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Fostering the love of reading, here are several reviews from myself.
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Rivals: American Royals by Katherine McGee
Star Rating: ★★★★★
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Book 3 of American Royals! I love this series about an alternate America; it's so fun to think about! In 'Rivals,' Beatrice is now queen, and we have other countries coming into the storyline, including other kings and queens! It's really fun to read about these alternate country options as well. The ending is a huge cliffhanger, so I am incredibly happy I waited to read it so I could jump into 'Reign' (book 4) immediately!
Under The Influence by Noelle Crooks
Star Rating: ★★★★
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Under the Influence'—what a crazy tale! Noelle Crooks used to work for a very famous influencer and lives to tell the tale in a fictional take on her experience. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall of Hollis Co. if even half of this happened! It's a tale about a woman who works at a huge influencer HQ and all of the craziness that ensues behind the scenes. I don't follow Rachel Hollis and haven't read any of her books, so this was purely voyeurism for me. If you followed her closely, you may find obvious dupes in the book where the author deviated slightly (i.e., shoe choice for Rachel Hollis vs. Charlotte Green). Overall, it's a funny 'A Devil Wears Prada' kind of story
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
Star Rating: ★★★
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If you don’t absolutely follow TMZ, Perez Hilton and E!, there is alot of ‘new to you’ information in her stories. Otherwise this is a recount of her life with little new information. It was a nice trip down nostalgia lane (TLR, VMA red carpet, Diane Sawyer interview), but other than that there is nothing earth shattering in here. However, having Michelle Williams read this book and getting to hear her impression of Justin Timberlake was 100% worth the listen.
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
Star Rating: ★★★★★
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Pineapple Street is such an escapist novel! I delighted in transporting myself into the upper echelons of Brooklyn Heights to see how older millennial adult children dealt with being trustees of a very large family trust, all while balancing the happiness of their parents and their partners. It's a voyeuristic novel where you read about one sibling who can't open up to her mother about wanting to give away her trust but can play tennis with her and discuss the club's poor choice in new glassware. It's a witty, sharply observed novel about the one-percenters in New York. Side note: I need this to be a mini-series or movie because I want Tilda on the screen so badly. She is my favorite character.
The Storyteller by Dave Grohl
Star Rating: ★★★★★
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Dave Grohl has stories for days. What rock band doesn't? But Dave Grohl has a heart of gold, and the stories he chooses to share in 'The Storyteller' are all about emotions. 'The Storyteller' isn't just about backstage antics, drugs, and drinking. It's about life in Virginia. It's about being surrounded by every possible bad decision in front of you but having the moral compass to stay focused on your goals. It's about working in a job you absolutely love but requires working all over the world with little control over your own travel schedule and no options to work from home... and how to handle being a present parent for your family. I loved the stories he chose to tell.
The Woman with the Cure by Lynn Cullen
Star Rating: ★★★★
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The race for the cure for polio is on, and one woman thinks she is onto something but is discounted among her male peers. 'The Woman with the Cure' is an incredible book about real people and real-life events as doctors and scientists raced to find a cure for polio. It is striking to read this book in a post-COVID era, as the parallels of Dorothy Horstmann (with polio) and Kati Kariko (mRNA vaccines) are undeniable evidence of history repeating itself in a sad way. However, women in medicine are proving time and time again that they know what's possible and ignore the naysayers as they stay focused on work for the betterment of (wo)mankind.
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
Star Rating: ★★★★★
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Amazing historical fiction novel with excellently researched notations about J.P. Morgan's personal librarian in the 1920s and 1930s, who ends up being a forced to be reckoned with among curators at the time as she scours the world for rare manuscripts, books, and works of art. But, Belle de Costa Greene has a secret she is hiding from her employer and high society. As she tries to protect her secret, she discovers many others have secrets of their own. This story is a fascinating account of the lengths people will go to for the protection of legacy.
Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum
Star Rating: ★★★★
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I was finishing this book as I waited for a friend at lunch. She walked up and remarked, "Don't you just hate everyone in that book? They are all terrible!" and we laughed. It's so true--Bad Summer People is a great story about NYC people who summer at their shore houses and one summer there is a deadly mystery in their idyllic town. Drama ensues in this whip-smart novel that has you rooting for absolutely no one and loving the story at the same time.
Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy
Star Rating: ★★★★
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Good Inside needs to come with a caveat - if your child(ren) are under 7, this is the perfect book for you. As I sit here with a nearly 10 and 12 year old, I felt much of this book was tips for a time gone by and had a hard time trying to understand how to translate the tips provided into this season of parenting. But, if you are a new parent or have young children, this is a great book to help reframe your parenting to be more conversational and less "because I said so". We took a positive parenting workshop course a decade ago and this book is very reminiscent of those topics.
The Kingdom of Prep by Maggie Bullock
Star Rating: ★★★★
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If you love marketing, retail, and storytelling of a brand, The Kingdom of Prep is great for you! As a longtime fan of J.Crew, I thoroughly enjoyed this story of the history of the retailer. The narrator is borerline monotone to the point where it sounds AI-generated at times, so I would suggest reding the book for a great story on the beloved prep brand.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Star Rating: ★★★★★
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I clutch my chest when I think of this book still. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. Evelyn Hugo is 79 years old, living in NYC quietly after spending earlier decades as Hollywood's leading lady. She decides to give a rare interview and picks a specific, unknown journalist. What happens is captivating, emotional, and heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. This book had me as a paperweight in a chair while I read it. I could not put this down and then mourned finishing it for days. Must read.
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
Star Rating: ★★★★
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The Lincoln Highway is a classic American novel. Many people told me they loved it and many people told me the opposite. I came to understand that Amor Towles is a polarizing author. And yet, I picked up the 600 page book and went for a drive down the Lincoln Highway with him. This story was a very slow start for me. But, the last 200 pages made up for it. What a beautiful story. If you're a fast reader, give this a try as it explores the complexity of the American dream and promise from several characters' perspectives.
Taste by Stanley Tucci
Star Rating: ★★★★★
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I know the pandemic made a lot of people look at Stanley Tucci in a new light. But, as a long time fan of his, I have longed for this book! He lives such a great life off camera, exploring food and cooking passions. It was a great listen as he recounts his life through food. The audiobook is fantastic but you'll need the physical book for the recipes, so get both!
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Star Rating: ★★★★★
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Somtimes you just need a simple summer beach read. And Beach Read by Emily Henry delivers on that promise. A story about two authors, both stuck in their own writing ruts, who live next door to each other for a summer. A simple story about how they both overcome their writing ruts with some spiciness sprinkled in. Great and easy read for when you just want to escape into a book!
The Vicious Circle by Katherine St. John
Star Rating: ★★★★★
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A supermodel in Manhattan learns that her uncle has died suddenly. But, here is the catch. Her uncle is a famous self-help guru who lives at his "wellness center" Xanadu,located deep in the Mexican jungle. She learns that she has inherited his estate but has to visit Xanadu to finalize things with her uncle's wife. Part steamy novel, part cult drama, the Vicious Circle is a story that draws you in, wondering what each character is secretly desiring as you imagine the most beautiful place on Earth and how everyone will escape it.
Meant To Be by Emily Giffin
Star Rating: ★★★★★
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As someone who loves reading historical fiction, it's hard to read a historical fiction book set in the 1990s. Are we really there?! A tough pill to swallow. But, a great story! Emily Giffin does it again with Meant to Be. Loosly based on the love story of JFK Jr. and Caroline Besset, Meant to Be shows a glimpse inside the lives of a budding Camelot 2.0 that also ends in a heartbreaking way.
The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
Star Rating: ★★★
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This is a widely recommended book, which is how it found its way into my ears. I equate this book to a healthy dinner when you're craving pizza. You know what is right. You know you need the healthy dinner. But, you just want to ignore the hard work and give it to gluttony. That is this book for me. I deal with limiting beliefs a lot. So, this was a hard listen. I also will say that the audiobook should not be read by the author in this case. I would recommend actually reading the book and taking notes in it, but also consider this a workbook where you pick it up and work a little at a time on yourself. All at once and it is hard to digest.
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy
Star Rating: ★★★
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I did not growing up watching iCarly, but the title drew me in immediately. I'm Glad My Mom Died is a fast listen narrated by the author, recounting her life as a childhood actor with a gutting family life. She really lets it all out in this book about her upbringing in an abusive household. She recounts multiple encounters of control and and physchological abuse her mother enacted upon her. And, while I commend her confessional in this book, I wish she would have explored more about how adult children can remove parents from their lives and be at peace to breathe a sigh of relief when these people die. It's a topic that is barely explored and yet she had the chance and didn't go all the way there.
Spare by Prince Harry
Star Rating: ★★
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I don't know if there is any other way to read Spare other than to have Prince Harry narrate it for you. It was the only palatable thing about the story, frankly. While I wasn't looking for a dirty, behind-the-scenes tell all, I also wasn't looking for what seems to be a continious paradox he faces - endlessly drawing attention to himself while condemning the fame he has. I admire how frank he is in his memoir, especially given how private The Royal Family is. But, the whole time I listened, I wondered if he maybe should have continued self-improvement and therapy before finalizing this memoir. I suspect in due time he will regret sharing many of these stories and I also question if the motive for sharing now in haste is due to the aforementioned paradox he seems to find himself in.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Star Rating: ★★★★★
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My daughter chose The Book Thief for one of her summer reading books. I was interested in it as she read it, so I picked it up after she finished. This book is beautiful. A young girl living in Nazi Germany with foster parents befriends aa Jewish man her parents are hiding in the basement. The story is narrated by Death, which is so interesting as a character given the subject matter. But, it also becomes a character for which you have empathy for and even some respect in the end. This story is so moving and haunting and beautiful.