One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

Last year, my book club read One Itilna Summer and Our Ititalin Summer. These books can be read alone but are connected by generations of families. Out of the two books, my favorite was One Italian Summer. Maybe it’s because I have always wished I could be brave enough to do a solo out-of-the-country trip. But I also felt like I connected to the characters more. As summer approaches, these two books are beautiful for pool- or beach-side reads. 

One Italian summer follows Katy as she ventures through Italy. Katy’s mom just passed away, and the trip was supposed to be for the two of them. As she discovers the people in the hotel and around the small town, she finds more of her mom than she was expecting, making the trip a mother-daughter trip. I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

A description from Goodreads: When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: two weeks in Positano, the magical town Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.

But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.

And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.

Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

I won Twin Crwons in a giveaway last year on Instagram. I was so excited to read this book. I read it right away but forgot to write a review for it after I had read it. I did purchase a standard edition and a special edition of this book. 

For fans of regency and royalty books, this story is about two twin princess sisters who are separated at birth and raised in two different worlds. Both princesses race to claim the throne, not knowing about the other. 

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. 

Goodreads exerpt: Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister’s place in the palace. Trained from birth to return to the place of her parents’ murder and usurp the only survivor, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Or she would, if only a certain palace guard wasn’t quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic didn’t have a habit of causing trouble…

Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility. Marriage into a brutal kingdom awaits, and she will not let a small matter like waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of an extremely impertinent (and handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. But life outside the palace walls is wilder and more beautiful than she ever imagined, and the witches she has long feared might turn out to be the family she never knew she was missing.

Two sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other’s lives a whole lot better. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?

On Top of Glass by Karina Manta

I read On Top of Glass last summer and loved it. I find rating memoirs hard because you are judging someone’s actual life events. So, with memoirs, it’s more about the fl of the story and how the story is written. On Top of Glass was an easy-to-read memoir about Karina Manta’s life as a figure skater for the USA team. She also speaks a lot about being queer in the figure skating world, which is not that uncommon in men figure skaters but frowned upon in women’s figure skating.

I started figure skating at a young age and took a hiatus after I turned twenty-one. I was still able to connect to Karina’s story. Growing up, I always felt like the black sheep in the figure skating world. I wore heavy metal T-shirts and listened to heavy rock. I was never a perfect ballerina figure skater who was skinny, elegant, and balanced. Karina and I had two different figure skating journeys, but I still really connected with her story of being different in such a strict sport. I gave her book 5 out of 5 stars.

Goodreads excerpt:

An insightful memoir from a figure skating champion about her life as a bisexual professional athlete, perfect for readers of Fierce by Aly Raisman and Forward by Abby Wambach.

Karina Manta has had a busy few Not only did she capture the hearts of many with her fan-favorite performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, she also became the first female figure skater on Team USA to come out as queer. Her Modern Love essay “I Can’t Hate My Body if I Love Hers” was published in the New York Times , and then she joined the circus–Cirque du Soleil’s on-ice show, AXEL.

Karina’s memoir covers these experiences and much more. Attending a high school with 4,000 students, you’d expect to know more than two openly gay students, but Karina didn’t meet an out-lesbian until she was nearly seventeen–let alone any other kind of queer woman. But this isn’t just a story about her queerness. It’s also a story about her struggle with body image in a sport that prizes delicate femininity. It’s a story about panic attacks, and first crushes, and all the crushes that followed, and it’s a story about growing up, feeling different than everybody around her and then realizing that everyone else felt different too.

Aces Wild: A Heist by Amanda DeWitt

I received this book as a audiobook ARC for a honest review. 

I jumped right onto this book when I received it. The premise sounded just up my alley.

Aces Wild is about Jack who’s whole family is into gambling, and games. His family owns a popular hotel in Las Vegas so he has grown up around the world of the strip. When his mom suddenly gets arrested, Jack decides to try to play games of his own to find out the man who double-crossed his mom and got her arrested.

But he can’t do it alone. He decides to call on his close friends for help. His friends are all from an online group, and none have ever met in real life. This online group is made up of a sleet of people that he has met online who are the same sexuality as him: asexual.

Together they meet in Las Vegas to take down the group who is going after Jack;s family for their money and the rights to the hotel they own.

I loved this book. It wasn’t your average read. It was different and represents a very small group in the LGBTQ mafia that I feel does not get a lot of attention or recognition

What happens in Vegas when an all-asexual online friend group attempts to break into a high-stakes gambling club? Shenanigans ensue.

Some people join chess club, some people play football. Jack Shannon runs a secret blackjack ring in his private school’s basement. What else is the son of a Las Vegas casino mogul supposed to do? 

Everything starts falling apart when Jack’s mom is arrested for their family’s ties to organized crime. His sister Beth thinks this is the Shannon family’s chance to finally go straight, but Jack knows that something’s not right. His mom was sold out, and he knows by who. Peter Carlevaro: rival casino owner and jilted lover. Gross. 

Jack hatches a plan to find out what Carlevaro’s holding over his mom’s head, but he can’t do it alone. He recruits his closest friends—the asexual support group he met through fandom forums. Now all he has to do is infiltrate a high-stakes gambling club and dodge dark family secrets, while hopelessly navigating what it means to be in love while asexual. Easy, right?

January 2024 Book Haul

In January, I purchased eight books. I told myself not to buy unnecessary books….but are all books genuinely unnecessary to a book hoarder? The answer is no. All books are essential to a book hoarder.

I visited my family in California this month and picked up three books. I got Lessons in Chemistry from Bonnie Games. I found this gem at the Book Off store, used in hardcover. This is one of my book club’s picks for the summer, so I was super excited to grab this one. Next, I picked up The Deal by Elle Kennedy and A Twisted Tale Anthology from Barnes and Noble.

When I returned home, I attended the Sarah J Mass midnight release party for House of Flames and Shadow at a local Barn and Noble. I also picked up the Heartstopper special edition by Alice Oseman and Sons of Darkness Barns and Noble exclusive edition by Gourav Mohanty. Of course, I also go House of Flames and Shadow by Sarah J Mass, the Barnes and Noble exclusive.

I also received a pre-order of The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake this month. Finally, I received Of Ruin and Wrath Bookish Box Edition by Jennifer L Armentrout.

Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman

I have read the first three books in the Heartstopper series and watched the show’s first season. (Yes, I know I am behind). So far, I do like this series. It is a cute series of Nick and Charlee in high school. It is a sweet romance that is easy to read, cute, funny, and fluffy. I like to read fluffy books like these in between a big series or a big fantasy read. It breaks up the world-building and strips things down to manageable and regular.

When are you supposed to read Nick and Charlee? It may be a book after Volume 4 of Heartstopper, but because I have yet to read Volume 4, I might have read this out of order. But it still was a cute, fluffy read. Nick and Charlee start when school ends, and Nick is graduating, leaving Charlee one more year of school. This novel is short and takes place a few weeks into the summer. This is the perfect book for fans of Heartstopper who want more from the characters as they wait for the next volume. I do not recommend this book for someone who has yet to read Heartstoppers just because the series has a lot of character development that you will miss if you dive into Nick and Charlee. Overall, I gave this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars. The different format was part of my rating. I liked the book; it was a great filler book in the series, but nothing extraordinary.

An excerpt from Goodreads:

CHARLIE: “I have been going out with Nick Nelson for two years. He likes rugby, Formula 1, dogs, the Marvel universe, the sound felt-tips make on paper, rain and drawing on shoes. He also likes me.”

NICK: “Things me and Charlie Spring do together include: Watch films. Sit in the same room on different laptops. Text each other from different rooms. Make out. Make food. Make drinks. Get drunk. Talk. Argue. Laugh. Maybe we’re kind of boring. But that’s fine with us.”

Everyone knows that Nick and Charlie are the perfect couple – that they’re inseparable. But now Nick is leaving for university, and Charlie will be left behind at Sixth Form. Everyone’s asking if they’re staying together, which is a stupid question – they’re ‘Nick and Charlie’, for God’s sake!

But as the time to say goodbye gets inevitably closer, both Nick and Charlie question whether their love is strong enough to survive being apart. Or are they delaying the inevitable? Because everyone knows that first loves rarely last forever…

Daughters for the Bride by Susan Mallery

Hello, 2024!

Last year, I finished with 23 books. That is not a lot at all. However, last year was challenging, personally and professionally. I also returned to school, so I only had a little time to read as much as in previous years. This year, I am looking to balance my life better, including reading more. 

The first book of the year that I finished was Daughters of the Bride by Susan Mallery. This was my local book club’s pick for the month. One of our members had entered a contest to win their book club free books by Susan Mallery, and we won! I am not the biggest fan of Susan Mallery and had a tough time with this book. I needed help with the writing style and word choice. I also needed help visualizing the scenes in the book. It was, however, a fun, fast, fluffy read that was easy to get through. 

Daughters of the Bride follows three sisters and their family dynamic as they prepare for their mother’s second wedding. I liked the premise that each daughter brought a different issue to the table, such as confidence, domestic violence, or learning through the healing of time. I had my favorite sister, whom I was rooting for throughout the book. I wouldn’t say I liked the transition between sisters throughout the book. It felt like it was cut off abruptly before we moved to the next sister, and sometimes, it was hard to follow which sister we were talking about. 

A description from Goodreads: “With Joy, Love and a Little Trepidation, Courtney, Sienna and Rachel Invite You to the Most Emotional Wedding of the Year… Their Mother’s 

Courtney ~ The Misfit ~ 

As the awkward one, Courtney Watson may not be as together as her sisters, but she excels at one thing—keeping secrets, including her white-hot affair with a sexy music producer. Planning Mom’s wedding exposes her startling hidden life, changing her family’s view of her—and how she views herself—forever. 

Sienna ~ The Free Spirit ~ 

When Sienna’s boyfriend proposes—in front of her mom and sisters, for crying out loud—he takes her by surprise. She already has two broken engagements under her belt. Should she say “I do” even if she’s not sure she does? 

Rachel ~ The Cynic ~ 

Rachel thought love would last forever…right up until her divorce. As Mom’s wedding day draws near and her ex begs for a second chance, she’s forced to acknowledge some uncomfortable truths about why her marriage failed, and decide if she’ll let pride stand in the way of her own happily-ever-after.”

https://www.susanmallery.com

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir

5 out of 5 stars 

I put off this book for so long. But I am glad that I finally read it. My most considerable hesitation was knowing this was different from a fantasy book like Sabaa Tahir usually writes. When this book was first published, there were many mixed reviews and feelings about it. I am proud that I avoided others’ thoughts and opinions and went into this book blind, like I usually do, to understand what the book is about on my terms. 

Once I got into the story, I was hooked. It is a normal-paced book, not too fast and not too slow. But you need to get into the depth of the story to understand what is going on. There are many catalysts to the characters’ actions and the decisions they take action on. I loved how the characters were built, with their backstories and the culture they came from. It made the book feel so real and relatable. 

This book has many trigger warnings, such as abuse, alcoholism, drugs, and violence. Even with so many complex topics to write about, I felt like Sabaa Tahir did a remarkable job depicting these triggers sensibly and respectfully, making the book more realistic and purposeful. Sabba captured so many different living situations from a personal viewpoint that was heartbreaking and educational for someone like me who has not experienced some of these things. 

Lahore, Pakistan. Then. 

Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Cloud’s Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start.

Juniper, California. Now. 

Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no one else does until The Fight, which destroys their bond with the swift fury of a star exploding. 

Now, Sal scrambles to run the family motel as his mother Misbah’s health fails and his grieving father loses himself to alcoholism. Meanwhile, Noor walks a harrowing tightrope, working at her wrathful uncle’s liquor store while hiding that she’s applying to college to escape him and Juniper forever.

When Sal’s attempts to save the motel spiral out of control, he and Noor must ask themselves what friendship is worth—and what it takes to defeat the monsters in their pasts and the ones in their midst. 

From one of today’s most cherished and bestselling young adult authors comes a breathtaking novel of young love, old regrets, and forgiveness—both tragic and poignant in its tender ferocity.

<https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57899793-all-my-rage&gt;

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFuceSICy8/watch?embed

Couldn’t put down by Ashley Cafasso

Fourth Wing Read – A- Long

Join me in reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros in preparation for Iron Flame which releases on November 7th!

This will be a re-read for me but I feel like I missed so much the first time I read it. I am going to try to read this in chunks so that I can annotate. I have decided to break the book up in every nine chapters so that it will take about 4 weeks to read all the way through.

Here is the break down if you want to join me:

October 1st – 7th read chapters 1 to 9.

October 8th -14th read chapters 10 to 19.

October 15ht to 21st read chapters 20 to 29

October 22nd to 28th read chapters 30 to 39.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book was different from what I was planning on reading. I had heard this book was good, and it has been recently hyped on social media, so much so that when I had it sitting on a chair at a bookstore, someone came up to me to tell me how much they enjoyed it. I wouldn’t say I like many historical fiction books, so I was not interested in trying to pick this up. The only reason I read this book was for book club. I am so glad that I did read this book. It was different than many things I have recently read and was very well written to the point where I did not feel bored like many historical fiction books make me feel.

“Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ’80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.”

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32620332-the-seven-husbands-of-evelyn-hugo

I liked this book. It was a read out of my comfort zone. I liked the Hollywood aspect of this book. I feel a small group of readers like celebrity-type books, but I love them. If you have always wanted to read a celebrity-type book, this book is a great start. The writing was easy to read and stay hooked with. This story was different from what I thought it would be, and I kept guessing about the ending, unsure where it would go.

If you are an audiobook lover, this book was so easy to listen to. I listened to it on vacation, and the cast was great at reading the book, and it was easy to tell the character’s parts.

Overall I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars.

You can purchase this book here from a Colorado Local bookstore: https://www.tatteredcover.com/book/9781501161933

You can purchase this book from the publisher here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Seven-Husbands-of-Evelyn-Hugo/Taylor-Jenkins-Reid/9781501161933