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simplyalexandra's Reviews (890)
2 Stars - I recommend this book if you enjoy these light-hearted, somewhat silly Christmas romance novels as well. However, this is my least favorite of all of the Macomber ones I have read.
This book follows Julia who is way too perky for her neighbor Cain. She's all "woohoo xmas!!" and he's more like "bah humbug". He's irritated with her morning elevator chatter, and she gets mad. Her friend suggests "killing him with kindness" - and blogging about it to win a social media job she is after. She starts the project, at first with little success, but lots of blogging success. Eventually Cain warms up a little, but he's still a grumpy guy. As their relationship develops she realizes why he's so grumpy, and that she just might be in love with Ebeneezer Scrooge himself.
This book was fluffy and predictable as expected. I really really liked it up until the conflict, which kind of killed it for me. We all know that Cain will be upset when he finds out about the project and the blog, but that's so ridiculous. He gets really mad, and that's just not realistic to me. Also, no way can you get blog hits just by blogging. Sorry, that's not how it works. I did love Cain's grandpa though, he was a cute character. Overall it was pretty good, but it just seemed so over the top. And yes, I realize what genre this is.
It was really cute, up until the conflict... which just felt really silly. Ended up ok though. Not my favorite Macomber Christmas book, but a fun read.
I was given advance access to this title by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley!
This book follows Julia who is way too perky for her neighbor Cain. She's all "woohoo xmas!!" and he's more like "bah humbug". He's irritated with her morning elevator chatter, and she gets mad. Her friend suggests "killing him with kindness" - and blogging about it to win a social media job she is after. She starts the project, at first with little success, but lots of blogging success. Eventually Cain warms up a little, but he's still a grumpy guy. As their relationship develops she realizes why he's so grumpy, and that she just might be in love with Ebeneezer Scrooge himself.
This book was fluffy and predictable as expected. I really really liked it up until the conflict, which kind of killed it for me. We all know that Cain will be upset when he finds out about the project and the blog, but that's so ridiculous. He gets really mad, and that's just not realistic to me. Also, no way can you get blog hits just by blogging. Sorry, that's not how it works. I did love Cain's grandpa though, he was a cute character. Overall it was pretty good, but it just seemed so over the top. And yes, I realize what genre this is.
It was really cute, up until the conflict... which just felt really silly. Ended up ok though. Not my favorite Macomber Christmas book, but a fun read.
I was given advance access to this title by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time. Thank you Netgalley!
4 Stars - I recommend if you like mystery and complex characters. It's very long, so I also recommend reading something light and fluffy in between if you are a read more than one book at a time type of person. The more I reflect on this one, the more I like it!
This book follows Coromon Strike a PI and former British Army Policeman who served in Afghanistan. He's lost his long-term girlfriend, his place of living, he's up to his ears in debt in his business.... and now he's got a temporary assistant he can barely pay. When a famous supermodel's death is ruled as suicide, her troubled brother comes to Strike for help investigating her death. Suddenly Strike has a case, and income, and a really great temporary assistant.
Overall this book was kind of a mix for me. On the one hand J.K. Rowling is a really great writer, and I like reading her characters and descriptions. The characters were so complexly deep - which was really fun to read. However, there is a lot of development up front, and the first half-ish of the book was a little slow for me. All that being said, once it picked up (in the middle) I was much more invested in the story and mystery. By the last chapters I found myself knowing I would like to read more books about Strike's cases. So, I wouldn't say this is for everyone, but I really did enjoy it and I'm excited to read more down the line. Reading some fluffy things in between this long (sometimes slow) book was helpful. However, I don't really have issues trying to read more than one book at once as long as they aren't similar. The more I reflect on this one, the more I like it. I'm excited to read more books in the series.
This book follows Coromon Strike a PI and former British Army Policeman who served in Afghanistan. He's lost his long-term girlfriend, his place of living, he's up to his ears in debt in his business.... and now he's got a temporary assistant he can barely pay. When a famous supermodel's death is ruled as suicide, her troubled brother comes to Strike for help investigating her death. Suddenly Strike has a case, and income, and a really great temporary assistant.
Overall this book was kind of a mix for me. On the one hand J.K. Rowling is a really great writer, and I like reading her characters and descriptions. The characters were so complexly deep - which was really fun to read. However, there is a lot of development up front, and the first half-ish of the book was a little slow for me. All that being said, once it picked up (in the middle) I was much more invested in the story and mystery. By the last chapters I found myself knowing I would like to read more books about Strike's cases. So, I wouldn't say this is for everyone, but I really did enjoy it and I'm excited to read more down the line. Reading some fluffy things in between this long (sometimes slow) book was helpful. However, I don't really have issues trying to read more than one book at once as long as they aren't similar. The more I reflect on this one, the more I like it. I'm excited to read more books in the series.
3.75 Stars - I so far, would recommend the series if you like re-tellings and/or Robin Hood.
This is the sequel to Scarlet which I read in May. It was one of my favorite fairy tale re-tellings I have read so far! *and you know I've read A LOT!*
At first I didn't like it quite as much as the first one. It has a different plot thread, and takes time to introduce some new characters and situations... and I wasn't as into that. But after those intros were done, it was woven back with some of the plot lines from the first book and I started to get more into it.
I won't say a lot about this, since it is a sequel, but after it picked up it stayed consistently intriguing. I think I read it in two evenings. I didn't love it quite as much as the first... but more because of the plot changes than anything else. Overall I would rate it a 3.75. So still really good. Excited to read the third book in the series sometime soon! :)
This is the sequel to Scarlet which I read in May. It was one of my favorite fairy tale re-tellings I have read so far! *and you know I've read A LOT!*
At first I didn't like it quite as much as the first one. It has a different plot thread, and takes time to introduce some new characters and situations... and I wasn't as into that. But after those intros were done, it was woven back with some of the plot lines from the first book and I started to get more into it.
I won't say a lot about this, since it is a sequel, but after it picked up it stayed consistently intriguing. I think I read it in two evenings. I didn't love it quite as much as the first... but more because of the plot changes than anything else. Overall I would rate it a 3.75. So still really good. Excited to read the third book in the series sometime soon! :)
-3 stars -
First of all, I got an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley, but I was already 30% done with it before I realized it was a sequel. So, my review would probably have been a little bit different had I read the first book prior to reading this one. #whoops
Sisi follows empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary as she navigates motherhood, running a country, being a wife, all while trying to be true to herself. I liked learning about a royal who I previously knew nothing about, as well as a time period and setting I knew little about. The look into this person/character's life alone is interesting enough to make the read worthwhile. I especially enjoyed reading a book set in Austria-Hungary, and from time-to-time Bavaria. Just imagining the lively place, the world's fair, etc. is really captivating. My favorite parts of the book were some of the descriptions. Sisi was famous for being enchantingly beautiful. Her hair alone was talked about widely. Just imagining her gowns, her hair ornaments, etc. was really fun for me. I certainly wanted to be a princess when I was a kid! :)
One thing that was a little hard for me to navigate was the passage of time in this book. It starts from the mysterious perspective of a deranged man who seems to be stalking someone. But then it jumps into the main plot. But as the book goes on, from one section to the next could be a few hours time, or maybe months or years worth of time. I found it a little disjointed. It wasn't too much to keep me from reading it, but I hoped for a little more flow as the book went along.
First of all, I got an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley, but I was already 30% done with it before I realized it was a sequel. So, my review would probably have been a little bit different had I read the first book prior to reading this one. #whoops
Sisi follows empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary as she navigates motherhood, running a country, being a wife, all while trying to be true to herself. I liked learning about a royal who I previously knew nothing about, as well as a time period and setting I knew little about. The look into this person/character's life alone is interesting enough to make the read worthwhile. I especially enjoyed reading a book set in Austria-Hungary, and from time-to-time Bavaria. Just imagining the lively place, the world's fair, etc. is really captivating. My favorite parts of the book were some of the descriptions. Sisi was famous for being enchantingly beautiful. Her hair alone was talked about widely. Just imagining her gowns, her hair ornaments, etc. was really fun for me. I certainly wanted to be a princess when I was a kid! :)
One thing that was a little hard for me to navigate was the passage of time in this book. It starts from the mysterious perspective of a deranged man who seems to be stalking someone. But then it jumps into the main plot. But as the book goes on, from one section to the next could be a few hours time, or maybe months or years worth of time. I found it a little disjointed. It wasn't too much to keep me from reading it, but I hoped for a little more flow as the book went along.
I was initially interested in this book because of the cover. How fun is it?! The truth is, I haven't read a lot of compilations of essays or short stories, but I really wanted to give this a chance. The topic of the book is hair and why we care about it. The essays range from narrative to academic in tone and nature. Overall I really enjoyed reading most of the essays. I thought that (even as a non-hair-obsessed person) it was very relate able. We all battle our hair, worry about it, and change it from time to time. I found myself laughing or smiling from time to time, feeling like the essays really grasped what it's like to be a woman when it comes to hair. I particularly enjoyed the ones written in a narrative tone.
Overall I really enjoyed reading this book, it was very different than most things I have read recently. The non-fiction and essays alone make it different, and each story different from one another. I liked that I could read one essay and then go to fiction on and off as well. It broke up my reading time. When it came to the essays, I really enjoyed them - but felt like they could have used more diversity. There were a few written by women of color, or minorities, but not nearly as many as there could have been. I felt like a handful of them were written by white women in their sixties who live in New York... which made them fairly similar stories to read. I would have loved to read more from women of different ages, and from different cultural backgrounds. Also, there is one essay almost entirely about pubic hair. I'm not being fussy about it, but it felt a little off topic to me.
Overall I really enjoyed reading this book, it was very different than most things I have read recently. The non-fiction and essays alone make it different, and each story different from one another. I liked that I could read one essay and then go to fiction on and off as well. It broke up my reading time. When it came to the essays, I really enjoyed them - but felt like they could have used more diversity. There were a few written by women of color, or minorities, but not nearly as many as there could have been. I felt like a handful of them were written by white women in their sixties who live in New York... which made them fairly similar stories to read. I would have loved to read more from women of different ages, and from different cultural backgrounds. Also, there is one essay almost entirely about pubic hair. I'm not being fussy about it, but it felt a little off topic to me.
After reading the entire Blue Bloods series in 2015-2016, I hadn't planned on reading this book for quite a while. However, when I abandoned my "four word title" book for Erin's 4.0 book challenge, I needed a new one. Enter, Witches of East End. I will disclose, that I watched the show first, and yes I was terribly sad when it was cancelled! C'MON NETFLIX! REBOOT ALL OF OUR FAVORITES PLEASE!! Moving right along, I read this book in two evenings, it's pretty short and definitely a quick read. I was both relieved and a little bummed that the book was pretty different than the show. On the one hand, I didn't want to be bored. On the other, I liked some elements of the show, more than the book. At least so far, there are a few more books. The story follows mother Joanna, and her two daughters Freya and Ingrid as they live out their existence as mortals in North Hampton, NY. They have been banned from using their magic, but along the way they each find a reason to do a little white magic here and there. Freya is a bartender who is recently engaged to the town's most eligible bachelor, Bran Gardiner, and when his brother Killian comes into town she finds it difficult to resist his charms. Ingrid is the local librarian who is cataloging blue prints of the town's oldest homes. When she gets a hold of the Gardiner mansion's blue prints, she quickly learns that everything is not quite what it seems in the old home. Joanna, who has been estranged from her own son for thousands of years, finds solace in spending time with a little boy. The story unfolds and the three women are quickly in trouble for using their magic. Overall I liked this book, but I missed Wendy's character. In the show she is the younger aunt. It seems a little off without her. It ended on a cliff hanger which was fun. The book delves more into their past before they were banished, which creates a new feel to the plot. I think ... I preferred the way the show was... but we'll see. There are a few more books, and that could change! Whew, were some of Freya's chapters steamy. (not surprising I suppose!)
-Right After Reading-
An interesting concept (don’t want to give spoilers), but I didn’t enjoy this one.
2.5 - I *might* recommend if you are looking for a middle-grade novel with serious subject matter. I don't want to ruin this for those interested, so highlight the white text below. This is a sleeping beauty re-telling, but it is not fantasy based in any way.
When Becca's grandmother passes away, all she leaves behind is a box of documents and a rendition of Sleeping Beauty that she told over and over. Becca, a journalist, promises to solve the mystery by finding out her grandmother's past, where "the castle" is, and who "the prince" is.
I didn't really enjoy this book. For one, I picked it up expecting it to be a fluffy middle-grade fairy tale re-telling. But for more reasons, the different plot pieces of the book felt kind of piecemealed together. Their childhood, Becca going to upstate New York to learn more about her grandmother, an overseas trip, etc. I like the idea behind what Yolen is trying to do, SPOILER - put a fairy tale in the place of an experience within a Nazi death camp to help the grandmother cope with the horrific experience. However, it took a really long time for Becca to figure it out, and within the mystery there were not that many moving pieces. She finally gets to Poland... and it's like a mini travelogue. After that they conveniently meet the man who saved her grandma. Ok then. That was tidy and anticlimactic. Then he re-tells his story about the war, Nazis, etc... and its the longest story ever, and it focuses on him, not her grandmother. I guess people are offended by the LGBTQ+ content in this book, which is VERY tame and virtually non-existent. This was written in 1988, but it is currently 2018 folks. (off soap box now) I did find it confusing that our protagonist was 23 years old, and it was written for middle-graders. I think? However, the protagonist's dad makes several not so subtle inappropriate jokes, and it mentions our main character watching a "soft core" movie. Who is this book written for? How confusing! There was a very surface level love story thrown in there, it felt unnecessary. I see what Yolen was doing with Sleeping Beauty, but it just felt like all of the pieces were a little too subtle or randomly woven together.
An interesting concept (don’t want to give spoilers), but I didn’t enjoy this one.
2.5 - I *might* recommend if you are looking for a middle-grade novel with serious subject matter. I don't want to ruin this for those interested, so highlight the white text below. This is a sleeping beauty re-telling, but it is not fantasy based in any way.
When Becca's grandmother passes away, all she leaves behind is a box of documents and a rendition of Sleeping Beauty that she told over and over. Becca, a journalist, promises to solve the mystery by finding out her grandmother's past, where "the castle" is, and who "the prince" is.
I didn't really enjoy this book. For one, I picked it up expecting it to be a fluffy middle-grade fairy tale re-telling. But for more reasons, the different plot pieces of the book felt kind of piecemealed together. Their childhood, Becca going to upstate New York to learn more about her grandmother, an overseas trip, etc. I like the idea behind what Yolen is trying to do, SPOILER - put a fairy tale in the place of an experience within a Nazi death camp to help the grandmother cope with the horrific experience. However, it took a really long time for Becca to figure it out, and within the mystery there were not that many moving pieces. She finally gets to Poland... and it's like a mini travelogue. After that they conveniently meet the man who saved her grandma. Ok then. That was tidy and anticlimactic. Then he re-tells his story about the war, Nazis, etc... and its the longest story ever, and it focuses on him, not her grandmother. I guess people are offended by the LGBTQ+ content in this book, which is VERY tame and virtually non-existent. This was written in 1988, but it is currently 2018 folks. (off soap box now) I did find it confusing that our protagonist was 23 years old, and it was written for middle-graders. I think? However, the protagonist's dad makes several not so subtle inappropriate jokes, and it mentions our main character watching a "soft core" movie. Who is this book written for? How confusing! There was a very surface level love story thrown in there, it felt unnecessary. I see what Yolen was doing with Sleeping Beauty, but it just felt like all of the pieces were a little too subtle or randomly woven together.
-Right After Reading -
Oh my heart <3
-Full Review-
4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy YA and are looking for diverse representation in your reading.
Natasha is being deported today. She's being deported because her father made a mistake. Because of his mistake, her future is ruined. Daniel is on the path that his parents want. Go to Yale, become a doctor, marry a nice Korean girl. Daniel would rather be a poet. He lets the wind blow him where it will before his interview for Yale. The wind blows him toward Natasha.
Nicola Yoon. Gets me every time. Her books are light and fluffy, but they also carry deeper things beneath the surface. This book is more emotional and complex than Everything, Everything. The depiction of two children of immigrant parents is absolutely vivid and intricate. I love that this book is written from multiple perspectives, and as always with Nicola Yoon, the chapters are short and you just fly through it. I enjoyed reading from both Natasha and Daniel's perspectives, but I will say that I REALLY love teenage male protagonists. So much sarcasm! :P I also liked how this book contains segments about their parent's history, perspectives of people they interact with, etc. The way it's all woven together is really lovely. I cried a bit, and I felt happy and sad for all of the characters. It's just a really thoughtful portrayal of growing up, families, immigration, etc. etc. With the way it ends, I would love to read a follow-up. :) I hope that she writes more books soon! :)
Oh my heart <3
-Full Review-
4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy YA and are looking for diverse representation in your reading.
Natasha is being deported today. She's being deported because her father made a mistake. Because of his mistake, her future is ruined. Daniel is on the path that his parents want. Go to Yale, become a doctor, marry a nice Korean girl. Daniel would rather be a poet. He lets the wind blow him where it will before his interview for Yale. The wind blows him toward Natasha.
Nicola Yoon. Gets me every time. Her books are light and fluffy, but they also carry deeper things beneath the surface. This book is more emotional and complex than Everything, Everything. The depiction of two children of immigrant parents is absolutely vivid and intricate. I love that this book is written from multiple perspectives, and as always with Nicola Yoon, the chapters are short and you just fly through it. I enjoyed reading from both Natasha and Daniel's perspectives, but I will say that I REALLY love teenage male protagonists. So much sarcasm! :P I also liked how this book contains segments about their parent's history, perspectives of people they interact with, etc. The way it's all woven together is really lovely. I cried a bit, and I felt happy and sad for all of the characters. It's just a really thoughtful portrayal of growing up, families, immigration, etc. etc. With the way it ends, I would love to read a follow-up. :) I hope that she writes more books soon! :)
-Right After Reading -
Hmm this was cute and fun... but also kind of excruciating. Long and slow. Lots of miscommunication. Still thinking...
-Review-
3 Stars - I recommend if you are looking for a fluffy read that has a very slow pace. It was cute, and a little romantic, but mostly not.
This story follows best friends Rosie and Alex throughout their childhood, teen years, college days, and beyond. When Alex moves from Dublin to Boston with his family, they are brokenhearted at their separation. They won't get to spend their last days before college together. When Rosie gets into Boston College, they are so excited that they will be reunited. Life gets in the way, again and again. When will things line up?
I really wanted to love this book, but it was just too long and drawn out for me. Their mis-communication and missed opportunities to get together were excruciating after a while. I didn't feel like I understood either of their characters and lot of their decisions. I read this in a full day, so it wasn't THAT slow, but it was definitely getting to me. Finishing the last page I sat it down and went, "uuuughhhh!" KC's response... "oh no.. it didn't get better..." LOL It was ok, and probably great for many, but it wasn't my jam!
Hmm this was cute and fun... but also kind of excruciating. Long and slow. Lots of miscommunication. Still thinking...
-Review-
3 Stars - I recommend if you are looking for a fluffy read that has a very slow pace. It was cute, and a little romantic, but mostly not.
This story follows best friends Rosie and Alex throughout their childhood, teen years, college days, and beyond. When Alex moves from Dublin to Boston with his family, they are brokenhearted at their separation. They won't get to spend their last days before college together. When Rosie gets into Boston College, they are so excited that they will be reunited. Life gets in the way, again and again. When will things line up?
I really wanted to love this book, but it was just too long and drawn out for me. Their mis-communication and missed opportunities to get together were excruciating after a while. I didn't feel like I understood either of their characters and lot of their decisions. I read this in a full day, so it wasn't THAT slow, but it was definitely getting to me. Finishing the last page I sat it down and went, "uuuughhhh!" KC's response... "oh no.. it didn't get better..." LOL It was ok, and probably great for many, but it wasn't my jam!
