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.

The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes Novel by Suzanne Collins

I read this book back in May of 2020. I didn't quite like it but I decided to reread and I am glad that I did. 

I went in with a different perspective and while I still don't like who Snow becomes - a perspective on him as a young adult and how the Hunger Games changed and developed based on ideas Snow and the other students adds a lot to the entire series. It is quite brilliant and a little frightening. I enjoyed reading about the students as mentors for the tributes and how the dealt with being put in that position.

The characters are well developed and some are reminiscent of other characters from The Hunger Games series. I am actually now interested and excited to see the movie. This book left me hungry for more. I want to know how new areas came about, how games were further developed and I want to know how about other Hunger Games and how they played out. 

Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer

Suburban Hell is NOTHING like I thought it was going to be. I either misread or misunderstood the book detail.  I somehow got it in my head that is was going to be all around, full fledged chaos in the entire neighborhood with loads of people turning evil. It was not. Rather it's about one person turning evil and her friends trying to figure out what is going on with her and save her. 

I was expecting horror-comedy but it didn't quite happen. It fell short but .... I give it high praises for the bonds on friendship and doing what it takes to help a friend.  

The end is actually the best part of the book. Not because it is the end but because the details given regarding the possession are rather intriguing. 

This is a fluff book with a good ending. If you have some time on your hands and want something to read that is easy and fast this book if for you. 

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

 Holy Shit! This is a great book. Love me some, Stephen King!  The characters are phenomenal, well developed and memorable.  Radar and Charlie will stay with me forever. 

Be warned. This is a heafy book, weighting
in at over 600 pages but reading it is a breeze. The story is well written,  easy to visualize and flows with ease. 

Fairy Tale put me through a mix of emotions. I am not normally a huge fan of fairy tales and fantasy but this book pulled me into,  Kings world. 

Charlie is just a regular High School kid. That is until he meets Mr. Bowditch and his beloved dog, Radar. Mr. Bowditch and Charlie form a friendship. The death of Mr. Bowditch and his undying love for Radar leads Charlie into another world. A world full of strange yet wonderful lovely people. A world full of dangerous people. A world, Charlie has to navigate in an attempt to fulfill his goal. 

The Butcher and the Wren Book by Alaina Urquhart

 The Butcher and the Wren is written by the podcast host of Morbid. I have tried to listen to Morbid multiple times but I never cared much for it. It never held my interest and they talk way too much for my liking. I've never listened to more than one full episode but I figured I would take a chance on this book and I am glad I did. 

The story is told from the perspective of Wren, the killer and the victims. The killer's stories are much more interesting to read. You get a view of how he works and thinks. The insight into the victims and what they are going through is thrilling, frightening and a bit sick. 

Wren Muller is a forensic pathologist and up until recently there hasn't been a case that couldn't be solved. Wren and the detectives are at a loss. They have a serial killer in their midst and missing people.  Wren is determined to close the case and catch the guy but at what cost?

This book is a decent read. It has unexpected twist but ends abruptly. 

Twist (Wren was the student) don't post that 

Kurt Cobain: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations (The Last Interview Series)

 

Expected publication November 22, 2022

I remember the day Kurt Cobain died. My friend and fellow Nirvana fan was the one to tell me. She was beyond heartbroken and in tears. I was in complete shock. In the following weeks we played Nirvana music over and over again in an attempt to heal.

Kurt Cobain and Nirvana brings back memories of good music, fun times and youth. When given an opportunity to review Kurt Cobain: The Last interview, I jumped at the chance.

The introduction gives background information and is rather interesting. The rest of the book has interviews given by Cobain over the years. This gives you the feeling of Cobain speaking to the readers. It is very documentary like. 

Cobain was always misunderstood by the media, friends, family and fans. Reading is words gives you an inside look into how the thought and felt. 

My only complaint is there are no photos. I feel that it would have added to a more personal feel. 

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

The Stephen King Ultimate Companion: A Complete Exploration of His Work, Life, and Influences by Bev Vincent

The Stephen King Ultimate Companion explores, Stephen Kings nearly 50 year career. As a constant reader of his I was beyond thrilled to be able to see and read this companion. It beautifully explores his works both written and on screen.  

There are photographs incorporated in the book that add to the "magic" of King's work. The book is well researched and flows together. I learned quite a few things about King and although I have been a fan since I was a 12/13, I found out something new information about King including his inspiration behind some of his novels.

After reading this, I have a newfound interest in books I have long forgotten about or haven't read. I know I will be revisiting old friends (some much scarier than others) and making new friends in older books I haven't read. 

This is a to go book from King's fans and something you will want to add to your collection. 

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

Shadows of Foxworth by V.C Andrews

Marlena and Yvon live a quiet life in France. Marlena has a wonderful relationship with her brother and her parents. Life is idyllic. She is growing into a beautiful young woman and becoming more aware. She starts to question her parent's life before the moved to France but before she can get answers they are tragically killed in a car accident. 

To much their surprise, Marlena and Yvon are sent to live in the United States with family they did not know existed.  Her father's sister has taken them in but they are expected to learn and became employees in the family company. Yvon takes to it rather quickly but Marlena struggles. She feels trapped and wants to make friends instead of learning work skills.  

Marlena has a chance encounter with Malcolm Foxworth and ...

Secrets are revealed in this book, questions are answered and you're left wanting to know more. 

The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias

This is one of the most dark and disturbing novels I have ever read. It is full of violence and it has many graphic scenes. I often had to put this novel down and recoup before picking it up again. Don't let this sway you because Iglesias writing is phenomenal. You can feel his words as they pour of the page. He doesn't shy away from topics such as poverty, racism, grief, anger, guilt and death. The emotional weight his characters have make the book feel heavier as you read further and further into, The Devil Takes You Home.

Mario's life can be set into two sections.  His life before his young daughters leukemia diagnosis and his life after. His life before wasn't perfect but he was happy. His daughter's diagnosis and the debt piling up from her treatment and care leads him into making a choice that results in a avalanche of bad choices. 

Expect grit, supernatural moments and some really f*$&#d up scenes that will leave you haunted.