genieinanovel's Reviews (752)

This was an instance where I judged a book by it's title... and boy am I glad I picked it up! Let Them Eat Pancakes is the second memoir of Craig Carlson, an American man who set off to open the first American diner in Paris!

Carlson's memoir was heartfelt, sweet, and very informative, as he gives us an insight to how French government works, especially in that of being a business owner. Who knew it was nearly impossible to fire someone in France? Even if they steal from you?! Of course, there are perks too that make you want to live and work in France, like vacation time and healthcare. Carlson portrays the best of America and France, and how the countries could learn from one another.

His story is quite intriguing. He came from a broken family and grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, but instead of letting that kick him down, he got out of Frenchtown and went off to live his dream. Sure, it took him some time to really find out what that dream was, but that's how it works for a lot of people. In fact, I think it's because of his childhood that he was able to make something that seemed impossible (because the idea of an American diner in Paris, the culinary capital of the world, is shooting pretty far) and yet, he made it work. So well that he now has two diners in Paris!

I was totally engaged while reading this memoir. The hard lessons he learned about French laws he took in stride and was able to turn them into humorous anecdotes. Learning small things about France was gravy on reading this (as I am a self-proclaimed Francophile) as well as learning that Craig Carlson is from Connecticut of all states! I had no idea he was a fellow Nutmegger when I picked up the book, so learning that someone from my tiny state did something as amazing as owning two American diners in France... that's just awesome!

So basically, if you love France, pancakes, diners, or just reading memoirs, I highly recommend Let Them Eat Pancakes! Now I have to back-track and read Carlson's first memoir, Pancakes in Paris!

Let me start off by saying that this is not your typical biography of an artist that died over a hundred years ago. This is a heart-gripping story between two brothers and the love they have for each other. And let me tell you, I've never had any interest in art history or most artists, but I'm so glad I had the urge to pick up this book (and honestly I have one of my best friends to thank for that).

Obviously this book gives an account of the lives of not only the acclaimed artist, Vincent Van Gogh but also his younger brother, Theo Van Gogh. Right away, that was what had first caught my eye about the book, but I didn't read it right away. Now, four years after first laying eyes on the book, I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner. At the same time though, I know that at this point in my life I'm more appreciative of their story than I would have been before.

The portrait that the author paints of these brothers is incredible. I felt like I was there with the Van Gogh brothers as they went through their lives - supporting each other, fighting, writing to one another. It was heart-wrenching to see how they were basically unable to function without the other and how their mental health (especially Vincent's) affected their lives and those around them. Even when fighting though, the brothers loved each other and it was never too long before they made up. You can see just through this biography how deeply they cared for each other.

Theo was always willing to support his brother financially and by encouraging Vincent to keep up with his art (even being one of Vincent's first critics). He assured his older brother that one day he would be recognized, and Theo worked to get Vincent's paintings in art shows. It became so that Vincent wasn't just painting for himself or because he loved art; he was painting for Theo.

One thing is for sure, without Theo, the world would have never known Vincent Van Gogh.

Whether you are into art or not, I highly recommend this book! The writing itself was amazing and I feel it made this true story between the brothers that much more incredible.

A private boarding school that is set in the mountains of Vermont, and a murder mystery to boot? The only real question is why did I not get my hands on this book when it first came out?

Stevie Bell wants to solve crimes, and she wants to solve the biggest one of all - the Ellingham kidnapping/murder from the 1930s. It's her ambition to solve that mystery that gets her accepted into the school. After all, each of the students has a "thing" and this falls under Stevie's. So when a classmate turns up dead, it's only natural for Stevie to consult all she's learned from her favorite fictional detectives to figure out if it was an accident or if the student was murdered.

The story has a sort-of dual timeline; the main focus is on Stevie and her new life at Ellingham Academy, but some chapters shift to the original mystery that brought her there in the first place. It wasn't confusing at all; it offers a great backstory to the Academy and it gives the overall story more life.

Stevie is an interesting character and for the most part, I like her. I can also relate to her, at least on the social aspect (being selective about making friends). The fact that she also has anxiety with occasional panic attacks makes her even more relatable and likable, at least to me. I mean, you wouldn't really expect that someone who's so interested in crime can get thrown into a panic attack by seeing a crime scene or having a real-life mystery on their hands. It adds another dimension to her personality.

Out of the other characters, I love her friends Janelle and Nate. Janelle is the social butterfly friend who is just a ball of sunshine, and Nate is the complete opposite of her but that just makes you want to hug him. Ellie was an oddball, and I didn't dislike her but I didn't like her much either. David, Hayes, and Germaine I did not like at all; their attitudes sucked, plain and simple.

Overall, this was a great start to the Truly Devious trilogy and the ending will have you wanting to read the second book right away, so keep the second one nearby if you decide to read this one!

The mystery of the Truly Devious case thickens as Stevie Bell finds a clue that can change what they know about the letter and the kidnappers. Of course, she finds it in time to be sent back home to Pennsylvania with no hope of going back to Ellingham Academy. Or so she thinks.

Thanks to a powerful person whom Stevie despises, she gets what she wants and is able to return to Ellingham where she can finish her work on the unsolved case. Of course, she also has to catch up on her missed classwork and figure out what is going on with David, as well as what happened to Ellie when she ran off, but the case is her main concern. 

We are introduced to some new characters in this one, including Dr. Fenton, her nephew Hunter, and Mudge, Dr. Fenton seems a little off the rails, but also knows her stuff when it comes to the Truly Devious case (she did write a book on it after all), and takes on Stevie as an assistant to help her do research for her next book. Hunter is just trying to get through college and take care of his aunt, and I was hoping Stevie would end up liking him over David, but that doesn't seem to happen. Then there's Mudge, who I wish there was more of because he's a tall, mysterious, almost goth-looking dude that wears purple snake-eye contacts, but dreams of working at Disney as an Imagineer. 

I loved this book just a little more than the first as it seems like the stakes are higher for Stevie - she has more to figure out, new clues that could possibly help her solve this case, a lost friend to find, and be able to keep herself at Ellingham by not failing her classes and keep her promise to the man that brought back. The pacing is better in this one as well and keeps you turning the page right up to the end! And the ending... all I can say is I was happy I had the next book available right away to start! 

Once again, this book outdid its predecessor and I cannot wait to finish the final book of this trilogy and see what new secrets are revealed!

4.5 stars

After the realization that left Stevie swirling at the end of The Vanishing Stair, we find her back in class running on a sort-of autopilot. The problem she’s facing is that while she’s solved the case of the century, she needs proof and the final piece to the puzzle. And just as she’s close to figuring it out, the school has yet another student accident (no deaths this time) and they decide to send the students home… right before a major blizzard is about to hit Vermont.

Of course, that doesn’t stop Stevie and her friends from remaining on school grounds, and Stevie is more than glad for the plan that was set to keep them there. She has work to do, and she does it and does it well. She figures out who was behind the deaths of Hayes, Ellie, and Fenton and the person’s motivation for it.

Once again there is some dual timeline storytelling so we can see what did actually occur in the past compared to what Stevie is figuring out in the present. It was interesting how it would line up and it was fun to see Stevie put pieces together while knowing what did actually happen. No new characters are placed in this book, but we did get to see a little more of Stevie’s friends. I have to say that Janelle had one of the best parts when the two were tearing up Stevie’s room – she’s a friend that we all need in our lives! Nate too, I just love him and his snark. I’m still not a David fan and while I’m glad he did actually help Stevie in the end, I still don’t like him.

I’m happy with how the series ended and Stevie’s attitude about it all. The references made in the book to Agatha Christie’s famous detective, Hercule Poirot, made the series all that much better. And yes, Sherlock was obviously mentioned too, but I’m glad to see Agatha Christie get some recognition in a young-adult mystery series.

Overall, this was a great trilogy and it’s one that I’ll highly recommend to someone who’s looking for a mystery series to read!

More like 3.5 stars. Review to come :)

Very cute. I'm already in love with Zen, so that's a thing.

Might do a collective review of the manga once I've read a few more volumes

Alex and Isa’s story begins with an unexpected subway encounter, which doesn’t seem like too much at first, but the moment they shared stays with them. For the next two months, both are keeping an eye out when they’re on the subway to see if they can catch each other again, but due to their busy schedules – Isa with dance and Alex with baseball – it’s two months before they have another encounter. And that second encounter leaves a bigger imprint on them than the first. Then the story really begins.

Both characters come from different backgrounds. Alex is Dominican, living in Washington Heights with his mom and sometimes stays with his dad in Brooklyn. He has a fear of cops, unless he’s wearing his baseball uniform. His uniform gives him respect from white people rather than nervous glances or angry glares. Alex has a great relationship with his mom, step-mom, and little brother, however, his dad really only cares about how great of a ballplayer Alex is.

Isa is half-Cuban, though with her blonde hair and fairer skin received from her dad’s side, she looks like your regular rich, white girl. She lives in on the Upper East Side and goes to private school, then takes dance classes after school and on the weekends. Her mother, while Cuban herself, is prejudiced against Dominicans or anyone not up to their social status. Isa’s home life is slightly more dysfunctional than Alex’s, especially with her mom’s dislike of the time Isa spends on dance. And this is on top of her mom and older brother being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

The relationship between Alex and Isa is sweet when they first start meeting up on the subway, as it’s like an escape from their real lives for a very short time. Though because they do get together fairly early in the story, there’s bound to be problems. Part of it is keeping secrets from one another and the other is misunderstandings between them.

While realistic and totally justifiable, Alex’s fear actually made me angry because no one, no matter what your race, should ever have to have fear around cops or any white person in general. Sadly, that’s how our world is, and the author does an amazing job in making that reality show up in this book. She also did an amazing job with how Isa’s family dealt with the mental illnesses of Isa’s mom and brother, and there were a few times where Merritt (her brother) had given me a scare a few times.

Overall, great book and it’s one that I’d probably reread someday. It’s definitely one that I’d recommend to anyone looking for a story like this!