Funny Story by Emily Henry
Genre: Contemporary Romance
My favorite part of every Emily Henry book I've read is the dialog. Henry has a wonderful way of creating natural flowing dialog with plenty of wit, heart and depth. In this story, the main character, Daphne, is going through heartbreak after her fiancé, Peter, calls of the wedding to pursue his life long best friend Petra. Without a place to live and a closet packed full with wedding supplies, Daphne moves in with Miles, Petra's ex-boyfriend. Both are working through grief and heartbreak. When they receive an invite to Peter and Petra's wedding only a short few weeks later, the two decide to attend the wedding. Daphne even tells Peter that she and Miles are dating. Daphne is working to run away from Waning Bay, Michigan where everything reminders her of and is connected to Peter. Miles has a different idea, proving to Daphne she shouldn't run and she should make Waning Bay her home. When things begin to develop, the two learn about themselves, find acceptance in their pasts, and grow together.
I really enjoyed the book; however, I'm pretty sure a part of that is because Daphne is a children's librarian. I loved the moments where Daphne talked about her patrons, and that Henry made the library a part of the story. Miles is a great leading man. He is kind, generous, flawed, and provides a wonderful balance to Daphne. I loved the heart felt moments where both Miles and Daphne talk about their childhoods and the trauma that it brought to their adult lives. And again, that dialog. I adore how the characters interact with each other. Henry even gets a bit spicy in Funny Story. Those moments are well written as well, filled with heart. Along with Daphne and Milo, Funny Story has a good amount of unique side characters that bring plenty of flavor to the story.
As a whole, it's a solid rom com. Henry adds a lot of extras to the story. There is plenty of romance, but also themes of hope, healing, and growth. It was a quick read and one I will put on my 'to read again some day' shelf.
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The Book That Broke the World (The Library Trilogy #2) by Mark Lawrence
Genre: Fantasy
The themes and questions in book one of the Library Trilogy carry over into this next installment. Lawrence continues the action, intrigue and character development as readers will once again question knowledge and it's place in the hands of individuals. There is a lot that happens in this book.
Lawrence introduces a new character Celcha, a ganar and slave. She and her people are forced to mine the desert for books. When her brother, Hellet, opens one of those books and faces strict punishment from their master, the two find their way to the library. The book as a whole rotates through the points of view of Celcha, Evar, Livira, and the librarian and Livira's mentor, Arpix. each is located in a different time and facing various events and aftermaths of the library. Lawrence continues to strongly weave themes of knowledge, humanity and power through the book. This is very similar to the first book in the series.
While I enjoyed reading book two, at times the pacing can be a bit slow and with all the different time lines, it can get a bit confusing. There is plenty of action and connections along the way to keep the reader engaged and interested in the story. At times the plot action can be a bit vague. There isn't much explanation to some of the elements, but I'm hoping that is cleared up in the third installment of the trilogy. If that isn't enough to make me want to read the next book, book 2 ends on a cliffhanger. Once again readers and characters are left questioning power and the danger of knowledge and what it can do when emotionally charged by things live vengeance, love, and hate.
Overall, it's a solid book two while at the same time creating a transition into book three. There are new characters and plenty of the old, each unique and complicated. I look forward to reading how Lawrence ties up everything in book three.
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Louder Than Hunger by John Schu
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Louder than Hunger is a heart wrenching book written in verse. Readers are taken on a journey through the first person experiences of Jake, a young man who struggles with anorexia. Readers will follow Jake as he fights his cruel inner voice. From time with his family as he struggles, to admission into an inpatient program, to healing, Jake's journey is one of self realization and hope. Schu incorperates themes of self identity, loss, depression, and pain. Louder Than Hunger is a fictionalized account of the author's own experiences told with heart wrenching honesty and emotion.
This book was difficult to read. Jake's inner voice is cruel and unrelenting. The honesty with which the author approaches the story really breaks through. In addition, the writing is beautiful. This novel-in-verse used various writing techniques such as changes in fonts, visually extending words and to emphasize Jake's own feelings and struggles. This book broke my heart, but in the end brought such a sense of healing and hope. I think this is one of those rare books where readers will see pieces of themselves in Jake. It's one I would recommend, but be warned, the story is heavy and emotionally difficult to read at times.
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Murder Road by Simone St. James
Genre: Thriller
Simone St. James has mastered creepy supernatural thrillers. Murder Road is just another of her works filled with plenty of tension and mystery. Eddie and April pick up a woman whom they assume is a hitchhiker on the side of the road. When they discovered she is injured and bleeding, they rush her to the hospital, only to have her die. They discover that she is only one among several victims in Coldlake Falls and the highway. As the saying goes, no good dead goes unpunished. Eddie and April suddenly find themselves suspects in her murder. With the help of Rose, the B&B proprietor, and two teenage sisters, Beatrice and Gracie, the two work to clear their name and find the real reason behind the murders. They find that the answer is more nefarious than they realized.
I really enjoyed this book. It's full of plenty of nostalgia, intrigue, thrills, and just the right amount of creepy supernatural to excite me. I love writing and how the author navigates through a plot of turns and surprises. St. James does a wonderful of creating atmosphere. Murder Road is a chilling read and unsettling at times. It had me engaged from the very beginning. Fans of St. James will not want to miss this one!
Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum Series) by Janet Evanovich
Genre: Mystery
Fans of the Stephanie Plum series, make sure you grab and imerse yourself in this latest novel in the series. If you haven't read the series, I strongly suggest you give it a try. Each book is filled with mystery, romance and rowdy laugh out loud moments. The characters are quirky, interseting, and engaging. It's really a fun series to read and each book follows one case from beginning to end mixed in with another piece of the overarching romance and story.
In this latest addition, Stephanie Plum is back in a new adventure. Expect a few explosions, misadventure moment, and Lulu in all her wonderfulness. I love the direction the books have taken recently. The story shifts from the ever frustrating love triangle to more mystery and mayhem. This allows some of the other characters to step forward and shine like Lulu.
For fans of the series, you will finally see some movement in the whole Ranger, Morelli, Stephanie love triangle which all cumulates in one big romantic cliff hanger. Looks like it's time for Stephanie to get her life in order and make some real choices.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It's like candy for me. I fast read that I know will have me laughing, rolling my eyes, and looking forward to the next one.
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Fourth Wing (Empyrean book #1) and Iron Flame (Empyrean book #2) by Rebecca Yarros
Genre: Fantasy
I read both of these books back to back, so for that reason I feel it's only fair to review them together. This series falls into what has been coined the 'romantasy' genre. The books are fantasy in nature but are very much adult romance as well. In the first book, readers are introduced to Violet. She has trained to be a scribe her entire life. Her mother, also a commander in the military, pushes her into the war college to become a dragon rider like her siblings. Once there, she is faced with the very real dangers and potential death that comes with trying to become a rider. She's also faced with people who want her dead, seeing her as competition and as an enemy thanks to her mother's position and actions against the rebellion. On top of that, she has to navigate her feelings for Xaden, someone who rightfully should hate her.
A little disclaimer, this book is very violent and certainly an adult read. It can be triggering at times for certain readers. For those who love fantasy, there is plenty of world building, conflict, and dragons. For romance lovers, there is plenty of tension, heat and spicy scenes. Fourth Wing burst on the scene and quickly gained a strong following, including this reader. The book is very well written with plenty of intersting characters, intrigue, and rereadable moments. Iron Flame is much of the same. I will admit I did not like it as much as the first book. There is a lot of angsty conflict that overshadows a good portion of the first half of the book. For me, it bogged down my reading experience. Once you get past that, there is a ton of action and conflict. There is also a lot to cheer for. Originally, this was to be a duology. After the popularity of the first book, Yarros was approached to write more in the series. Some of Iron Flame seems to reflect that change. While the ending isn't exactly seemless, it does create a cliffhanger that will create more obstacles in the overall story and romance. Despite my dislike for the romance angst in book 2, I believe that this is a series I will continue to read and currently anticipate the publication of book 3 in 2024.