WWW: February 8, 2023

WWW is hosted at Taking on a World of Words.

The three W's are:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

Currently Reading: The physical book I'm currently reading is Not a Happy Family by Sheri Lapena. I really loved The Couple Next Door (by the same author) when I read it a couple years ago! She writes great thrillers and I will most likely read everything she writes! I'm also continuing my Harry Potter Series re-read by listening to the audio books for the first time. I just started listening to Harry Potter and the Chamber of secrets and, even though Chamber is my least favorite book of the series, I'm still loving it! 

Recently Finished: I've recently finished quite a few books. On audio, I finished The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins and it was okay. I liked the fact that it was a thriller but it wasn't super shocking at the end which is what I usually like about thrillers. I also listened to Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey. So good! I loved more than It Happened One Summer. I will definitely be reading more of her books! I did a DNF of Jade City by Fonda Lee. I thought the book was good but it was just so slow. I was already 250 pages in and I

felt like I was slogging through it. I knew I couldn't do another 250 pages at the pace the story was moving. I also read Hounded by Kevin Hearne. It was so fast paced and full of adventure and magic. I loved it and I can't wait to read the next one! 

Reading Next: My next audio book will probably be The Librarian of Crooked Lane by C.J. Archer and then another Tessa Bailey book because they are so fun to listen to on audio! I'm really excited to get started on Hexed by Kevin Hearne, the second in the Iron Druid Chronicles. I'm also really excited to re-read The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson, the second in the Fire and Thorns series. 

Have you read any of these? Let me know what you think!

Audio Book Review: It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

Title: It Happened One Summer
Author: Tessa Bailey
Publisher: Harper Audio
Release Date: July 13, 2021
Series: Bellinger Sisters #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 10 Hours and 48 minutes
Source: Library
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Find it Here: Amazon // Goodreads

Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father's dive bar... in Washington.

Piper hasn't even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won't last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can't do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? She's determined to show her stepfather--and the hot, grumpy local--that she's more than a pretty face.

Except it's a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there's an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn't want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan--and this town full of memories--may have already caught her heart.

My Review: 

I have been chomping at the bit to write my review of It Happened One Summer by Tessa Baily. I listened to this book on audio and I loved it so much! I literally could not wait until I could listen to it again! It has almost everything I love in a contemporary romance and I can't wait to get into it! 

Now, I don't usually read contemporary romance; it's not the genre that I generally gravitate towards. But I had been seeing it on BookTok pretty regularly with a lot of glowing reviews so I tucked it away in the back of my mind. When I was browsing through Hoopla's instant title, It Happened One Summer popped up and I bumped it up to the top of my audio book list. 

I pretty much loved It Happened One Summer from the moment I started listening. The main character, Piper, messes up pretty badly while in LA, so her step-father cuts her off and ships her off to her home town in Washington State. In this little tiny town she meets Brendan, a local, grumpy, good-looking fisherman who tries to stay away from her, but fate has other ideas. 

I would have assumed that a character like Piper would bother or annoy me, but I found her to be charming and kind. I really enjoyed the grumpy-sunshine trope. I think it may be the first I've ever read. As much as I loved the (which I really did), I found it to be a little unbelievable. Like a rich girl getting cut off and then falling in love with a man who is secretly wealthy. And the whole ending scene in LA just rubbed me the wrong way for some reason. Other than those few points, I really did love the book and I am really looking forward to diving into the next one and many more Tessa Bailey books! 

February 2023 TBR

Every year, January just feels like the longest month ever, especially after all the hustle and bustle of the holidays. I knew this year that I wanted to get back into reading now that my children are no longer babies and I have some extra time to pick up a book. January felt slow and fast at the same time but overall, I'm glad it's over. 

I discovered I have a lot of time in the morning, getting ready for the day, making lunches and doing the dishes while the rest of my family sleeps. I've been getting a lot of good audio book time in the morning and also during my work commute. Most of these books on my list are audio books that I can listen to instantly from my local library on Hoopla. 

Here's what I would like to read this month:

Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey (Amazon // Goodreads)

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare (Amazon // Goodreads)

**Loved the Infernal Devices series, hated the Mortal Instruments so I hope I at least like this** 

Hounded by Kevin Hearne (Amazon // Goodreads)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (Amazon // Goodreads)

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson (Amazon // Goodreads)

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz (Amazon // Goodreads)

Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica (Amazon // Goodreads)

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (Amazon // Goodreads)

Even though these are the books I would like to read this month, I'm very much a mood reader so I'm not sure what I will actually read. But it makes my organized brain happy to have a list and a plan of what I would like to read. I'm curious to see if I can actually stick to it or if I will go completely off course. 

What are you reading this month? Have you read any of these books yet? Would you recommend them?

Audio Book Review: The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy

Title: The Perfect Mother

Author: Aimee Molloy

Publisher: HarperAudio

Release Date: May 01, 2018

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Length: 9 hours, 29 minutes

Source: Library

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Find it Here: Amazon // Goodreads

They call themselves the May Mothers—a collection of new moms who gave birth in the same month. Twice a week, with strollers in tow, they get together in Prospect Park, seeking refuge from the isolation of new motherhood; sharing the fears, joys, and anxieties of their new child-centered lives.

When the group’s members agree to meet for drinks at a hip local bar, they have in mind a casual evening of fun, a brief break from their daily routine. But on this sultry Fourth of July night during the hottest summer in Brooklyn’s history, something goes terrifyingly wrong: one of the babies is abducted from his crib. Winnie, a single mom, was reluctant to leave six-week-old Midas with a babysitter, but the May Mothers insisted that everything would be fine. Now Midas is missing, the police are asking disturbing questions, and Winnie’s very private life has become fodder for a ravenous media.

Though none of the other members in the group are close to the reserved Winnie, three of them will go to increasingly risky lengths to help her find her son. And as the police bungle the investigation and the media begin to scrutinize the mothers in the days that follow, damaging secrets are exposed, marriages are tested, and friendships are formed and fractured.

My Review: 

The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy is about a young mother who's infant son goes missing and chronicles the events before and during the incident. 

The main character, Winnie, joins a group of expecting women called the May Mothers, all of their babies expected to arrive during the month of May. Winnie is very reserved and doesn't really become friends with any of these women but one night they force her to leave the baby with a babysitter and go out with them for some drinks. While they are out, her 4 month old baby goes missing. The women, who don't even really know Winnie, take it upon themselves to find the baby and so the book is told from their four perspectives. 

While on the whole the book was good, I found most of the characters to be unlike-able, especially Nell, who just seemed to act like she knew better than everyone else. There was also a POV who turned out to be someone else entirely. I was also shocked at the ending but that's pretty much the point. I had originally given the book 4 stars but after I sat on it for a while, I ended up switching it to 3 stars. The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy was a really fast paced audiobook that had me guessing until the end!

Monthly Wrap Up: January 2023: I Love Audio Books!!!

I'm so excited to do my monthly wrap-up for January! I've had such a great reading month with lots of audio books and a lot of books in general! I never thought that I would have read this many books in one month. So here is a quick glance at what my reading looked like this month:

Total Books: 13

Physical Books: 4

Audio Books: 8

E-Books: 1

Here are the books and their ratings:

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard (⭐⭐⭐, my review)

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (⭐⭐⭐, my review)

The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy (⭐⭐⭐)

A Mother Would Know by Amber Garza (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Pawsitively Poisonous by Melissa Erin Jackson (DNF)

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, re-read)

Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 1 (⭐⭐⭐)

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, re-read)

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson (⭐⭐⭐)

Hope everyone had a great reading month, as well! Have you read any of these books? Let me know in the comments!

Books From the Backlog: #1

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. This weekly feature is hosted by Carole's Random Life.

This week's forgotten book is:

Title: Wildwood 

Author: Colin Meloy

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Release Date: August 30, 2011

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Series: Wildwood Chronicles #1

Length: 541 Pages

Source: Purchased

Wildwood captivates readers with the wonder and thrill of a secret world within the landscape of a modern city. It feels at once firmly steeped in the classics of children's literature and completely fresh. The story is told from multiple points of view, and the book features more than eighty illustrations, including six full-color plates, making this an absolutely gorgeous object.

In Wildwood, Prue and her friend Curtis uncover a secret world in the midst of violent upheaval—a world full of warring creatures, peaceable mystics, and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. And what begins as a rescue mission becomes something much greater as the two friends find themselves entwined in a struggle for the very freedom of this wilderness. A wilderness the locals call Wildwood.

I bought this (the whole series actually) because it sounds so cute and the illustrations are so beautiful. I figured it could be a really quick read and one that I would really enjoy because I love a good fantasy. But then life got the better of me and it has been sitting on my shelves for at least six or seven years. Maybe this year I will get to it! 

What book has gotten lost in your shelves? Have you read Wildwood? Would you recommend it?

WWW Wednesday: February 01, 2023

 WWW Wednesday is hosted at Taking on a World of Words!

The three Ws are:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next? 

Currently Reading: I'm currently reading Jade City by Fonda Lee. I'm really loving it (more than I thought I would) but for some reason I'm reading it really slow. I've even been almost falling asleep while I read it! But I really do like it! I hope to finish it sometime this week. I'm also listening to The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins. I just started it yesterday but it's pretty good so far. I didn't realize it was a modern twist on Jane Eyre until I started listening to it. So far, so good!

Recently Finished: This past week I finished reading Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. It was good but I think it could have been shorter. I finished listening to the first Harry Potter book on audio book. Listening to the audio has breathed new life into the series for me! I also finished listening to Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica. It was a great mystery/thriller and not my first Mary Kubica book. I also listened to Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson. I love Peter Swanson! He's an author that I will auto buy!

Reading Next: After I finish reading Jade City, I will be moving on to Chains of Gold by Cassandra
Clare. I didn't know she had a new trilogy out and I was sucked in by the Goodreads banner. Up next for audio books is Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Baily! I'm so excited to get to this book! I loved It Happened One Summer and I'm excited to get back into the world of the Bellinger sisters!

What are you reading this week? Have you read any of these I've mentioned? Let me know!

Book Review: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Title: Lessons in Chemistry
Author: Bonnie Garmus
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Release Date: March 31, 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction/General Fiction

Length: 400 pages

Source: Purchased

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Find it Here: Amazon // Goodreads

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.

Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.

My Review: 

I bought Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus because it was said to be one of Barnes & Noble book of the year. Well I love Barnes & Noble and I trust them, so I picked it up expecting to be blown away. Well, I gave it three stars so I can't really say that it met those expectations. 

My biggest problem with Lessons in Chemistry is that the whole story was slow and it was hard to get through. I thought at the beginning it was just build up to something exciting that was coming, but that something exciting turned out to be at the very end of the book. I even considered DNFing the book but in the end I'm glad I didn't. I'm glad I finished it. 

My second problem with this book is that I just didn't like the main character Zott! She was very strict and rigid and she just seemed like she never had any fun. She didn't seem to have any hobbies. I don't mind characters with strong opinions, but Zott would scoff at other people who held strong traditional values! She lived a very different life than most people at that time and wanted to be accepted but really only surrounded herself with people who were like her. 

I'm really glad that I finished Lessons in Chemistry because, by the end, it was all neatly wrapped up with a bow. There were no loose ends and nothing was out of place. The ending was the reason why I gave it three stars and not lower. I like when a book tells me how it ends and when it's not open-ended. 

Overall, not my favorite book and not the worst book. Just be ready for a bit of a slow read if you decide to pick it up.

Book Review: 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

Title: 56 Days
Author: Catherine Ryan Howard
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Release Date: August 17, 2021
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Length: 305 pages
Source: Purchased from Book of the Month
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Find it Here: Amazon // Goodreads

No one knew they'd moved in together. Now one of them is dead. Could this be the perfect murder?

56 DAYS AGO
Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue in Dublin the same week Covid-19 reaches Irish shores.

35 DAYS AGO
When lockdown threatens to keep them apart, Oliver suggests that Ciara move in with him. She sees a unique opportunity for a new relationship to flourish without the pressure of scrutiny of family and friends. He sees it as an opportunity to hide who - and what - he really is.

TODAY
Detectives arrive at Oliver's apartment to discover a decomposing body inside.

Will they be able to determine what really happened, or has lockdown provided someone with the opportunity to commit the perfect crime?

My Review: 

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard was the perfect book for me to get back into reading. The story was interesting enough that it kept me reading easily and the story line was so easy to follow that I didn't find myself getting confused. 

Before I started reading 56 Days, I wondered how I would react to a book that takes place during the start pandemic, since we are still in the pandemic. But I actually didn't mind reading about it and I was actually quite entertained when I was reminded of all the toilet paper that people bought. I also really enjoyed seeing the start of the pandemic from an international point of view, since this book takes place in Ireland.

Without revealing any spoilers, the mystery was pretty good and I did not expect it to end the way that it did. The story has a lot of build up for about 75% of the book and then it really picks up speed and everything is revealed within the last 15% of the book. So it was definitely an information overload at the end.  

Overall, 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard is a solid thriller/mystery novel and I will definitely read another Catherine Ryan Howard book soon!

WWW Wednesday: January 25, 2023

 WWW Wednesday is hosted at Taking on a World of Words!

The three Ws are:

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next? 

Currently Reading: I'm currently reading Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. I didn't think I was going to read this book, but I saw everyone talking about how excited they were about Hell Bent, so I just had to see what everyone was talking about. As soon as I read the description of Ninth House, I knew I had to read it and I am really loving it so far! I'm also reading (or listening to) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling. I can't tell you how many times I've read this series but this is the first time I've listened to them on audio and Jim Dale brings new life to the story!

Recently Finished: The most recent book I finished on Sunday was The Last Time I Lied by Riles Sager. I loved it and I knew I was going to love it. This is the third book I've read by him and I've loved all of them so far! I also just finished It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey which was a huge surprise for me. I didn't think I was going to like it because I don't typically go for that genre, but I was instantly sucked in!

Reading Next: After I finish Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, I'm going to read Jade City by Fonda Lee. I've technically already started Jade City, but I put it on hold so I could read Ninth House from the library and make sure I finished it before I had to return it. So now I'm going to go back to reading Jade City! My next audio book will be Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica. I've listened to her books before so I know I'm going to love this one!

Have you read any of these? Let me know!