amateur_bookworm's reviews
590 reviews

dark funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

My summary: Misery Lark is a vampyre and daughter of the head councilman, which is how she finds herself at the altar for an arranged marriage to a werewolf that she’s never met. Lowe Moreland is an Alpha werewolf willing to enter this marriage as a symbol of peace between their species after centuries of war and distrust. Misery, having been mostly estranged from her family and vampyres almost her entire life, had been living amongst the humans and trying to blend in—until her best friend disappears. With ulterior motives, she agrees to the marriage. As Lowe and Misery unexpectedly fall for each other, true love can’t be possible between species—right?

My thoughts:

I read this book in February 2024 and it was a five-star read for me then. It’s delightfully witty and that comes across well in the audiobook. I did overall really enjoy it, I just didn’t enjoy the audiobook *as much* as I enjoyed reading it.

The story had a totally different vibe for me while listening to the audiobook than it gave me while reading the book. I’m not sure if it was because the female narrator that just didn’t sound the way I imagined Misery to sound. Or if the intonation of the narrator didn’t match how it sounded in my head while I read it. Either way, I’m rating here purely off of vibes and listening to it was just a bit off for me compared to how reading it made me feel. But either format you go with, I think this is still a great read or listen.

If you enjoy contemporary romance then don’t let the vampire/werewolf aspect deter you from this one. I’m not big on any paranormal romances, but the love story here trumped that aspect and I think it was a fun twist on a forced marriage trope.

Content Warnings

The Women by Kristin Hannah

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challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

My summary:

Frances McGrath grew up in a wealthy family in Southern California. Her beloved older brother is shipping off with the Navy to the raging Vietnam war. A nursing student, Frankie graduates early with the goal of enlisting with the Navy to also serve in the war. Frankie ends up in the Army, the only branch willing to take a new nurse with no experience. After arriving in Vietnam, Frankie quickly realizes she’s in over her head and woefully unprepared as a nurse. Fellow nurses, Barb and Ethel, take Frankie under their wings and Frankie soon becomes a proficient combat nurse. But as her tour ends and she returns home, Frankie finds out that surviving Nam was just as hard as returning home—and it’s often the women in our lives that are always there to hold us together so we can keep going.

My thoughts:

I am absolutely not ok after reading this book. Honestly, I don’t see how anyone could be. It’s fiction, sure, but it’s really not.

This is an incredible yet brutal story. But as brutal as the war is described, I’m sure it is still probably a puppies-and-kittens version of what it actually felt like to be in Vietnam and then suffer the lifelong after-effects of the trauma from living through it.

If books had sponsors then this one’s should be Kleenex. I absolutely sobbed through what has to be at least half the book. Kristin Hannah’s writing is just so REAL. I felt like I was there. I felt like I was experiencing every trauma and heartbreak and unfairness right along with Frankie. And then I cried some more because it’s not just realistic fiction, it’s likely similar to many people’s true story.

I put off reading this book for months because I knew I wasn’t ready for the emotional devastation I knew it would cause. And, yeah, it was even more emotionally devastating than I had expected. That being said, I think this is an incredibly powerful story that NEEDS to be told and put in people’s hands. I can’t think of enough accolades that Kristin Hannah deserves for such a moving story about such an important subject.

Have you ever wondered which modern books will become classics? Which ones will win literary awards? I feel like this one fits the bill in both respects. It’s hard to think of many others that are as deserving as this one.

I think Kristin Hannah is unmatched in her writing ability to tell this story that is so evocative and doing it in such a way that feels real while honoring the women (and men) that lived through the front lines of the Vietnam war.

On the lighter side, I loved all the music references throughout the book. Even in some of the saddest parts, it made me smile a bit. I also loved the lifelong friendship that Barb, Ethel, and Frankie had with each other.

Content Warnings

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

My summary: Ten years ago Eleanor met Connor, a dashing private investigator who turned out to be a con man, in Rome. They had a whirlwind romance and solved a high profile bank robbery case and a murder. Eleanor went on to write a novel based on the events and changed everyone’s name except for Connor’s—which led to Connor demanding (blackmailing? extorting?) a percentage of her advances and royalties. Now ten years later and writing her tenth book, Eleanor decides she’s going to kill off Connor—figuratively, of course—and finally be free of him. She just has to survive one last book tour trip with Connor in Italy. The only problem? It seems that someone else is already after him.

My thoughts: This is likely the most lighthearted murder mystery you will ever read. I 100% picked it based on the title and cover and I was not disappointed at all.

Written as first person narration, it feels like the author is telling you this story over a spritz. It is overall really fun and entertaining. It’s a fast read and the pages flew right by. I literally laughed out loud at times. It is the quintessential vacation read.

I was super amused by all of the writer and book industry jokes. I have no idea how accurate it all is, but I’m going to say it is all completely true and there’s nothing you can say to convince me otherwise at this point.

These footnotes. Absolutely hilarious and completely made the book for me. They are quirky and endearing and funny—but also made me want to chuck my e-reader across the room at first. (My copy was an unformatted ARC edition, so never fear, I’m sure they’ll be perfect once published.) But the footnotes grew on me quickly and soon became my favorite part. Dear Editor—please let her keep them! (If they’re really on the chopping block, I have no idea what is real or not real here.) (See, all of these parentheses could have been footnotes.)

I did receive an ARC from NetGalley. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Content Warnings

Guilty as Sin: The Sin Trilogy, book 2 by Meghan March

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

My summary: The saga of Lincoln Riscoff and Whitney Gable continues in the second book of the Sin trilogy by Meghan March. The story continues to jump between the past as the present, as the tale of Lincoln and Whitney’s relationship unfolds. With more drama regarding the Riscoff inheritance, and more dramatics from Lincoln’s mother, the path forward for Lincoln and Whitney still seems to be doomed.

My thoughts: Yikes. This book is basically just a repetition of the same drama for five hours—which is all just a repetition of the first book in the trilogy.

I really don’t like the female narrator. She has an odd voice inflection at the end of her sentences that makes me want to chuck my headphones across the room. At least Joe Arden makes it somewhat tolerable.

I guess I only like Meghan March’s books that are set in NOLA. I’m tired of these other stupid plot lines. This is the second or third awful trilogy that I’ve slogged my way through now. I’m hoping some better holds are available on Libby soon.

Back to this story. I’m getting really tired of how completely unhinged Lincoln’s mother is and how everyone just drops everything to cater to her. I don’t understand why Whitney just keeps constantly deciding to run away—even though she never actually does—despite the fact that she supposedly loves Lincoln, the uber-rich heir to Riscoff fortune. This is literally just listening to the antics of a bunch of spoiled rich people or the terrible choices Whitney keeps making, which are also based on the inheritance. There are literally no likable characters here and a whole bunch of really over-the-top awful characters.

It’s hard to keep track of whether the chapter is telling the past or the present. But, no worries. It’s all exactly the same plot so it’s pretty irrelevant.

Anyway, the things rich people do for money, amiright? It’s probably scarily accurate that this many lives are ruined and these women are this batshit crazy over an inheritance by marriage.

Content Warnings

Ghost Town Living: Mining for Purpose and Chasing Dreams at the Edge of Death Valley by Brent Underwood

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adventurous informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

My summary: Best known for his YouTube channel by the same name, Ghost Town Living is Brent Underwood’s story of his adventures thus far in restoring Cerro Gordo, once the largest silver mine in California and whose riches are credited with building Los Angeles. Brent used every penny of his life savings to purchase the town of Cerro Gordo in 2018 and moved up to it full time at the start of the pandemic in early 2020. Despite having no running water and no residents, Brent set out determined to bring this ghost town back to life. The book covers the history and historical figures significant to the town and surrounding areas, intertwined with Brent’s experiences in Cerro Gordo, the people he’s met along the way, the recent events that have continued to shape the town, and some of Brent’s philosophical musings. If you’re a fan of Brent’s YouTube channel, if you’ve ever made the trek up the Yellow Grade Road, or if you just enjoy ghost towns or adventures, then this is a must read for the valuable insight into the town, its history, and Brent’s mark on it so far.

My thoughts: My husband got me hooked on watching Brent’s YouTube channel and I have been to Cerro Gordo to visit once so far. I love the Sierra Nevada and surrounding areas, and visiting a once abandoned ghost town that’s being resurrected is just up my alley of hobbies. The Ghost Town Living YouTube channel is one of the (very) few that I watch and I’ve enjoyed watching Brent’s four year journey so far. My husband pre-ordered the book for me (I may not have bought it on my own), and I’m really glad he did because I really liked the deeper dive into the history of the town and Brent’s take on some of the major milestones in the town under his watch. I have heard a lot of these stories and anecdotes through the vlogs and online posts but it was still enjoyable to have those expanded on in his words. The whole water/Owens Lake/Mulholland/LADWP situation has always held my interest with the effects in this region so I was particularly interested in the Water section of the book. Although I don’t necessarily agree with some of Brent’s larger worldviews that he mentions in the book, I can appreciate that his experiences so far have led him to those opinions and am still intrigued in his overall story at Cerro Gordo. It’s been great to watch Brent’s progress so far in the town and I am sure that his passion, combined with the following he’s generated through his YouTube channel and now his book, will transform this town into everything he envisions it can be one day.

Content Warnings

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

My summary: A posh hotel opens in Dorset on the edge of the woods that locals consider to be sacred. The owner, Francesca, has poured herself into the Manor to make it a an exclusive and inviting resort for the wealthy, with an emphasis on spiritual wellness. Celebrating the opening weekend during the summer solstice, it is sure to be unforgettable and put the Manor on the map. But Francesca’s ethereal positivity starts to crack as bits of the deeply buried past begin to emerge during opening weekend. From the owner to the guests to the employees to the locals—no one is telling the truth and everyone has something to hide. And the locals, far off the beaten path in their small town of Tome, have always found that justice seems to be meted out when deserved.

My thoughts: Attentive reading is richly rewarded in this deviously dark thriller. If you like doing puzzles, this book is very satisfying. Lucy Foley masterfully weaves this story together until you feel like you’ve been transported directly into the middle of it. I was quickly pulled into the thrall of this twisty story set in an otherworldly feeling town. The story unfolds with jumps in time between the past, the weekend before the solstice, and the weekend after the solstice. I had no idea where the story was leading at any point, and many of the twists are completely unexpected. It was really satisfying as the pieces clicked into place and the mystery unfolded as you read. I can’t tell you many how many “Aha!” moments along the way made me want to go back and reread from the beginning after more pieces clicked together. There are a lot of characters and it feels like there’s a lot going on, with truly impressive depth to the layers of the story. Everyone seems to have motive, which is always my favorite in a mystery. Lucy Foley is absolutely a mad genius. This book rekindled my love of suspense and mystery books. This is—by far—my favorite Lucy Foley book yet.
••••••••••
Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for the ARC copy of this book.

Content Warnings

Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

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dark funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

My summary: Rowan and Sloane share a hobby in common—they are each a serial killer who only kills serial killers or pedos or the like. Having never met before, Rowan, the Boston Butcher, rescues Sloane, the Orb Weaver, from a cage at a murder crime scene that went wrong, when he stumbled across her while he was chasing a mark they were each apparently tracking. The chance encounter turns into an annual hunting competition, and their friendship turns into love. As Sloane and Rowan each have to face down their own demons, they have to also watch their backs from threats left in their wake.

My thoughts: I saw a lot of hype about this book and read it last month. But I kept seeing over and over again that the audiobook is the best, so here I am. And let me tell you, the audiobook version is absolutely the way to go on this one. That being said, I thought the book was not for the squeamish. But the audiobook is *REALLY* not for the squeamish. {Insert laughing-crying-gagging}. I do not at all understand how these narrators pulled this off, but I’m so glad they did. And I love Joe Arden as a male narrator {Swoon}. Joe Arden doing an Irish accent? {Swoonier Swoon}. Seriously, he’s welcome to do the male voice of every audiobook I ever listen to now and forever. I enjoyed Lucy Rivers as well. I basically binged this audiobook in two sessions and thoroughly enjoyed it. Now I just can’t wait for Leather & Lark to be released in June.

Content Warnings

Final Offer by Lauren Asher

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emotional lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

My summary: It’s been six years since Cal let his demons and addiction problems push him away from Alana and his late grandfather’s summer house in Lake Wisteria. And six years ago, Alana was left brokenhearted by Cal and then thrust into unexpected single motherhood shortly after. Needless to say, she is not happy to find Cal at her doorstep of the house that she believes was deeded to her by his grandfather years ago. Instead, Cal announces he is there to sell her beloved home. It’s a term of Cal’s inheritance clause in his grandfather’s will—and he can’t let Alana know that his and his brother’s futures are riding on it. Forced to confront not only his one true love but also his addiction issues, Cal must reconcile his feelings for Alana with his required tasks from his grandfather. And Alana swore years ago that she would never again let herself fall under Cal’s spell again, despite his return reviving all her buried feelings and dreams.

My thoughts: Final Offer is the final book in the Dreamland Billionaires trilogy and follows Cal’s story. I enjoyed the aspect of Cal being best friends with Iris in Terms and Conditions and was eager to jump into this one. I already knew from the prior book that Cal has struggled with addiction for his entire adult life, so obviously that was a big component of the story. But his addiction was very much a Dreamland-esque fairy tale version of addiction, which I guess is fine in a lighthearted billionaire romance trilogy. I just felt like it was viewed a little too much through rose-tinted glasses in the plot. This book is very long and moved fairly slowly for me. That being said, I did really enjoy the character development of Alana and the reblossoming of love between her and Cal. I enjoyed the aspect of Cal and Cami’s relationship growing, although at times it felt like there were some big leaps there that weren’t fully developed in the book. The first book I read by Lauren Asher was Love Redesigned, which is so far my absolute favorite of hers, so I loved that this book spent so much time in Lake Wisteria with some character cameos and mentions in this book. Overall, at least 100 fewer pages would’ve really improved this book for me but I did enjoy it.

Content Warnings

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson

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informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

My summary: This personal development self-help book explains that there is a subtle art to not giving a f*ck. Central themes include the idea of choosing what you decide is important to care about, taking responsibility for your current situation in life and taking ownership of your feelings about it, determining your own set of values and framing your view of the world in light of those values, accepting both failure and rejection as tools to improve, and an overall contemplation of your own mortality and how your ideas about it should influence your choices in life. The entirety of the book is told very frankly and with f*cking excessive use of the word f*ck.

My thoughts: This was …. fine. Nothing earth shattering. Nothing particularly life changing. A few points got me thinking, but I couldn’t relate to or didn’t agree with a lot of his points. I found it hard to care about many of his stories and examples of real people and some of them seemed, frankly, out of context with whatever concept he was expounding upon. Also, I swear a lot, but this book swears A LOT. Especially the first chapter. I could see how a lot of people could stop listening before getting through just the first part, particularly when listening to the audiobook version as opposed to reading it. Disappointment Panda made me think of Ted and that made me laugh in my own little world over here. The narrator was good and it’s a relatively short audiobook. Overall, I did have a couple of “aha!” moments while listening, particularly in regard to my feelings at work, so I did gain a bit of insight into myself by listening to it. If you’re looking for a self-help or personal development book that is very frank with zero coddling and no empty placating fillers, and you don’t mind an overuse of the work f*ck, then this book or audiobook is worth checking out.

Content Warnings

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 54%.

My summary: After a near death experience, Chloe Brown decides to make a plan to get a life and she moves out of her family’s house and into her own apartment. Chloe is always grumpy, narcissistic and extremely melodramatic. She suffers from Fibromyalgia/chronic pain. Constantly rude to her sisters, Chloe is also rude to Redford, the superintendent of her building. Chloe uses her chronic pain as justification for being awful to everyone. Redford is cute and charming and also a talented artist on the side of his day job. Despite how awful Chloe treats Redford, he somehow manages to be attracted to her and they strike up a deal for him to help her “get a life” while she helps his marketing as an artist.

My thoughts:

*Deep sigh* I wanted to like this one. I really did. It has been on my TBR list for a long time. This was my first attempt on an audiobook included in Spotify Premium. First of all, Spotify is the worst for listening to audiobooks. It would skip chapters constantly (no—it was not set to shuffle or random. It just hated me. And I’ve subsequently listened to other audiobooks on Spotify after this one without any issues.) Second of all, the narrator’s voice inflections were grating and just overall not enjoyable to listen to for any length of time. I also couldn’t stand Chloe’s character (if you couldn’t tell by my summary above.). Perhaps there was a character arc that redeemed her by the end, but I just could not force myself through it any longer to find out. DNF at 54%

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amateur_bookworm's reviews 590 reviews

amateur_bookworm's reviews
590 reviews