Take a photo of a barcode or cover
youreadtoomuch's reviews
330 reviews
Meeting Mrs. Garret by Raquel De Leon
4.0
I've read this book so many times (albeit in another form) that I HAD to get my own copy. Sadly, but not unfortunately, it was an ebook version. Anyway, this book feels like home. It's a comfort story and so special to me and I am beyond words that it's published.
When Natalie Navarro is introduced to her friend Brittney Garret's parents she didn't expect to be hired to work on Adam Garret's car. She especially didn't expect to be so attracted to his wife Maddie, and her friend's mom, during that time. What follows is her attempts to downplay her crush – it's not a crush – while also doing exactly the opposite. Told in bits in Natalie's perspective and Maddie's, this book nicely develops the relationship that blossoms between these two.
Okay, it may have been a while since I've read this piece and was it just me or were there some scenes that got cut? Or am I just confusing it with another story...
When Natalie Navarro is introduced to her friend Brittney Garret's parents she didn't expect to be hired to work on Adam Garret's car. She especially didn't expect to be so attracted to his wife Maddie, and her friend's mom, during that time. What follows is her attempts to downplay her crush – it's not a crush – while also doing exactly the opposite. Told in bits in Natalie's perspective and Maddie's, this book nicely develops the relationship that blossoms between these two.
Okay, it may have been a while since I've read this piece and was it just me or were there some scenes that got cut? Or am I just confusing it with another story...
Psycho by Robert Bloch
4.0
“No matter what she did, she belonged here, with him. Maybe she was crazy, and a murderess, but she was all he had. All he wanted. All he needed.”
This book was surprisingly simple and to the point. It's a wonder it was able to inspire a classic film and even more a show. It's only proof of the talent of writers and content creators – I'm mostly talking about Bates Motel! This book quickly explores the psyche behind Norman's reality and the reasoning behind his actions but it is enough to hook you and capture the imagination. I could only imagine what it must have been like to read this thriller before a tv show or movie and truly going on the rollercoaster of mystery Norman and his mother are.
And my gods, the ending had me in awe. I had forgotten that from the film but it's oddly left such an impression on me those last pages of the book.
This book was surprisingly simple and to the point. It's a wonder it was able to inspire a classic film and even more a show. It's only proof of the talent of writers and content creators – I'm mostly talking about Bates Motel! This book quickly explores the psyche behind Norman's reality and the reasoning behind his actions but it is enough to hook you and capture the imagination. I could only imagine what it must have been like to read this thriller before a tv show or movie and truly going on the rollercoaster of mystery Norman and his mother are.
And my gods, the ending had me in awe. I had forgotten that from the film but it's oddly left such an impression on me those last pages of the book.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
4.0
"She was elusive. She was today. She was tomorrow. She was the faintest scent of a cactus flower, the flitting shadow of an elf owl. We did not know what to make of her. In our minds we tried to pin her to a corkboard like a butterfly, but the pin merely went through and away she flew."
This is one of my comfort books. It's definitely a favorite but reading it again after so many years after experiencing love and friendships and a changing identity, I can only see hints of the book that captured my soul. This reread was a bit more critical. Reading it felt like one big metaphor for the destruction of a woman's individuality.
Stargirl is unlike anyone Leo Borlock has ever met. Unlike anyone their high school has ever met. At first she's a mystery. A beautiful and original mystery everyone wants to befriend. She's kind in all the right ways, weird in all the right ways but when everyone turns on her, they begin to see her for what she might be: a phony. But Leo can't help but falling in love with her until he's a victim of the shunning Stargirl goes through in school. All her quirks begin to irk him and embarass him and he does the worst thing possible: he makes Stargirl change who she is. The book ends in a sad reality without Stargirl and a lingering notion that Leo might not ever understand how much Stargirl really loved him.
Cannot wait to read the sequel to this but I also don't want to ruin the little bubble of wonder this book creates...
This is one of my comfort books. It's definitely a favorite but reading it again after so many years after experiencing love and friendships and a changing identity, I can only see hints of the book that captured my soul. This reread was a bit more critical. Reading it felt like one big metaphor for the destruction of a woman's individuality.
Stargirl is unlike anyone Leo Borlock has ever met. Unlike anyone their high school has ever met. At first she's a mystery. A beautiful and original mystery everyone wants to befriend. She's kind in all the right ways, weird in all the right ways but when everyone turns on her, they begin to see her for what she might be: a phony. But Leo can't help but falling in love with her until he's a victim of the shunning Stargirl goes through in school. All her quirks begin to irk him and embarass him and he does the worst thing possible: he makes Stargirl change who she is. The book ends in a sad reality without Stargirl and a lingering notion that Leo might not ever understand how much Stargirl really loved him.
Cannot wait to read the sequel to this but I also don't want to ruin the little bubble of wonder this book creates...
Winter Jacket by Eliza Lentzski
1.0
After much thinking, I have decided to not write a heavy and long review detailing how much I disliked this book because there are better books to dedicate my time. So I will quickly gloss over the points I did like and those that made this book not so great. UPDATE: I totally lied and really went in on this book.
Elle Graft has fallen for one of her students in her writing seminars. Chance meetings after the semester ends brings her and her student, Hunter Dyson, closer than she ever expected.
Pros:
1. Elle's sexuality did not need to be explained. She is a lesbian and she's is an adult aware of this.
2. It has a happy ending.
Cons: (...where do I start?)
1. The age difference is 9 years (that isn't a problem for me) but this problem felt exhausted and not very arguable compared to other age gaps.
2. I wasn't even halfway through the book and the couple was already together so I was worried the problems that would drive the rest of the book were going to be predictable or not important at all. It was worse than I could have expected. The problems were not well thought out and were resolved too quickly to accommodate for the next problem.
3. There are three (3) main points of conflict:
4. I am no one to judge whatever nicknames you give your significant other but Ellio???? And the fact that Elle absolutely melts every single time Hunter calls her this? It seems out of character of Elle.
5. I guess I can't really blame the character for this but Elle is weirdly obsessed with the whole Top vs. Bottom concept like she mentions she's a bit of a Dom but it felt out of place everytime it was brought up. Even beyond the sexual ramifications of it, whenever she'd let Hunter take care of her it still felt like she was obsessing over "I don't submit to anybody." But it could just be the writing coming off this way. Which brings me to #6.
6. That weird little BDSM mention???? Oh yeah, "I, Hunter, would like you, Elle, to tie me up even if we have never discussed this ever until this point because I learned that's what you used to do with you ex-lover." And then it was never brought up again.
7. At first it was nice to not have Elle explain her journey discovering she liked girls but the feeling didn't last long because she is obsessed over what other think of her being gay like being gay is the thing to be to be interesting. When she meets Hunter's brother she thinks:
Her thoughts about her being a lesbian always felt more demonstrative. Like she wanted everyone to know even though she too often stressed not caring if others knew.
8.Elle wanted to protect Hunter from all bad things because her heart ached for this lonely girl. She moved once during high school and her only friend was her neighbor turned college roommate. Her parents were still a big (financial and emotional) part of her life so the ploy to sympathize for her character was unsuccessful. I mean, if she was unable to make more friends since high school it says more about her not wanting any than she's had a hard life.
9. There was a moment where the author's shaming of women jumped out when they were in the strip club. Elle remarks:
Oh, but this can't mean what I'm possibly saying. Wait, there's more. She gets a lap dance from a woman who was "long-limbed with fine bones and small, but natural breasts. I think they were the first real breastsI'd seen since we'd gotten here." Absolute garbage. Had to throw away the whole book.
I said I wouldn't get into it but how could I not when this book made me write a list of everything I hated. There's only been one other book and it was a memoir of sorts of a real person. So this book couldn't have done worse than that. But still, I was excited to read the series but they're all the same theme and now I don't trust the author's writing.
I don't mean to offend but the book was not made for me, others may enjoy it but I had to be honest. Hope others pick this book up and genuinely enjoy it, it just wasn't to my taste.
Elle Graft has fallen for one of her students in her writing seminars. Chance meetings after the semester ends brings her and her student, Hunter Dyson, closer than she ever expected.
Pros:
1. Elle's sexuality did not need to be explained. She is a lesbian and she's is an adult aware of this.
2. It has a happy ending.
Cons: (...where do I start?)
1. The age difference is 9 years (that isn't a problem for me) but this problem felt exhausted and not very arguable compared to other age gaps.
2. I wasn't even halfway through the book and the couple was already together so I was worried the problems that would drive the rest of the book were going to be predictable or not important at all. It was worse than I could have expected. The problems were not well thought out and were resolved too quickly to accommodate for the next problem.
3. There are three (3) main points of conflict:
Spoiler
I. Ruby, her old fling with which she cheated with on her ex-girlfriend that was never once mentioned until she quite literally showed up on her door step. Not a very convincing argument and a terrible character that causes an unnecessary rift between the couple. Boring. II. Meeting Hunter's parents which can go just as much as you expect when you find out your daughter is dating a woman that used to be her professor and again causes the couple to "separate". And III. The whole professor-former student thing that did not go anywhere, or amount to anything except overplayed stress for these two.4. I am no one to judge whatever nicknames you give your significant other but Ellio???? And the fact that Elle absolutely melts every single time Hunter calls her this? It seems out of character of Elle.
5. I guess I can't really blame the character for this but Elle is weirdly obsessed with the whole Top vs. Bottom concept like she mentions she's a bit of a Dom but it felt out of place everytime it was brought up. Even beyond the sexual ramifications of it, whenever she'd let Hunter take care of her it still felt like she was obsessing over "I don't submit to anybody." But it could just be the writing coming off this way. Which brings me to #6.
6. That weird little BDSM mention???? Oh yeah, "I, Hunter, would like you, Elle, to tie me up even if we have never discussed this ever until this point because I learned that's what you used to do with you ex-lover." And then it was never brought up again.
7. At first it was nice to not have Elle explain her journey discovering she liked girls but the feeling didn't last long because she is obsessed over what other think of her being gay like being gay is the thing to be to be interesting. When she meets Hunter's brother she thinks:
Brian, a typical teenage boy wouldn't know how to react to seeing the two of us together. I'm sure his hormones were racing with typical straight boy girl-on-girl fantasies, but were complicated because on of those girls was his sister.
Her thoughts about her being a lesbian always felt more demonstrative. Like she wanted everyone to know even though she too often stressed not caring if others knew.
8.Elle wanted to protect Hunter from all bad things because her heart ached for this lonely girl. She moved once during high school and her only friend was her neighbor turned college roommate. Her parents were still a big (financial and emotional) part of her life so the ploy to sympathize for her character was unsuccessful. I mean, if she was unable to make more friends since high school it says more about her not wanting any than she's had a hard life.
9. There was a moment where the author's shaming of women jumped out when they were in the strip club. Elle remarks:
The women, the dancers, walking around . . . were pretty but in a very plastic, uniform way. They all had the same breasts and the same teeth.
Oh, but this can't mean what I'm possibly saying. Wait, there's more. She gets a lap dance from a woman who was "long-limbed with fine bones and small, but natural breasts. I think they were the first real breastsI'd seen since we'd gotten here." Absolute garbage. Had to throw away the whole book.
I said I wouldn't get into it but how could I not when this book made me write a list of everything I hated. There's only been one other book and it was a memoir of sorts of a real person. So this book couldn't have done worse than that. But still, I was excited to read the series but they're all the same theme and now I don't trust the author's writing.
I don't mean to offend but the book was not made for me, others may enjoy it but I had to be honest. Hope others pick this book up and genuinely enjoy it, it just wasn't to my taste.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
5.0
This little book had it all: a family murder (come on 4 people were poisoned; this isn't a spoiler because that's literally the premise of the book), an estranged family, a beautiful home I wish I could visit, and a town that hates their guts. No seriously, everyone in this town has shunned the Blackwood family after Constance, the eldest daughter, was accused and acquitted of the murders. The few that talk to them are kind but keep at a distance. Mary Katherine "Merricat" Blackwood, the protagonist, is used to having things her way now 6 years from that dreadful night and is met with a huge obstacle in her Cousin Charles. He easily inserts himself into her father's posessions, is unkind to wheelchair-bound Uncle Julian, and convinces Constance she is to blame for the trio's recluse in the big house.
Shirley Jackson does a beautiful way of maintaining the mysterious poisoning of the Blackwood family in the back of the reader's mind throughout the whole book. There's a lot of foreshadowing and its keeps the suspense well alive and not at all played out. When you do find out who poisoned the family it feels very secretive as if you are one of the remaining family and don't wish to ever disclose it again or make anyone feel uncomfortable as if they didn't murder 4 people...
Was debating giving this 4 stars because of the townspeople but that isn't the books fault. It didn't make it a bad book but they were intolerable and I guess it was wonderful to feel enraged during this book.
Shirley Jackson does a beautiful way of maintaining the mysterious poisoning of the Blackwood family in the back of the reader's mind throughout the whole book. There's a lot of foreshadowing and its keeps the suspense well alive and not at all played out. When you do find out who poisoned the family it feels very secretive as if you are one of the remaining family and don't wish to ever disclose it again or make anyone feel uncomfortable as if they didn't murder 4 people...
Was debating giving this 4 stars because of the townspeople but that isn't the books fault.
Spoiler
When the fire rages on, the whole town destroys the beautiful house, well what remained. And they don't care for anyone that might live there. And they only leave when it is announced that Uncle Julian is dead. But they, I guess, made up for it by the food deliveries they send the house everyday but still.
Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
2.0
"Let the stars keep track of us. Let us ride our own orbits and trust that they will meet. May our reunion be not a finding but a sweet collision of destinies!"
What was so captivating about Love, Stargirl's prequel, Stargirl, was Stargirl's mystery. A girl, enchanting and nonconforming to society's standards and Leo's foolish attempts to understand and change her but failing because she's a personality we can only follow and befriend not own. So to have that beautiful mystery toppled over and fall flat through Stargirl's own perspective here is a big disappointment. The way this book is written expects the reader to not have read the previous book so the way Stargirl remembers pivotal moment seem dishonest and performative rather than her just being herself.
We learn she's heartbroken after Leo – understandable. But instead she loses who she is and every thing that made her so special and unique is stripped away and instead comes off as cliche like "Yeah, I'm not your typical girl." Or maybe this book didn't age well. But she does end up becoming her truest self again which the book does wonderfully.
I saw a review praise the way she is able to worm her way into the lives of the other characters and it's supposed to come off as charming but it all seemed very meddlesome and out of character for Stargirl. But I think my point of view jumps off of not particularly enjoying any of the other characters in this book. Dootsie is an inquisitive six year old that borders on nuisance rather than the adorable, curious girl she's written as. Charlie, just sits at his wife's grave everyday, sweet if not a bit morbid. Betty Lou never leaves her house, surprised a six year old managed to befriend her. Arnold is Arnold. Alvina was probably the most interesting character: 11-year old tomboy, heavyweight champ, one manicured fake nail? Cool. Margie, the donut shop owner, seemed very hostile at first only to provide a full background on the boy she liked/didn't like. Said boy, Perry, is too secretive and dull to rile up Stargirl's interest the way he does. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT IN THIS BOOK. And what was with his harem of girls? What kind of teenage girls find kinship in knowing the guy they like wants nothing serious with any of them but rather casual time with all of them? It felt like a big ego fantasy on the author's part. They're children. And why doesn't Perry dispel this awful reputation.
Anyway, I kind of find that I hated this book. How sad.
What was so captivating about Love, Stargirl's prequel, Stargirl, was Stargirl's mystery. A girl, enchanting and nonconforming to society's standards and Leo's foolish attempts to understand and change her but failing because she's a personality we can only follow and befriend not own. So to have that beautiful mystery toppled over and fall flat through Stargirl's own perspective here is a big disappointment. The way this book is written expects the reader to not have read the previous book so the way Stargirl remembers pivotal moment seem dishonest and performative rather than her just being herself.
We learn she's heartbroken after Leo – understandable. But instead she loses who she is and every thing that made her so special and unique is stripped away and instead comes off as cliche like "Yeah, I'm not your typical girl." Or maybe this book didn't age well. But she does end up becoming her truest self again which the book does wonderfully.
I saw a review praise the way she is able to worm her way into the lives of the other characters and it's supposed to come off as charming but it all seemed very meddlesome and out of character for Stargirl. But I think my point of view jumps off of not particularly enjoying any of the other characters in this book. Dootsie is an inquisitive six year old that borders on nuisance rather than the adorable, curious girl she's written as. Charlie, just sits at his wife's grave everyday, sweet if not a bit morbid. Betty Lou never leaves her house, surprised a six year old managed to befriend her. Arnold is Arnold. Alvina was probably the most interesting character: 11-year old tomboy, heavyweight champ, one manicured fake nail? Cool. Margie, the donut shop owner, seemed very hostile at first only to provide a full background on the boy she liked/didn't like. Said boy, Perry, is too secretive and dull to rile up Stargirl's interest the way he does. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT IN THIS BOOK. And what was with his harem of girls? What kind of teenage girls find kinship in knowing the guy they like wants nothing serious with any of them but rather casual time with all of them? It felt like a big ego fantasy on the author's part. They're children. And why doesn't Perry dispel this awful reputation.
Anyway, I kind of find that I hated this book. How sad.
Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain by Portia de Rossi
5.0
“There's a fine line between being private and being ashamed.” 🌒
Getting through this book was difficult and very emotional, I can only imagine Portia’s own journey with her eating disorder, recovery, and ability to share this in a book. Her pain and shame really stand out and make it that more powerful to see her find happiness in love and herself. The book truly reflects how tortured she was while making appearance a priority over health and happiness. It was quite beautiful hearing her acknowledge her own happiness and good health after hitting rock bottom. A vulnerable read, recommend giving it a listen.
Getting through this book was difficult and very emotional, I can only imagine Portia’s own journey with her eating disorder, recovery, and ability to share this in a book. Her pain and shame really stand out and make it that more powerful to see her find happiness in love and herself. The book truly reflects how tortured she was while making appearance a priority over health and happiness. It was quite beautiful hearing her acknowledge her own happiness and good health after hitting rock bottom. A vulnerable read, recommend giving it a listen.
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
3.0
Very clear cut plot. Follows the escape of Cora from a Georgia plantation and the people that help her along the way and those she loses. The very first third of the book was difficult to read because of the sentence fragments here and there but I always find it difficult to get the flow of a new book. But the rest of the book became easier to read and follow once I understood the author's writing style.
I think the myth and awe surrounding her mother's escape is so well done. I was boiling inside to know where she ended up or not know and believe the mystery that she, somehow, managed to escape. In the end, her mother's truth and escape falls flat and I could have done without knowing at all. All the secondary characters don't seem to be fleshed out but more of just given a backdrop so we can understand them but they are rushed narratives. The book seems to want to encompass an omnipresent pov so it loses that personal touch/relatability to Cora's character.
Lastly, I don't know how I feel about the Underground Railroad being a physical entity, an actual underground railroad. It was a new idea, following childhood learning and powerful realization that it wasn't an actual train system but also a crude reimagining of history.
I think the myth and awe surrounding her mother's escape is so well done. I was boiling inside to know where she ended up or not know and believe the mystery that she, somehow, managed to escape. In the end, her mother's truth and escape falls flat and I could have done without knowing at all. All the secondary characters don't seem to be fleshed out but more of just given a backdrop so we can understand them but they are rushed narratives. The book seems to want to encompass an omnipresent pov so it loses that personal touch/relatability to Cora's character.
Lastly, I don't know how I feel about the Underground Railroad being a physical entity, an actual underground railroad. It was a new idea, following childhood learning and powerful realization that it wasn't an actual train system but also a crude reimagining of history.
Barnaby Rudge: a tale of the Riots of 'eighty by Charles Dickens
3.0
“The birds were all at roost, the daisies on the green had closed their fairy hoods, the honeysuckle twining round the porch exhaled its perfume in a twofold degree, as though it lost its coyness at that silent time and loved to shed its fragrance on the night; the ivy scarcely stirred its deep green leaves. How tranquil, and how beautiful it was!”
This quote perfectly summarizes how blissfully unaware I was about the riots that were to come in the 1780s because it wasn’t until I was really into the book did any semblance of dissent begin to stir in my mind.
Barnaby Rudge is definitely a slow paced book starting five years before the actual riots take place. It introduces you nicely to all the characters that are to play an important role during the riots. Each of these characters also distinctly remembers a murder of years past that has burdened certain characters throughout their lives and now once again as this ghost has come back to haunt them. Unlike its title suggest, Barnaby Rudge – the character, isn’t a central character though he does rouse sympathy throughout the whole book due to his mental illness and his vulnerability to being led astray by those of crueler natures. Other than that every character is quite a mischief and memorable in their own way. Very well done.
What this book does nicely is give everyone a happy ending, I would have never guessed that of Charles Dickens. Would only recommend to people who enjoy this type of literature (I guess it doesn’t really fall under classics, but it’s somewhere near there.) Other than that it was not my cup of tea. So long that it bored me, the parts of interest were mainly at the end when you discover who certain characters really are (delightful plot twists here and there) but otherwise not a book inside my little circle of interests.
This is just an aside, the romances weren’t major plot points which I really enjoyed but the book did take some dramatic turns regarding threatened abuse of women. Safe to say, none of the women were harmed beyond that of a terrible experience to be had and saved just in the nick of time and then the consequences of those nights are not really ever mentioned.
This quote perfectly summarizes how blissfully unaware I was about the riots that were to come in the 1780s because it wasn’t until I was really into the book did any semblance of dissent begin to stir in my mind.
Barnaby Rudge is definitely a slow paced book starting five years before the actual riots take place. It introduces you nicely to all the characters that are to play an important role during the riots. Each of these characters also distinctly remembers a murder of years past that has burdened certain characters throughout their lives and now once again as this ghost has come back to haunt them. Unlike its title suggest, Barnaby Rudge – the character, isn’t a central character though he does rouse sympathy throughout the whole book due to his mental illness and his vulnerability to being led astray by those of crueler natures. Other than that every character is quite a mischief and memorable in their own way. Very well done.
What this book does nicely is give everyone a happy ending, I would have never guessed that of Charles Dickens. Would only recommend to people who enjoy this type of literature (I guess it doesn’t really fall under classics, but it’s somewhere near there.) Other than that it was not my cup of tea. So long that it bored me, the parts of interest were mainly at the end when you discover who certain characters really are (delightful plot twists here and there) but otherwise not a book inside my little circle of interests.
This is just an aside, the romances weren’t major plot points which I really enjoyed but the book did take some dramatic turns regarding threatened abuse of women. Safe to say, none of the women were harmed beyond that of a terrible experience to be had and saved just in the nick of time and then the consequences of those nights are not really ever mentioned.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
5.0
It a real treasure being able to read this at an age where I can decide what to read. My appreciation for this book is tenfold what it was when I first attempted this in 9th grade. I thought it boring before and now laugh at the young girl I was. I don't think I will summarize this book because it's a classic but let me say, the scene where Scout sees her Aunt Alexandra in a new light was so subtle and beautiful! It really showed how Aunt Alexandra and Atticus were more alike than originally thought.
Anyway, if you haven't read this book yet go ahead and carve a bit of space for it.
Anyway, if you haven't read this book yet go ahead and carve a bit of space for it.