Month: November 2020

READING, STRESS, & TV WATCHING: November 2020 Wrap Up

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How are you? I think the word ‘draining’ could be used to summarize 2020 overall, but November was a particularly tiring month for me. You likely know that COVID cases have risen once again in the US, including the state where I live & go to school. November was also a super stressful time grad school wise, with a ton of final projects and deadlines coming up within the next two weeks. It’s absolutely crazy to think that in less than two weeks, the fall semester will be over and I only have one semester left until I finish my degree. And once again, despite all the hectic-ness & school work, I’m actually so surprised that I still managed to read 9 books this month! These were all super solid reads for me, and I either have reviews published or reviews coming soon for all the books below. 

I read some of my most anticipated books of 2020 in November, and I’m happy to report to report that they did not disappoint. While I loved some more than others, this was a great reading month overall. 

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab | 5/5 Stars

Snapped (Snapped #4) by Alexa Martin | 4/5

Crazy Stupid Bromance (Bromance Book Club #3) by Lyssa Kay Adams | 4/5

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd | 4/5 (reviewed in my What I Read & Watched This Weekend post)

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren | 5/5

Simmer Down by Sarah Smith | 4/5

Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb | 5/5

Love & Olives (Love & Gelato #3) by Jenna Evans Welch | 4/5 

The Wedding Party (The Wedding Date #3) by Jasmine Guillory | 4/5 

I’m also currently reading Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory, the fourth book in The Wedding Date series, and I’m absolutely loving it! I hoping to have it finished midweek!

I talked about watching Dash & Lily (Netflix) and Clouds (Disney+) in my What I Read & Watched This Weekend post. I still found myself re-watching Gilmore Girls, but so many good shows (helloooo Virgin River S2) came out on Netflix during the week of Thanksgiving. I now feel like I’m behind on shows, even though I felt just last week I had nothing new to watch. I don’t want to complain too much though because I’m so looking forward to some serious Netflix binge-watching over winter break.

The Mandalorian S2 (Disney+) – The second season of The Mandalorian came out at the end of October. I was disappointed that Disney only puts out one episode a week… but then life happened and I’m now three episodes behind, oops. This is definitely another show I’ll be catching up on either this weekend or during winter break because I can’t be without Baby Yoda for too long. 

Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions (Disney+) – I thought I’d actually do school work after school on Wednesday afternoon, but Disney+ decided to drop Taylor Swift’s recording sessions for Folklore and I immediately needed to watch. I loved hearing the stories behind the songs, especially when it came to the Betty/James/August dynamic. ‘august’ and ‘illicit affairs’ were my favorite songs to listen to. 

The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix) – The Queen’s Gambit hype finally got to me, and I’m really enjoying it so far! There’s definitely a lot of chess talk, but you don’t need to know much at all to be enticed by the show. I’m 4 episodes into it so far. 

Sugar Rush Christmas S2 (Netflix) – I originally thought I would save Sugar Rush Christmas for December, but my sister and I found ourselves binge-watching the first 5 episodes of season 2 on Saturday. Sugar Rush is seriously my favorite baking competition show. It’s definitely the only American baking show where the judges are actually nice and not too critical, and I always love the holiday twist. It was a little weird watching since the show was filmed pre-COVID and there’s a lot of hugging and little social distancing (is it me, or was I not the only one who was disappointed to learn that they film holiday shows SO early in advance??). I’ll likely watch the sixth and final episode of season 2 sometime this week – I wish there were more! 

Continued watching: The Bachelorette (ABC), Below Deck (Bravo) 

Reviews

MY NEW FAVORITE HOLIDAY ROMANCE: In a Holidaze Review

MOST ANTICIPATED ROMANCE OF 2020: Crazy Stupid Bromance Review

2 YA Reads & A Much-Loved Thriller: Recent Mini Reviews

Contemporary Romance Mini Reviews: November 2020 Edition

MY NEW FAVORITE V.E. SCHWAB BOOK? : The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Review

A 2020 YA FAVORITE: Chasing Lucky Review

A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea & Tomorrow Review & Inspired Recipe

A POTENTIAL FAVORITE ROMANCE AUTHOR?: Party of Two Review

Other Bookish Fun

Holiday TBR: 2020 Edition

End of Year Book Tag: 2020 Edition

 

What do you read & watch in November? Any recommendations for me? How are you doing? Share in the comments!

MY NEW FAVORITE HOLIDAY ROMANCE: In a Holidaze Review

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Summary (from the publisher):

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions.

But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy.

The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.

 

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

When Christina Lauren announced that they would be coming out with a HOLIDAY romance earlier this year, the contemporary romance & holiday fangirl that I am ran to add it to my TBR. I know readers are divided on CLO’s newer releases (the division seems to be around their books published pre-2019 vs. during 2019), but I have personally loved their newer releases, The Unhoneymooners, Twice in a Blue Moon, and The Honey-Don’t List all included. In a Holidaze seems to be another CLo release that readers either LOVED or felt meh about, but I’m so, so happy to report that I absolutely loved this one! I plan on doing a ‘ranking my favorite CLo books’ post one day (I still need to read a bit more of their backlist), but just know In a Holidaze is for sure in my top five favorites. 

In a Holidaze is a holiday romance, following Mae and her family’s annual vacation to a family friends’ cabin in Utah for the week leading up to Christmas. The week at the cabin is always Mae’s favorite time of the year, with her immediate family coming together to hang out with her parents’ college friends and their families. Mae’s favorite week of the year soon becomes her least favorite when she drunkenly makes out with the son of her mom’s best friend, Theo, while harboring feelings for Theo’s older brother, Andrew. On top of all that, Andrew and Theo’s parents share at the end of the trip that they plan on selling the cabin. On the way to the airport, Mae finds herself wishing for her to figure out what make her happy and after a freak accident, she finds herself transported back in time to the beginning of the trip.

I 100% admit that I was also hesitant going into In a Holidaze because I’m usually not a fan of the time loop plot trope, but it totally worked for me in this book! It wasn’t repeated as much as I thought it would be, and even when Mae began a new loop, I love how CLo just jumped ahead to where we left off the first time. Read More »

MOST ANTICIPATED ROMANCE OF 2020: Crazy Stupid Bromance Review

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Summary (from the publisher): Alexis Carlisle and her cat café, ToeBeans, have shot to fame after she came forward as a victim of a celebrity chef’s sexual harassment. When a new customer approaches to confide in her, the last thing Alexis expects is for the woman to claim they’re sisters. Unsure what to do, Alexis turns to the only man she trusts—her best friend, Noah Logan.

Computer genius Noah left his rebellious teenage hacker past behind to become a computer security expert. Now he only uses his old skills for the right cause. But Noah’s got a secret: He’s madly in love with Alexis. When she asks for his help, he wonders if the timing will ever be right to confess his crush. 

Noah’s pals in The Bromance Book Club are more than willing to share their beloved “manuals” to help him go from bud to boyfriend. But he must decide if telling the truth is worth risking the best friendship he’s ever had.

 

My Rating: 4/5 Stars 

My Thoughts: 

I hold a few contemporary romance series close to my heart, but Lyssa Kay Adam’s The Bromance Book Club is one of my all-time favorites, if not my favorite. I’m going to wait & see if the fourth book coming out in June 2021 cements it as one of my favorites. I love, loved The Bromance Book Club, and Undercover Bromance was such a strong sequel that embraces the book’s feminist themes. The third book in the series, Crazy Stupid Bromance, picks up Undercover Bromance’s conversation surrounding workplace sexual abuse and harassment. 

I don’t want to be too spoilery, but this third installment follows Noah and Alexis, whose cat-inspired cafe has become a meeting place for sexual and domestic abuse survivors. Noah and Alexis are best friends, and Noah has been there for Alexis throughout her story coming out to the public over the past year and half. As the two and their friends prepare for an upcoming wedding, Alexis finds out that she has a half sister and a whole family she never knew. 

Crazy Stupid Bromance fully embraces the friends-to-lovers trope, and Lyssa Kay Adams completely nailed it. I think what helped us as readers is that we do get to know both Noah and Alexis in book #2, Undercover Bromance. We’ve already established them as characters and friends as they enter this something-more stage. Don’t get me wrong, the two still undergo a ton of character growth in this installment, as Alexis meets her father’s family and has to help them in a way she didn’t expect. Meanwhile, while trying to approach his feelings for Alexis, Noah is grappling with the loss of his dad years ago and how that’s impacted his view of his family and relationships ever since. When it came to Noah and Alexis as a couple, their chemistry is just so instantaneous and natural. Their friendship was the perfect foundation for this new relationship, and there was no sense of them rushing into it. Read More »

End of Year Book Tag: 2020 Edition

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Since it’s now time appropriate to do the End of The Year Book Tag, it also means that the 2020 wrap up season is beginning! I usually begin my 2020 wrap up posts in early December, which typically includes the End of Year Book Survey, my 2020 most anticipated releases for YA, contemporary romance, and some adult fiction, 2020 favorite books and TV shows, and likely more wrap ups I’m probably forgetting right now! 

I enjoy doing the End of The Year Book Tag because it provides a tiny glimpse of my year in reading while also serving as a reminder for my reading goals for the rest of the year. I’ve shared the End of The Year Book Tag on the blog in 2017 and 2019. The End of The Year Book Tag was created by Ariel of Ariel Bissett.

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

I’m currently not the in the middle of any longer books that may take me the remainder of 2020 to finish up… although I am considering reading Barack Obama’s In a Promised Land and I KNOW that his book is going to take me a few weeks to finish whether I read a physical copy or listen to the audiobook. As always, I *try* to finish my current reads by New Years’ Eve so I can start the new year with a fresh read, but sometimes doesn’t work out depending on my NYE plans and my desire to always being currently reading something! 

Do you have a book or autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

I again adapted the question to not necessarily have to be an autumnal read, since fall is well upon us now and colder weather season has officially began where I live. I’ve already starting my holiday reading, but one holiday read I definitely want to pick up is Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory. 

Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?

As of right now, there’s not! The rest of my most anticipated books for the year seemed to finish coming out last week. One recent release I just picked up from the library is Love & Olives by Jenna Evans Welch, the third book in the Love & Gelato series. Read More »

2 YA Reads & A Much-Loved Thriller: Recent Mini Reviews

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I recently realized that I had a few mini reviews saved from October. At think at one point, I was going to do a thriller mini review round up…but then I never ended up reading that many thrillers over the past two weeks. The following mini reviews include a new YA thriller, an adult thriller from a much loved author, and a YA contemporary series sequel.

Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett 

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars 

As soon as I read the synopsis for Jennifer Moffett’s Those Who Prey, it instantly became the next to-read book on my TBR. Everyone knows I love a YA contemporary taking place in college, but Those Who Prey takes the setting to an extreme, as college freshman Emily finds herself recruited into the Kingdom, a cult thinly veiled as a religious group for students. When Emily is sent on a mission trip to Italy, she begins to unravel The Kingdom’s dark past and purpose.

Those Who Prey had such a strong start. Each part of the book begins with newspaper articles or interviews with people close to Emily or other members of the Kingdom, then transitions into Emily’s first person perspective. It was interesting, yet obviously creepy and sad, to see how Emily was introduced into the Kingdom and how her whole mindset about college changed so quickly. However, the first half of the book was much stronger than the second half, in which Emily is in Italy and with the help of her new counselor, begins to see what the Kingdom isn’t really wasn’t seems to be. The whole mystery and its dark past felt really rushed. I feel like I still don’t have a full grasp on what exactly happened. I wanted more development from the other side characters and in general, just more answers. Given the interview excerpts, I expected a much darker ending. I did appreciate Jennifer Moffett’s author’s note at the end, in which she explains the prevalence of campus cults, especially during the book’s setting of the 90s. I think if you’re someone who likes fictional books about cults – I admit that I’ve only read a handful of books with a similar synopsis and the only one I’ve super enjoyed is Megan MacLean Weir’s The Book of Essie – you still might enjoy this one for its story, although I think the plot and characters needed more development. 

This review is based on an unsolicited advance reviewer copy provided by the publisher. By no means receiving this ARC affect my thoughts & opinions. Read More »

What I Read & Watched This Weekend: November 2020 Edition

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This past weekend was a super recharge weekend while also trying to tackle as much school work as possible. To be perfectly honest, November has been really draining for me. I know a lot of people both personally and in general from the blogging world that have felt that same way, especially considering how much the election consumed the first half of November (& continues to do so) and the fact that we’re experiencing a COVID-19 rise practically everywhere in the U.S. My fall semester of grad school will be wrapping in less than 4 weeks (!!!), and I’m coming right around the corner on final assessments in every course. That being said, aside from doing some school work, blog things, going for runs, and going to my sister’s field hockey game, I took this weekend to just let my mind and body relax. I decided to start out this week of blogging by sharing what I read and watched over the weekend. And yes, I am putting the final edits on this blog post after spending most of Sunday working on a final project and other school assignments while sneaking in an episode of Gilmore Girls and a holiday rom-com read. 

What I Read

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd – If I had to describe my reading in this latter half of 2020, it’s been an eclectic mix of romance, YA, non-fiction, and literary fiction, which I’m also starting to feel like is my new reading style in general. I feel like I should be saving some of these thoughts for my 2020 wrap-ups, but I am beginning to realize that I’m really not as big as a fantasy reader as I ever thought I was? 

Anyway, I decided to pick up Sue Monk Kidd’s The Book of Longings to take a mini break in my contemporary romance reading game and because it was actually available in my library! It’s had so many holds since it came out in April. I had been reading this one over the week, and I took an hour or so on Friday night to just finish it. I think I read The Secret Life of Bees at some point in my middle school or high school reading life, but like everyone else, I was intrigued by The Book of Longings because it follows the wife of Jesus (yes, that Jesus), Ana. The book does follow Ana and Jesus’ marriage, but the book is definitely more about this young woman living in Galilee and Nazareth in a time (to say the least) where women weren’t respected and didn’t have many rights. The Book of Longings was such an informative read. I didn’t actually realize that there has been reason and research into the idea that Jesus did indeed have a wife. There’s nothing too scandalous about their relationship, but it was really interesting to think about Jesus having a wife and how this lack of one (or so we know) may have influenced the views on marriage and sex in religion. I admit that I wasn’t too attached to the writing style as other readers were, but there were some beautiful passages about Ana and the other women’s strength. I think having a foundation or small understanding of the Old Testament or Jesus’ story definitely helps immerse yourself in this book, but it is still easy to follow along and be invested in Ana’s story. Overall, I gave this one a 4 out of 5 stars. 

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren – I wasn’t expecting my e-library copy of In a Holidaze to come in from Libby until December, so I was pleasantly surprised over the weekend. And, I am so, SO happy to report that I am LOVING In A Holidaze so far. I was a bit hesitant going in and honestly didn’t go out to buy my own copy because I had heard pretty mixed reviews from readers I super trust. However, I am one of the readers who does in fact LOVE Christina Lauren’s newer releases, so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised there! I’m looking forward to finish reading it this read and reviewing it on the blog soon. Read More »

Contemporary Romance Mini Reviews: November 2020 Edition

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I’ve read some literary fiction and YA books in between, but the fall has once again been all about contemporary romance for me. Two of the books below are wedding-centric, while the third is a much anticipated sequel in one of my favorite contemporary romance series. 

Destination Wedding by Diksha Basu

My Rating: 4.25/5 Stars 

My currently adult contemporary and contemporary romance mood met my love for books featuring weddings recently with Diksha Basu’s Destination Wedding. Tina’s family and her best friend are spending a week in India for her cousin’s wedding. I wouldn’t say there’s a central conflict or plot to the book, but the novel explores so much about Tina and co.’s relationships with other people and to India. Despite its fascinating and sometimes luxurious setting, Destination Wedding is more of a quiet read, focused on character development and self-discovery. I know this might not be every reader’s cup of tea, but I personally really enjoyed it!

You may know that I’ve been super wary of any Crazy Rich Asians comparisons lately because the past few books that I’ve read with the CRA comparison just haven’t held up. Destination Wedding is by far the first book I would recommend to anyone looking to have those Crazy Rich Asians feels once again. Destination Wedding obviously takes place in a different culture, and I admit that is slightly less glamorous than CRA, but the book provides a look at poverty in India. The writing style between the two were so similar, between the satire and comedy (there were so many funny moments and funny one-lines from Tina’s dad, Mr. Das), and the third person perspective. The sections of each chapter are usually dedicated to one character, but will pull away for a brief paragraph or two about a side character there. 

I don’t think I necessarily had a favorite character, but there were never any chapters that I wanted to rush through because I didn’t like the character of focus. I feel like I did want more from Tina and her romantic’s endeavors, but I loved being able to explore her relationship with her heritage and her parents. I also feel like the novel gave such an inside look at India – the book mostly takes place in New Dehli. There was so much I never knew about the culture and traditions there, and honestly, the poverty and pollution.  If you’re someone who craves character-driven books and doesn’t mind a more literary fiction-type reader, I definitely recommend checking Destination Wedding out.  Read More »

MY NEW FAVORITE V.E. SCHWAB BOOK? : The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Review

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Summary (from the publisher):

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

 

 

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

Thanks to V.E. Schwab’s hints on social media over the past few years about The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, I had been highly anticipating this book for what feels like forever (okay, maybe not to Addie LaRue herself). In short, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is so much more than ‘a girl makes a deal with the devil to live for forever.’ This book absolutely smashed my expectations. It honestly just might be my new favorite V.E. Schwab book – I seriously cannot believe I’m saying this, given my love for Vicious!

After making a deal three hundred years ago in which Addie gets to live forever, in exchange for everyone she ever meets forgetting her, Addie is living in present day New York City. She’s used to being able to being able to sneak away, until upon a second trip to a bookstore, a young man, Henry, remembers her from her first visit. The rules surrounding Addie and memory were  so intricate. It was equally fascinating and frustrating to learn about, since Addie has to overcome so many obstacles to try to live and it can all be taken way from her in any moment. You feel her heart-break at every moment of genuine connection and every time someone forgets who she is.Read More »

Holiday TBR: 2020 Edition

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Trust me when I say that Michael Bublé’s Christmas album is most definitely playing on my Spotify right now as I write this holiday TBR. I usually save my holiday reading and watching for November & December anyway, but I think we could all use some early holiday cheer this year, to say the least. 

I haven’t dug too deeply into holiday TV and movies just yet – I did watch the first episode of the current season of Holiday Baking Championship on Food Network and Holidate on Netflix. I’ll probably share more of my thoughts on the latter in my November wrap up, but this movie wasn’t as Christmas-y as I thought it would be (which I guess makes me feel less guilty for watching a Christmas movie already during the first week in November). It was also unfortunately on the ‘stupid comedy’ side of cheesy Christmas movies. At this rate, I should probably do a post on upcoming holiday movies coming out this year, but I’m actually not too excited about this year’s new release lineup? I’m most looking forward to the second season of Sugar Rush Christmas on Netflix, and I will be checking out the second Princess Switch movie and Dash & Lily. Knowing me, I will check out more of Netflix’s Christmas movies and a cable one or two, but I have a feeling I’ll be relying on some old favorites this year. 

Back to the books, I’ll be sharing the holiday-inspired reads I’ll be reading in November and December! 

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren – I am so excited that one of everyone’s favorite contemporary romance authors, Christina Lauren, have come out with their first holiday romance! I’m having trouble tracking down physical copy from my county library, but I do have a e-copy on hold from the Libby that I should be getting access to later in November or early December. 

Royal Holiday (The Wedding Date #4) by Jasmine Guillory – Yes, I will be continuing to read The Wedding Date companion series out or order, but it is 110% worth it because this fourth installment is holiday-inspired! I admit that I haven’t read too much of the synopsis, other than the fact that it takes place in England, but it really  doesn’t matter because I’m just looking forward to checking out Jasmine Guillory’s holiday take on this world. I’ll likely end up reading The Wedding Party (book #3) before I read Royal Holiday, aka the perfect excuse for a series binge-read!Read More »

A 2020 YA FAVORITE: Chasing Lucky Review

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Summary (from the publisher): 

Budding photographer Josie Saint-Martin has spent half her life with her single mother, moving from city to city. When they return to her historical New England hometown years later to run the family bookstore, Josie knows it’s not forever. Her dreams are on the opposite coast, and she has a plan to get there.

What she doesn’t plan for is a run-in with the town bad boy, Lucky Karras. Outsider, rebel…and her former childhood best friend. Lucky makes it clear he wants nothing to do with the newly returned Josie. But everything changes after a disastrous pool party, and a poorly executed act of revenge lands Josie in some big-time trouble—with Lucky unexpectedly taking the blame.

Determined to understand why Lucky was so quick to cover for her, Josie discovers that both of them have changed, and that the good boy she once knew now has a dark sense of humor and a smile that makes her heart race. And maybe, just maybe, he’s not quite the brooding bad boy everyone thinks he is…

 

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

If there was only one book I was going to fall head-over-heels in love with in 2020, it was Jenn Bennett’s Chasing Lucky. How could I not fall in love with a book by one of my all-time favorite authors that takes place in the summer on the East Coast AND whose main character’s family owns a bookstore AND develops feelings for her ex-best friend? I was fortunate enough to have read an early copy of Chasing Lucky back in February, with the book originally being slated to come out in May, but its release date was pushed to November during the height of the pandemic. I’m so happy that everyone can read the book that stole my heart earlier in this year now – I’m already planning to dive into my finished copy!

There is SO much to explore about Chasing Lucky, but let’s start with the one element guaranteed to please all readers: THE BOOKSTORE! Chasing Lucky begins with Josie and her mom’s move back to their New England hometown in Rhode Island to run the family bookstore, Siren’s Book Nook. Since the town, Beauty, is set right on the water, Siren’s Book Nook’s takes on a nautical theme, but is just as cozy as you would expect from a Jenn Bennett book. I’m also ready to be best friends with Josie’s cousin, Evie, who spends her breaks at the bookstore reading paperback romances. Josie is also a photographer at heart, and the bookstore’s backroom doubles as her dark room. While the plot doesn’t directly involve the bookstore, I really loved having this setting and atmosphere. 

Speaking of atmosphere, the overall setting of Chasing Lucky that is Beauty makes me want to take a trip up to New England ASAP! Told over Josie’s summer, Chasing Lucky transports readers to the best season of the year to this small, coastal town. I loved Josie’s trips to the town’s nautical-themed coffee ship and the days spent near on the water. 

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