“(…) when you give people a mask, that’s when they show you what they really are.” – 4/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: guest lists, room service, bridges, inaugurations, mean owners, VIP guests and a very exclusive club.

Everyone’s Dying to Join…

The Home Group is a glamorous collection of celebrity members’ clubs dotted across the globe, where the rich and famous can party hard and then crash out in its five-star suites, far from the prying eyes of fans and the media.

The most spectacular of all is Island Home—a closely-guarded, ultraluxurious resort, just off the English coast—and its three-day launch party is easily the most coveted A-list invite of the decade.

But behind the scenes, tensions are at breaking point: the ambitious and expensive project has pushed the Home Group’s CEO and his long-suffering team to their absolute limits. All of them have something to hide—and that’s before the beautiful people with their own ugly secrets even set foot on the island.

As tempers fray and behavior worsens, as things get more sinister by the hour and the body count piles up, some of Island Home’s members will begin to wish they’d never made the guest list.

Because at this club, if your name’s on the list, you’re not getting out.

In a few words: fun, but confusing.

This murder mystery happens in a very exclusive celebrity club named “Home”. This club has hotels around the world, but a new one is opening named “Island Home” and the owners Ned and Adam are preparing for the inauguration – that is not doing very well due to the delays and budget issues.

This book is full of twists and surprises! I really liked the plot and the celebrity drama, and the characters were interesting and had depth. The setting was fun and the descriptions of the Club really made the reading experience very atmospheric.

The only negative thing I would point out is that I was lost and confused a lot. It was so confusing since there were too many characters and POVs, and it ended up being a little chaotic! It took me some time until I stopped mixing characters and knew exactly who was who. I understand the purpose of each one of them, but it made reading very confusing.

For a dark thriller, I really liked it. It just wasn’t perfect because I was lost at times.

“A tree can be only as strong as the forest that surrounds it.” – 4/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: forests, fungi, communication strategies, nutrient exchange, helping neighbors, age, growth and the beautiful canopy of trees.

In The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben shares his deep love of woods and forests and explains the amazing processes of life, death, and regeneration he has observed in the woodland and the amazing scientific processes behind the wonders of which we are blissfully unaware. Much like human families, tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, and support them as they grow, sharing nutrients with those who are sick or struggling and creating an ecosystem that mitigates the impact of extremes of heat and cold for the whole group. As a result of such interactions, trees in a family or community are protected and can live to be very old. In contrast, solitary trees, like street kids, have a tough time of it and in most cases die much earlier than those in a group.

Drawing on groundbreaking new discoveries, Wohlleben presents the science behind the secret and previously unknown life of trees and their communication abilities; he describes how these discoveries have informed his own practices in the forest around him. As he says, a happy forest is a healthy forest, and he believes that eco-friendly practices not only are economically sustainable but also benefit the health of our planet and the mental and physical health of all who live on Earth.

This book is a hidden gem!

As soon as I saw this book existed, I knew I had to get it. It’s not like I’m a tree enthusiast, but I’m very curious about nature and I’m always looking to read and learn more about it.

If you like trees or maybe you’re curious about trees, this is the book for you. In this book you’ll learn about how trees communicate, share nutrients, help their neighbors, grow, reproduce, protect themselves and live peacefully in community. 

It’s true that I learned a lot while reading this amazing book, but one of the best things about it is how you can feel the author’s enthusiasm through his writing. You can feel his excitement through the pages and how much he enjoys what he does. There is no doubt in my mind that this man loves trees and nature.

Even though I enjoy enthusiasm and I like nature myself, I was a little bored at times while reading this. It’s not that the book is boring, but it gets a little monotonous and repetitive. I guess I just don’t love trees to that extent!

At the end of day, I enjoyed this book and I learned a lot. I think this is a great option to pick up if you like to read and learn more about nature. Just keep in mind it’s a deep dive!

“Everyone’s got the potential to do the wrong thing – if we were measured that way, we’d all come up short. It’s about what you do.” – 3.25/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: carpool, awkward moments, old lovers, gas stations, breast pumps, weddings and a very long trip.

Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend’s wedding in the north of Scotland. The playlist is all planned and the snacks are packed.

But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie’s ex, Dylan, who she’s avoided since their traumatic break-up two years earlier.

Dylan and his best mate are heading to the wedding too, and they’ve totalled their car, so Addie has no choice but to offer them a ride. The car is soon jam-packed full of luggage and secrets, and with three hundred miles ahead of them, Dylan and Addie can’t avoid confronting the very messy history of their relationship…

Will they make it to the wedding on time? And, more importantly… is this really the end of the road for Addie and Dylan?

This was okay, but it’s definitely not my favorite book from Beth O’Leary. 

There were a lot of things I didn’t love about this book, but the main thing that bothered me was how repetitive it was. It felt like it was too long and the scenes were stretched to the max… and yet, nothing happened.

I also didn’t love the main characters. Addie and Dylan were boring and bland, and I didn’t care about them and their romance. The rest of the characters were okay and more likable. I especially liked Rodney for how mysterious and clueless he was at times! Marcus was an asshole and his attitude annoyed me the entire time, so I didn’t like him as well.

Other than what happened when they finally got to the wedding – which was actually funny -, and the little “Marcus plot twist thing” that happened also near the end, the entire book felt monotonous and boring.

For a romance, I expected a little more. I think this had great potential if the story wasn’t so repetitive and the main couple was a little more likable and had better personalities. But oh well, you win some, you lose some.Like I said, it was an okay read – not great but not unbearable. I personally wouldn’t recommend this book if you’re starting with Beth O’Leary. If I were to recommend one of her books, I would say to pick up “The Flatshare” instead!

“Everyone’s on the cliff edge of normal. Everyone finds life an utter nightmare sometimes, and there’s no ‘normal’ way of dealing with it… There is no normal, Evelyn.” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: great friendships, OCD medication, movies, cleaning supplies, being normal, psychiatrist appointments, terrible love interests, washed hands and young spinsters.

All Evie wants is to be normal. She’s almost off her meds and at a new college where no one knows her as the girl-who-went-crazy. She’s even going to parties and making friends. There’s only one thing left to tick off her list…

But relationships are messy – especially relationships with teenage guys. They can make any girl feel like they’re going mad. And if Evie can’t even tell her new friends Amber and Lottie the truth about herself, how will she cope when she falls in love?

I feel like I’m going through a reading phase where I don’t pick up YA coming of age stories anymore, but I still had this book on my shelf for a long time and I decided to read it before I give it away. So I read it, and surprisingly – I think this is a hidden gem!

Let me start by saying this is not a book centered on romance. I mean, this still has love interests and all, but it’s truly a coming of age story. It follows this girl named Evie who suffers from OCD and is on her path to become “normal” – or her definition of normal, that is.

It was an extremely funny, wholesome and simultaneously sad book. I loved the humor, the characters, the story and how honest it felt. Evie was a likable character and I can only imagine what it is like to be in her shoes. She was always hopeful she would get better and her medication dosage would diminish whenever she visited her psychiatrist, but sometimes it’s hard to get a hold on what we can’t control. It made me think about what people with OCD go through and how it affects their lives.

The other characters were good, but I had a bit of an issue with her parents and psychiatrist. The parents were really insensitive and the way they kept separating Evie from her sister so she wouldn’t “influence her” was absolutely terrible and made me feel icky. Also her psychiatrist had a really questionable way of thinking by forcing her to eat an expired sandwich. That felt super wrong.

Her friends were cool, but I personally didn’t love Amber. She just seemed a little too passive aggressive and manipulative for my taste, but she wasn’t the worst character in this by far. I really liked how they created their own spinster club and how they reinvented what the word meant! I thought that was really cute.

Also, like I said, this is not exactly a romance book but there are three – oh yes, you read that right – three love interests! Unfortunately the story takes a turn and it doesn’t end up like I think most readers would. The love interests were very interesting and different from what we normally see in YA romances, but I liked the role of each one of them and how they contributed to her growth. Again, this is a coming of age story, not a romance.

In the end, I liked this book a lot. And I kind of want to read more about the other girls of the Spinster Club! Maybe I should continue this series? 

Who knew I would enjoy a YA coming of age story again?

“Letting go isn’t about forgetting. It’s balancing moving forward with life, and looking back from time to time, remembering the people in it.”– 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: denim jackets, book ends, memorials, bookstores, short films, bullying, roses, University letters, grief, good friendships, future plans, tragic accidents and unexpected phone calls.

Seventeen-year-old Julie has her future all planned out—move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, attend college in the city, spend a summer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes.

Heartbroken, Julie skips his funeral, throws out his things, and tries everything to forget him and the tragic way he died. But a message Sam left behind in her yearbook forces back memories. Desperate to hear his voice one more time, Julie calls Sam’s cellphone just to listen to his voicemail.

And Sam picks up the phone.

In a miraculous turn of events, Julie’s been given a second chance at goodbye. The connection is temporary. But hearing Sam’s voice makes her fall for him all over again, and with each call it becomes harder to let him go. However, keeping her otherworldly calls with Sam a secret isn’t easy, especially when Julie witnesses the suffering Sam’s family is going through. Unable to stand by the sidelines and watch their shared loved ones in pain, Julie is torn between spilling the truth about her calls with Sam and risking their connection and losing him forever.

This was such a nice and pleasant surprise! I knew this book was popular, but I admit I didn’t have a lot of expectations when I picked this up. The good thing is that I ended up liking this way more than I thought I would!

In this book we follow this girl named Julie. She found her soulmate Sam when she was in high school and she had her life with him planned out to the detail. They were very happy together and they loved each other very much, but a tragic accident takes Sam’s life and now Julie is struggling and dealing with grief. Sam always told her if she called he would answer, and that’s what she did… the crazy thing is Sam answers! And there’s where I’m going to leave it. Also, don’t worry, this is not a spoiler – it is also mentioned in the synopsis!

But I didn’t know about that. I went into this book blindly and I didn’t know it was part fantasy – well, magical realism, to be exact. I was expecting this to be just a sad YA romance, but these phone calls were such an amazing and special element added to the story.

Needless to say, I loved this book. Grief is a huge part of this story, and the author did an amazing job with these characters and their feelings. Julie was an okay character in the sense that she wasn’t super likable, but I also felt really bad for her because of how badly she was suffering. Still, I liked seeing her grow and starting to overcome her grief. Her calls with Sam warmed my heart and made me wish everyone navigating through grief had the same opportunity.

While I was reading this book, I remember having a lot of moments when I thought “how in the world is this story going to end?”. Part of me was curious, but a bigger part of me just wanted a happy ending. And when I finally reached the last pages, I was happy. I thought the ending was done beautifully and I was satisfied with the resolution of the story. And in case you’re wondering: yes, I cried like a baby!

Apparently this is a debut novel, but it really doesn’t feel like it. It’s very well written and engaging, but most importantly, it was unique and unforgettable! I completely understand why this book is popular, and I admit this is a story that is probably going to follow me for a very long time.

I highly recommend this one, especially if you want a good book to cry to. Keep the tissues close because you’re going to need it.

“This was always beyond friendship for me.” – 2.75/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: family disputes, playgrounds, car dealerships, college classes, concerts, shared apartments and rich kids.

I started flirting with a guy while waiting for my car to be serviced. Now granted, he wasn’t just any guy. Tall. Dark. Hot. Mysterious. Can you blame me for wanting to talk to him? He’s in town visiting his parents. So am I. He goes to the same college as I do. Such a coincidence. Almost as if our meeting is destined…

But I shouldn’t believe in that sort of thing. I am single as a Pringle and always ready to mingle. Until I keep running into Mr. Tall, Dark and Mysterious everywhere I go. Tony Sorrento. Turns out he’s on the football team. I mean, I’m not one to chase after a sexy jock but, okay. I’m down. And did I mention he’s only a freshman?

Our fathers are business rivals, and they forbid us from dating. We need to keep this on the low. Can we remain friendly? Sure. Maybe turn our friendship into friends with benefits? Most definitely. Here’s the thing though. I didn’t plan on catching feelings for him so quickly. Seems like he’s falling pretty hard for me too.

Defying our fathers’ wishes is only asking for trouble, but is being with Tony worth the risk?

I have some conflicted feelings about this book. I don’t think it’s a horrible book by any means, but something felt off. Well, a few things, actually.
This romance book starts when Tony (a freshman in college) meets the beautiful and very flirty Hayden in a high end car dealership. After talking for a few minutes they discover they are both rich, have daddy issues and attend the same college. All nice and dandy, until they bump into each other in a fancy party and find out their parents are enemies. And so a forbidden love begins!
I have to be real with you: I couldn’t care less about these characters. I wasn’t invested in the romance, probably because I wasn’t invested in the characters and their (lack of) chemistry. I think I still liked Hayden better than Tony, just because she was written like a unique main female character, and Tony was kind of boring and unmemorable. They didn’t fit well as a couple and their banter was nothing special. The only thing they had in common was the fact that they both came from rich families… and that’s it.
One thing I found weird was how the rivalry between both families was… glossed over? I thought this was going to be part of the main drama of the plot, but it was completely ignored and I was left confused. We don’t see Hayden and Tony fight against their families to be together and there was no resolution between families in any way, shape or form. What was even the point of this issue in the first place then?
The writing also felt a little weird because it was simultaneously boring, but fast-paced. The plot was so dull and full of rich people’s problems (not even the interesting kind of problems). Their encounters were boring and there was no spark between them. Everything happened so fast, and yet, nothing interesting happened.
I’m a little disappointed. I don’t like to leave book series unfinished, and that’s the only reason why I’m even considering reading the other 3 books left in the “College Years” series. I’ve heard great things about Monica Murphy, so I’m hoping the other books are a little more entertaining with better romances.

“I love her face when she smiles. But it could be that her smile is a lie that she uses to hide her clenched teeth. I don’t understand why she cried. I can’t even say, “You’ll be all right.” But I will always be by your side. After all, I am your cat.” – 4/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: stray cats, meals, bonds, paintings, friendships, territories and loving owners.

For fans of Mieko Kawakami’s Breasts and Eggs and Murata Sayaka’s Earthlings, this Japanese bestseller from renowned anime director Makoto Shinkai features four inspirational and heartwarming vignettes following women and their cats in their quests for love and connection.

Lying alone on the edge of the sidewalk in an abandoned cardboard box, a nameless narrator contemplates the indifferent world around him. With his mother long gone, his only company is the sound of the nearby train. Just as he fears that the end is near, a young woman peers down at him, this fateful encounter changing their lives forever

So begins the first story in She and Her Cat, a collection of four interrelated, stream-of-conscious short stories in which four women and their feline companions explore the frailty of life, the pain of isolation, and the limits of communication.

With clever narration alternating between the cats and their owners, She and Her Cat offers a unique and sly commentary on human foibles and our desire for connection. A whimsical short story anthology unlike any other, it effortlessly demonstrates that even in our darkest, most lonesome moments, we are still united to this wonderous world—often in ways we could never have expected.

What a wholesome book! This was such a cute and beautiful story – but I’m probably biased because I love cats and stories about cats.

In this book, we follow the story of four cats and their owners. The book is divided into four parts, focusing on each cat and respective owner. The cool thing is that all of the stories are connected and they know and interact with each other!

What I really liked about this book is how the animals could “talk”. You can read their thoughts and their conversations with each other, but the humans in the story don’t understand them, they only hear them meow or bark. I thought this was a really cool thing about the story and it helped bring the animals’ perspectives to life!

I found this to be a very typical Japanese book in the sense that there’s a lot of depth to it. To be more specific, there are plenty of reflections on life, death, friendship, happiness and loneliness.

It’s a short book full of magical, wholesome (and even sad) moments. I would recommend this one!

“The forest did not scare her; rather, she wanted to be like it: ageless and impervious, cruel and beautiful. Death could not touch it.” – 3.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: dead goats, maps, caring siblings, shovels, last names, threats, graves, old magic, adventures, curses and bone houses.

Seventeen-year-old Aderyn (“Ryn”) only cares about two things: her family, and her family’s graveyard. And right now, both are in dire straits. Since the death of their parents, Ryn and her siblings have been scraping together a meager existence as gravediggers in the remote village of Colbren, which sits at the foot of a harsh and deadly mountain range that was once home to the fae. The problem with being a gravedigger in Colbren, though, is that the dead don’t always stay dead.

The risen corpses are known as “bone houses,” and legend says that they’re the result of a decades-old curse. When Ellis, an apprentice mapmaker with a mysterious past, arrives in town, the bone houses attack with new ferocity. What is it that draws them near? And more importantly, how can they be stopped for good?

Together, Ellis and Ryn embark on a journey that will take them deep into the heart of the mountains, where they will have to face both the curse and the long-hidden truths about themselves.

This was a very typical YA fantasy stand alone with a strong heroine, and I’m not mad about it because that was exactly what I felt like reading! 

If I had to describe what “The Bone Houses” is about, I would say it’s mostly a book about family and death. You may think this would be a creepy book since the main character is a gravedigger and there are a lot of dead bodies just walking around, but it wasn’t. It was a fun read and full of magic and adventure!

I personally liked all the characters in this and I found them all lovable, but I especially loved the main characters Ryn and Ellis! I loved their dialogues and humor, but I also felt their grief and their pain. Also, there’s a slow burn (and subtle) romance between them, and you know me… I’m a sucker for romance. Ryn’s siblings were also a great addition to the story, and I loved how they were always there for their sister.

I thought it was entertaining and different, but it’s not a super memorable book. The message is beautiful though! Not the best book ever, but definitely not bad.