“Whether Cam is a man or a woman, does that really change your feelings?” – 3.75/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: faux fur, fake sideburns, grilled cheese sandwiches, invitations, fashion and a ton of cheese puns!

A funny, heartfelt YA romance about finding love—and lots of grilled cheese sandwiches—in the place you least expect it, from rising talent Deya Muniz.

Lady Camembert wants to live life on her own terms, without marriage. Well, without marrying a man, that is. But the law of the land is that women cannot inherit. So when her father passes away, she does the only thing she can: She disguises herself as a man and moves to the capital city of the Kingdom of Fromage to start over as Count Camembert.

But it’s hard to keep a low profile when the beautiful Princess Brie, with her fierce activism and great sense of fashion, catches her attention. Camembert can’t resist getting to know the princess, but as the two grow closer, will she able to keep her secret?

A romantic comedy about mistaken identity, true love, and lots of grilled cheese.

Awnnn that was such a cheesy love story – yup, pun completely intended.

This is a really cute book! I picked it up randomly because the premise seemed cute, and I ended up having a great time reading it.

Let’s start with the elephant in the room: this book is full of cheese puns. This was probably one of my favorite things about this book. Not only do the characters have cheese names (Brie, Camembert, Ricotta), but the cities and brands also have cheese names. Cheese is obviously a big part of this story – I’ll talk about this in a second!

The romance between Cam and Brie was sweet, but I have to say the story doesn’t have a lot of substance. It didn’t bother me, but if you’re coming for a good solid story, this is probably not for you. I would describe this as more of a fun, light read just to pass time.

One thing that was a little unexpected was how there were moments that talked about relevant topics such as the use of faux fur to substitute the use of animal fur, and women being powerful by owning their own businesses. Unexpected, but an interesting addiction.

The ending was cute, but it ended up a little abruptly in my opinion. It was a “happy ever after” moment still, but Ricotta’s reaction deserved a conclusion in my humble opinion.

Now I have to tell you about the most surprising aspect about this book: it is biographic (kind of)! The author based this book on her relationship with her wife. Not only their looks, but some of the scenes were based on real moments. Also the grilled cheese sandwiches her wife made were a big inspiration to create this book! I just loved reading about this, because it made the book way more special and interesting.

Just as a side note, I thought it was funny that even though this was a regency kind of story, you still have modern elements that appear here and there like Cam’s Nintendo Switch, fridges, etc.

Was the story super solid? Probably not, but it was still a cute queer love story that made me smile!

“I love my Mother Country, and I love my family, and I always will. I just wish, at the second-darkest moment of my life, they’d been there for me too. And I believe they’ll look back one day and wish they had too.” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: true love, the Afghanistan war, tabloids, wild elephants, Africa trips, loss trauma, the British monarchy, sibling fights, security, paparazzi, addiction, car crashes, new nicknames, grief, spotlights, secret dates, tiaras, funerals, charity events, an heir and a spare.

It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.

For Harry, this is that story at last.

Before losing his mother, twelve-year-old Prince Harry was known as the carefree one, the happy-go-lucky Spare to the more serious Heir. Grief changed everything. He struggled at school, struggled with anger, with loneliness—and, because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight.

At twenty-one, he joined the British Army. The discipline gave him structure, and two combat tours made him a hero at home. But he soon felt more lost than ever, suffering from post-traumatic stress and prone to crippling panic attacks. Above all, he couldn’t find true love.

Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple’s cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . .

For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.

I had to wait before I wrote my thoughts about this book because I had a lot of mixed feelings. Now that some time has passed, I’m more comfortable giving you my opinion, so here we go!
Let me start by saying that I was never obsessed with the British Royal family, but I always looked at them with curiosity. Especially when I heard Harry was “turning his back” to his family and moved with Meghan to the U.S. I wasn’t sure about his true position and what happened for him to move to another continent. Now that I’ve listened to the audiobook version narrated by Prince Harry himself, I understand a little better what happened.
I appreciate Prince Harry being vulnerable and open about his life and relationships. It’s a very open and emotional memoir where he shared some of his most personal experiences and struggles. He mentions his mother a lot and it’s obvious he is still struggling with her passing. He went through a lot since he was a kid, and he had to do it in the public eye, which I can only imagine how hard it must have been.
This memoir has a lot. He not only talks about his family (brother, mother, dad, grandparents) and being part of the Royal Family, but he also talks about the time he spent in Africa, in the North Pole, and fighting in Afghanistan, as well as how it was to meet Meghan and his experience as a father… and of course, the press.
In this book I’ve learned that the British press is ruthless. It’s scary how he was constantly harassed and even had his life threatened because of the press.
Sometimes he overshared a little – I’m sure you know or at least heard about this -, so I think some things should’ve been kept private.
Now the reason why I had mixed feelings was because of his relationship with his brother and father. I think it’s important to keep in mind that we are only reading about his side of the story, so we don’t actually know if this is the truth or not. They obviously have a very difficult and tricky relationship, but I’m still amazed with the way he talked about his father. I think most of us were surprised that he talked about king Charles so dearly and with so much love. Or maybe that’s just me, but I truly wasn’t expecting that. It’s also clear he loves them – not Camilla though lol.
This was probably one of the saddest memoirs I have ever read for different reasons. The trauma, their relationships, how repressed they all are, how disconnected they are – the list is endless. It was useful to me because I learned a lot about the British Royal Family and it gave me a glimpse into their world. It’s a very interesting read, and I definitely recommend it. Just keep an open mind!

“I’ve played with my childhood heroes and some of the greatest artists in the history of music; I’ve played with people who were so hopeless they had no business being onstage and I’ve played with a group of male strippers dressed as Cub Scouts. I’ve done gigs dressed as a woman, a cat, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, a Ruritanian general, a musketeer, a pantomime dame and, very occasionally, I’ve played gigs dressed like a normal human being.”– 3/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: fatherhood, extravagant clothes, contracts, friendships, rock and roll, drug addiction and a lot of drama.

In his only official autobiography, music icon Elton John writes about his extraordinary life, which is also the subject of the film Rocketman.

Christened Reginald Dwight, he was a shy boy with Buddy Holly glasses who grew up in the London suburb of Pinner and dreamed of becoming a pop star. By the age of twenty-three, he was on his first tour of America, facing an astonished audience in his tight silver hotpants, bare legs and a T-shirt with ROCK AND ROLL emblazoned across it in sequins. Elton John had arrived and the music world would never be the same again.

His life has been full of drama, from the early rejection of his work with song-writing partner Bernie Taupin to spinning out of control as a chart-topping superstar; from half-heartedly trying to drown himself in his LA swimming pool to disco-dancing with the Queen; from friendships with John Lennon, Freddie Mercury and George Michael to setting up his AIDS Foundation. All the while, Elton was hiding a drug addiction that would grip him for over a decade.

In Me Elton also writes about getting clean and changing his life, about finding love with David Furnish and becoming a father.

Elton John sure is a character. He has a very unique personality and attitude, and I admire him as an artist because he is always true to himself and his music. Authentic is the word I would use to describe him.

I’m not a huge Elton John fan in the sense that I don’t really listen to his music – I think he’s a very good artist, but I just don’t listen to his music because it’s not for me. With that being said, I really like to read memoirs because I get to see how other people live through their perspective. So I decided to pick his book! I wasn’t surprised he lived a very typical rock star lifestyle, but it was still interesting to read about him and his road to stardom.

I have to admit I wasn’t feeling this book at first, but the second half of the book was way better! The first part of the book is just him talking about music and how he started and the shows he did. And to me, that wasn’t very interesting – but I personally liked the last chapters. In these last chapters he talked about how he changed, got clean and found a meaningful relationship and had children – which is something he never thought he would do.

I found the music stuff a little boring, and since a big part of the book talks about music I wasn’t super invested. Maybe I would enjoy this memoir more if I was an Elton John fan, so keep that in mind while reading my words. With that said, I’m sure this is a perfect book for Elton John fans!

“We carry those we love in our hearts always.” – 3.25/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: feathers, songs, talents, alkonosts, islands, division, magic, swamps, friendships, soldiers, sinking sand and alligators. 

The Island of Morovia is shaped like a broken heart. The humans live on one side of the island, and the alkonosts – the bird-people – live on the other. But it wasn’t always this way…

Linnet wishes she could sing magic, like her father, Nightingale – and bring the two sides of her island together again. For her land has been divided by a terrible tragedy, and Linnet has been banished with her father to the deepest swamps, leaving behind her best friends, Hero and Silver.

So when her father is captured, Linnet must be brave and embark on a treacherous journey. Through alligator pools and sinking sands, she finds new friends. Yet without her singing magic, Linnet discovers something even more powerful. Something that could save her father, and heal the broken heart of her island once more…

With themes of grief, trust, love, and that we have more in common than that which divides us, this is a heartfelt book filled with adventure and stunning storytelling from bestselling Sophie Anderson.

Another great middle grade from the amazing Sophie Anderson! She continues to be one of my favorite middle grade authors of all time, and this beautiful book comes to prove me right.

This book in particular is very special because of the different topics it talks about. The main character puts her efforts on rebuilding the community and uniting the nation… while she is grieving her mother. There’s also a clear message to just be kind to one another and believe in yourself. See what I mean?

Once again, I loved the characters in this book. Linnet is a strong young bird-girl who is fighting injustice and discovering her true voice (no pun intended). The sidekicks are very kind and supportive and have her back at all times.

The writing was good, just like I was expecting it. There were a few moments where the pace slowed down a little, but it didn’t bother me that much. It was a very atmospheric reading experience full of magic and adventure.

But by far, my favorite thing about his book is its message. While I was reading this, I kept thinking of how different this book felt in comparison to her other books. And then I read the author’s note and I finally understood why. According to the author, the Ukraine/Russia war inspired this book. With all that’s going on with the world, Sophie Anderson created a beautiful story about unity, compassion and how we sing magic when we’re all together. We have more in common than what divides us. It was such a heartwarming and wholesome read, and I really appreciate the message behind it.If I were to recommend a book from her, I would probably say for you to read “The House With Chicken Legs” because it’s one of my favorites. This was good, but I just like some of her other books better. In conclusion: I will always read anything she writes and you should too.

3/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: pigeons, babygrows, renovations, nurseries, Internet searches, swimming pools and a lot of lies.

Naomi seems to have everything. A beautiful daughter, a gorgeous house, a perfect life. Behind the scenes, though, she and her husband are drifting from one another and struggling to conceive their second child.

Then Naomi meets a parent at her daughter’s nursery. Sean understands her, or so she thinks. Looking for a connection, for a friend, she joins him at a swimming lesson with their children. That day, Naomi makes a terrible mistake.

Weeks later, when Naomi attempts to contact Sean, he has disappeared without a trace. But as she begins to piece her life back together, it becomes clear that someone else knows her secret. Someone who wants to make sure she never forgets what she did at the pool.

An intelligent, searing and addictive thriller about family, desire and the lengths people will go to for the ones they love the most.

I don’t have a lot to say about this book. For me, it wasn’t a bad reading experience, but it wasn’t a very memorable one either.

In this story we follow Naomi, who appears to live a perfect life. She has a husband, a nice house, a nice job and even a cute two-year old. She then meets a good looking man named Sean at Prue’s nursery, and makes a terrible decision. Her life quickly spirals out of control and a series of bad events start to happen.

The characters weren’t likable – all of them, to be exact – and I struggled with caring about them. Naomi was annoying and too demanding, and Charlie was always trying to run away. I still felt sorry for him at times, but I still think he should step up as a father.

The writing was okay. It was an easy book to go through for the most part, but there were a few confusing moments here and there – and I don’t think I understood the ending? The start was a little slow, but the pace picks up a little going forward. And even though there’s a creepy guy in this story, there weren’t a lot of creepy moments – I was expecting a little more. There were also a few twists here and there, but I was only surprised by one of them regarding Uggy and her relationship… if you read the book, you probably know what I’m talking about.

I would say this is more of a soft psychological thriller. To be honest, if I were to recommend a thriller, I wouldn’t even think about this one. For a mystery/thriller, it was a little underwhelming.

“Power does not transform you, he’d said. It only reveals you.” – 3/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: city lights, mythology, training sessions, good friendships, Greek Gods and hunters.

From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Darkest Minds comes a sweepingly ambitious, high-octane tale of power, destiny, love and redemption.

Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.
Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family’s sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt’s promises of eternal glory. For years she’s pushed away any thought of revenge against the man–now a god–responsible for their deaths.

Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.

The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore’s decision to bind her fate to Athena’s and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost–and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.

“Lore” had the potential to be a great story with a great concept, but at the end of the day it was just an okay read for me. Some people are describing this book as the Hunger Games with Greek Gods. I would say… that’s kind of accurate?

I think the thing that failed here was the writing, in my opinion. Greek mythology can be confusing as it is, but the writing in this made it way worse to keep up with. There was so much information at the beginning that I had to keep going back trying to understand what was going on and I kept wondering who was on which side. And not only was it confusing, but I still couldn’t feel attached to the characters or story. The setting and world-building was also not very captivating. It was a little dull and plain… and we’re talking about New York.

As characters go, Lore was a good character and her backstory made her a great heroine. I’m a sucker for strong female leads, and Lore is exactly that! But all the other characters were a little bland for me.

The romance also had potential, but it ended up being depressing. Castor was a good character, and I thought he was very compatible with Lore, but something was missing. I loved that they were childhood friends and they trained together, but maybe they should have had a little more space in the book to develop a proper romance.

I found “Lore” to be a little underwhelming and confusing. I’ve tried reading a Alexandra Bracken book before and it was very similar in writing style to this book. Which was also the reason why I stopped reading the other book.

Still, I really liked how the author incorporated mythology in this book and gave it a modern time twist. I also liked how the Gods were not romanticized in this – Athena, for example, was vile and very unlikeable. That was probably one of the best things about the writing.

It was entertaining, but it wasn’t the most enjoyable reading experience. If you like Greek mythology, I would say to try this one. Just keep in mind that this story happens in the modern world and the writing is a little off.

“Change isn’t about getting taller or changing the roof over your head. Change happens in your heart, in your way of thinking, of moving in the world.” – 3/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: Nature Gods, changes, siblings, kingdoms and dangerous bargains.

Merida goes on an all-new, life-changing adventure in this original YA novel set several years after the close of Brave!

What if you had one year to save everything you loved?

ONE PRINCESS. Merida of DunBroch needs a change. She loves her family—jovial King Fergus, proper Queen Elinor, the mischievous triplets— and her peaceful kingdom. But she’s frustrated by its sluggishness; each day, the same. Merida longs for adventure, purpose, challenge – maybe even, someday, love.

TWO GODS. But the fiery Princess never expects her disquiet to manifest by way of Feradach, an uncanny supernatural being tasked with rooting out rot and stagnation, who appears in DunBroch on Christmas Eve with the intent to demolish the realm – and everyone within. Only the intervention of the Cailleach, an ancient entity of creation, gives Merida a shred of hope: convince her family to change within the year – or suffer the eternal consequences.

THREE VOYAGES. Under the watchful eyes of the gods, Merida leads a series of epic journeys to kingdoms near and far in an attempt to inspire revolution within her family. But in her efforts to save those she loves from ruin, has Merida lost sight of the Clan member grown most stagnant of all – herself?

FOUR SEASONS TO SAVE DUNBROCH – OR SEE IT DESTROYED, FOREVER.

I’ve been wanting to read more Maggie Stiefvater books, and when I found out she did this Merida retelling I thought this would be a good book to pick up!

So if you don’t know, “Bravely” is a book written based on the Disney movie “Brave”. It’s a sequel retelling that gets picked up a few years after the movie ended.

To be honest, I’ve watched “Bravely” once a long time ago, and since I knew I was going to pick up this book soon I tried watching it again. I ended up watching about 15 minutes before I gave up – I just don’t have patience to watch movies anymore -, so my attempt to revive my memory on what the story is about didn’t go as planned. In conclusion, I don’t remember a lot from the original story, so I can’t really compare the movie “Brave” and the book “Bravely”. 

The book was okay in the sense that it was entertaining but not super memorable. It was a little bland and the story wasn’t very interesting. I did like Merida and her crazy family, but the idea for the plot wasn’t great. The original plot was about her proving she didn’t need to marry, so this plotline could be picked up in this book by her finding someone who she truly loved and seeing love differently – at least that would make more sense than this “change” plotline.

With that being said, I understand how this book works as a fairytale because of the lessons behind it. Creation and destruction work hand-in-hand and are both necessary for growth and to give space for new things to bloom.

I’ve listened to the audiobook version and I was surprised that the narrator used a Scottish accent for the dialog. It was a nice touch knowing the origin of the story!

Also, just as a side note: they really did an amazing job on the cover because it’s truly stunning!It wasn’t bad, just okay. If you’re a fan of “Brave”, definitely read this one. I’m not sure I would still recommend it if you’re not really a fan of the movie?