What made the difference? Two boys with the same name growing up in the same neighborhood who lived two different lives in the end. The true story explores the power of circumstance and the importance of mentors.

There‘s books that sit with you and make it really difficult to pick up another and go on another journey with different characters. This is one of them. A difficult and emotionally draining read but so worth it

I‘m stumped on how to review this. The cliche review is that all the characters are unlikable and Ivy is infuriating, but that‘s really the whole point. You‘re not supposed to like her. I think it was just hard for me to understand a person being that phony for so long because of some ideal she had created.

This book made me dream of fried chicken all week and then I finally gave in 😂 and had to get some

This month I wanted to pick something from the December BOTM club picks that wasn‘t the popular pick and I am so glad I did! Beautiful character development in this novel. It‘s a slow build but well worth the wait. You start the book thinking Tallie is crazy for welcoming a stranger into her home but then realize the world needs a lot more people like her.

Such a fun take on the film Groundhog‘s day. I almost wish I waited until winter break to read it 😊

His books are starting to become very repetitive. Takes 2 seconds to fall in love with someone and there‘s always some major tragedy uncovered. I‘ve read almost all of them, but after picking up some other romance authors recently I think it‘s time to move on.

The trigger warnings including depression and suicide have turned some people off to this book,however, this is really a story about Life and Living. Beautifully written and it makes you reconsider regrets and what it means to live.

Beautiful story. Being Italian American it was fun to read a story set in New York and Italy. Definitely passing it on to my grandmother.

The description and title are so misleading. It makes it seem like this would be a mindless thriller, but this was really well written and a real page turner. Really glad I chose it last month.

I almost didn‘t read it because I had mixed emotions about Rules of Magic, but that would‘ve been a really big mistake. This book is fantastic. It is so well-written and the historical context is really interesting to read. I could not put it down.

It‘s a light hearted read with a lot of heart. The ending is a bit cliche, but overall it was good. I liked watching Minnie‘s growth as the book progressed.

Reese‘s picks are so hit or miss for me lately, but this one was definitely worth reading. Themes include class conflict, racism, and privilege. Alex‘s character in particular reminded me so much of Reese‘s character in Little Fires Everywhere and in both cases you want to reach into the book and shake them.

I‘m reviewing it with 75 pages left because I love it that much. I‘m excited for the rest of the series. Feels like I‘m back in a world like Harry Potter again but with its own twists and turns.

I really loved Things You Save in a Fire so I was really excited to read this one especially when I found out it took place in a school. I said it was just okay because Sam‘s need to run away was particularly frustrating. I almost stopped reading after the first 30 pages because I couldn‘t wrap my head around a woman leaving a school because of her crush. I kept going and it was worth it just not my favorite read.

A story of strength and purpose. So many high school kids struggle to except themselves for who they are and this story is so important for a variety of reasons. Really enjoyed Johnson‘s first novel.

It‘s campy and it reads like a soap opera but I needed a quick read this week.

Christina Lauren (bff duo) are quickly becoming a favorite for me for romance novels. I really enjoyed the Unhoneymooners and this was just as fun. Millie (the main character) is infuriating at times, but her male best friends make you want to hang out with your guy friends again.

A modern day epic. I‘ve seen many reviews that it goes on for too long or I gave up after 200 pages. Stick it out till the end because it is definitely worth it. To tell this story right we needed to hear Addie‘s journey and every detail that shaped her.

I flew through this one after dragging my heels during another book. Suspenseful and an interesting perspective on the criminal justice system.

Riley Sager doesn‘t disappoint. Read two so far and they are the perfect blend of mystery and thriller

Love that there is more to Well Met. I‘m glad that we got Stacey‘s perspective but I really can‘t wait for April‘s next year!

I like how everything eventually ties together and laughed out loud at points. Definitely different than his other works. The rambling, however, was frustrating at points.

Women are expected to give up their dreams for men....She was raised to say, I‘ll turn down the job. Marrying you is enough for me.

If Jane Austen was allowed to write with graphic sex scenes and get away with it she‘d be Evie Dunmore 😂😂

So many things that happen to us are not right, are not okay. And we can survive and heal and use that to be stronger and shape our lives and the lives of others in wonderful, powerful, healing ways, should we choose to do so.

Ruth Ware seems to be very popular right now, but Simone St. James has her beat in my book. Love her thrillers.

Maybe all happiness could ever hope to be was a tiny interruption from sorrow.

An intense look at the American judicial system. What was done to this man and so many individuals is an absolute shame. An eye opening read.

An absolute page turner. Taylor Adams definitely knows how to write a suspense novel. A little Agatha Christie with a little Stephen King wrapped within you won‘t be able to stop reading it.

I want to give this book a different rating but I can‘t. The first 150 pages lacked character development. There is a chance for the author to really explore depression and how it manifests but it misses the mark at points.

Heartbreaking to read but absolutely necessary. A child soldier‘s experiences in Sierra Leone. Graphic and detailed. Not for the faint of heart.

It‘s been fun to watch the story of Alexa and Drew continue while getting to know Maddie and Theo more. Sometimes though I feel like Guillory‘s conflicts get repetitive. Characters afraid to tell each other how they truly feel, etc. But I guess that‘s also just Rom Coms.

If you are in a reading slump and love mysteries, you HAVE to read this one. I am flying through it

Watched the documentary first but I enjoyed this so much more! Really well done and it‘s a shame she wasn‘t alive to see him captured. Very interesting to see his footsteps before he was captured.

Do not let the first 100 pages discourage you. This is an excellent multi-perspective piece of historical fiction about female spies during the First World War . Love the characters and the way it was written.

Continuing my trend of light reading after a heavy one, this book was exactly what I needed. It‘s laugh out loud funny at points and so much fun to follow Ethan and Olive‘s growing and changing relationship. Highly recommend!!

So in the beginning I loved it...a modern day gothic tale ALA Shelley or Stoker. But then it took a turn into the grotesque and the gore was just too much at points.

After 100 pages, she lost me. I know it‘s a true account but it jumps around a lot and it became repetitive.

A really great YA mystery and I‘m shocked this was Holly Jackson‘s debut. Unpredictable and well-written. As HS teacher of seniors, I loved that it centered around one student‘s Capstone project.

Bennett did an excellent job developing her characters and showing their growth as they navigate very different lives. Themes include identity, family, and how now matter how hard we try we cannot distance ourselves from our past.
Although Bennett‘s chapter cliff hangers and tendency to jump back in time at random points drove me crazy at times because just when I thought I would get answers she‘d switch timelines 😂😂

What a refreshing read!! Love that this book centered around a Renaissance Faire (something I have always been curious about). I thought it captured the nerves a woman experiences in a new relationship well. Flew through it in a few days. Love Emily and Simon and can‘t wait for the sequel.

A ghost story/hunt for a serial killer- what a perfect mix. Loved this book!!

I felt like the writing was uneven. I went in really wanting to love this one because I enjoy mythology, but it felt more like fan fiction at points than an actual published work.

It‘s hard to capture the magic of The Light We Lost again, but Santopolo does have a knack for romances. I just didn‘t fall in love with the characters this time and Nina started to bother me a bit.

This book will keep you up at night and make you hyper aware of your surroundings. Really well-researched and written. I absolutely loved it.

Told from multi-perspectives Jetsetters focuses on a mother‘s attempt to reunite her estranged children. Although I read it rather quickly, I spent a large portion of it deeply frustrated by Charlotte, the mother of three children who desperately need her help. I spent a lot of the book wanting to shake her and make her realize how much her kids need her and that they are hurting.

There‘s some authors that I have to read everything they publish. Emily Giffin is one of them.

It‘s a common conundrum for Black children navigating mostly white classrooms. It is often expected-both by other students and by the teacher—that Black students will have no problem acting as the race experts for their classrooms....It‘s not like we have a committee meeting every Wednesday night to decide what we think about any given issue.