Tag: #bookrecommendations

***INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S BOOK GIVEAWAY*** Being Small (Isn’t So Bad After All) {Lori Orlinsky}

Oh do I have an adorable book to give away today!

As I said on Instagram, Lori Orlinsky’s book was delivered to our house at the PERFECT time.  It was like a gift from the heavens above on that dreadful day, lol.  I’m so excited to be hosting an international giveaway for it today!

Full disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book to read and review for my blog.  All opinions are my own.

Giveaway details will be given at the bottom of this post!

I absolutely love this book and so do my kids.  It’s adorable!  The pictures are so cute.  One thing that I am very particular about is how the rhyming and the flow of a children’s book is.  As a former teacher (and now as a mother) reading books aloud is part of my everyday life.  It is so much more enjoyable for both my kids and myself if the rhyming and overall flow of the words is smooth…and this book is a joy to read.

The message of this book is beautiful.  Acceptance of things that cannot be changed is one of the most challenging things for a child to understand.  This book is a beautiful way to help a child understand that acceptance.

I also appreciate that this book finds the “silver lining” in the situation by highlighting all of the positive aspects of being on shorter side.  This is a tactic that I often try to teach my own kids when faced with any problem.  Always looking for the positive aspects of the situation and learning to “turn the situation around” are always such hard concepts to teach.  This book does such a lovely job and sets such a perfect example of how to do this!

I would have loved a copy of this in my classroom when I was a teacher and it would have been one of my favorite read alouds.  Teaching tolerance and social awareness of accepting the differences in others is something that every teacher pursues and this book would have led to such wonderful classroom discussions.  Teachers, your classrooms need a copy of this book!

Fun Height Fact:  I’m 5’1…and my husband is 6’3!

A Conversation with Lori Orlinsky, In Her Own Words:

How did you create the idea for your book?

When my daughter Hayley was 3, she told me she didn’t want to go to school anymore because she was the shortest kid in her preschool class. It turns out, the teachers hung a growth chart on the wall, and while all of Hayley’s friends were at the top and middle of the chart, Hayley’s name was at the bottom, with no other names in sight.  For the first time in her 3 years of life, I saw my outgoing, confident girl feel a sense of shame about the way she looked. I tried to find a book with a short heroine in which she could relate to, but no book on the topic existed, until I wrote “Being Small (Isn’t So Bad After All).”

What audience would be most interested in your book?

The book is geared towards babies through elementary school aged children. Despite the title, “Being Small” it isn’t just for short kids – there are wonderful messages in the book about self-confidence, which every child needs to hear in a world filled with bullying. Additionally, the book is also designed to give all children perspective on the power of their words. Told in rhyme, the topics in the book are more approachable, often leading to post-book discussions about self-acceptance and how to recognize and prevent bullying behavior.

Where can your book be purchased?
Online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million. It is also available in select Barnes & Noble locations.

Use 3 adjectives to describe your book:

Empowering, inspiring, sweet

Any additional information that you would like to provide about you or your book:

Hayley is now 6 years-old and just graduated from Kindergarten. I truly believe the book has helped her embrace being short. Just last week, we went to the playground, and she was excited to show me the monkey bar flips that only she could do because of her height. I hope this book will make a difference in the lives of other children, too. It is a perfect read for anyone who has ever felt different.

“Being Small (Isn’t So Bad After All)” was recently named a Gold Award Recipient of the 2019 Mom’s Choice Awards in the children’s book category. Additionally, the book is a Readers’ Favorite 5-Star Recipient

***GIVEAWAY DETAILS***

Do you have a special child in your life who would benefit from learning the beautiful messages taught in this book?
I have 1 autographed and dedicated copy of Being Small (Isn’t So Bad After All) to give away! 
If you are located in the US, the hard copy will be mailed to you and if you are located internationally an e-copy will be emailed to you!  

To be entered, please complete these 2 simple steps:

1. Make sure that you are following and/or subscribed to my blog

2. Leave a comment below telling me how tall you are!

**You must complete BOTH of these steps to be eligible for the giveaway and you must complete them here on my blog (not on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)**

Giveaway will close tomorrow (Thursday) at 4:00 pm CDT and the winner will be randomly chosen and announced in Friday’s blog post (6/28/19).

Make sure you check the blog on Friday to see if you’ve won (you will have 48 hours from the time I post the winner to email me your mailing address.  If I don’t hear from you within 48 hours, I will pick a new winner).

If you already follow and/or subscribe to my blog, you are still eligible…just leave a comment below to be entered 🙂

Good luck!  Can’t wait to read your comments!

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Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

Book Review: Dumplin’ {Julie Murphy}

This book had been on my radar for months…I couldn’t wait to read and review it!

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked…until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine—Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

My Thoughts:

(Disclaimer: I will never post spoilers in my reviews HOWEVER the comment section is completely fair game to discuss any and all specifics including spoilers)

3 Stars

I’m so torn with my review of this book. I REALLY wanted to love it. It has everything in terms of story line that a great book should have. Interesting characters? Check. Interesting story line? Check.

And yet…eh. I found this whole book just fell flat.

If the story had really focused on the pageant and everything leading up to it as the synopsis promises, it would have been so much better. However, the majority of this book focused on a teenager’s day-to-day life which I found boring.

Also, this book has WAY too many characters and WAY too many story lines. None of the characters even had a chance to become fully developed and therefore became unforgettable and interchangeable as the story went on. I also found the majority of these characters to be very unlikable! The only characters I truly liked in the entire book were Mitch (and Lucy).

The main character (Willowdean) was extraordinarily judgmental of other people (and obviously of herself) which is ironic since the entire premise of this book is about breaking through stereotypes.

I found her relationship with her best friend to be obsessive and unhealthy.  I get that we are viewing this relationship through the eyes of a (dramatic) teenager but still…it bothered me that she felt she NEEDED this relationship to feel whole.  In fact, I believe she even made this exact comment in this story!

I had one MAJOR issue with this story which I will say in the comments because it’s also a major spoiler 🙂

However, in between the parts of the book where I found fault, I also found beauty.  There ARE beautiful and important messages, lessons, and moments delivered throughout this story.  Unfortunately, combined with all of the reasons stated above, this book just wasn’t nearly as great as I was expecting it to be.

There is a sequel to this book which unfortunately I have zero desire to read. Ugh! I really thought I was going to love both of these books!  I have already returned both to the library.  Sad.

But here’s the weird thing…The trailer for the movie looks AMAZING. Could this possibly be one of those rare occurrences where the movie is better than the book??? Check out the movie trailer starring Jennifer Aniston:

Looks so amazing, right?!?  Have any of you seen it?  I would love to hear your thoughts.  If any of you have read the book AND have seen the movie, I’m really wondering how they compare?

Bottom Line:

If the movie is truly as wonderful as the trailer makes it out to be, I say skip the book and just watch the movie.  And I NEVER say that.

Foam on the Crest of Waves Giveaway Winners:

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the Foam on the Crest of Waves Giveaway!

Hard Copy Winner:

Melissa A (I am subscribed via my blog account (chicklitcentral). I just went to Miami a few weeks ago and loved the beach there! I used to go to Pompano Beach (also in FL) every year as a kid and that also brings back great memories. I live in the US. Hard copy preferred. Thanks for the chance!)

E-Book Winners (There were so many entries for the hard copy but only 3 for the e-books! So…congratulations to all 3 of you!):

Kelley Blair (My favorite beach is Ocean Isle in North Carolina. I am USA and either hard copy or e-book works for me. Thank you kindly.)

Melissa Strader  (This sounds like a great book! I already follow your blog and love reading it! My favorites beaches are located along the coast of La Jolla, CA – so much to see and do there, not just water activities, but also restaurants and shopping and biking. Kayaking the Sea Caves is the best! I’m ok with a real book or electronic copy. I live in the USA!)

Mistysbookspace (Thank you so much for the chance. I am already a follower. I have only ever been to two beaches and those are New Smyrna beach and Myrtle Beach. I don’t really remember much about my visit to New Smyrna beach because I went when I was younger so I’m going to say Myrtle beach is my favorite. It’s a little crowded at least when I’ve gone but it’s gorgeous and there are so many other activities to do there as well. I live in the US. I would prefer a hard copy but I’m ok with ebooks too. Thank you again for the chance.)

Ladies, please email me (bookcoffeehappy@gmail.com) with your mailing address (hard copy winner) or your email address (e-book winners) of where you would like your book sent!  Congratulations and enjoy!

Have a great weekend, everyone!  I hope you fill it doing things with those you love!

Xo,

Jenny

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Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

**DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK** Book Review: Tampa {Alissa Nutting}

This book has been on my radar to read for years due to how highly controversial it is.  Admittingly I have put it off for so long because the subject just made me so uncomfortable.  My fears were warranted.  This entire book was HIGHLY uncomfortable to read. And yet…I couldn’t put it down.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Celeste Price is an eighth-grade English teacher in suburban Tampa. She’s undeniably attractive. She drives a red Corvette with tinted windows. Her husband, Ford, is rich, square-jawed, and devoted to her.

But Celeste’s devotion lies elsewhere. She has a singular sexual obsession—fourteen-year-old boys. Celeste pursues her craving with sociopathic meticulousness and forethought; her sole purpose in becoming a teacher is to fulfill her passion and provide her access to her compulsion. As the novel opens, fall semester at Jefferson Jr. High is beginning.

In mere weeks, Celeste has chosen and lured the lusciously naive Jack Patrick into her web. Jack is enthralled and in awe of his teacher, and, most important, willing to accept Celeste’s terms for a secret relationship—car rides after school; rendezvous at Jack’s house while his single father works late; body-slamming encounters in Celeste’s empty classroom between periods.

Ever mindful of the danger—the perpetual risk of exposure, Jack’s father’s own attraction to her, and the ticking clock as Jack leaves innocent boyhood behind—the hyperbolically insatiable Celeste bypasses each hurdle with swift thinking and shameless determination, even when the solutions involve greater misdeeds than the affair itself. In slaking her sexual thirst, Celeste Price is remorseless and deviously free of hesitation, a monstress driven by pure motivation. She deceives everyone, and cares nothing for anyone or anything but her own pleasure.

My Thoughts:

(Disclaimer: I will never post spoilers in my reviews HOWEVER the comment section is completely fair game to discuss any and all specifics including spoilers)

The above black and white picture that I took is of the cover of the book that I read.  Note the boring cover.  Apparently THIS is the other cover version which my library did NOT have…

tampa

So there’s that.

This book has been banned at many bookstores across the globe. Others have agreed to stock it but only with a warning sticker affixed to the cover warning patrons that this book is only appropriate if you are over the age of 18.

I’m over 18 (way over). I read it. And while I was reading, the same questions kept repeating themselves in my head:

What the HELL am I reading???

HOW do books like this even get written in the first place?

How do authors even come UP with ideas like this?

How do publishers agree to publish books like this?

If you have a preteen or a teenage son, I would highly recommend skipping this book.  Someone on my Facebook page mentioned that she has a 14 year old son and wanted to know my opinion on if she should read this or not.  I told her NO!  I have a 3 year old son and this book was tough for me to read.  There is no way I could have read this if my son were older.

Also, if extremely graphic and detailed sex scenes aren’t your thing, this is NOT a book you will want to read. There are MANY of these scenes.  Graphic isn’t even an adequate word for how descriptive and detailed these scenes are. Now I love to read a good sex scene and the more detailed the better…when it’s consensual sex between 2 adults.  Reading detailed sex scenes of adults with minors?  Absolutely horrific.

The publisher should be ashamed in publishing what is essentially a step by step guide in how to lure and groom underage children into sexual relationships with adults.  Disgusting.

At the bottom of each of my book reviews, I link an affiliate link to buy the book and I make a small commission from your purchase.  I’m not linking this book because honestly, I can’t in good conscience promote anyone to purchase this book.

If you do feel compelled to read this to see what the hype is about (as I did) I would encourage you to check it out of your local library (as I did) and not give the publisher or the author any reason to believe that creating this type of book and making it available to the public is ok.

If you do choose to buy it…that’s your choice but I truly don’t want any type of commission from such a disgusting and dangerous piece of literature.

I cringe to think what could happen to an innocent child if the wrong person got their hands on this book.

In terms of a literary review, the beginning of the book was so disgusting that it was nearly impossible to read. I absolutely hated every second of reading about how to lure a child (14 year old) into a sexual relationship with an adult. From the reviews I’ve read online, many people never make it past the first few chapters. The middle of the book was a bit easier (not much) to read as it focused more on the story and not on the intentional grooming of a child into a sexual relationship with an adult. The end of the book just seemed rushed.

HOWEVER…

Aside from the rushed ending, the actual writing in this book is fantastic although the subject is so, so awful. I literally couldn’t put it down and read the entire book in 2 days. I HAD to know what was going to happen next! I hate to give this book any kind of positive review but I have to say…I couldn’t stop reading. This author is definitely talented.  I would be interested in reading more of her work if the subject was pretty much anything but this.

Also, I can appreciate any book which brings awareness and promotes discussions on otherwise taboo topics such as this. I absolutely hated the way in which this book was written to allow us into the mind of an adult who’s sole purpose was to meticulously create a plan on how she was going to molest children. However, the author clearly has enough literary talent to keep the reader interested enough to continue reading until the end.  At least this reader.  I truly couldn’t stop reading!

I’m so incredibly conflicted on how I would even rate this book and therefore…I’m just not.  No affiliate link, no rating.

The only reason that I’m even writing this blog post is because I mentioned on Facebook and Instagram that I was about to start this book and I know that people are waiting to hear my reaction.  I honestly wish I never would have mentioned this book to begin with…I hate that I’m even putting it out there for people to learn about.  The very last thing that I would ever want to do with a book such as this is to help promote it in any way (even negatively).

Bottom Line:

The mother in me was furious reading this book.  The former teacher in me was appalled reading this book.  The woman in me was disgusted reading this book. The reader in me couldn’t put it down.

I would be so curious to hear other opinions on this controversial book.  Did you read this one?  What did you think?  If not…would you want to?  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page ,  follow me on Twitter, and follow me on Instagram!

Local friends, I run a storytime every Tuesday and Friday at Whimsy Cafe in Buffalo Grove, Illinois from 10:00-10:30! Bring your kids (6 months-5 years) for stories, songs, and lots of fun. Price is included in your child’s admission, no need to sign up. If you are a blog reader, please be sure to introduce yourself!  I can’t wait to meet you and your little ones. 🙂

Judging Books By Their Covers

They say that you should “never judge a book by it’s cover” and I completely, 100 percent believe that to be true.  Unfortunately, the cover of a book is what will initially make you want to pick it up, read the synopsis, and eventually determine if you will spend the time to read the book or not.

When I was a teacher and I would begin to read aloud a book with a torn (or lost) cover, my students were never as excited to hear it as they would have been if the cover were beautifully artistic.  I used this “teachable moment” thousands of time in my 14 year career trying to instill in my students that just because something isn’t beautiful on the outside doesn’t mean that it’s not beautiful on the inside (and yes…I hope that lesson carried over into real life with them and not just books…)

Click the images below to order the books through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

Here are a few examples of amazing books with not so amazing covers:

I hate when books ambiguously use real life people on the covers.  Always messes up my image of what I think they should look like as I read.  I feel like I then have to conform my mental images with the ones on the cover…fail.

This book is AWESOME.  This cover is…pretty…but says absolutely nothing about the beautiful book inside?  So misleading…

AMAZING book with a strange faceless woman on the cover.  How old is she supposed to be here???  Says nothing about the book inside.  You can read my review of this amazing book HERE.

Here is an example of a book where the gorgeous cover doesn’t quite match up with the words inside:

I was bored. You can read my review HERE.

Sometimes a book can easily be judged by it’s cover when the cover isn’t great and neither is the story inside:

The story itself was just ok…unforgettable.  The cover?  Not so unforgettable.  In the history of the entire world, I truly don’t believe an uglier cover exists. Holy hell.

This book had so much possibility!  The topic is FASCINATING….the cover (and the writing) is boring.

I absolutely hated everything about this book.  Including it’s ugly cover.

And HERE we have the perfect combination of beautiful covers which also just happen to contain beautiful stories inside:

Bottom Line:

Just like people…some books are prettier on the inside then they are on the outside but you have to read them to find out 🙂

Have you read any of these books?  What did you think?  Can you think of other books with beautiful (or not so beautiful) covers?  Do you allow a book cover to determine if you want to read the book inside?

Still Breathing Giveaway Winner:

Congratulations, Loredana (I’d love to visit Paris, I wish this since Inwas 18 years old, wanted to go there with my best friend after we finished high school, but didn’t make it so far :(. I’m Internationally, also I’m subscribed to your blog. Hugs and kisses from Romania!)

Please email me (bookcoffeehappy@gmail.com) and I will make sure your copy of this lovely book gets sent to you!

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page ,  follow me on Twitter, and follow me on Instagram!

 

Book Review: On the Come Up {Angie Thomas}

Nobody was more excited for this book to be released than I was.  I waited (not so patiently) for months!   It was finally released last month and I couldn’t get my hands on a copy soon enough.  FINALLY my wait was OVER!

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.

On the Come Up is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families.

My Thoughts:

(Disclaimer: I will never post spoilers in my reviews HOWEVER the comment section is completely fair game to discuss any and all specifics including spoilers)

3.5 Stars

So…It’s not The Hate U Give. I completely understand that I shouldn’t be comparing them because they are stand alone novels…but…it’s not The Hate U Give .

I loved that this book took us back to Garden Heights and I loved the references back to storylines from The Hate U Give . But again…it’s not The Hate U Give. .

The issues that this book discussed are IMPORTANT and truly are ones that NEED to be discussed. Angie Thomas has such a gift of being able to tell a story from a teenager’s point of view while appealing to adults at the same time. This allows everyone to benefit from the lessons and messages that this book tells. Perfection.

And yet…

There were way too many storylines for many of them to be properly developed, just about everything in this book was predictable, and so many of the characters were either completely underdeveloped or just not likable.

The first 200 pages or so were actually pretty boring.  I debated on Instagram if I should have even continued reading or if I should have abandoned the book halfway through!  I WILL say that the last half of the book (it’s 447 pages total) was MUCH better than the first half.  I’m glad I stuck with it and forged though.  If wasn’t that the beginning was bad, it was just…boring.

Overall, I liked this book and I think the messages it delivers are extremely important. Was it Angie Thomas’s best? Absolutely not. Would I recommend it? Absolutely.

I truly wonder if I had read this book before reading her first one if I would have enjoyed it more without the comparison?  I wouldn’t recommend doing that, though.  She references the first book a few times and the description of Garden Heights is SO much more detailed in her first book.  It sets the entire tone for this book in terms of the neighborhood’s setting.  I think that without reading the prior description of the Garden there would be a major disconnect while reading this book.

In case you haven’t figured out yet that I loved The Hate U Give so much (it’s is one of the best books I’ve ever read), you can read my review of it here.

Bottom Line:

This book is really good…just not as good as, well, you know 🙂

Did you read this book?  What did you think?  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page ,  follow me on Twitter, and follow me on Instagram!

Local friends, I run a storytime every Tuesday and Friday at Whimsy Cafe in Buffalo Grove, Illinois from 10:00-10:30! Bring your kids (6 months-5 years) for stories, songs, and lots of fun. Price is included in your child’s admission, no need to sign up. If you are a blog reader, please be sure to introduce yourself!  I can’t wait to meet you and your little ones. 🙂

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

A-Z Book Tag {AKA Random Facts About Myself as a Reader}

Would you like to learn random facts about myself as a reader?  As soon as I saw this book tag on Feed the Crime I knew I wanted to participate.  This one was so much fun!  Thank you to The Perpetual Page Turner for creating it!

*This post contains affiliate links.  When you click on these links to buy the book, I receive a tiny commission.  Thanks so much for your support, XO!*

Author you’ve read the most books from:

Ann M. Martin! The Babysitters Club series were hands down my FAVORITE books while growing up.  And I’m not talking about the current graphic novels…I’m talking the old school novels.  Claudia and Stacey were always my favorites.  I can’t WAIT for my daughter to read these one day!

Best Sequel Ever:

The Wedding
I’ve told this story on my blog before but I’ll tell it again…I read this on an airplane years ago.  As soon as I pulled it out of my carry on bag, the lady sitting next to me handed me a tissue!  She told me that I would be needing it.  Sure enough by the end of the flight…I was SOBBING.  Like…weeping.  Make up everywhere.  Hiccups.  The lady just looked at me, nodded once, and said, “Told you.”  If you loved The Notebook (who didn’t?!) you will love it’s sequel.  Just make sure you have plenty of Kleenex.

Currently Reading:

On The Come Up

Drink of Choice While Reading:

COFFEE.  All day, every day.  Hot, never iced.

E-reader or Physical Book?

Physical book 100% of the time.  I’ve never read anything on an e-reader and I’ve never listened to an audiobook.

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

Olly from this wonderful book.  Read my review here!

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

The Light Between Oceans Oh how I LOVED this book…once I was able to get past the extremely boring beginning.  Read more on this and my full review here!

Hidden Gem Book:

Young Jane Young!  How is this book not more popular?!?  It’s fantastic!  Read my full review here.

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

As I was reading Becoming, I was struck with the realization that I just don’t enjoy reading memoirs.  Watch my YouTube video to hear me discuss this further!

Just Finished:

Somebody’s Daughter.  Loved it.  You can read my review here.

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

Anything with a topic that truly doesn’t interest me.  There are too many wonderful books out there…why waste time reading one that I don’t find interesting?

Longest Book You’ve Read:

No clue…but maybe the hardcover versions of either Small Great Things or Becoming?  I didn’t love either one so maybe they just FELT like the longest books I’ve ever read?  You can read my reviews of these here and here.

Major book hangover because of:

House of Sand and Fog.  I still think about this book and I read it 16 years ago!  Read my review here.

Number of Bookcases You Own:

5

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

Shanghai Girls.  It’s so amazing. The sequel Dreams of Joy?  Not so amazing. Read my review of both books here!

Preferred Place To Read:

With a sleeping child on my chest, coffee next to me, and rain (or snow) falling outside.  Literally my version of heaven.

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

“You could jump so much higher when you had somewhere safe to fall” -Liane Moriarty  (Truly Madly Guilty)  I hated the book but loved this quote!

Reading Regret:

Even starting The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I hated it so much that I threw it across the room.  You can read more about that here 🙂

Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):

Harry Potter ! I read the first one and loved it.  I was halfway through the second…and then I got engaged 🙂  I immediately traded in poor Harry for wedding planning books and never once looked back.  I really should go back and read them.  Maybe one day with my daughter?

Three of your All-Time Favourite Books:

The Catcher in the Rye

The Help

The Hate U Give

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Mary Kubica 🙂 I just love her writing so much!

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica.  Netflix already bought the rights to it to turn the book into a feature film!  Can’t wait to read it first!

Worst Bookish Habit:

This. Yikes.

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

The Language of Flowers.  If you haven’t yet read this book, you must.  Today.

Your latest book purchase:

Groovy Joe: Dance Party Countdown (Groovy Joe 2) Both of my children LOVE Groovy Joe!  We were all excited to see this new Groovy Joe title at my daughter’s school book fair 🙂

Readers, I would love to hear your answers to some of these (or all of these!) in the comments below!

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page ,  follow me on Twitter, and follow me on Instagram!

Local friends, I run a storytime every Tuesday and Friday at Whimsy Cafe in Buffalo Grove, Illinois from 10:00-10:30! Bring your kids (6 months-5 years) for stories, songs, and lots of fun. Price is included in your child’s admission, no need to sign up. If you are a blog reader,

Book Review: Thirteen Reasons Why {Jay Asher}

Our kitchen is leaking, our family room is leaking, our garbage disposal is thankfully back to normal although our dishwasher still isn’t working and hasn’t worked in 3 days all because of a frozen pipeline.

Polar Vortex 2019, I loathe you.

BUT the 4 of us went to the grocery store last night and it felt great just to be out of the house!  This has been such an insane week and our poor house just couldn’t handle it.  I’m driving my daughter to and from school again today because the thought of putting her on a bus in this weather doesn’t sit well with me.  It’s better out there….but still freezing!

You know it’s been a bit chilly when you check your weather app, it says it’s currently 3 degrees, and you immediately think it’s warming up!  Omg.

Today I have a review of a book I read a while back and still think about.  It’s message was well written, powerful, and important.

thirteenreasonswhy

Synopsis from Goodreads:

You can’t stop the future.
You can’t rewind the past.
The only way to learn the secret . . . is to press play.

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah’s voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out why.

Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah’s pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.

My Thoughts:

(Disclaimer: I will never post spoilers in my reviews HOWEVER the comment section is completely fair game to discuss any and all specifics including spoilers)

4 Stars

Couldn’t.  Put.  It.  Down.

This book was interesting, heartbreaking, fascinating, and memorable.  I read it over the course of just a few days and would sneak in pages whenever I had a free moment.  I had to know what was going to happen next!

The entire premise of this book is piecing together the pieces of the puzzle to create the entire picture.  As more and more details begin to unfold, the reader is introduced to new characters, new situations, and new revelations.  I loved the writing style and how the author told the entire story in such a unique way and through so many different perspectives.

If you enjoy YA (young adult fiction), this is absolutely a book that you should read.

There is a Netflix series based upon this book.  I haven’t seen any of the episodes…Have you?

Bottom Line:

Loved it.  Disturbing topic but so well written.

Stay warm, everyone!

Xo,

Jenny

Did you read this book?  Have you seen the Netflix series? What did you think?  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog.  Also, please “like” my Facebook page ,  follow me on Twitter, and follow me on Instagram!

Local friends, I run a storytime every Tuesday and Friday at Whimsy Play Cafe in Buffalo Grove, Illinois from 10:00-10:45! Bring your kids (6 months-5 years) for stories, songs, and lots of fun. Price is included in your child’s admission, no need to sign up. If you are a blog reader, please be sure to introduce yourself!  I can’t wait to meet you and your little ones. 🙂

*I’ll be running a special weekend storytime this Sunday at 4:00!  It’s Whimsy Play Cafe’s 1 month anniversary and I will be doing a “whimsical” Dr. Seuss themed storytime!  I would love to see you and your little book lovers there!*

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link.  When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo