The Unhoneymooners

Imagine going on an all expense paid vacation....with the one person you loathe. Now you are set for The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren.

I have to start by saying that this book was such a fun and fast read. The concept of this story is so hilarious- I would have never thought of it. The book starts on the wedding day of Ami and Dane. Ami has an identical twin sister, Olive, and the two could not be more different. Olive is a self proclaimed unlucky person and Ami wins everything. Thanks to various contests and drawings she has entered, her entire wedding, reception, and honeymoon have been paid for.  At the reception, everyone except for Olive and the groom's brother, Ethan, enjoy a buffet complete with shellfish/seafood. Consequently, everyone except Olive and Ethan end up with extreme food poisoning. In the mix of it all, Ami and Dane insist that their siblings take their ids and go on their honeymoon for them...much to their dislike.

As they embark on the trip, they start to learn more about each other, whether they want to or not. Once in Hawaii, they have to pretend to be newlyweds and it comes with many hilarious instances of them pretending to be madly in love and physically affectionate. They have ten days together and anything is possible. I loved how this story unfolded and how the dynamic changes between Olive and Ethan.

No spoilers for what happens, but this was so hilarious. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire book. And the characters, main and minor, are all so relatable and entertaining. I highly recommend picking this up for your next read! I need to check out Christina Lauren's other books. Other reviews I have read mentioned that this book did not disappoint compared to her previous books. I love finding new authors that I enjoy!

I hope this new year finds you happy and healthy. If you are still here following this blog, I appreciate you hanging in there! I want to make reviewing here a priority for 2020! Until next time, happy reading!

Review Blitz

Once again, I am behind on book reviews. In my defense, the last week of school was a little crazy! Now we are on summer break and enjoying a much more relaxed pace. I love it!

If you have read any of my previous posts or know me personally, you know that I am a fan of Debbie Macomber books. I have devoured series of hers and am slowing working my way through her other books. Last week I read 'The Man You'll Marry' and it did not disappoint. It ended up being two novellas in one book together and I loved them both! The first story started out with the main character Shelly receiving a package from her great aunt- her wedding dress, which she has always said has magical powers to find your true love. According to her great aunt, once you receive the dress, the first man you meet after is the man you will marry. Shelly is dead set against getting married and is horrified to meet a man right after she receives the dress. How the story unfolds is hilarious and really sweet. The second story in the book was centered around Shelly's best friend who receives the wedding dress as a gift from Shelly. Again, the story of meeting her future husband starts off a chain of events that is entertaining. Both ladies end up discovering more about themselves and their lives, through the dress and the circumstances that happen throughout the story. I love Debbie's books because she is so wonderful at making characters and their emotions so real. If you haven't read anything by Debbie Macomber, shoot me a text or message for some recommendations, in addition to anything I have posted in my blog.

My next book was 'The Lost Husband' by Catherine Center. I enjoyed Catherine's book 'How To Walk Away' so much that I looked up other books by her and found this one. I loved it just as much, if not more. The story is about a woman named Libby and her two kids moving to Texas to start a new life at her Aunt Jean's farm. Libby lost her husband a couple of years back and has been floating along in a daze, trying her best to take care of the kids and to please her mother, who they live with. Moving to Aunt Jean's farm ends up being exactly what they need- a new life, a new outlook, and a family that they never had. If you are a fan of redemption type stories, you will love this one. Libby goes from feeling like she is weighted down and gasping for breath, to feeling like she is worthy of living a good life with family and friends who love and support her. Finally finding your place in the world is the best feeling!

Each month Amazon selects a handful of books that are due to publish the following month and offers them for free with a Prime account, or $1.99 without. I got this next book as an Amazon First Reads book and I really enjoyed it. I like a bit of suspense and mystery. I think I like it more when I can figure it out half way through, if I am being honest. 'False Step' by Victoria Helen Stone is about a little boy who got was lost and then found on a hiking trail by Johnny Bradley, who was seemingly in the right place at the right time. His wife, Veronica, isn't sure about it, though. We quickly learn that they are not the happy family that they seem to be. As the story unfolds we learn all kinds of secrets that both Johnny and Veronica have. I really enjoyed the suspense and the second guessing I did of the characters. There were quite a few graphic descriptions of personal relationships that I could have easily done without, though. All in all, it was a good read.

The last book for my review round up today is 'Finding Ever After: Four Fairytale-ish Novellas' by Pepper Basham, Rachel McMillian, Ashley Clark, and Betsy St. Amant. I love novellas! There is something so satisfying about whizzing through a novella and realizing you have time for more! The novellas were so fun, if you are a fan of fairy tales. They each were set in different time periods and were representing different fairy tale story lines. In each story the characters all come into possession or the book Finding Ever After. It is a book of fairy tale stories that is created in the first novella and is passed through each story and time period. I thought it was genius! It is also super awesome to me that in each novella, one or both of the main characters are book lovers.
The first was Stairs and Stardust, set in Asheville, NC in 1913. It represented a Cinderella story and I think it was my favorite. A talented illustrator meets a charming but down to earth gentleman and their friendship grows. They are both surprised when they realize they are both more than they let on to be. It was a really sweet story and I will likely read it again.
The next story was Entanglements and it represented Rapunzel. A teacher and piano tuner is hired to practice with a woman who would like to perform a concert before she is married off into a word she hates and to a man she doesn't love. The attraction is instantaneous and mutual but they both fight it because of their circumstances. Eventually, that gives way to freeing the woman and a happy ending, as per usual for a fairy tale. It was a fun story.
Twice Upon A Time was a great story also, and my second favorite in the book. It represented Beauty and The Beast. A woman comes home to prepare her family home and land for sale and meet with a buyer. Turns out the buyer is her ex fiance who has a plan to reconcile with her. It was comical and sweet and I enjoyed the story very much.
The last novella was Once Bitten and it represented Snow White. A handsome woodsman, seven geeky friends, a stepmother and stepsister, and one eligible bachelorette round out this story. The main character is a book store owner that hires the handy man to accompany her to a family get away in an attempt to impress her stepmother and stepsister. It was a very entertaining story and a great nod to Snow White.
All in all, I thought all of the novellas were a great representation of the fairy tales that we all know and love. A somewhat modern day twist on them was a great change of pace without butchering them. I would highly recommend this collection of novellas if you are in the mood for some light and fun reading this summer.

I am still plugging away at my Goodreads reading challenge. I am closing in on 40 books read and that feels good! In addition to the challenge, the Summer Reading Program has started at our library. The kids and I have been waiting for it to begin and we are so happy to be taking part in it again! We are still working our way through the Harry Potter series together and they have books of their own they are reading or listening to. I am currently reading 'Kicking and Dreaming: A Story of Heart, Soul, and Rock and Roll' by Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson. I love Heart and this was a fun find on Amazon Prime Reading. Does your library have a summer reading program? If so, are you participating? Drop my a line or a comment and let me know what you are reading!

Happy reading, friends!

Stella and The Timekeepers

This past week I had the privilege of reading a book by a brand new author, M. Shawn Petersen. He is my friend Elaine's brother and she loaned me his book. The book is Stella and The Timekepers and it was a really fun book. This book is clearly for a younger reader than myself, but I enjoyed it.

The book starts out with the main character, Stella Merriss, and her parents in a boat in some rough waters. After some struggles, she loses both of her parents overboard. Her rescuer not only knew her parents, but has been waiting for her to arrive. She quickly learns why she has led a life of moving, running, and never settling in one place. Stella is shocked to learn that she is half mermaid, half angel. She learns that there are many special things about her and she is sent to train as an angel apprentice. Throughout the story Stella grows into who she was destined to be, all the while battling the forces of evil in the form of Lord Sylvain who wants to destroy the world she is now part of. The battle of good vs evil!

You know I don't like spoilers, so you won't find them here. I would recommend this book for readers ages 8(ish) and up. I think the younger audience would love the world and the characters that M. Shawn Petersen has created.

Thank you for loaning me your book, Elaine! Happy reading, you guys!

Slacker Book Review Round Up

Holy moly! I have not blogged for awhile. Life. It happens. This post will be a little long as I attempt to review (probably briefly) 6 books. I don't feel like I have been that busy reading but I guess these all caught up to me. I do feel like I have found my way back to my reading mojo this past week or so. I am encouraged! That being said, here we go!

First up is, 'They Call Me the Cat Lady' by Amy Miller. I chose this book on a whim because of the fun title and description. I'm glad I did. It's a story about a quirky lady named Nancy Jones and her quiet and secluded life. She has a lot of cats, both inside her house and out, that she cares for. She doesn't let people get close to her for fear of letting down the walls she has built around her heart. Eventually, she meets people who help her see her life for what it is and what it could be. Huge changes and leaps of faith create a new reality for Nancy. No spoilers but I love how it ended. I know that I loved this book because of the ways that it reminded me of 'A Man Called Ove' and 'Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine'.

My next book, 'The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper' by Phaedra Patrick actually reminds me a lot of 'A Man Called Ove'. Arthur Pepper is a widow who has survived the first year after his beloved wife's death. He decides to finally take the step to clean out some of her belongings in the closet and donate them. As he is cleaning them out, he finds a charm bracelet that he has never seen before. He wonders what the charms meant to his wife and where she got them. So, he goes on an adventure to discover where they came from and why. The journey is not all fun and happiness, though. He learns a lot about his wife and the person she was before they met. As always, no spoilers. But if you are looking for a good read full of emotions and also humor, I suggest this!

'How To Walk Away' by Katherine Center was my next book. I had never read anything by this author either (new trend for me?) so I decided to give it a try. I absolutely loved this book! The main character, Margaret, was so funny! I laughed out loud in quite a few places as I read. The characters were all so relatable. The story opens with Margaret and her boyfriend heading out on a date that ends in a plane crash. She has a fear of flying, so naturally this doesn't end well. She ends up paralyzed and he walks away fine. The story revolves around her recovery and the new life she takes on. I really did not expect to like  this book as much as I did. I would have loved for it to become a series or even a two parter. But, we don't always have that luxury, do we? Anyway, I won't spoil anything for you but if you have a chance to read it, I suggest it! Also, if you read this, please tell me how much you loved Ian!

My next book was a new genre for me. I was browsing through the available books on my Libby app and this one caught my eye. It was 'All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir' by Nicole Chung. This book is about Nichole's life and the story of her adoption. When she is pregnant with her first child, she decides to finally take the initiative and find out about her birth family. An idea she has thought about doing for some time, but never wanted to actually do, for fear of hurting her adoptive parents or finding out something that may not be what she was looking for. I have no ties to adoption at all but this book intrigued me. I really enjoyed the way that Nichole told her story and how easy it was to follow the time lines of her life. I don't give away how books end, but this one ended on a happy note, which made me glad. Because this was a memoir and not fiction, I felt like there was more of a connection to the people in the story. That was a new thing for me! I recommend this if you are looking for something just a little different than your normal read.

Is there anyone else out there that completely loved 'Me Before You' by Jojo Moyes? I fell hard for that book. Louisa and Will are two of my favorite characters. I struggled with the second book in the series, 'After You'. I think it was because I was missing Will and also it seemed to go much slower for me. So, I have been dragging my feet for over a year about reading 'Still Me'. I am so, so glad I did. I felt like Louisa was more herself in this book. Which I guess is fitting since it's the story of her finding her own way, figuring out who she is, and what she really wants out of life. This book left me wanting more from this series. I want to know what she does next! In this book, Louisa moves to New York City to become a personal assistant to a very wealthy lady. She is dragged through the ringer trying to do her job. Reading about how the ultra rich live is always fun and also sad to me. Louisa's spunk and humor are the best. She is just such a fun character to read. I loved the friends she made in this book but I also loved that some of my favorites from the previous books made appearances also. Ultimately, the story ended in a really great way and I can't imagine it being done any other way. If you haven't read the series, I highly suggest it. Grab the tissues before you start reading tough. the emotions are real!

My last review for today is on 'The Upside of Falling Down' by Rebekah Crane. I wasn't sure what book to read next so I started looking around my Amazon Prime for free books that may spark my interest. This book was so funny! I'm glad I decided to take a chance on it. The story starts off with the main character, Clementine, waking up in the hospital, the sole survivor of a plane crash over Ireland. She has no memory of what happened or who she is. She assumes the name Jane and escapes the hospital with a man named Kieran. She hides away trying to avoid her dad, the press, and her fear of what her future will be like if she never regains her memory. How the story unfolds is really quite funny. I truly enjoyed this book! It's also a very quick read, just shy of 250 pages. If you are in the mood for something quick and light, try this one out!

So, lesson learned- do not wait so long to blog about books. Ha! I am super happy I got this post done today though. I have been thinking about it a lot the past week but I just never found the time to sit and type out my thoughts. School is winding down for the year which means I am almost done with work. Which also means I will have more time to read and also to review. That makes me happy!

I really appreciate each of you who reads this blog. This is such a fun outlet for me to talk about the things that I love! Thanks for hanging in there while I was away for so long- I am hoping to not have that long of an absence again!

As always, get in touch with me if you want to discuss these books (or others!) . I would love to hear your thoughts on these after you have read them. Happy reading, friends!!

A Few of My Favorites

Favorite books. Let's discuss. I have a small-ish list of the books that I absolutely love. A lot of these are books that I will almost always recommend to someone when asked what they should read.

I have so many books I would call my favorite but one book stands out from all others. My absolute favorite book of all time is 'The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe' by C.S. Lewis. I can read that book any time and it still holds the same magic for me as it did the very first time I read it as a child. I love the story, the characters, the battle of good versus evil, and the message of hope and love. I read this book once a year usually, just to enjoy it again. If you have never read The Chronicles of Narnia, do it! You will not be disappointed!

Have you ever read a book that felt like it had a life of its own and it sucked you in, body and soul? I have read two in the past couple of years that were that way for me. The first is 'A Man Called Ove' by Fredrik Backman. I had read great reviews about this book but I was not prepared for all the emotions it brought with it. I won't go into a full fledged review on this book but it is about an older gentleman and the grief that has consumed his life. New neighbors move in and his whole world is turned upside down. I am not one for spoilers so I won't say anything else, but look into it! I think everyone who has read it has enjoyed it on some level.

The second book that totally threw me for a loop emotionally was 'The Great Alone' by Kristin Hannah. I must have replayed the story in my head about a million times in the last year. This book sticks with you in a way that not every book will. Kristin Hannah has a way of drawing out such real and vivid images and emotions, you can't help but be invested in the characters and their stories as if it was your own life. Again, not a full fledged review but the book is about a teenage girl being uprooted from her suburban life and thrown into a new life in wild Alaska in the 1970's and 1980's, Everything in the story is big and heavy but also beautiful in a somewhat harsh way. Again, Kristin Hannah is an author that writes with a ton of emotion and weight. This is not a light read but it will grab you from the first chapter and won't let go. Make sure you have time to invest in this because you will not want to put it down.

These next two books will forever be classified together in my head. I read them around the same time and their plots are similar enough to group together. 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins and 'Divergent' by Veronica Roth. Both are set in the maybe not so distant future of America. Both are books about the need for the survival of the human race but also for the upheaval of the corrupt ways that have led their societies to ruin. Strong female lead characters and plenty of action in both. I enjoy young adult reads when they are done well, as these two are. Of course, they were both made into movies but only The Hunger Games came out remotely close to the book. I always say "The book was better". 99.9% of the cases of this are true.

Any Disney fans out there? I love the princess stories and the magic. One of my favorite authors to read is Rachel Hauck. I got hooked on her books when I read 'Once Upon A Prince' years ago. All the magic of a Disney princess movie but for real life! I suppose you might be interested in this book if you are a fan of the British Royals also. This book is a story of a small town girl from Georgia who meets a real prince and all that ensues. It's a light read that is sure to make you smile. It's not quite Hallmark movie sweet but pretty darn close! Actually, it was made into a Hallmark movie. (I haven't watched it.) Rachel Hauck has written several other series and stand alone books that are very different than this and I would recommend any of her books.

My next book had a lot of hype and negative reviews that surrounded it because of the content. No, not 50 Shades. 'Me Before You' by JoJo Moyes was incredible. Oh, the emotions! If you haven't heard of this book (or movie), here goes. It's a story about a young woman who takes a job as a care giver for a man who is paralyzed from the neck down. The story of how their friendship grows and changes and how the characters themselves grow and change is amazing. No spoilers here, but the end wrecked me. Completely wrecked me. I'm a total crier when I read and this takes the cake. Truly, make sure you have plenty of tissues.

'Twilight' by Stephanie Meyer. Either you love it or you hate it. More people hate it and love to make fun of it. I love it and I have never cared what anyone else thinks! I just think it's so fun and I love it all!

And lastly, 'Dorthy Must Die' by Danielle Paige. Real fact- I love The Wizard of Oz the movie and do not like the book version. Crazy, right? I collect anything and everything that has to do with the movie and I even had a Dorothy dress made for myself when I was in high school. Obsessed? A tad. Anyway, I picked this book up a few years after I read the Wicked series by Gregory Maguire. I had to see what the other side of Oz was like and I loved it. Absolutely loved it! The series that Danielle Paige wrote is so twisted and fun. It definitely makes you think twice about how happy of a place that Oz really was. If it can make a Wizard of Oz nut really dislike Dorothy, you know it's got to be good!

The books I have mentioned today are just a small handful of books that I love and would recommend. I really do love suggesting books and read many other genres that I did not even touch on here. If you are looking for something good to read you can pop over to my Goodreads page or shoot me a comment or email! I would love to hear what some of your favorites are, so leave me a comment and tell me what you love and would recommend!

Happy reading, friends!

Readers Gonna Read

After some gentle nudging by friends who believe I have something to say, I took a leap and created this blog. Adventures await! If you are reading this, you have probably figured out that I like to read. That's almost an understatement. But, for the sake of starting things off right, let me tell you a little bit about myself.

I am an avid user of Goodreads and you can find my Reading Challenge on the right hand side of this page. If you haven't ventured into Goodreads yet, I highly recommend that you give it a try. Not only is it a great place to keep track of what you read, but you can also get so many great book suggestions.

I have a handful of favorite authors and you will likely see a theme at some point. I do read a variety of genres and try to branch out from my usual. One thing I am adamant about is this- if you are reading a book and you don't like it, can't get onto it, it isn't your thing....just quit! Do not waste your time on books that don't excite you. Marie Kondo your books- if it doesn't spark joy then just toss it! There are too many good books and not enough time to read them all.

Outside of reading, I have a pretty full life. My husband, Mike, and I have been married for almost 5 years. We have 5 kids between us, although only two live with us full time. They keep us on our toes on a daily basis. I also work full time as a para-educator at a local school and I volunteer for the PTO. We are active with our church and friends.

So, how do I find time to read? Any chance I get. I love my Kindle Paperwhite because I can take my books anywhere. Like the title says, Readers Gonna Read.

I have some ideas for some posts later in the week. I'm not really sure how often I will be posting, but I would like to post all my book reviews here. I hope you will find something good here and I am excited to see where this goes!