Reading with Esmée

Writers & Lovers

by Lily King

This book sat on my shelf for a while, waiting to be read. I’m really glad I finally got around to reading. The story of a young woman torn between two lovers, whilst conflicted in her writing, it was a fun read. There were a lot of characters to keep up with, so I didn’t fully manage to get invested into this story. But it was still highly enjoyable.

✰✰✰✰

Lie With Me

by Philippe Besson (Translation Molly Ringwald)

Complete in vulnerability, desire, and the heartbreak that comes with a first love, Lie with me is an instant favorite. Translated from the French by Molly Ringwald, though a short book, it’s thought-provoking and pulled at my heartstrings.

✰✰✰✰✰

I’m Glad My Mom Died

by Jennette McCurdy

I grew up watching iCarly and it was handsdown one of my favorite shows. To read about McCurdy’s harrowing journey despite all of that success, was eye-opening. The way she writes is so moving and heartbreaking, yet funny. I think her decision to step away from acting was a good decision, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

✰✰✰✰✰

Ugly Love

by Colleen Hoover

[Disclaimer: Please don’t read this review if you liked this book or like the author]

If I could go back in time and not read this book, I would. Never in my life have I wanted to chuck a book across the room, hated all characters who made an appearance, and wished I could undo my decision to pick this up. I had seen the TikTok trends around Hoover’s books, but I never got around to it. Until my friend was curious to read about it, so up it went the TBR pile. That was mistake number one. Mistake number two was thinking this would be a good book. To me, there is no sympathetic feel for these characters and what they’re going through whatsoever, the plot was a shitshow, and this is just a dumpster fire. I’m sorry I don’t have any nice words to say.

✰

Nothing to See Here

by Kevin Wilson

This was a delight to read! I can’t say there’s much of an actual plot, but just a wholesome little book about fire children, and I loved every second of it.

✰✰✰✰✰

How to Excavate a Heart

by Jake Maia Arlow

I saw this all over the internet and so it moved itself right up my TBR. This is a solid rom-com, set around Christmas time. I really enjoyed diving into this world even for a moment. While I value the representation of Jewish main characters so much (diversity in general), I couldn’t find myself really connecting to either main character. Nevertheless, it was wonderful, and ah the DOG!

✰✰✰

I Was Born for This

by Alice Oseman

It’s been a while since I read YA and man, Oseman really knows how to make you care about these characters instantly. I loved that we got two POVs in this story, and while it had a lot of quirky moments, it also dealt with great themes such as anxiety, displaying it in such a raw way that made you fall for these characters even harder.

✰✰✰✰✰

Sweet Bean Paste

by Durian Sukegawa

A lovely little book that warmed my heart. I’m starting to grow fond of these Japanese authors with the simplicity of the translation, yet altogether incredibly moving.

✰✰✰

The It Girl

by Ruth Ware

It goes without saying that Ruth Ware has become an auto-buy author of mine, i.e. I ready anything she publishes. Going into this one, I actually knew very little about the plot, but like always, I had been anticipating a new book by Ruth Ware for a while. She usually knocks it out of the park for me, but this one I had trouble getting through. The dark academia vibe was definitely there, but I felt a little unsatisfied by the ending. Classic Ruth Ware with creating the setting and characters, but a little flat in execution because the twists weren’t as shocking somehow? But it goes without saying that I’ll be first in line when her next novel comes out in the summer of 2023!

✰✰✰✰

Season of the Monster

by AJ Humphreys

Well-paced, unsettling, and left me craving for more. SOTM was a highly enjoyable, thrilling read. The writing style is easy to get into, and the story likewise. It sucks you into this world which doesn't seem that far off from reality. The gore sometimes reminded of Nick Cutter. Characters are somewhat two dimensional but I believe that it's because this is only part one, so they'll have plenty of room to grow into the fully fleshed out characters I know Humphreys can accomplish. Looking forward to the next! 3.5

✰✰✰

I Kissed Shara Wheeler

by Casey McQuiston

Oh, how I had been waiting for this one to be released after I finished ‘One Last Stop’, which I absolutely adored. I have very mixed feelings about this one though. Whenever authors switch to a new genre, it’s either a hit or miss. This one felt like it was dangling in the middle a bit, not entirely sure which direction it wanted to go. I’ve come to learn after OLS that McQuiston has a flair for mysteries and found family. ‘I Kissed Shara Wheeler’ is certainly no exception. It felt like a fresh take on John Green’s ‘Paper Towns’, and while I enjoyed it, I wasn’t fully invested in this story and its characters. The ending, while contenting my heart, felt rather rushed. Like the author needed to tie the last few loose strings together. Surely, this story gives a light to queers in religious communities, and having read this won’t stop me from picking up McQuiston’s next, but this just wasn’t quite it for me.

✰✰✰

Luster

by Raven Leilani

I.. missed the mark on this one. Don’t get me wrong, the writing is impeccable. But, the story? I didn’t feel like much was happening, kind of a similar feel as to when I read ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine’. It just didn’t really grab me as it did for others.

✰✰✰

Convenience Store Woman

by Sayaka Murata

This was a joy to read. A woman, completely content with her job, though it may not seem like much to society. This book really taught me that the little things in life is where you will find pure happiness. It was light, yet emotional. I will definitely be on the lookout for her next work.

✰✰✰✰

Ik Ga Leven

by Lale Gül

Disclaimer: This is a Dutch nonfiction, therefore to fully grasp the message behind this book, the Dutch language is a must as I don’t know if there’s a translated version.

Oh, the controversy this book sparked in the Netherlands. The bravery of the author is something I will applaud, it’s not every day one decides to question their religion. I didn’t grow up religious, so I can’t speak to much of that, but I will say that when I read reviews of this book afterwards, I unfortunately have to agree. This book needed more editing. Parts of it felt like it was filling pages instead of offering perspective. I couldn’t connect with the writing style, sometimes similar to prose, other times it felt out of place and inappropiate. It was however an interesting insight into the author’s life and her religion.

✰✰

Amalia

by Claudia de Breij

Disclaimer: This is a Dutch nonfiction, therefore to fully grasp the message behind this book, the Dutch language is a must as I don’t know if there’s a translated version.

When I first heard about this, I was curious. Long had I wanted to know more about the princess, but when the realization came that the book was less than 200 pages, I feared it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. Unfortunately, to me, it felt like a transcript of a long interview. There were insights of her life sure, but there was no depth. No deep dive into her childhood or her future. The intent was good, the execution is something left to be desired.

✰✰

Malibu Rising

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The sibling dynamic, the stories, the way I related to the MC (main character) in a way I haven’t ever experienced. It’s TJR, people. How could you not love it?

✰✰✰✰✰

De Geur van een Moeder

by Lucia van den Brink

Disclaimer: This is a Dutch novel, therefore to fully grasp the message behind this book, the Dutch language is a must as I don’t know if there’s a translated version.

I had been anticipating this book since the author’s debut had come out. The content of the book is harrowing, the words left an imprint on my heart. Though difficult to read at times, it’s a vital addition to society.

✰✰✰✰✰

The Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini

Ah, a book that people called a classic. It’s me, I’m people. For the time that this book was published in, I think its writing is vivid and an absolute gem. The story of twelve-year-old Amir moved me because of the way his relationships are described, but other than that, I couldn’t really connect to the environment. I felt the pain, but I couldn’t connect to Afghanistan and all of its horrors. The last scene bumped this up to four stars because that was absolutely beautiful.

✰✰✰✰

Shuggie Bain

By Douglas Stuart

A beautiful and harrowing story about a young boy caring for his mother as she struggles through the path of alcoholism. The emotion ran deep, the way Stuart approached this really felt like he went through it himself (which he did), and overall I liked the story. It was really difficult to get through, but last scene bumped it up to four stars for me. It took me a while to get through the first third, after which I thought I would DNF, but I persevered and I’m glad I did because this story is so beautifully raw and perfectly encapsulates the relationship between a struggling mother and her son.

✰✰✰✰

De Val van Thomas G.

By Nelleke Noordervliet

Disclaimer: This is a Dutch novel, therefore to fully grasp the message behind this book, the Dutch language is a must as I don’t know if there’s a translated version.

A story about the death of a man, and all that he left behind with sharp political edges. I really liked this one! Noordervliet’s writing is impressive, and I didn’t feel like there was a single dull moment. There were a lot of perspectives to read from, and even this didn’t feel confusing. I had a good time.

✰✰✰✰

Beautiful Boy

By David Sheff

A beautiful, harrowing story about a father dealing with his son’s addiction, and remaining hopeful through it all. Yes, I admit it, I watched the movie a long time before I picked up the book. I gave it some thought, and yes, the book is better than the movie. There’s just so much more room for the father’s emotions and thoughts, events that shaped their family. I absolutely loved this book, although hard to read at times, it was an incredible journey.

✰✰✰✰✰

De Hemel Is Altijd Paars

By Sholeh Rezazadeh

Disclaimer: This is a Dutch novel, therefore to fully grasp the message behind this book, the Dutch language is a must as I don’t know if there’s a translated version.

This was a beautiful, small and mostly poetic story about a woman who learns what it means to love in the modern day, in a different country. The interlinkages between cultures and how this author was able to carefully construct the sentences in such meaningful ways, is what made this book great. As a debut, I think this promises a very exciting career.

✰✰✰✰

Circe

By Madeline Miller

Miller is a true talent. Her writing is chefs kiss* and her take on Greek mythology is so interesting. But this story took a while to take off and some parts just felt like info-dumping instead of being part of telling the tale. Nevertheless, truly a beautiful way to end my reading year.

✰✰✰✰

Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World

By Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Ah, you know what they say, sequels are usually not as good as the original. I’ve seen reviews right after I gave my rating and I definitely agree that Ari’s character development was phenomenal. Dante kind of fell into the background which was a shame, but overall, I enjoyed the story and the ending made up for it.

✰✰✰✰✰

Billy Summers

By Stephen King

I was super excited when I first heard about this concept after loving The Institute last year. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by this story. The first third is exciting, but everything after the hit felt a little flat. It took me a while to get through, but overall, the ending I liked and that’s what pushed the rating from 3 to 4 stars. Hopeful that the next King suits me better.

✰✰✰✰

Know My Name

by Chanel Miller

Powerful. Massive respect for Miller for reliving these difficult moments and putting it into the beautiful, lyrical writing that is present throughout this book. I will remember this story for the rest of my life.

✰✰✰✰✰

De Bananengeneratie

By Pete Wu

Disclaimer: This is a Dutch novel, therefore to fully grasp the message behind this book, the Dutch language is a must as I don’t know if there’s a translated version.

I have never been able to relate more to a book than this one. It’s about leading a double life as a Chinese-Dutch citizen. It feels sometimes like you’re getting best of both worlds, but also not quite fitting in with either. I also interviewed the author after I read the book for a school assignment, and that was absolutely wonderful.

✰✰✰✰✰

Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians

By Brandon Sanderson

I’ve had this book lying around so long that the pages turned yellow, but I was eager to pick something up by Brandon Sanderson. This one was entertaining, but I don’t feel like picking up the next in the series. I liked the characters and it was a fast-paced, light book to get through. Who knows, I might pick up something else by Sanderson.

✰✰✰✰

The House in the Cerulean Sea

By TJ Klune

I’m normally not one for fantasy, but this was absolute perfection. It doesn’t feel like the typical fantasy I’ve read before and the magic is executed perfectly. Not to mention the representation — ugh. This is an immediate favorite for the year!

✰✰✰✰✰

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires

By Grady Hendrix

When I first stumbled upon this book as part of Goodreads’ upcoming releases list, I fell in love with the cover. The book, not so much. It was so interesting reading from a housewife’s perspective, and it was highly entertaining, but it took me so long to finish which is why my rating is a little lower than I expected when I started. Also, the twist wasn’t that great in my opinion, so yeah…. not great but perhaps I’ll read more of Hendrix in the future.

✰✰✰

Hard Land

By Benedict Wells

Disclaimer: This is a Dutch novel, therefore to fully grasp the message behind this book, the Dutch language is a must as I don’t know if there’s a translated version.

As part of my local bookstore, I bought this book and I really enjoyed it. The whole concept of first summer love is a little cliche in my opinion, but Benedict Wells put a likeable spin on it and I will be reading more of his in the future.

✰✰✰✰

The Deep

By Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, Jonathan Snipes

Normally, I’m not one for fantasy, but this was a great little book! I listened to this on audio together with the physical copy and the multiple voices really allowed for a full experience.

✰✰✰✰

Game Changer

By Neal Shusterman

Yeah…. I missed the mark on this one. After having loved Scythe, I was excited to see this and immediately bought it at my local bookstore. Unfortunately, I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, and although I appreciate the author for taking on important topics that trouble our world today, this wasn’t it for me.

✰✰

One Last Stop

By Casey McQuiston

After having loved Red, White & Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston delivered with another banger! This filled me with such warmth, love and happiness as the story surrounds 23-year-old August who moves to New York City and ends up meeting Jane - beautiful, charming, impossible Jane. McQuiston excelled in portraying found family and the representation bled off the page. I’m truly blown away.

✰✰✰✰✰

Who I Was With Her

By Nita Tyndall

Although I was super curious as to how the author would play this concept out, I found it to be deeply underwhelming. The beginning was filled with emotion when the main character Corinne first finds out that Maggie is dead, but after that, everything felt bland. The grief didn’t feel quite worked out, I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and the romance was unnecessary. It completely drew away from Corinne and Maggie’s relationship, plus it made it even harder to like Corinne as she is supposedly grieving, but also moves on pretty quickly, not even two weeks after Maggie’s death. Kudos to the author though for including representation for bi and ace because it’s super important.

✰✰

A Promised Land

By Barack Obama

I’m typically not one for non-fiction and despite this taking me six months to finish, I enjoyed it nonetheless. It was filled with beautiful insights about his presidency and the difficult decisions he had to make as well as what went down prior to his eight years in the White House. This was however a lot more political than his wife’s book ‘Becoming’ which could be a reason why it took me so long. The book is the first volume in a two-book series and I’m looking forward to the next.

✰✰✰✰✰

On the Come Up

By Angie Thomas

I really liked this story about a teenage girl with a dream to become a rapper like her dad. I liked the family dynamic and you could really tell the main character’s goal throughout the story. It deals with some heavy problems like police violence and racism which are still important to keep in today’s discourse. My only remark is that it was long and so I had to really push myself through the last third of the book. Overall though, I recommend it!

✰✰✰✰

The Kiss Quotient

By Helen Hoang

The representation, the HEAT, the romance - Oh, this was everything!!!!

✰✰✰✰✰

Clap When You Land

By Elizabeth Acevedo

I LOVE Elizabeth Acevedo. Her way with words, her stories (even in poetry form like this one), the emotion — it’s phenomenal. I didn’t like this one as much as the others , but it’s still a five-star for me because it’s Elizabeth Acevedo. This story about sisterhood was really enjoyable, although I would have liked to see the sisters interact a little more, the grief and overall emotion in this book was fantastically done.

✰✰✰✰✰

Heartstopper: Volume 4

By Alice Oseman

I’ve been reading this series for a while and finally, volume 4 was published. It was everything and more. I love Nick and Charlie, their relationship is just so cute. The focus in this volume did lay mostly in Charlie’s mental health which I didn’t mind, but it did make the story feel a little heavier than usual although more realistic. The way Nick cared so much and figured out how to be there for Charlie was amazing. I can’t wait for the final volume!

✰✰✰✰✰

Zuurstofschuld

By Toine Heijmans

Disclaimer: This is a Dutch novel, therefore to fully grasp the message behind this book, the Dutch language is a must as I don’t know if there’s a translated version.

I read this book because I participated in a bookclub event hosted by my local bookstore. The concept sounded really interesting: two friends chase their love and dream of climbing mountains. Unfortunately, as a whole, this book was disappointing for me. Although I really liked the writing, the focus wasn’t so much on the friendship of the two main characters, rather on past heroes in climbing. That, combined with the technical talk about the equipment one uses when climbing, I felt a little unsatisfied. I had to really push myself through the last forty pages which was a shame because I think this could have been something really great.

✰✰✰

Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating

By Christina Lauren

I previously read ‘Autoboyography’ from this same author and enjoyed that one very much. Round 2 was not as successful. Although I did enjoy the story, I think this story could have benefited from a bigger and better build-up to the romance. It felt a little too easy becoming instant friends with someone you haven’t seen since college, but I enjoyed the premise - going on failed blind dates and wondering if you’re actually better for each other than someone else. I liked the characters, perhaps a little stereotypical and with not enough flaws, but that’s personal, so it may not apply to you as a reader (didn’t take away from the reading experience!). All in all, this is quick, it’s fun and I had a good time.

✰✰✰

My Dark Vanessa

By Kate Elizabeth Russell

It’s difficult for me to put into words what exactly this book did for me. For one, it took me forever to get through it and I think it’s because of the material that is discussed which is sexual assault - a relationship between a student and teacher. The writing itself was beautiful and the switches between past and present were well done, but having to take this in small doses due to the heavy topic, I couldn’t give this a full five stars. The story didn’t evoke that special something inside me emotion-wise, so it won’t go on the all-time favorites list, but I do recommend it because it is really good.

✰✰✰✰

Socrates op Sneakers: Filosofische gids voor het stellen van goede vragen

By Elke Wiss

Disclaimer: A Dutch non-fiction which means that to fully grasp the message behind this book, the Dutch language is a must as I don’t know if there’s a translated version :)

So, my thoughts: I quite liked this one! I’m a big philosophy fan, so when I saw a book review on Instagram about this one, I picked it up immediately. This is all about how we can improve on asking good questions because most of the time we don’t. I enjoyed the first 2/3 of this more than the last 1/3, but overall highly recommend to learn more about how to change your attitude towards asking questions and in doing so, creating more meaningful conversations.

✰✰✰✰

The Guest List

By Lucy Foley

The premise of this story is promising, a wedding party on a remote island and one of them doesn’t survive. But unfortunately, this book was mostly confusing. Keeping up with the different timelines and different POVs was more trouble than I’d thought it would be. The build up wasn’t particularly exciting or thrilling, so it didn’t keep me reading until late in the night which I what I usually experience when it comes to mystery/thriller books. I did like how the characters developed and the twists that were revealed which made the story overall entertaining, but this wouldn’t be at the top of my list of mystery/thriller recommendations.

✰✰✰

Act Your Age, Eve Brown

By Talia Hibbert

AH! There is nothing like a Talia Hibbert novel to shoot me right out of my reading slump. After enjoying ‘Take a Hint, Dani Brown’ so much, this was one of my highly anticipated reads of the year. This book is romantic, steamy, fun, cute and just perfect. You don’t need to read this series in order, but I recommend you take a crack at each one because this was a highly enjoyable series. I have nothing more to add.

Please read.

✰✰✰✰✰

Please Send Help…

By Gaby Dunn & Allison Raskin

Going in, I didn’t know this was a sequel and it worked perfectly well as a stand alone. That being said, some more background context would have been nice to understand the relationship between these two girls, but it wasn’t vital to the story. Overall, this story fell flat for me. I think the main reason being that this is a collection of emails and texts as the two main characters, Ava and Gen are following internships on either sides of the world (not really; Florida and New York). I felt like this didn’t leave a lot of room for depth or character development, but rather a series of emotions being thrown around. It was a relatively quick read, but I didn’t feel emotionally attached to any of the characters.

✰✰

And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

By Fredrik Backman

Wonderful novella. It’s lovely and a quick read. A conversation between an old man and a young boy, generations apart. I read ‘Anxious People’ which I wasn’t particularly fond of like everybody else, but determined to give Backman another chance, I picked this up. Mostly because of its length. After reading this, I will pick up another book by Backman soon.

✰✰✰✰

Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything

By Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

For starters, I went into this knowing absolutely nothing about it, and don’t get me wrong I really wanted to love this book because the beginning was great. But as we got further into the novel, there were just too many things happening at the same time. At first, it’s about being a teen who’s dealing with her mother taken away by ICE, but then it turns very sci-fi with aliens and government, and… it didn’t work for me. Because so many things were happening, I felt a little lost because it lacked a little depth in terms of topics the author was trying to deal with. I would have liked to see some characters or plot points more fleshed out, but there was so much being done at the same time, there was no room. Maybe I should have read the synopsis before going into this, but I do believe that some very important topics are being dealt with in this book.

✰✰

Hersenschimmen

By J. Bernlef

Disclaimer: This is a Dutch novel, therefore to fully grasp the message behind this book, the Dutch language is a must as I don’t know if there’s a translated version.

This is the sad story of a man who’s Alzheimer’s slowly gets the better of him. The author did a great job on conveying the feeling of how it is to forget simple things and eventually lose all grip on the real world. The ending felt a little strange to me which lowered the overall rating for this book, but I do think it’s worth the read. Especially towards the end, you get an understanding of how it is to have Alzheimer.

✰✰✰

Misery

By Stephen King

It’s been a while since I picked up a King and boy, I have missed it!! It wasn’t a super scary, lay-awake-at-night type of book for me, but it came unbelievably close. It’s an exciting concept, writer gets injured and his number one fan nurses him back to health, only she has slightly other plans for him. I read through this in just three days because I had to keep going. That doesn’t happen very often and it’s exactly why this book deserves its rating. It’s creepy, alarming and so so good.

✰✰✰✰✰

The Nightingale

By Kristin Hannah

The emotion in this book is phenomenal!!! A story about love in war, taking risks and I felt so much for the sisters. The best part about this book was that it was focused on the women’s POV of World War II which we don’t get to see very often. That being said, it is a little slow in certain places which is why it took me almost a month to get through this book and detailed too. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend you give it a go because you won’t regret you did.

✰✰✰✰

The Hating Game

By Sally Thorne

After a booktuber raved about this book, I picked it up immediately. But I unfortunately have to say, it’s overhyped in my opinion. The romance didn’t quite do it for me and I couldn’t connect with the characters. Fine book, but not my cup of tea.

✰✰✰

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor

By Hank Green

I was highly anticipating this after loving the first one so much and this did not disappoint! I must highlight though that it wasn’t as fun as the first one and the story could have easily been a stand-alone.

✰✰✰✰

The Bookshop

By Penelope Fitzgerald

Small book, but I loved this so much. I did watch the movie before I read the book, but it’s so wonderful and filled with so much love for books, it’s great.

✰✰✰✰

Confettiregen

By Splinter Chabot

Disclaimer: A Dutch non-fiction which means that to fully grasp the message behind this book, the Dutch language is a must as I don’t know if there’s a translated version :)

Lovely book, good character building and honest. This was fun!

✰✰✰✰

Mrs. Degas

By Arthur Japin

Disclaimer: A Dutch non-fiction which means that to fully grasp the message behind this book, the Dutch language is a must as I don’t know if there’s a translated version :)

This author has one of the biggest names within Dutch literature and the story itself sounded intriguing. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. I guess I’m not much of a historical fiction type of reader, but it seems that many of his books are like that. It was quick to get through, but I couldn’t connect with the characters and it left me a little unsatisfied.

✰✰

Searching for Sylvie Lee

By Jean Kwok

I loved ‘Girl in Translation’ and so when I saw this, I bought it immediately. It took me a while to get to and once I did, it was a little disappointing. I didn’t get a thriller feel and it could have been so much more.

✰✰✰

One by One

By Ruth Ware

I am a HUGE Ruth Ware fan and this one was great to get back into the mystery/thriller spirit. I loved the suspense and I finished it in three days, having to stay up to find out what happened. I can’t wait for her next book already!!!

✰✰✰✰✰

Swimming Lessons

By Lili Reinhart

Lili Reinhart is one of my favorite actresses and got my hands on her poetry collection as soon as I could. I love this, it’s filled with emotion and story. Really really beautiful.

✰✰✰✰✰

Take a Hint, Dani Brown

By Talia Hibbert

I liked this one much more than the first installment of the series! I was hesitant picking this up after not liking the first one so much, but I’m glad I did because I’m officially in love with this series!!!

✰✰✰✰✰

Crooked House

By Agatha Christie

Who doesn’t love to read a book by the queen of mystery? This was a lot of fun and reminded me a lot of Knives Out (movie) and I can definitely see it inspired by this book.

✰✰✰✰

Truly Devious

By Maureen Johnson

Despite liking the characters and thinking that the plot was fun, this mystery didn’t do it for me. It felt slightly off for some reason and I don’t think I’ll pick up the rest in this series.

✰✰✰

I’m Thinking of Ending Things

By Iain Reid

This was spooky, well-written and just eerie enough to keep me up at night. Definitely one of the better books in the horror genre I’ve read.

✰✰✰✰

Anxious People

By Fredrik Backman

I was excited for this when I first heard about it, but it wasn’t as humorous or light-hearted as I’d heard. I do want to give Backman another try because I’ve heard so many good things, but Anxious People wasn’t a great first impression.

✰✰✰

Snow Flakes

By Ruth Ware

This was a great little story while I’m waiting for One by One. Even this was fun and mysterious despite it being super short.

✰✰✰✰

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

By Taylor Jenkins Reid

Oh. My. God. THIS WAS AMAZING.

✰✰✰✰✰

They Both Die At The End

By Adam Silvera

I liked the concept and enjoyed reading from both POVs, but I wasn’t a fan of the execution of the ending. Overall, I think some parts could have been better and that’s why I couldn’t give this the love I wanted to. I will give Adam Silvera another chance because I really do like the concepts of his books.

✰✰✰

Becoming

By Michelle Obama

I loved reading about her childhood, her time as First Lady and just a big fan of Michelle Obama. She’s got such a chill and warm vibe.

✰✰✰✰✰

The Dutch House

By Ann Patchett

What. A. Book. Unbelievable writing, beautiful narration by Tom Hanks and just wonderful.

✰✰✰✰✰

The Freedom Writers Diary

By The Freedom Writers & Erin Gruwell

After watching this movie in class, I picked it up and I loved it so much. It was so inspiring to read, but the last 1/4 of the book was a lot to get through because after a while the stories got a little repetitive, but nonetheless I liked it a lot.

✰✰✰✰

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

By Richard Bach

I bought this second hand when I heard a booktuber rave about it, but unfortunately it fell quite flat for me and although I liked the message, this wasn’t for me.

✰✰

White Abyss

By Stephanie Terault

Thank you to BookTasters and the author for a free copy. What attracted me to this story was that it was a love story turned into a tragedy. I loved the premise of it: boy falls in love with a girl, chases after her, they get married and then he goes off to war and everything changes. But I felt a bit a rushed reading about Ryan and Lucy's story. I think the story could have benefited a lot from giving more pages as to why they were drawn to each other. There were a lot of aspects that I liked about this book, like the infinite love Ryan had for Lucy and I do enjoy a good romance from time to time, but I still think there was something missing. Also, the intensity of the book grew as we went further into the story which made the book better. I had trouble connecting with Ryan as a character. His voice just wasn't in sync with the person he is supposed to be. School-boy turned war hardened police officer was I suppose what the author wanted us to read about but partly failed to deliver it because there were certain phrases or things Ryan did that wouldn't make sense. This story spans over about 25 years of someone's life so I understand that the pace had to be relatively fast. I do think that if there had been more pages dedicated to the progression of Ryan and Lucy's love story, or Ryan's time as a soldier in a raging war, I would have liked it a bit better? Nevertheless, I do commend the author for portraying a lot of difficult issues. And the final message that there is light at the end of tunnel is beautiful.

✰✰

Wees Onzichtbaar

By Murat Isik

Disclaimer: A Dutch non-fiction which means that to fully grasp the message behind this book, the Dutch language is a must as I don’t know if there’s a translated version :)

I read this for school and it was a good time! I really liked this, the emotions and the way it’s told from a little boy’s perspective until he’s a grown-up. It’s just so good.

✰✰✰✰

The Poet X

By Elizabeth Acevedo

Acevedo’s writing is nothing short of magical. I read this in one sitting and I loved every minute of it.

✰✰✰✰✰

Get a Life, Chloe Brown

By Talia Hibbert

This one wasn’t for me. I liked the romance, but for me, Redford and Chloe weren’t characters I could connect to. I would have wanted to like this more, but couldn’t enjoy it as much as others.

✰✰✰

If It Bleeds

By Stephen King

Anytime King brings out a new book, I am there. This was spooky and just what you’d expect from King, but I didn’t know this was going to be a short story collection going in and I know now that short stories aren’t doing it for me as well as a full-fleshed novel.

✰✰✰✰

The Fault in Our Stars

By John Green

This will always be one of my favorite books.

✰✰✰✰✰

Run Away John

By Andrew Stewart III

Thanks Booktasters and the author for a free copy. You really get in the head of John which is interesting and sometimes he speaks directly to you. It sheds a light on how he feels when his wife cheats on him and how it affects his kids. This perspective on cheating and everything around it was different in a good way. It's fast-paced, probably because of the length and because it is the first book in the series. I thought it read a bit like a diary of some sort because John's emotions and the events that happened were all told. This made it easier to understand where John was coming from and what was going through his head. The story was good, but a little cliche plot in my opinion. However, you should pick this up anyway because it's fun and a bit mysterious. Curious to see where the author takes the story next.

✰✰

The Lying Game

By Ruth Ware

This was my least favorite story by Ruth Ware. It took me so long to get through it and although the ending was so insane I loved it with all my heart, I couldn’t give this more stars.

✰✰✰

The Woman in the Window

By A.J. Finn

Spooky, intriguing and really good thriller. I can’t wait for the movie!

✰✰✰✰

Little Women

Written by Louisa May Alcott

I’ve rewatched the 2019 movie so many times that I ended up picking the book up too. I love these sisters so much.

✰✰✰✰✰

The Institute

By Stephen King

Perfection.

✰✰✰✰✰

Grand Hotel Europa

By Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer

Disclaimer: A Dutch non-fiction which means that to fully grasp the message behind this book, the Dutch language is a must as I don’t know if there’s a translated version :)

I read this for school. I liked it, but it was so packed with metaphors and history that I maybe would have enjoyed it more had it not been for the fact that I needed to pay attention to every detail for school.

✰✰✰

The Song of Achilles

By Madeline Miller

So, so good. I really loved reading more Greek mythology and Patroclus & Achilles’ relationship was wonderful.

✰✰✰✰✰

Who Killed Harlan Parker?

By John Caudill

Thank you to Booktasters and the author for a free copy. The list of suspects is relatively long because there are so many people who despise Harlan Parker. And because this is the case, detective Wilt goes down the list one by one, trying to figure out who did it. This leaves little room for character development, but I will say that I was questioning throughout the book who was the murderer. However, I would have liked to see more character development from either Wilt or any other main character like Andrews who is also assigned to the case. The book is quite descriptive, making the pace especially in the beginning a little lacking, so I had a little difficulty getting through the first half. The ending was good, but it felt a little rushed. Besides that, the book jumps between present and past tense sometimes halfway through a chapter which could be confusing. But the suspense was good and worth a read.

✰✰

Behind Closed Doors

By B.A. Paris

The suspense, the characters, it was fantastic. The ending could have been better I think, but still.

✰✰✰✰

Sharp Objects

By Gillian Flynn

So good.

✰✰✰✰✰

The Detective’s Secretary

By Tara J. Stone

Thank you to Booktasters & the author for a free copy. I've never read a screenplay before and this was a pleasant surprise. Although the musical aspect wasn't for me, I did understand why it had to be included. It's part of figuring out who'd done it. It's fast paced and it's quite short, leaving little room for character depth. The last bits that were thrown in there felt a little random, but I gotta say there is something about Irene Granger as a character that draws you in. It's not every day that we get to see the secretary's perspective on a case and yes, it was intriguing and I definitely didn't expect the twist. But I would have liked to see more of the characters backstory and I'm no expert in screenplays but this felt like it took Irene Granger a mere few days to solve the case, and that just didn't quite make sense to me. But, it was a fun time, so read it anyways and who knows, you might think something completely different.

✰✰

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

By Mackenzi Lee

This book!!! I really enjoyed the historical, adventure feel of this story and it was really cool.

update: will be wary about purchasing more books as a result of author’s recent actions

✰✰✰✰✰

Ann, Not Annie

By Sage Steadman

SPOILERS INCLUDED
Thank you to Booktasters and Sage Steadman for a free copy. When I first read about this book, I thought it would be a light and fun typical teenage read. A girl with hardships at home, tries to turn her life around and what better way to do that than get involved with the hottest guy in school? It did meet my expectations but I had a hard time connecting with the story and its characters.
Ann, The MC, was in my opinion well portrayed as what a teenager was, if not a tiny inch over-dramatized. She has a temper and seems to walk straight into problems. One of those problems being Jacob Waters. In the novel she has to deal with grief, alcoholism, sexual assault and so on. Lisa as a side character was a little disappointing. She was fine until: "I'll be happy for you when it's real." That kind of sucked. Ann is your best friend, right? Why not be happy for ones successes?
And let's skip over the mom as a character because telling your own son to stay away because he reminds you of your dead husband? No thanks. But then again, being an alcoholic and not taking care of your children was already part of the problem. Romance wise, this wasn't bad. But it wasn't what I was expecting either. I was under the impression that both guys (Danny and Jacob) would be fighting for her. But Jacob clearly was only interested in the physical part of Ann which she did not realize? And Danny was constantly being pushed away? I would have loved seeing more. The writing style was kind of fun. The narrator has their own opinions sometimes and it adds a layer of intrigue. The illustrations were fun, I would have liked to see more, otherwise they seem unnecessary. To me at least. The novel tried to call out other novels as "all white, except for the token black side character they throw in to not seem racist" but it made this whole page seem like they were trying not to seem racist where Ann and Lisa said they're quarter this and half this (not to mention how they tried to "win" it, who's less whiter than the other). Making a bleak attempt at telling readers that this novel is diverse in its characters. It could have been left out. I tried to connect and sympathize with Ann as the MC, but sometimes I just couldn't do it. However, this is a fine story about a teenage girl who deals with big problems and tries to figure things out on her own. Give it a try and you might feel a whole lot different than me.

✰✰

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy

By Mackenzi Lee

Great sequel to the story and brought me right back into the world with its characters and wonder.

update: will be wary about purchasing more books as a result of author’s recent actions

✰✰✰✰

Dogs: Hellbound (book one)

By S.M. Griffith

Thank you to Booktasters & the author for providing a free copy. First, I want to applaud the author for creating a world that feels original. It has hints of other books and their worlds, but remains true to itself. The idea of 'hellhounds' feels interesting, but definitely not something I haven't seen before. I really liked how the dogs had their own personalities. This story was something that I wouldn't normally pick up, but the premise of it sounded as though it was something worth reading. It begins and then skips roughly five years into the future. Michael's sentence is 35 years which seems like an unbelievably long timeline, so I understand why this is going to be part of series rather than a book on its own. The author is good at keeping in the suspense, but in my opinion, falters a little in the amount of descriptive words. For those unfamiliar with the term 'descriptive words', descriptive words are to help visualize, describe, define, or explain information about people, places, things, situations, or actions. The amount used in the book tells me one thing: the main character is an observer of detail. This is not necessarily a bad thing, it gives some personality to the main character and at times, important for the reader to create an image in your head. It can however turn into an excessive amount once you get going and that is something you'd want to avoid. However, I also want to add to that, that because this is the first book, it was important to do a great deal of world building and creating a character, so I can understand why the author did this. I also think that there were a bit too many names thrown in the pit at the beginning of this book. Later on, you understand who turns out to be important, but it made it harder for me to keep up with everyone.
But let's not be totally crass, the book was original by creating a world that hasn't often been taken on and built in a way that was understandable and made sense. It allowed for imagination as you get through the book and you definitely get sucked into this world. In addition, the world is big, I mean it's Hell after all. So, I want to applaud the author for that as well, an excellent job on making it not a complete chaos but rather a place of order, in the story and in the reader's mind. I liked the personalities of the dogs a lot and how the author made them all completely different was cool. Showing the importance and loyalty of the dog continues to prove over decades that they've got our backs.
Nevertheless, this was a nice read and worth your time.

✰✰✰

The Prince and the Dressmaker

By Jen Wang

A-MA-ZING

✰✰✰✰✰

City of Girls

By Elizabeth Gilbert

The writing, the setting, Celia — I loved every minute of it.

✰✰✰✰