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One of my goals this year was to read more culturally diverse books, so I was thrilled when received an ARC of LOVE FROM A TO Z by S.K. Ali from Simon and Schuster Canada!

Synopsis (Goodreads.com):

A marvel: something you find amazing. Even ordinary-amazing. Like potatoes—because they make French fries happen. Like the perfect fries Adam and his mom used to make together.
An oddity: whatever gives you pause. Like the fact that there are hateful people in the world. Like Zayneb’s teacher, who won’t stop reminding the class how “bad” Muslims are.
But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn’t bad. She’s angry.
When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, and he begins investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt’s house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring break.
Fueled by the guilt of getting her friends in trouble, she resolves to try out a newer, “nicer” version of herself in a place where no one knows her.
Then her path crosses with Adam’s.
Since he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam’s stopped going to classes, intent, instead, on perfecting the making of things. Intent on keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister.
Adam’s also intent on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving father.
Alone, Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals.
Until a marvel and an oddity occurs…
Marvel: Adam and Zayneb meeting.
Oddity: Adam and Zayneb meeting.

This book focused on a lot of very important messages, including islamophobia and equal rights. It also had a lot of great representation, since the main character, Zayneb is muslim, and Adam, the other main character, has multiple sclerosis. I really enjoyed both of the main characters throughout this novel, and found several connections between myself and them while reading this story. Since this book focuses on a lot of heavy topics, I found myself rooting for them and hoping that everything would work out in the end.

This book is set in Doha, Qatar, and follows Zayneb travelling throughout the city and experiencing a lot of the tourist attractions. Even though I have never even thought about visiting Qatar, I found the city and attractions fascinating.

My absolute favourite part about this novel was learning about Zayneb’s culture and family history. I love learning about different religions and cultures, as I find religions fascinating. Whenever they were eating cultural food, or saying different prayers or phrases, I looked them up online to learn more about them. Since this is an own voices story, I loved how S.K. Ali took things from her own culture and placed them in her book.

Another thing I loved about the story was the journal format/idea. “Marvels & Oddities” was such a cool concept, especially since it was based off of something that both Zayneb and Adam loved. I liked how even when they were talking about an oddity, they still tried to find something positive to talk about.

The one thing that I did not enjoy in this book was the writing style. This book is written in dual perspective (Zayneb and Adam), however, I found the writing quite choppy at times, especially during the beginning of the book. Fortunately, I thought that the last third of the novel was written a lot smoother and read with ease.

Overall, I gave this book 4/5 stars. Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC! LOVE FROM A TO Z is currently available wherever books are sold, so make sure you pick up a copy at your nearest bookstore or library!

Good Night Book Owls!

Welcome back to Reading, Reading, Reading!

If you are not aware of who Christine Riccio is (besides recently becoming an author), then you clearly are not very well versed in the bookish community. Christine (also known as “Poland Bananas Books“), is one of the most followed people on BookTube. She has gained over 400k subscribers on her YouTube channel, and has several thousands of other followers across other social media platforms. Christine was the first BookTuber I EVER watched, and she is the sole person responsible for exposing me to the bookish online community! When I found out that Christine was writing a book, I was overjoyed and watched her writing videos every time they came out. I had the pleasure of receiving her debut novel “Again, But Better” in advance from Raincoast Books, which I am so incredibly thankful for! I tried my best to separate the writer from the novel, and I think I did a pretty good job doing that.

Synopsis (Goodreads.com):

Shane has been doing college all wrong. Pre-med, stellar grades, and happy parents…sounds ideal—but Shane’s made zero friends, goes home every weekend, and romance…what’s that?
Her life has been dorm, dining hall, class, repeat. Time’s a ticking, and she needs a change—there’s nothing like moving to a new country to really mix things up. Shane signs up for a semester abroad in London. She’s going to right all her college mistakes: make friends, pursue boys, and find adventure!
Easier said than done. She is soon faced with the complicated realities of living outside her bubble, and when self-doubt sneaks in, her new life starts to fall apart.
Shane comes to find that, with the right amount of courage and determination one can conquer anything. Throw in some fate and a touch of magic—the possibilities are endless.

“Again, But Better” is now one of my all-time favourite contemporaries. It was THAT GOOD. I know some people were skeptical about reading a book written by a BookTuber, especially since others have not been great. However, Christine’s was truly phenomenal.

My favourite thing about this book was Shane, the main character in this novel. I found a lot of similarities between myself and Shane, such as being an only child, shy around new people, always wanting to make my parents proud, and much more. I understood a lot of her feelings in several different situations throughout this story, and I thought she was an amazing main character. The other side characters were great as well! Babe, Pilot, and Atticus were my other favourite characters, and I think they added a lot to the story.

The first quarter of the book made me (literally) smile, the second quarter made me (literally cry), the third quarter shocked me, and the last quarter made me feel so proud of the character Shane had become. This book put me through in emotional roller coaster, to say the least (which was quite strange since I read the book in one day!). I felt so connected to not only the characters, but also the storyline overall.

The story and plot were fantastic. The events that took place over the story were all important to the flow of the plot, and nothing seemed irrelevant. Her writing was also fantastic, which made this book read smoothly and not seem like a debut novel. I really enjoyed the different mixed media sections she included in this story, including text conversations and postcards.

The setting and places they went to in this novel were great, and places that I definitely want to visit as well! The thought of them travelling every weekend throughout their study abroad program was a bit unrealistic, but it was so fun to read about!

Another element of this story that I loved was the subtle connections to Christine throughout this novel. Although I wanted to completely separate the story from the author, Christine was literally all over this book! She frequently mentions books she has loved and read in real life, YouTube and the success you can gain from starting a channel, her love of documenting things on her channel (just wait until you hear the name of Shane’s blog!), and many other references. While not everyone may understand them if you are not familiar with Christine’s channel, you definitely won’t be confused by them.

Overall, I absolutely adored this book and gave it 5/5 stars. Christine, if you are reading this, you did a phenomenal job on your debut novel and you deserve all of the success that comes your way because of this book. I cannot wait to read your other future novels! Thanks again to Raincoast Books for sending me an ARC of “Again, But Better”!

Good Night Book Owls!

Welcome back to Reading, Reading, Reading!

I can’t remember the last time I reviewed something that wasn’t an ARC or a book I had received for review… but here we are! Last week, I visited one of my favourite book stores and picked up a copy of MY LOVELY WIFE by Samantha Downing, which was my most anticipated release for April. I finished it early Wednesday afternoon, so it is actually featured in my April Wrap-Up since I read most of it in April. However, since I have been sharing my reading updates throughout this book, I thought it would be nice to post a full review!

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Dexter meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith in this wildly compulsive debut thriller about a couple whose fifteen-year marriage has finally gotten too interesting…
Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams, and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored.
We look like a normal couple. We’re your neighbors, the parents of your kid’s friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with.
We all have secrets to keeping a marriage alive.
Ours just happens to be getting away with murder.

Is that not the BEST Goodreads synopsis you’ve ever read?! It got me hooked on the book before I even began reading it! I first want to say that I recommend going into this book completely blind (other then knowing the synopsis). This synopsis literally only tells you the tiniest fraction of what the book is about, and nothing about the plot is spoiled in it. One of my least favourite parts things in books are when authors take 100 pages to finally tell readers the things that are shared in the synopsis. This book does not do that at all, which makes it way more shocking. So PLEASE, if you want to read the book, DO NOT read this review! Come back when you are done, so we can discuss it! I will, however, say that I gave it 4/5 stars!

Now… I will not be spoiling any plot twists/reveals in this book, however, I will be sharing some extra info about the characters and overall plot line.

My favourite thing about this book was the writing style (which is never normally the case whenever I read an authors debut book… yes, this was Samantha Downing’s debut novel!!!). The writing was in the POV of the husband in this novel. It was so interesting to read from a male characters perspective, while describing a strong and fierce (and  disturbing) female character. I also really liked reading about their kids, the people he gave tennis lessons to, as well as Owen Oliver Riley, the murderer they are trying to “impersonate” in this book.

I also LOVED the plot line. This was one of the most unique and interesting thriller books I have ever read, and I was intrigued from the very first page. Like I mentioned earlier, the synopsis on Goodreads is a very small part about what the book is actually about, so the action truly starts from the first page. I did not see any of the plot twists coming, and the ending I did not predict AT ALL. I was shocked! I also loved the fact that every little tiny element of the beginning of the story was some how involved in the big reveal at the end of the book, so it was great to see those events come around full circle.

The only reason why this was not a five-star read for me was due to the fact that I never felt like I had to keep reading. I was never hooked into the plot, and it took me about 5-days to read this one, where as other thrillers typically take me two to three days to read and complete.

Overall, I highly recommend this book if you love mystery/thriller novels, and rated it 4/5 stars.

Good Night Book Owls!

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Over the past few months, I have not read as much YA books as I would have liked. However, I have been read quite a few YA books this month, and “You Must Not Miss” by Katrina Leno was one of my most anticipated books on my TBR this month!

Synopsis (Goodreads.com)

Magpie Lewis started writing in her yellow notebook the day her family self-destructed. That was the night Eryn, Magpie’s sister, skipped town and left her to fend for herself. That was the night of Brandon Phipp’s party.
Now, Magpie is called a slut whenever she walks down the hallways of her high school, her former best friend won’t speak to her, and she spends her lunch period with a group of misfits who’ve all been socially exiled like she has. And so, feeling trapped and forgotten, Magpie retreats to her notebook, dreaming up a place called Near.
Near is perfect–somewhere where her father never cheated, her mother never drank, and Magpie’s own life never derailed so suddenly. She imagines Near so completely, so fully, that she writes it into existence, right in her own backyard. It’s a place where she can have anything she wants…even revenge.

This book is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. To be honest, the ending confused me, but actually in a good way. It was definitely very unexpected and unique.

Initially, I thought that this book was a YA thriller, however I would say that this one falls  under the magical-realism contemporary genre, with a little mix of horror included. There are many different events that occur in this novel that make it hard to identify it within one genre.

My favourite part of the book was the characters and representation. This book brings up a lot of heavy topics, including (TW) suicide, depression, alcoholism, divorce, and sexual assault (just to name a few). But, it also featured some fantastic dialogue about illness and sexism. One of the main characters in this novel is transgender, and I really appreciated the representation. I also loved how Katrina Leno didn’t really focus too much on the character being transgender, and just brought it up at the beginning without being discussed further in the novel. Speaking of characters, I really liked the main character, Margaret (A.K.A Magpie/Mags). While I definitely didn’t agree with all of her decisions, I understand that she was making them because of all of the damage she has experienced throughout the last six months of her life.

I also loved the magical-realism part, as I was not really expecting it at all. If you read my April TBR or Dewey’s TBR posts, you would know that I didn’t really know anything about this story to begin with. I wanted to go into it blind without knowing anything. I am actually really glad that I did that, as I was not expecting the magical/light-fantasy elements (this is not a spoiler, as you read about them within the first 50 pages of the book).

Katrina Leno’s writing was so effortless and magical. I loved her writing style, and since this is my first Katrina Leno book, it definitely made me think about picking up her older ones in the future.

However, like I mentioned at the beginning of my review, I didn’t really love the ending and how the story concluded as a whole. Nothing really shocked me, and while I wouldn’t say the ending was predictable, I would say that it didn’t add anything to the story.

This book is definitely not for everyone, as some people may love some of the twists and turns, while others may not appreciate them.

Overall, I gave this book 3.5/5 stars. Thanks to Hachette Book Group Canada for sending me an ARC!

Good Night Book Owls!

Welcome back to Reading, Reading, Reading!

The ARC of “Love & Other Curses” by Michael Thomas Ford has been sitting on my shelf for over four months! I was really highly anticipating this one, and featured it last month in my Spring 5-Star Predictions post! But, did it live up to my high hopes?

Synopsis (Goodreads.com):

The Weyward family has been haunted by a curse for generations—if a Weyward falls in love before their seventeenth birthday, the person they love dies. Sam doesn’t plan to fall for anyone in the nine weeks before his birthday. He’ll spend his time working at the Eezy-Freeze with his dad; cooking up some midsummer magic with his grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother (the Grands); and experimenting with drag with the help of the queens at the Shangri-La, the local gay club. But when a new guy comes to town, Sam finds himself in trouble when they strike up a friendship that might be way more than that.
As Sam’s birthday approaches and he still hasn’t quite fallen in love, the curse seems to get more powerful and less specific about who it targets. A mysterious girl Sam talks to on the phone late at night and a woman he’s only seen in a dream might have the answers he’s been looking for—but time is running out to save the people he cares about.

This was a very solid contemporary read! Was it 5-star worthy, however? Definitely not.

My favourite thing about this book was the characters. Similar to a few other books I have read recently, there was a lot of great representation of characters in this novel. The main protagonist in this book, Sam, is gay, and another main character is transgender. I also loved the family dynamic in this story, as Sam frequently spoke to the “grands” his grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother! Since this story centres around a family curse, the focus on his family members is essential to the story, and I thought that it added very positively to the story!

I really appreciated that although this is a YA contemporary with magical-realism, it wasn’t exactly a love story, but was more of a “growing-up/finding yourself” story. There is barely any romance or relationship elements in this story, as Sam is truly just a teenager that is trying to navigate through the summer before his senior year without falling in love.

This book focuses heavily on music, as Sam’s mother, who left after just a few days of his birth, gave him a box of records with notes about her feelings towards the albums. Sam spends a lot of the time listening to these records and trying to understand more about his mother. While these parts were not essential to the flow of the plot, I actually really enjoyed reading them.

The only main downfall I had in this book was the lack of attachment/connection I felt to the story and characters. I didn’t really care about the conclusions of the characters stories, and nothing in this book surprised me. In my opinion, it was a very bland YA contemporary. If you are just diving into this genre and also enjoy magical realism elements, I would definitely that recommend it to you!

For the most part, I enjoyed the novel and gave it 3/5 stars. Thanks to HCC Frenzy for the ARC!

Good Night Book Owls!

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You may not know this, but when I was on my long blogging hiatus in 2016/2017, I created a blog for the Major League Baseball team, the Toronto Blue Jays! While I don’t write on that blog anymore, I am still a ginormous Blue Jays fan, and am still very active on my baseball-focused Twitter account! When I found out that one of my favourite announcers, Jerry Howarth, was writing a book published by ECW Press, I knew that I had to request it so that I could read and review it early! Fortunately, my request was granted and I was able to read it a month in advance! Even though this book has been out for almost a month, I wanted to save my review until Toronto Blue Jays Opening Day (which is today!!!!!!!)!

DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through these links, you won’t pay a penny more, but I will collect a small commission. Any books that I have received for free from publishers or authors, have been clearly identified when mentioned in the post.

Synopsis (Goodreads.com):

An honest memoir about life, family, and baseball from the longtime, legendary Toronto Blue Jays radio broadcaster.
For 36 years, Jerry Howarth ushered in eternal hope each spring and thrived in the drive of each fall as the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1982, the lifelong avid sports fan joined Tom Cheek as full-time play-by-play radio announcer for the Blue Jays, and for the next 23 years, “Tom and Jerry” were the voices of the franchise. Jerry became part of the fabric of a nation and a team, covering historic moments like the rise of the Blue Jays through the 1980s that culminated in back-to-back World Series Championships in 1992 and 1993. His Hall of Fame-worthy broadcasting career has been nothing short of legendary. When Jerry retired in February 2018, the tributes poured in and made one thing perfectly clear: Toronto baseball would never be the same.
Howarth brings together thoughts on life, family, work, and baseball. Featuring stories about everyone from Dave Stieb, Jack Morris, Duane Ward, Roberto Alomar, and Joe Carter to John Gibbons, Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Donaldson, and the late Roy Halladay, Hello, Friends! is a must-read for sports fans everywhere.

I loved everything about this book!

Jerry is one of my all-time favourite broadcasters, as he truly was the Blue Jays voice. His stories from his past were great to read, and made me respect him so much more. He found his true passion and paved his own path into a very successful jobs and career. Jerry is such an inspiration to me, and thousands of other people!

My favourite chapters came from the beginning and end of the novel. I loved reading about how he came into the Blue Jays organization and became the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays. I also LOVED the chapters about the “glory years”, both the 1992/1993 chapters, as well as the ones talking about the 2015/2016 seasons. They were written so well, and made me feel very nostalgic and yearn for more successful seasons to come! I also loved the chapters from which he spoke about his wife and family, as it made me feel very connected to Jerry.

When reading this entire novel, it seemed like I was listening to Jerry Howarth speak in my head while reading the book, and I could practically hear Jerry during every phase. You could definitely tell that he wrote it himself, as a lot of the words/language that he used on the radio for over forty years as the Blue Jays announcer were also used in his novel!

“Hello, Friends!” by Jerry Howarth is a MUST-READ for Toronto Blue Jays fans new and old! I gave this book 5/5 stars, as I loved every second of it! Thanks to ECW Press for sending me an advanced finished copy in exchange for a review!

If you live in Canada and are interested in purchasing your own copy, click here to get it for almost 50% off!

Good Night Book Owls!

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I have been in the mood to read a lot of fantasy and fairytale re-telling stories lately, so when I received this one from Hachette Book Group Canada, I knew it was the perfect book for me to read!

Synopsis (Goodreads.com):

I’ve been chased my whole life. As a fugitive refugee in the territory controlled by the tyrannical Mercer corporation, I’ve always had to hide who I am. Until I found Excalibur.
Now I’m done hiding.
My name is Ari Helix. I have a magic sword, a cranky wizard, and a revolution to start.
When Ari crash-lands on Old Earth and pulls a magic sword from its ancient resting place, she is revealed to be the newest reincarnation of King Arthur. Then she meets Merlin, who has aged backward over the centuries into a teenager, and together they must break the curse that keeps Arthur coming back. Their quest? Defeat the cruel, oppressive government and bring peace and equality to all humankind.

This book had a lot of promise, but unfortunately it took a lot of turns that I was not expecting, let alone anticipating. The plot, at times, confused the heck out of me, and at times, I struggled to pick up the book and remember where it had left off. The pacing of this story was very sporadic and wild. There were some parts that felt so slow, and other times where it felt like there were ten things going on at once. I would have liked if the pacing was a lot more smooth and consistent. However, the overall creativity and story was great and really interesting. It was the perfect mix between fantasy and sci-fi, as well as hilarious and sad.

At the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to Ari, who is a new reincarnation of King Arthur. We are also introduced to Merlin, King Arthurs trusted advisor/wizard. Ari and Merlin were my two favourite characters in the novel, as I connected to them the most and loved reading their stories. I loved Kay, Ari’s brother, at the beginning, but unfortunately I ended up despising him throughout the last 75 pages. The other characters were great, but I didn’t care about them as much as I would have liked to.

The settings of this story were super interesting. At times it was hard to figure out exactly where they were, but after a few paragraphs it was easy to realize their location. There were several different planets that we are taken to throughout this story, and I really loved reading about all of the different settings and planets.

Another thing I loved about this book was the government/political system. Mercer, the main group that essentially rules the galaxy, are the main antagonists and are the “evil” villain in this story. I really liked all of the interactions Ari and her team had with Mercer and the “Administrator” (the person in charge of Mercer).

Overall, I quite liked this book and gave it 3/5 stars. Thanks to Hachette Book Group Canada for sending me an ARC of this book!

Good Night Book Owls!

Welcome back to Reading, Reading, Reading!

The two most talked about books of 2019 thus far were both written by highly aclaimed author, Taylor Jenkins Reid. Over the past two days, I have read her two most well-known novels, “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” and “Daisy Jones & The Six” – which is her most recent novel (it came out just last week!). If you follow me on Instagram you probably saw me talking about these on both my Instagram stories and posts, and a lot of you wanted to read my opinions about both of them… so that is what I am going to share with you today!

Synopsis (Goodreads.com):

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.
Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ’80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.
Written with Reid’s signature talent for creating “complex, likable characters” (Real Simple), this is a mesmerizing journey through the splendor of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it costs—to face the truth.

WOW. This book was truthfully unlike anything I had ever read before. The characters Evelyn, Monique, Harry, Celia, Rex, and everyone else literally felt like they were real people. Ms. Reid wrote the characters with such grace and elegance, and they honestly felt so real. It’s hard to describe unless you’ve read the book. I will admit that it took me about 100 pages to really get into the book, but I really loved it after that mark. And even though I figured out the main plot twist/point that occurs about 100 pages in the book, that did not stop me from loving it. Plus, the plot twist at the very end SHOCKED me, as I was not expecting it at all. This book discusses so many important themes and topics that are so relevant to society, and were basically whispered about back then, although they were still crucial and important. From LGBTG+ discrimination, to women working in a male dominated workplace, there were many things that this book discussed with such urgency. As I said before, the writing of the book was phenomenal, and deserves recognition on its own. It felt like I was literally reading a biography of a real celebrity that I had known for years. Everything in this book popped off the page, and I visualized it beautifully. Evelyn Hugo is a character I won’t soon forget and will stay with me for a very long time. I gave this book 4.75/5 stars!

Synopsis (Goodreads.com):

Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.
Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.
Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.
Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.
The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.

This book was great, but I definitely enjoyed Evelyn Hugo a lot more. Surprisingly, I’m part of the unpopular opinion, as I liked the first half a lot more than the second half. I liked reading about the rise of Daisy Jones and The Six separately, and how they came together. While a lot of people felt that the beginning was all over the place, I really really loved it! However, I honestly thought that the middle of the book was kind of… *whispers* boring?! I don’t know. I was bored with the song writing process, and I felt that the same events and emotions just repeated for every song they wrote. I guess you could say that I was underwhelmed for a large majority of the plot, especially because I knew what Taylor was capable of writing since I had just finished Evelyn Hugo the day before reading this one. The ending picked up the pace a little bit, but it didn’t save the book from the dull middle. I loved all of the characters in this book, and Taylor continued to make these characters come alive off the pages. Her words are truly magical, and her writing is out of this world. She made it seem like I was reading a non-fiction book/conversation from a real life band! I also LOVED the writing style she used in this book, as it is all formatted like an interview. I’m a sucker for “unconventional” writing styles, and this one hit it out of the park. Overall, I gave this book a rating of 3.75/5 stars. To be honest with you, I feel like if I had listened to the audiobook instead of physically read the book, I might have enjoyed it a bit more, as so many people absolutely adored listening to this story. Although, I don’t really enjoy listening to audio books in general.

In conclusion, I enjoyed “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” quite a bit more than “Daisy Jones & The Six”. Throughout both books, Taylor Jenkins Reids’ writing was phenomenal, and the unique cast of characters featured in both books came to life wonderfully.

Have you read either of these novels? I’d love to discuss your thoughts in the comments!

Good Night Book Owls!

Welcome back to Reading, Reading, Reading!

Isn’t “Chicken Girl” a fantastic name for a new young adult book? I think it is! This book was filled with funny, intimate, and emotional moments. There were so many relevant and important messages talked about throughout this novel. Even though the book was 200 pages, I still got a lot out of the story. Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada for the finished copy! Now on to the full review…

Synopsis (Goodreads.com):

Everybody has a story that will break your heart; a poignant coming-of-age YA for fans of David Arnold, from the author of the acclaimed The Agony of Bun O’Keefe, a Kirkus Best of the Year selection.Poppy used to be an optimist. But after a photo of her dressed as Rosie the Riveter is mocked online, she’s having trouble seeing the good in the world. As a result, Poppy trades her beloved vintage clothes for a feathered chicken costume and accepts a job as an anonymous sign waver outside a restaurant. There, Poppy meets six-year-old girl Miracle, who helps Poppy see beyond her own pain, opening her eyes to the people around her: Cam, her twin brother, who is adjusting to life as an openly gay teen; Buck, a charming photographer with a cute British accent and a not-so-cute mean-streak; and Lewis a teen caring for an ailing parent, while struggling to reach the final stages of his gender transition. As the summer unfolds, Poppy stops glorifying the past and starts focusing on the present. But just as she comes to terms with the fact that there is good and bad in everyone, she is tested by a deep betrayal.

This book pleasantly surprised me! The synopsis didn’t sound that unique to me, but it actually turned out to make a good story! However, nothing in this book was very “wowing” to me, and I just thought that it was ok.

The characters in this novel took some warming up to. I did not love any of them at the beginning of the novel, but I slowly enjoyed reading about their adventures. My favourite characters were Miracle, Cam, and Lewis. I loved all of the scenes that they were involved in, and I loved reading about their personal stories.

The romance in the book was my least favourite part of the story. There is an insta-love relationship between two of the main characters within this story at the 30 page mark, which I hated (to say the least). Insta-love, when written beautifully, is not a “problematic” story element in my opinion. However, when it is done badly, I absolutely hate it. And unfortunately, that’s what happened in this story.

The overall plot of this book was interesting. I wished that the first two thirds of this book would have been a lot shorter, and that the last third of the story had been a lot longer. The last third of this book had a much different “vibe” and feel then the first two thirds, and I enjoyed it a lot! The small mystery element and emotional element that occurred during the final third was an amazing part of the story, and by far my favourite.

There are a lot of really important, yet triggering, themes mentioned in this book. Transgender, homelessness, and rape are just a few of the many themes written about in this story, so if any of these things are triggering to you, I would suggest skipping this novel. That being said, these themes and messages made the story a lot more interesting and unique, especially since it is a YA book. I enjoyed all of the things that were talked about, and I believe that they added a lot to the story as a whole.

Overall, I quite liked this book and gave it 3.25/5 stars. Thanks to Penguin Random House for providing me with a finished copy!

Good Night Book Owls!