simplyalexandra's Reviews (890)

Full Review:

4.5 Stars - I highly recommend if you enjoy contemporary romance.

Holland is obsessed with a subway busker. She doesn't know his name, or really anything about him, but he's her biggest crush. When she's mugged and pushed onto the tracks, he calls the police to help her, and then disappears. Who is this guy?! When her uncle's Broadway show is short a musician, she suggests her busker crush... and as much as he'd love to take the job... he's not in the US legally. Holland decides that it's worth the risk to marry her crush, so that he and her uncle can both be successful. However, faking being married, feels really comfortable. And having a crush on your fake husband makes it hard to keep things fake for long.

Squee! This was the cutest: 1) I love fake-to-real romances, 2) he's IRISH, 3) she's sooooo socially awkward. OMG. This had me just squirming at the cuteness. I really thought that this whole book and the characters were adorable. I loved Holland and Calvin. I loved Holland's uncles. I thought that the chemistry was really great, it was a little sweeter than their other book I read this month because it wasn't a hate-to-love relationship. I think that this book was another smart romance, it was hilarious, it was sexy, it was a lot of fun to read.

Right After Reading:

Squee! This was adorable. I love the fake-to-real relationship. I love Calvin and Holland. It was just so cute. I liked this one a bit more than dating you/hating you. The setting and lack of hate-to-Love worked better for me. :)

3.5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy travel fiction, contemporary fiction, and romance.

Sophie Bruno is a successful IT consultant in New York City. Her job allows her to travel the globe for work, and sneak away days here and there for fun. When she takes a trip with her girlfriend to Shanghai, and her friend leaves her there alone she decides to make the most of the trip anyway. She meets Carson, another American traveler the same night and they hit it off instantly. Soon she has thrown her carefully plotted itinerary out the window in favor of his spontaneous travel method... and he's moved into her hotel room. When she blows off a work meeting for an adventure, she returns to NYC missing Carson, and in hot water at work. What does she really want from her life? Is business travel with a few stolen days "enough"?

I love a good travel fiction novel. I thought that this one was really fun! I loved the setting, the mix of travel and romance was spot-on. I loved Carson and Sophie, they were so cute and polar opposites. I thought that the romance was really fun and steamy as well. While it was very "insta love" I didn't mind it a bit. I will say, I was hoping for more travel... the middle part of the book is spent "at home" in NYC and it is sort of a struggle for Sophie to figure out what she wants to do with her life. I know that she needed that character development, but there were times when I found her waffling a little bit infuriating. I'm sure IRL it would be hard to make the decisions she was contemplating, so I get it.... but I just wanted a little less. Or I wanted the end portion of the book to be a little longer if that makes sense?

Full Review:

5 Stars - I highly recommend if you have read the four main books in the Lunar Chronicles series.

This book picks up where the Lunar Chronicles series ends. Iko is the main character and she is hunting down the mutant wolves that are hiding on Earth. Other main characters make appearances too, but I won't spoil the series by giving specifics.

I finally got around to reading this graphic novel that follows the Lunar Chronicles series. I initially put it off (and this is dumb) because it's literally ALL BLUE. Monochromatic color schemes are fine, but not for graphic novels... but once I started reading this... it really didn't matter. As you might expect. LOL. It only took me a few hours to read, but it was so fulfilling. I wasn't sure exactly what the plot would be like, but I really really loved how Meyer picked up where The Lunar Chronicles left off. Iko was one of my favorite characters, so I loved that she was the center of this graphic novel. Also, the illustrations (color scheme aside, lol) were so so good. I loved them. There were so many times that I squeed just seeing the characters! It also (mild SPOILER) loved getting to see Cress and Thorne (I DIE AT THE CUTENESS) and Scarlet and Wolf (and the ring!!!). Seeing all of the old characters again was such a treat!! Anyhow, I loved it to pieces, and I cannot wait to read volume two! :)

Right After Reading:

Yayy so fun to be back in this world with these characters!

5 Stars - I recommend to ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE. It is only 50 pages long, take an hour and read it.

This book is from Adichie's talk on feminism. Her approach to the topic is extremely approachable and while it highlights the importance of having conversations on gender, it is a very reasonable discussion of the topic. If you're the type of person who is nervous about debates, etc. (many are!) don't worry about this book, she won't "scare you off".

I have been meaning to read this book for a really long time, I am glad that I finally picked it up in Arkansas, and then read it not too long after purchase. This book was such a good one. It discussed feminism in a way that is approachable to the masses, it doesn't diminish the importance of gender discussions but does approach the conversation in a very calm and open way. I appreciated that Adichie wove in anecdotes from her own life, her friend's lives, research, and stereotypes on gender roles. It made for a very well-rounded read. This is such an important little book, I hope that you pick it up and then recommend it to everyone that you know! As an aside, I absolutely love this cover. Beautiful.

Full Review:

3.5 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy classic sci-fi and dystopian novels.

This story follows Guy Montag, a firefighter. In his world, firefighters burn books. Books ruin society, and his job is to eliminate them, and jail their owners. However, his own life isn't happy, but he doesn't know what he missed him.

Unpopular opinion: I just didn't love this book. I really wanted to, but classic sci-fi/dystopian novels are just not my thing. They don't explain the technology super well, it feels like the future but also like the past... and it's just I dunno... it's just not my thing. I know that a lot of people love it, and that's awesome, but I just don't. I did, however, love the message behind the book and appreciate the importance of the novel... especially for it's time. I'm glad that I read it, it's very very short... and I can't wait to see what HBO did with the adaptation. Confession: I have a big crush on Michael B. Jordan.

Right After Reading:

I’m glad I read this, the story and message are top notch. But classics that are sci-fi or dystopian are just not my thing.

4 Stars - I recommend this if you have read The Lunar Chronicles and Wires and Nerve vol. I.

This story picks up where the last one left off. (no spoilers!)

I think with the first volume of Wires and Nerve I was just SO happy to be back in the world... so I gave it an instant 5 stars. I really enjoyed this volume as well... but I was less excited about it. But it could be just that the initial excitement while being back in the world. Not sure. *shrugs* Overall I still loved this book, I loved being back with the characters, I loved seeing them drawn again, and I loved seeing where Meyer took the (I think?) conclusion. I squeed a lot of times again seeing the little images, so much cuteness. This book is like a hug for people who love The Lunar Chronicles. Read these! :)

5 Stars - I recommend to anyone and everyone. This book is brimming with heart, colorful characters, and relate-ability.

I will be honest and say, the cover of this book is what drew me to it initially. I knew people had enjoyed it as well, so I was happy to give it a try. Overall, I didn't know much beyond it was about a "self-proclaimed fat girl," living in the south, and something about pageants.... Well, this book is just delightful you guys! There is so much heart and truth in this story. It's colorful too-boot. I love love LOVE the Dolly stuff. Because, I think she's an American treasure. So, that was a fun surprise. Overall it's just a really honest and colorful look at what it's like to grow up. What it's like to figure out who you are. There is so much bravery in this book. I'm not particularly into pageants, books about high school, or Texas.... but I thought that this book is so worth reading. Wow. 5 stars on goodreads from me. :)

Full Review:

2.5 Stars - I wouldn't particularly recommend this book. It has reasonable ratings on goodreads, but I just didn't enjoy it very much.

Camille's life is in stuck in a rut: she's not appreciated at work, her husband is pretty indifferent to her, her son is always frustrated with her, and she isn't fulfilled by what she is doing. When she meets "routinologist" Claude, he helps her turn her life around.

On paper this is exactly my kind of book. As I read it though, I just wanted it to be over. It felt like a “then this happened... then this happened” kind of book, but with very very little narrative. I felt like it was pretty hard for me to connect with the main character, Camille. I felt like I didn't get to understand her very well. The story was very padded with various self help and psychological or new age techniques. I love self-help books, but I really struggled to stay interested in this book as a story. I’ll give it a half point back for the “chain” bit at the ending. I wanted to love this book, I was really excited for it, but it just didn't work for me.

Right After Reading:

2.5 Stars - On paper this is exactly my kind of book. As I read it though, I just wanted it to be over. It felt like a “then this happened... then this happened” kind of book, but with very very little narrative. Very padded with various self help and psychological or new age techniques. I really struggled to stay interested in this. I’ll give it a half point back for the “chain” but at the ending. I wanted to love this.

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

Full Review:

4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy diverse contemporary fiction. Specifically books that delve into gender roles, religion, and immigrant families.

Nikki is a modern woman. Despite her family's Indian and Sikh heritage, she makes her own way in the world. She works in a pub, isn't interested in arranged marriage, and smokes cigarettes. When her sister asks her to take a marriage ad to the local temple for her, she sees that they are hiring a creative writing teacher for women. Nikki jumps at the chance to empower these women, and takes the job. She doesn't realize that many of them cannot yet read or write, she's even more surprised when she finds out that they really just want to share their deepest fantasies in story form. Kulwinder's daughter disregarded their rules and culture, and now she is dead. Kulwinder spends her days afraid of stepping out of line. When Nikki is hired to teach the women, Kulwinder finds that she is more like her daughter than she is comfortable with. This story blends two cultures, multiple generations, and brings women together.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I loved that it blended "modern women" with traditional Punjabi women. I liked that it included different generations and circumstances, and allowed all of the women to learn from one another. Particularly I enjoyed the focus on the widows, in American culture we don't treat widows in quite the same way, but I thought that this book was important in showing that widows still need social activities, company, and still have an interest in romance and sex. There are bits and pieces of their erotic stories written in to the chapters, and I thought that they helped illustrate the culture and how people can surprise you. I really enjoyed how things wound up in the end. I loved seeing how far the characters came in their own lives and relationships. I thought that this book was really satisfying.

Right After Reading:

4 Stars - loved this multi-generational, east-meets-west story. It was so quirky and heart warming. It was a tiny bit slow in the middle but I really loved the ending!

Full Review:

2.5 - 3 Stars - I recommend if you like Debbie Macomber, and you don't mind the dramatic ones.

Annie's entire family died in a mudslide, while picking up the pieces of her life, she decides to move to the town that was her "happy place." Oceanside is just as she remembers it from her family vacations, and she begins building a life there. Keaton rarely speaks, a product of his father's abuse. When he meets a girl on the beach and she doesn't shun him, he remembers her forever. Now she's back in Oceanside, and he can't let her get away again. Can Annie and Keaton overcome their troubled pasts and start a future together?

This one is a little bit heavier than some of Macomber's stories, which isn't my favorite variety. I expected it to have heavy bits, but then fall into the sunny, hopeful pattern that her books often do. This one stayed pretty dramatic. This story deals with tragic death, abuse, teen pregnancy, agoraphobia, animal abuse, and hospice. It's not a light book. I was hoping for a bit more levity inbetween the issues, and as the characters overcome them. It felt like one thing after another. This wasn't my favorite Macomber book. I did like the characters, the found family aspect, and the little town of Oceanside. I liked Keaton a lot, it's unusual for Macomber's stories to feature a male lead that isn't super confident. It was kind of a nice change. Overall I can only recommend if you enjoy her more dramatic books.

Right After Reading:

One of those where everything is tragic. It got kind of boring and was a bit of a downer. : /

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