Everything Is Perfect by Kate Nason

 

A part of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal I didn't know about and you probably didn't either. Kate Nason memoir is raw and well written. Her words flow off the page in such a way that you understand how she feel for her (ex)husband's charms. He is a master manipulator. 

Before, Charlie, Kate  and her young daughter were living in Los Angeles. Charlie entered the picture. He was younger than her, handsome and charming. Kate was crazy about Charlie but her instincts kept her saying no each time he proposed. The 10th time she accepted his proposal. Over the course of the marriage, they moved, got new jobs and he cheated over and over again. Kate sticks by his side until she discovered that her husband's mistress was also the mistress of the President of the United States. 

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

 Midnight Library is absolutely better than I thought it was going to be. It put me through an emotional whirlwind. It is a unique take on what happens when we are hanging between the veils of life and death.

 It's about having the opportunity to take the path you didn't and experience the outcome of it. It's a chance to see what your life would have been like if you had done x rather than y. To see how it not only affects your life but also the lives of those around you. 

Midnight Library had me thinking about the different choices I've made in my life and wondering how I would be different as a person had I made other choices. Choices I am thankful I did not make but perhaps that is ignorance is bliss on my part because in general I am happy with my life. 

Nora Seed is tired of living and decides to end her life. She ends up in a library full of never ending books. Each book is her life and it shows the outcome of the choice she made. She gets to play out these different lives in an effort to figure out what life makes her the happiest and the most fulfilled. 

Haig has developed a magical world, a world that I hope exists. Nora is a well developed character and each of her story lines are well written and portray the choices she made beautifully. The writing is phenomenal and left me feeling like I lost an old friend when I closed the book.  This book made me a fan of Matt Haig. This is a book you do not want to miss out on! 

Five Total Strangers Book by Natalie D. Richards

 Mira is flying home for Christmas but the weather has other plans. A major snow storm has lead to a complete cancellation of flights stranding Mira at the airport.  Mira is desperate to get home and as a result gets a ride with 4 strangers, the driver being a girl she sat by on the plane. 

The ride isn't smooth sailing and items go missing. The snow storm increases with intensity. Snow, ice, and car pileups lead the 5 strangers to take an alternative route. This proves to be the wrong choice. This book is full of suspense and told from the point of view of Mira. This fast read will keep you captivated. 

Sign Here Book by Claudia Lux

 

Claudia Lux's version of Hell is original, interesting and creates a world one can imagine and relate to (to a degree). Lux's hell is never getting the first pen to write or even the third. It's everything going wrong all the time.  It's stepping in a puddle to find out it's a lot deeper than you thought and getting water up to your knees. 

Peytoe Trip works on the 5th floor of hell and it's a pretty good gig.  He collects (makes deals) to get souls for hell. Peyote is working on collecting a complete set of souls from the Harrison family.  The Harrison family story line is by far the most interesting and best part of the book. In fact it should have been the larger story line and the story line with Peyote, Cal & should have been cut in half and been the  supporting storyline. 

Sign Here, has dueling plots and twists and turns. It's a good novel for a debut. Despite the mixed feelings I had and there being parts I liked and didn't like, I look forward to reading more books from Claudia Lux. 

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering

Like many others I found myself binging the series, Tell Me Lies on Hulu. Imagine my surprise and happiness when I found out it was based on a novel.  I picked up a copy and devoured it.  The books is quite different from the series. No surprises there but both are fantastic on their own. The story is told in alternating point of views from Lucy and Stephen's point of view. Being, "inside" their heads created a deeper connection to the characters and made them more real. 

Lucy Albright moved from her beloved New York to a small town in California for college. Away from her mother and the betrayal she won't forget and can't forgive. College live is fun, she's making friends, going to parties and then she meets Stephen. Stephen fucking DeMarco. He isn't exactly attractive or fit but he is charming and ambitious. He is also a ladies man. 

Lucy and Stephen get into a relationship. It's toxic, full of lies and secrets. Stephen is a weasel and Lucy is naive and full of self doubt and insecurities, something Stephen uses to his advantage. Lucy and Stephen break up, make up and break up. Lucy takes him back time and time again. She just can't quit him.  This book explores their relationship with one another and others. 

This book is entertaining and so much fun to read. It's addicting and toxic similar to the relationship between Lucy and Stephen. Most of us have a Stephen DeMarco and thus we can relate or we've had relationships with men to have DeMarco's traits.  This isn't a love story. Your heart will break for Lucy, and you'll yell at Lucy and get frustrated with her. Stephen, is unlikable and will make your skin crawl. 

You will be left wanting more. I want a sequel or two! 

Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas

 Jose Antonio Vargas is a journalist, filmmaker and immigration rights activist. His book, Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen is about his life as an undocumented citizen living in the United States of America. 

His book is well written, engaging and moving. He was only 12 years old when he was sent to live in the United States from the Philippines. He did not know he was undocumented until it was time to get his learner's permit. He confided in a few about his status and was able to build a life for himself and became rather famous. He took a risk and revealed his undocumented status. This book is his story. His life story.

 A story that moved me and reminded me of moments in my childhood. You see my dad was born in Mexico and brought to the US as a baby. He had his green card but there was always moments of fear when we traveled back and forth from the US to Mexico. Would they let us back in? Fear when we went through border patrol. Would they pull us aside? Would they let us through? He eventually became a US citizen but it was a long, expensive process and took exactly 44 years. It took him that ong and he was documented. Let that sink in. It took him 44 years to become a US Citizen and he had the advantage that the farmer they worked for when he was a child sponsored him and the rest of the family. 

Vargas is resilient and his story is similar to that of many people who live in the US and don't have the right documentation. His story is important. Read this book.

The Friendship Breakup: A Novel by Annie Cathryn

 

Expected publication February 7, 2023

Did you ever lose a best friend or a good friend? A friendship gone? One day your laughing, swapping phone calls, part of each others lives and then ..... the friendship is gone. You get a cold shoulder. You calls go unanswered or conversations are odd, peculiar and uncomfortable. You're left questioning yourself. What did I do wrong? What did I say? What happened?  You go over the  conversations you've had in your head  over and over - trying to determine what happened but you can't quite figure it out. Then other friends start to pull away and your left to wonder, what did I do? Am I a bad person? You're left feel alone, abandoned and in general feeling like a shit person.  If you have experienced this or seen someone else go through it then this book is for you.

Fallon Monroe's best friend, Beatrice ghosts her and take the rest of the friend group with her. Fallon is confused, anxious and wondering what she did wrong. What happened. In an attempt to fix the broken friendship, she hosts a part that goes terribly wrong.  Left feeling lonelier than ever and wanting friends, Fallon joins an app for those looking for friends. She quickly makes two new friends and discovers things about herself, her new friends and her old ones. 

This book is full of fun moments and lots of shenanigans. You will laugh and find characters you'd want to be friends with. This is a super fast read you won't want to miss. 

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mere Mortals by Erin Jade Lange

 Mere Mortals is about two teenage vampires who become humans and their quest to become vampires again. 

Charlie and her brother Reg have been vampires for well over a century and one little mistake resulted in them being punished. Their punishment is mortality. They will now be forced to live their lives out as humans. They now live in a small little town and are teenages attending High School! They have to figure out how to navigate life and blend in . Charlie and Reg want to immortal again and getting their punishment to be reversed is nearly impossible until it isn't. 

This is a super cute,  fast read and very different from most vampire books I have read. Vampires being turned into humans as punishment is an interesting and refreshing idea. This is one book you will want to sink your teeth into.

 I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.