spaceonthebookcase's reviews
1086 reviews

Coolest Club Ever! by Stephen Shaskan

5.0

Pizza and Taco decide to start a new club at school, but disappointment ensues when they find out they're not the only ones starting a new club. With themes of friendship and finding common ground, I felt this was a great addition to the series. Love the illustrations as always!

Thank you Random House Kids for the gifted copy.

A Copycat Conundrum (The Misfits) by Lisa Yee

5.0

The second book in The Misfits series, A Copycat Conundrum picks up where the first book stops. If you haven't read the first one I felt like this would make a pretty solid standalone. 

The story was well written and definitely left the series in a great place for book three. I really love the emphasis on friendship and teamwork, while also leaving space for family redemptions. 

***50 States Challenge: California

Thank you Random House Kids for the gifted copy.

Cinderella and the Beast (or, Beauty and the Glass Slipper) by Kim Bussing

4.0

If you walk into this book expecting a strict retelling of Cinderella and Belle's stories I think you'll be disappointed. This is a more modern take with loosely followed concepts from the fairytales; for me this wasn't a bad thing and I think it'll help appeal to a younger audience. Given that the characters were turned into preteens I did appreciate that author, Kim Bussing, chose to move away from the romance aspects of the original fairytales and moved to a place where kindness, friendship and empathy towards others took center stage. 

Kim Bussing is a strong writer, I love that this series is debuting with sprayed edges, and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you Random House Kids for the gifted copy.

The Perfect Home by Daniel Kenitz

2.0

If I were to write down a formula of what makes a thriller The Perfect Home would fit all of the boxes, which may sound like a good thing, but it made for a really boring book. 

Charming, charismatic husband...check
Low self-esteem, wife who's been gaslit...check
High stakes drama...check
Bad police procedure...check 

There was no shock and awe, and I think that stemmed in part to the dual points of view. If we excluded Wyatt, and allowed Dawn to be an unreliable narrator it may have had more twists and turns but every twist and every turn could be seen from chapters away. The friendship were like superficial, and the police were just so bad. Also, even if the house was owned by a shell company it is still Dawn's known residence and no way would it have been considered illegal for her to return. 

If you need an easy read, this may be a book for you. If you want something thrilling, I'd sit this one out. 

Thank you Scribner Books for the gifted copy. 
***50 States Challenge: Indiana, Tennessee

Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

5.0

Sarah Adams hits it out of the park with Practice Makes Perfect. I ordered my copy last year and I sat on it, don't make the same mistake I did. The family dynamic is heartwarming, the romance is well written and I loved this sunshine x grumpy sunshine.

Thank you PRH Audio for the gifted ALC.

***50 State Challenge: Kentucky 

When in Rome by Sarah Adams

5.0

So I read this series out of order, starting with book three and then going backwards. I just adore Sarah Adams and her writing. I was gifted a copy of the audiobook from PRH Audio, and I love when the voice matches who I see as the character in my head. The narrators was perfect, the story was awesome from start to finish and I'll be working through Sarah Adams backlist for the year.

***50 State Challenge: Kentucky 

Ace, Marvel, Spy by Jenni L. Walsh

3.0

Ace, Marvel, Spy is based on the real life tennis champion Alice Marble. From meeting her coach for the first time to be incorrectly diagnosed with TB, winning tennis championships across the country and abroad, to meeting a man and falling in love to doing it again, before becoming a spy for the United States government during World War II; Alice didn't lead a quiet life. 

While the story surrounding Alice Marble was interesting, I felt the writing style was very choppy. This isn't the first Jenni L. Walsh book I've read, but this was the first time where I felt the flashbacks harmed the flow of the story. Jumping from finding out about Joe and then immediately flashing back to when she was 20 was really jarring. I had to go back to make sure I didn't miss something. Also, the spy stuff really wasn't a central piece of the story and felt like an afterthought. 

While I'm still a fan of the authors this was more miss than hit for me; I thought she wrote the tennis stuff well though, and I am someone who finds tennis to be fairly boring. 

Thank you Harper Muse for the gifted ARC.

***50 States Challenge: California 

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

5.0

 I love this series; it defies logic as I am not typically a romantasy reader, but here we are. 

The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom by Nancy Reddy

informative

3.75

Blending academia nonfiction and memoir, Nancy Reddy uses her own experiences to relay how society views motherhood and what we've gotten wrong along the way. My experience as a first time mom was met with a baby who cried a lot; allergic to egg through breastmilk, the nights before I figured out what was wrong were torture. Feeling like a failure was common and being overwhelmed moreso. Having my second and experiencing PPD, I came to realize that motherhood is a journey that many women travel but no one walks the same path. The Good Mother Myth is the type of book I wished I had. 

Blending the history of baby rearing research and books, Nancy Reddy intelligently lays out a case that men can care for their infants no differently than their mothers; society just doesn't expect them to. I particularly liked her emphasis on how motherhood has been weaponized against women in the workforce by white men anytime women make headways; this is very relevant given the current state of the United States. 

A relatively quick read, I finished the book in a day and really enjoyed my time with it. Insightful and will make you think, while also finding relatability to the struggles Nancy Reddy had as a mother herself. 

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the gifted ARC. 

***50 State Challenge: Wisconsin, New Jersey

Iron Hope: Lessons Learned from Conquering the Impossible by James Lawrence

adventurous inspiring medium-paced

3.75

Iron Hope is more memoir than self help, though it's coined as a lesson or guidebook for others to build their own Iron Will. I don't necessarily think that it did that, though James Lawrence certainly includes pieces along the way. The most compelling portions of the book were about his journey to finish the 100 challenge: 100 full distance triathlons in 100 consecutive days. Having my feet in the running community I know the feet it takes to finish a marathon let alone one every day for 100 days and oh by the way you're also doing a 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike ride every single day. I loved that he expanded on his support team, particularly his wife and children who not only handled the day to day business but also how they function as a team. 

James Lawrence may not be genetically gifted, he checked; but mentally there is a lot to learn from him. I certainly won't be signing myself up for a marathon anytime soon, but that is the beauty of Iron Hope; you have to set your own 100 and whatever that looks like for you. 

For athletes or people who just like learning about the lives of others, this is a great book. 

Thank you St. Martins Press for the gifted ARC. 

**50 States Challenge: Utah