⭐️⭐️⭐️⚡️
This mystery novel is exactly what you would expect it to be - a light, easy and somewhat cheesy read. 🧀 This type of book is the comfort food of books for me, and I'm honestly not sure why I don't read them more often.

Parts of this book verge on poetic, (the very beginning & very end), dealing with the tragedy of the high incidents of violence against Indigenous women and girls in Canada. However, the only other mentions of Indigenous culture are in passing, leaving me feeling like the Highway of Tears was being used as a gimmick to reel the reader in with a bait and switch.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Slaughter is one of the author queens of thrillers. I saw this was turned into a Netflix series, so of course I had to read it before watching. My only complaint is that there is some unnecessary repetition throughout - presumably to help readers make connections through the somewhat complicated storylines. I'm optimistic about the show 😊

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⚡️
If you've ever been heartbroken, and found that the person you had loved was never truly who you thought they were, this book will make you cry from the memories and the empathy you have for Waite.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Miller's relationship with food and dieting is one that I definitely relate to, and this book provided some useful insights that I can apply to my own journey. I'm not 100% sold on rhe idea of "insightful eating", but I do think it has some good takeaways.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Like many, I have spent many hours of my life watching true crime documentaries, shows, and YouTube channels, and listening to true crime podcasts. This book is McNamara's comprehensive investigation of a monster who raped 50 women, and murdered 13 victims. Good read for true crime fans like myself.

I got about 1/4 of the way through before the discomfort outweighed the interest. This is an ironic attempt of a self-diagnosed sociopath to help non-sociopaths understand/empathize with sociopaths. Who don't empathize. I understand that not all sociopaths are criminally dangerous, and that it is not their fault they are the way they are... but that doesn't mean I would invite one into my life knowingly.

I'm not not a Seth Rogen fan; I think I feel an allegiance to him based on 1. His Canadianness, and 2. Freaks and Geeks. This memoir was highly entertaining, and worth reading for many reasons, including but not exclusive to: his experience spending the day with Tom Cruise at the height of his couch jumping days, and his experiences on shrooms and acid.

It's my own fault - I apparently missed "A Memoir" written in bright red on the cover, and didn't read the synopsis, so I was expecting this to be a comedic compilation of conversations similar to Mercer's Talking to Americans videos. I listened to about half of the book, and though Mercer is funny and a great storyteller, I just couldn't commit to follow through. So many books, so little time. Great book for anyone who is a Mercer fan, though.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Confession: In 1995, at age 13, I read Seinlanguage. I also watched the occasional episode of Seinfeld, since we had exactly 2 channels on our TV at the time. The confession is, I had a HUGE crush on Jerry. Until I realized that he was an OLD MAN (41 years old!!!).
I am now 40. 😱
Good book. If you like him, read it.

I'm not usually one for self-help books, but this one seems made for me. Here's hoping...

Not sure that I prescribe to this, but it's definitely a thinker.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Not gonna lie - I chose this book for the title; it reminded me of the Gilmore Girls episode title "Friday Night's Alright for Fighting". The voice is well done and convincing - both the voice of the 9yo narrator, and the way she describes the other characters and how they speak. I liked the characters and the family dynamics. There were also some very insightful moments that I was able to connect with, and that really made me interospect.

Book #7
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐+
This is one of my very favorite books since I first read it a couple of years ago. I heard that the audiobook was great, too, so now here I am. The performances - not just reading - were amazing, and did what I didn't think was possible, by making the characters even more real than Reid had already succeeded in making them. ❤❤❤ But why aren't they real??? I would give up chocolate for a year, just for a copy of their album, Aurora.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⚡️I am not all caught up on This Is Us, because it is emotionally exhausting so I have to watch just one episode every so often - but I do think it's a fantastic show! This memoir/autobiography/self-help book was a light, insightful read. As always with autobiographies, I recommend listening to the audiobook (I borrow them digitally from the library).

⭐⭐⭐⭐
I say this with every book of hers I read, but it's true: Reid has a way of making characters feel so incredibly real. She lets you know not only WHO the characters are, but also WHY they are that way. This is the story of one family, and a wild party. The ending is wrapped up in a nice (though admittedly not so tidy) bow.

Made it about halfway through listening to this one... maybe it's just me, but I could not stay interested. Time to let it go, I guess. Life's too short. ;)

⭐⭐⭐
I don't want to get all political, but when I started listening to this book, I did not know anything about Vance's political leanings, or twitter comments he has made since the book was published.
Having said that, living and teaching in a Canadian province with a high child poverty rate, I see a lot of parallels between Vance's early life experiences, and those of many families in my community.

I wanted to like this one, I really did. But almost 4 hours into the audiobook, and the storyline has just lost my interest completely. I'm not saying it's bad - it just isn't for me.

I can't give this a numerical rating.
Elizabeth Smart is an extraordinary woman, who not only survived 9 months of torture by two deplorable criminals at the age of 14, but has also gone on to help other children. At the beginning of the memoir, she says she doesn't subscribe to the idea that all things happen for a reason; instead she believes that God can make something good come from something bad. I think this is an important distinction.

I always struggle to rate memoirs like this. Elizabeth Smart is an extraordinary woman who endured 9 months of torture with her captors at the age if 14. Her incredible strength and determination got her through the ordeal, and she has gone on to do incredible work helping others. She states in the beginning that she doesn't believe everything happens for a reason,

⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was another feel good romcom from Lauren. The characters are likeable, and the storytelling is good. The DNA match premise is maybe a tad much, and the romance follows the usual formula (which led cynical old me to a few eye rolls), but I was mostly able to push my cynicism aside and enjoyit for what it is. ❤

I was drawn to this book for its gorgeous cover and promising synopsis. I hate to bail on a book - especially after I've invested hours in it - but over halfway through and I've got to call it. I found the story terribly disjointed, and there were a number of times throughout where I felt as though I must have skimmed over something important. It's as though Blackwood had this world all planned out, but forgot that the reader can't see it.

Sticking with my new motto of "If I haven't read it yet, I probably won't", I am clearing of my To Read shelf on Goodreads, and starting to actually use the app for the first time ever, for 2022. I started reviewing what I read on Facebook a few years back, and joined here last year. Might as well become active on Goodreads, too. Lol. I read 83 books in 2021, which is roughly twice the amount of the usual. I'm aiming for 90 this year.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a must read if you are musician, or a fan of those who make music. I have been a somewhat passive Foo Fighters fan for years, buying and listening to their music, but without the "fanatic" part. When they recorded their 7th album, Wasting Light, in Grohl's garage using analog equipment as a return to the roots music recording, my interest, and respect, was piqued.... ?

I mean...I love food. And Gaffigan has some funny stuff to say about it. I made it half way through...but like a really large meal, it was just too much food.

⭐⭐
I started reading this book after it was first released a few years ago, but only got about 1/4 of the way through it at the time. Finally decided to start over and plug through. The premise is interesting, and reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale, but unfortunately begs the comparison and then falls short. While I connected with the horror of possibility of a world where women are - literally- silenced, I felt no connection to the characters.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reid is just SO good at writing characters in a way that makes then REAL - their umanity, and the accuracy of the time and situations which they have lived through. I felt like I was reading the autobiography of someone legendary, like Marilyn Monroe. I'm left rather sad that Hugo is a fictional character.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⚡
I really enjoyed this memoir. Union is a strong, intelligent woman, and it was very insightful hearing about her experiences growing up in a predominantly white area, fertility issues, helping to raise her husband's children (she doesn't like the word step-mom), losing a loved one to cancer, and more. I will be reading her more recently released memoir, You Got Anything Stronger?

⭐⭐⭐
I can kind of see where the author was trying to go...I just can't say the story effectively got there. A bit of a thriller, with a unique idea - lacking a little in execution.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm not usually one for rom-com books. The usual cheesiness, and the helplessness and stupidity of the female lead...is absent from this one. The two main characters are likeable; the male lead is unexpectedly emotionally mature, and the female lead is independent and strong. In my mind's eye, I have already cast this as a movie with America Ferrera and Justin Baldoni. 1000% recommend.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⚡
I have always loved Fairy Tales, and was shocked, while in a Children's Literature class in university, to learn that the original fairy tales were far less... innocent. This book is along the vein of the original tales, and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for young children - it's pretty grim, no pun intended. I certainly enjoyed it, though.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⚡
This was an enjoyable read. 😊 It reminded me a bit of the film Knives Out, in that it is the same type of family whodunit, where everyone has a motive.

⭐⭐
My love for Hendrix's Horrorstor and My Best Friend's Exorcism couldn't save this one for me. I was really hopeful, but this story just isn't it. 😔 I'm too sad to say more.

Okay, I'm counting on this one to not disappoint. Two of my favourite books are Horrorstor and My Best Friends' Exorcism, by Hendrix.
🤞

⭐⭐
I struggled through this one. I almost bailed a few times, but kept thinking that, surely, it would get better. It did not. I found the main character/narrator repetitive and naive. The storyline, which hinged on a seemingly villain-less childhood trauma, just dragged on and on. The events that transpire, 20 years later, make no sense, even after the "big reveal" at the end.
Disappointing.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
As previously stated, I love Jann and everything she writes. I started reading this book when I first bought it a couple of years ago, and loved it so much that I bought copies for my mom and step-mom; but I never finished it until now. Better late than never? Jann has so many insights that strike to the core of me. I recommend this especially for anyone who is caregiver to a loved one.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love Jann and everything she writes. I found this book so insightful, and it resonated with me a lot. Like Jann, I have recently become more accepting and forgiving of myself, and I am learning to say no to things, people, and even books that do not bring me joy. 😉

⭐⭐⭐⭐⚡
Great Big Sea's Alan Doyle is delightful to me in a way that only a fellow small-town-Atlantic-Canadian can be. As advertised on the cover, this book is a lighthearted collection of personal experiences, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Doyle read the stories in his native Newfoundland accent.

⭐⭐⚡
I don't know what made me pick this one - I wouldn't call myself a Dratch fan, though I do sometimes make reference to her most popular SNL character, Debbie Downer. The book was okay. The first 1/4 deals with her career, and the rest of the book was about relationships and the birth of her son.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
I don't watch Grey's Anatomy, but I must have heard Shonda Rhimes' name spoken in tones of reverence enough times to encourage me to give this book a try. Year of Yes gives insight on Rhimes' personal growth following a decision to step out of her comfort zone. I have built extra walls around my own personal comfort zone over the past year and a half. Maybe I need to step out?

⭐⭐⚡ Meh.
I have never, to my recollection, watched anything by or starring Lena Dunham. Why did I pick this book then? Truly, because I've heard her name many times in tones of reverence, and thought maybe I should know who she is. She is a very good descriptive writer, but I found the memoir a bit all over the place/aimless. Now is when I usually start binging all the author's shows, movies, etc., but I do not feel compelled to in this case 🤷‍♀️

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Yet another autobiography by a funny redheaded celebrity. Honestly, I really enjoy Kathy Griffin and how unapologetic she is for telling it how it is. This book is no different. Like Jerry Seinfeld said during an argument with her, "How am I supposed to keep track of who you don't get along with in Hollywood?" I will be looking to read her other, more recent book, Celebrity Run-Ins.

I do this thing (up until now unintentionally) whereby is a name, or a concept, or a book comes up a few times in things I have read in relative succession, I figure it must be for a reason and I seek it out. A few books ago, Hilarie Burton-Morgan mentioned that Dandelion Wine is her favourite book, and now Joe Hill mentioned it as influential in the intro to Full Throttle. So I guess I have to buy this?

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another memoir by a quirky redhead. I know Day from Supernatural, and I am pleased to say that she seems every bit as funny and insightful as I would have expected. My only complaint is the lack of any juicy details of her time on Supernatural, and (my fault) that since I am not familiar with the web show she wrote and starred in, The Guild, those chapters were a tiny bit lost to me. Now I have to go familiarize myself.

⭐⭐⭐⚡
I really enjoyed Kemper on The Office, and Kimmy Schmidt (though I binged through to the second season and got sick of it too quickly to plug through). She definitely seems exactly how I imagined she would be (awesome), but the book was sort of a "meh" for me.

⭐⭐⭐⚡
This one started it pretty slow but the last 1/4 kept me in some suspense. It wasn't completely predictable, which was nice. It wasn't bad - just not overly great.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I *might* have chosen this celebrity memoir because I have a massive crush on her husband... but I can honestly say this was the best celebrity memoir that I've ever read. I know it's a cliché, but she and her hubby come across as a genuine people who just happen to act for a living. Move over, Kristen and Dax, I might have a new favourite celebrity couple. That is high praise coming from me.