Like I mentioned in my January 2021 Book Review Part 1, I read a lot. Therefore, I tried to split my book reviews into two parts this month. I ended up reading more books than I expected to, meaning I still have a good amount to cover today! I will be linking up this post with the Show Us Your Books Link Up, and the Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments! I also covered three of my favorite books read this month in my January Book Favorites post – Alone, Sanctuary, and Life’s Too Short.
Title: This Close To Okay
Author: Leesa Cross-Smith
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2/2/21
Source: Book of the Month
Why I Read It: Buddy Read on Instagram
My Rating: 4 Stars
There were things I loved about this book and things I wasn’t sure about. Overall it was a touching book about the power to make a difference in someone’s life, with the caveat that there are difficult topics (suicide, infertility, child loss) and unrealistic circumstances involved.
“On a rainy October night in Kentucky, recently divorced therapist Tallie Clark is on her way home from work when she spots a man precariously standing at the edge of a bridge. Without a second thought, Tallie pulls over and jumps out of the car into the pouring rain. She convinces the man to join her for a cup of coffee, and he eventually agrees to come back to her house, where he finally shares his name: Emmett. Over the course of the emotionally charged weekend that follows, Tallie makes it her mission to provide a safe space for Emmett, though she hesitates to confess that this is also her day job. What she doesn’t realize is that Emmett isn’t the only one who needs healing—and they both are harboring secrets.”
Things I liked:
The power of human connection.
The fact that Tallie stopped Emmett from jumping from a bridge, but Emmett did his share of saving her too.
The conversations they had.
The beautiful writing.
Things I didn’t:
A few religious references that I didn’t appreciate.
The idea that bringing Emmett home was a good plan and not concerning enough to Tallie.
The way Tallie’s role as a therapist was characterized. She didn’t seem to be a very good one.
I think this is the type of book that could be polarizing. Some will love it, some will find it problematic. I was this close to loving it.
Title: A Mother’s Promise
Author: KD Alden
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Forever, 1/19/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3 Stars
This historical fiction book is based on the Supreme Court case that allows for involuntary sterilization. In A Mother’s Promise, Ruth Ann fights to avoid being sterilized and to make a difference for her sister and daughter.
“Virginia, 1927: All Ruth Ann Riley wants is a chance to have a family. But because she was poor and unwed when she became pregnant, she was sent to an institution and her child was given to another woman. Ruth Ann can’t stand the thought of never seeing little Annabel’s face again, never snuggling up to her warmth or watching her blue eyes crinkle with laughter. And now they want to take away her right to have any other babies? She is not going to let that happen. All the rich and fancy folks may call her feebleminded, but Ruth Ann is smarter than any of them have bargained for. Because no matter how high the odds are stacked against her, she is going to overcome the scandals in her past and get her child back. She just never expects her battle will go to the U.S. Supreme Court, or that she’d find unexpected friendships . . . and even the possibility of love along the way.”
This was a difficult and sad book to read, although the author made changes to the true story to make us feel more hopeful. Involuntary sterilization has never been repealed by the Supreme Court! This book contains rape and abuse.
Title: Lux: The New Girl and Micah: The Good Girl
Author: Ashley Woodfolk
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Penguin RandomHouse, 9/1/20
Source: Library Audio App and Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Working on reviewing NetGalley books
My Rating: 4 Stars
I am reviewing these two books together, because they are part 1 and 2 of the Flyy Girl Series and each is short enough to have been combined into one book. I learned that this type of book is known as a hi-lo book, as it contains higher interest level but lower reading level for those that struggle with reading. These books are perfect for reluctant high school readers!
“Meet the Flyy Girls. The group of girls who seem like they can get away with anything. Veteran author Ashley Woodfolk pens a gorgeous and dynamic series of four Harlem highschoolers, each facing a crossroads of friendship, family, and love.”
The New Girl: “Lux Lawson is on a spree. Ever since her dad left, she’s been kicked out of every school that would take her, and this is her last chance: Harlem’s Augusta Savage School of the Arts. If this doesn’t work, Lux is off to military school, no questions asked. That means no more acting out, no more fights, and definitely no boyfriends. Focus on her photography, and make nice friends. That’s the deal. Enter the Flyy Girls, three students who have it all together. The type of girls Lux needs to be friends with to stay out of trouble. And after charming her way into the group, Lux feels she’s on the right track. But every group has their secrets, including Lux. And when the past starts catching up with her, can she keep her place as a Flyy Girl?”
The Good Girl: “Micah Dupree had always liked being the ‘good girl.’ She was happy painting, going to church, and acing her school projects. After all, she had a perfect older brother to live up to. But when he unexpectedly dies, Micah’s world is turned upside-down. With her anxiety growing, a serious boyfriend in the picture, and new feelings emerging, Micah begins to question what being the ‘good girl’ really means…and if it’s worth it, anyway.”
Lux deals with anger issues and Micah deals with anxiety. Micah talks to a therapist and this is included in her story, which I appreciate. Each book can be read on its own, but all of the friends are in all of them. The next two in the series will feature Noelle and Tobyn.
Title: How I Learned To Hate In Ohio
Author: David Stuart Maclean
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publisher: The Overlook Press, 1/19/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3 Stars
I was interested in this coming of age story because I thought it was about a Jewish teen. However, other than being named after a Jewish philosopher (Baruch Spinoza) and some brief mentions to the main character actually being Jewish, the book had no Jewish connection.
“In late-1980s rural Ohio, bright but mostly friendless Barry Nadler begins his freshman year of high school with the goal of going unnoticed as much as possible. But his world is upended by the arrival of Gurbaksh, Gary for short, a Sikh teenager who moves to his small town and instantly befriends Barry and, in Gatsby-esque fashion, pulls him into a series of increasingly unlikely adventures. As their friendship deepens, Barry’s world begins to unravel, and his classmates and neighbors react to the presence of a family so different from theirs. Through darkly comic and bitingly intelligent asides and wry observations, Barry reveals how the seeds of xenophobia and racism find fertile soil in this insular community, and in an easy, graceless, unintentional slide, tragedy unfolds.”
I found this book depressing and somewhat weird with the family dynamics between Barry’s and Gary’s families. It was about xenophobia and also contained homophobia, which I suppose was supposed to refer to how life was in the 80s in Ohio. I liked the references to the Challenger Space Shuttle, as I was a child when that event occurred as well.
Title: On The Come Up
Author: Angie Thomas
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Balzer + Bray, 2/5/19
Source: EyeSeeMe Books
Why I Read It: Was waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 4 Stars
On The Come Up features Bri, a young rapper who wants to make it big, without getting shot like her father, who was a rapper as well.
“Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least win her first battle. As the daughter of an underground hip hop legend who died right before he hit big, Bri’s got massive shoes to fill. But it’s hard to get your come up when you’re labeled a hoodlum at school, and your fridge at home is empty after your mom loses her job. So Bri pours her anger and frustration into her first song, which goes viral . . . for all the wrong reasons. Bri soon finds herself at the center of a controversy, portrayed by the media as more menace than MC. But with an eviction notice staring her family down, Bri doesn’t just want to make it—she has to. Even if it means becoming the very thing the public has made her out to be.”
This book addresses how it feels to be labeled and expected to be a certain way. It talks about gangs, poverty, and drugs. Bri’s anger propels her forward as she strives to move past what the world expects from her as a young Black girl in America.
Title: Keep What Remains
Author: Carrie Beamer
Genre: YA
Publisher: Evernight Teen, 5/22/20
Source: Author
Why I Read It: Buddy Read on Instagram / local author
My Rating: 4 Stars
This book was chosen by my local Instagram book group and the author, who is also local, was kind enough to send me a copy. It was an accurate depiction of teenage angst in the 80s, and although I was a teen in the 90s, I could relate to a lot of it!
“It’s 1985, MTV and big hair are in full force and sixteen-year-old Megan is navigating her mediocre life inside the bubble her overprotective dad created for her. Just when she thinks her social life’s dead, her best friend Tessa—a coquettish risk-taker—moves to a new school, and Megan embarks on a journey with Tessa that changes everything for them.When Megan meets a boy named Jason, who’s a charming misfit, she’s pulled into his world capturing her heart and luring her away from her old, safe life. Diving headfirst into an all-encompassing new love, she soon gets caught up in the lies she’s told while experiencing emotions only first love brings.Tragedy strikes bringing Megan heartbreak and yet, a new beginning. Megan’s left to make the hardest decision she’s ever faced. Will she choose to go back to life before she met Jason or choose love over everything else.”
I felt so badly for Megan, as she seemed to experience one bad thing after another. While she and Jason experienced insta-love, and that is not my favorite trope, I understand that feeling like this is accurate for teenagers! I can’t go too far into what happened to Megan because of spoilers, but I will say this book included drug and alcohol use and loss of a loved one.
Title: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie
Author: Marie Benedict
Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark, 12/29/20
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Heard it was good
My Rating: 3 Stars
I have never read an Agatha Christie book, but I was intrigued by this take on what happened to Christie when she went missing for a time and would not say where she had been when she returned.
“In December 1926, Agatha Christie goes missing. Investigators find her empty car on the edge of a deep, gloomy pond, the only clues some tire tracks nearby and a fur coat left in the car—strange for a frigid night. Her World War I veteran husband and her daughter have no knowledge of her whereabouts, and England unleashes an unprecedented manhunt to find the up-and-coming mystery author. Eleven days later, she reappears, just as mysteriously as she disappeared, claiming amnesia and providing no explanations for her time away. The puzzle of those missing eleven days has persisted. With her trademark historical fiction exploration into the shadows of the past, acclaimed author Marie Benedict brings us into the world of Agatha Christie, imagining why such a brilliant woman would find herself at the center of such murky historical mysteries. What is real, and what is mystery? What role did her unfaithful husband play, and what was he not telling investigators?”
The book alternated between being told by her husband, after Christie goes missing, and by what she wrote in a “manuscript,” describing her life up until that point. The manuscript seems to point to her husband due to him having an affair, but we are supposed to question whether she is a reliable narrator. The ending of the book fell flat for me and did not seem like much of a surprise. I did appreciate this quote: “We are all unreliable narrators of our own lives, crafting stories about ourselves that omit unsavory truths and highlight our invented identities.”
Title: Evvie Drake Starts Over
Author: Linda Holmes
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Random House Audio, 6/25/19
Source: Library Audio App / Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Working on reviewing NetGalley books
My Rating: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this cute book about two people who had been previously hurt getting to know one another and of course falling in love.
“In a sleepy seaside town in Maine, recently widowed Eveleth ‘Evvie’ Drake rarely leaves her large, painfully empty house nearly a year after her husband’s death in a car crash. Everyone in town, even her best friend, Andy, thinks grief keeps her locked inside, and Evvie doesn’t correct them. Meanwhile, in New York City, Dean Tenney, former Major League pitcher and Andy’s childhood best friend, is wrestling with what miserable athletes living out their worst nightmares call the ‘yips’: he can’t throw straight anymore, and, even worse, he can’t figure out why. As the media storm heats up, an invitation from Andy to stay in Maine seems like the perfect chance to hit the reset button on Dean’s future. When he moves into an apartment at the back of Evvie’s house, the two make a deal: Dean won’t ask about Evvie’s late husband, and Evvie won’t ask about Dean’s baseball career. Rules, though, have a funny way of being broken—and what starts as an unexpected friendship soon turns into something more. To move forward, Evvie and Dean will have to reckon with their pasts—the friendships they’ve damaged, the secrets they’ve kept—but in life, as in baseball, there’s always a chance—up until the last out.”
I have seen mixed reviews for this book, but overall I really liked it. The banter between Evvie and Dean was fun and I the focus on baseball. Evvie’s best friend Andy has two daughters who also lightened the mood of the book. This book does contain references to emotional abuse.
Title: Every Last Fear
Author: Alex Finlay
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Minotaur, 3/2/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Buddy Read on Instagram
My Rating: 4 Stars
I heard that this book was great so I was excited to pick it up. I mostly really liked it and found it to be a quick page turner.
“After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family―his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister―have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and State Department seem far less certain―and they won’t tell Matt why. The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt’s older brother, Danny―currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte―was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted. Though the country has rallied behind Danny, Matt holds a secret about his brother that he’s never told anyone: the night Charlotte was killed Matt saw something that makes him believe his brother is guilty of the crime. When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he’s faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media, and memories he’d hoped to leave behind forever. Now, as the deaths in Mexico appear increasingly suspicious and connected to Danny’s case, Matt must unearth the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison―putting his own life in peril―and forcing him to confront his every last fear.”
The book is written from multiple view points and contains parts of the true crime documentary that was made about Danny’s case. The view points also go into the past and explain how the family ended up in Mexico on a surprise vacation. I did figure out some of what was happening and noticed one loose end that wasn’t tied up, so I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5. Also, I have read that some readers are not happy about stereotypes of Mexico and Mexican people that were in this book. It does contain violence and assault as well.
Title: The Obesession
Author: Jesse Q Sutanto
Genre: YA Thriller
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 2/2/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This was another page turning thriller featuring a delusional stalker, which therefore reminded me of the book “You.” However, in this case, the female protagonist was a strong character who fought back.
“Nobody knows Delilah like Logan does. Nobody. He makes sure of it by learning everything he can through her social media and watching her through a hidden camera he has trained on her house. Some might call him a stalker. Logan prefers to be called ‘romantic’. But after Logan sees Delilah killing her abusive stepfather, he realizes there’s still more about her to discover. His sweet, perfect Delilah isn’t so perfect after all. Delilah knows she should feel guilty, but all she feels is free. She’s so over the men in her life controlling her. Except Logan saw what she did, and he won’t let her forget it. Delilah is done being the victim. And she refuses to be a character in Logan’s twisted fantasy. If Logan won’t let her go…she’ll make him.”
I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it for thriller fans, although it is YA because it is about younger characters. It also includes drugs and abuse.
Title: The Roommate
Author: Rosie Danan
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 9/15/20
Source: Book Swap
Why I Read It: Getting a head start on rom com February!
My Rating: 5 Stars
When Clara moves to L.A. to reunite with her childhood crush, Everett, she doesn’t expect him to take off, leaving her living in his house with a renter, Josh. She also doesn’t expect her new roommate to be an adult entertainment star!
“The Wheatons are infamous among the east coast elite for their lack of impulse control, except for their daughter Clara. She’s the consummate socialite: over-achieving, well-mannered, predictable. But every Wheaton has their weakness. When Clara’s childhood crush invites her to move cross-country, the offer is too tempting to resist. Unfortunately, it’s also too good to be true. After a bait-and-switch, Clara finds herself sharing a lease with a charming stranger. Josh might be a bit too perceptive—not to mention handsome—for comfort, but there’s a good chance he and Clara could have survived sharing a summer sublet if she hadn’t looked him up on the Internet…Once she learns how Josh has made a name for himself, Clara realizes living with him might make her the Wheaton’s most scandalous story yet. His professional prowess inspires her to take tackling the stigma against female desire into her own hands. They may not agree on much, but Josh and Clara both believe women deserve better sex. What they decide to do about it will change both of their lives, and if they’re lucky, they’ll help everyone else get lucky too.”
This book wasn’t what I expected, and I appreciate the spin on tackling the stigma on female desire. The love story also wasn’t solely focused on attraction, which I was happy about! If you don’t mind steamy scenes, this book was well done!
Title: The Girl Who Wasn’t There
Author: Penny Joelson
Genre: YA Thriller
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire, 11/3/20
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review, I liked her previous book
My Rating: 5 Stars
This YA book, like Joelson’s previous, is a young YA which is appropriate for younger tweens and teens. It does bring up some serious subjects, but if you go into it expecting a more mature read, you may not appreciate it as much!
“Nothing ever happens on Kasia’s street. And Kasia would know, because her chronic illness keeps her stuck at home, watching the outside world from her bedroom window. So when she witnesses what looks like a kidnapping, she’s not sure whether she can believe her own eyes…There had been a girl in the window across the street who must have seen something too. But when Kasia ventures out to find her, she is told the most shocking thing of all: There is no girl.”
I can’t give too much away about the girl who wasn’t there, but I enjoyed reading this book about Kasia and the friendships she forms with her neighbors. She suffers from chronic fatigue, and the book sheds light on that difficulty, as well as other social issues and the power of being there for one another.
Title: The 57 Bus
Author: Dashka Slater
Genre: YA Non-Fiction / True Crime
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 10/17/17
Source: Amazon
Why I Read It: TBR, Book Challenge by Erin topic LGBTQ+ theme
My Rating: 4 Stars
This is a long form piece of journalism about a prank gone wrong and the story of the two teenagers involved – Richard, the perpetrator, and Sasha, the victim. Sasha is genderqueer or agender and at the time of the crime, looked to be a boy wearing a skirt, which Richard set on fire.
“One teenager in a skirt.
One teenager with a lighter.
One moment that changes both of their lives forever.
If it weren’t for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. Both were high school students from Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in the country, but they inhabited different worlds. Sasha, a white teen, lived in the middle-class foothills and attended a small private school. Richard, a black teen, lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large public one. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes. But one afternoon on the bus ride home from school, a single reckless act left Sasha severely burned, and Richard charged with two hate crimes and facing life imprisonment. The case garnered international attention, thrusting both teenagers into the spotlight.”
I appreciated the lessons this book taught me about non-binary gender, and the message that there are not just two ways to be – black vs white, poor vs rich, male vs female, and guilty vs innocent. The book also addresses the concept of restorative justice as a way to repair harm caused by crimes. This is a good book for teens to learn from.
This covers 14 of the books I read this month (I know it’s a lot). Of these books, 11 were print books and 3 were audio. Genres included contemporary, historical, YA, thriller, rom com, and non-fiction. Other than the books I included in my January Favorites post, other favorites are The Roommate and The Girl Who Wasn’t There.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?