"An extraordinary friendship, a lifetime of stories" - this part of the blurb definitely sums up the heart of The One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot by Marianne Cronin. A heartwarming read about life, loss, and friendship. I listened to the audiobook (narrated by Sheila Reid & Rebecca Benson) and highly recommend this format! I felt like the narrators added another layer to the story and personally adored the Scottish accents. Beautifully narrated! Lenni is a 17-year-old patient living at the Glasgow Royal Princess Hospital due to her terminal illness. She befriends 83-year-old Margot (a patient waiting for heart surgery) and ... Read More
Verity, by Colleen Hoover
So I know I'm the last person on Earth to dive into this book, but it was finally time to see what all the hype was about. Verity, by Colleen Hoover is the single most recommended book I've ever been told to read. I've got a few thoughts about this one, so here I am. Truth. I went into this one blind. I didn't read the blurb, I didn't know what it was about. I just knew that everyone kept telling me to read it. I had no idea Verity was a person, lol. If you're like me and haven't read it either, I'd suggest going in blind as well. I honestly don't think I'd want to know anything about this one going into it...kind of adds to the ... Read More
Meet Me in the Margins, by Melissa Ferguson
If charming book-ish reads are your jam, then Meet Me in the Margins, by Melissa Ferguson might just be what you've been looking for. Savannah Cade is a low-level editor at a high brow publishing company. Pennington Publishing specializes in prestigious nonfiction literature where commercial fiction is a big NO! But Savannah has a secret. She's writing her very own romance novel (the horror!) under a pen name. She mistakenly leaves her manuscript in the publishing house's book nook where a mystery editor leaves her notes in the margins of her story. At first taken aback by the audacity of her undercover reviser, Savannah starts to ... Read More
Saving Noah, by Lucinda Berry
What would you do if your child committed a crime? That's the question explored in Saving Noah, by Lucinda Berry. A short book that reads as though it was ripped from the headlines. Noah Coates is a picture perfect 16-year-old. Straight A student, all star swimmer, bright future...until he shares a secret with his mom that destroys his faultless facade. Noah shamefully admits he's molested two 6-year-old girls and life for the Coates family is never the same again. Noah is convicted and sentenced to an 18-month stay at a juvenile therapeutic rehab facility (can sex offenders really be rehabilitated?) while his family falls apart in ... Read More
Hidden Pictures, by Jason Rekulak
What a WILD ride this was! Hidden Pictures, by Jason Rekulak is one of those out there kind of mystery stories, but such a fun read nonetheless. Mallory is a recovering drug addict who's hired as a nanny for an affluent family, the Maxwells, in a New Jersey suburb. She develops a great relationship with Teddy, the 5-year-old boy she cares for. While she loves everything about her gig as a nanny, Mallory becomes increasingly worried about Teddy and the disturbing pictures he draws. His artwork depicts unnerving imagery inspired by his relationship with "Anya", his imaginary friend. Mallory believes that Teddy's drawings are related to ... Read More
Pack Up the Moon, by Kristan Higgins
Consider me a hopeless romantic. I didn't really think I was, but this book proved me wrong. Pack up the Moon, by Kristan Higgins is the kind of story you want to read when you really want to FEEL all the feels. If you need a good cry, look no further than the pages in this book. Lauren and Josh are married & madly in love. They dream of living a long life together until they receive devastating news that will cut those dreams short. Lauren has IPF...a terminal disease. Her prognosis leaves her with 3-5 years left to live. Lauren spends every day after her diagnosis living what's left of her life to the fullest until IPF calls ... Read More
One True Loves, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Another emotional rollercoaster kind of read by TJR I just couldn't put down. One True Loves touched all the right places for me and I'm convinced Ms. Reid can do no wrong. Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse, and the newlywed couple move from the east to west coast to start a new life free from the expectations of their families and friends. Life in California is full of adventure and spontaneity for Jesse and Emma until their one year wedding anniversary. Jesse is presumed dead after a tragic helicopter crash over the Pacific. Emma moves back to her hometown to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart and learn ... Read More
This Time Tomorrow, by Emma Straub
If you're ready to travel back in time to 1996, pick up a copy of This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub. Such an unexpectedly delightful read! I love a story that incorporates magical realism & when time travel is involved, consider me sold. Alice Stern is about to celebrate her 40th and contemplating life as one does on the precipice of a milestone birthday. Her dad's health is failing and she knows she could lose him at any time & Alice wonders if she could have done anything different in the past to change his current situation. Alice visits her favorite little bar on her birthday, drunkenly stumbles out returning to her ... Read More
May 2022 Reading Wrap-Up
May was so good to me. So good in fact that I wanted to devour everything I could! I was able to squeeze in 10 books this month thanks to a couple of audiobooks, a lot of time in my car, and a few really quick and easy reads. So let's just dive right in, shall we?! Here's a quick wrap-up of each book I read in May (click on the links for a more detailed review of each book). The most uncomfortable, truly disturbing book I read this month was Tampa by Alissa Nutting. I don't even know how to classify this one. So incredibly graphic and sexually explicit and while you might not think that sounds awful, when those scenes involve an ... Read More
Jar of Hearts, by Jennifer Hillier
Several of my friends have been telling me to read anything written by Jennifer Hillier and I don't know why I waited so long. Jar of Hearts was just the thrilling ride I needed. I read this one in a day and a half and didn't want it to end! This crime based thriller had me lost in its pages. Geo, Angela, and Kai are best high school friends until one night Angela goes missing and it changes Geo and Kai forever. 14 years later, Angela's remains are found. Geo is sentenced to 5 years in prison for her role in Angela's murder and her high school boyfriend, Calvin James, is found guilty as well. Right before Geo is released from prison, ... Read More
