This was a cover buy. The stunning red door with books around it pulled me in and the title kept me there. I had no idea what The Messy Lives of Book People was about, but I knew that I needed it.

We're following a forty-year-old housecleaner who maintains the apartment of a very prominent author. Essie writes a series of adventure/romance novels, but her work has been struggling lately. When Essie suddenly passes away, her final wish was to have her devoted housecleaner, Liv, continue writing the last book in the series.

This is a lighthearted novel about writing, the love of books, and how complicated the process can be. In my opinion, this isn't a novel that I'll remember. I just finished it and the details are already getting foggy, but I loved the reading experience. It was relaxing and inspired me to start writing my own novel again. The writing scenes made my fingers itch for the keyboard.

I also really loved how we follow and older main character. Maybe it's because I just turned thirty, but I love reading about characters who find a grove later in life. There are also some important messages woven between the words in this novel. Liv is a housecleaner and gets a fair amount of shit about it. She's looked down upon because her job is 'lesser,' which is frustrating to read about.

Although this was as fun read, I was confused at times. The interpersonal accounts of the people that Liv communicated with were fuzzy and I mixed quite a few of them up. I didn't think it would be a big deal, but the ending lacked its punchline because I was lost in terms of who was who.

I'm not entirely sure how accurate this is, but I feel like if you liked Evelyn Hugo... you might like this. The Messy Lives of Book People kind of reminded me of it because you're trying to figure out the inner workings of who Essie was. Their personalities seem similar, as well. It's like a lighter, bookish version.

"You've heard of the town Stars Hollow. Well, I'm here to tell you, it is real. It's a wonderful, happy place with cheerful neighbors, ballerinas taking classes at Miss Patty's, and a seasonal festival of some sort happening in the town square. It's a place where coffee flows freely, junk food has no calories, and Kirk has somehow found yet another job. There, the town meeting might be in session (although I'm usually late for it), with Taylor Doose presiding, and outside near the gazebo, there could be a hay bale maze set up for your enjoyment. It's a place where, on one special day every year, I smell snow."

I don't usually do this. I don't write individual book reviews for blogs because I find that they don't do as well as multi-book posts, however, I had to make an exception for Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham.

There are so many great moments and quotes in this book and I would like to share them with you. Lauren Graham walks us through various moments in her life: getting into show business, life on Gilmore Girls, writing Someday, Someday Maybe, and even a bit about being a judge on Project Runway.

Lauren Graham is hilarious. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook because she narrates it herself and lets her humor shine. There are pictures scattered throughout the book, so I recommend reading along so you don't miss out on those.

Life Lessons

What I loved most about this book was that it's not just about her life as an actor. She talks about life and lessons she's learned.

"Sometimes the idea of doing something is the most fun part and after you go through with it, you feel deflated because you realize you're back to looking for the next thrill." 

Graham is referring to getting a tattoo. She wanted a tattoo and she realizes that conferring with her friend about it was enough. She went through the excitement of a fresh idea and then let it fizzle without having to get the tattoo and deal with the disappointment later. I love this concept and it made me think.

On a more personal note, I just turned thirty two months ago. I've been feeling down about it since life goes by so quickly and I feel like I haven't accomplished the things I wanted to by now. Thoughts about hanging up dreams and pursuing something that makes more financial sense instead of emotional sense have been plaguing my brain, but Graham helped me through that today.

She was thirty-one when she stepped into Lorelai's shoes. I feel like Lorelai and Rory raised me in a way. Aside from growing up watching them on TV, I've embodied a lot of their characteristics. My fiancé agreed to binge the series with me and he could probably make a chart of how similar I am to these women.

If Lauren Graham can make such a big impact on someone at the age of thirty, why can't I?
Now, I have zero interest in acting… but I want to write a book. What surprised me the most about Talking as Fast as I Can is that it inspired me as a writer.

Writer Inspiration

This is not a book that's marketed for writers, however, my fingers itched for my keyboard after reading it. 

There are two chapters in particular that I would guide you to if you're struggling with a book and looking for some inspiration: Someday, Someday Maybe You'll Believe My Novel Wasn't Completely Autobiographical and The Kitchen Timer.

Lauren Graham writes about her experience writing Someday, Someday Maybe and it's amazing. She talks about her drafting process and editing, working with agents and the world of publishing.
The part that struck me the most was when she talked about perfectionism.

She talks about how her agent had to take her manuscript away from her because she was editing it to death. I feel like this is why I've never published anything. It's never going to be perfect enough in my eyes, so why would I release it to the world?

"I can't edit a blank page," is something she was told when she was hogging her drafts.

In The Kitchen Timer, she reveals a method that I'm going to use this year. Mind you, this method isn't hers, but it helped with her productivity during the drafting process.

This tip is outlined in ten bullet points, so I highly suggest you read the book for the details, but I do want to highlight some points that struck a chord with me.

You're going to set a timer for a set amount of time. You schedule this time the day before and base it off of your realistic ability to sit down and write. If you're having a rough day, make it thirty minutes.

That time is sacred. Turn off your phone, disconnect the internet, and prioritize your time with your writing. Set the timer and do nothing except for write. Or don't write. You can stare at your word document the entire time.

I've heard this tip before, but the journal is new to me. She says to open two documents during these blocks of time you set for yourself. Your manuscript and your journal. If you need a break, switch over to your journal. If you want to write in your journal the whole time, that's fine.

A key point to this method is being kind to yourself. If you scheduled four one-hour sessions for yourself, cut back the next day. I'm going to practice this and see what happens. Maybe I'll have a shitty first draft by the end of the year?

In Conclusion

Overall, I highly recommend this book and rate it five out of five stars. It's under two hundred pages and the audio is roughly five hours long. I binged it in a morning while watching Gavin's sprints on his Patreon and doing housework.

In addition to fabulous writing, comedy, and insight… she reads her acknowledgements. I know that's small, but it's rare for narrators to read the acknowledgements and they're my favorite part of the novel (next to dedications).

I was in a reading slump and this webcomic pulled me out of it. Read if you want a magical setting with a magical bakery, adorable YA romance, a musician as one of the love interests, and wonderful LGBTQIA+ rep! I highly recommend this graphic novel for fans of Legends & Lattes and Heartstopper. It's like they had a baby!

One of my favorite things about this graphic novel was the food! There's so many episodes that I ate through and I would die happy if I could visit Marigold's bakery. I also really loved the music attached to some of the episodes.

*This webcomic is finished and completely bingeable on Webtoon.

I adored this book!!! I read through it in two days and couldn't get enough of the characters. I loved Stella to death; she's autistic and has some problems with social interactions, including sex. To conquer this, she hires an escort for sex lessons.

The Kiss Quotient has the cutest premise and is super spicy. The sexual tension is fucking amazing and Michael is so patient with her. The sex scenes are hot and endearing at the same time. I also loved the family dynamics and the side characters.

The only reason I gave this four stars was because of the ending. The last few chapters were weak, in my opinion. The reason for the third act blow up wasn't strong enough and then the reconnection didn't set off fireworks.

Confessions by Kanae Minato | a book review

I don’t even know what to say… a quick read about a teacher’s revenge on the students who killed her four year old daughter? Grab a cup of coffee and let’s chat.

Confessions is just what it sounds like: a confessional. This short novel is broken up into several parts instead of chapters, all written from different perspectives.

This story is about revenge at its core and it’s rattling, brutal, and surprising. Confessions is labeled a thriller-mystery-horror combination and I couldn’t agree more. It’s twisted with splashes of horror elements and some intensely dark themes. Look up trigger warnings if you need them.

I picked up this book because it was on Gavin’s top books of 2022. He was on live reading sprints while reading the first chapter and about died when he reached the end of it.

I understand why.

the first part

The book opens with a middle school teacher addressing her class. She’s retiring from teaching and wants to tell her students why. She reveals that her four-year-old daughter drowned in the school pool and that two of her students are responsible for it.

She uses Killer A and Killer B, but everyone knows who these students are by her vivid descriptions. She goes into massive amounts of detail and says that she doesn’t trust the justice system to handle this properly, so she’s taking it into her own hands.

This is where Gavin (and I) gaped in shock.

thoughts

Despite the jaw-dropping introduction and premise, I thought this book went downhill from the intro. I’m not sure if it was the translation, but it was extremely repetitive. Each perspective was of the same things, so we see the same scene multiple times through different viewpoints.

Don’t get me wrong; it was still entertaining. I thought it was interesting to see the perspectives and thoughts of other characters, but I grew bored at times because of it. It was especially interesting to see the viewpoints of the murderers.

I didn’t love the confessional style of writing. It was interesting at first, but all 240 pages were written this way. The thriller aspect was very effective, though. I did not see any of the plot twists coming.

As a personal touch, I was considering going back to education before reading this. I’ve been offered a teaching job for next school year and I was considering it, but I feel like this book was a sign.
Sometimes you read the right book at the right time? I feel like Kanae Minato is helping me from making a big mistake. (If you didn’t know, I left the field of education two years ago and miss bits and pieces of it.)

you should read this…

If you love dark books with intense plot lines. I can’t say I’ve read a book like this to compare it to, but it’s a Japanese horror/thriller; you know it’s going to be brutal and in your face. Also, I kind of hate to recommend this to teachers, but I feel like there would be an added layer of appreciation there.

Check out my full review on insta! https://www.instagram.com/p/CokTl8hLtJM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I absolutely loved this book! It's about a badass main character who starts her own business because her ex-boss is a douche bag and she falls in love with her roommate in the process.

I’m writing this review with puffy eyes because I cried through the last few chapters of this book. Grab a cup of coffee and let’s chat.

Love and Other Words is so much more than a love story, which are my favorite ones. Typically, romances are terrific palate cleansers for me. They’re fluffy and give me giddy feelings in the pit of my stomach, which are needed after a high fantasy or horror novel.

My favorite romances, however, are those that leave you breathless… the ones that make you feel like you need another palate cleanser. That’s what Love and Other Words was for me.
the first couple of chapters…

This book is about loss, grief, finding love in strange places (like a closet), and forgiveness. It’s a childhood friends-to-lovers romance with dual timelines and favorite words.

Macy and Elliot’s meet cute is one of my favorites. Duncan, Macy’s father, bought a vacation home for them to escape to when life became too stressful. During the tour with the realtor, Macy ventured upstairs and opened the door to the huge closet space Duncan said she could turn into a library.

She was shocked and slightly terrified to find a boy nestled inside, absorbed in a book.

Elliot lives next door and was shocked to see that the house he usually sneaks into to read (as an escape from his own bustling family) is going to be sold. Macy assures him that he can still come over and read.

Together they transform the huge closet into a library space and they read in there for hours when she visits, which is multiple times every month. Through the dual timelines, you can really see their relationship build as adolescents and it’s beautiful.

The other timeline is of Macy when she’s in her late twenties after eleven years of not talking to Elliot. They have this huge falling out, which is teased throughout the book; we don’t see why until the very end.

This timeline reveals that she is now going through residency at a hospital and has very little time to herself. She’s engaged to man she barely knows and is generally not happy in life. When she sees Elliot come into a café, she bolts on her best friend, whom she’s having lunch with, but he ends up catching up to her.

thoughts

I loved Elliot, but I thought he was a bit too much at times. He is very persistent and piney, which isn’t my thing in book boyfriends or partners in general. However, I do see all of his great qualities and why he’s amazing for Macy.

The favorite word thing was a beautiful touch and I loved it. If you haven’t read it, Elliot asks Macy what her favorite word is every time she comes up to the vacation home and that’s how they start their visit with each other. It’s adorable and creative.

The ending really shook me.

We know that Macy loses her mother early in life, but during her first meet up with Elliot post-falling out, she reveals that her father passed away. It gutted me because we get to know Duncan in the ‘then’ chapters. I sobbed when that part of the story came to light. I loved it as a writer, but hated it as a reader. It tore me apart.

Speaking of the themes of loss in this book, I adored the list that Macy’s mother left for Duncan. Since Macy’s mom knew she didn’t have long to live, she wrote Duncan a list of things that he needed to do for Macy in a variety of different situations, which is why he purchased the vacation home in the first place. It was very touching and let us see the kind of relationship they had without having to see it on the page.

you should read this…

If you like People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. These books have very similar vibes with the dual perspectives and a big falling out. Overall, I think this book was amazing and recommend it for every shade of romance reader. There’s a bit of spice, but it’s not overpowering.

Lana Parker is a relationship columnist for a magazine and just got dumped by the man she's been with for years. This asshole brought her back to the spot of their first date and she thought he was going to propose. Like who does that?

Anyway, she gets shit faced with her best friend and wakes up hungover as hell to a text from her boss. She has to be at the office like now and she rushes out. When she gets there, everyone pores over her and one of her writer friends actually feels her hand for the ring!

After she breaks the news to everybody that she's not engaged, they go into pitches and her boss suggests that she try something new: writing about being single. See, Lana hasn't been truly single since she was fourteen. That's going to be a struggle, but she agrees.

Then, her boss announces that their magazine got bought out by a bigger paper, which means more opportunities for growth… and that they have to host trial run writers to see if they're good enough for the paper. The new writer on board? Seth Carson, aka, Lana's first ex (and the worst breakup).

They're both pulled into Lana's boss's office and given a proposition. Since Lana is a serial monogamist and Seth is a serial dater, she challenged them to come up with a list for each other. Lana will write a list for Seth to help him find a stable relationship, while Seth writes a list for Lana to help her find peace in her singlehood. 

After they write their corresponding articles, the readers decide who wins a shiny new column of their own. And then the fun begins…

thoughts

This is not a bad thing, but Just My Type is a popcorn book. You know how you sit and watch drama unfold, wishing you had popcorn to munch on? This is that book. Bring popcorn. The funny thing is, I think it's supposed to be this way. There were a few times in the book when a side character mentioned that Lana's life is better than reality TV.

I also love how there's legitimate hate in the beginning. It's not a 'I don't like you because you stole my crayon' kind of story. They seriously hate each other and it's hilarious. That scene with the live show at the beginning? Amazing!

She blogs! I fucking love it when characters blog. Lana doesn't publicize it at all, which is great. She writes for herself and she publishes a lot of the same content that I do.

overall

I would recommend this book for readers who love following the lives of writers and enjoy a good second chance romance. The ending was cheesy as all hell, but it's a romance. I'll forgive it. I do prefer Lease on Love, but Just My Type is a solid second book.

As expected, Thirteen Reasons Why was a powerful book. I watched the TV series before reading the book and I actually think the series was better, hence the four stars. I'm not sure if I would still feel that way if I had read the book first, which is why it's not lower. There are many things about this book that I did not like, but I absolutely loved the idea.

I loved that the book was broken up into tapes instead of chapters.
I loved how Asher used italics to signify that Hannah was speaking.
I loved how Asher used symbols you would find on a Walkman throughout this book.
I loved Clay. His character is inspiring and easy to relate to.
Hannah's character was beautifully developed to represent a struggling teenager. Not just a teenager... anybody who has contemplated suicide. The way they think...
I loved how every single character in this book is twisted with the others, just like real life.

The theme isn't suicide awareness, not the primary theme anyway. Yes, it's a large part of the book, but it's also the cliched part of the book. No, the real theme in this book is The Snowball Effect. The actions of other people affect everyone else in ways that are often unknown. Things build up. And then they explode.

I loved the theme and how Asher conveyed it.

It may be harsh, but the following phrase is how I would describe this book: an exaggerated suicide note. I say this because that's all that was covered. It was Hannah's story told through a headset after she already died. I pictured the characters from the TV series because I could not develop images of them on my own with Asher's descriptions. I did feel as though the character descriptions were strong enough. It was like a near 300 page narrative; very little dialogue.

However, I would be lying if I said this book did not get any emotional response from me. I am not a stranger to suicidal thoughts and Hannah's character was developed in an accurate fashion, from my experiences anyway. Specifically, after reading Clay's part in the story, his tape... I felt so angry. How does Asher have a right to write about his? Has he had experience with suicide or seriously close death? I tried looking it up, but didn't put too much effort into it because I realized that it didn't really matter. He got it right, so it doesn't matter if he's felt it personally.

No wonder this book won awards and was made into a series. It covers a very real issue in a candid way. Well done, Asher.

Read this review and other young adult book reviews at sarahthebooknerd.home.blog!

One of Us is Lying cannot be compared to The Breakfast Club which is what a lot of other readers are saying. This book is about a group of five kids that get after school detention. At the beginning of the book, they all take turns labeling each other as high school stereotypes. This is where the similarities end. One of the students in the room, Simon, ends up dying. He has a severe peanut allergy and he dies in detention. The police name the four students in the classroom as the top suspects.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is the formatting. It's split between four different perspectives (those of the suspect students) and each section is dated and timestamped. This formatting works well with the plot because you, as the reader, get see the situation from all sides. You get to try to figure which one of them killed Simon. You'll fall in love with the characters and wish all of them innocent.

This is where the heartache comes. The last hundred pages or so will rip your heart out. I threw the library's copy of this book across the room at one point. At the end of Chapter 24, if you must know. From there, I couldn't put the book down. I'm not going to lie, the beginning of the book was kind of slow and tedious, but those last 100 pages... they flew by.

Is this a Halloween read? No. It's not scary or suspenseful. Don't read it in October if you have other spooky reads you could devour. However, add this to To-Be-Read (TBR) shelf for sure. There's a sequel, One of Us is Next, but I'm not sure where it'll go. I thought this was an amazing stand-alone and I'm a little nervous about the sequel. We'll see.

I rated this a four star because the beginning was slow and choppy, but I guess it needed to be. The plot was amazingly executed. The characterization was good, not the best, but I fell in love with many of the characters. It's worth mentioning that the characters had their own personalities and it was easy to tell whose point of view you were in, even without looking at the heading. The settings were well developed, a little cliched, but well developed. Overall, it was a good read!

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery because you could totally solve this on your own. It has a cute romance in it, good character arcs for those readers who like to see drastic character changes, and it's an easy read.