"Don't make your presence known. Make your absence felt." I’m not quite sure what I expected Without Merit would be like, but this wasn’t it. Not that that’s a bad thing; it was just unexpected. Colleen Hoover’s characters a typically pretty unique and kind of quirky, but every character in this book took the cake. The quirks were so rampant that it almost made them weird. In a lot of cases it just made for some hilarious comic relief, but it also made the characters seem a little bit less authentic and real. I appreciated how much … [Read more...]
Review: The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
I have never felt as close to a writer or a fictional experience as I do to Nicola Yoon and The Sun Is Also a Star. It’s been said that having a wide variety of characters and cultures represented in literature is vital to our understanding of others and for others to understand us, and I’ve made that statement multiple times. What I never thought about before was how important it is to have a wide variety of characters and cultures represented in order to better understand ourselves. I understand myself and my family better because of The Sun … [Read more...]
Review: Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Listen, Jodi Picoult doesn't f*** around. When she writes a novel, I believe she writes with the intention of worming inside you like some kind of super virus that's capable of changing your makeup. I actually boycotted her work some years ago because I'd had enough, I just couldn't take it anymore. I was so done with reading her books and then having to deal with the intense, emotional fallout for weeks afterwards. Then, I'd have to deal with the ripples for months and sometimes years (see Nineteen Minutes) following. I'm not here for it. Or, … [Read more...]
Review: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Have you ever been inundated by a book, seemingly seeing images of it wherever you turn, stalked by ads, nudged by reviews? I read Dark Matter somewhat out of frustration, because I kept seeing that distinct red and black cover, even though it's not typically a book that would even be in my stratosphere. I don't read science fiction, and I don't read thrillers. But, thanks to Amazon's creepy ass algorithm, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble for their clever shelving, I succumbed and decided to read this book. Call it fate, or simply math and … [Read more...]
Review + Excerpt: Results May Vary by Bethany Chase
Bethany Chase rattled me with this novel. This story is about trust lost. It’s about a betrayal so deep that you don’t know how you’ll go on from the hurt you endure. I have a weak spot for stories like these because nothing breaks my heart more than the realization that someone you trust with everything turns out to be the one who hurts you the most. That’s what Caroline Hammond experiences and throughout the progression of this novel I felt everything she did, and that gut-wrenching disillusionment absolutely broke my heart. It hurt. I’m … [Read more...]
Review: It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover delivers her most powerful work to date with It Ends With Us. In this novel we have a striking story about the strength it takes to not only stay afloat in this thrashing sea we call life, but how we find strength and resilience enough to swim even when it feels like we’re close to drowning. Intuitive This novel greatly reflects the human condition and all its frailties. The characters in this book feel very natural, layered, flawed, and real, particularly the protagonists. The themes presented in this novel are very … [Read more...]
Review: First Comes Love by Emily Giffin
I always have a difficult time writing reviews for these kinds of books; the ones that leave me in a sort of open state. By that, I mean a state in which my mind hasn’t quite settled yet as I’m still going over what transpired, and my mind is still racing down the tracks, experiencing this ride, long after the train has stopped. In this moving story about love and family, Emily Giffin explores relationships, particularly the sibling relationship, and how love endures even after crushing heartbreak. She introduces two characters that leave an … [Read more...]
Review: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
All The Light We Cannot See is an illuminating work of fiction. Set against the darkest and harshest time, during, possibly, history’s bleakest moment, Anthony Doerr creates a work so astounding and powerful, and I guarantee that his words and characters will stay with you long after you turn the last page. My brain hurts. That dark maze has been overused these past days that I’ve read this book. I’ve sorted puzzles, visualized greatly beautiful scenes, endured atrocious ones, withstood emotional turmoil, and I’m now left a scrambled mess, … [Read more...]
Review: Brothers by Ralph Josiah Bardsley
When I first came across this title for promo, the unassuming cover and title really had me curious. I'm constantly looking for new authors of queer romance, but finding decent work has been...difficult. So, I poked around a little and discovered that Brothers had been nominated for "best romance" by a LGBT literary group. Okay, so maybe there's something here, I thought and decided to give it a go. My initial reaction is: this book is not a romance. Yes there are undertones of a romantic connection between two of the characters … [Read more...]
Review: Finding Fraser by K. C. Dyer
Finding Fraser is a fun read for chick lit lovers and fans of Outlander. In this funny fiction we're taken on a crazy ride as Emma leaves Chicago for Scotland in search of a modern James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser. We meet memorable characters, and experience Scotland through the eyes of someone desperate for change and adventure. I enjoyed this novel, for the most part, loving each twist in Emma's journey, but I was only here for the romance, and that aspect of the book disappoints. Of course when Diana Gabaldon first mentioned this … [Read more...]