Do you ever wonder how many times you crossed paths with the important people in your life before you actually met them? This book shows how it might happen with a timeline that jumps between the past and present. The characters felt real to me. This was a perfect year-end read with it‘s new year theme! It speaks to crosses paths, destiny, luck, good friendships and mental illness. There‘s a lot in this book, but it never felt heavy.

This was a cute romance… Over the top in a few places, but not enough to ruin the fun of it. It was a fast, enjoyable read!

This was an adorable and sweet read! I didn‘t realize it was a young adult book until I started reading, but the story is enjoyable for all ages. I loved both Holly and Elle, as well as Elle‘s brother, Nick, and Holly‘s friends, Ruby and Fred. Learning about British holiday foods and traditions was fun too. I received the book in my Authentic Books holiday edition box, along with these other lovely goodies!

I enjoyed how atmospheric this book was, the slow burning romance between Leta and Rowen, and the mythology/religion of the Lady and Lord Under. I thought the story wrapped up quite well, so I‘m not sure since it says #1 what book two will bring or how many there will be in total. Could be read as a stand-alone.

Starting this one for Halloween week. While I was waiting for it to get here, I actually read a cute Christmas romance, Happily this Christmas by Susan Mallory. I love fun holiday reads!

This was such a warm and sweet story! I got the book in the 1-year anniversary box from Authentic Books. I loved how Wallace developed throughout the story, and the whole premise of the ferryman and the tea shop “weigh station” in between life and the afterlife. Hard to say who was my favorite character… they were all so intriguing.

This was a romantic comedy with teeth! It covered disability and mental health in a realistic and empathetic way while also hosting laugh out loud moments. Vanessa and Adrian as the main characters are well-rounded, flawed yet lovable, and so fun to read! Get this one - you won‘t regret it!

Lately I‘ve been finding myself reading a rom-com between fantasy books. They‘re a nice palate cleanser before I dive back into another unknown world, I guess. Well Met was a fun and cute read - from the setting (small town summer renaissance fair) to the characters (Emily and Simon and all their love/hate banter and flirting). The best kind of summer read right here!

Found this at The Dollar Tree yesterday and read it in a couple hours. This was a quick, fun read. I really liked Bea and was glad to see her confidence grow as the story progressed. Her little sister Emma was such a funny side character, and Ollie and Lulu were favorites as well.

This was a book that kept me up way later than I needed to be up reading. I loved it so much! Bree is a fierce protagonist, and I loved all the supporting cast too. The magic system was interesting, and the story kept me guessing. I‘m really looking forward to the sequel!

Mercy Thompson is my all time favorite series because she is smart, and she‘s funny, and she‘s vulnerable while being tough. I hope Patricia has many more books planned for her, because I‘m not ready to let go. I think if we ever reach the end, I‘ll just go back and reread them all. 🥰

This was a fast and fun read. I really liked Rico, Zan and their friends, as well as most of the supporting cast. The ending wasn‘t my favorite, but all and all, I recommend this book!

This middle grade series is the perfect amount of spooky with a brave and interesting main character. The pacing is spot on - they are entertaining reads for all ages. This third book in the series takes place in New Orleans. Having just visited for the first time in January, Schwab‘s descriptions took me right back to this fascinating city. Highly recommend!

I‘m struggling to get into books this year. It‘s real hit or miss for me, but The Lost Apothecary was a winner! I loved the way history and the present intertwined, the quiet feminist message throughout, and the ending, although it felt a little rushed, was what I hoped for our main characters.

This is a story of betrayals and loyalty, as well as women without a voice or presence and a book that gives them one. It‘s intriguing and well paced.

Okay, this is an adorable and sweet romance. I loved Pepper, Jack and all their friends. The Twitter war was even cute, and the desserts... well, I‘m hungry now! I took this book on vacation, and it was a perfect light-hearted read!

This was such a rich, imaginative duology. I loved Sarai, Lazlo and all the godlings. The world building was exceptional, and I didn‘t anticipate where the storyline was going, but I was happy to travel along. Can‘t recommend these books enough - if you haven‘t read them, you should!

I‘m not crying, you are.

Wow. What a journey. I don‘t have words. And I need a tissue... or two... or three.

This was a weird one, folks. I‘ll give the author props for creativity and amazing characters. Don‘t read if your squeamish - lots of detailed gore.

This was such a great read. The detail that went into describing the bone eaters and the cursed forest, the complexity of characters, the adorable relationship between Daisy and Fox... these were the magic ingredients that made this story come alive. I loved it!

This was exactly the book I needed to read. I love to do a contemporary fiction after finishing a fantasy series. Yes, there is some fantasy-ish vibes with the repeating time period, a la Groundhog Day, but Jack and Kate are adorable and I couldn‘t help touring for them in each variation. This is a book you‘ll want to hug at the end. Too cute!

I‘ve had this ARC for a while and finally read it. I loved it! Tilla is such a strong female lead, and her band of bastards - Jax, Miles, and Zell, along with their accidental companion, Lyriana, were very well rounded and likeable. I found myself turning the pages with anticipation in this fast-paced adventure. Now I‘m looking forward to reading the next two books in this series.

I took this spooky, atmospheric read on my recent trip to NOLA. It was perfect! Just the right level of creepiness mixed with gorgeous writing. While this book is written for the middle grade/young adult segment, it will appeal to all ages. This was my first book by Frances Hardinge. I‘ll be sure to read her other stories, too.

Wow... I‘m writing this as tears are still drying on my cheeks. What a gorgeous, epic story. Seren and Owen are two characters that have woven a permanent place in my heart; their story is full of so much - monsters, fear, death, curses, beauty, love, sacrifice, redemption... the ingredients of fairytales. I started the year disappointed with a DNF, but this book has made my heart so happy!!

One of my favorite series, which makes the collectible teacup that came in the December LitJoy crate so perfect!

Bargain find for my fellow book lovers! Check the clearance section at your local BoxLunch store. Mine had the Mina Lima version of Pinocchio for $7.99 (retail value $32.50), and clearance was 50% off last night, so I got this for $4.00! It‘s beautiful and interactive as all Mina Lima editions are. #bargainbook #boxlunch #pinocchio #minalima #readerfinds

Finished this one last night, which gets me to 100 books in 2020 thus far! In the end, I enjoyed this story, but I‘ll admit that for the first half, I did not like Imogen at all. The characters grew as the tale progressed, and with their growth, I came to care for them. The illustrations are witty and fun, and there is so much adventure packed between these pages. Any child will love stepping through the door in the tree with these sisters!

I love a good redemption Christmas story, and Write Christmas was no exception. I found myself feeling like I was part of the town - both before and after Christmas disappeared. It's a little Christmas Carol and a little It's a Wonderful Life, with a bit more magic (and maybe a bit more sinister) sprinkled in. If you're ready for a story that's not as sweet as a Hallmark movie, but 100% satisfying, then give Write Christmas a try.

Meh. For a nail-biting premise: a woman who has a premonition of everyone dying at a mall from a violent event, I found this book to be s...l...o...w... I skipped about 100 pages in the middle and don‘t really feel like I missed anything.

really enjoyed this book! The characters were realistic with their imperfections, yet very likable too. I loved the various relationships, not just Susan and Malcolm, but each of their family and friend dynamics too.

It was also fun to learn more of the richness and diversity within Indian culture, and the challenges children face under parents with very high expectations and strict rules

This was so good, but feels a little like a chocolate chip when I want the whole cookie! I love Cardan and Jude and could happily read about their escapades in the fairy realm or mortal realm. Guess I just need to go back and start over with The Cruel Prince!

This was a sweeping and fantastic tale of a remarkable woman. The historical references and detailed prose bring Addie‘s story to life and make you begin to feel that- yes - this brave girl may really exist between the pages of history. I loved the complexity of her relationship with Luc, juxtaposed to her relationship with Henry. My eyes are swollen from shed tears, but my heart is full in a way that only a great story can fill it.

This was such a sweet read. While it was hard to watch Kate trying to hold everything together, I loved all the characters, how her friends supported her and Jack, and the ending was a Christmas gift. Truly a heartfelt story, especially for anyone who loves Christmas movies, because it reads like one.

This was a great story, and the cover art is gorgeous... I love the colors!

I love this series! It‘s just as magical as Harry Potter, but it feels more whimsical to me. I also really love Morrigan, Jupiter, and the other characters. Plus, Ezra Squall is an excellent villain, because he‘s so complex. Honestly, I can‘t wait for the next installment, and I hope there are many more books to come in this series!

As much as I enjoyed “How to Hang a Witch,” I liked this book even more. Sam continues to find her place in Salem, and things are almost crazier this time around. I love how history of the Titanic is woven into the story, and while the ending tied everything up, I do hope we see future books with these characters.

This book reminded me of The Craft and Mean Girls, but it was also original. I liked Samantha (Sam) from the beginning, and I‘m a sucker for books with a cute teenage boy ghost (Mediator series by Meg Cabot). I was glad I owned both “How to Hang a Witch” and “Haunting the Deep” so I could move on to the sequel.

Not gonna lie, I‘m a little jealous of Adriana Mather for having a family so steeped in history and artifacts and records to prove it.

On the first page when we meet our protagonist, Valerie, she‘s spending her 18th birthday at he with her mom, waiting to be picked by her top choice gang.

The gritty alternative San Francisco was very intriguing to me and creatively executed by the author. It didn‘t take much effort to see the world through Valerie‘s eyes, and that‘s all due to the masterful storytelling. I love a good balance of detail to plot, and this book was balanced well.

Oh man, how I wanted to love this book! I paid good money for the OwlCrate edition, which is gorgeous, and I loved Naomi‘s first two books: Uprooted and Spinning Silver.

This book was just... meh. The action was bogged down by world building, which I just found myself skimming over in pages, not just paragraphs. And yet other details, like the maps, were minimally described. It did improve toward the end, but I‘ll probably just borrow book 2.

This book was filled with lovely prose, eccentric once-wealthy people, and a small ocean-side town. I‘m a fan of dark gothic and this fit beautifully. I think I love a River a little bit, and Neely... both the embodiment of troubled boys. And Vi, she was a complicated and unique heroine. I‘m looking forward to reading the next book!

There was a little girl, who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead. And when she was good, she was very, very good, but when she was bad, she was HORRID.
🥀 🥀 📖 📖 🏚 Dang, this book gave me ALL the creepy vibes. It‘s an instant classic scary story and perfect October read!

2020 is the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 75th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October. And yet, people with disabilities are still greatly unemployed, underemployed and not included both virtually and in person when things are inaccessible. We can do better; we must do better. To start, everyone should read this book!

Loosely based on the Prince and the Pauper, this was a fun and cute story. I loved Mo and Jess both, and they had great character growth in this book. Ethan was adorable geeky, and the fact that the whole story took place at the fictional convention was an extra bonus!

I love rom coms, and when you apply a fairytale twist and then set them into a convention/nerd fandom theme? Perfection!

It was so fun to read Vance and Rosie‘s story, although so far, Mo and Ethan‘s is my favorite. I‘m hoping there will be more installments in this series!

I loved the house that responds to your every wish and need. And yet, something felt sinister from the first chapter. Three sisters, trapped in a house, and told by there parents before they left to never leave. I loved the relationships between the sisters, and I adored the droomhounds. The writing was gorgeous, captivating me from the first page to the last. I got a Coraline vibe from this book, although it‘s also completely unique.

This was a cute rom com. Elle was sweet and spunky, although I really liked her sidekick, Sage. And the chapters from Darien‘s point of view were my favorite. The stepmother was over the top, but overall, a quick and fun Cinderella retelling.

I really enjoyed this book. The gothic feel and the mystery component. I also liked the elementals storyline. Imogen was a great character - brave, but kind and thoughtful. And, it was fun to put myself in for shoes of a teenager who finds herself a duchess and owner of an enormous English estate. The maze scenes were especially cool, and I could‘ve spent more time there!

This took me back to my childhood in the best of ways. My family spent 2-3 weeks each year in Northern Wisconsin. Some of my favorite memories are of being on a lake at night, looking up at the brilliant night sky full of bright stars, and listening to the cries of the loons and bullfrogs. This was a story full of heart, and both heartbreak and redemption. I liked the way the story wove from current day to Beth's childhood and back again.

Today, on 9/11, I‘m co-hosting a work book club discussion on Thunder Dog. I can‘t imagine what New Yorkers experienced on this day, 19 years ago. I can only recall my own disbelief and horror as I watched the footage on TV.

Michael, who‘s blind, escaped the north tower of the World Trade Center with the help of his guide dog Roselle. She remained calm and therefore, calmed him. Everyone should read this amazing story of teamwork and trust.

I was looking for a quick, fun read and this was both. I like Millie and her posse of male friends. Although I would relate more to Reid, I see why Millie behaves the way she does. And, this book had so many laugh out loud moments. It was both fun and relatable.

The blurb and cover drew me into this story. I read it in one day and loved it! I want the sequel NOW!! Such a cool house filled with the craziest cast of characters. Reminded me of Knives Out and a little bit like Clue.