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notesbynnenna's Reviews (513)
3.5 stars
If I’d known that this book would be this cute and heartwarming and adorable, I would have read it a long time ago! When the Netflix adaptation came out a couple weeks ago and everyone was buzzing about it, I had major fomo. So I went out and picked up a copy and read it in a few days.
Our narrator, Lara Jean, is the middle of three sisters. Her mom died when she was younger, so her older sister, Margot, became the de facto mom and looked after Lara Jean and her younger sister, Kitty.
Lara Jean is a romantic at heart and she’s formed a tradition of writing love letters to all the boys she’s ever loved. She uses the letters as a therapeutic way to pour out all her thoughts and feelings about these boys. No one else is ever supposed to see these letters, but one day, they somehow get mailed out to all the boys.
First of all, I would be absolutely mortified if I was Lara Jean in that situation. Imagine pouring out all of these private thoughts that one day become (somewhat) public?? Ack!!! Just thinking about it gives me anxiety. And she’s a teenager too. I feel like a catastrophe of that level would have been enough to finish me when I was that age! Ok, ok, I’m being dramatic, but the point is, what a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad situation to be in.
While I was reading this book, I just fell in love with the Song sisters and their whole family dynamic. Their dad sounds like such a good dad, and you know it’s not easy being a single dad raising three daughters on your own. You could just tell that there’s a lot of love in this family, which is so sweet.
The book is narrated by Lara Jean and one thing that bothered me was that I thought her voice sounded very young. She’s supposed to be about 16, but sounded more like she was 12 or 13. She’s also a bit dramatic in the way that teens tend to be, when they think every little incident is the end of the world. I couldn’t fault her too much for that though, because I remember what it was like to be that age.
Look, I’m a romantic too, so I love a love story. And I don’t mind a love triangle if it’s done well. Lara Jean is torn between Josh, the boy next door, and Peter, the secretly sensitive high school jock. Lara Jean has a really cute friendship with Josh since they were friends before she started developing feelings for him. Peter’s a bit full of himself, but also has a great heart underneath all the bravado. I have to say that I’m team Peter on this one. I’m a sucker for that type of character!
But this is not just a love story. Family plays a very important role in Lara Jean’s life. She cares what they think about her. She really values her family’s opinion, particular Margot’s, and she doesn’t want to let anyone down. I enjoyed how food was an important part of their family and of retaining their Korean heritage. And that’s another thing that I loved- that our main character was a mixed-race, Korean-American teenager.
In this novel, her Korean background is part of who Lara Jean is, but it’s not the only part. She’s a rich and nuanced character, and it’s a treat to have a well-rounded person of color as the protagonist.
This book had the depth that I feel like YA novels sometimes lack. It was such a delightful read and I was in such a good mood by the time I finished it (except for the fact that it ended and I need to know what happens next in Lara Jean’s life!). I do regret not immediately picking up the other two books in the trilogy when I bought the first because now my usual bookstores have been sold out of those books for the last week. I will eventually get my hands on the next book though, and I cannot wait to watch the Netflix movie.
//
Well that was pretty delightful! Why oh why didn't I pick up the next book in the series when I bought this one??
If I’d known that this book would be this cute and heartwarming and adorable, I would have read it a long time ago! When the Netflix adaptation came out a couple weeks ago and everyone was buzzing about it, I had major fomo. So I went out and picked up a copy and read it in a few days.
Our narrator, Lara Jean, is the middle of three sisters. Her mom died when she was younger, so her older sister, Margot, became the de facto mom and looked after Lara Jean and her younger sister, Kitty.
Lara Jean is a romantic at heart and she’s formed a tradition of writing love letters to all the boys she’s ever loved. She uses the letters as a therapeutic way to pour out all her thoughts and feelings about these boys. No one else is ever supposed to see these letters, but one day, they somehow get mailed out to all the boys.
First of all, I would be absolutely mortified if I was Lara Jean in that situation. Imagine pouring out all of these private thoughts that one day become (somewhat) public?? Ack!!! Just thinking about it gives me anxiety. And she’s a teenager too. I feel like a catastrophe of that level would have been enough to finish me when I was that age! Ok, ok, I’m being dramatic, but the point is, what a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad situation to be in.
While I was reading this book, I just fell in love with the Song sisters and their whole family dynamic. Their dad sounds like such a good dad, and you know it’s not easy being a single dad raising three daughters on your own. You could just tell that there’s a lot of love in this family, which is so sweet.
The book is narrated by Lara Jean and one thing that bothered me was that I thought her voice sounded very young. She’s supposed to be about 16, but sounded more like she was 12 or 13. She’s also a bit dramatic in the way that teens tend to be, when they think every little incident is the end of the world. I couldn’t fault her too much for that though, because I remember what it was like to be that age.
Look, I’m a romantic too, so I love a love story. And I don’t mind a love triangle if it’s done well. Lara Jean is torn between Josh, the boy next door, and Peter, the secretly sensitive high school jock. Lara Jean has a really cute friendship with Josh since they were friends before she started developing feelings for him. Peter’s a bit full of himself, but also has a great heart underneath all the bravado. I have to say that I’m team Peter on this one. I’m a sucker for that type of character!
But this is not just a love story. Family plays a very important role in Lara Jean’s life. She cares what they think about her. She really values her family’s opinion, particular Margot’s, and she doesn’t want to let anyone down. I enjoyed how food was an important part of their family and of retaining their Korean heritage. And that’s another thing that I loved- that our main character was a mixed-race, Korean-American teenager.
In this novel, her Korean background is part of who Lara Jean is, but it’s not the only part. She’s a rich and nuanced character, and it’s a treat to have a well-rounded person of color as the protagonist.
This book had the depth that I feel like YA novels sometimes lack. It was such a delightful read and I was in such a good mood by the time I finished it (except for the fact that it ended and I need to know what happens next in Lara Jean’s life!). I do regret not immediately picking up the other two books in the trilogy when I bought the first because now my usual bookstores have been sold out of those books for the last week. I will eventually get my hands on the next book though, and I cannot wait to watch the Netflix movie.
//
Well that was pretty delightful! Why oh why didn't I pick up the next book in the series when I bought this one??
The sequel to To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was just as adorable as the first book. This one picks up right where the last one left off, so Lara Jean is still dealing with boy trouble.
One of the things that I love about this trilogy is the relationship between the sisters. I love that family is so important to Lara Jean. Also, the way that she takes care of Kitty, her younger sister, is so sweet. I love that Lara Jean loves to bake as well. It reminds me of me and my sister.
This book ends on another cliffhanger, so I definitely plan to read the last book to see how it all turns out. Oh, and I finally watched the movie adaption on Netflix and I loved it. The movie includes some elements from the second book, so if you prefer to read the book before the movie, I’d recommend you read the first two books before you watch the movie.
One of the things that I love about this trilogy is the relationship between the sisters. I love that family is so important to Lara Jean. Also, the way that she takes care of Kitty, her younger sister, is so sweet. I love that Lara Jean loves to bake as well. It reminds me of me and my sister.
This book ends on another cliffhanger, so I definitely plan to read the last book to see how it all turns out. Oh, and I finally watched the movie adaption on Netflix and I loved it. The movie includes some elements from the second book, so if you prefer to read the book before the movie, I’d recommend you read the first two books before you watch the movie.
Thank you to Penguin Books for providing me with a review copy!
Throughout the week, Nora has been looking forward to spending the weekend at her sister's house in the country. However, when she arrives at Rachel's house, she's greeted with a shocking scene- Rachel has been brutally murdered. As Nora drowns in grief, she becomes obsessed with finding her sister's killer.
I really liked that this is more of a psychological thriller. It's written in first-person perspective throughout, so we are really in Nora's head as she struggles to accept what's happened to her sister. Berry does a great job of creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere, giving me that same feeling of unease that you get when you sense someone is behind you.
That being said, the chapters are comprised of shorter, choppier sentences with a stream-of-consciousness feel, which isn't my favorite writing style. For me, that created some distance and prevented me from connecting with the characters fully.
As the story unfolds, the reader learns that Nora and Rachel had a close, but fraught relationship, as many sisters do. I found the exploration of this sister relationship quite fascinating, particularly since both sisters are flawed.
Nora's world is completely shaken after her sister's death and the description of her thoughts and feelings felt true to me. Although I struggled to connect in certain sections, there are parts of this novel that I felt were well done. I'll be keeping an eye out for future work from Flynn Berry.
Throughout the week, Nora has been looking forward to spending the weekend at her sister's house in the country. However, when she arrives at Rachel's house, she's greeted with a shocking scene- Rachel has been brutally murdered. As Nora drowns in grief, she becomes obsessed with finding her sister's killer.
I really liked that this is more of a psychological thriller. It's written in first-person perspective throughout, so we are really in Nora's head as she struggles to accept what's happened to her sister. Berry does a great job of creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere, giving me that same feeling of unease that you get when you sense someone is behind you.
That being said, the chapters are comprised of shorter, choppier sentences with a stream-of-consciousness feel, which isn't my favorite writing style. For me, that created some distance and prevented me from connecting with the characters fully.
As the story unfolds, the reader learns that Nora and Rachel had a close, but fraught relationship, as many sisters do. I found the exploration of this sister relationship quite fascinating, particularly since both sisters are flawed.
Nora's world is completely shaken after her sister's death and the description of her thoughts and feelings felt true to me. Although I struggled to connect in certain sections, there are parts of this novel that I felt were well done. I'll be keeping an eye out for future work from Flynn Berry.
2.5 stars
Boy meets girl. Boy thinks girl is perfect and everything he's every wanted. Boy falls in love with girl. Boy kidnaps girl so that he can force her to fall in love with him. Uhhhh, wait a minute...
The scariest part of this book is Teo's psychopathic behavior. He knows how he is supposed to act, but has no problem twisting the narrative to support his desires. There are certain moments in this book that made my jaw drop or made me think, "How can he get away with this?"
Something about the writing threw me off though. I'm not sure if something was lost in translation, but the writing felt stilted to me. Despite that, this was a quick read (one particular scene stands out and still makes me a bit queasy when I think about it!) that I'd recommend to some people for it's uniquely disturbing nature alone.
Boy meets girl. Boy thinks girl is perfect and everything he's every wanted. Boy falls in love with girl. Boy kidnaps girl so that he can force her to fall in love with him. Uhhhh, wait a minute...
The scariest part of this book is Teo's psychopathic behavior. He knows how he is supposed to act, but has no problem twisting the narrative to support his desires. There are certain moments in this book that made my jaw drop or made me think, "How can he get away with this?"
Something about the writing threw me off though. I'm not sure if something was lost in translation, but the writing felt stilted to me. Despite that, this was a quick read (one particular scene stands out and still makes me a bit queasy when I think about it!) that I'd recommend to some people for it's uniquely disturbing nature alone.
I’ve started gravitating toward Ruth Ware’s books because I know they’ll be decently written and relatively entertaining. This one’s about four girls who are friends in boarding school. They play a game called The Lying Game, where they tell lies and receive points based on how convincing they are. After an incident though, they are forced to leave school in disgrace. Years go by and they move on with their lives, until one day they get a text from their friend saying “I need you,” a text that brings them all back to the school where they first met.
I was hoping this story would be a lot juicier than it was. I tend to like stories that take place in a campus setting, so I enjoyed that aspect of this. However, I didn’t think any of the core characters were interesting, and I thought the narrator was particularly bland. While I was reading, I wished I had a better sense of who these characters were and what motivated them.
I tend to generally feel fine about Ruth Ware’s books. I’d rank this one towards the bottom of the list of her books that I’ve read as it just didn’t do it for me.
I was hoping this story would be a lot juicier than it was. I tend to like stories that take place in a campus setting, so I enjoyed that aspect of this. However, I didn’t think any of the core characters were interesting, and I thought the narrator was particularly bland. While I was reading, I wished I had a better sense of who these characters were and what motivated them.
I tend to generally feel fine about Ruth Ware’s books. I’d rank this one towards the bottom of the list of her books that I’ve read as it just didn’t do it for me.
I've only briefly dabbled in short stories before. In fact, I can't even remember the last short story collection that I read before this, so feel free to take my review with a grain of salt! It did feel good to branch out though, and try something a bit outside my usual reading comfort zone.
I really enjoyed Her Body and Other Parties. All together, there are eight stories. I loved that they focused on female characters and featured LGBTQ+ characters. These stories touch on marriage, motherhood, death, life, and many other things in-between. There are also magical realism and speculative fiction elements woven into these stories about women.
The writing was beautiful and I thought the imagery in particular was gorgeous. She has this way of describing things so that you feel like the words have come to life before you. It felt like she was painting a scene with her words.
I thought the first story was excellent. It was captivating and a bit raw, and just really made me appreciate what some authors can do in a short amount of space. The third story also stood out to me. It's told in little vignettes, which written as descriptions of various SVU episodes. At first, I didn't really like or understand that writing choice. As I kept reading however, it began to grow on me and I appreciate that story for challenging my notion of what a short story should be.
I appreciated the raw energy of these stories and how Machado wasn't afraid to play around and get a bit weird. If this review piqued your interest at all, then I'd definitely recommend this collection!
I really enjoyed Her Body and Other Parties. All together, there are eight stories. I loved that they focused on female characters and featured LGBTQ+ characters. These stories touch on marriage, motherhood, death, life, and many other things in-between. There are also magical realism and speculative fiction elements woven into these stories about women.
The writing was beautiful and I thought the imagery in particular was gorgeous. She has this way of describing things so that you feel like the words have come to life before you. It felt like she was painting a scene with her words.
I thought the first story was excellent. It was captivating and a bit raw, and just really made me appreciate what some authors can do in a short amount of space. The third story also stood out to me. It's told in little vignettes, which written as descriptions of various SVU episodes. At first, I didn't really like or understand that writing choice. As I kept reading however, it began to grow on me and I appreciate that story for challenging my notion of what a short story should be.
I appreciated the raw energy of these stories and how Machado wasn't afraid to play around and get a bit weird. If this review piqued your interest at all, then I'd definitely recommend this collection!
Does this cover look familiar? I feel like this book was everywhere in December. It really did feel like every person and their mother was reading this book last month. So of course, I had to jump on the bandwagon and read it too.
I have to say, I really, really enjoyed it. There’s definitely some problematic elements, but they didn’t detract too much from my feelings about this book.
Laurie doesn’t really believe in love at first sight, until one day at a bus stop, she spots Jack. There’s an instant spark between them and it looks like he’s about to jump on the bus to come talk to her. But, he hesitates just a moment too long, misses it, and Laurie is left wondering about the identity of the handsome man at the bus stop.
A lot happens in this novel since it spans the course of about ten years. It’s written from both Laurie and Jack’s perspectives, so have the opportunity to see what each of our main characters is thinking. I feel like the author did a good job with the pacing of the plot.
I definitely got sucked into this story. While I didn’t approve of all of their choices or feelings (did anyone else think that Jack was a bit of a jerk?), I was pretty hooked on the story. There were points where I wanted to shake Laurie and Jack and tell them to grow up! I think that’s why I preferred the later years, when Laurie was a bit more mature and less naive.
A good chunk of the novel was set around the holidays, which I loved because I freakin’ love Christmas. This was the perfect December read and probably one of my favorites last month.
I have to say, I really, really enjoyed it. There’s definitely some problematic elements, but they didn’t detract too much from my feelings about this book.
Laurie doesn’t really believe in love at first sight, until one day at a bus stop, she spots Jack. There’s an instant spark between them and it looks like he’s about to jump on the bus to come talk to her. But, he hesitates just a moment too long, misses it, and Laurie is left wondering about the identity of the handsome man at the bus stop.
A lot happens in this novel since it spans the course of about ten years. It’s written from both Laurie and Jack’s perspectives, so have the opportunity to see what each of our main characters is thinking. I feel like the author did a good job with the pacing of the plot.
I definitely got sucked into this story. While I didn’t approve of all of their choices or feelings (did anyone else think that Jack was a bit of a jerk?), I was pretty hooked on the story. There were points where I wanted to shake Laurie and Jack and tell them to grow up! I think that’s why I preferred the later years, when Laurie was a bit more mature and less naive.
A good chunk of the novel was set around the holidays, which I loved because I freakin’ love Christmas. This was the perfect December read and probably one of my favorites last month.
4.5 stars
As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew it was my kind of book. I'm so happy that I won an ARC in a giveaway (thank you to Putnam Books).
The book starts with an incident where Emira, a twenty-something black babysitter, is accused of kidnapping the young white toddler she babysits. Then we get to see the aftermath of this event, and how it changes the relationship between Emira and her boss, Alix Chamberlain.
First of all, I really enjoyed this book. I found the tone and writing style very compelling and easy to digest. There's so much to unpack in this novel, as the author provides a social commentary on race and class. I really admired the way that Reid tackled some heavy topics with nuance, while keeping a relatively light tone.
Alix is horrified by what happens to Emira and wants to make things right. She's well meaning and consults her friends, including her close black friend, Tamra, about the situation and for advice on how to befriend Emira. Alix is convinced that everything she does is in Emira's best interest.
Meanwhile, Emira is young, broke, and a bit aimless. I found that very relatable as I think a lot of us have been in Emira's position and some point or another. She's still trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to do with her life. There are two main white people in Emira's life, and for a while, you're trying to figure who really has Emira's best interests in mind and who's just using her.
There's also a discussion about the people that we invite into our personal lives. Can the transactional nature of Emira's and Alix's relationship (babysitter and boss) be overshadowed by something deeper and more personal?
I thought these characters were well developed. With Alix in particular, I feel like we all know people IRL with similar traits. I really liked Emira and enjoyed getting to hear her story. There are contradictions within these characters, which the author uses to demonstrate that not everything is black and white.
I did think that the middle of the book was a bit meandering, but it starts off really strong and the plot really picks up in the last third of the book as everything comes to a head. Also, it struck me as odd that Emira, as a twenty-something in the year 2015/2016, does not have any social media accounts. I found that a bit hard to believe.
I have so much more to say about this book, but I'm going to leave it here to avoid getting into spoilers. As I mentioned, there's a lot to unpack in this novel and I wish I could have done it as a buddy read so that I'd have someone to discuss it with (if you've read it, come talk to me!).
This book is out in December and I'd definitely recommend it. It felt very accessible and I think this is a book that people could read that would make them examine their own privilege a bit.
//
I really enjoyed this one! A proper review to come.
As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew it was my kind of book. I'm so happy that I won an ARC in a giveaway (thank you to Putnam Books).
The book starts with an incident where Emira, a twenty-something black babysitter, is accused of kidnapping the young white toddler she babysits. Then we get to see the aftermath of this event, and how it changes the relationship between Emira and her boss, Alix Chamberlain.
First of all, I really enjoyed this book. I found the tone and writing style very compelling and easy to digest. There's so much to unpack in this novel, as the author provides a social commentary on race and class. I really admired the way that Reid tackled some heavy topics with nuance, while keeping a relatively light tone.
Alix is horrified by what happens to Emira and wants to make things right. She's well meaning and consults her friends, including her close black friend, Tamra, about the situation and for advice on how to befriend Emira. Alix is convinced that everything she does is in Emira's best interest.
Meanwhile, Emira is young, broke, and a bit aimless. I found that very relatable as I think a lot of us have been in Emira's position and some point or another. She's still trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to do with her life. There are two main white people in Emira's life, and for a while, you're trying to figure who really has Emira's best interests in mind and who's just using her.
There's also a discussion about the people that we invite into our personal lives. Can the transactional nature of Emira's and Alix's relationship (babysitter and boss) be overshadowed by something deeper and more personal?
I thought these characters were well developed. With Alix in particular, I feel like we all know people IRL with similar traits. I really liked Emira and enjoyed getting to hear her story. There are contradictions within these characters, which the author uses to demonstrate that not everything is black and white.
I did think that the middle of the book was a bit meandering, but it starts off really strong and the plot really picks up in the last third of the book as everything comes to a head. Also, it struck me as odd that Emira, as a twenty-something in the year 2015/2016, does not have any social media accounts. I found that a bit hard to believe.
I have so much more to say about this book, but I'm going to leave it here to avoid getting into spoilers. As I mentioned, there's a lot to unpack in this novel and I wish I could have done it as a buddy read so that I'd have someone to discuss it with (if you've read it, come talk to me!).
This book is out in December and I'd definitely recommend it. It felt very accessible and I think this is a book that people could read that would make them examine their own privilege a bit.
//
I really enjoyed this one! A proper review to come.
I've always wondered what it would be like to live abroad and this latest novel from Janice Y. K. Lee gave me a peek into the expat life. The story centers around three women: Mercy, a twenty-something struggling to find her purpose in life, Margaret, a mother of three who has a handsome husband and an envy-inducing life, and Hilary, who is desperate to become a mother herself. Lee weaves these lives together as each woman explores her own identity.
I found the setting and descriptions of expat culture fascinating. Lee focuses on American expats who are stationed in Hong Kong for a year, or three, or ten. The expatriates stay within their own community, and interaction with locals is often characterized by a clash of cultures. Within the expat community, there are different cliques based on wealth, or common interests.
This is a quiet, beautiful written novel. Through her choice of words, Lee is able to convey so much about a character's personality. Each of the three women is a distinct entity, with their own quirks, insecurities, mannerisms and principles.
Each woman also has a significant hurdle to overcome: Margaret must deal with a terrible loss, Mercy tries to recover from a traumatic event, and Hilary constantly feels the absence of a child. As these three women try to reform their lives, Lee takes the reader along for the journey. If you have an interest in experience other cultures and enjoy character studies of women, I'd highly recommend The Expatriates.
I found the setting and descriptions of expat culture fascinating. Lee focuses on American expats who are stationed in Hong Kong for a year, or three, or ten. The expatriates stay within their own community, and interaction with locals is often characterized by a clash of cultures. Within the expat community, there are different cliques based on wealth, or common interests.
This is a quiet, beautiful written novel. Through her choice of words, Lee is able to convey so much about a character's personality. Each of the three women is a distinct entity, with their own quirks, insecurities, mannerisms and principles.
Each woman also has a significant hurdle to overcome: Margaret must deal with a terrible loss, Mercy tries to recover from a traumatic event, and Hilary constantly feels the absence of a child. As these three women try to reform their lives, Lee takes the reader along for the journey. If you have an interest in experience other cultures and enjoy character studies of women, I'd highly recommend The Expatriates.