This month, I have read a few 5 star books, one of which I have already shared individually – Frankie & Bug! Since the month isn’t over, there’s a chance I will still read another 5 star before it ends. You can see the first half of my October reading here and I will share the rest of my October reads next week. 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.
Title: I Hope This Finds You Well
Author: Kate Baer
Genre: Poetry
Publisher: Harper Perennial, 11/9/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 5 Stars
I Hope This Finds You Well is a unique poetry book by Kate Baer. She has created “erasure poems” by taking hate mail, fan mail, speeches from politicians, ads, etc and removing words from them to create poems.
“‘I’m sure you could benefit from jumping on a treadmill’
‘Women WANT a male leader . . . It’s honest to god the basic human playbook’
These are some of the thousands of messages that Kate Baer has received online. Like countless other writers—particularly women—with profiles on the internet, as Kate’s online presence grew, so did the darker messages crowding her inbox. These missives from strangers have ranged from ‘advice’ and opinions to outright harassment. At first, these messages resulted in an immediate delete and block. Until, on a whim, Kate decided to transform the cruelty into art, using it to create fresh and intriguing poems. These pieces, along with ones made from notes of gratitude and love, as well as from the words of public figures, have become some of her most beloved work. I Hope This Finds You Well is drawn from those works: a book of poetry birthed in the darkness of the internet that offers light and hope. By cleverly building on the harsh negativity and hate women often receive—and combining it with heartwarming messages of support, gratitude, and connection, Kate Baer offers us a lesson in empowerment, showing how we too can turn bitterness into beauty.”
These poems cover topics from politics to feminism to body acceptance and more. You can see examples on Kate Baer’s instagram page.
Title: The Ex Hex
Author: Erin Sterling
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Avon, 9/28/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 5 Stars
While I kind of wanted a curse against an ex boyfriend, what I got was a really fun second chance romance. Vivi is our main character. Many years ago, Rhys left her and she jokingly hexed him. When he returns to town, the hex turns out to be quite real, as does their second chance at love. It takes place in a small town which I saw compared to Stars Hollow. If the Gilmore Girls were witches, then that’s a perfect comparison!
“Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only an ‘orchard hayride’ scented candle on hand, she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two. That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. With one calamity after another striking Rhys, Vivi realizes her silly little Ex Hex may not have been so harmless after all. Suddenly, Graves Glen is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a pissed off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say. Vivi and Rhys have to ignore their off the charts chemistry to work together to save the town and find a way to break the break-up curse before it’s too late.”
The story was a lot of fun and I loved the talking cat!
Title: The Love Hypothesis
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio / Berkley, 9/14/21
Source: Audio Publisher
Why I Read It: High on my TBR.
My Rating: 5 Stars
This rom com had so many things that I loved: women in STEM, friendships, discussion of sexuality , fake dating , poking fun at rom com tropes, banter, funny parts, and sweet parts. Olive is a PhD student at Stanford, where Adam is a faculty professor. When she wants to convince her friend that she is over a guy she dated so that her friend can date him, Adam agrees to a fake dating relationship. Meanwhile, Olive works on getting a fellowship with a professor at Harvard who is a friend of Adam’s. And this other professor is not quite as wonderful as he seems. But Adam! Love him.
“As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn’t believe in lasting romantic relationships–but her best friend does, and that’s what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees. That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor–and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford’s reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive’s career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding…six-pack abs. Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.”
I enjoyed the narration on this one, done by Callie Dalton. I immediately added this book in print to my wishlist and actually received it in a swap! And this one goes into the running for favorite rom com of the year! (Note – although conceived as Kylo Ren and Rey fan fiction, I have no background in that and loved it anyway).
Title: Concrete Rose
Author: Angie Thomas
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Balzar + Bray, 1/12/21
Source: Book Swap
Why I Read It: On my TBR.
My Rating: 5 Stars
In my quest to catch up on books I meant to read much earlier this year, I finally picked up Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas and I loved it. It was so fun to read about Maverick and be back in the world of Thomas’s books. There was even a very cool reference to Nic Stone’s Justyce which I absolutely loved seeing!
“If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison. Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control. Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father. Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different. When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can’t just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.”
Thomas is really able to put the reader in the mind of her character and she expresses his voice and feelings so well. I loved his mom too. The book contains grief, gang activity, and drugs. I couldn’t put this one down.
Title: Just Haven’t Met You Yet
Author: Sophie Cousens
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: GP Putnam’s Sons, 11/9/21
Source: Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Given to me for my review.
My Rating: 5 Stars
This was such a fun, cute, and funny rom com! I was almost surprised by the direction the story went, and although I usually don’t like love triangles, I found this one to be well done.
“Hopeless romantic and lifestyle reporter Laura’s business trip to the Channel Islands isn’t off to a great start. After an embarrassing encounter with the most attractive man she’s ever seen in real life, she arrives at her hotel and realizes she’s grabbed the wrong suitcase from the airport. Her only consolation is its irresistible contents, each of which intrigues her more and more. The owner of this suitcase is clearly Laura’s dream man. Now, all she has to do is find him. Besides, what are the odds that she’d find The One on the same island where her parents first met and fell in love, especially as she sets out to write an article about their romance? Commissioning surly cab driver Ted to ferry her around seems like her best bet in both tracking down the mystery suitcase owner and retracing her parents’ footsteps. But as Laura’s mystery man proves difficult to find—and as she uncovers family secrets—she may have to reimagine the life, and love, she always thought she wanted.”
I really enjoyed that the theme of the story was not only meeting your true love, but also meeting your true self. There were some twists in the expected story and some great side characters. I really enjoyed this one!
Title: Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero
Author: Saadia Faruqui
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publisher: Quill Tree Books, 10/14/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 5 Stars
This book takes place in a small town in Texas 20 years after 9/11. Yusuf and his family belong to the Muslim community in town and while Yusuf learns from his uncle about how his life was just after 9/11, current events begin to parallel the past with discrimination and hatred towards the Muslim community.
“Yusuf Azeem has spent all his life in the small town of Frey, Texas—and nearly that long waiting for the chance to participate in the regional robotics competition, which he just knows he can win. Only, this year is going to be more difficult than he thought. Because this year is the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, an anniversary that has everyone in his Muslim community on edge. With ‘Never Forget’ banners everywhere and a hostile group of townspeople protesting the new mosque, Yusuf realizes that the country’s anger from two decades ago hasn’t gone away. Can he hold onto his joy—and his friendships—in the face of heartache and prejudice?”
I loved the friendships in this book and how Yusuf learns about standing up for others. This book contains bullying and anti-Muslim discrimination – which was at times difficult to read. There was a quote in the book that I loved: “You can only make enemies with strangers. If you get to know someone, it’s hard to hate them.” What a great message.
Come back next week for the rest of my October reads – and possibly more favorites!
Do you have a favorite book you’ve read this month?