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zanybibliophile's reviews
291 reviews
Truth or Beard by Penny Reid
4.0
The story begins with a sexy Gandalf, a case of mistaken identity, a broken down car and a game of truth or dare with some of the bearded Winston brothers.
Beau and Duane Winston are identical twins in a family of many brothers, however, for this book, Duane is our leading man. He is a tall, strong, redhead/bearded mechanic at a family owned auto shop who loves racing in his spare time. Duane also has a massive crush with somewhat unrealistic relationship goals for a girl named Jessica James.
Jessica James is the daughter of the town's sheriff, the sister of one of the deputies and the local high school's math teacher. Unsurprisingly, she is described as being incredibly attractive and yet strangely still single at twenty-two. Part of the reason is her wanderlust which has her wanting to leave town and travel the world as soon as she has the money to do so. The other reason is her obsessive "he is my hero" style crush on Beau Winston.
At a Halloween party, to which Jessica goes dressed up as sexy Gandalf, Jessica mistakes Duane for Beau and basically lives out one of her Beau fantasies. Jessica's real-life-fantasy moment is shattered when Beau comes looking for Duane and gives away the identity of the Winston brother Jessica had just been making out with. Now Jessica has the impossible decision of what she is going to do about her now very confused feelings and Duane has the impossible decision of how to get his happily ever after with his dream girl when what she wants most is to leave.
There are romance and passion and scenes that sometimes went too far for my taste, but I liked that Duane was respectful in most of these situations. Other than that, the romance storyline was enjoyable.
There were two major non-romance plot points that I need to mention - Jessica's Aunt and Iron Wraiths biker club. Both of these elements felt like they were only included to add something more to the story. Sure, the plot surrounding Jessica's Aunt is great, I can see how the Iron Wraiths work in the story and these two plot points seem to be related to each other, but these type of scenarios seem to pop up in every romance-ish novel I have read. I would have loved to read something different that had me thinking "wow" instead of "eh, predictable". This on its own was enough for me to deduct a star.
The only other thing that sort of irked me is the split point-of-view. We see both Jessica's and Duane's view of events and while there is little recapping, which I appreciate, it became a little tiring reading both of their negative thoughts regarding their relationship and other life events. Other than that small complaint, the writing style was easy to read and an enjoyable e-book to read during a few lunch breaks.
Beau and Duane Winston are identical twins in a family of many brothers, however, for this book, Duane is our leading man. He is a tall, strong, redhead/bearded mechanic at a family owned auto shop who loves racing in his spare time. Duane also has a massive crush with somewhat unrealistic relationship goals for a girl named Jessica James.
Jessica James is the daughter of the town's sheriff, the sister of one of the deputies and the local high school's math teacher. Unsurprisingly, she is described as being incredibly attractive and yet strangely still single at twenty-two. Part of the reason is her wanderlust which has her wanting to leave town and travel the world as soon as she has the money to do so. The other reason is her obsessive "he is my hero" style crush on Beau Winston.
At a Halloween party, to which Jessica goes dressed up as sexy Gandalf, Jessica mistakes Duane for Beau and basically lives out one of her Beau fantasies. Jessica's real-life-fantasy moment is shattered when Beau comes looking for Duane and gives away the identity of the Winston brother Jessica had just been making out with. Now Jessica has the impossible decision of what she is going to do about her now very confused feelings and Duane has the impossible decision of how to get his happily ever after with his dream girl when what she wants most is to leave.
There are romance and passion and scenes that sometimes went too far for my taste, but I liked that Duane was respectful in most of these situations. Other than that, the romance storyline was enjoyable.
There were two major non-romance plot points that I need to mention - Jessica's Aunt and Iron Wraiths biker club. Both of these elements felt like they were only included to add something more to the story. Sure, the plot surrounding Jessica's Aunt is great, I can see how the Iron Wraiths work in the story and these two plot points seem to be related to each other, but these type of scenarios seem to pop up in every romance-ish novel I have read. I would have loved to read something different that had me thinking "wow" instead of "eh, predictable". This on its own was enough for me to deduct a star.
The only other thing that sort of irked me is the split point-of-view. We see both Jessica's and Duane's view of events and while there is little recapping, which I appreciate, it became a little tiring reading both of their negative thoughts regarding their relationship and other life events. Other than that small complaint, the writing style was easy to read and an enjoyable e-book to read during a few lunch breaks.
The Cozies: The Legend of Operation Moonlight by T. L. Fischer
4.0
The story of The Cozies is told by Thursby - a five inch tall elegantly dressed imaginary figment with a head like a lop-eared rabbit - to a lecture hall of people with illustrated figures to assist his storytelling. It is a heartwarming tale of six nursery figments of imagination, a little boy nicknamed Bingo, Bingo's great-grandfather, whom they call Augie and the troubling events that happen when the family hires a new Nanny, Agnes. To keep this spoiler free, the six imaginary beings - Thursby, Musetta, Gubbins, Rumple, Gracie and Ruby - have to figure out if and how they can help fix the real world trouble.
It was great that these very different figments all had different appearances and personalities depending on what had inspired the child that imagined them. It was also an interesting plot with the 'trouble' that needed fixing being the main focus and the limitations of the Cozies being the additional problem they need to overcome.
The layout of this book was fun to read - lunch breaks and people sneaking into the lecture interrupting Thursby's story - as it added a degree of suspense to the story though I feel it was done a few too many times during the short novel. Otherwise, The Cozies is a well-written story that would be a great book to read to children or for children that like reading chapter books, but it is also quite enjoyable to read as an adult.
It was great that these very different figments all had different appearances and personalities depending on what had inspired the child that imagined them. It was also an interesting plot with the 'trouble' that needed fixing being the main focus and the limitations of the Cozies being the additional problem they need to overcome.
The layout of this book was fun to read - lunch breaks and people sneaking into the lecture interrupting Thursby's story - as it added a degree of suspense to the story though I feel it was done a few too many times during the short novel. Otherwise, The Cozies is a well-written story that would be a great book to read to children or for children that like reading chapter books, but it is also quite enjoyable to read as an adult.
Night Music: A Novel by Deanna Lynn Sletten
3.0
Night Music is the sound that means everything is okay. It is when the world goes silent that danger is close. That is what Joseph Russo, a returned soldier from the Vietnam War, describes it at. After an injury to his leg that left him unable to serve anymore, Joe moves to the small town of Grand Falls to start fresh in a new, idealistic town a girl had so beautifully described to him in letters. Those letters had been sent by a specific member of a group of college students who wrote to soldiers. That girl was Charlotte Parsons, desperate to know more about the war that claimed the life of her brother. This novel is the story of what occurs after these short-term pen pals meet in person.
Joe is a kind-hearted and positive young man with both physical and mental scars. He stands out as a returned soldier by wearing his army fatigues and walking with a cane due to his injured leg. Because it is so obvious he has served, Joe has to deal with people who are against America fighting in Vietnam treating him poorly. Despite going through some traumatic experience and living with daily reminders of the war, Joe does a wonderful job of settling into school, working the local hardware store and creating a new life for himself.
Part of that new life is Charlotte, the author of the letters Joe received in Vietnam. Char is a sweet girl who has just started college with dreams of being a writer. The reason Char began writing letters to a random soldier was to find out more about the war her older brother, Jeremy, died fighting. Although Joe does not tell her much about the horrors he experienced in Vietnam via letter or in person, the two form a friendship that helps her see herself, others and the world around her in a different light.
The antagonist of the story is Deke - Char's boyfriend and Jeremy's best friend. He is one of those against American's fighting in Vietnam and taking their hatred of the war out on the returning soldiers, such as Joe. At the start of the book, we find out that Deke has been a part of peaceful protests against the war but, since they do not seem to make a difference, he is looking at doing something a little more radical. Thanks to this information, it was not surprising that approximately 60% of the problems that occur for our protagonists are caused either directly or indirectly by Deke.
Now for the story. I loved the story surrounding Joe - regardless of the war he fought in, he deserves respect for serving his country and the opportunity to live at least a semi-normal life. It was great that the story showed how different people deal with life after the war and it was great that Joe's was a positive story. I also liked that the story highlighted other outcomes of returned soldiers because people need to know that just because you cannot see a scar, does not mean there are no scars. Mental health is something many struggle with and it must be much harder when the mental scars are caused by what those poor souls must experience while at war.
I was not as keen on the other elements of the story, such as Deke and the protests, but I will admit it worked in the story rather well. Another element that bothered me is how the romance came to be. It is not about how it was written because I did like that is happened slow and naturally, but some of my moral boundaries were crossed in order for some of the pre-relationships key moments to occur.
While it was a great story in many ways and I liked reading it, I did not love it. It was a sweet, well-written story that flowed nicely for the most part, but I have never been a fan of stories that wrap up nicely regardless of how sweet it is or how deserving the characters seem. I will say that Night Music gave me a whole new appreciation for those at war, returned soldiers and the wonderful sound of night music, and for that I am thankful.
If you are looking for a lighter wartime romance that does not spend much time on battlefields, then I believe this is a good read.
Joe is a kind-hearted and positive young man with both physical and mental scars. He stands out as a returned soldier by wearing his army fatigues and walking with a cane due to his injured leg. Because it is so obvious he has served, Joe has to deal with people who are against America fighting in Vietnam treating him poorly. Despite going through some traumatic experience and living with daily reminders of the war, Joe does a wonderful job of settling into school, working the local hardware store and creating a new life for himself.
Part of that new life is Charlotte, the author of the letters Joe received in Vietnam. Char is a sweet girl who has just started college with dreams of being a writer. The reason Char began writing letters to a random soldier was to find out more about the war her older brother, Jeremy, died fighting. Although Joe does not tell her much about the horrors he experienced in Vietnam via letter or in person, the two form a friendship that helps her see herself, others and the world around her in a different light.
The antagonist of the story is Deke - Char's boyfriend and Jeremy's best friend. He is one of those against American's fighting in Vietnam and taking their hatred of the war out on the returning soldiers, such as Joe. At the start of the book, we find out that Deke has been a part of peaceful protests against the war but, since they do not seem to make a difference, he is looking at doing something a little more radical. Thanks to this information, it was not surprising that approximately 60% of the problems that occur for our protagonists are caused either directly or indirectly by Deke.
Now for the story. I loved the story surrounding Joe - regardless of the war he fought in, he deserves respect for serving his country and the opportunity to live at least a semi-normal life. It was great that the story showed how different people deal with life after the war and it was great that Joe's was a positive story. I also liked that the story highlighted other outcomes of returned soldiers because people need to know that just because you cannot see a scar, does not mean there are no scars. Mental health is something many struggle with and it must be much harder when the mental scars are caused by what those poor souls must experience while at war.
I was not as keen on the other elements of the story, such as Deke and the protests, but I will admit it worked in the story rather well. Another element that bothered me is how the romance came to be. It is not about how it was written because I did like that is happened slow and naturally, but some of my moral boundaries were crossed in order for some of the pre-relationships key moments to occur.
While it was a great story in many ways and I liked reading it, I did not love it. It was a sweet, well-written story that flowed nicely for the most part, but I have never been a fan of stories that wrap up nicely regardless of how sweet it is or how deserving the characters seem. I will say that Night Music gave me a whole new appreciation for those at war, returned soldiers and the wonderful sound of night music, and for that I am thankful.
If you are looking for a lighter wartime romance that does not spend much time on battlefields, then I believe this is a good read.
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
4.0
Holy guacamole! I was a bit on the fence at first thinking the story could go either way, but part 4 just made my little heart explode!! And the breadcrumbs, all the little hints and I missed them all!
It was fantastically written, in my opinion, and the plot was so thought out and complex, I couldn't help but love this story by the end.
Now I just need to wait for another book to continue this story!
It was fantastically written, in my opinion, and the plot was so thought out and complex, I couldn't help but love this story by the end.
Now I just need to wait for another book to continue this story!
The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
4.0
Caymen Meyers is a brilliantly sarcastic character with a high-level of loyalty to her mother any parent would be proud of. Caymen has been raised in a small apartment above a porcelain doll store by a single mum who has passed down her critical opinion of all rich people to her daughter. Over the course of the story, we find out why her mum is so against the wealthy and it is not simply because they are struggling to pay the bills each month.
However, Caymen and her thoughts on rich people is put to the test when Alexander Spence enters the store to purchase a porcelain doll for his grandmother. Xander, as he prefers to be called, appears to be the typical rich white male but when he finds Caymen and her lifestyle both interesting and puzzling, he strikes up a deal to keep them hanging out - career days. He exposes Caymen to some different jobs that relate to her interests so she does not feel like the porcelain doll store is her only future career choice.
Another character worth mentioning is Skye, Caymen's best friend who works in a shop close to the porcelain doll shop. She is a cool chic that pushes Caymen out of her comfort zone and introduces her to new people, including her new boyfriend, Henry, and his bandmates. This push to get out and enjoy what life has to offer is definitely what someone like Caymen needs.
The only major issue I have with the book is the secrets, lying and cryptic comments. I understand that without these elements the story would not have worked the way it did, but it does not ease the bitterness I feel towards certain characters for those reasons. Otherwise, it was a cute story of learning and exploring how the other half lives that made me laugh and smile. It was nicely paced and easy to read and I would recommend it if you are looking for a quick contemporary read.
However, Caymen and her thoughts on rich people is put to the test when Alexander Spence enters the store to purchase a porcelain doll for his grandmother. Xander, as he prefers to be called, appears to be the typical rich white male but when he finds Caymen and her lifestyle both interesting and puzzling, he strikes up a deal to keep them hanging out - career days. He exposes Caymen to some different jobs that relate to her interests so she does not feel like the porcelain doll store is her only future career choice.
Another character worth mentioning is Skye, Caymen's best friend who works in a shop close to the porcelain doll shop. She is a cool chic that pushes Caymen out of her comfort zone and introduces her to new people, including her new boyfriend, Henry, and his bandmates. This push to get out and enjoy what life has to offer is definitely what someone like Caymen needs.
The only major issue I have with the book is the secrets, lying and cryptic comments. I understand that without these elements the story would not have worked the way it did, but it does not ease the bitterness I feel towards certain characters for those reasons. Otherwise, it was a cute story of learning and exploring how the other half lives that made me laugh and smile. It was nicely paced and easy to read and I would recommend it if you are looking for a quick contemporary read.
On the Fence by Kasie West
3.0
Another cute novel from Kasey West with a strong sporty versus girly focus and midnight chats at the fence with a side of lies, misunderstandings and disrespect.
Charlotte Reynolds, a.k.a. Charlie, is a tomboy and has no respect for her father, the law or any other human being. She is rude, heartless and thinks her father making her get a job to pay off her multiple speeding fines is the most unfair thing in the world. When she gets a job in a clothing store, she is embarrassed by the girly outfits and the makeup her boss wants her to wear so she hides it from her family. When Charlie attracts a boy while dressed up, she thinks the fact she is all made up is the reason she received the attention and decides to dumb herself down to fit the image.
Charlie has three brothers - Jerom, Nathan and Gage - who are all sporty but are otherwise quite different from each other. The one thing they do have in common is they are all overly protective of Charlie and one of the main reasons appeared to be because their mother was dead. Gage is the brother Charlie is closest to in age and the one that seems to have the most influence on Charlie, but their relationship has just as many secrets as any other in this novel.
The next door neighbour and honorary brother is Braden Lewis. He has a dismal home life and has basically grown up in the Reynolds house. Thanks to his abusive alcoholic father, Braden finds himself at the back fence one night with Charlie on the other side. They begin to talk about life and how well they know each other and, well, I think you all see where this is going.
However, the story became overly complicated with the addition of another guy, another girl and Charlie's discovery of information regarding her mother that every member of her family, including Braden, has kept secret. Combine this with my dislike of Charlie's character and, for me, this book was just okay with some cute moments.
Two elements of this book I really liked.
1. The father stood up to his irresponsible daughter and made her get a job! This is not the first book to do it, but I love it when I see things like this in books.
2. Skye and Henry from The Distance Between Us are in this book and Skye actually has a somewhat significant roll in the book.
Charlotte Reynolds, a.k.a. Charlie, is a tomboy and has no respect for her father, the law or any other human being. She is rude, heartless and thinks her father making her get a job to pay off her multiple speeding fines is the most unfair thing in the world. When she gets a job in a clothing store, she is embarrassed by the girly outfits and the makeup her boss wants her to wear so she hides it from her family. When Charlie attracts a boy while dressed up, she thinks the fact she is all made up is the reason she received the attention and decides to dumb herself down to fit the image.
Charlie has three brothers - Jerom, Nathan and Gage - who are all sporty but are otherwise quite different from each other. The one thing they do have in common is they are all overly protective of Charlie and one of the main reasons appeared to be because their mother was dead. Gage is the brother Charlie is closest to in age and the one that seems to have the most influence on Charlie, but their relationship has just as many secrets as any other in this novel.
The next door neighbour and honorary brother is Braden Lewis. He has a dismal home life and has basically grown up in the Reynolds house. Thanks to his abusive alcoholic father, Braden finds himself at the back fence one night with Charlie on the other side. They begin to talk about life and how well they know each other and, well, I think you all see where this is going.
However, the story became overly complicated with the addition of another guy, another girl and Charlie's discovery of information regarding her mother that every member of her family, including Braden, has kept secret. Combine this with my dislike of Charlie's character and, for me, this book was just okay with some cute moments.
Two elements of this book I really liked.
1. The father stood up to his irresponsible daughter and made her get a job! This is not the first book to do it, but I love it when I see things like this in books.
2. Skye and Henry from The Distance Between Us are in this book and Skye actually has a somewhat significant roll in the book.
The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West
3.0
This is the cringe-worthy story of a girl who was so desperate to prove to a girl at her school that her college-age boyfriend existed that when he dumped her just before prom, she decided the best method was to get a fill-in boyfriend for the night.
Gia Montgomery is the problem girl. Her friendship group has recently had a new addition - Juels, who really dislikes Gia and is ready to poke holes in all her stories. Trying to prove that Jules is wrong and her boyfriend Bradley really does exist, she walks herself into a very difficult web of lies. For example, Gia has no idea what fill-in-Bradley's real name is. She does, however, know his sister.
Bec is fill-in-Bradley's sister and she refuses to give Gia any information about him because she knows her brother deserves more than the skin-deep personality of Gia. Bec is an amazing character - saying what she means and being unapologetically herself. Bec is one of the two characters I like, the other being her artistic mother, Olivia. The two of them are open about their thoughts and feelings and do not withhold information from eachother. That is what all mother-daughter relationships should be like.
The plot really starts when Bec enlists Gia's help to return the favour and pose as her brother's date to his ex-girlfriend's graduation party. Things become more complicated as Gia gets to know and grows to like the fill-in-Bradley. Just to keep up the drama and tension, throw in a brother using her superficial and social media driven life as a school project for a film class.
I will say that I liked Gia's personal growth over the story and she did become a somewhat decent character by the end, but I just felt her character created way too much idiotic drama. I also like that fill-in-Bradley was not all about Gia. He had his own story and issues that allowed him to seem real, even if he was stupid enough to pretend to be someone else so a high school girl would not look dumb in front of her friends on Prom night.
Regardless of the plot, the characters were all written into the story well and the story itself did flow well. I can see this is a cute teen romance and I did enjoy elements of the story, but I think the idea and the characters that went through with the fill-in boyfriend plan are idiots.
Gia Montgomery is the problem girl. Her friendship group has recently had a new addition - Juels, who really dislikes Gia and is ready to poke holes in all her stories. Trying to prove that Jules is wrong and her boyfriend Bradley really does exist, she walks herself into a very difficult web of lies. For example, Gia has no idea what fill-in-Bradley's real name is. She does, however, know his sister.
Bec is fill-in-Bradley's sister and she refuses to give Gia any information about him because she knows her brother deserves more than the skin-deep personality of Gia. Bec is an amazing character - saying what she means and being unapologetically herself. Bec is one of the two characters I like, the other being her artistic mother, Olivia. The two of them are open about their thoughts and feelings and do not withhold information from eachother. That is what all mother-daughter relationships should be like.
The plot really starts when Bec enlists Gia's help to return the favour and pose as her brother's date to his ex-girlfriend's graduation party. Things become more complicated as Gia gets to know and grows to like the fill-in-Bradley. Just to keep up the drama and tension, throw in a brother using her superficial and social media driven life as a school project for a film class.
I will say that I liked Gia's personal growth over the story and she did become a somewhat decent character by the end, but I just felt her character created way too much idiotic drama. I also like that fill-in-Bradley was not all about Gia. He had his own story and issues that allowed him to seem real, even if he was stupid enough to pretend to be someone else so a high school girl would not look dumb in front of her friends on Prom night.
Regardless of the plot, the characters were all written into the story well and the story itself did flow well. I can see this is a cute teen romance and I did enjoy elements of the story, but I think the idea and the characters that went through with the fill-in boyfriend plan are idiots.
Malala's Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai
5.0
A must-read for all ages, in my opinion, as this picture book is inspiring and thought-provoking.
This is an amazing and powerful picture book telling a very inspiring story. Through the stunning illustrations and the brilliant storytelling, the book explained how difficult Malala's childhood was and how much harder it could have been. I love how the story focused on the magic pencil she wished for during her childhood and the power all pencils can have if used correctly.
Malala is an incredibly strong woman and I hope to see her standing up and speaking out for what she believes in for many years to come.
This is an amazing and powerful picture book telling a very inspiring story. Through the stunning illustrations and the brilliant storytelling, the book explained how difficult Malala's childhood was and how much harder it could have been. I love how the story focused on the magic pencil she wished for during her childhood and the power all pencils can have if used correctly.
Malala is an incredibly strong woman and I hope to see her standing up and speaking out for what she believes in for many years to come.
I Love a Book by Olga Ivanov, Aleksey Ivanov, Joe Rhatigan
4.0
This is a beautiful book about why all us book lovers love our books. The magic, the knowledge and the adventures books can provide are amazing and this book captured that. Gorgeous illustrations and lovely poetic verses on each page. A great book to read with children!
P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
4.0
Lily is a music-loving teenager who is not at all interested in chemistry. When her chemistry teacher forbids her from writing song lyrics during class, Lily writes some of her favourite song lyrics on her desk. Next class, there is a response from an unknown student. When the two run out of tabletop to write on, they begin writing notes to each other and leaving them under the desk. The two have a lot in common and act as a support for the other with their problems - Lily struggles to write a full song and does not get a moment of privacy in her large and loud family and her pen pal has a less than ideal home life - but they have no idea who the other is.
Lily's best friend, Isabel, is a sweet character but we only really see her when Lily needs to vent. She is supportive and encouraging when Lily needs her to be and even tries to set her up with a nice guy, but she is not a huge part of the main story. However, she does provide the link to our antagonist, her ex-boyfriend Cade.
Cade is the stereotypical popular guy who enjoys tormenting Lily whenever possible. He is also Lily's brother's baseball coach meaning her least favourite person ends up at her house. This is made humorous with the help of Lily's family, Thanksgiving and a rabbit named Bugs, though Bugs is responsible for a few laughs throughout this book.
The plot was mostly predictable but it was nicely paced, the pen pal element was cute and the family dramas were relatable. If you are looking for a cute, romantic contemporary YA novel, then P.S. I Like You is a pretty good option.
Lily's best friend, Isabel, is a sweet character but we only really see her when Lily needs to vent. She is supportive and encouraging when Lily needs her to be and even tries to set her up with a nice guy, but she is not a huge part of the main story. However, she does provide the link to our antagonist, her ex-boyfriend Cade.
Cade is the stereotypical popular guy who enjoys tormenting Lily whenever possible. He is also Lily's brother's baseball coach meaning her least favourite person ends up at her house. This is made humorous with the help of Lily's family, Thanksgiving and a rabbit named Bugs, though Bugs is responsible for a few laughs throughout this book.
The plot was mostly predictable but it was nicely paced, the pen pal element was cute and the family dramas were relatable. If you are looking for a cute, romantic contemporary YA novel, then P.S. I Like You is a pretty good option.