thelovelylibrarylady's Reviews (1.1k)

As a fan of YA romance and short story collections, I really thought I was going to like this one. However, it just fell flat for me. Out of the fifteen stories in this title, I really only enjoyed one of the stories which was The Passover Date by Laura Silverman. I do not recommend Fools In Love. If you want to read a YA romance anthology, I recommend checking out Serendipity (edited by Melissa Meyer) over this one. 

Most people know that I am a huge Margaret Atwood fan. I have been slowly working through her books, short stories, and poetry and have yet to be let down by her. Stone Mattress is a collection of nine short stories that all touch upon the topics of aging and death. All of the stories were excellent, but The Dead Hand Loves You was by far my favorite of the bunch. If you are also a fan of Atwood’s signature dark and witty commentary, you will definitely enjoy this collection. 

Ain’t Burned All the Bright is an absolutely gorgeous novel in verse that captures what it has been like to live in the United States during the last few years. It touches on the pandemic, the ever present racial violence, and how those two topics have impacted young people especially. The artwork in this novel is just as important as the written words. I highly recommend checking out this title even if you aren’t usually someone who enjoys literature from the YA genre.  

I jumped into this one without reading the blurb as I have loved other books by Painter in the past. If I had read it beforehand, I probably would not have read this novel as it contains one of my least favorite plotlines – a day that continuously repeats itself (aka Groundhog Day). So my three-star rating is mostly because of my lack of personal enjoyment. If you don’t mind Groundhog Day scenarios and you have enjoyed Painter’s writing previously, you will probably like this title more than I did. Her signature well-rounded characters and the witty banter between love interests are both present in The Do-Over. 

I fell in love with Henderson’s debut, The Year of The Witching and when I saw she had a new book out, I jumped through every hoop I could to get my hands on it. Unfortunately, House of Hunger did not have the same magic as her first book that I loved so much. It is set in a completely different world, but shares the same gothic elements as The Year of The Witching. Where it fell short for me was with the characters. I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters, especially the protagonist who I was supposed to be rooting for. They felt very two-dimensional which caused me to lose interest in the second half of the book. Despite not loving House of Hunger, I will read whatever Henderson writes next. I still believe she is a good author and this title was just a miss. 

This was technically a reread since I did read this novel in high school, but to be honest, I did not remember much of it. When I was assigned this title, I did not give it the attention it deserved due to other homework I had and health issues I was experiencing at the time. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this title and understand why it is an American classic. There was some language used that is not appropriate in a contemporary setting, but I still believe it is a good book for people of all ages to read today. If you are looking for a classic novel with a straightforward storyline and writing style, The Great Gatsby would be a great pick! 

 I loved the wonderfully messy protagonist, Gilda and saw many elements of myself within her. Austin, the author, nails what it’s like to be a young adult with depression and anxiety. I already have her other books on my list to read because of how much I enjoyed this title. Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead will make you laugh out loud, get second-hand embarrassment, and completely sob. When a book is able to provoke such strong emotions, it deserves a five-star rating.  

I love Anita Kelly’s writing. Her debut novel, Love & Other Disasters was one of my favorite reads last year and I truly think she is one of the best voices in the adult LGBTQ+ literature world. Something Wild & Wonderful is a bit deeper than her debut, but still has some beautiful lighthearted moments. I struggled with the setting, the Pacific Crest Trail, as I have no experience with or interest in hiking/the wilderness. Obviously, this is a “me issue”, but my level of personal enjoyment is the reason why I ultimately rated it four-stars instead of five. 

(PUB DATE: 03/07/2023)
(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.) 

 On The Rooftop is a coming of age, family saga set in 1950’s San Francisco. The story focuses on a mother who dreams of her three daughters making it big as a girl group in the jazz scene. Unfortunately, not all of the daughters have that same dream. Many themes are explored throughout the story including, grief, love, and miscommunication. While I am not usually a fan of character-driven novels, this one was able to keep my attention. 

(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW)
(I received an audio recording of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own. 

 Ever since finishing Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, I have not been able to stop talking about it. I absolutely adored our protagonist, Ern, and I am so excited that there is going to be a sequel to this title since I was definitely not ready to say goodbye to him. This book focuses on a family reunion at a ski resort. Unlike other families, Ern’s family is known for something especially heinous, everyone has killed someone. I tore through this story and was caught completely off guard with the ending. Stevenson, the author, is someone to keep an eye on if you are a fan of crime fiction. If you chose to read just one book because of my reviews, make it this one. You won’t regret it. 

(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW)
(I received an audio recording of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)