I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: I’m Glad My Mom Died
Author: Jeanette McCurdy
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Actors, Celebrity, Memoirs, Mental health
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

I’m not going to lie, this was an incredibly difficult book to read. Where I normally tend to just dive into a book of this quality and get really stuck into it, I definitely had to stop and start this one quite a few times. A lot of what McCurdy writes about it really hard to stomach. And heartbreaking. And difficult. But it was also written with a sense of humour and humility that left me smiling and wanting more, more, more.

There would have been so many nuances throughout McCurdy’s life and experiences that she could have written about. But, as the title indicates, this story really focuses on her mother and the lasting impressions that she has left upon her daughter. Where it would be easy to just write this with anger and hurt (I mean, the woman did a number on her), McCurdy is able to write with humour and love. The realism of the fact that you can both hate and love a person. That you can be aware of their bullshit, but also still want their approval. McCurdy was able to indicate this complex mix of emotions beautifully.

I think what I found the most confronting about this story was the amount of love that is there. It is so easy to be angry and hateful. It is hard to heal when you are stuck in that negative. I can’t imagine having the strength of personality and kindness to not be angry and hateful to be completely frank. I mean, there is a whole lot of other stuff throughout this to be angry at too. But in particular, the relationship with family and the different influences that have been around since childhood – it was hard.

I’ve never had an eating disorder, but I know plenty who have. And, more than that, I completely understand the work and difficulties that come with overcoming your mental health nonsense. The fact that McCurdy has been able to do this is honestly inspiring. The fact that she is able to be open about her struggles even more so. I absolutely loved this memoir and it is definitely one I would probably enjoy reading again in the future.

<- Twelve PatientsBlack Saturday ->

Image source: Amazon

Lilac Lane by Sherryl Woods

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Lilac Lane
Author: Sherryl Woods
Series: Chesapeake Shores #14
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Year: 2017

Thoughts

This was a really nice, sweet and peaceful ending to the Chesapeake Shores series. Honestly, I did get to a bit of a point with the last few books that I started losing interest. Which is why it took me a little while to finish off this series. Not because the books weren’t still enjoyable. But it’s a romance series that features the O’Briens, and it started to have people so distantly connected to them that you started to lose sight of the main family…

Having said that, this is still a romance filled with the O’Briens and their meddling ways. Which, of course is seriously enjoyable and kind of hilarious. I mean, it’s literally a whole family (four generations) of meddling matchmakers. They might have everyone’s best interests at heart, but man are the manipulations and things that they push for kind of intense. It’s fun to read about and made me laugh. But kind of the exact thing that would drive me up the bloody wall.

This is a really easy read, again, I found myself very connected to the O’Briens, and although Kiera is distantly related to them, I just wasn’t as invested in her happily ever after moment. In fact, it was when the father-daughter relationship between Deanne and Bryan started to come to light that I got more invested in this story. I liked the romance. But it was most definitely the parent-child relationship which drove my need to finish this novel.

Admittedly, I thought that Kiera was going to be a much tougher battle to find her happily ever after. And I was expecting a whole lot more fireworks. On the one hand, I like that she wasn’t and that happily ever after was so easily achieved. On the other, it was just so not what I was expecting. And I really enjoy feisty women who like to fight and get in their own damn way!!!

For as much as this was probably my least favourite Chesapeake Shores book, it was a nice way to round out the series. You can see that everyone in the adult generations is content and have found their happily ever after. And you don’t necessarily feel like you need anything more in this. Everyone has come full circle and you can cheerily wave goodbye to the happy, sleepy town.

<- Willow Brook RoadMore Sherryl Woods ->

Image source: HarperCollins Australia

Flesh for Comfort by Melissa Marr

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Faery Tales and Nightmares

Title: Flesh for Comfort
Author: Melissa Marr
In: Faery Tales & Nightmares (Melissa Marr)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Horror
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2012

Thoughts

This is kind of a horrifying short story. I mean, it’s a great reminder of the depths that people will strive to to try and look beautiful. To be what they perceive is the best way to escape whatever it is that they are escaping. But it is also seriously horrifying. I mean, it’s Marr and fae-like creatures offering a deal… you know from the very beginning that there’s going to be a pretty giant catch.

Marr has always written the type of fae books that I enjoy – ones that show you no good can ever come from making a deal with these beings. And that to always tread lightly in such a circumstance. It definitely makes me wary of accepting any kind of deal without knowing all of the ins and outs.

The lead character in this tale will do everything she possibly can to escape her small town and unwelcome situation. She is willing to do literally anything. And, even after making the deal from hell, she is willing to go back and make that deal again and again… definitely a disturbing short story.

<- The Art of WaitingThe Sleeping Girl and the Summer King ->

Image source: HarperCollins Publishers

The Setup by Rachel Van Dyken

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: The Setup
Author: Rachel van Dyken
Series: Bro-Code #4
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2019

Thoughts

This was a very easy, sweet and quick read. It isn’t actually the first book in the series, which I don’t generally like to start so late into a series. But it was in my Dating the Boss book box on my kobo… so I figured why not? Although it gives hints as to the relationships that have come before, it is completely easily read all on its own.

I mean, you know from the title, and the way that this story starts that this whole relationship is going to be part of a set up. But the journey to get there is still really fun. There’s nothing wrong with having a totally predictable story line, if it’s well written and still a fun journey. And this is definitely the case in this story. Just too damn gorgeous.

It was a bit of a change having a virgin for a male lead. It seems to be a bit of a trope in romances that the girl is the less experienced one. So I kind of liked that this was turned on its head a bit. But, it really wasn’t a big plot line. More so a moment of character understanding and development. An understanding as to just why Finn is who he is and some of his wonderful history. Again, I seriously enjoyed how Van Dyken was able to so seamlessly include this in her characterisation.

Jillian has so much damn lovely sass. And as anyone who reads my reviews knows, I love a lead female with a whole lot of sass. I really enjoyed her. And the way she was able to consistently hold her own. Even when she maybe should actually watch her mouth a little. Completely adorable and wonderful. Finn is a great counterpoint to this. He’s a bit of a fool, but all round a good guy. And that’s ultimately the important part of having good leads – they’re flawed, but still loveable.

<- Avoiding TemptationMore Rachel van Dyken ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Art of Waiting by Melissa Marr

Book Review, ,
Overview
Faery Tales and Nightmares

Title: The Art of Waiting
Author: Melissa Marr
In: Faery Tales & Nightmares (Melissa Marr)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: HarperCollins
Year: 2012

Thoughts

This is an incredibly short story – under ten pages. But, like all of Marr’s work, it is quite dark and that darkness isn’t sugar coated. Which, of course, is why I love her writing. The whole story is a little bit haunting and you feel like this quiet little village is hiding something. It’s not until the end that you start to realise how dark this little village actually is.

I love that the father makes all of his decisions with his daughter’s best interests at heart. From settling in a small village, to waiting and waiting. But, eventually, he gets tired of waiting and shows a little impatience. Impatience that has… not the best consequences for one of the characters. But made me smile anyway.

This short story definitely didn’t finish the way I anticipated. And it was surprising the way it ended. A story that I look forward to rereading in the future.

<- Stopping TimeFlesh for Comfort ->

Image source: HarperCollins Publishers

A Royal Affair by V.E. Schwab

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
A Universe of Wishes: A We Need Diverse Books Anthology by Dhonielle Clayton

Title: A Royal Affair
Author: V.E. Schwab
Series: Shades of Magic #0.5
In: A Universe of Wishes (Dhonielle Clayton)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Medieval fantasy, Young adult
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Crown
Year: 2020

Thoughts

I’ve heard heaps about the Shades of Magic series, and it’s even been on my wishlist for a while. But I just haven’t gotten around to actually digging into it. Which, of course, made this a great short story and teaser to make me want to dig into this series, and author (since I’ve never read anything by Schwab before). A Darker Shade of Magic is definitely another book that is now sitting on top of my TBR.

Even though you know that there isn’t going to be a happy ending at the end of this story – there’s just a not-happy tone to the whole tale, it’s still a great read. And honestly, the ending was actually a whole lot sadder than what I was anticipating. It also made me ridiculously mad at Alucard’s family. I mean, wow, I’ve read some horrible families. But I think that this one actually took the cake. It physically hurt my heart in some moments to read about how horrifyingly they treat their own kin.

Although it was Alucard that I really felt the connection to (because it’s all told from his point of view), Rhy was still an intriguing and wonderful character. I honestly can’t get the image of gold dust out of my mind, even a day or so after reading this story. There is something about him and the naïve hope that was about that makes me want to find out that this couple gets a good ending…

<- LiberiaThe Takeback Tango ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Crown of Ptolemy by Rick Riordan

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Overview

Title: The Crown of Ptolemy
Author: Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson and the Kane Chronicles Crossover #3, Camp Half-Blood Chronicles #8
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Egyptian mythology, Greek mythology, Mythology, Young adult
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2015

Thoughts

This was a nice way to end the Demigods and Magicians trilogy. It was a fun and kind of epic battle. A quick read. Something that I just found all around enjoyable. Plus, a quick read, which sometimes I just need to keep my brain firing happily.

I like that although this was a good, kind of epic battle, it still wasn’t intense and insane. It was just the perfect level of intensity to suit the length and tone of these novellas that I’ve been reading.

I love the voice of Percy Jackson, I always have in Riordan’s writing. The fact that he refers to the villain as a Elvis impersonator was just brilliant. It also somehow helps to diminish the scariness of the villains in Riordan’s writing that could otherwise be really scary.

<- The Staff of SerapisThe Lost Hero ->

amazon.com.au/Crown-Ptolemy-Demigods-Magicians-Book-ebook/dp/B00RUSH6SO

Dare to Touch by Carly Phillips

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Dare to Touch
Author: Carly Phillips
Series: Dare to Love #3
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2015

Thoughts

I like that in Dare to Desire, there were hints about the beginnings of a relationship between Olivia and Dylan. However, unlike some romances, I wasn’t immediately invested in the idea of them. And, even after reading their novel, I still wasn’t quite invested in their relationship. I mean, I really hoped for their happily ever after. And I was invested enough that I wanted to finish the rest of their tale, but I also didn’t feel the need to greedily gobble up every word.

Olivia’s background is kind of sad as its slowly revealed. At the beginning of this story, you kind of think that she’s a bit of an ice queen and it’s a little bit difficult to understand just why. But, as the truth unfolds, you do begin to understand her behaviour a bit better. What I liked more about her history though is the fact that Dylan completely calls her out on her behaviour. I mean, yeah, she has a pretty sad back story. But basing all of her decisions on the fears of a teenager and hiding in on herself for something that happened a long time ago? Definitely needed to be called on that.

Marcus “Big”’s story is kind of annoying to read. Because he is so obviously being taken for a ride. And you know that it is going to end in some kind of dangerous altercation. But it’s also understandable – I mean, my goodness its hard to believe that some people are that naïve, but I’ve also met people who are like that, so its frustratingly real. You also know that it’s going to end badly for everyone involved. And that it will put Olivia in some kind of danger. Danger that then makes her face up to the ways in which she is running scared.

Whilst this wasn’t’ my favourite ever contemporary romance, it was a good and enjoyable one. and, although I wasn’t necessarily heavily invested into this, I still read it cover to cover. A perfect way to distract myself and fly away in storyland for an hour or two.

<- Dare to DesireDare to Hold ->

Image source: Kobo

Baby, It’s Cold Outside by Kait Nolan

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Author: Kait Nolan
Series: Rescue My Heart #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Small town romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2018

Thoughts

I read Snowed in With the Ranger before digging into this, but rather than being a prologue, there was a whole lot of overlap. In fact, the first three chapters were just a shortened and slightly different version of the entirety of Snowed in With the Ranger. Which made the start of this a little bit difficult to read. And confusing. But, still enjoyable.

All in all, this was a cute and light romance. And now I want to read more about the world of the Misfit Inn. I mean, it seems like such a picturesque location to travel to. And I always love a good small town romance. There’s just something too cute about being in a small town, with slightly meddling, but well-meaning individuals being around. I look forward to spending some more time delving into this sweet and cute little world.

I did enjoy how this romance resolved itself a little bit differently to what I expected. Instead of them reconnecting shortly after the bit that separates them, it is resolved months afterwards. It was enjoyable to have a storyline that doesn’t just resolve instantly. After all, this was a bit of an insta-love story (which I’m not always a fan of), but I like that it wasn’t an instant fix.

Lastly, it’s good fun that both of the characters in this are writers with writers block. And that they’ve realised that they need balance and a personal life to truly be able to be creative in their professional lives. It’s a good reminder that we all need a little balance in our lives to fulfill our dreams.

<- Snowed in With the RangerWhat I Like About You ->

Image source: Amazon

Snowed in with the Ranger by Kait Nolan

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Snowed in with the Ranger
Author: Kait Nolan
Series: Rescue My Heart #0.5
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Small town romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2019

Thoughts

This is a nice, short novella to start of the Rescue My Heart series. Nothing overly tenuous to read, just easy and enjoyable. It’s also a nice introduction to the couple that are about to take centre stage in Baby, It’s Cold Outside. Admittedly, there is a whole lot of overlap between the two stories, but I did enjoy how this novella fleshes out the beginning and motivations of the primary characters in the technical first story in the series.

I love that this is a story about a novelist trying to escape their deadlines, and an ex-military man trying to escape his memories. I think that the novelist procrastination may be partly based on real experiences. Although I may just be projecting with that theory. However, I know what it’s like to just want to run away and escape from your responsibilities, get a reset on life, and honestly, I think that this is kind of a bit of dream scenario… right up until Ivy almost drives herself off of a mountain.

I was expecting there to be a much more stereotypical novelist and ex-military man. It was a pleasant surprise that this just wasn’t the case for either character. I like that Nolan did take some of the stereotypes you kind of expect (and honestly, I’m reading a romance because of the simplicity of stereotypes), but then turn them into more relatable people. In fact, for someone who is fleeing his demons, the ex-military man is actually incredibly welcoming and accommodating. Likewise, Ivy might be a writer, but she writes about serial killers and has a profiler background – again, not quite the character that you would be expecting.

Against all of this romance and fun of two characters stuck in isolation together, is a great setting. There is something that always strikes me as so romantic about being in an isolated cabin in the snow. Probably because it’s not a situation I’ve ever found myself in. Or honestly ever will. But a great backdrop to a fun story beginning.

<- More Kait NolanBaby, It’s Cold Outside ->

Image source: Kait Nolan