Book Review: Meant to Be {Emily Giffin}

Book Review: Meant to Be {Emily Giffin}

This book officially published 3 days ago but I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy in the mail months ago. THANK YOU, EMILY GIFFIN! It was a happy, happy day when this arrived in my mailbox 🙂

How absolutely stunning is this cover???

Loved that this beautiful book was sent to me and I was able to devour it before it’s official release!

Goodreads Synopsis of Meant to Be {Emily Giffin}:

A restless golden boy and a girl with a troubled past navigate a love story that may be doomed before it even begins in this irresistible new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed and The Lies That Bind.

The Kingsley family is practically American royalty, beloved for their military heroics, political service, and unmatched elegance. When Joseph S. Kingsley III is born in 1960, he inherits the weight of that legacy. Growing up with all the Kingsley looks and charisma, Joe should have no problem taking up the mantle after his father’s untimely death. But he is also a little bit reckless, and can’t seem to figure out how to channel the expectations of an entire country.

No one ever expected anything of Cate, on the other hand. She, too, grew up in a single-parent household—just her and her mom scraping by in their small apartment. As a teenager, though, Cate is discovered for her looks. Modeling may be her only ticket out of the cycle of disappointment that her mother has always inhabited. Before too long, her face is everywhere, though she is always aware that she’d be a pariah in her social circles if anyone knew her true story.

When Joe and Cate’s paths cross, their connection is instant. What remains to be seen is whether their relationship will survive the glare of the spotlight that follows Joe everywhere. And just as they find themselves in the make-or-break moment, the tragedy that seems to run in Joe’s family right alongside all that privilege will repeat itself.

In a beautifully written novel that recaptures a gilded moment in American history, Emily Giffin tells a story of a love that may or may not have the power to transcend circumstances that seem arrayed against it . . . and the difficulty of finding your way to the place you belong.

My Review of Meant to Be {Emily Giffin}:

Clearly I read this book a while back. I’m wearing fur boots and a sweater in this picture! Today, I’m sweating in a tank top and flip flops.

I absolutely loved it.

It’s such a beautifully written story in every possible way!

This book tells the story of John F Kennedy Jr and his wife, Carolyn Bassette…but at the same time, it DOESN’T tell their story and is a work of fiction. Some parts of this beautiful story are factual, some parts are fiction, but it all comes together to tell an incredible story of love, family, and history.

My Google search history is currently FILLED with Kennedy family information. I couldn’t get enough of learning about this remarkable family as I was reading this book! I have learned so much.

The writing in this book is beautiful, the characters are memorable, the storylines are so detailed and amazing. Hands down my favorite Emily Giffin book I’ve read!

Bottom Line:

Read this. And be ready to develop a sudden fascination with the entire Kennedy Family.

Will you be reading this book? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

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Book Review: 45 Pounds (More or less) {K.A. Barson}

Book Review: 45 Pounds (More or less) {K.A. Barson}

You might remember that I bought this book while on my Half Price Books Outlet excursion a few months ago. I randomly saw it on the shelf, read the synopsis, and knew that I wanted to read it. I immediately thought of THIS BOOK which I absolutely LOVED (if you haven’t read that book yet…READ IT TODAY). I prayed that 45 Pounds (More or less) {K.A. Barson} would leave me with all the feels just as that book did.

Goodreads Synopsis of 45 Pounds (More or Less) {K.A. Barson}:

Here are the numbers of Ann Galardi’s life:

She is 16.
And a size 17.
Her perfect mother is a size 6.
Her Aunt Jackie is getting married in 10 weeks, and wants Ann to be her bridesmaid.
So Ann makes up her mind: Time to lose 45 pounds (more or less) in 2 1/2 months.

Welcome to the world of infomercial diet plans, wedding dance lessons, embarrassing run-ins with the cutest guy Ann’s ever seen—-and some surprises about her NOT-so-perfect mother.

And there’s one more thing. It’s all about feeling comfortable in your own skin-—no matter how you add it up!

My Review of 45 Pounds (More or Less) {K.A. Barson}:

I really loved this book.

It was so wonderfully written and the characters were so descriptive. I was completely invested in this story! It’s such a short book with very short chapters (the BEST). I flew through this book and read it over the course of just a few days. I could EASILY have read it all in one sitting!

This topic is such as important one, and this YA book does such a great job discussing something that isn’t normally discussed so candidly. There were so many lessons within the pages of this book, lessons for teenagers AND adults.

**As much as I did love this book I will say that I did love THIS BOOK about the same topic even more**

Bottom Line:

Loved it.

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

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

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

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I LOVED THIS BOOK AND SO WILL YOU! Review: Starfish {Lisa Fipps}

Oh how I LOVED this beautiful book! So will you! Starfish {Lisa Fipps} was such a joy to read and review.

Goodreads Synopsis of Starfish {Lisa Fipps}:

Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules–like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.” And she’s found her safe space–her swimming pool–where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life–by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.

My Review of Starfish {Lisa Fipps}:

I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical when I saw it was written entirely in verse. I got past those concerns once I got to page 2. I actually LOVED reading a book written this way. It made it SO EASY to FLY through these pages! I could have easily read this book cover to cover in 1 sitting. Don’t let this unique writing format intimidate you…it’s truly so easy to acclimate to and made this story even more meaningful. Perfect format for this lovely story.

I read this entire book in less than 24 hours.

Only being 244 pages, written completely in verse, and a story so beautiful = 24 hours FLEW by.

I absolutely loved this beautiful book. I smiled, I cried, I loved these characters so much.

My dear friend and “Book Twin” Jana said it best…this should be required reading and it’s comparable to Wonder (and I loved Wonder!!! Read my thoughts HERE).

I truly feel that some of the very best and most meaningful life lessons can be found amongst the pages of YA books. This book is such a perfect example.

Starfish is important for EVERYONE to read. It’s beautifully written, beautifully told, beautifully perfect.

Bottom Line:

Read this. And if you have children of any age middle school and up…please encourage them to read this as well.

Happy Friday, Friends! I hope your weekend is filled with love and BOOKS!

Have you read Starfish? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

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

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

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Why I Loved Reading The Windfall {Diksha Basu} and You Will, Too! {Book Review}

Why I Loved Reading The Windfall {Diksha Basu} and You Will, Too! {Book Review}

Last December my family and I went on vacation and we got stuck on a mountain. However, BEFORE all of that craziness occurred, my family and I visited the most amazing bookstore I have ever visited! I purchased only 1 souvenir from that glorious book store: Diksha Basu’s The Windfall.

Diksha Basu’s Destination Wedding has been on my to read for YEARS (it was on my list of books to read in 2020) but my library hasn’t carried it. When I saw The Windfall at that glorious bookstore on our trip, I knew I had to read it! I asked the lady working if they also carried Destination Wedding but sadly they did not. I happily bought this book instead and was so excited to FINALLY have the opportunity to read and review one of Basu’s books!

Goodreads Synopsis of The Windfall {Diksha Basu}:

For the past thirty years, Mr. and Mrs. Jha’s lives have been defined by cramped spaces, cut corners, gossipy neighbors, and the small dramas of stolen yoga pants and stale marriages. They thought they’d settled comfortably into their golden years, pleased with their son’s acceptance into an American business school. But then Mr. Jha comes into an enormous and unexpected sum of money, and moves his wife from their housing complex in East Delhi to the super-rich side of town, where he becomes eager to fit in as a man of status: skinny ties, hired guards, shoe-polishing machines, and all.

The move sets off a chain of events that rock their neighbors, their marriage, and their son, who is struggling to keep a lid on his romantic dilemmas and slipping grades, and brings unintended consequences, ultimately forcing the Jha family to reckon with what really matters..

My Book Review AKA: Why I Loved Reading The Windfall {Dasha Basu}:

I truly believe that out of that entire massive selection of books at that awesome book store, I could not have made a better choice 🙂

I’ve mentioned before how much I absolutely love reading books about cultures different than my own. I always find it so fascinating to distinguish between cultural similarities and differences!

I’ve also mentioned that throughout my entire life, I’ve always felt particularly drawn to learning about the Indian culture. So many aspects of Indian culture have fascinated me from the time I was a little girl and has continued to do so.

The Windfall is EXACTLY the type of book that I find so compelling. I have read MANY books which revolve around Indian culture but none as raw and honest as this book. I learned so much without necessarily being taught…just from reading about the lives that these characters lead. I found myself Googling numerous times while reading about various cultural topics just to enhance my knowledge. I love when a book is so well written that it makes me want to learn even more factual information about the setting beyond the story!

I completely fell in love with this wonderful book and these characters. Each had such an interesting story to tell and I was equally invested in each of their stories for different reasons. I loved these characters!

And the descriptions…I truly felt like I was in India!

I finished reading this book one night last week and I woke up the following morning already missing these lovely characters. The Windfall gave me so much to think about! It’s messages about family, status, culture, love, and what is truly important in life were deep and meaningful.

AND….after checking for the millionth time…my library can now FINALLY receive a copy of Destination Wedding for me to read! I’m so excited, I have very high expectations. In fact, I’m pretty sure I love it already 🙂

Bottom Line:

Such a special book.

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

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

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support! Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

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*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

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*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links. The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

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The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 12 best books I read in 2020 can be found HERE