★★★★★ Don’t make the same mistakes that everyone else makes. Make wonderful mistakes. Make the kind of mistakes that make people so shocked that they have no other choice but to be a little impressed. Be prepared for laugh-out-loud hilarity from cover to cover Jenny Lawson provides a shockingly funny and heartwarming memoir on what it is… Continue reading Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things – Jenny Lawson
Sinner – Maggie Stiefvater
★★★ ½ “It sure is ugly.” “Ugly, never hurt a thing.” I scoffed. “Oh, ugly has hurt some things. It’s just that pretty hurts more.” Oof. Pseudo-philosophical YA at its finest. To catch everyone up - Grace and Sam (the main characters from the original series) are being their lovey-dovey selves back in Mercy Falls. Isabelle and Cole -… Continue reading Sinner – Maggie Stiefvater
Forever – Maggie Stiefvater
★★★ Book 1: Boy loves Girl. Girl loves Wolf. Wolf turns into Boy. Girl Loves Boy. Boy hides tragic secret(TM). Girl saves Boy's life. Book 2:Boy is a permanent Boy (no Wolf). Girl hides a tragic(TM) secret. Boy saves Girl's Life. Girl is now Wolf. Book 3:Boy loves Girl. Girl is Wolf. Boy pines over… Continue reading Forever – Maggie Stiefvater
Linger – Maggie Stiefvater
★★★ ½ What's better than a book about two lovebirds being in love? HOW could you POSSIBLY keep your audience INVESTEDafter the characters get together in Chapter 1 of book 1???? Pining. Lots. Of. Pining. This is a love story. I never knew there were so many kinds of love or that love could make people do so many different… Continue reading Linger – Maggie Stiefvater
The Paris Library – Janet Skeslien Charles
★★★★ I loved Paris, a city with secrets. Like book covers, some leather, some cloth, each Parisian door led to an unexpected world. We follow Odile Souchet as she applies to be a librarian in an English-speaking library in Paris, 1939. She quickly falls in love with a police officer beau, finds a new friend among the… Continue reading The Paris Library – Janet Skeslien Charles
Shiver – Maggie Stiefvater
★★★ ½ To summarize: Boy loves girl. Girl loves wolf. Possible bestiality (new edgy YA twist?) Wolf is actually boy who loves girl. Wolf turns into boy. Girl loves boy. Kisses. Many kisses. I stood on my toes and stole a soft kiss from his lips. "Surprise attack," I said. Sam leaned down and kissed me… Continue reading Shiver – Maggie Stiefvater
If You Were Me and Lived in… Ancient China – Carole P. Roman, Mateya Arakova (illustrations)
★★★★★ If you were ever curious about what life was like in the year 150 AD in Ancient China...and back then things were really, really different! Inside your home was an area partitioned off for sleeping. There was no spot devoted to meals. But that's not all- even the little things (like what you called your siblings) is… Continue reading If You Were Me and Lived in… Ancient China – Carole P. Roman, Mateya Arakova (illustrations)
Essential Seafood Cookbook – Terri Dien
★★★★ Seafood cookbooks can be intimidating but this one, dedicated to the home chef, is sophisticated yet unpretentious, and very rewarding. I'm definitely one of those people who LOVE trying new recipes and yet...I'm always shying away from the scary ones - like fancy fish. So, when I saw this books was up for review - I… Continue reading Essential Seafood Cookbook – Terri Dien
The Beginner’s Guide to Alchemy – Sarah Durn
★★★ ½ Alchemists, even today, are often misrepresented as kooky, Merlin-like sorcerers. It's an association that bears some truth, though... Alchemy is often referred to as the precursor to chemistry and has been a source of fascination and intrigue for hundreds of years. Turning lead into gold was certainly a piece of the alchemical puzzle, and a… Continue reading The Beginner’s Guide to Alchemy – Sarah Durn
I am Jazz – Jessica Herthel & Jazz Jennings
Okay, so I found this one for a "banned book" challenge and I'll admit, I've been really curious about it ever since. And my overwhelming impression - mixed feelings. Very, very mixy-feelings on it. And I honestly debated whether I should review it at all...but what is the point of GR if it isn't to bring about discussion… Continue reading I am Jazz – Jessica Herthel & Jazz Jennings
Miranda Reads 