Thursday, January 21, 2021
Review: THE HAPPY EVER AFTER PLAYLIST by Abby Jimenez
Friday, January 15, 2021
Review: IN LOVE & PAJAMAS by Catana Chetwynd
From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Snug and the bestselling Little Moments of Love comes an all-new collection, In Love & Pajamas by Catana Chetwynd of Catana Comics!
When you've reached that sweatpants-wearing cozy place in your relationship, it's all In Love & Pajamas! This brand-new collection of Catana Comics presents some fan favorites and half of the book features never-before-seen comics that delight and amuse readers of all ages. Wholesome, sweet, feel-good humor!
Monday, January 11, 2021
Review: THE MALL by Megan McCafferty
New York Times bestselling author Megan McCafferty returns to her roots with this YA coming of age story set in a New Jersey mall.
The year is 1991. Scrunchies, mixtapes and 90210 are, like, totally fresh. Cassie Worthy is psyched to spend the summer after graduation working at the Parkway Center Mall. In six weeks, she and her boyfriend head off to college in NYC to fulfill The Plan: higher education and happily ever after.
But you know what they say about the best laid plans...
Set entirely in a classic “monument to consumerism,” the novel follows Cassie as she finds friendship, love, and ultimately herself, in the most unexpected of places. Megan McCafferty, beloved New York Times bestselling author of the Jessica Darling series, takes readers on an epic trip back in time to The Mall.
I'm a long time fan of Megan McCafferty's Jessica Darling Series and did a big ol' happy book shimmy when she announced her highly anticipated (by me) new book THE MALL. I didn't care that it would be a couple of years before it was released, I was just excited that we would get a new book from her.
What I loved most about this book was the nostalgia and that was one of the main reasons I wanted to read it. I mean just the title THE MALL created enough excitement. I immediately thought of a reimagined Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I loved the use of icons Frank and Kathy for Cassie's parents and Tommy and Vince the "Motley Crue" who hid a treasure. This almost went over my head, but when I realized what McCafferty did, I had a great laugh. And OF COURSE the 90210, the original 90210, shout-outs just took me back.
It brought back fun memories of middle school and high school and hanging out at the mall with friends. My first job was in a mall and my friends even modeled the "latest fashions" for a popular chain store. I'd almost forgotten about that until just writing it here. Oh, good times.
THE MALL was a funny, often silly, and sometimes scandalous walk down memory lane. Fans of Megan McCafferty will enjoy this book while they wait for the release of Jessica Darling Makeover Editions!
Thursday, December 31, 2020
The Books I Read in 2020
I just finished my last book of 2020 - I REALLY NEEDED THIS TODAY: Words to Live By by Hoda Kotb, and I want to share the books I read this year. After my husband died at the beginning of the year, I honestly didn't know if I would be able to find joy in reading again. Sometimes it just felt like I was reading the words on a page, and rereading those same words because I didn't absorb anything. I turned to audiobooks to help keep my mind occupied when I wasn't able to focus. When everything felt wrong and I felt lost, I still turned to books to help me find myself, to make me feel like me, and to find some comfort and even some strength.
I don't have a top 10 favorite list or a best of list, but I will remember the first book that I read that I was able to lose myself in: The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kaye Adams. I know one of the books that helped me understand my grief: Paradise Cove by Jenny Holiday. And I'll remember the book that made me smile through my tears: Snug by Catana Chetwynd.
Below are the books that helped get me through 2020 - the toughest year of my life.
4: Super Late Bloomer by Julia Kaye
6: Unfollowing You by Komal Kapoor
31: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (audiobook)
February
8: Guts by Raina Telgemeier
11: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (audiobook)
11: Snug by Catana Chetwynd
28: Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
29: Parental Guidance by Avery Flynn (audiobook)
March
4: Echoes Between Us by Katie McGarry
7: Dirty by Kylie Scott (audiobook)
8: The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer by Jennifer Lynch (audiobook)
15: The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kaye Adams
16: shotglass confessional by Cyrus Parker
20: Little Fires Everywhere by Celest Ng (audiobook)
23: The Liar's Daughter by Megan Cooley Peterson
26: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (audiobook)
29: The Oracle Code by Marieke Nijkamp
29: I'm Not OK with This by Charles Forman
31: Our Year in Love and Parties by Karen Hattrup
April
1: The Opposite of Innocent by Sonya Sones
May
June
July
3: Dirty Hands, Broken Ribs & Other Places My Heart Has Lived by Cynthia Rodriguez
August
2: Sadie by Courtney Summers (audiobook)
September
5: The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
20: Grace: Based on the Jeff Buckley Story by Tiffanie DeBartolo
October
November
7: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (audiobook)
December
25: A Beaumont Family Christmas by Heidi McLaughlin
Monday, December 28, 2020
New Release: A BEAUMONT FAMILY CHRISTMAS by Heidi McLaughlin
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Review: SNUG by Catana Chetwynd
Why bother getting out of bed when you could stay bundled up with that special someone and a book of cozy, cute comics. From the author of the bestselling Little Moments of Love comes Snug, a collection of comics that perfectly captures the honest, playful, and relatable snapshots of romantic life.
Catana Chetwynd’s second book has the same charming and inviting style as her first and includes 50 percent new, never-before-shared comics. Snug is a celebration of the quirks and peculiarities of every one of us—and the magic that happens when we find our matching puzzle piece.
Tuesday, December 22, 2020
Mini-Reviews: FIX HER UP, THE PROPOSAL, and 5,331 MILES
The entire time I read THE PROPOSAL, I kept thinking “Y’all are totally in a relationship.” Just because Nik and Carlos say what they’re doing isn’t a relationship, doesn’t mean that it’s not a relationship. They didn’t want to claim to be in a relationship because of what that would mean, but their friendship developed into something more. They were intuitive of the other’s needs and didn’t recognize that what they were feeling for each other was love. Sometimes it happens just like that.
And if the love story isn’t enough, this book had me craving all the yummy food - risotto, tacos, pancakes - I wanted it all. And cooking for comfort or as a way to relax is always a plus in my book.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Thank goodness I already have a copy on my shelf.
I first heard of this book when someone chose to receive it from a giveaway I’d hosted. Willow Aster was an author who was on my radar to read, and after reading the description for 5,331 MILES, I thought this was the perfect book to start with. First love, second chances, young adult - YES, YES, YES! This is the book for me.
I loved the storytelling of the past and present, the then and the now, as a way of learning about the characters history and everything that they’ve experienced together and apart.
A favorite quote:
“This -- kissing you, finally saying how I feel and hearing you say it back -- it’s a thousand times better than any time I’ve played it out in my head,” he whispered, placing one more kiss on my nose.”
I grinned, amazed that he’d been imagining the same things I had.
This was a great book to introduce me to Willow Aster’s writing. Since reading 5,331 MILES, I’ve read her follow-up MILES AHEAD and have added some of her other books to my collection. Now I just need to decide which one to read next.