Medieval history fascinated me, but it always takes me so much longer to read it. This book offered a fresh take of the time period, but the lack of information pulled me out. Because of the era, not a lot of written records survive of the people discussed in the book, so many of the chapters had to go in different directions rather than staying focused on the person. It’s still important to know these people lived, but I felt there was too much about other people to keep my attention.  

This being written by a white author also feels a bit disingenuous. 

A bingo based rom com is definitely an interesting concept. I liked how there was more to this story than the romance, in a way I was still missing something. The focus on mental health was important, but I needed other things to fill out the story for me. And the side characters needed some more attention or development as well. I liked it I overall, just wanted a little more. 

This was my first book of the school year, and I'll admit this was a case of "judging a book by it's cover." I loved the cover art, and I love retellings, especially Peter Pan. However, I felt like this book mostly missed the mark. The updating was mostly good (there is a way better treatment of Indigenous people than both the original book and the 1950's animated movie), but the story was what was lacking for me. It felt tense for a lot of the book, but I didn't quite get why. It was building to something that never really felt like it came to me. Even the "twist" at the end didn't really get me because it seemed too obvious to really be the twist. Overall, the vibes were fine and my students would probably like this, but it wasn't quite for me. 
*Side note, who the heck was Eleanor supposed to be and why was she even in this??*

Much Ado is the original enemies to lovers, and this book translates that in a really great way. I loved both Ben and Beatriz and the ways that they were modernized. I wish there was a little more resolution, and there were a few parts from the play that I wish were more directly translated, but I still devoured this in one sitting!

A book like this is rare for me. I don’t read a lot of nonfiction, or memoir, or medical based stories. If my book club hadn’t chosen this as their next read I probably wouldn’t have picked it up. And yet I’m so glad I read it. This book is open and raw and emotional. It not only tells a harrowing journey throughout a cancer battle, but illuminates the struggle of returning to “normal.” I really admire the authors honesty and openness, and am so glad she is able to share her story. 

This book was absolutely everything you want a second chance romance to be; it was sweet, it was romantic, it was charming. The characters, both main and side, were fun and quirky, and the romance was swoon-worthy. This was like eating your favorite ice cream during a sunset on a perfect summer day!

Somehow every version of Little Women always makes me cry, and I don’t know why. I really liked this YA graphic novel that had Jo as an eighth grader in modern day. The important parts of the first half of Little Women were updated really well, and I think the choice with Jo’s sexuality makes a lot of sense (especially knowing that Louisa May Alcott was known to use male pronouns and rejected the traditional ending that they were forced to write for Little Women). This version did get a little too cartoon-y for me, and some parts were a bit much on the “lessons” part of it, but it was still cute. 

I almost didn’t expect to like this, although I don’t know why. It was a pretty simple story, with fun characters and not a lot of plot. I ended up liking Peck, even though I thought I would be annoyed by her. I guess that’s part of the magic of this book, that it’s about simple things that end up mattering a lot. 

This was a good story about figuring out your life as an adult, but it just wasn’t that exciting. I liked Nora, but felt distant from her and didn’t love the choices she made. I think this author was able to translate well the feelings of having a career and figuring out what you really want, but the actual execution was a bit lacking for me.