”I prayed for peace, quiet, certainty. And it's you. I'm in love with you.”Based on the reviews I have seen I think I am about to have an unpopular opinion but I enjoyed this way more than I did The Hating Game.I found this book so entertaining and silly and just an overall good laugh. It gave me the found family trope that I absolutely live for.Were some parts cringey? Yes. Were some parts predictable? Yes. But I laughed and that's what I was looking for when I went into this.I couldn't help but love the Parlonis and Teddy's interactions. The things she would make him do and he just took it like a champ had me giggling because of how silly and out there it was. The humour of it and Teddy's wit and banter in general is what made me enjoy this as much as I did.Something that I loved about this story was how supportive Ruthie and Teddy were towards one another. They never asked for the other to change anything about themselves. Even though I felt that the romance started off too quickly to my liking, I felt as if the romance between the two was very sweet and genuine.This was the perfect definition of a rom-com.
“I don't care if you've changed, Ryle. I hope you have. But it's not my responsibility to test that theory.”
I had planned on not reading this but my sister gifted me a copy for christmas and I decided to take the plunge and go for it.
There's a lot for me to say but the best way for me to explain my thoughts and feelings for this is to inform everyone that I read this with my new tabbing system where I use a colour for a feeling. You can imagine my reaction when I realised it was mainly anger that had been tabbed once I had finished.
I was in an abusive relationship for five years and the one thing that I will say about Colleen's writing is that she doesn't write the stereotypical abuser. Ryle appeared to be charismatic and funny and kind when he was first brought into It Ends With Us and once he lost control over Lily, especially in this book, he loses it.
Ryle reminded me of my ex on his good and bad days. The constant walking on egg shells because you didn't know which version of him you would be getting that day. Even the way Ryle would speak had me biting the inside of my cheek because it almost gave me flashbacks. So, yeah, I will give Colleen that.
I did love Atlas and getting to know him more was super fun.
My main issue with this story is my anger towards the topic of Ryle's abuse and how the book overall ends. I feel like there shouldn't ever be any potential redemption arc for Ryle. He should rot in jail where he belongs. I still feel like he is being enabled in ways and I, as a survivor, feel icky about that.
Once again, I just want to repeat what I said in my review of It Ends With Us. I don't like seeing anyone talking about how annoyed they are that Lily didn't leave sooner or report Ryle while she was with him.
Overall, I'm happy to knock this off my tbr :)
I'm not sure what it is about this book that touches me so deeply. The movie has always been something I love so much and I am so happy that I wasn't left disappointed by picking up the book.
I have heard a lot about Nicholas Sparks works and this was the first book of his that I have read and I can happily say I can't wait to demolish all of his others.
This was so heartbreakingly real and profound. All of these characters hold such a special place in my heart. Each and every one of them bring something so unique and beautiful to the page.
It's not often that books that have movie tie-ins end up being equally or somewhat subpar to one another. The Last Song is the perfect example of a beautifully written story with a stunningly produced movie.
I laughed, I cried.... this was everything.
”You have to feel it. You have to feel it even if you think it's going to kill you.”
I realise that if I want to write out thoughtful reviews that I should take the time to gather my thoughts but I can't stop thinking about this book and I needed to write it all down immediately so this review will be a look into my brain. Beware, it is scrambled.
I absolutely loved All The Bright Places so I had high hopes going into this and I am so happy that I wasn't disappointed.
This was so refreshingly real. It was like reading a past self on paper.
This book was about life and the curveballs it throws at us. It's about growing up and the fears that come with it. It's about that first love and how earth shattering it can be.
This healed my heart and broke it over again.
I would like to believe that Claude and Miah are very happy together now after a few years have passed. Right person, wrong time.
Much like All The Bright Places, this book will be living in my head for a long time.
”When it's with the right person, you feel invincible and seen and at home, no matter where you are in the world.”
~
note: i definitely didn't mention all the things i needed to with this book but i am autism and have adhd so i needed to write this immediately otherwise my head was going to explode
This book. This book.
So, here is Alice Oseman once again proving that her writing is so incredibly beautiful. I have said it before and I'll say it again but she has a way of writing characters that are so perfectly imperfect.
I loved this book from start to finish.
This book felt like a warm hug and I don't know if that makes sense to anyone but it does to me.
The representation is always so beautifully done in Oseman's works but this one just hit me so differently.
This was such a found family and I couldn't help but fall in love with each of these characters and look at them like they were friends of my own.
I feel like I have repeated myself multiple times but I can't properly express how much I thoroughly enjoyed this.
What an absolute comfort read.
“You think it is okay for you to be sad every day. But it is not okay. And you do not deserve it.”
This was so devastatingly beautiful and I feel like it is going to be a story that I will think about for a long time.
I can't actually express how this story actually made me feel. Autumn was such a perfect main character and was so easy to feel attached and connected to.
This story was real and rough around the edges. It showcased what life is really like. It's not a fairy tale and no one is perfect. It managed to captivate so many heavy topics in a way that felt so personal and raw.
I couldn't stop myself from crying because the way the characters thoughts and feelings were written on the page just felt so authentic to me.
I absolutely loved this.
“You never said good-bye...”“That's because I never thought I had to...”
I knew going into this book that it would hurt me. What I didn't realise was how profoundly it would touch me, even from the very first chapter.
This story explained grief in a way that I don't see too often in books, especially within the genre of Young Adult. People say that grief is handled differently by everyone but not too often is the truly ugly side of grief that is survivors guilt (even guilt in general) and the anger that comes with losing someone you love is spoken about in such a immeasurable way.
“Letting go isn't about forgetting. It's balancing moving forward with life, and looking back from time to time, remembering the people in it”
I've struggled with grief a lot in my life and I truly believe that this quote and the lesson that it teaches is something that we all need to hear. Making yourself feel numb and not allowing yourself to actually feel what's happening is so much easier than opening yourself up to the pain of what occurred. It's taken me years to understand that the pain is just a reminder that what we lost existed in the first place.
I haven't cried as hard as I have reading this book for a very long time. This was everything to me. I can't express how much I love this.
I haven't written a review quite this long in a while but I couldn't help myself. I needed to write down the intense feelings that this book made me feel. I was genuinely so surprised to learn that this was Dustin Thao's debut. I am so excited to read what comes next from this author.
”I miss you infinity.”
This has been on my ‘to be read' pule for a very long time. The Help is probably one of my favourite movies so I had really big expectations for this book.
It's one of those books that I believe will think about for a very long time. I really enjoyed this and can't find the words to properly articulate my thoughts and feelings on it so I am just going to say that I will definitely revisit this in the future.
“It can be exhausting, giving that much when the other person is barely giving anything”
I'm not afraid to admit that I absolutely loved this. Fake relationship? Check. Enemies to lovers? Check. This was so much fun for me.
This had me giggling and laughing out loud to the point that I was getting odd looks. I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did.
I absolutely loved Shay and Dominic's banter and just their overall characters in general. I tend to feel like some chemistry is forced in some books but that certainly was not the case for The Ex Talk, this had chemistry dripping from the pages from chapter two.
I wish I could give this five stars but I just felt like something was missing that I can't quite put my finger on.
Overall, I have to admit that this is definitely going to become a comfort read.
“I showed you my fucking Beanie Babies.”
This has been in my tbr pile for so long and I'm so glad I took the time to pick it up.
I didn't expect to like this story as much as I did but this was so cute and felt so modern to me. The banter between Jack and Pepper was definitely the highlight for me. I found myself laughing at multiple occasions.
I loved Jack and Pepper's characters and the development of them throughout the story. Reading them trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives as the end of high school neared felt so relatable and it felt like so could feel their anxiety through the pages.
This was the perfect debut novel and I am so excited to read more of Emma Lord's works.
This has been in my tbr pile for a long time so I figured it was time to pick it up and give it a go.
This is definitely a cliche romantic comedy and I found myself smiling giddily at times.
I just wish there was more depth to it and I know it might sound silly asking for that when this probably isn't meant to be anything but a quick cute story but I just prefer my stories with some realness that leaves me being able to see myself in the characters.
Overall, this was super cute.
“Most people go through their whole lives, Marianne thought, without ever really feeling that close with anyone.”
Despite all the good things I have heard about this, I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did.
I can't put into words how real this felt. The characters weren't perfect, they were flawed and made mistakes. They were real. I absolutely loved reading the changes in the characters and how life and experienced shaped them differently. This was like reading a page out of one of my old diaries.
This was such wonderful writing and story-telling. I feel like this book and the characters will be roaming around in my head for a long time to come.
“I'm not a religious person but I do sometimes think God made you for me.”
This was the first book of Sally Rooney's that I had read and I can wholeheartedly say that it will most definitely not be the last.
”Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.”
When I was younger, we were made to watch The Outsiders at school and I had loved it. I don't know why it's taken me so long to finally pick up the book.
The characters are so well written. I loved reading Darry, Soda and Ponyboy's story and their love for one another was visible on paper. This is such a found family story, especially when it comes to the Greaser gang.
“Can you see the sunset real good from the West Side?”“Real good.”“You can see it good from the East Side, too.”
I believe this book teaches an important lesson about how we all can be different but still be the same. I think any person, regardless of what background you have, can emphasise or feel something when reading this.
This is one of those books that it doesn't matter how old you are or when you read this, it will still have the same impact on you.
This is the perfect book to read if you're looking for something that will make you feel something but aren't in the mood to read a large book. This is also a great read if you are wanting to begin reading or smash out those yearly reading goals.
dnf @ 3%
I'm sorry but I feel like maybe I am not the audience for this Just the first chapter of this story gave me an ick. The idea of the male protagonist going after the female one purely so he can try corrupt her and get her to lose her virginity to him just made me feel gross.
Maybe this book gets better, maybe the characters get better but I don't think I'm gonna find out
This will be the fourth book of Sager's that I have read and this reminded me exactly why he is one of my favourite authors.
“I make jokes because it's easier to pretend I'm not feeling what I'm feeling than to actually feel it.”
I appreciated this story and maybe not for reasons that others might. Grief is an overwhelming and heartbreaking thing to go through, everyone deals with it in their own ways, some ways are unhealthy. Reading about Casey's way of dealing with her grief and feelings made me feel seen as I have turned to her similar way of coping before.
I don't what it is about Sager's books that hold me captive every time. I can never find the strength to put the book down once I've started them.
When I tell you that I genuinely gasped so loudly reading this.... The noise that left my mouth wasn't human.
“During those sixty seconds, I feel bright and wildly alive and finally in charge of the situation.This, I think, is what being a man must feel like.”
The reason why I didn't give this 5 stars is purely because one of the plot lines came from completely left field and I was left confused for a moment. Overall, I enjoyed this and recommend it.
I'm not going to lie it felt like a struggle to get through the first half of the book as it was quite slow paced but I really enjoyed the second half and didn't want to put it down after.
I loved the The Song of Achilles and it made me so happy to read references of it made in this book. I have always appreciated and loved Greek mythology so that's an immediate plus for me.
You can't help but feel sorry for Circe. All she wanted was to love and be loved. She was such a strong character for me. The entire time reading this I was just hoping for her happy ending.
I think the most important thing to do before going into reading this book is to not compare it to The Song of Achilles because they are in no way similar.
I really enjoyed this.
“You have always been the worst of my children. Be sure you do not dishonor me.”“I have a better idea. I will do as I please, and when you count your children, leave me out.”
I can't explain what it is about Fredrik Backman's writing that never fails to make me feel something.
This was heartbreaking and so real. It covered grief and loss in a way that I haven't read in a long time. I wasn't expecting something so profound from a story so short.
This will be a story that I will think about for a very long time.
“We lived an extraordinarily ordinary life.”“An ordinarily extraordinary life.”
I have heard such wonderful things about this story and I was so excited to read it.
“I was thinking about how I thank my lucky stars every day that I ended up here... right here, with you.”
I loved that Archer's healing was his own and wasn't relying on Bree. I was worried about how the love story was developing and it didn't feel healthy when Archer was expressing how he didn't believe he could recover losing Bree. I appreciated that he took the time for himself to learn how to live for himself and not anyone else.
Archer is probably one of my favourite male protagonists. I loved reading him growing into himself and him learning that he is worth more than he originally believed.
My only issue is that some of the storyline was predictable for me and some felt quite rushed whereas I personally felt like it needed to be dragged out further for me to feel any connection to it.
However, I loved this and it was such a sweet read.
“I Archer you. God, I Archer you so much”
“I had absolutely no interest in being somebody else's muse. I am not a muse. I am the somebody. End of fucking story.”
This has been in my to read pile for a very long time and I am so happy I decided to finally pick it up.
I haven't read a book quite like this. I absolutely loved the interview format that it was written in. I was so hooked from the first chapter. There's something about Taylor Jenkins Reid's works that never fail to captivate me.
Every single character were so unique in their own ways and each brought something to the story. The story didn't just cover music, it also brought light to other topics such as addiction, alcoholism and problems that arise when it comes to fame and fortune.
”Men often think they deserve a sticker for treating women like people.”
This was set in a time when the music industry was very heavily dominated by men and I thought it was fantastic to have strong female characters such as Daisy, Karen and Camila to be involved in changing that dynamic.
“If this is what love is like, maybe I don't want it.”
I can't express how much I loved this book. This is the definition of a comfort read.
Gillian Flynn is such a fantastic writer and she never fails to show me time and time again exactly why she is one of my favourite authors.
This was nothing like Gone Girl or Sharp Objects and I think that's what makes it so great. It's never the same story. Flynn always tells these amazing stories whilst maintaining the eeriness and darkness that her other works do.
Unreliable narrators are my most favourite parts of books because I love that feeling of not knowing who to trust or believe. I loved that throughout this book I was second guessing every character I came across.
This book was dark with some interesting plot twists thrown in and I loved it.
This was such a fun read and I was instantly hooked. I am such a sucker for these type of mysteries. It's hard not to when they leave you wondering what's going to happen next.
I was quite shocked at how much I enjoyed this because I usually enjoy more action and scariness in my thrillers but this had me captivated and left me second guessing everything and everyone.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I actually gasped at a few plot twists that happened in this.
This book surprised me with the way it also addressed grief and the struggle of moving on and letting go. I really do think that this is going to become a comfort read for me.
If you're into thrillers or amateur sleuths, this is definitely the read for you.