Audrey

I've been waiting not so patiently for 2024 to begin so I could read this book without the December busyness. It was worth the wait and it was such a good read to kick off my reading year.    Tired of feeling helpless as the war rages around her and taking her loved ones to the battlefield, Nina and her friend Katya enlist as pilots in an all-female aviation regiment — the first of its kind. Here, Nina is faced with the harshest realities of war and what people do in desperate situations.    The story focuses on Nina and her perspective, but Katya, Anton, and Vlad at wonderful supporting characters. I especially liked the focus on Nina and Katya's lifelong friendship as they face the war together, how things used to be, and how things might be in the future.    This is the second book by Lana Kortschik I've read and I fell in love with it. I enjoy her writing style and I especially enjoy her characters. The book kept a great pace. There's quite a bit of action and even a couple of twists which kept things interesting from start to finish. I'm excited to see more books from this author!    A huge thanks to Harper360 for sending me an ARC of this book! 

I hate myself for not reading this before Matthew Perry's passing. Friends has been a part of my life since I was a little kid and I've always been fond of Matthew Perry's humor, making Chandler my absolute favorite character on the show (and one of my favorite television characters in general). I was interested to know more about his life and his struggles with addiction and I regret that I put it off until after he was gone.    In the book, Matthew Perry discusses his childhood, career, and of course, some memories from his work on Friends, but the constant themes woven throughout the different times of his life are mental health struggles and his fight with addiction. The writing is witty (which is not surprising) but also personal and simply profound at times. It feels personal and authentic.    As for the structure of the book itself? It's rough. If it were anyone besides Matthew Perry, I would have been much more persnickety. Given the content of the book though and what his body and mind have been through, it added to what was being said in a way.I'll take an unpolished and personable over robotic and people-pleasing.    My heart absolutely breaks for him and all that he went through. Even though he is no longer with us, it was still inspiring to read, and I hoped when he passed that he was not in pain. Maybe my rating is biased but I don't particularly care if it is. I'm confident that my reaction to the book would have been the same if I had read it when it came out aside from the obvious mentions of mortality. 

Winding down my reading to finish out the year, I thought the Love Match series would be the perfect set of books to pick up. First up is Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy? I found the title intriguing.    Ainsley and Cecelia have an overbearing mother to say the least. After she sets Ainsley up on a cruise with Edward, Ainsley happily trades places with her sister who is the one truly in love with the man. This means Ainsley finds herself on a ranch in Wyoming in a Batchelor-style dating competition. The prize? Riley Pommer.    I found the book well-written and it maintained a good pace. As far as plot and content are concerned, it didn't grasp me but that's completely a matter of taste/preference. I never got into dating games or reality shows. Still, I felt bad and frustrated for Ainsley and wanted to see her get a happy ending. For that, I enjoyed the book. I also liked the side romances, though I ran hot and cold with Edward.    I'm curious what the next book will bring! 

Book Two of the Love Match series! Though not a direct continuation of the previous book, Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy?, there is a connection between the two between character relations and premise. 
To raise money for a children's hospital, Dr. Sabrina Bankhead agrees to participate in a dating show where she is the prize. As if she wasn't busy between this, work, and raising a child on her own, she falls for Quinn, the attractive, albeit, troubled reporter covering the story. He hadn't planned on falling for Sabrina, either. 

Quinn quickly became my favorite character. His backstory of fighting in Afghanistan and the mental and physical blows from his time in the service captivated me. His struggles were captured well and his overall personality melded nicely with Sabrina's character. 

As I said in my review of Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy? the dating show premise isn't my thing, but I did like that it was more of a fundraiser-type thing. This along with the spicy content did hinder my enjoyment, but it's not the book itself. I genuinely enjoy the author's writing style and I loved getting to read Quinn's story. 

I'm drawn to stories that rely heavily on the characters and the human condition in general. These themes written as short stories can make the impact even greater given their length. Less time is spent on the details and the focus remains on the emotions. With all of this on my mind when scoping out potential reads, the synopsis (as well as the setting) of MONARCH caught my attention right away.

MONARCH is a collection of eleven short stories focusing on various themes such as life, death, loss, addiction, change, and grief. Each story typically highlights one or two of these themes. A couple of the stories that particularly stood out to me were ‘Vida' and ‘Nova'. ‘Vida's' main focus is loss and sacrifice while ‘Nova's' is more focused on connection and rebirth.

It took me a little while to get into the groove of the writing style, particularly with the dialogue as quotation marks are not utilized. I'm not one of those people who downright refuse to read books in this style, but I do find it to be a hindrance and causes me to pause and have to figure out where the dialogue begins and where it ends. Once I do get into the rhythm, it's easier to follow along but have to go through it all again when I pick up the book after setting it down. Fortunately, the writing is strong enough that it was worth the effort of adapting.

Some of the content wasn't my forte, however, it's written in a way where I can still appreciate it. It's evident that the author's heart and soul went into this collection and that alone makes it an impactful read. What I liked the most was the reader's guide at the end of the book, asking questions and giving prompts that as a reader made me feel more engaged. It was a great touch.

Readers of literary fiction in particular will enjoy what this book has to offer.

Thanks to Discovery for providing a free ARC of the book to read and review!

Reread this book for the first time in I don't know how long. I love Nellie's story as much now as an adult as I did as a child – likely more now that I have a deeper understanding of this time in history. I wish the best friend characters had been able to have a full series of their own. 

I've been waiting since August to read this one! My physical copy is the most adorable little book I own and the content inside was equally as cute. Whole truth: I am completely unfamiliar with the series this novella is based off of (which I intend to change!), but already I love Daisy Mae (Meemaw).    In the late 1940s, the Ellis family has taken in boarders in their Savannah home for dear of losing Parkview House. Through this along with other community work, Daisy finds herself meeting a wonderful man named Harlan and hits it off. However, she senses he hasn't been completely honest with him and hesitates to let their relationship go too far until he begins to make peace with his past.    Short and sweet, this was a lovely Christmas read. I'm sure it's even more enjoyable when you're already familiar with the series and the characters, but it held up as a standalone. 

I'm always in the mood to pick up a romcom or two around Christmastime. I pick carefully as I'm finicky in the genre. Given I enjoyed The Holiday Swap, I figured another Maggie Knox book would be a safe bet. Sadly, I wasn't invested this time around.    Both hoping to make their break into the Nashville music world, Sadie and Max fake a relationship for the sake of their fans after they get paired up for a duet on the reality show Starmaker. It's a rouse neither are sure they can keep up given their distaste for one another. But is it possible that there could be more there after all?    I retained very little about this book if I'm being brutally honest. I didn't care about the characters or the plot. The vibes were good but I wasn't feeling it. I do remember chuckling at a couple of the lines, but I couldn't tell you what they were. Nothing was memorable for me aside from a strange time jump I should have been expecting but wasn't and an obnoxious amount of miscommunication. There were some cozy bits, but not enough to make up for the rest. I normally love fake dating, or maybe I used to and my taste is changing, because this is the second time in recent months that this trope has let me down. 

(3.5)

This book hadn't been on my radar at all but I was in the mood for a short Christmas read and this one sounded intriguing.

Having no place to go for Christmas Ashley is invited to her friend Emma's family home for the holidays. Ashley hopes for a magical trip to the English country and maybe even find some romance. She instantly has eyes for Emma's brother, Adam, and comes to think he might be attracted to her as well. As for the rest of Emma's family, she's put off and intimidated by them.

Choosing to make the best of things, she keeps her focus on Emma and Adam, but things grow tense when people around town start talking about how much she looks like a girl who had been murdered earlier that year. Making matters worse, she finds out that Adam is the prime suspect despite his alibi.

While the plot was intriguing, I couldn't start Ashley, making the section of the book with her journal entries excruciating after a whole. If not for the mystery and short length of the book I might not have continued, but I'm glad I kept reading. The second part of the book picks up immensely and answers a lot of questions. A good mystery to read/listen to in one sitting.

My interest in the assassination of John F. Kennedy might make me biased, but I think most people would agree that there is not a better situation suited for a thriller. I've read one other novel/thriller that involves this moment in history, however, it ended up being a relatively small portion of the book. I was excited when Ask Not! set the stage with it in the first pages.

Hank never thought much about John F. Kennedy's assassination. He had no reason to believe anything but the official story: Three bullets shot by Lee Harvey Oswald. A random act. Suddenly he's thrust into the world of polaroids and conspiracies. What's more, is that his own life may be at risk thanks to his brother Benjamin.

There are several different theories that the book explores. While some are outlandish, some appear plausible. As Hank does his own investigation, he encounters a number of different people who have their takes, including a couple of witnesses. He doesn't know what to make of these claims, much less what to believe. He wonders if believing in a conspiracy is easier than believing that a single human can change the course of history in a single act of randomness.

Along with talk of the JFK assassination is Hank's own story and that of his brother's. Hank's drive to clear Benjamin's name from a homicide accusation is the driving force. Christine (Chris) is also a nice addition to the story and compliments Hank's character.

Fast-paced and gripping, this book flows wonderfully with fantastic dialogue and lots of action. I devoured the book in two sittings and then regretted not pacing myself more because it was over all too quickly. Having read several other books on different facts and conspiracies from this event, it was fun to see some of them presented here (and in the form of a novel). I was particularly impressed to see a section that discusses Dorothy Kilgallen. I don't understand why other authors on the subject tend to overlook her place in the theories. I was glad Tom Avitabile didn't hold back!

I appreciated the character list at the beginning of the book to help me keep track of all of the names and roles. Also included is a polaroid, again, setting the stage right off the bat. It's evident that a lot of thought, research, and care went into this book. This is a perfect read for crime/thriller fans, but also readers looking for a hint of nonfiction in their novels.

My interest in the assassination of John F. Kennedy might make me biased, but I think most people would agree that there is not a better situation suited for a thriller. I've read one other novel/thriller that involves this moment in history, however, it ended up being a relatively small portion of the book. I was excited when Ask Not! set the stage with it in the first pages. 

Hank never thought much about John F. Kennedy's assassination. He had no reason to believe anything but the official story: Three bullets shot by Lee Harvey Oswald. A random act. Suddenly he's thrust into the world of polaroids and conspiracies. What's more, is that his own life may be at risk thanks to his brother Benjamin.

There are several different theories that the book explores. While some are outlandish, some appear plausible. As Hank does his own investigation, he encounters a number of different people who have their takes, including a couple of witnesses. He doesn't know what to make of these claims, much less what to believe. He wonders if believing in a conspiracy is easier than believing that a single human can change the course of history in a single act of randomness. 

Along with talk of the JFK assassination is Hank's own story and that of his brother's. Hank's drive to clear Benjamin's name from a homicide accusation is the driving force. Christine (Chris) is also a nice addition to the story and compliments Hank's character. 

Fast-paced and gripping, this book flows wonderfully with fantastic dialogue and lots of action. I devoured the book in two sittings and then regretted not pacing myself more because it was over all too quickly. Having read several other books on different facts and conspiracies from this event, it was fun to see some of them presented here (and in the form of a novel). I was particularly impressed to see a section that discusses Dorothy Kilgallen. I don't understand why other authors on the subject tend to overlook her place in the theories. I was glad Tom Avitabile didn't hold back! 

I appreciated the character list at the beginning of the book to help me keep track of all of the names and roles. Also included is a polaroid, again, setting the stage right off the bat. It's evident that a lot of thought, research, and care went into this book. This is a perfect read for crime/thriller fans, but also readers looking for a hint of nonfiction in their novels. 

The disappearance of MH17 boggles my mind. Though I remember when it initially happened, the bizarreness of the situation didn't dawn on me until years later. This book offers a brief account of the known facts (at the time of publication) as well as speculation of what might have happened based on what is known.    I wish the book had been longer but it was an interesting account from a reporter's perspective, especially where he was also involved in the private investigation side of things. 

I've never actually read Peter Pan and have only seen the play and Disney versions a couple of times, however, I enjoy Peter Pan retellings for some reason. Wendy, Darling has been on my TBR since reading Darling Girl. I can see that this is where some inspiration might have come from for that book, but it didn't hit me quite the same.    Past her days in Neverland and now a mother to Jane, Wendy is shocked to find Peter Pan looming over her daughter's bed and watches horrified as Peter whisks her away to be ‘the new Wendy'. Wendy now must return to Neverland to save Jane. As she does so, shadows of the past come back to haunt her.    There was a lot I enjoyed about the book, such as the writing/prose and real-world interpretations. I also liked the mother/daughter aspect. Despite this, I found myself struggling to get into the story past the first few chapters. I don't think I was in the right mindset, so I would like to try this book again at another time. 

(3.5)

The disappearance of MH17 boggles my mind. Though I remember when it initially happened, the bizarreness of the situation didn't dawn on me until years later. This book offers a brief account of the known facts (at the time of publication) as well as speculation of what might have happened based on what is known.

I wish the book had been longer but it was an interesting account from a reporter's perspective, especially where he was also involved in the private investigation side of things.

One of the biggest favors a person can do for themselves is to read at least one book about travel in their lifetime. Perhaps this comes from my innate wanderlust, but I do feel as though one of the greatest gifts books give us is the ability to read about another's perception of the world. What better way than through travel journals?

One Man's Europe is a unique memoir featuring the writings of Gordon Nicholas. These journals were put together by his son who offers additions to his father's journeys through his eyes decades later. Along with the personal accounts are photos, ViewMaster slides, paintings, etc. Every page is rich with atmosphere and history as a post-World War II Europe is explored.

What struck me early on was the disconnect I never realized I had while reading about wars and their aftermath. There was one particular photo (among several) that showed a city in ruins from bombings during the war. Seeing it next to the written description hit me differently than if I'd just seen a photograph or had just read a recount in a book. Often books lump all of the photos together in one or two sections of the book and by the time you get to them you're already far past the moment of relevance or haven't arrived to another moment just yet. I enjoyed being able to take them in one by one.

This was almost the perfect read for me until it crossed a line, giving a narrative against organized religion so angrily that my biggest takeaway from the book has ultimately been wondering why he bothered to visit so many churches and religious sites if it caused him so much disgust. While there were a lot of positive notes in the book, the contrast of the negative stood out.

I adore books that can take me back to a different time and place. I'm a chronological reader, so I read this book from start to finish. However, the chapters are organized by city, so if you're the kind of person who likes to pick and choose, it's easy to jump around. Of course, there is something to be said about reading it in full at least one time around. I can see myself looking back on this in the future and revisiting some of my favorite cities visited.

Despite my one qualm, I enjoyed the structure of this book immensely. It's made me want to find books similar to it so I can continue living vicariously through the authors fortunate enough to visit such incredible places.

Thanks to Discovery for providing a free digital copy to read and review!

One of the biggest favors a person can do for themselves is to read at least one book about travel in their lifetime. Perhaps this comes from my innate wanderlust, but I do feel as though one of the greatest gifts books give us is the ability to read about another's perception of the world. What better way than through travel journals? 
One Man's Europe is a unique memoir featuring the writings of Gordon Nicholas. These journals were put together by his son who offers additions to his father's journeys through his eyes decades later. Along with the personal accounts are photos, ViewMaster slides, paintings, etc. Every page is rich with atmosphere and history as a post-World War II Europe is explored. 
What struck me early on was the disconnect I never realized I had while reading about wars and their aftermath. There was one particular photo (among several) that showed a city in ruins from bombings during the war. Seeing it next to the written description hit me differently than if I'd just seen a photograph or had just read a recount in a book. Often books lump all of the photos together in one or two sections of the book and by the time you get to them you're already far past the moment of relevance or haven't arrived to another moment just yet. I enjoyed being able to take them in one by one. 
This was almost the perfect read for me until it crossed a line, giving a narrative against organized religion so angrily that my biggest takeaway from the book has ultimately been wondering why he bothered to visit so many churches and religious sites if it caused him so much disgust. While there were a lot of positive notes in the book, the contrast of the negative stood out. 
I adore books that can take me back to a different time and place. I'm a chronological reader, so I read this book from start to finish. However, the chapters are organized by city, so if you're the kind of person who likes to pick and choose, it's easy to jump around. Of course, there is something to be said about reading it in full at least one time around. I can see myself looking back on this in the future and revisiting some of my favorite cities visited.
Despite my one qualm, I enjoyed the structure of this book immensely. It's made me want to find books similar to it so I can continue living vicariously through the authors fortunate enough to visit such incredible places. 

Thanks to Discovery for providing a free digital copy to read and review!

A simple novelized version of the movie but enjoyable.

A simple novelized version of the movie but enjoyable.

In the beginning, this was shaping up to be a five-star read for me. I procrastinated reading it because I didn't want it to end. I started this on a trip to Memphis which felt fitting with the country music themes of the book and liked it so much that I didn't want to read it while there were so many distractions. I maintained my captivation for the first third of the book, but that was it.    Lillian Waters embarks on her final concert tour after a grim diagnosis when she begins having throat issues. She organizes the route so that her last stop is in her hometown in Washington — a place she hasn't visited for decades. She hopes to make some kind of peace with her past and her sister Hen. The book jumps from her past and her present in the 1980s as she finally shares her story.    As I said before, I was eating up every page in the beginning. I was so I tricked by Lillian's childhood and how she dealt with living in an abusive household. As she got older, I didn't like the turn the book took even though the situations presented were predictable given the circumstances of her character. From there, it continued to morph into something I never would have picked up in the first place. I could see the end coming but it still shocked me in a sense. I had been holding out for more because of the setup.    There was a lot I enjoyed, such as the writing and the ebb and flow of past to present. The rest unfortunately comes down to preference. 

I don't think I will ever find a book Ruta Sepetys has written that I don't adore. Her books have set my expectations for all historical fiction astronomically high that I'm at the point where I'm okay if she's the only historical fiction author I ever read again.

Lina and her family are forcibly removed from their home in Lithuania by the Soviets in the midst of World War II. They are deported to Siberia along with several other families. Lina holds out hope that her father will come to rescue them and even attempts to get coded messages to him. With her drawing talents, she also creates secret documentation of the cruelties she and her fellow deportees are forced to endure.

I think I say this every time I read one of Ruta Sepetys' books, but I absolutely love that the story follows a part of World War II history that is not as well known as others. I consider myself fairly well-studied in this time period and I knew nothing of the atrocities discussed in the book. On top of that, the characters are so marvelously fleshed out, flaws and strengths and all. They felt as authentic as their situations, which can be difficult to find, especially in this genre.

It's safe to say I am head over heels in love with these plots and the writing. I'm curious to see the movie (retitled Ashes in the Snow) but I know it will shatter my heart. I can bear a lot more of this kind of content in books than I can on screen. Honestly though, it might be worth it if it remains true to the book.

Normally with group reads I try really, really hard to find something to convince myself to bump up my rating for a book I didn't enjoy, but I can't with this one. To everyone I read this with who enjoyed this, I apologize!    With a Groundhog Day-style plot, Maelyn finds herself reliving her annual Christmas vacation a number of times while she tries to work out her life and find happiness.    I spent the majority of the book trying to figure out what was causing the repeated days. By the time I accepted the fact it was a question that wasn't going to be answered, I realized that this entire plot point seemed to have been dropped. Between this, one-dimensional characters, and the strangest analogies, this just was not for me from beginning to end. 

Honestly, I could spend the entirety of this review simply gushing over the prose to the point where I want to learn Spanish just so I can see if the original words are even more beautiful than the translation. This is the second book by Antonio Iturbe I've read and it didn't disappoint.    Based on the true story of Dita Kraus' days in Auschwitz, the book follows her and her family who have been sent to a part of Auschwitz set up to fool the Red Cross and keep the mistreatment of prisoners under wraps. There, Dita and her block mates form a secret school for the children where they pass along smuggled books. Dita puts herself at risk delivering these books but is more concerned about evading the notorious Dr. Josef Mengele. Despite being in the ‘safe' block, they are still very much in Auschwitz.    There are so many beautiful quotes in this book. This made up for a sometimes stale delivery (which might be due to being translated). My interest in the plot faded in the middle though picked back up again toward the end. It's definitely a long book for historical YA but does maintain a fast pace. 

I never had much interest in reading Dracula until I read Frankenstein earlier this year. Much like my experience with that book, I was braced for campiness rather than genuine source material. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I ended up enjoying it.    Told from multiple POVs as well as multiple writing mediums, the story conveys the terrors caused by Count Dracula. A large portion of the book focuses on his victim Lucy and the efforts to keep her out of Dracula's clutches. The rest is dedicated to the study of the count and the pursuit to put an end to him altogether.    The different writing styles threw me off in the beginning. I couldn't latch on to the story until it came to scenes with Mina and Lucy. For me, that's when the story began. Before then I struggled to discern who each of the characters were. I could differentiate Lucy and Mina right away but the men took much longer.    I enjoyed the gothic atmosphere the most. I can't do modern horror, but I'm finding that I have an interest in some of these classics. It's also interesting to see the original characters who have since become commonplace in media and more often than not spoofed and made comical. 

I never had much interest in reading Dracula until I read Frankenstein earlier this year. Much like my experience with that book, I was braced for campiness rather than genuine source material. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I ended up enjoying it.

Told from multiple POVs as well as multiple writing mediums, the story conveys the terrors caused by Count Dracula. A large portion of the book focuses on his victim Lucy and the efforts to keep her out of Dracula's clutches. The rest is dedicated to the study of the count and the pursuit to put an end to him altogether.

The different writing styles threw me off in the beginning. I couldn't latch on to the story until it came to scenes with Mina and Lucy. For me, that's when the story began. Before then I struggled to discern who each of the characters were. I could differentiate Lucy and Mina right away but the men took much longer.

I enjoyed the gothic atmosphere the most. I can't do modern horror, but I'm finding that I have an interest in some of these classics. It's also interesting to see the original characters who have since become commonplace in media and more often than not spoofed and made comical.

I won't lie. This was an intimidating book to start. Typically 500+ pages in books don't phase me, but for me, that usually means nonfiction. I seldom find a fiction book so long that interests me. This book was suggested to me and I jumped in blindly, purchasing the book only to see the length afterward. I ended up opting for the audiobook to help me through it before the end of the year.    The book is broken up into different POVs in the Henry family as they go their separate ways in the early days of World War II (namely, America's part in it). Pug is a Navy man, something his wife Rhoda grows to resent more and more now that their children, Warren, Byron, and Madeline are grown and leading their own lives.    The book covers a lot of World War II history, often at the expense of the flow of the story. I'm not sure if these more nonfiction sections were footnotes being read at the end of certain chapters or full chapters themselves, but the first couple of times it happened I ended up checking the book to see if Audible had somehow changed my books. I didn't love the pacing or the organization. I can blame being accustomed to modern historical novels for that undoubtedly. That was a fair trade for the content, however. It was refreshing to be reading a piece of World War II fiction that didn't rely on the same handful of tropes and their variations. The story was deep, meticulous, and aimed at educating rather than romanticizing. For that, I enjoyed it immensely.    Some of the characters didn't feel necessary. Even while I was actively reading the book, I couldn't distinguish Warren from Pug and found myself forgetting his existence completely. I could say the same for Madeline although her scenes felt like such a distraction from the meat of the story that she became memorable. I was most invested in Byron and Pug's storylines. Toward the end, I felt as though I was wading through the rest just so I could carry on with the stories I cared about.    I kept telling myself throughout the entire book that I wasn't hooked enough to continue with the next installment. The last 100 pages or so changed my mind which I suppose should have surprised me as it was obvious where the build-up was leading to. On I go to War and Remembrance, in the new year...