My five-year old is starting to like reading chapter books for bedtime stories! Woo! This was a new mid-grade selection at my library.

A sweet story about a young boy who finds out the veterinarian next door is no ordinary vet and the woods he lives in are no ordinary woods.

There is a little action but most of the story is about the attempts to take care of a wounded, pregnant unicorn, how to deal with familial loss, and the concept "do no harm."

I didn't quiet expect the level of violence and sadness. A character is shot accidentally by hunters, the main character's grandmother dies, and there is a grave fear the unicorn who is pregnant with twins will lose one, or both, of her babies. There is some sassy language (lots of "stupid") and the boy's tentative friendship with the girl next door was sort of lame and old-fashioned.

In all, a pretty sophisticated emotional story that may not be appropriate for a five year old, but she dealt with the themes well. Lots of talking points.

Evelyn Hugo, a famed Hollywood beauty now in her eighties, contacts a Monique, a young, aspiring journalist for an unprecedented all-access interview. What Monique learns is that Evelyn has secrets, many secrets, and she's ready to spill them to the world.

Alternating between Monique's interactions with Evelyn and Evelyn's remembrances of the past, this is a perfect read for those who love tabloid gossip, celebrity scandal, and stories about women who are powerful and go after what they want no matter the cost.

Workaholic and brilliant engineer Spence meets his match when he accidentally knocks Colbie into the famous San Francisco fountain that promises true love to those who wish it. Spence is excited that Colbie doesn't know he is know infamous for both his money and his "eligibility" but in turn doesn't know that Colbie is secretly famous for writing a YA book series being turned into a film franchise.

Colbie is hoping her impromptu trip to San Francisco will cure her writer's block AND show her needy family that they can and should run their own lives. She has a looming deadline and needs to be back in NYC by Christmas Eve. Spence has his own deadline but Colbie is the perfect distraction. Both agree it will only be a fling but as they realize how perfect they are they both begin to dread their expiration date.

A cute holiday-ish romance that doesn't really focus on the holiday (which I like) as much as the relationships. You also meet back up with many characters from earlier books.

On the outside, Sadia is a mom, a widow, and a master juggler. On the inside, Sadia is falling apart. She wants to be seen as a woman, she wants to stop constantly worrying about everything, she wants security.

Moonlighting as a bartender to earn extra money to help keep her struggling Cafe afloat, Sadia also uses the gig to find impersonal one-night stands. She's been eying a tall, dark and handsome stranger for a few days but when she finally musters up the courage to hit on him, she finds out he's no stranger.

Jackson, returned after 10 years, has loved Sadia his entire life. She never knew he loved her and she married his brother Paul. Jackson has his own secrets including a huge one involving Paul and the fire that destroyed his family and their business partnership with the Chandlers.

Jackson, a secretly famous chef, tries to help Sadia by cooking at her cafe but can no longer keep his serious interest hidden. Sadia is blown away by his revelation and struggles with her own desires and the very real problems that could arise as a consequence.

Picking up directly after Hate to Want You, this is another spectacular tale by Alisha Rai. Jackson is a fantastically different hero. He's painfully shy despite his good looks and is totally in awe of the heroine. Rai does an excellent job of creating characters who are real, with real issues. Loved it!

Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for the ARC!!

I read a few of these "letters" and while charming I wasn't compelled to read the entire book. Not sure what the non-library worker will get out of this either, but if you love books, worth a flip through.

Well, must say I didn't expect kissing book legend [a:Stephanie Perkins|3095893|Stephanie Perkins|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1407443106p2/3095893.jpg] to serve up this stabby gore fest, but hell, what a gory good time! I read this one into the wee hours of the night and definitely had the heebie jeebies, so bravo Perkins!

Makani, an African American – Native Hawaiian teen, was forced to move from Hawaii to Nebraska after a bad incident. Hoping to move forward, Makani changed her last name and is biding her time until graduation, attending classes and taking care of her elderly grandmother.

After a summer of secretly hooking up with the kinda creepy, but also kinda sexy Ollie, school is back in session and apparently Ollie is too embarrassed to have a real relationship.

Then, kids start dying. Brutal, violent stabbings of Makani's classmates with no discernible pattern. Could the killer be Ollie? And why is Makani's grandmother sleepwalking so much? Will the violence in small town Nebraska expose Makani's secret?

Starting with an excellent take on what some (including myself) to be the best first sentence in a novel (see [b:The Gunslinger|43615|The Gunslinger|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554220416l/43615._SY75_.jpg|46575]), this is a fun, smart, sexy romance that is a bit reminiscent of the movie Clue.

Determined to find out who was tupping in the drawing room is Lady Charlotte's mission, because everyone else thinks it was her and Lord Piers, and now they are set to be married. Lord Piers carries his own intrigue, including his own spy mission as part of His Majesty's secret service. He's fine with the impeding marriage as Lady Charlotte is beautiful and smart, but he has not promised her any love, which she is definitely not fine with.

Loads of fun seeing how these two get their HEA.

Listened to this on audiobook as a second read and I was delighted by the narrator and the story yet again. Tessa Dare has a wonderfully sweet, comedic, and lively way of telling romance stories that is matched by no other. Her dialogue is wicked smart and comes even more alive when heard out loud.

#ButDoTheyBang 2021 read

Piers is kind of a poop? Still a super fun read, I just wasn't quite as charmed with Piers as I was initially - but give everything to Charlotte thank you please.

You can find the Sorias in the middle of the Colorado desert where you'll discover they deal in miracles. But here's the thing. Everyone wants a miracle but not everyone is ready to pay the price.

A fantastic, stand alone from the queen Maggie Stiefvater. A novel imbued with magical realism, miracles, and darkness set in the 1960s desert, this is a perfect character study for those craving more of her completely unique writing style.

This wouldn't be the first Stiefvater novel I would recommend ([b:The Scorpio Races|10626594|The Scorpio Races|Maggie Stiefvater|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1461209661s/10626594.jpg|15535056]!!) but for her acolytes, a marvelous addition to her work!

Plus, I have to say, no one makes me fall in love faster and more deeply with characters, even "minor" ones, than Maggie. Tony was a particular favorite of mine in this story, especially how he resolves his darkness.

Holy pants on FIRE! Ever imagine banging a sexy member of a boy band? Being his girl? This is definitely the book for you, especially if you are a wee bit older than said boy band member. *Fans self*

Art-gallerist Solene Marchand reluctantly takes her ex-husbands place as chaperone to the meet and greet he won at an auction for their 13-year old daughter's favorite boy band August Moon. When Solene locks eyes with the twenty year younger Hayes, all she can think about is sitting on his face (author's words, not mine).

Hayes, known for his penchant for older women, sweetly and ruthlessly pursues Solene and they begin an epic love affair, one for the ages, despite their age difference. They start as sex only, but it soon turns into something more, something they soon cannot hide from Solene's daughter, her business partners, her ex, and most devastatingly, Hayes' millions of fans.

Is this love worth keeping? Is Solene willing to bet it all on a 20 year old boy? Is forever feasible?

I'm hoping to read more from Robinne Lee because wow.

How far would you go to protect your family? Yourself? What would you sacrifice if you could have your darkest desire?

Gloomy and dynamic art are the highlight of this scary graphic novel. The story can be a bit hard to follow but prepare to be freaked out by the depiction of the "wytches" and the darkness lurking in people.

We read this for my Book to Art Club and created creepy tree watercolors!