of the story.

I wanted to hate Foster. I did. He ended up being sweet, funny, and just as damaged (if not more so) than Perri. He ended up being my favorite character in the story. There's a particular scene that turned me for him. I won't give too many details because I don't want to give spoilers, but it involves Foster grabbing Perri's hand so that she won't be afraid of the dark. I awed, probably out loud. Yeah. I'm a sap, I know.

The amount of highlights I've made for this book is ridiculous (have I mentioned how much I love that feature on Kindle?). Here are some of my favorites:

"Her name was Nimble because anyone who isn't naturally graceful should be given a graceful name."

"Even when we grow up, the child remains. It's the child that shapes the adult. What happens to you when you are young shapes what you become later. Whether you think you belong here or not is beside the point. The little girl that drew Awkward still lives inside of you."

"It isn't about being awkward. It's about not being ashamed to be awkward. It's about embracing what makes us different. Perfection and Stereotype are threats to that."

"Love isn't roses. It's the little square caramels and a root beer from the gas station because he knows that's your favorite snack. It's watching a musical with you without groaning. It's handing you your glasses at night because he knows you're too blind to find your way to the bathroom without them. Love is awkward." - This is probably my favorite quote in the book. I'd like to do something artsy with this quote and put it on my wall. It's lovely and imperfectly perfect.

"Silence was louder than noise. I often filled it with awkward, nonsensical conversation." (Oh, good. I'm not the only one. <__<  >_>)

"In the real world, we did a lot of things in the real world, princes didn't rid on stallions and save princesses from towers. In the real world, they smelled a lot like dirt, sweaty skin, and cotton candy. In the real world, they were friends first. They didn't fall in love over a first kiss and no conversation. IN the real world, they were kind of awkward."

"You couldn't attack someone with something they'd learn to deal with."

"There are moments when tears are all you have, when crying releases everything and leaves you fresh. It gives you a clean slate to work with."

"Princes should never be perfect. They should have nightmares. They should be picky eaters and made queasy by the sight of blood. They should be blunt and occasionally a little arrogant. They should be loyal and determined. Most of all, they should be awkward and real."

Overall I enjoyed this story. There were some flaws, but it wasn't anything that turned me off of the book. I felt this was a cheesy, cliche, but an endearing story that pulled at the heartstrings. I'm very happy to have read it. It was wonderful spending this snowy Sunday with these characters.

Four out of Five moons.

Book Review of Every Ugly Word by Aimee L. Salter

Goodreads Summary: When seventeen-year-old Ashley Watson walks through the halls of her high school bullies taunt and shove her. She can’t go a day without fighting with her mother. And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t make her best friend, Matt, fall in love with her. But Ashley also has something no one else does: a literal glimpse into the future. When Ashley looks into the mirror, she can see her twenty-three-year-old self.
Her older self has been through it all already—she endured the bullying, survived the heartbreak, and heard every ugly word her classmates threw at her. But her older self is also keeping a dark secret: Something terrible is about to happen to Ashley. Something that will change her life forever. Something even her older self is powerless to stop.
Goodreads Rating: 4.05 with 296 ratings
Genre listing: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Drama, Bullying,
Get the Book: Amazon (Kindle)

Review:

Edited 12/1/2016

I'm a little emotional over this book, so hopefully I can formulate a proper review of it. Every Ugly Word touches on a subject that's very hard to deal with- bullying. In the book, we follow Ashley, who ever since she told a lie so that she could fit in with the popular kids, was severely bullied. It tells a tale of what it's like to be bullied, but it also gives hope that suffers can get through it.

The situations that Ashley find herself in are very real, and a lot of bullying victims could probably relate to them. The characters seem real. There's a love interest, but it's not an obsessive love based on how pretty the people are. Matt's a good guy but still makes some mistakes. I appreciate this because I'm so sick of reading about love interests who are just "so perfect and hawt."

I thought that the older and little Ashley got confusing in the book. It was weird but served a purpose. Older Ashley was there to tell current/little Ashley that it can get better. Whether she believes it or not, Ashley is a really strong and brave character to make it through what she did.

I want to have more to say about this book, but I don't. It's a good read, and I strongly suggest it to anyone who is a victim of bullying. So instead of doing a full-on review, I'm going to post some quotes from the book that I found particularly encouraging.

"You think the way these people treat you is the end of the world. But I can tell you; it isn't what happens to you in your life that destroys you. It's what you do about it."

"You can't control how other people hurt you, Ashley. But you can control how you hurt yourself."

" I suppose I would define someone- or a decision they made- as brave when they chose a path that could have either serious gains or extreme consequences. When they're choosing the path not out of recklessness, but out of hope. For something better."

" People you love should always be more important than the people who judge you."

"You modify your word choices, downplay feelings, sugarcoat events. You hide behind these things because you've grown accustomed to being ridiculed simply for being yourself."

"You just haven't grown up enough yet to realize courage isn't fearless."

"My gaps only became inevitable when I stopped believing they could be filled."

"So, no, I'd never be a kick-ass movie heroine. But I was real and lovable. And for now, that was enough."

Sorry that this isn't a thorough review. It's a very raw and real (albeit fictional) story on bullying. It not only goes through the journey of being bullying but gives the message that you can get through it.

Five out of Five moons

Book Review of Dying to Forget by Trish Marie Dawson

Goodreads Summary: "...With trembling fingers, I reach up and touch the hard and chiseled contours of his chest while Ryan's large and strong hands roam over my entire body, feeling and squeezing everything. I've never been touched like this before and my insides are starting to freak out.

"I want you, Piper," he murmurs into my neck.

My mouth drops open in surprise and even though my brain seems to be telling me to jump and run out of the room, I’m unable to move, stuck firmly to the same place on the mattress. With my nerves on high alert, I glance at the door repeatedly, sure that someone will come bursting through it at any second but the steady thumping of the music downstairs reminds me that no one can hear what is happening in this room. No one cares that Ryan Burke took me, of all people, into a bedroom. That realization hits me suddenly. Oh. My. God. What am I doing here?"

Piper Willow dies the summer after her high school graduation but she doesn’t make it to Heaven or Hell…instead she finds herself in a spiritual terminal called the Station. She’s given only two choices: Return to Earth as the subconscious for a person in need of some outside assistance, or move on and spend an eternity lost in her own sorrow and pain.

Does Piper have what it takes to save a life - to be the nagging voice inside someone else’s head - or will she fail and end up lost and tormented in limbo...forever?

Goodreads Rating: 4.09 with 995 reviews
Genre Listing: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural, Ghosts, Death, Teen, Contemporary

Get the Book:  Amazon, Book Depository
My other reviews of Trish Marie Dawson's books: Dying to Remember

Review:

Edited 12/1/2016

Wow. This book is intense and pretty dark. If you can't handle morbid death related things, this book is probably not for you. I, on the other hand, found it absorbing.

The premise of the book is that if a person is depressed and thinking about committing suicide, they get a Volunteer placed in your head. It's the Volunteer's job to make your life better and try to talk the person out of committing suicide. The suicidal person doesn't know the volunteer is in their head, and the volunteer stays there until the person either doesn't need them anymore or commits suicide. If the person ends up dying, they get sent to the station, where they have two choices. Either become a volunteer and try to save lives or spend eternity in their special hell.

In this paranormal book, we meet Piper, who frankly has to deal with a lot of crap no one should have to deal with. She ends up becoming a volunteer, and we follow her through her death, training, and two of her assignments. I felt connected to Piper, and I felt sorry for her. I just wanted to be able to be her friend and talk her through the things she was going through, but once she dies and starts volunteering the book lightens up a little bit (that seems odd to say). It's still pretty dark because it's dealing with death, but Piper's comical while being a volunteer.

I find the premise of this book interesting. I've been interested in death-themed books lately, and this fit in with that. It's a different take on a very dark and controversial subject. Even though it's young adult, I appreciated that Piper went through some tough situations and didn't spend the entire book swooning over boys. As a reader, you get the sense that she genuinely cares about her assignments and wants to help them succeed.  I'm amazed that it's under 200 pages. It leaves a complete story, but at the same time the ending hooked me in, and I want to read the second book- Dying to Remember.

Four out of five moons

Book Review of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Get your tissues ready,

Goodreads Summary: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.
Goodreads rating: 4.49 stars and over 800,000 ratings.
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Book Club, Realistic Fiction
Get the Book: Amazon, Book Depository,

Review:

Edited 11/24/2016
I didn't want to read this book. I swear I didn't. I hate sappy tearjerker books. At the request of two friends on the same day, and seeing the trailer for the movie, I decided to read it. I started reading The Fault in our Stars by John Green and told myself I wasn't going to like it. I said to myself that it was a Walk to Remember rip off, and it was going to suck. Yeah, about that.
This book hit me in so many ways. First off I grew up about a half hour from where the book takes place. I've been away from Indiana for five years now, so this book made me so incredibly homesick. It gave me a lot of nostalgia because Castleton was one of the places me and my friends would sneak off to when we were old enough to drive but told not to leave our tiny town of Anderson, Indiana. I never thought I would be homesick for Indiana, but I am right now. Thanks, John Green.
While reading this book, I prepared myself for Hazel to die. I just thought it was a given that this sick girl was going to pass on. I had all kinds of events drummed in my head that was going to happen, she was going to die in Amsterdam after her dream came true, she was going to die mid-sentence, like the character in her favorite book. I was so utterly unprepared for what happened.
I think one of the things I loved the most about this book is that it's funny. One of the friends who recommended it to me told me I'd enjoy the humor in it. I didn't believe her because cancer books aren't supposed to be funny. But even though the book had it's super sad parts, it was lighthearted and funny. I also think that's what I loved about Hazel. Yes she has cancer, yes she's terminal, but she goes about making jokes and acting like it's no big deal. She just does what she does and accepts it. This was a slap in the face for me because here we have this girl who, let's be honest, is in a shitty predicament, but she doesn't complain much about it. She accepts what's going to happen to her and tries to make the best out of what time she has left. Because of that, I found myself evaluating my life. In a cliche (and morbid) sense none of us really know how much time we have left, and yet how many of us waste the day away pissing and moaning about everything that's wrong with it? I know I certainly do. I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but the book was an eye-opener for me.
I'm trying to do this without spoilers... One of the friends (Hi, Lesaphine!) who recommended this to me just asked what my favorite and least favorite parts were about the book. I had to think a moment, but what I came up with is a contradiction (I love contradictions.) I love the brutal honesty of the book, in the sense that it shows you that just because someone is sick, dying, or dead doesn't mean we have to make them into heroes. Some people are just awful people. Period. In the same sense, this is also my least favorite part. Just because something is honest, doesn't mean it won't hurt. It still hurts to watch these people be awful and honestly doesn't make that any easier to deal with it.
So yeah. That's about all I have. Now I'm going to be emotional and cry into a bowl of ice cream.

Five out of Five Moons