Teen Trailblazers: 30 Fearless Girls Who Changed the World Before They Were 20, by Jennifer Calvert

Title: Teen Trailblazers: 30 Fearless Girls Who Changed the World Before They Were 20
Author: Jennifer Calvert
Genre: Teen & YA
Publication date: October 2nd, 2018

Stars: 4/5

Review:

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. I was saddened to find out that this copy didn't contain the stories of the 30 teenage girls as it was written in the synopsis. Nevertheless, this book was well-balanced, presenting girls from both the past and the modern day. I am particularly proud of today's girls who are finding innovative ways to make a difference. I believe this book should be read by both teenagers and adults. There is something to be learned from the determination these girls presented in the book are showing. Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37638029-teen-trailblazers

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, by Michael Sullivan

Title: Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore
Author: Michael Sullivan
Publication date: June 13th, 2017

Stars: 3/5

Review:

Joey, a Bright Ideas Bookstore customer, commits suicide in the bookstore that had become his home and leaves his prized possessions (books) to Lydia Smith, one of the store clerks. From there, Lydia is sucked in the mystery of Joey's books and how it ties into her own life and personal ghosts.

I was very curious about this book. As a book lover, I was attracted to the fact that the story took place in a bookstore. I enjoyed getting to know Lydia and Joey and how their lives intertwined. I'll also admit that this book gave me a few nightmares (thank you Hammerman!) when I read it before going to sleep.

However, the reason I give 3 stars is that sometimes the author made huge leaps that seemed to be coming out of nowhere. I guess I prefer when things tend to point in a direction, only to be validated or disproved as the story progresses.


Overall, it was a decent book and I enjoyed trying to figure out what had happened on the night the Hammerman came to visit.

Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32620349-midnight-at-the-bright-ideas-bookstore

The Beachside Sweet Shop, by Karen Clarke

Title: The Beachside Sweet Shop
Author: Karen Clarke
Publication date: March 2nd, 2017

Stars: 5/5

Review:

Marnie Appleton has inherited her grandfather’s sweet shop after his death. In this Karen Clarke novel, she will try to make the shop her own while battling protestors and a certain former supermodel-nowturned-blogger who is on a crusade against sugar in the UK. Of course, let’s not forget the gorgeous Josh against whom Marnie will be fighting off an attraction, and former boyfriend Alex, who travels to the UK from New York for his parents’ wedding anniversary with his new American boyfriend. I have to admit that I like the occasional chick lit novel. However, I am fairly picky when it comes to that genre because I cannot stand the dumb-I-need-a-man characters those novels often portray. Karen Clarke’s characters are certainly feminine, but mostly real. They are flawed, but endearing characters. Again, I loved reading her book. It is an easy and fun read. I’ll admit I had trouble putting it down and stayed up in the middle of the night just to finish it. I gave this book 5 stars, which is something I don't give easily. Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33387759-the-beachside-sweet-shop

Beyond the Garden (Magnolia Series #2), by Ashley Farley

Title: Beyond the Garden
Author: Ashley Farley
Publication date: April 10th, 2018

Stars: 4/5

Review:

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Magnolia Series. Ellie is recently married and her life seems to be perfect. But when her estranged sister becomes the prime suspect in her husband's murder, Ellie's life is about to be turned upside down. 

I received an ARC from NetGalley, so I hadn't heard from this author before reading this book. I was instantly intrigued by the story and read most of the book in a few sittings. It is an easy read. The main characters are likeable and realistic. The only reason I give this book 4 stars is because I felt the ending had been rushed. It also felt "too easy" for me, after everything that had happened in the book. 

In spite of that, I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38503702-beyond-the-garden

Off: Your Digital Detox for a Better Life, by Tanya Goodin

Title: Off: Your Digital Detox for a Better Life

Author: Tanya Goodin

Publication date: March 13th, 2018

Stars: 4/5

Review:

Tanya Goodin gives us advice on how to balance our digital life with our more "natural life". She gives us (the readers) tips on how to use technology more efficiently while, at the same time, disconnecting and distancing ourselves from our cellphones and screens. Her ideas for alternative activities cover a great range so everyone could get something out of the book. The only critique I would have is that it offers nothing more than other books on the subject have not already covered. However, the book is an easy and short read. So, if you are looking for a condensed version on the topic, this book is perfect for that. Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38214397-off

Our House, by Louise Candlish

Title: Our House
Author: Louise Candlish
Publication date: August 7th, 2018

Review:

First, I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Even though I didn't connect with the book as I hoped I would, I can definitely value the author's hardwork.

Fiona (Fi) arrives to her house after a weekend away only to discover people moving in, claiming they have bought the house legally. The narration jumps from Fiona, telling her story on a podcast, to her ex-husband telling his version of the story on a Word document, to the present day when Fiona discovers her house has been sold. I truly wanted to like this book. I really did. The story line sounded amazing, but I was disappointed by the lack of action this genre (thriller) usually contains. The story focuses almost solely on character development. Though I liked this aspect, I thought it made the story drag along without anything happening. I give it three stars because the book was really well written and because the premise was original. It just wasn't the book for me. Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35924499-our-house

Friend Request, by Laura Marshall

Friend Request - by Laura Marshall

Genre: Psychological thriller

Publication: September 2017

4/5 stars

When Louise receives a Facebook request from a classmate (Maria) who is presumably dead, she is more than surprised. That friend request brings back bad memories that Louise has tried to keep hidden for so long. Quickly, she is brought back to her time in high school and slowly reconnects with former classmates, in hopes of finding out what truly happened to Maria.

It was nice to read a book that incorporated today's technology, especially something big like Facebook. That's the first thought that popped into my head when I started reading the book. I quickly got intrigued by this friend request and how it could happen, even the character was supposedly dead. Midway through the book, I had trouble putting it down. I NEEDED to know what was going on.

The only reason I am giving this book 4 stars is because I was a bit disappointed by the ending. To be honest, it is more a personal disappointment and not because the ending is bad or far-fetched. It's just not how I would have ended the book.  

Overall, this book is modern and a great read.

Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35427186-friend-request

The Cafe at Seashell Cove, by Karen Clarke

Title: The Cafe at Seashell Cove
Author: Karen Clarke

Genre: Women's Fiction (chick lit)

Release date: March 2018

After being fired from her job in event planning, Cassie Maitland, visits her parents in Seashell Cove. A lot of things have changed since she's last been there, including the cafe her parents own. Not telling anyone the real reason she's back in her hometown, Cassie begins organizing events in hopes of starting her own event planning business. During her stay, she reconnects with her two former best friends and, of course, former crush: Danny.

I liked Cassie from the beginning. As I got to know the other characters, I began to like them as well. They are well-rounded characters, not too "over the top", with qualities and flaws. They felt realistic to me, unlike so many other characters in romantic comedy books.

It's too bad I cannot give 4.5 stars, as I feel that's how I would have rated the book. The only reason I would take away a half-star was because the plot direction was obvious. Still, it is a feel-good novel that I really enjoyed reading. I will definitely need to check out this author's other books.

Image source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37612808-the-cafe-at-seashell-cove

Wild - Cheryl Strayed

Wild - Cheryl Strayed

After a series of very bad luck in her life (divorce, death of her mother, self-destructive behavior), Cheryl decides to change her name and hike the Pacific Crest Trail with no real hiking experience. Along the way, she meets many people with whom she connects and shares part of her travel. I didn't know what to expect when I started reading the book. I had heard about it from a TV show I will not mention and decided it was something I would like to read. I like reading about real people who have taken their lives into their own hands to make it better. So it wasn't like I was expecting the book to be only about hiking. After reading it, I wish the author would have focused more on her empowerment, and less on the self-pity Cheryl often displayed throughout the book. The back and forth between past and present also took me a while to get used to. By the end of the book, however, it didn't really bother me that much. I enjoyed getting to know her and learn what she had gone through in her life. I even bawled like a baby after the death of a certain animal. But, overall, the self-pity parties took away from the enjoyment of reading the book. The reason why I am giving 3 stars is because I enjoyed the hiking part of the story, meeting the different characters, and the emotion the author conveyed through her story. 2.5 stars might have been a more suitable rating, to me.

Book Review: Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie

Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot #10) - Agatha Christie

In this installment, Hercule Poirot finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery aboard the Orient Express. The train, stuck in a snowstorm, has been at a standstill and no passengers have been in or out of the train.

This was my second Agatha Christie book. I had read one in high school and read this book as part of a book challenge (Read a book considered to be a classic). I liked the way the crime was solved using only deduction and observation, even though sometimes I felt like Hercule Poirot was taking a huge leap and, with luck, it worked out for him. 

I did think the story went around in a circle at times, with Poirot and his colleagues replaying scenes or conversations over and over again, asking the same questions to the different passengers and getting the same answers. 

However, overall, I found it an easy and enjoyable read. It was a nice change of pace from the modern mystery crime novels written today.

Rating: 4 stars