Book Review – Page 14

Book Review: “I Kissed Shara Wheeler” By Casey McQuiston

Casey McQuiston is my all time favorite author! They wrote “Red, White and Royal Blue” Which I read pretty early on in my reading journey and probably the first romance read I had ever picked up and immediately I was hooked on their writing! When “One Last Stop” came out last year I knew I had to buy it and of course I fell in love all over again with their writing and their characters. “One Last Stop” Is still one of my all time favorite books to this day. I pre ordered “I Kissed Shara Wheeler” Back in early February and I have been not so patiently waiting to get my hands on my copy! Well I got it on Monday and read the book in about two and a half days! Lets see how this book held up.

“Shame is a way of life here. It’s stocked in the vending machines, stuck like gum under the desks. Spoken in morning devotionals. She knows now that there’s a bit of it in her. It was an easy choice not to go back in the closet when she got here, but if she’d grown up here, she might never have come out at all. She might be a completely different person.”
Direct quote from the book

About The Book

Author: Case McQuiston

Publisher: ST. Martin’s Press

Published date: May 3rd, 2022

Page Count: 320 pages

Main Genres: Romance, LGBT, Young Adult

GoodReads Rating: 4.24

“While she does like boys, she generally finds the traits of a compelling villain—arrogance, malice, an angsty backstory—tedious in a man. Like, what do hot guys with long dark hair even have to be that upset about? Get a clarifying shampoo and suck it up, Kylo Ren. So your rich parents sent you to magic camp and you didn’t make any friends. Big deal.”
Direct quote from the book

Synopsis

Chloe has one thing on her mind: being Valedictorian. She is so close she could taste it! All that’s standing in her way is her rival Shara Wheeler. Shara is the most popular girl in school, not to mention the principals daughter, but Chloe lives and breathes beating Shara in all that they do. But when Shara kisses Chloe out of the blue and then vanishes, Chloe’s main goal is to find Shara so she can beat her to Valedictorian fair and square.

Chloe quickly realizes that she’s not the only one Shara kissed and ditched. There’s Smith, High school quarterback and Shara’s long term boyfriend. Then there’s Rory, the class bad boy and Shara’s next door neighbor. Together, they must work to solve cryptic clues left in some very creative places in order to find Shara and get some answers.

Along the way, new friendships are made, and old friendships are put to the ultimate test.

Rating

“She feels like the spine of a book about to crack and spill out all the love story guts.”
Direct quote from the book

Review

Possibility for light spoilers nothing you couldn’t guess by the back of the book though. Read Cautiously.

You might be thinking to yourself, “Hmm What’s with all the Taco Bell?” Well let me tell you, this book is full of a lot of Taco Bell! It only felt right to ask my local Taco Bell for as many sauce packets as I could get and I believe they gave me like 70 packets! I am not someone who eats at Taco Bell and I don’t think that before today I have ever even had one of their tacos but now I can say I have, all because of this book!

Ok, but really, lets get on to the stuff I know you all came here for. The book review!

Like I said at the beginning of this blog post, I have read all of Casey McQuiston’s books at this point and I waited with much anticipation for this one to be released however, this one is my lowest ranked book of theirs. I really loved their writing as usual but for me it really came down to the characters. So the reason this book is getting four stars rather than five is because by page 200 I was still not in love with Chloe and Shara. I was however invested in all the sub characters and their story lines. I could really use a book about Rory and Smith or even Georgia and how their lives are after high school. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but I just had a hard time really falling in love with Chloe and Shara both as individuals and them as a couple. I am not really an enemies to lovers trope person so that might be why.

What I really loved was the mystery behind every clue Shara left behind. It was a really fun and unique story line. Also every book Casey McQuiston writes is extremely LGBTQ friendly and this book especially felt like a great book for teens who felt like they were unable to come out in high school now or even 30 years after graduating. This book will be one that touches many people for the rest of their lives.

Even though the main characters weren’t for me, this was still a really cute read that I would highly recommend to everyone!

QOTD: What is your favorite fast food Mexican chain?

Book Review: “Talking As Fast As I Can” By Lauren Graham

I am a long time fan of the TV show “Gilmore Girls”. This is actually one of me and my boyfriends favorite shows! I love all the characters and I feel like it is a show you can just sit back and just laugh and forget about your day to. I am not someone who typically reads non fiction and memoirs but when I saw that this book existed I had no choice but to grab a copy and dive in!

“Because here’s the thing: I was fine on my own, and so are you. But it can be hard when you feel ready for Happy Couplehood and you seem to have missed the train.”
Direct quote from the book

About The Book

Author: Lauren Graham

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Published Date: November 29th, 2016

Page Count: 224 Pages

Main Genres: Non-Fiction, Autobiography, Memoir

GoodReads Rating: 3.95

“To me, Lorelai was equal parts Gal About Town and The Mom, plus a magical mix of smarts and humor that made her totally unique.”
Direct quote from the book

Synopsis

Lauren Graham is everything you expect her to be and more. In this memoir she breaks down her life from where she lived when she was little to her struggle to break into the world of acting all the way to the end where she is asked back for “Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life”. Unlike most memoirs I can guarantee you will be laughing and crying from the turn of a page!

“An important tool against self-doubt is just to ignore it. Forge ahead anyway. Just keep going, keep going, keep going.”
Direct quote from the book

Rating

“You know how before a party you clean up your house so that everyone thinks you live that way all the time? That’s meeting someone at an awards show.”
Direct quote from the book

Review

All I can say is that Lauren Graham is so much like Lorelai it is uncanny! You can tell that in real life she talks just as fast as she does on the show! The writing in the book was pretty fast paced just as you would have imagined.

I loved everything about this book. Especially reading what it took to get into acting and becoming the star she is now. I remember one part where she was asked to show her naked butt in a scene and she talked about how in that moment she had to decide what kind of actor she wanted to be. She could get her first big break by doing this part but is that how she really wanted to get into show business? In the end she chose to decline the part and she thanked herself later on in life. I love that even when she was about to excel in her career she wasn’t willing to damage her values.

Another part that really stood out to me was at the end of the book and I really don’t want to give too much away here but there is a part where she explains this person inside her that she calls Mrs. Jackson, she is the one who is always putting other best interest at heart such as do you really want that tattoo? Maybe think about it for a year and if you still like the idea get it then. She liked being able to say oh no that was just Mrs. Jackson talking you do whatever your heart decides.

Overall this was a book you did not want to miss and it really did talk a lot about her time on the “Gilmore Girls” set and what it was like knowing each actor and some of her favorite and even least favorite scenes. It was fun to get a background look into what it took to make the show come to life! I think if you like “Gilmore Girls” you should really read this one!

“Because who wants to Fast Forward anyway? You might miss some of the good parts.”
Direct quote from the book

QOTD: If you have seen “Gilmore Girls” who is your favorite character?

Book Review: “The Hate U Give” By Angie Thomas

This book has been listed as a banned book based on vulgar language and police brutality. It was banned in schools and when it did come back kids were required to have a permission slip signed by their parents in order to check it out from the school libraries.

I had recently joined a banned book club where we read a banned book every month and this book was picked for April and I was really excited to see why parents and school leaders were so against this book. Continue reading to see my thoughts.

“What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?”
Direct quote from the book

About The Book

Author: Angie Thomas

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Published Date: February 28th, 2017

Page Count: 454 Pages

Main Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary

GoodReads Rating: 4.50

“At an early age I learned that people make mistakes, and you have to decide if their mistakes are bigger than your love for them.”
Direct quote from book

Synopsis

Starr is a sixteen year old girl that lives in a poor neighborhood but attends school in the suburbs. Living two separate lives proves to be a big challenge but only gets worse when she witnesses her childhood friend get shot and killed by a police officer. Being the only witness to the murder, it quickly becomes Starr’s word against the officer’s.

The officer thought Kahlil had a gun: he didn’t. People believe Kahlil is a drug dealer: he had nothing on him. The officer thought Starr was a threat and kept his gun on her: she was compliant.

It is up to Starr to break the misconceptions and bring justice to her friend.

“People like us in situations like this become hashtags, but they rarely get justice. I think we all wait for that one time though, that one time when it ends right.”
Direct quote from the book

Rating

“Don’t let them put words in your mouth. God gave you a brain. You don’t need theirs.”
Direct quote from the book

Review

I knew this book was going to deep dive into the Black Lives Matter movement and I knew it was going to be an emotional and tough read; I wasn’t wrong.

My heart broke every other chapter in this book and I quickly fell in love with Starr’s brave character. I have no clue how she was strong enough to stand up for not only herself, but her friend who could no longer speak for himself. I am not sure I personally could have recovered from something this traumatic and gone on to find the same courage Starr did. I will forever remember this book and the strength real people find when coming face to face with these tragic and horrific events.

I truly believe that this is a book everyone needs to read at some point in their life. I personally can’t see why it was a banned book, but because it was banned it brought awareness to Starr’s story; a story that needs to be heard! This book really brings awareness to an issue that sadly is far too common these days and one that more people need to be educated on. It will break your heart but I promise that you won’t regret the time spent reading this amazing story.

“Your voices matter, your dreams matter, your lives matter. Be the roses that grow in the concrete.”
Direct quote from the book

QOTD: What is one of your most recommended book?

Book Review: “Lucky” By Merissa Stapley

I went to Target on Sunday just to grab some essential household items and of course I stopped in the book section because they have an amazing selection. Well, you guessed it, I found a book that’s cover was too beautiful to pass up and walked out with more than what I came for. How can you say no to a cover that looks like this? Did I even bother to read the back of the book? The answer is no you can’t pass up a beautiful book cover and no of course I didn’t read the back of the book!

“The world’s like that. What matters in one moment, it doesn’t matter the next. Things that fall apart eventually come back together again. Everything passes. You can be sure of that.”
Direct Quote From The Book

About The Book

Author: Marissa Stapley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Published Date: December 7th, 2021

Page Count: 232 Pages

Main Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Thriller

GoodReads Rating: 3.70

“No problem. People deserve second chances. And third chances. All people do is make mistakes. If we never forgave, we’d all be alone.”
Direct Quote From The Book

Synopsis

Lucky has lived a life on the run. Having a con-artist as a father, Lucky never got to experience an ordinary life, just one of crime and fake Identities. All Lucky ever wanted was a shot at some normalcy: a house, a stable job, some kids and a dog. She thought she would finally get this life when she and her boyfriend decide to settle down in Idaho. But when one last con goes horribly wrong, Lucky is found all alone and forced to stay hidden from the cops with a multi-million winning lottery ticket tucked away in her wallet. Her whole life could change, but is it worth cashing in the lottery ticket just to get caught by the cops? Or should she continue to stay on the run?

“The world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.”
Direct Quote From The Book

Rating

“The lottery is the greatest con of all time, kiddo. Proves our government is just like us, tricking people into thinking any dream can come true.”
Direct Quote From The Book

Review

This cover… Just wow!

I new the moment I saw this book, sitting on the shelf at Target, that it was going to be coming home with me. Little did I know that it would quickly rise to one of my top ten all time favorite books!

I had no clue what I was getting into when I sat down to read this one but man oh man am I so happy that I didn’t waste anytime to dive into it! I was first pulled in by the cover but quickly fell in love with Lucky and her hunger to get a grasp onto a normal life.

I will be honest, In the beginning I had an idea of where this book would end up going but this book had me guessing on ever page! This made it so hard to put down the book, I needed to know what was going to happen to Lucky and if in the end she would end up being ok!

This book swaps perspective from present day to back when she was growing up and in the end the two timelines catch up and have you basically in tears from the life this girl has had to live through. Living on the run your whole life and making no meaningful connections with anyone has to be miserable! Also the fact that you never truly had a secure home to live in, wow this girl is one tough cookie!

I highly recommend this book to everyone! You don’t have to just by it for the pretty cover, I promise you this book will leave a mark in your sole and you will fall in love with it just as I have.

QOTD: What would you do with a winning lottery ticket?

Book Review: ” The Existence of Amy” By Lana Grace Riva

I received this book directly from the author in exchange for an honest book review. When I was asked to read this book I immediately went and read other reviews to get a better idea of what I would be getting into and ultimately those reviews made me say yes to reading this book for the author! This shows the power of book reviews! Please make sure you are leaving book reviews on every place possible to help get word out for these authors. They deserve our support for their hard work.

About The Book

Author: Lana Grace Riva

Publisher: Self Published

Published Date: August 2nd, 2019

Page Count: 247 Pages

Main Genres: Mental Health, Fiction, Contemporary

GoodReads Rating: 3.91

Synopsis

Amy lives no ordinary life but this isn’t by choice. She is burdened with a really bad case of OCD and Depression that makes every day tasks nearly impossible. Amy has been missing out on many social situations because her disabilities hold her back. This causes stress between her relationships and it only gets worse because she doesn’t think her friends will understand where she is coming from or why she is always flaking out on plans. But when the opportunity to travel to Australia for work arises she takes ahold of her life and makes the trip. Can this trip help break some barriers or will they only make situations worse?

Rating

Review

I really appreciate the topics that this book discussed. OCD and Depression were mentioned in such a raw emotional way that really grabbed my attention.

I haven’t read a book that focused on OCD before and it was really interesting to learn a bit more about how the people suffering with OCD feel.

I thought the writing really put you in the shoes of the main character and I felt what she was feeling at certain times. Towards the ending I was almost in tears because of the journey Amy went through over the course of the book.

I am very happy I got the chance to read this book. It was extremally eye opening and also set outside of America and I don’t have the chance to read very many books like this. The reason why I didn’t give this book full marks is because like with most self published books their were some grammar errors but to be honest it wasn’t all that noticeable and I also think some of it could just because I am used to American English and not proper English. Over all I highly recommend this book and I hope you will all add it to your TBR lists!

Get your copy today! This is on sale, for free, on Kindle Unlimited at the time of this post or for about 12$ for a paperback copy.

Buy The Book

QOTD: Recommend me a book that talks about a disability. I would love to learn more about the struggles people face.

Book Review: “A Flicker In The Dark” By Stacy Willingham

I picked this book as my main December pick for Book Of The Month Club thinking a debut thriller sounded amazing! I haven’t read a thriller in months and I truly believe that is the reason for my big reading slump. I was so excited to deep dive into this one.

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that, in the process, he does not become a monster. If you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
Direct quote from book

About The Book

Author: Stacy Willingham

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Published Date: January 11th 2022

Page Count: 357 Pages

Main Genres: Thriller, Mystery and Fiction

GoodReads Rating: 4.06

“I think of the girls, of all the missing girls out there, and I force myself to keep walking toward the truth.”
Direct quote from book

Synopsis

Chloe Davis is the daughter of a known serial killer who kidnapped and murdered 6 teenage girls and left his family to deal with the aftermath of his decisions.

Fast forward 20 years and Chloe is now a psychologist in a happy relationship finally getting a grasp on her new life in Baton Rouge. But when two teenage girls go missing there are too many coincidences to ignore. How could her farther be murdering these girls when he is behind bars? There is only one answer, it must be a copycat killer. Chloe then takes things into her own hands to help any future girls from becoming the next victim. Can Chloe find the copycat killer before he gets ahold of another girl?

“And so we became the reason: the neglect of his wife, the taunting of his son, the budding promiscuity of his daughter. It was all too much for his fragile”
Direct quote from book

Rating

“fifteen-year-old girl taking a razor to her skin probably has something to do with feelings of inadequacy, of needing to feel physical pain to drown out the emotional pain burning inside her.”
Direct quote from book

Review

I was in need of a really good thriller/mystery read and this one hit the right spot! I was hooked on this book within the first three chapters and they are fairly short chapters so I would say that is a pretty decent timeline.

I had my suspicions of who the killer was basically from page one however I was completely wrong! I would have never of seen that ending coming which is why I really love this book. There was a lot of great twists and turns in this book and it really made the book interesting.

This book also focused a little bit on drug addiction and the way it can affect your everyday life. I felt like this was very important to the plot and just an interesting story line that I didn’t see coming. This is an important topic and this book made me want to learn more about how addiction can negatively affect your life.

I highly recommend this quick and easy read! Especially if you like a book that catches you by surprise.

QOTD: What is your favorite Thriller and/or Mystery book?