“I am Calliope June. I wish I could fly to the moon. There’d be no one there to laugh or to stare and no one to call me a goon.”

What an amazing, poetic & heartfelt story! I initially bought this book for my daughter to read. She read it and we had such a wonderful conversation about it that I knew I had to read it for myself. I’m so glad I did.

Calliope (Calli) is a young girl with Tourette’s Syndrome. Forget Me Not is told in short, simple prose from two points of view - that of Calli and her neighbor/friend Jinsong. It was a quick read but also the kind of story worth reading irregardless of your age. Calli’s story is absolutely captivating. Her mother jumps from relationship to relationship, always packing up & moving on with the ending of each one. Calli tries hard to hide her tics, to fit in but of course it’s difficult for her. My heart ached for Calli as she dealt with endless taunts and teasing from classmates. Her own mother honestly did not seem to grasp how hard she worked to control her tics and how time and time again her body betrayed her. This is such a misunderstood syndrome. I was awed and touched by Ellie Terry’s raw honesty in its depiction (she has Tourette’s herself).

My heart broke for Calli so many times while reading this book. She is lonely, misunderstood, bullied and made to feel ashamed and embarrassed of herself. Yet, I was beyond touched by her strength, resilience and her innate goodness. Calli had a huge heart. She was sweet, funny and brilliant. The kind of girl anyone would be lucky to have as a friend.

I highly recommend this book for middle schoolers (its intended audience) but honestly I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a heartwarming, inspirational read. There is much to be learned from Calli & Forget Me Not.

Lilly Anderson deftly created a well thought out and original story in Undead Girl Gang!

So this was honestly quite an unexpected read for me. The basic story, in a nutshell, follows Mila (Camilla Flores) who brings back her best friend, Riley & 2 mean girls (Dayton & June) from the dead after the 3 girls die within a week of each other in what the police claim are suicides. Mila knows Riley would never kill herself and she is determined to uncover the real killer.

Honestly, the mystery within the book was so much better than I imagined! The twists were fun and even when things were predictable for me (the mean girls turn out not to be so bad after all, everyone becomes friends after death when they wouldn't have in life, etc) I felt that the stereotypical high school "drama" was an integral part of the story/plot and fit well.

The book was beyond entertaining - it was dark but also witty & laugh out loud funny at times. The mystery kept me guessing. The characters were diverse, fun & there was so much witty sarcasm in the dialogue (I love me some witty sarcasm!). The tale of friendship woven into the story was also quite unique - Riley & Mila, social outcasts who find each other & delve into wicaan practices together. Their friendship was a true lifeline for each other - even in death (or the undead in this case). This is an undead friendship story you won't want to miss.

Pretty Ugly Lies by Pamela Crane is a chilling look at the dark side of motherhood

The story is told via 4 multiple POVs - all women who are wives & mothers. On the outside they look like you or me - dutiful mothers & wives who are taking care of their families. The real story lies beneath the pretty exterior - those darker feelings and emotions we normally keep hidden and/or suppress. Know what I mean? I know you do because we've all been there. Think of those hard days where you feel overworked, under appreciated, overlooked and it feels like nothing you do is right or enough. Well this book doesn't shy away from any of it! It takes all those emotions and heightens them.

"But darkness hid behind closed doors, climbed up the walls, wove a web that would eventually entrap them in misery."

The books opens up with with a chillingly grisly murder scene - a family annihilated. We don't know who committed the heinous act but slowly, the tale is spun and we find ourselves taken in by these womens' stories. All the while, we are left to question - who finally snapped and became a monster?

"I became a snake shedding its skin as I fed on my anger. I dropped the mask that I hid behind, letting my inner monster loose."

Crane's writing is gripping and raw in her portrayal of marriage and motherhood. She doesn't shy away from the ugliness that can reside under the facade. In my opinion, she puts it ALL out there! The story is heavy and touches on kidnapping, lies, secrets, infidelity, caring for children with special needs, homosexuality and even psychological disorders but it's also very readable. I found it easy to connect with these women despite the complicated subject matter.

There were a few things that I feel could have been done better and I had to suspend my disbelief a bit for the way some things were handled but overall, I really enjoyed the story. The premise of the book was compelling and it was definitely a darker look at motherhood. We hear stories of women who "snap" or commit atrocities and wonder - how could they do that? Crane offers us an interesting peek into the lives of such women.

Thank you Pamela Crane, Bloodhound Books & Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Pretty Ugly Lies which will be widely available on 7/18/18. This review is my honest opinion and I'm happy to share it with you all.

This was my first Alessandra Torre novel and it wasn't really what I expected going into it. I had a love/hate relationship with the main character Helena Ross. She was harsh, narcissistic and cruel. Her inner thoughts made me cringe often. Yet, I also felt for what she went through at the end when all was revealed. As a mom, I can not imagine having to live with what happened to her. It just wasn't enough to really make me like her. As she made changes for the better towards those around her - it was minimal and just left me wondering why they put up with her. I think the fact that I didn't care for Helena really affected my overall enjoyment of the book. When you aren't invested in the characters - the feelings just aren't there. I read some reviews where readers mentioned crying at the big reveal. I just didn't have any emotion that came close to that. Yes, it was sad and I felt bad but honestly it didn't bring me close to shedding a tear.

The second issue I had was that the book (especially the middle) really dragged for me. For a book that's billed as suspense I simply didn't find it very suspenseful. Maybe my expectations were too high? It lacked any real intensity for me. I feel like there was very little plot. 3/4 of the book was told in bits and pieces of shared memories told through Helena writing with her ghost writer. Even when she tried to paint a picture of their initial happiness and love it was hard for me to believe because her inner dialogue was always so negative and superior.

I feel like more time should have been spent on the big reveal and Helena's husband's secret. Honestly, that was the most interesting part of the book and it was over before it was really explored.

What made me rate the book 3 stars (& not lower which I thought about) was 2 fold. I ultimately did enjoy Mark, the ghost writer. He was a very likable character and kept me reading. He balanced out some of my irritation with Helena while reading, thankfully. Secondly, I honestly did think the overall idea of the book was interesting. I think it had promise. I just would have liked to see it executed differently. Maybe it has to do with the fact that this was Torre's first foray into suspense and a break away from her usual genre but I wasn't left very impressed with this one.

There were parts of this book that were motivating but nothing presented was new and it was all stuff we've seen or heard before. I definitely feel like it's marketed and better suited towards the 20 something demographic. Women who are really getting started with life, careers, etc.

I did find the information regarding her personal business interesting. Having been a blogger for awhile and knowing how hard it is to truly find success I was impressed with what Rachel Hollis has accomplished.

Still, I did gain a few insights from reading the book and certainly reaffirmed things that I have let go by the wayside. Overall, it was a decent read but being in my 40s there just wasn't much in it for me.

4 Shiny Stars for Simon!

What is it about this book? The family relationships, the friendship dynamics, SIMON. It's ALL of that! I loved being in Simon's head! Not sure how Becky was able to capture a closeted gay teen boy so well but I believed every word, every thought. Simon was just so heartwarming.

It's not just Simon though that makes this book special - there were so many likable characters. I really enjoyed all of the relationships and the day-to-dayness of the story. Simon & Blue's story - adorable. After being so invested in Simon as a character, I was worried about who Blue would turn out to be and what would happen but honestly - could it end any better or cuter?

Every now and then, you need to read something that leaves you happy, content and smiling. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda is the feel good book you never knew you needed!

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I found this installment better than book 2 but so far none have been as good as the first book.

There were a few things that bothered me about this one and most had to do with the parts in Kansas. Spoilers ahead so beware.....

So much was made of Amy’s unhappy home-life and then suddenly her mom is better (devoted, loving, & penitent) & she’s friends with her bully (the girl who basically tormented her every day at school) - it was just too much to blindly accept in my opinion. I had a hard time with that.

I have read this book 3 times (once with each of my daughters and now with my 2nd grade students) and each time I am a complete emotional wreck by the end. This short chapter book really tugs at the heartstrings and leaves so much to feel and discuss.

3.5 ⭐️s for T.M. Logan's Lies!

This psychological thriller had an intense start and definitely pulled me in right away. Joseph Lynch is innocently driving home when his son spots his wife's car on the road. He decides to follow her at his son's request to "surprise mommy". Little did he know that based on that one spontaneous decision he was unwittingly in for a life altering surprise.

While the premise of the book was interesting, it is also one that has been done many times over so I was looking for it to stand out in some way. Unfortunately, I had most of the "lies" figured out early on. There was one twist that I hadn't anticipated until the end and that definitely redeemed things a bit for me. Hence the 3.5 versus 3 stars rating. I do enjoy having the wool pulled over my eyes in any way possible! When you read thrillers as often as I do, this becomes increasing harder to experience so any little unforeseen twist is very welcome.

All in all, this was a quick and enjoyable page-turner. It's not one I'll remember for long to come but it was definitely fun while I read it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, T.M. Logan & NetGalley for the copy to review.