Book Nook 2019

2nd book of 2019 is complete! I'm really trying to keep up with this years reading challenge, but with school and homework, it definitely is tough. However, it didn't stop me from completing this book! It is called "The Night We Said Yes," by Lauren Gibaldi. It is a quick read with a cool writing technique.

This story is about a girl named Ella who is trying to forget a boy who disappeared and broke her heart. Then one night, at a party, he reappears in town and he wants her back. What will she do? It is quite the story. I like this one because the way it is written is unique. Every chapter switches from what is happening now to what happened a year ago when Ella met Matt for the first time. So, the story is written just over one night, but in 2 different years. The 'Then' chapters is about when they first met and what adventures they went on. The 'Now' is how Ella deals with Matt coming back into town. It is a little hard to explain without reading it. Furthermore, the title comes from a game they play in the then and now sections. All their friends have to say yes to all the things people suggest to do including truth or dare, skinny dipping, etc. Things get crazy and exciting. Will they end up together or will Ella leave it all behind? I recommend you read to find out!!

I'm sorry if that summary was confusing because it is difficult to explain exactly. It is an awesome book though, with a cute story and an easy read to complete.

Favorite character: Ella is awesome. She starts off shy and kinda of in the shadows, but she grows from it and learns how to be courageous and brave. I also like Meg because she is confident and doesn't care what others think of her. At the end of the day, my favorite thing is their friendship and their loyalty to each other.

Favorite Quotes: "At one point two people engraved their initials because they, for a split moment, felt love could conquer all and withstand time."

"I'm done being scared."

Book Nook 2019

Hey y'all I finished my first book of 2019! I am trying to actually complete the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge they have every year, so I'm hoping to read faster and get reviews out to you all!

This time it is "Sway" by Kat Spears. This book was one that had been sitting on my shelf for a long, hence why I crossed the "book i meant to read in 2018" prompt on my reading challenge. I have had it for awhile now and finally decided it was my next victim.

It is about a boy named Jesse who could sell hell to a priest. He gets people what they want and makes a job out of it. It isn't any ordinary job, he is very lowkey and undercover about it. Everyone calls him Sway because he is chill about everything. This job makes me a lot of money, but in this story it also gets him into trouble. A jock named Ken pays Jesse to get this girl Bridget to go out with him. Jesse accepts, but little does he know love is in his future as well. I won't spoil anything, you'll just have to read it yourself.

I loved this story. It was different from anything I had read before. Yes, it had a love story in it, but the way everything unfolded was new and exciting. There was a lot of mystery in the characters and comedy in the words. I liked the way it was written and the way the characters developed as the story progressed. I think if the characters weren't as interesting or likeable, this would have just been another teen romance, but they were and I really enjoyed how the story unraveled. I recommend it 100%, it's a good, fast read.

Favorite Character: I know it's cliche to say the main character, but Jesse was extraordinarily written out. He had humor and mystery and something about him made him intriguing. He was also caring even if he didn't want others to know about it. I liked the way he ran his life and the way he was so independent from others and his obstacles. It made his character development hella awesome.

Favorite Quotes: "Secrets are power."

"Sometimes what we want to be and what the world expects from us are two different things."

"'I wish my life was like a Taylor Swift song,' Joey said."
"'Not me' I said. 'It's got to suck to be that talented and good-looking.'"

"Can't bullshit a bullshitter."

"Good music never stops being good, no matter how old it is."

Book Nook 2019

Here we go! 2nd review coming your way! This one is a book I started very late in December and it was my goal to finish it before the new year and I succeeded because it was hard to put down! It is by the one and only John Green, which is why I decided to read it because he is one of my favorite authors. It is his newest novel, "Turtles All The Way Down."

This book was fantastic. It starts off with a mystery where a CEO of a big company has disappeared and the main girl, Aza and her bff Daisy, are intrigued by the reward for finding him. Aza realizes the name and realizes the man is the dad of her former camp friend. They go to Davis and they get mixed up together. Aza suffers from a mental illness and that is expressed throughout the whole novel. In a way it gets in the way of Davis and Aza's romantic relationship. It is a roller coaster book with ups and downs.

This book touches on mental illness a lot and how obsessive they can be on one's brains. Sometimes mental health is like a leech on the host, that is how annoying it can be. I love the way John Green describes it in this book. It is an amazing way to put it because it can relate to so many people, including myself. You usually don't see the main character of anything suffering a mental illness and I like that he decided to do it anyway. The book lets you into Aza and the way she thinks and feels about her health and it is insane to see inside a person like that. It is fascinating and heartbreaking all in one.

This book is remarkable, I highly suggest you read it.

Favorite Character: I love them all, but if I had to choose I would choose Davis. He is understanding, smart, and kind-hearted. He takes care of his little brother while his dad disappears and he handles Aza and her mental illness with grace and care. The way he treats her is utterly beautiful in the eyes of someone who also suffers from mental health issues. Also, he writes and that reminds me of myself. Except he is way better at it then me.

Favorite Quotes: "I don't like to throw the L-word around; it's too good and rare a feeling to cheapen with overuse."

"True terror isn't being scared; it's not having a choice in the matter."

"Whether it hurts is kind of irrelevant."

"At some point in life the world's beauty becomes enough. You don't need to photograph, paint or eve remember it. It is enough. - Toni Morrison "

"No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again."

"I wanted to tell her that I was getting better, because that was supposed to be the narrative of illness: It was a hurdle you jumped over, or a battle you won. Illness is a story told in the past tense." (i love this one.)

"The term chronic pain captures nothing of the grinding, constant, ceaseless, inescapable hurt. And the term crazy arrives at us with none of the terror and worry you live with. Nor do either of those terms connote the courage people in such pains exemplify, which is why I'd ask you to frame your mental health around a word other than crazy."

"Your now is not your forever."

"The problem with happy endings is that they're either not really happy, or not really endings, you know? In real life, some things get better and some things get worse. And then eventually you die."

Book Nook 2019

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I'm so excited for all the new books I'll get to share with you this year! I just wanted to start this off wishing you all well in 2019 and that you achieve your goals and succeed :)

To start off I'll be reviewing a book I actually finished at the end of 2018, I just didn't have time to review it on this blog yet. I actually will have 2 blog posts today of 2 books I read last year. First is, "Dad is Fat" by Jim Gaffigan.

Jim Gaffigan is a comedian and actor known for his hilarious stand up. He is one of my favorite comedians, so I couldn't resist picking this up at the bookstore. I knew that if I thought his comedy specials were funny, his books would be too. I was right. "Dad is Fat" had great sprinkles of his comedy and humor. The whole time I was reading it I could hear it in his voice, which was perfect because hearing him deliver it made it way more funny.

The whole book is about him as a dad. He has 5 kids with his wife Jeannie and it is just him navigating that in a funny way. He talks about his wife and the ways he adores her, but he also cracks jokes on her pregnancies. It is a wonderful balance of stories and comedy. I would say that this book is good for any parent. I think while reading it, I couldn't relate as much to some of the parental references. It's not that I didn't understand them, it is just not as funny when you haven't gone through it also. Misery loves company.

Gaffigan has 2 books and I believe this is his 2nd one. I would love to venture into reading his first one, "Food: a Love Story." It seems more up my ally and not as directed to parents. I'm not saying don't read "Dad is Fat" unless you are a parent because I'm not one and I enjoyed it very much. I am saying that it may be a good gift for a parent with a great sense of humor ;)

Overall, Gaffigan never fails to make me laugh even if I don't necessarily understand every aspect. His comedy is gold and if you don't like reading, I really recommend watching his Netflix comedy specials. He has 5, binge em, you won't regret it ! But, also read a book.