danadoesbooks's Reviews (954)

The Two Towers is my favorite movie out of Peter Jackson's trilogy so I was disappointed that it isn't my favorite book so far.  I think it's because I like the rest of the Fellowship's adventures more than Frodo and Sam.  The first half of the book follows Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli as they search for Merry and Pippin.  The second half focuses solely on Frodo and Sam's journey.  I like how the movie is structured more because it switches between the two story lines.

In Days of Distraction, the narrator's boyfriend, J, is applying to PhD programs.  Although they would love to stay in San Francisco, they both know that they will probably have to move somewhere else.  The narrator begins to explore her identity and what it means to be Chinese American.  She examines her identity in the context of her job (in a heavily male-dominated field) and her relationship with a white man.

Typically books with long sections are more difficult for me to get through, but I really enjoyed the fragmented writing in Days of Distraction.  The small snippets of the narrator's life feel like you are reading her thoughts instead of a story.  I also like how historical documents are woven into the text as the narrator explores the history of mixed race couples while contemplating the fate of her own relationship.

Thank you to Forever Publishing, the author, and Netgalley for the gifted copy of When We Were Young.  All opinions in this review are my own.

When We Were Young follows the love stories of Joey and her grandmother, Sarah.  Only a few days before her wedding, Joey’s first love, Leo, reappears with a devastating secret.  Fifteen years before, Leo broke up with Joey unexpectedly on their vacation in Corfu.  Joey never got an explanation why.  

Joey’s grandmother, Sarah, is facing her own choices she made back in Corfu in 1942.  As the Nazis come closer to her home, Sarah falls in love with a Greek boy.  Her family forbids it because he is not Jewish, and Sarah must make a choice that will affect the rest of her life.

While I liked both Joey’s and Sarah’s storylines, I feel like they could have tied together more.  When We Were Young follows Joey’s storyline much more than Sarah’s.  I would have loved to read more about Sarah and her relationships, especially with her husband.  However, I always enjoy the second chance trope so I liked reading about how Leo came back into Joey’s life, even if it was slightly disastrous!

I recommend When We Were Young if you like second chance love stories and multiple romance storylines in one book!

As a final semester senior in high school, Tanner takes The Seminar and is tasked with writing a book.  Autoboyography is the product.  

Tanner has had to adjust since his family moved from Palo Alto, California to Provo, Utah.  The biggest change is that Tanner can no longer be openly out.  Although his family supports him, Tanner fears even telling his best friend that he is bi because of Provo's predominantly Mormon community.  When Sebastian joins his class, Tanner knows hiding who he truly is will be a lot more difficult.

This was my first book by Christina Lauren and they set the bar really high with this one.  To say I loved this book would be an understatement.  Autoboyography contains all the euphoric emotions of first love and also all the pain that comes with it.  I really like Tanner as a main character because he is flawed and willing to admit it.

Above all, I think my favorite thing about this book is how it handled teenage relationships and consent.  Without it reading like a guide of what to do and what not to do, the characters learn important lessons about staying true to yourself and setting your own boundaries in relationships.  The importance of maintaining multiple relationships and friendships is also addressed.  Tanner is instructed by his father not to only focus on one relationship because when things go wrong, you will need other people to fall back on.