Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Top Ten Tuesday: 2022 Releases I Still Need To Read

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is a freebie, so I decided to highlight some 2022 releases that are still sitting on my TBR.  I've never been the best at reading new releases, but with my lower reading count last year, there are still plenty of 2022 books that I still have to get to!

 

 

 

 

 


Are there any 2022 releases that you still need to catch up on?

Friday, January 27, 2023

Quick Reviews

 See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon (2022)

Barrett is hoping for a fresh start in college, but her first day is a disaster - and then Barrett finds herself reliving that same day, over and over again.  She discovers that a fellow student, Miles, is trapped in the time loop with her, and the two begin to work together to figure a way out.  I love a good time loop book, because they have so many opportunities and it's fun to see the same story approached in multiple ways.  Do the characters have to fix something for someone else?  Realize some hidden potential for growth in themselves?  Or could it maybe really be just about the science?  At first I was little leery of Barrett - she's so quick to sarcasm, almost to the point of being abrasive, that it was initially hard to like her.  But as I got to know her, the layers revealed themselves.  It seems inevitable that she and Miles would start to fall for each other, but it was also really sweet.  At times funny, heartwarming, and even a little sad, this story is both a grand adventure and an intimate look at two teenagers hoping to change their future.  4 stars

Not Since Ewe by Susannah Nix (2022)

Thirty years ago, high schooler Tess became pregnant and eventually gave up the baby for adoption.  Now, her daughter has come looking for her, which brings Tess back into contact with the boy who got her pregnant, Donal.  Both want to put the past behind them and get along for Erin's sake, but will their complicated history prevent that?  I really liked this book!  It was so easy to read and the dialogue, especially the conversations between Tess and Donal, felt so realistic (although it was a little frustrating at times how quickly they resorted to arguing, and there's also the fact that some simple communication would have gone a long way, especially when they were younger).  It was nice to have some slightly older protagonists in a romance and it also showcased two different lifestyles (Donal is divorced with two kids and Tess has never been married).  I think Nix does a great job of exploring all the feelings, good and bad, involved in a situation most people probably wouldn't find themselves in - coming face-to-face with the baby you gave up for adoption, who is now a grown adult.  I'm not generally a fan of second-chance romances, but there were so many unresolved issues and feelings that I was rooting for Tess and Donal, and I think you will, too!  4 stars


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Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Top Ten Tuesday: New-To-Me Authors I Discovered in 2022

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is new-to-me authors I discovered in 2022.  Here are a few authors I read for the first time in 2022 that I hope to read more from:

 

 

 



Which new-to-you authors did you discover in 2022?

Monday, January 23, 2023

Michele's Monday Picks #5

Angela is so generous to let me pop in with a new little series, Michele’s Monday Picks! I’m not a blogger or bookstagrammer, but I love getting excited about new releases with the rest of you. Here I’ll be sharing new books I’m really looking forward to! 

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The Plus One

By Mazey Eddings

Expected publication: April 4, 2023


From Goodreads:

What starts out as a fake wedding date turns into something these childhood enemies never expected in the next sparkling romantic comedy by Mazey Eddings.


Some facts are indisputable. The sun rises in the east, sets in the west. Gravity exits. Indira doesn’t like Jude. Jude doesn’t like Indira. But what happens when these childhood enemies find the only thing they can rely on is each other?

On paper, Indira has everything together. An amazing job, a boyfriend, and a car. What more could a late twenty-something ask for? But when she walks in on her boyfriend in an amorous embrace with a stranger, that perfect on paper image goes up in flames.

Jude has nothing together. A doctor that’s spent the last three years traveling the world to treat emergencies and humanitarian crises, a quick trip home for his best friend’s wedding has him struggling to readjust.

Thrust into an elaborate (and ridiculously drawn out) wedding event that’s stressing Jude beyond belief and has Indira seeing her ex and his new girlfriend far more frequently than any human should endure, the duo strike a bargain to be each other’s fake dates to this wedding from hell. The only problem is, their forced proximity and fake displays of affection are starting to feel a bit… real, and both are left grappling with the idea that a situation that couldn’t be worse, is made a little better with the other around.


I so enjoyed Mazey’s last book and am eagerly awaiting this one!

Do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Friday, January 20, 2023

Quick Reviews: Opposites Attract

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez (2022)

When Daniel saves Alexis and her car from a ditch, it sparks something between them - but these two are opposites in almost every way imaginable, so could a relationship work?  I really loved this book - I was rooting for Alexis and Daniel from the beginning, although I really couldn't see a scenario where everyone could be happy in the end.  Alexis is 10 years older than Daniel; she's a big-city ER doctor who lives in a huge house and has even bigger expectations placed on her by her parents.  Daniel lives in a small town, working on his carpentry and managing a B&B.  He can't leave his town, and she can't leave her hospital, but the attraction and chemistry between them are undeniable.  I really felt for Alexis - no matter what she accomplishes, her dad will probably never be truly happy or proud, and the way they kept pushing her ex-boyfriend at her made my blood boil (trigger warning: emotional abuse).  There was just something special about this book, something about the way the writing flowed and the characters felt like real people you could meet on any street.  Highly recommend!  4.5 stars

Between Hello & Goodbye by Emma Scott (2022)

Faith is a party girl who also happens to be really good at her job in advertising, but her bosses aren't sure of her commitment, so she takes a two-week vacation in Hawaii to clear her head and figure out what she wants to do.  When she gets injured during a hike, she meets firefighter Asher.  They fall hard for each other, but the distance may prove to be too much.  I have mixed feelings about this one.  I like the premise, that these two people who are total opposites fall in love and try to make it work, despite also living really far from each other, but I had issues.  I didn't like Faith from the beginning.  She seems to have it all, yet she's so immature.  By the end she is a completely different person, and it was jarring.  Large parts of the story were swept over - I would have liked to see them navigate a long-distance relationship more.  There were important issues brought up that the characters seemed to have little or no reaction to, which was weird.   Also, there's a very big event that really came across as emotional manipulation towards the reader - it felt unnecessary for this event to be so tragic, and I wish something like that didn't have to fuel the story (I'm sorry for the vagueness, trying to avoid spoilers!).  This was my first book by Emma Scott, but I'm unsure if I'll be seeking her out in the future.  2.5 stars


* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you.

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Happy Place

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!
 
Emily Henry
Expected publication date: April 25, 2023
A couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.

They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week…in front of those who know you best? - from Goodreads

 

Monday, January 16, 2023

Guest Blogger: Changing Tastes


Michele is back today with a new discussion post, all about how our reading tastes change and how we may find ourselves moving away from certain authors.

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We all have our favorite and autobuy authors, whether they are ones we’ve followed from the beginning of their careers or those we’ve discovered along the way. However, occasionally it may happen that our tastes change and those authors become ones that we don’t seem to look forward to their new releases. Maybe their stories have become formulaic or they write in a genre that you are growing out of. Whatever the reason, sometimes we decide an author is no longer for us.


In terms of genres, I tend to not read as much YA as I used to – I have a few authors whose YA novels still excite me, but most do not anymore. The kids either act too young or too old – it is a very fine line to make teenagers seem believable. Additionally, there are a few authors lately who I have read many books from, but they seem to have become very formulaic. The books seem to run together, rely on the same tropes and events and are not as distinct to me anymore. These particular authors are very prolific as well, easily putting out at least five books per year, meaning I would have to devote lots of precious reading time to just keep up. Because there are just too many great books in the world, I have decided to take a break from these authors and I probably won’t keep up with their new releases for the foreseeable future.


I probably put too way much thought into this but it bums me out to decide to not follow an author anymore after I have enjoyed their works in the past. I enjoy supporting authors in their endeavors but with limited time and resources, I just can’t read ALL the books. I want to be excited every time I pick up a book, not just feel like I’m checking a box.


Do you have a hard time moving away from authors or are you normal? Have your reading tastes changed over the years?