Jessica’s Comments (group member since Dec 01, 2015)

Jessica’s comments from the Gaston Library group.

It’s time for another reading wrap up! This Month I Read…

By the Book by Jasmine Guillory- This is the second in a series of Disney princess inspired contemporary romances. This follows Izzy (Belle) and Beau (The Beast). Izzy works as an assistant in the publishing business and is sent to help Beau, the now reclusive son of a famous director, write his memoir. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite of all the Disney Princess so I was of course excited about this one. I thought it was cute little enemies to lovers/forced proximity romance. The author did a good job creating Beau’s layers and having him show the man behind the beast if you will. Izzy was a little falter as a character but I still liked her and thought the chemistry was good between them. Overall, a very enjoyable and easy read.

Reign by Katharine McGee- I listened to this on audiobook. This is the last in a series that imagines George Washington’s family in the modern day as the ruling monarchy of America because he took the offer to be king. It’s been a while since I read the others. This series has been super fun, but it’s definitely not a super deep read. It’s YA and reads like a soap opera like teen drama but with the royal family of America. The characters are fun and so is the drama and crazy scenarios. I liked this book, just know if you do read to not take it seriously at all and just enjoy it for what it is.

The Man Who Could Move Clouds by Ingrid Rojas Contreras- This one is really hard to describe but I really liked it. It's a memoir in which the author discusses her and her family's culture and history. Her grandfather, or Nono, was a curandero or spiritual healer in Columbia in the 1960’s on. Her family’s history truly sounds magical as she tells stories of her Nono moving clouds, her mother seeing the dead and astral projecting and more. I loved hearing the wild stories that to me sound impossible, but to her and her family is real and true and truly embedded in them through their culture. It was beautifully written and I learned so much about Columbian and native Latin American culture that I did not know previously. I know it sounds odd that this is a true memoir, but I highly recommend it.

What did you read this month? Be sure to share down below!

Happy Reading!

Here are a few noteworthy titles that are coming out this month.

1. Otherwise Engaged by Susan Mallery on November 4th
2. Prowl by Colleen Coble on November 4th
3. Nash Falls by David Baldacci on November 11th
4. The King's Ransom by Janet Evanovich on November 11th
5. The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts on November 18th
6. The Color of Hope: A Novel by Danielle Steele on November 18th
7. Quantum Tempest by Clive Cussler on November 18th
8. Robert B. Parker's Showdown by Mike Lupica on November 25th
9. Tom Clancy Executive Power by Tom Clancy on November 25th
10. The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer on November 4th

Always be sure to check the GCPL Wowbrary to see new items we add to our collection each week.
Here is the link: http://www.wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?p=2137

Share down below to let us know if there is a particular author or genre you want to see in our new and upcoming reads posts.
If you're excited about a book that's coming out this month that I didn't share, feel free to share below!

It’s time for another reading wrap up! This Month I Read…

Funny Story by Emily Henry- The premise of this book definitely fits the title. It is a very funny story when two people, both whose significant others left them for the other's significant other, move in together out of necessity. Fake dating troupe begins as they are invited to their ex’s wedding and the story leads from there. The characters were likeable and the plot was cute. I loved that the main character was a librarian and really liked the parts that talked about her work. Overall it was a cute, fun, light hearted read.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng- This was a pretty good one. The story centers around an African American single mother who moves to the “perfect” community of Shaker Heights and rents from the Richardson's, the seemingly “perfect” family. It had some interesting commentary and some intrigue with figuring out what secrets who was keeping. The plot definitely kept me reading and the characters were interesting but I didn’t love the ending personally. The ending does fit the novel and the points I believe the author is trying to make leaving everything unresolved and unfinished. It just left me personally feeling unsatisfied since nothing felt resolved and many of the characters just seemed to be in the same place they started. Overall I did like it though.

The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware- This is a sequel to The Woman In Cabin 10. The same lead character is at the forefront of the story again. It’s been about 10 years since the events on the Aurora that happened in the first book and Lo is looking to get back into journalism after writing a book about her experiences and having two boys. She gets an invite to a prestigious luxury resort and once she gets there it seems like ghosts from the past have followed her there. This was a fun mystery to read and I liked seeing the connections to the first one. I also was intrigued by the dynamic by the two central women in the story and really enjoyed it because of that. If you liked The Woman In Cabin 10, you’ll like this one too.

What did you read this month? Be sure to share down below!

Happy Reading!

Here are a few noteworthy titles that are coming out this month.

1. The Intruder by Freida McFadden on October 7th
2. Mate by Ali Hazelwood on October 7th
3. Snow Kissed by Raeanna Thayne on October 7th
4. Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben on October 14th
5. Remain by Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan on October 14th
6. The Widow by John Grisham on October 21st
7. The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly on October 21st
8. A Ferry Merry Christmas by Debbie Macomber on October 21st
9. The Black Wolf by Louise Penny on October 28th
10. The Crimson Throne by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis on October 7th

Always be sure to check the GCPL Wowbrary to see new items we add to our collection each week.
Here is the link: http://www.wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?p=2137

Share down below to let us know if there is a particular author or genre you want to see in our new and upcoming reads posts.
If you're excited about a book that's coming out this month that I didn't share, feel free to share below!

It’s time for another reading wrap up! Only one this month. Summer Reading caught up with me and I needed a break. Haha. This Month I Read…

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid- I LOVED this book. It went right to the top of my TJR favorites list. I read this book in three days, which for me is quick. I could not put it down. The main character's story was engrossing, how she worked to make what seemed like a pipe dream happen. I loved the characters and their interactions with each other. The way the crew of astronauts that entered training together created a bond was wonderful to see, especially between the women. The writing was top tier for me and there are several passages that stuck with me. One being when TJR wrote about the women witnessing Sally Ride head to space as the first women. She so beautifully explained the pressure that is involved with being the first at something of that nature. My absolute favorite part of the book was the main character's relationships with her niece. When she would talk about how she felt about her niece it put words to what I feel about my own niece and nephew. And oh my gosh the ending was INCREDIBLE! I would absolutely recommend this one

What did you read this month? Be sure to share down below!

Happy Reading!

Here are a few noteworthy titles that are coming out this month.

Framed in Death by J.D. Robb on September 2
The Code by Gregg Hurwitz on September 2
The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown on September 9th
Wild Card by Elise Silver on September 9th
Don’t Say a Word by Allison Brennan on September 16th
Circle of Days by Ken Follett on September 23rd
A Slowly Dying Cause by Elizabeth George on September 23rd
The Portrait by Danielle Steel on September 30th
The Killing Stones by Ann Cleaves on September 30th
The Primal of Blood and Bone by Jennifer L Armentrout on September 23rd

Always be sure to check the GCPL Wowbrary to see new items we add to our collection each week.
Here is the link: http://www.wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?p=2137

Share down below to let us know if there is a particular author or genre you want to see in our new and upcoming reads posts.
If you're excited about a book that's coming out this month that I didn't share, feel free to share below!

It’s time for another reading wrap up! This Month I Read…

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter- I decided it had been a while since I read a thriller and I wanted to grab one, and this one stood out based on the description. But shew, I didn’t know what I was getting into. For the most part I liked it. The author did a great job of showing a family torn apart by grief around the eldest sister's unsolved murder and I enjoyed the dynamic of the younger sisters coming back together through new mysteries. Everything tied together well, but still toward the end it fell apart for me. Firstly because I was not prepared for the amount of gore and violence I would encounter. I’m not normally super sensitive to these things as a reader, but this was way over the top. I read a review that this book needed every trigger warning ever invented after reading it and that about sums up the high level of gore and violence. It just felt unnecessary. Also, the amount of people that were just “normal” people involved in covering up this underground business in the same area that had been doing this for years and years “undetected” felt unrealistic to me. At least, I’d like to have more faith in humanity than that. Not an awful book, but be prepared for what you are getting into.

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas- Sigh, I wanted to like this one a lot more than I did. It was ok, but maybe only the last 10-15 chapters really kept me going. I liked the beginning of this series way more than the rest of it for sure. This one just had way to many characters POV’s to keep up with and felt like almost 1,000 pages of battle after battle after battle. The hopelessness that Maas tried to convey started to feel not as hopeless since it happened again and again and there was so much of the novel left you knew the end wasn’t here yet. I like Maas’s characters (for the most part) and her writing but her pacing is her downfall with me in every book. I would be absolutely in love with her books if they were about half as long as they are. Unfortunately, I think finishing this series is the end of my journey in the Maasiverse. Looking at the size of the Crescent City books I just don’t think it will end well for me.

What did you read this month? Be sure to share down below!

Happy Reading!

Here are a few noteworthy titles that are coming out this month.

1. The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar on August 5th
2. Jenny Cooper Has a Secret by Joy Fielding on August 5th
3. For Richer For Poorer: A Novel by Danielle Steele on August 12th
4. The Violet Hour by Victoria Benton Frank on August 12th
5. Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner on August 12th
6. Something to Look Forward To: Fictions by Fannie Flagg on August 19th
7. Emma on Fire by James Patterson on August 19th
8. Tomlinson's Wake by Randy Wayne White on August 26th
9. Smuggler's Cove by Fern Michaels on August 26th
10. Death in the Dark by Bryce Moore on August 5th

Always be sure to check the GCPL Wowbrary to see new items we add to our collection each week.
Here is the link: http://www.wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?p=2137

Share down below to let us know if there is a particular author or genre you want to see in our new and upcoming reads posts.
If you're excited about a book that's coming out this month that I didn't share, feel free to share below!

It’s time for another reading wrap up! This Month I Read…

The Princess of Thornwood Drive by Khalia Moreau- I was immediately interested in the premise of this book. It follows two sisters, one in the real world, and one who after a devastating accident that also killed their parents is left permanently disabled. The older sister is struggling to care for her disabled younger sister as she is only in her early 20’s herself and has lots of guilt as the accident happened as they were on the way to visit her. The story revolves around these struggles that affect both sisters. What is really unique is that the younger permanently disabled sister is trapped in a fantasy world in her mind and we get both POV’s. The same things are happening around the sisters in both POV’s, but you are getting it from the real world lens of the older sister and the fantasy world lens of the younger one. The way the stories and worlds parallel each other is fascinating and was done really well. There were parts that felt pretty slow when reading, but it was overall pretty good. The ending was well done I thought too.

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison- This book follows Adian and Lucie. Adian is the radio host of a romance hotline show who is burning out on romance and love. Lucie is a young single mother who is still hoping to find magic. Lucie's preteen daughter calls into Adian’s show on behalf of her mother and the rest of the story leads from there. Lucie is caught up in her virality and goes on dates as part of “Lucie’s Road to Love” on Adian’s show, but romantic tension quickly develops between the two. The romance was cute and well done, but something about Adian just didn’t sit right with me. I didn’t fully understand or relate to his reasoning for being so closed off to love so I think that’s part of it. My least favorite B.K. Borison yet, but it was still good and I’m excited this is going to be a series like Lovelight Farm ones!

What did you read this month? Be sure to share down below!

Happy Reading!

Here are a few noteworthy titles that are coming out this month.

1. Edge of Honor by Brad Thor on July 1st
2. The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware on July 8th
3. The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani July 8th
4. The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline on July 15th
5. An Inside Job by Daniel Silva on July 15th
6. Wayward Girls by Susan Wiggs on July 15th
7. The List by Steve Berry on July 22nd
8. She Didn't See It Coming by Shari Lapena July 29th
9. You Belong Here by Megan Miranda July 29th
10. Glorious Rivals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes July 29th

Always be sure to check the GCPL Wowbrary to see new items we add to our collection each week.
Here is the link: http://www.wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?p=2137

Share down below to let us know if there is a particular author or genre you want to see in our new and upcoming reads posts.
If you're excited about a book that's coming out this month that I didn't share, feel free to share below!

Oops! I missed getting my April Wrap Up up, so this one is going to cover April and May. This Month I Read…

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins- The first two thirds of this I didn’t hate, but I also didn’t love. I enjoyed seeing all the familiar characters from the original trilogy. Suzanne did a great job at connecting the original trilogy to the story in this book. I did want a lot more from these connections though. Since the book was from Haymitch’s POV and he wasn’t privy to a lot of what was going on with Pultrach, Beetee, etc. I felt a lot was left out. I would have loved to see more details on the beginnings of the rebellion that seem to be in place in this book that culminates in the events of Catching Fire and Mockingjay. Seeing this would have been so interesting rather than Haymitch stumbling around not knowing the depth of what’s happening. The ending though I really enjoyed. It hit me emotionally and I thought it really added to my understanding of Haymitch as a character. I loved the epilogue too.

Katharine, the Wright Sister by Tracey Enerson Wood- This was an ok read, but I had higher hopes for it. The way it sounded to me led me to expect Katarine to be this hidden talented mind hidden behind her brothers for years. That was not the case. She was smart and talented in many ways helping her brothers with the business and social aspects of their aviation journey, but even that felt barely touched on in this book which was disappointing. I did really enjoy reading about this early history of aviation and how the Wright Brothers developed their flight machines though. I was left with a sour taste however at the end when Orville refused to speak with Katharine after she married in her 50’s and moved out of the house. It felt like he was being a whiny baby whose sister wasn’t there to take care of him anymore. I know this rift between the two did really happen so it’s a necessary part of Katharine's story but man I was irritated.

Happy Place by Emily Henry- This was a great read. Emily Henry was always a hit for me. A nice easy to read contemporary romance. I liked the characters and the friend group in the book and thought the story was done nicely. I just had fun reading it, which was very needed.

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy- I decided to go for another easy to read contemporary romance and picked this one up. This is the first of a series by different authors where they take Disney Princess stories and put them into a contemporary romance. This concept has my name written all over it! I really liked it too! They made just enough differences that it was a unique Cinderella story, but also had lots of cute nods to Disney’s Cinderella. The ending was a little unsatisfying but I still enjoyed reading it overall.

What did you read this month? Be sure to share down below!

Happy Reading!

Here are a few noteworthy titles that are coming out this month.

1. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid on June 3rd
2. Stuart Woods' Finders Keepers by Brett Battles on June 3rd
3. Don't Forget Me, Little Bessie by James Lee Burke onJune 3rd
4. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil on V.E. Schwab on June 10th
5. The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel on June 17th
6. The Love Fix by Jill Shalvis on June 24th
7. A Mother's Love: A Novel by Danielle Steel on June 24th
8. The Death Mask by Iris Johansen on June 24th
9. Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell on June 24th
10. Amelia, If Only by Becky Albertalli on June 10th

Always be sure to check the GCPL Wowbrary to see new items we add to our collection each week.
Here is the link: http://www.wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?p=2137

Share down below to let us know if there is a particular author or genre you want to see in our new and upcoming reads posts.
If you're excited about a book that's coming out this month that I didn't share, feel free to share below!

Here are a few noteworthy titles that are coming out this month.

1. The Tenant by Freida McFadden on May 5th
2. My Friends by Fredrik Backman on May 6th
3. South of Nowhere by Jeffery Deaver on May 6th
4. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune on May 6th
5. Fever Beach by Carl Hiassen on May 13th
6. Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe May 13th
7. Nightshade by Michael Connelly on May 20th
8. Going Home in the Dark by Dean Koontz on May 20th
9. Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts on May 27th
10. Never Flinch by Stephen King on May 27th

Always be sure to check the GCPL Wowbrary to see new items we add to our collection each week.
Here is the link: http://www.wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?p=2137

Share down below to let us know if there is a particular author or genre you want to see in our new and upcoming reads posts.
If you're excited about a book that's coming out this month that I didn't share, feel free to share below!

It’s time for another reading wrap up! This Month I Read…

An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s by Doris Kearns Goodwin- I listened to this one on audiobook for book club. This is not my typical genre. I don’t do a lot of non-fiction and when I do it tends to be memoirs. While it does sound a bit like a memoir or love story between Doris and her Husband Dick, it does not read like that at all. It is a personal reflection of the time but since they were so intertwined in the politics of the time with, Dick working directly with the JFK campaign and for him in the White House and Doris working with LBJ, it read more like a political history. It was interesting to see the inside stories from the politics of the time. I also personally did not know much about LBJ at all, and this book gave me an interesting insight and appreciation for him. Overall though it was pretty boring, but that is likely because as I said this is not a genre I would go for myself at all.

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Mass- Ok, I need SJM to fix her pacing. Every book starts as a slog with some interesting bits and then gets really good and exciting at the end. It takes me three weeks to read the first 400 pages, then three days to read the last 200. I think once I finish this series I’m not picking up anymore of hers. I love her worlds and stories but I just keep finding her books hard to get through at first. It was fun to have the world expanded in this one though and learn more of the Southern area of this world. I also liked Choal’s storyline and thought he had some good character development in this book. I complain, but I did like it and do really need to see what happens next.

Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks- I’ve never read a Nicholas Sparks book before so I thought it was about time I grabbed one. I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it. I think the third person POV got to me a bit and made the romance fall a little flat. This definitely made the book overall less impactful for me. I was also way more interested in Paul’s backstory and the whole aside with the Torrelson’s than I was with any of the romance. Then that didn’t even get any resolution. The end of the book was sweet and heartwarming with Adrienne’s daughter but I didn’t think Paul and Adrienne’s situation related that much to her daughter's marriage other than that both men died. Sorry for spoilers, haha. Overall just okay, not sure if I’ll read more Nicholas Sparks or not.

What did you read this month? Be sure to share down below!

Happy Reading!

Here are a few noteworthy titles that are coming out this month.

1. Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez on April 1st
2. The World's Fair Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini on April 1st
3. The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner April 8th
4. The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose on April 8th
5. Strangers in Time by David Baldacci on April 15th
6. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry on April 22nd
7. Into the Gray Zone by Brad Taylor on April 22nd
8. A Mind of Her Own: A Novel by Danielle Steel on April 29th
9. The Murder Machine by Heather Graham on April 29th
10. The Floating World by Axie Oh on April 29th

Always be sure to check the GCPL Wowbrary to see new items we add to our collection each week.
Here is the link: http://www.wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?p=2137

Share down below to let us know if there is a particular author or genre you want to see in our new and upcoming reads posts.
If you're excited about a book that's coming out this month that I didn't share, feel free to share below!

It’s time for another reading wrap up! This Month I Read…

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston- I read this for Book Club this month. I really enjoyed it. Something about Hurston's language just sticks with you. I loved her imagery throughout. Janie was an interesting character as well and learning more about Zora herself I can see the parallels. The dialogue can be difficult to get through at times as she writes in a true vernacular of the time and place but once you get used it gets easier. Overall I liked this far more than I expected I would.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune- I LOVED The House on the Cerulean Sea so I was excited to get my hands on the sequel. It wasn’t as good as the first, but I didn’t expect it to be. It did however hold true to the heart of the first and had lots of the best parts of the first. The children were hilarious and heartwarming just like in the first, and the themes of love and acceptance continue as well. One of my favorite parts of this one was Sal and seeing how he came into himself and found a voice and used it. I really liked this one and would say it’s a must read if you loved the first.

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle- I’m meh on this one. There were lots of parts that were interesting but nothing felt fully explored. It could have dove deeper into how her heart condition held her back, how the cards that she gets that show her how long she’ll be with someone makes her sabotage her relationships, and where those notes came from in the first place. I did like that this novel wasn’t fully what I expected, which kept me interested and guessing what would happen next. I did see Hugo coming from a mile away about halfway through the book though. Haha. Overall I did enjoy reading it, I just wanted more from it.

What did you read this month? Be sure to share down below!

Happy Reading!

Here are a few noteworthy titles that are coming out this month.

1. Far From Home: A Novel by Danielle Steel on March 4th
2. The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig on March 4th
3. The Jackal's Mistress by Chris Bohjalian on March 11th
4. The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen on March 18th
5. Beach Vibes by Susan Mallery on March 18th
6. The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue on March 18th
7. Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben on March 25th
8. Lethal Prey by John Sandford on March 25th
9. Fight or Flight by Fern Michaels on March 25th
10. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins on March 18th

Always be sure to check the GCPL Wowbrary to see new items we add to our collection each week.
Here is the link: http://www.wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?p=2137

Share down below to let us know if there is a particular author or genre you want to see in our new and upcoming reads posts.
If you're excited about a book that's coming out this month that I didn't share, feel free to share below!

We’ve made it to the first reading Wrap Up of 2025! I struggled a little bit with my goal last year, so I lowered it to 30 for this year. I’m a naturally slower reader so this should be more doable. What is your reading goal for 2025? Anyway, on to the wrap up! This Month I Read…

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Ricardson- I really thought this one would be right up my alley. I love historical fiction and am from Appalachia so it really seemed catered to my interests. However, I was pretty disappointed unfortunately. I didn’t really like the main character. She was seemingly supposed to be a “strong” female lead but there were too many parts where she did not come off that way. Especially in regards to her interactions with others about her blue skin color. Also it just seemed a bit melodramatic when bad things would happen. Like they just happened to happen and show how horrific these things were in the past but served no purpose in the plot. Wish I would’ve liked it better.

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros- I’ve been really enjoying this series and was super excited about this release. I liked it and had such a great time reading it. It was a wild ride. Haha. I will say, there were parts the pacing felt off and some of the characters felt a bit weaker than in previous books but it was still a really fun book. We got a lot of questions answered in this book, but ten times more were created. I’m gonna need Rebecca to start answering some of them, haha. I’m excited for the next one and to see how this world and story all comes together at the end.

What did you read this month? Be sure to share down below!

Happy Reading!

Here are a few noteworthy titles that are coming out this month.

1. Bonded in Death by J.D. Robb on February 4th
2. Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman on February 4th
3. Deep End by Ali Hazelwood on February 4th
4. We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes on February 11th
5. Three Days in June by Anne Tyler on February 11th
6. Blood Ties by Jo Nesbo on February 11th
7. The Quiet LibrarianThe Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens on February 18th
8. Battle Mountain by C.J. Box on February 25th
9. Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger on February 25th
10. Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray on February 4th

Always be sure to check the GCPL Wowbrary to see new items we add to our collection each week.
Here is the link: http://www.wowbrary.org/nu.aspx?p=2137

Share down below to let us know if there is a particular author or genre you want to see in our new and upcoming reads posts.
If you're excited about a book that's coming out this month that I didn't share, feel free to share below!

It’s time for the next Monthly Reading Wrap Up! Also, the last of 2024! I met my reading goal just barely, but I made it. How’d you do with yours? This Month I Read…

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas- Alright now this series is really ramping up. This series has been hit or miss for me despite overall liking it. This one might be my favorite of the series so far though. The pacing felt a little better than most Maas books, although she still hits you at the end with 5 billion insane things. Haha. I loved getting a deeper look into more of the side characters as well, Lorcan, Elide, Manon, etc. I liked it but frankly that ending is rude when you are just gonna make us read another book that is timeline adjacent with other characters before we find out what happens next. I should have done the tandem read, lol.

A Winter Wish by Emily Stone- This was cute. It didn’t feel as much like a Christmas book as I anticipated since a majority of it didn’t take place during Christmas, but it was still a great story. The romance in this does enemies to lovers really well and was overall great. I also loved how it explored relationships in general with how Lexie’s father is viewed by other characters. The author did a good job at showing how people are complex and flawed and that there can be both good and bad without discounting others' experiences or feelings about that person. Overall a very good book.

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren- I listened to this one on audiobook. I was intrigued by the Groundhog Day-esqe plot but that ended up not being as big of a part of the story as she only reverses back 3 times (all three pretty quickly) before getting her full redo. Overall it was still a pretty cute story and romance. Although, for some reason I kept waiting for her to realize the brother she was pining after all along wasn’t her happy ending. Like I said, her and Andrew were cute, but the way it started made me suspect Theo would be the happy ending.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig- This was a really good book. I absolutely loved the writing. I was a little worried at first with the large overwhelming book of regrets Nora opens when she first reaches the library and how she starts to undo them with her lives she gets to try on. I’m personally not big on regrets or reading about others harping on theirs, so this is probably just me. However, as the book went on I realized I was way way off. Haig shows how life can be ordinary and extraordinary in so many ways at the same time and how all the good and bad and small and big things compound into a beautiful life worth living. Definitely would recommend.

What did you read this month? Be sure to share down below!

Happy Reading!