Wow! One of my favorite reads of the year. The author pulled off what I feel is one of the hardest techniques to do. The reports, newspaper articles, autopsy reports, podcasts, etc. added a layer to the characters and did not bore! There were definitely some fantastical elements that kept me turning pages wondering how true it all was to their world.

What can I say except I LOVED this book! I went in expecting to connect most closely with Selena, the girl not Mexican enough for her family, but too white for work. I did, absolutely, but also found I connected and identified with ALL the Garcia cousins. And I swear, when they were making tamales on Christmas Eve, I could smell the masa and feel the hot, humid air of my mom‘s kitchen. So good. I can‘t wait to read more from this author.

It‘s interesting to hear about what scares certain people and what doesn‘t. This book gave me bad dreams! It wasn‘t exactly what I was looking for when I picked it, but it definitely hit the spot for scare factor, violence, and gruesome-ness. The author made some…interesting style choices that did take me out of the story a little.

I liked the premise and the storyline enough to rip through the last pages. I felt I wasn‘t close enough to the protagonist and that just about every element could have used some depth. That being said, I still identified with the protag and the global issue the book addresses.

The first section of this book was a little difficult to get through, it felt like it dragged a bit. I‘m glad I stuck it out, though because I ended up loving the cadence and pace of the other sections. This is probably the best recollection of the Vietnam conflict I‘ve read. O‘Brien dives deep into the internal and what drove the soldiers. He put it in ways that someone who has never experienced combat can skirt the edges of understanding.

Lately, I‘ve had a hard time enjoying hyped up books, so I was wary this would fall flat. So, I was surprised when I gorged myself on this book! Disturbing and twisted, it kept me guessing. There were sections I had to go back to because I read it the way I WANTED to read them, the characters got that much into my head. While the ending is a tad frustrating, it is in the best way, and I imagine this book will stick with me. Aptly titled.

This was such a great book about trying to fit in and being yourself. It was sooo funny and Paulsen really captured the way kids talk and tell stories. Expect long sentences and more than a few digressions, but they all contribute to the characters and the story.

We enjoyed it, but what can I say that hasn‘t been already?

Beautiful cover and it matched the descriptions of the bayou (can I go there now, please!). I was a little disappointed in the climax and felt like the evidence didn‘t give me any hints, though. This being her first novel, I may pick up another (if she has one) to see how her writing has grown.

What a great start to a cute series! I was pleased with the setups and little twists. There was quite a bit of backstory and at first I thought it was just there to be there, but it all paid off. My son and I are looking forward to reading the next one.

I was extremely disappointed with this book. It had been on my TBR for a while. I kept waiting for the twist everyone was raving about and was going to give it until 150 pages. At 140 it was “revealed” but made me feel more tricked than twisted. I thought I could get over it, but when the ex-wife just kept whining, I‘d had enough. It would have been okay if I expected a straightforward domestic thriller.

What a creepy, subtle, beautiful MG book. My son enjoyed it and we‘d definitely pick up another book by this author.

Ironically, I kept putting this book off bc I knew it would get my butt in gear! And it did, but the longer I let it sit, the less impressed I am with it. The little snippets were more inspirational calendar than book. Which will make it easier to refer back to. The big take-away is just do the work for the sake of the work.

I read this to my son, admittedly I‘ve already seen the movies bc I‘m not much for YA. I enjoyed it, though and loved how captivated he was in certain spots. And even though I knew what was going to happen, I still teared up.

I enjoyed this book! It was a little slow to start, but I immediately fell for Addie and all the characters. Some reviewers were disappointed in the ending, but for me, it was inevitable and happened in a surprising way. The writing is beautiful and my only complaint is that some spots dragged a tiny bit.

He‘s lead an interesting life, to say the least. I know this is a book about Greenlights, but I did feel like everything was made out to be too easy. A “red light” was explained in broad strokes then turned into a green light. But the details of what turned it, the hardships, the deep, raw emotions, were missing. It was a quick and easy read, light and entertaining.

Finally picked this up. I was going to get it as an ebook, but when I saw the content in hardback, I knew I needed it. It was a Valentine‘s gift to myself. 😅

Well, I enjoyed the mystery, but was not very surprised at the end. This was my first title by Penny. I felt there were a few things missing within the mystery itself and it felt like a game of Clue, lots of speculation and no hard facts. There was a TON of head-hopping that got me confused from time to time. It also kept the characters at a distance for me, that prevented me from caring about them and their motivations.

I‘m reading this to my 10 yo son, and I‘m surprised to say it‘s better than I expected! I‘d heard mixed reviews and am not a huge fan of YA. We‘re not yet halfway, but are cruising right along and I‘m enjoying it. He even stops the Lego battles to listen (he always has battles when I read to him yet remembers every word).

This was a slower paced book but it kept my attention. I desperately wanted to know what happened to Lucien. The end was a little predictable, unfortunately, and the resolution felt a bit forced.

I‘m hoping this lives up to the hype and the flap copy. So far I‘m a little confused as to who is who and how they‘re related, but it should clear up soon. And what a beautiful cover!

I enjoy Manson‘s style and didn‘t have a problem with it feeling choppy like some others experienced. Everything eventually tied back to itself. The end was a little out of the blue, though.

I enjoyed this craft book. It definitely helps dispel the mystery behind controlling theme or lessons characters must learn.

I really had a hard time with the characters. It seemed that the author picked a diverse cast just because that‘s what he was “supposed” to do, instead of what the story needed.

I went into my local library yesterday, where I sadly haven‘t been in ages, and was surprised to see this on the shelf. Normally, I don‘t give in to the hype of bestsellers, book club favs, or best-of lists, but this one has been tugging at me for some time. I read All the Light, and it was okay. I prefer an active protagonist, but what I loved about it was the calm-in-the-chaos voice Doerr used. I hope this one lives up to the praise.

This was a fun little creepy read to my 10 yo. He liked it and it definitely got his imagination going. For him it wasn‘t scary as much as weird.

I ripped through this book. The science was easy to understand and there were practical exercises to help implement the habits into daily life. I‘m excited to include these in my coaching practice.

This straight forward serial killer story was fantastic. Sydney has shown some growth from earlier books, but she‘s still the same tough girl. I almost didn‘t read this fourth installment because the first three wrapped things up nicely. I was wary that it would lack substance like too many on-going sequels can. Nickless delivered.

Wow! I devoured this book. It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. This one will stick with me for a while. So many questions were raised and I didn‘t know which way it was going to go. I hope to read more from this author.

I was surprised with whose perspective this was in, it was a nice change from others in this genre. I immediately felt for Michael and wanted the best for him throughout the book. It raises the nurture vs nature discussion in the most disturbing ways. Great read!

Totally in a mood for some really disturbing horror. Can‘t wait to dive into this one!

This shorty was fun! The twist is pretty easy to guess, but it was still enjoyable.

It got better about 30% in. It was scary enough and entertaining. It does have some development issues such as info-dumps, recaps, and foreshadowing that were more like thumps to the head. There was an Interesting twist at the end that didn‘t go anywhere and the protagonist changed a bit halfway through. The mystery was enough to keep me reading I guess, otherwise it sounds like it wasn‘t that great.

So far I‘m about 25% in and I‘m not impressed. There are a lot of info dumps and harping on the past and not enough happening NOW. Hopefully it picks up.

I‘m glad I read some Litsy reviews that this was a Christian romance. It set up expectations a little differently than it would have. It was wholesome, the mystery not overly complicated, but enough to hold my attention. I was more interested in a side character‘s romance than the protagonists‘ though.

Beautiful cover and intriguing blurb, but I couldn‘t get into it. There was so much telling and backstory, I just wanted to story to get on with it. I really wanted to like it, and I think it might tell an important story.

Easy to understand, the exercises build upon themselves so you can live a fully engaged life. There were plenty of case studies to draw from. The most difficult part of implementing these energy restoring techniques is the self diagnosis to find out what you need.

I‘d been saving this book for a while, until I was in the mood for dark humor. I was sorely disappointed and it ended with a DNF. There wasn‘t enough intrigue weaved into the character profiles that took up the first few chapters to drive me to want to read more. I knew more about the three characters‘ backstory than the one that was supposed to unfold.

This is the first book of scary stories for my son! I‘m so excited to introduce him to horror. After a scary-ish movie he was pretty proud that he enjoyed it and didn‘t have bad dreams.

I picked this from my tbr list stored on my kindle bc Goodreads reviews were better than the other I had in mind. Funny how Littens‘ review are different. Goodreads never mentioned it was faith based romance. 🤔 and the reviews were better. We‘ll see…

This was a fun, short read.

Lies build upon lies in this domestic suspense. I enjoyed it, and sped through it on account of a head cold. The differences between the “lucky ones” and those without was pounded in a little hard.

How do you rate a classic? This was great to read aloud to my son. There were words we both had to look up and it was fun explaining some things to him. Nobody writes like that anymore!

What a great book in creativity! Even if you don‘t subscribe to the more woo-woo ideas about where inspiration and ideas come from, she captures the feelings about it perfectly. There were many quotable phrases, too many to pick! I will definitely be recommending this to my “stuck” authors.

I love how this series explores what it might be like to be a serial killer‘s child and the guilt that could come with it. The mysteries are intriguing and engaging, but it‘s the interpersonal relationships and inner turmoil each character feels that has me coming back.

My son saw a picture of an alien ship that resembled the one in this book. I told him about it, and how I would listen to the record (yes, actual vinyl!) every Halloween. He begged me to read it to him. We just started and I‘m having to explain some of the language to him, because let‘s face it, people don‘t write like this anymore! Plus, he‘s nine, so…he loves classics and I‘m so excited to experience this with him.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun, suspenseful retelling if Jane Eyre and now I want to read the classic again.

This is one of those books that has the potential to push you over into the fanatic. A perfectly fit genre piece, it was entertaining, even if somewhat shallow in character. It did have a little bit of a slow beginning, but not glacial.

Infected was an enjoyable read. Quite of few of the plot elements were a tad cliche, but it still kept my attention. It had a strong A plot that didn‘t need anything additional. This could do well as a movie, the chapters were short and they switched perspective often. I thought it would be an issue, but it worked pretty well.

I read several self-help books a year, so I know the drill and sometimes skip over things. Not with this one. His stories were engaging and fiction-like which came across a lot less preachy than similar books. A definite pick for those who call BS on affirmations and the like. Beware though: lots of F bombs (duh!) and sexual references.