Category: Book Lists

Book Lists, Challenge

Out of My Comfort Zone Reading

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You guys know that even though it wasn’t one of my explicit goals, for the last few years I’ve also had a goal of stepping outside my comfort zone. I like nonfiction books (true crime, especially, as well as memoirs) and mystery/thriller books and those are the genres I tend to gravitate toward always. But I always try to take some time (at least once a month or so) to step outside of my bubble and try to explore new genres, so today I thought I’d talk about some of those books today. So let’s jump right into the novels that got me out of my comfort zone.

Getting hired as the co-lead of NASA’s BLINK project should be the highlight of Dr. Bee Königswasser’s career. Until she realizes she’s co-lead with the one engineer who just so happens to be her arch nemesis: Levi Ward.

I picked this one up because I liked The Love Hypothesis and wanted to see what else Hazelwood could do. And it wasn’t bad. If you liked The Love Hypothesis, you’ll probably like this one, but to be honest, this was basically the same story if Olive had more of a backbone in the first book. Dr. Königswasser is seriously just a more vocal Olive, which was fine. But the rest of the plot played out the same way, so it was a bit of a disappointment. So I didn’t hate the book, I just wanted a little shaking things up.

Bree Camden has been in the friend-zone with her star quarterback best friend Nathan Donelson for years. But after a misunderstanding that ends in Bree signing a contract agreeing to publicly (fake) date him until after the super bowl, Bree isn’t sure she can continue being just friends.

This one is another romance (actually all three are today) but it was definitely my least favorite. It read very much like a low grade read. Like romance for middle schoolers, which I’m not saying is a bad thing. It’s just not my thing. So this one kind of solidified my dislike of romance, but I know there are some good ones out there. I just have to keep looking.

A fake dating story where the couple, Harriet and Wyn can’t admit to their break up and break their family’s hearts. I wanted to like this one. No, wait, I wanted to love this one, because I like a good fake dating story and I like a good summer story. And I really want to like Henry, but I just don’t. She’s so popular and I did really like Beach Read, but Henry is just not my favorite. This story read like all her others and I’m not saying she’s a bad writer. On the contrary, she has a following for a reason, but it’s just not my sort of thing. The characters were flat, the MC was way too self-absorbed, and I just had a hard time really getting into the story. So I can understand why people love it, I just don’t.

What books have you read out of your comfort zone recently? What are your thoughts on the books that have pushed me outside of my bubble? Let me know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow my blog for more genre discussions.

Happy reading,

-kj

Book Lists

Did I Read That (Books I Forgot I Read)

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With all my successes reading this year, I’ve also fallen into some books that left very little impression on me. I’ll be honest, I’m kind of bad about forgetting books that I’ve read, especially if they bored me in any way. So sometimes I’ll see a cover and hear a premise and thing hmm, that sounds familiar, and it’ll be a while before I realize that it’s because I’ve actually read the book. I don’t know if that’s a common thing or not, but I thought it would be interesting to talk about some of those books that I’ve read, but just don’t really remember reading (since I don’t usually talk about them anyway). Let’s jump right in:

Meren must remain hidden and act as a body double for her sister. But when her sister’s life is threatened as she’s about the ascend the throne and Meren is kidnapped before she has a chance to help, Meren finds herself falling in love at the worst time possible. When I first read this book, I thought it would be a good fantasy, which I was very much looking for. I was even willing to overlook the overwhelming romance element, because the first fifty or so pages were captivating. But the exposition was about all I remember, because by the end of this, I was so ready for it to be over. It just was very much not for me. I did not like it. I should’ve put it down but I kept waiting for the interest to take off. It was so boring that now I can hardly remember what happened, I just remember not liking it.

When her father is murdered, Rossana Lacertosa will do whatever it takes to take down the saints and their disciples in the city of Ombrazia. With a murderer stalking the citizens, the Saints don’t care until a disciple becomes a victim. Now it’s up to Roz and Damian Venturi (the youngest captain in the history of Palazzo) to discover the dark and unholy secrets of the city before time runs out. Another fantasy that I so wanted to love. But sadly, I just didn’t. The style didn’t stand out to me. The plot didn’t develop and progress the way I was expecting. A sad case where the synopsis was so promising that I just lost interest in the plot for moving too slowly.

When a fake spiritualist is asked to hold a séance for a dead bride, the line between real and fantasy starts to blur. Another one that I thought sounded awesome, I was bored of this book from the jump. It’s marketed as an older fantasy, but it reads like a YA fantasy, which you guys know isn’t my thing. I honestly can’t even tell you what the main character’s name was. It was a really, really cool idea, I just did not like the execution.

When three couples rent a luxury cabin for a weekend getaway, they don’t realize that this trip is to die for. This one might be because it was the first book I read this year, but I honestly don’t remember much about this one. I remember I was excited to read it, I remember it was very much in the vein of people like Ruth Ware and Mary Cubica, but that’s about it. I don’t even remember if I liked it, if it bored me, if it was just alright. So it was just nothing special to me, sadly.

Does anyone else have this problem, where you read a book and a few months, or weeks, (or even days) and then you just can’t remember it? What books were they? Or, if you’ve read any of the ones I’ve mentioned, what were your thoughts. Let me know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow my blog for more reading discussions.

Happy reading,

-kj

With all my successes reading this year, I’ve also fallen into some books that left very little impression on me. I’ll be honest, I’m kind of bad about forgetting books that I’ve read, especially if they bored me in any way. So sometimes I’ll see a cover and hear a premise and thing hmm, that sounds familiar, and it’ll be a while before I realize that it’s because I’ve actually read the book. I don’t know if that’s a common thing or not, but I thought it would be interesting to talk about some of those books that I’ve read, but just don’t really remember reading (since I don’t usually talk about them anyway). Let’s jump right in:

  • The Liar’s Crown by Abigail Owen

Meren must remain hidden and act as a body double for her sister. But when her sister’s life is threatened as she’s about the ascend the throne and Meren is kidnapped before she has a chance to help, Meren finds herself falling in love at the worst time possible. When I first read this book, I thought it would be a good fantasy, which I was very much looking for. I was even willing to overlook the overwhelming romance element, because the first fifty or so pages were captivating. But the exposition was about all I remember, because by the end of this, I was so ready for it to be over. It just was very much not for me. I did not like it. I should’ve put it down but I kept waiting for the interest to take off. It was so boring that now I can hardly remember what happened, I just remember not liking it.

  • Seven Faceless Saints by M.K. Lobb

When her father is murdered, Rossana Lacertosa will do whatever it takes to take down the saints and their disciples in the city of Ombrazia. With a murderer stalking the citizens, the Saints don’t care until a disciple becomes a victim. Now it’s up to Roz and Damian Venturi (the youngest captain in the history of Palazzo) to discover the dark and unholy secrets of the city before time runs out. Another fantasy that I so wanted to love. But sadly, I just didn’t. The style didn’t stand out to me. The plot didn’t develop and progress the way I was expecting. A sad case where the synopsis was so promising that I just lost interest in the plot for moving too slowly.

  • A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers

When a fake spiritualist is asked to hold a séance for a dead bride, the line between real and fantasy starts to blur. Another one that I thought sounded awesome, I was bored of this book from the jump. It’s marketed as an older fantasy, but it reads like a YA fantasy, which you guys know isn’t my thing. I honestly can’t even tell you what the main character’s name was. It was a really, really cool idea, I just did not like the execution.

  • Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger

When three couples rent a luxury cabin for a weekend getaway, they don’t realize that this trip is to die for. This one might be because it was the first book I read this year, but I honestly don’t remember much about this one. I remember I was excited to read it, I remember it was very much in the vein of people like Ruth Ware and Mary Cubica, but that’s about it. I don’t even remember if I liked it, if it bored me, if it was just alright. So it was just nothing special to me, sadly.

Does anyone else have this problem, where you read a book and a few months, or weeks, (or even days) and then you just can’t remember it? What books were they? Or, if you’ve read any of the ones I’ve mentioned, what were your thoughts. Let me know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow my blog for more reading discussions.

Happy reading,

-kj

Book Lists, To Be Read

Summer TBR

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With a few more weeks left on my summer, I’ve been looking for some great books that will help me beat the heat and I think I’ve found them. My TBR, is still incredibly long, but as you know, I love discussing books that excite me, so that’s what I thought we’d talk about today. So without further ado, let’s jump into my summer TBR:

None of the people at Fire Island would consider themselves to be good, necessarily, but could one of them actually be a murderer? First of all, I loved the idea of this being on an island. I love a good beach/ island setting in a summer read, because it’s like taking a vacation right on my couch. Add in some mystery in the confines of a contemporary thriller and it sounds like a recipe for something I’ll greatly enjoy!

William Wooler thinks his life is about to be derailed by his affair that just ended horribly. Then he returns home to find his nine-year-old daughter is missing in a town that is supposed to be safe. Now he realizes he’s not the only one hiding things. Another domestic thriller (I’ve been on a little bit of a kick lately if you couldn’t tell), this one does feel a little more domestic compared to what I’m used to. As a Megan Miranda fan, I’m used to the MCs not having a family at all, but it’s very much a genre that still interests me. Plus, I like that it has several moving parts right in the synopsis which is very promising!

Lenora Hope hung her sister with a rope in 1929. Now its 1983 and Lenora’s new nurse, Kit is trying to help her write about the events that led to the Hope family massacre. And the story is even more twisted than the school yard chants make it out to be. It’s kind of the cool thing now to not like Riley Sager, I think, and his books are hit or miss for me. But the hits (Survive the Night and The Last Time I Lied for me) still stand out as really good mysteries, so I’m excited to read this latest offering. The cold case element has me intrigued, so I’m definitely excited to see how I feel about this one!

A true crime story about Daniel H. Burnham, who was responsible for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair’s construction and H.H. Homes, a serial killer masquerading as a doctor. I have a friend who loves anything Erik Larson and he said that while this isn’t his favorite Larson novel, it’s definitely a good one. It’s a longer book (450 pages), but I’ve been looking for more great nonfiction since reading Unbroken, so I’m definitely excited to pick it up and get lost for a little while in what I think will be a very fascinating story.

What books are you excited to read this summer? Have you read any of the ones on my TBR? Do you have thoughts about them? Let me know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow my blog for more TBR talks.

Happy reading

-kj

Book Lists

Lowest Rated Books on My TBR

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I know I did a spring cleaning of my TBR last month, and I thought I might revisit that idea today. We’ve been talking about the goods and the bads on my book shelves this month, so what better way to end May than by looking at my TBR going into summer and talking about some books that others haven’t enjoyed. Maybe it will either inspire me to let go of some of the things on my TBR (which is already way longer than I’ll be able to read in my life) or maybe it’ll make me curious enough to pick some of these up sooner. Either way, it’ll be fun, so let’s jump right in:

Maya’s best friend dropped dead in high school. Now, with only a vague memory of the death, Maya is determined to find out exactly what happened seven years ago.

This one has an average 3.22 star rating and it sounds interesting to me. So I’m wondering if it’s an issue with writing styles or if it’s a really weak plot? Sometimes the summary of a book and what is promised is not at all what is delivered. So what do you guys think? Should I take the plunge on this one?

A record breaking blizzard causes a cancelled layover that results in Mira hitching a ride with a group of college kids. Except, only one person in the cars knows there’s a plot for this ride to end disastrously.

I latched on to this book, because I saw that others were recommending it after reading Ruth Ware. And I’m kind of on the fence about Ware, so I’m not really sure how I’ll feel about this one. But doesn’t that plot sound so intriguing? Like, hitchhiking AND murder AND a roadtrip. There’s a lot that could be done with this one!

In this story, Piper Sullivan is trying to uncover the truth about her sister’s hiking accident. Although it was ruled a suicide, she thinks there’s much more to the story.

This one has been on my TBR for a while and I’ve kind of lost interest in it, to be honest. It has an average rating of 3.47 stars and I don’t know. Like, it sounds engaging enough, but I’m just not sure it’s something I want to invest time in anymore. Has anyone else read it? Can anyone give me guidance one whether or not its worth it?

A whodunit murder mystery with a massive twist, eighty-five-year-old Miriam Gardiner’s family has gathered for what they believe will be the matriarch’s last Christmas. But when Miriam walks onto the frozen river behind her home no one can know if it was her dementia or a plot by someone in her family to make sure it’s her last Christmas.

I feel really bad, because I talked about this in my 2023 TBR post, but it’s been out for a few months and it is not highly rated. Still, I really like the premise, so I’m not sure I’m ready to give up on it yet. Maybe it just hasn’t gained the right kind of traction yet? It sounds really cool. I might have to give it a try sooner rather than later to see if my thoughts match up with others.

Artist Clair Hunter is set to marry Jack Compton at the villa owned by the wealthy Compton family. But it seems that their wedding party is full of dark secrets.

Another book that’s been on my TBR for a long time, I’m not sure how I feel about this one anymore either. Part of it seems interesting with the whole wedding party thing, but I’ve read a lot of books in the last few years about murderous wedding parties, and I haven’t particularly enjoyed any of them. Who knows, maybe this one is the exception?

What books on your TBR aren’t very well rated? Have you read any of these? Do you have advice for me on whether or not I should pick them up? Let me know in the comments below. Also be sure to follow my blog for a new fun theme next month! I had a great time with all the craziness this month and I can’t wait to roll out even more fun posts!

Happy reading,

-kj

Book Lists

Books More People Should Read

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As I was digging through my shelves for last week’s post I kept coming across books I thought about putting on the list of books no one talks about. But then I realized I had so many I needed two posts. So I pulled out all my favorite books people have been sleeping on and here they are. This week we’re going to show them some love. Let’s jump right in:

Twenty-two years ago Naomi Shaw survived seventeen stab wounds and her testimony alongside her best friends’, Cassidy and Olivia, put away a serial killer wanted for murdering six women. But when he dies behind bars, a podcast creator starts digging into the case and Naomi starts to wonder if their story might have been a lie and they might have accused the wrong person.

I’ve actually talked about this book before, but I really enjoyed it. In every way it read like your run-of-the-mill mystery, but for some reason it had me hooked. I wasn’t the biggest fan of all the brooding done by the main character, and I guessed the ending really early, but I still enjoyed it, which should speak to this book’s entertainment value, right? It was a good one that I really liked!

Kay Donovan reinvented herself when she was sent to private school. But when a girl’s body is found in the lake, Kay can’t stop herself from going on a wild computer-coded scavenger hunt to unravel the girl’s death.

I read this one a while ago, but it was a good YA mystery in my opinion. For some reason I like books set at boarding schools (which this one is), because they have such an interesting community. This one was a good mystery with interesting characters and a cool atmosphere. I was surprised it didn’t take off when Karen McManus got big and put YA mystery back on the map. Maybe it’ll start showing up somewhere!

Beatrice Hartley used to be a cool kid, until her boyfriend, Jim dies and no one knows what truly happened to him. Then, one night, when she goes out with her old friends one last time, Beatrice finds herself in a car accident that sends her into Neverworld Wake. Now she has to solve the mystery of Jim’s death and make the hardest decision of her life of find herself stuck forever.

I got so excited the other day, because I saw a student reading this book. And the friend that had recommended it to her was in the same class and we had a nice conversation about it. I read it so long ago that I didn’t remember much about it but I remember liking the atmosphere and being pretty engaged in the story. And my students said the same thing, so I bet more people would like it too! Someone else needs to read this book!

Sunnybrook doesn’t have any more cheerleaders since all the deaths. Monica’s sister was the last one to die, and now, five years later, although she desperately wants to forget everything that happened, she finds herself uncovering new evidence that could help her explain what truly happened during those dark days in Sunnybrook.

This book reintroduced me to YA mystery a few years back and I remember I really, really liked it. I read it in no time, because I just couldn’t put it down. It was filled with enough mystery, enough tension, enough drama to make this a great YA mystery offering. Plus, I remember there was a twist at the end that did surprise me a little, and you guys know nothing surprises me in books anymore, so that was an obvious plus in my book!

When Anna Cicconi takes a job as a nanny in the Hamptons she never imagines she’ll start having visions of a girl who disappeared on New Year’s Eve, and she certainly didn’t think she would be confessing to Zoe Spanos’ murder until she finds herself sitting in juvenile detention trying to remember exactly what happened that night. Luckily for Anna, Martina—Zoe’s little sister’s best friend—is determined to uncover the truth, and truth be told, she doesn’t believe Anna’s guilty.

I know I’ve talked about this one before and I’ve recommended it to students over and over. I love the fragmented narrative, I love the mystery, I like the characters and the whole plot. Another book I couldn’t put down, this was a wild ride of a read and my students have agreed with me about it so far!

What books do you wish more people were talking about? Let me know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow my blog for more madness in May. We have one more surprise post!

Happy reading,

-kj

Book Lists

Books No One Talks About

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For the last two posts I’ve been thinking about books that get a lot of attention and usually it’s because they’re at extremes of the spectrum. They’re either super popular because everyone loves them, or they’re so popular because everyone hates them. So for today’s post, I wanted to dig through my shelves and just find some books that no one is talking about at all! And I found a couple I wanted to speak on for various reasons, so let’s jump right in:

The end of year scavenger hunt is a legendary rite of passage for seniors at Oyster Point and Mary is determined to be the winner. She thought her last year of high school would be perfect and her dreams of Georgetown would come true, but none of that happened, so she has one chance to seek redemption for herself.

I’m sorry, I just think this is a really cute YA novel. It’s light hearted, its entertaining. I really enjoyed it and I think over teen readers would too, especially since I feel like so many popular books are so heavy. This one is super light, super fun. It’s a nice pallet cleanser after so much darkness and I think more people should appreciate it.

Here months ago, Lena Nguyen’s twin sister committed suicide in Montana. But none of it makes sense to Lena, so she sets out to find the truth behind this twisted death.

I can’t remember where I even found this book, which got me thinking about how no one talks about it. Seriously, I don’t know anyone else who has read it. And I didn’t love it, but I could see others (especially people who are new to mystery/thrillers) loving this one. I was just surprised it never gained any real momentum and doesn’t seem to show up anywhere!

When their annual backpacking trip ends in murder…again…Emily starts to question what is truth and what is a fabricated fantasy as she begins to believe her best friend Kristen has secrets she’ll do anything to keep. This should be the time when the two lean on each other more than ever, but when Emily returns home, she slowly starts to unravel Kristen’s dark and hidden past only to find the woman she once thought of as a sister is almost a total stranger.

Okay, I’ll admit, this book was everywhere the month it came out, then it was like it was never there are all (see what I did there!?). It was a perfectly fine and psychological thrillers were really having a moment the last half of 2022, so I really thought this one would hang around a little longer. Another book I didn’t absolutely love, I still thought it was a decent mystery. I’m surprised more people weren’t interested. You can read my full thoughts in my review of this book here.

Reece has always dreamed of working on the popular cooking show Friends of Flavor, and when it finally happens she gets more than she bargained for, including her own series with the other intern Benny. The only problem is, they’re both competing to earn the same fall job.

Another book I picked up because I heard it was going to be the next big romance (which Icebreaker actually did become), I despised this book. Another one star read for me, but I’m still surprised it didn’t get popular. Again, I saw it for about a week right when it came out, then no one was talking about it. It had that kind of cheesy writing that seems to do well in the romance market, but apparently not for this one. I’m not mad no one is talking about it, honestly, but I am a little surprised.

Between her love of mathematics and her battles with anxiety, Evie Beckham has never really had time—or the want—for dating. However, when Evie meets a cute, mathematically gifted transfer student, her best friend Caleb finds himself reeling at not being Evie’s first choice.

This book was a rare thing for me: a romance I didn’t mind. And after the popularity of the STEMinist novels of Ali Hazelwood, I thought the whole STEMinist genre would take off, but it hasn’t. Hazelwood still seems to have the monopoly on the market, but I thought this was a good one. I was surprised more people didn’t pick it up!

What books have you read that no one else seems to be talking about? Have you read any of the ones I’ve mentioned? Let me know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow my blog to read more about books I want more people to talk about next week.

Happy reading,

-kj

Book Lists

Lowest Rated Books I’ve Read

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While I was writing my last post, I had to look at some pretty highly rated books I’ve read to narrow down my list of the popular ones that I just didn’t like. And in doing so, I got curious about the other end of the list, which leads me to today’s post. I thought it would be kind of fun to look at some of the lowest rated books I’ve read, because even though it seems like it might be another book bashing post, I was actually surprised at what I found. To show you what I mean, let’s just dive right in:

As a senior in high school, Micah Wilkes boyfriend was convicted of murdering her best friend. Now, ten years later, she starts to question everything she thought she knew about her friend’s death.

The lowest rated book on my shelf, with an average rating of 3.14 stars, is a book that I actually really enjoyed. I gave this one 4 stars, because I loved how the book was a mixture of narrative, chat forums, and different writing styles that just kept the story flowing in different ways. To me it was engaging, and I especially love that by the end, you’re not quite sure who’s crazy. So, I actually liked this one. Maybe I need to go read some criticism to see what I missed. Or I can just be blissfully ignorant?

When Natalie’s boyfriend dies, her parents take her and three friends on a cruise for her seventeenth birthday. Then she meets a guy on the first night and things start getting strange. When he disappears, Natalie’s not sure of what to think or who she can trust.

This one almost hurt my feelings to see its average rating at 3.29 stars. I loved this book when I read it, and I read it before it even came out (I got an advanced copy from a friend who went to an NCTE conference). I liked the style, I liked the characters, I liked the plot. And I had a ton of students that year who really liked the book too, so I’m wondering how I’d feel about it if I picked it up again 5 (or was it 6) years later? Have you guys read this book recently? Is there something I’m missing, because I thought it was a great YA story.

A classic, this frame story follows Charlie Marlow as he recounts his adventure to his new crew on board an anchored ship.

Okay, this one I get. I don’t mind Heart of Darkness, but I can image lots of Lit students being forced to read this for class and absolutely hating it. It does drag and it does have a rather difficult structure to follow. It’s one of those classics that I just accept is a class, then ignore unless I’m putting together an AP Lit suggested reading list (seriously, this one fits pretty much every FRQ Q3, so I can’t help it!)

Iris Oxtabee loves science, but she’s not so good with love. Still, when she sees the opportunity to turn getting asked to prom into a science experiment, she can’t pass it up.

I read this book a little while ago and I honestly could not tell you what happens in it at all. I just remember I thought it was a cute little story that I didn’t mind at all. So I can’t tell you if I agree with its relatively low rating or not. I mean, I know it had about an average of 3.5 stars, and I think I gave it 3 stars. Ann LaBar books haven’t taken off like I thought they might, but it was fine. I guess it was an average book, so I can see the average rating.

Patricia Cornwell thinks she knows who Jack the Ripper truly is and she expresses her ideas, her evidence, and her conclusions in this nonfiction novel.

I had a friend recommend this book for an AP Lang reading list and I tried it out (because true crime, sure. Let’s teach it!) I did not like this book. I thought it was lacking in so many ways (including the construction of Cornwell’s argument). Obviously I didn’t choose this for my AP Lang kiddos. As someone who is interested in old cold cases like this, I just didn’t find this book to be satisfactory in satiating my hunger for a well-constructed thesis.

What low rated books have you guys read and what were your thoughts on them? Do you have the same opinions as me on these books? Let me know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow my blog for more madness in May. Who knows what we’ll talk about next!

Happy reading,

-kj

Book Lists, Reading Fun

Popular Books That Weren’t for Me (Part 2)

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Welcome to May, everyone! Last month was so fun getting back into book reviews, but this month I thought I’d do some more lists. We’re coming into summer, so I know a lot of people are compiling some TBRs for their beach reads, their vacation reads, and whatnot. And you know I love a good theme, but this month, I thought it would be fun to do a mixed up May, where I talk about all kinds of books (good and bad!) Let’s start off with a continuation of a post I did a while ago (check out part one here), where I talk about popular books that weren’t for me. It was fun to write about my feelings for these books, because you know I like to talk through my thoughts!

As always, I’ll give my usual disclaimer: just because I didn’t like these books doesn’t make them bad and it doesn’t mean the author is untalented in any way. They just simply weren’t for me! So with that being said, let’s dive right into my unpopular opinions:

Bree Camden has been in the friend-zone with her star quarterback best friend Nathan Donelson for years. But after a misunderstanding that ends in Bree signing a contract agreeing to publicly (fake) date him until after the super bowl, Bree isn’t sure she can continue being just friends.

You guys know I don’t really love romance, but it’s a huge genre, so I at least try to read some of the popular ones. And boy was this one popular for a few months at the end of last year going into this year. I read it back in January, when it was still growing strong, but the love for this one seems to have faded. It now has an average rating of 3.75 stars and I think I know why. It’s a romance, but it’s written in a very juvenile style. The main character is supposed to be somewhere in her mid to late twenties (if I remember right) and she read like a 15/16 year old. Which, to be fair, I think was the market for this book. So it wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t for me.  

After killing a wolf in the woods, a faerie comes to collect the debt Feyre owes for her murder. Now she’s being forced to live in Tamlin’s Spring Court. Slowly he transforms from hostile to friendly and soon Feyre learns she might be the only one that can stop the ancient shadow that is threatening Tamilin’s entire world.

I didn’t like or dislike this book actually. I was pretty ambivalent about the whole experience. It was just another run of the mill YA fantasy in my opinion. It has such a huge cult following (and a 4.20 star averagerating!) that I expected it to be revolutionary or something, but it just wasn’t. Like, it was fine, but that’s all. I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series unless my students keep begging me to (which is why I picked it up this time).

Solange Pereira was just supposed to help her wedding planner cousin on a random couple’s big day when she accidentally ruins the entire event. Now the would-be-groom needs a pretend girlfriend to impress at his job just as badly as she needs a pretend boyfriend to impress her family.

Another one of my attempts to keep up with the hot romance reads, this one was just too much for me. It felt like it was going on and on and on and the love story just wasn’t working for me. And there’s a lot of smut, which is fine if you like smut, but I just got tired of it. It’s such a long book and once I’d pushed through so much of it (I tend to like the fake dating trope, which this one is), I figured I might as well finished. I was glad when it ended. I can see where romance lovers would love it, but it’s not my cup of tea, thanks.

When Piper Bellinger’s out-of-control rooftop party causes her stepfather to cut her off, the famous wild child influencer is forced to move to Westport and assume responsibility for her late father’s dive bar. There she finds herself in the midst of a tight knit community and as the center of sea captain Brendan’s attention. She’s determined to prove herself to everyone—and suddenly that includes Brendan too.

Tessa Bailey has been taking the romance market by storm with her last few books, so I figured I better pick on up and see what all the fuss was about. Can I tell you, I just did not care for this. It was insta-love and lots of smut, two things that aren’t really what keep me entertained. I guess I appreciated that the main character was supposed to be a rich, spoiled girl, which helped when she ended up sounded like a 15/16 year old again, but overall, I just didn’t care much for the story (which was a lot of smut). It’s fine if you love that stuff, but I just don’t. Sorry.

Anastasia Allen has her sights set on the USA Olympic figure skating team when suddenly her college’s ice rinks are combined and she’s forced to share practice time with Maple Hill’s hockey team, including their dreamy captain Nathan Hawkins.

I read this book right around the time when it came out, because I’d seen a couple people talking about how it was going to be the next smash hit. And with an average rating of 4.11 stars, I guess they were right, because this book has been skyrocketing. Unfortunately, I did not like this book at all, whatsoever. I gave it one star (which is rare of me, I try to find SOME redeeming qualities in a book to rate it higher) because I just did not like the characters, the style, the story anything. Obviously I’m in the extreme minority, but I really don’t care. I did not like this book. It made my 2022 miss list and that’s about all I care to say about it anymore.

What popular books are you guys not into? Let me know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow my blog for more mixed up May posts. You never know what might come next!

Happy reading,

-kj

Book Lists

Spring Reading Suggestions

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Although I love the warmth that spring brings, in my area of the world the weather is super inconsistent. One day it’s seventy and sunny, the next it snows and there’s a windchill in the teens. And then it rains and is so gray outside for a week. So with that in mind, I thought it would be a fun time to do some spring reading suggestions! I know when the weather gets crazy out I love the excuse to curl up with a book. Plus, this is a great chance to talk about some books I haven’t discussed in a while (or maybe never!), so let’s jump right in:

If you want a good mystery

A journalist investigating a string of vanishing in Cutter’s Pass uncovers some dark secrets in a tourist town known for its tight knit community. This was my second Megan Miranda read. I enjoyed All the Missing Girls so much that I immediately jumped into it. Miranda uses a lot of the same concepts and character building in both, which is both good and bad. If you’ve read a Miranda book, you’ll be able to fall into this one quickly and easily and if you liked her, that’s a great thing. If not, I think All the Missing Girls was better, BUT this one was still really interesting.

A mystery thriller set in Alaska where a stranded detective tries to solve a murder. Apparently I have a thing for books set in small, close knit communities, huh? Anyway, this is a new release this year (that I talked about in my 2023 TBR) and I quite enjoyed it. It’s your run of the mill thriller with all the necessary twists and turns. It has the perspective of a teenage girl, a detective, and a woman who could hold all the answers. I was originally intrigued by the Alaska, closed in setting and it was definitely a cool way of doing the usual mansion murder mystery. A nice new spin on an old trope, but I did enjoy this one.

Twenty-two years ago Naomi Shaw survived seventeen stab wounds and her testimony alongside her best friends’, Cassidy and Olivia, put away a serial killer wanted for murdering six women. But when he dies behind bars, a podcast creator starts digging into the case and Naomi starts to wonder if their story might have been a lie and they might have accused the wrong person. This book had me turning pages, because I just really liked the way it developed. Even though I called two of the major twists from the gate, I still really liked the way everything unfolded. Marshall does a great job piecing this mystery together and it’s got a lot of really cool cold case feelings.

If you want to fall desperately in love

This book is about a girl who has met a boy online that she’s falling for, but when she moves to his California surfing town to be with her father, she struggles deciding whether or not to meet up with him in person. However, her decision is made infuriating not only by her fear, but by the fact that there’s a hot security guard at the museum that she eventually discovers is her online crush. I read this one last summer and talked about it in my summer romance reads but it’s totally worth another mention. To me, it was cute and light hearted and easy. It was exactly what I wanted in a romance. Plus it would be great for a rainy day so you can dream of summer!

Augustus Everette and January Andrews both write novels of very different genres. When they both find themselves in ruts, they strike a deal: they’ll both help the other write in their genres, because how could it go wrong? Everyone finishes a book and no one fall in love, right? Another one from my summer romance suggestions his one is by far my favorite Emily Henry book (though I haven’t read Book Lovers yet and I’m still not sure I’m going to, we’ll just have to wait and see). I did not care at all for People We Meet on Vacation and I think most people agree that this one is better anyway. It’s fun, it’s pretty light hearted. It’s summery. It was a nice, easy read.

Getting hired as the co-lead of NASA’s BLINK project should be the highlight of Dr. Bee Königswasser’s career. Until she realizes she’s co-lead with the one engineer who just so happens to be her arch nemesis: Levi Ward. This is the last book I read and I picked it up because I did really like The Love Hypothesis (which was my first jump into the romance genre last year). It wasn’t bad. I didn’t hate it. But if you read The Love Hypothesis, it’s very formulaic. Hazelwood reuses a lot of themes and ideas and imagery and plot devices in here. So if you loved it the first time, you’ll probably like this one too.

If you want a true story

In this memoir from the detective who found The Golden State Killer through endless persistence and the belief in new technology to solve cold cases, Paul Holes tells the tale of how he helped bring down one of the United States most hideous, frightening serial killers in recent history. Woven with tales from his personal life, Holes shares how develops in criminology changed over his remarkable career and explores several other infamous cases he helped solve. This one was so fascinating. If you love true crime and all the documentaries, this is totally one you need to pick up! You can read my full review here.

This is Shoalts’ story of his unprecedented solo adventure across northern Canada. He left in the spring with the intention of making it all the way across by himself (nearly 2,485 miles, or 4,000 kilometers) before winter. You guys know I love a good adventure memoir (this was even on my adventure story TBR a few years ago) and this was everything I wanted. Plus, this one is about breaking a world record too, which is amazing! I love all the descriptions of nature and all the interesting tidbits I learned about boating and the Canadian wilderness. Wonderful story!

Campbell sets out to uncover the secrets of the death industry. From funeral home directors to morticians, from embalmers to crisis response teams, Campbell gives an in-depth look into what happens after death. I talked about this book in my post about the highest rated books on my TBR and I can see why. This was one of the most fascinating books I’ve read in quite a while. Maybe it’s a little strange and a lot morbid to be so interested in these things, especially coming from a western culture where death is so incredibly taboo, but it was both eye opening and thought provoking to get a glimpse into some of these careers. If you’re at all interested in what happens to a body after death, this is a seriously interesting read.

What books are you excited to read on these spring rainy days? Have you read any of the ones I’ve suggested? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below! Also, be sure to follow my blog for more spring suggestions.

Happy reading,

-kj

Book Lists

Highly Rated Books I Don’t Plan to Read

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I’m still one of those people who loves Goodreads (I know people are starting to go to other book tracking and reading statistic tracking sites now), so I’m familiar with its really hit or miss suggestion system. Mostly, I know I get so many misses because I have such all over the place tastes and I spent all last year really pushing myself to read outside my favorite genres. And that led to some really, really interesting suggestions. But I also find myself perusing the popular shelves and lists a lot, so I thought it might be interesting to write about books I see frequenting those lists that I have no interest in reading (even if everyone else seems to be loving them). Let’s just jump in and see where this conversation takes us, shall we?

Lowen Ashleigh is on the brink of financial ruin when the husband of author Verity Crawford hires her to finish writing his wife’s successful book series. However, when Lowen finds the manuscripts of her autobiography, she’s confronted with horrific admissions of what really happened the day Verity’s daughter died. Don’t get me wrong, this sounds like just the kind of thing that I should love, but let’s be honest here. I disliked the other Colleen Hoover book I read so much that I’m really not into this one. It’s nothing against her or against people who love her books, it’s seriously just a style thing, and I’ve heard that even though the content of this turns out nothing like her other novels, it’s written a lot in the same style. And if I don’t like the style of a novel I just don’t see myself really giving this one a fair chance at enjoyment. Sorry.

A Greek mythology retelling of the legendary Achilles and his love for his dearest friend, Patroclus. This book has been huge for a while now, and I have so many students who adore it, but I’ve been told it’s more of a love story than anything. And if I’m going to read historical fiction—especially historical fiction steeped in Greek Mythology—I want there to be some history and some mythology. Apparently this one takes a lot of liberties and basically just uses the character’s names and general idea. I don’t know. The classic Achilles story is one I love because of how into it my students would get when I taught The Iliad and The Odyssey, so I’m just not sure I’d really love this one. Plus, I’ve heard it’s really slow, and with this slump, I can’t afford to read a slow book.

When Jude’s parents are murdered she and her two sisters are stolen away to live in High Court of Faerie where their lives are miserable under the rule of the cruel prince and wicked High King. Jude must learn trickery and courage as she attempts to save her own life and her sisters. I’m going to level with you guys. I did start reading this one (I talked about it in my post on popular books I’m afraid of a few years ago). And I literally got maybe three pages in before I had to stop. There was something about the style that I absolutely could not stand. Seriously, I was struggling from the first paragraph and finally had to just walk away. So many people like this, and I’m not saying I think Black is a bad writer (I’d have to actually read more than 1,000 words to really know), but it was not for me. This is one of the few books that I’ve picked up multiple times and just cannot even make it through five pages. Sorry, it’s just not my thing at all, and I’m done trying to force it.

A book about a library between life and death where the books show you how your life might have been if you had made different choices. Another book that sounds like it should be appealing to me. And even now, I’m questioning putting it on this list, but I just really don’t see myself ever actually picking this one up. I can’t honestly remember what was such a big turn off to me about it anyway, but I just know at some point I decided this book was not intriguing and even though I see it everywhere, I just look away. Obviously so many people love it, but I’ve heard it’s another slow one, it’s one that you have to read it at just the right time, and I just don’t have time for books like that right now. And when I do, there will probably be others that are more interesting to me that have come along, so I just don’t see myself getting lost in this one.

The sequel to the extremely popular It Ends With Us, this is the story of Lily and Atlas’ love as they struggle to build a life that Lily’s ex-husband doesn’t approve of. I feel like I’ve been mean enough to Colleen Hoover, so I won’t say much on this one. Plus, it should be pretty obvious: I did not enjoy the first book, so why read the sequel. I will say, this one is getting huge with my students now, so I appreciate that Hoover’s giving them some reason and some excitement for reading!

What popular books are you just not interested in reading at all and why? Or, if you’ve read some of these and you really, really think I need to check them out too, let me know in the comments. Also, be sure to follow my blog for more book love.

Happy reading,

-kj