The Kiss Quotient

 

This was a really cute story that kept me engaged in reading.  Stella thinks that she is bad at relationships and bad at all that involves because she is somewhere on the autistic spectrum.   So what's a girl to do?  She hires and escort to teach her how to do things correctly.   Enter Michael.  He's handsome, talented and in a lot of trouble with money because of some family problems.  Maybe they will both be the answer for all one another's problems.

So to be honest, the book is borderline porn.  But it reads well for what it is.  I enjoyed it and found it highly entertaining.  It certainly didn't hurt that Stella drives a Model S.  Sometimes you just need something fun and frivolous and this book completely fit the bill.  No, it won't win the Pulitzer but it was a fun way to spend a rainy day. 

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

    This is the story of a very posh wedding taking place on a private Irish island.  They say the island is haunted but that doesn't stop the beautiful bride to plan her exclusive wedding to a famous tv personality there.

I loved this book because it has a huge cast of characters.  All of them have something going on- some reason why they don't really want this wedding to happen.  When the book opens you know something has happened but you don't know what or to who.   It goes through all the characters and develops them.

From the bride, groom, wedding planner, plus one, best man, ushers, and more... they all have a motive.  They all have some reason that they might have been willing to commit an act of violence.  This one kept me guessing.  I'm really glad I chose it as my Book of the Month.  Enjoyed it thoroughly.   4 out of 5 stars. 

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

 So you all may have noticed, but I've been reading a lot of romance novels lately.  This one was referred to me by one of my book club friends, so I decided to check it out.  It is both exactly what I expected and also somehow more.  

This is the story of Thea and Gavin - a couple who are struggling to find their way.  Gavin is a major league baseball player and he and Thea have been married for three years.  Things definitely aren't as perfect as they seem and after a serious fight with a lot of hurt feelings, they marriage is on the ropes.  Not knowing what to do, Gavin has hit rock bottom when his friends decide to intervene.  They welcome him into their secret book club - the bromance book club.  They read exclusively romance novels and they claim that they have used these books to heal their relationships   Will it work for Gavin and Thea?

The premise behind this book alone was enough to get me laughing.  If you really think about it, romance novels can be a relationship guide in some respects.  I loved how the men pointed out how feminist  romance books actually tend to be and it even gave me some things to think about.

This book was light, fun, a great diversion with characters that I wanted to root for.  At times it got to be just a bit much, but for the most part, very enjoyable.   

Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty

  This was the third and final installment of the Daevabad trilogy.  I greatly enjoyed this series because I thought it was a completely original way to incorporate so many wonderful, familiar stories together.  This is the Djinn in an entirely new light.

This story follows Nahri and Ali as they find themselves back in Cairo after unintentionally escaping from Daeveabad.  They face a whole new set of problems now that Ali has the seal and it was never intended to leave Daevabad.   They find themselves looking for a way to find allies, return to their beloved city and face Dara and Nahri's mother once and for all. 

I loved how the story went through a complete redemption arc, especially for some of my favorite characters.  I loved the development of all - even some of the subsidiary characters like Jamshid.  The only thing I would have changed - maybe - about this book is that while the ending was satisfying, I wanted the bigger happy.  But now that I think about it, the characters got the ended they wanted.  

I gave it four out of five stars and I'm really glad I read this series.  Will definitely read this author again. 

Blood and Bone and The Rise of Magicks by Nora Roberts.

  Both of these are from the Year One trilogy. I decided to review them together because that just makes my life easier and hey, sometimes that should be a thing, right?   

So as I stated in my review of Year One, this series is about a pandemic, not unlike our own.  The Doom.   In the wake of the Doom, people survive and some develop "abilities" - magic.   Both light and dark.  The rest of the series is about The One - Fallon Swift - who is destined to defeat the dark.

This is your standard battle between good and evil, with very strong The Stand undertones.  Maybe because of that it was comforting to read.  Plus, since there is the magical aspect it was a pleasant diversion that sort of restores your faith in people and the ability of love and light to conquer all.  Definitely what I need more of in my life when that doesn't always seem to be my current reality. 

I really enjoyed it.  I mean, it isn't great literature but it is engaging, diverting, entertaining and more of what I needed right now.  So I gave this one four stars and I'm glad I read it. 

Beach Read by Emily Henry

  I read this book for my book club's July theme - a book you read by the water.  It was the perfect poolside ( in my case)  book.  The book is full of secrets (none too terribly shocking) and trite montages, as January would say, leading ultimately to a mostly happily ever after.  No surprise there. 

 This is the story of January and Augustus.  January is a writer.  She writes happily ever afters.   Gus is also a writer - not of the happily ever after variety.  Through a course of events that happen in January's life, she unexpectedly finds herself the owner of a lake house in Michigan.   Turns out, her new neighbor is  a man that she had some experience with back in college - her writing nemesis of sorts.

As the events of the book unfolds, January and Gus become friends and enter into a challenge of sorts.  She will write a more serious, fiction book and he will undertake a happily ever after.  To that end, they agree to spend time together, each learning the other's processes.   The  challenge - the first one to sell their new book wins.  

It was a great diversion - easy pool side book that I enjoyed.   Not life shattering, but not everything you read needs to be.  Sometimes it's ok to just enjoy something to float away with.  I gave it four stars. 

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

   I read this one for the coronacation reading challenge, although, to be honest, it had been sitting on my TBR pile for a while just waiting for something to compel me to pick it up.   Holocaust stories are hard, and in these times it was especially so.  But also, it was even more inspiring if that is possible.  This isn't the first time in history that bad things have happened to large groups of people.  We have gotten through bad things before and we will get through this.  Honestly, sitting in my house doesn't really compare to the horrors that Lale and Gita faced.

I loved Lale's character but agree that the story didn't come off feeling "real" but more of an amalgamation of stories told through one character for ease of story telling.   That said,  I admired Lale's sacrifice for his family, his absolute fortitude in the face of so much horror.  The part in the story where the gypsies are rounded up and then the ash on Lale's face-  I cried and cried. 

It was amazing to me how, in the face of so much horror, Lale and Gita still managed to find one another.  Through it all, they kept their promises to one another.  That certainly is what real love, in my opinion, looks like.

I thought this book was a beautiful love story and more than that, a tribute to the triumph of the human spirit. It presents both the best and absolute worst in all of us. I was really interested in Cilke's story and was interested to learn that there is more about her in another book.  Put that one on my TBR list too. 

I gave this one 4 out of 5 stars. 

Reap by Casey L. Bond.

Are you guys starting to notice a pattern yet?  Apparently, Casey L Bond is my recent go -to author for dealing with this Pandemic.  Her stories are well written and engrossing.  The perfect mix of story and romance to get away from the overwhelming reality that is 2020. 

This is the story of Abby.  She is a Lesser who lives and works in the Village of Orchard.  The Lessers are ruled over by the Greaters, and the Greaters benefit from the work of the villages and reap and harvest what the villages provide.  Every year, the Greaters  watch over the harvest, but this year, things are just a little bit different.  Are they only hear for the Apples?

This book felt a little like the Hunger Games meets Matched, but at the same time, is a completely original story.  I love that way that Bond questions what makes a "greater" and a "lesser" and what things really have value.   I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series - there are three books in this one.   4 out of 5 stars. 

Brutal Curse by Casey L. Bond.

   I will tell you that I am a crazy fool for two things - epic fantasy and fairy tale retellings.  This one is the later - it's sort of an epic Alice in Wonderland meets Beauty and the Beast.  It was a great, entertaining and original retelling.  Loved every minute of it. 

This is the story of Prince Carden,  a prince who has lost everything and Arabella, a girl barely getting by.  Their chance encounter leads to involvement with Queen Couer and one of her infamous games.  Couer is a Fae Queen who likes to play with mortals and show them how fickle their human hearts are.   The only person more dangerous than Couer is her son, Rule.

This is Alice in Wonderland as you have never seen it before and it was completely wonderful.  I don't want to say too much because I fear to do so would reveal more of the plot than I would like.  I will say that if you enjoy fairy tales - this one really is a must.  

The Upside of Falling by Alex Light.

  This book is exactly what it looks like.  A cute, feel-good story that is slightly more complicated than it appears. 

Becca is a girl who doesn't believe in love.  She watched her family be torn apart by infidelity and now she thinks that all loves are a tragedy.   She spends her life in books.  Until one day, Brett walks into her life and bam - next thing she knows they are in a fake relationship?

Brett lives his life to please his father.  Impressive football accomplishments - check.  College prospects - check.  Big plans for the future - check.  Girlfriend?   Not so much.  So Brett decides that Becca is the perfect candidate to check girlfriend off his list without too much strain and effort.

You can imagine how the story goes, but along the way, there are some great lessons about friendship, family and real love.  I read it in a sitting.  It was the distraction I needed.  Like Becca. 

The Outsider by Stephen King

   I read this one for the Coronacation Challenge.  Where to start?  First of all, I am a fan of Stephen King.  Even though he writes predominantly horror, he's an incredibly talented writer.  My favorites- The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and The Stand. Both of those are books that will stay with me forever.

So, on to this book. The pacing in the beginning is incredibly slow.  One step at a time, and one step forward compounded by conflicting evidence resulting in two steps back.  This is the story of a popular teacher and little league coach who is accused of a horrible child murder.  Did he do it?  Could he have done it?  It also evaluates how a crime of this nature doesn't just impact the victims' family, but the entire community.  It shows how fear and hatred spread and run rampant, if left unchecked.  

I loved the character of Holly.   When she appears on the scene things start to fall together and the pacing picks up a little too.  She's a delight.  A dear friend told me that she is a character in another series.  Let's be clear, while I am a fan of King he isn't my usual fare and I doubt I will be reading that other series, but I am really glad that I got to meet Holly.  And just for her, I still may....Time will tell.

After I finished I also started watching the show.  So far - 3 episodes in- the show is doing a really good job of being true to the book.  I gave it four stars.  Very well written and worth the read.

Salt for AIr by MC Frank

    Ok, so first of all - look at that cover!  I mean, I know you aren't supposed to judge a book by it's cover but this one?  I had to have it.   I ran across the author on twitter and I was just intrigued.  So glad I decided to check this one out!   It's currently available on Kindle Unlimited, so if you have a Kindle, check that out.

I loved the world building in this story.  Mermaids and mermen were presented in a way that I had never heard of before.  Imagine that, a completely unique take on a very old story.   

Lizzie lives in Greece.  She is being raised by friends, she has lost both of her parents.   She meets Ky at school - sort of.  You can discover that part of the story for yourself.   I am not going to say too much about the plot, other than I really enjoyed most of it.  I had my issues with some parts - typical teenage angst and all - but for the most part I thought it was so well done!

And that ending?  Breathtaking.   It was oth totally out of the blue and comfortingly familiar all at the same time.  It had a Chronicles of Narnia feel to it.  I was delighted to discover this is not her only book and am currently busy checking out the others.  This was the perfect escape story for me.  Loved it.  Four stars. 

The Shell Collector by Hugh Howey

   This was suggested as our August book club selection as a beach read, but it turned out to be so much more.  Not only was it a great beach read, light, but enthralling at the same time, but it also had a more important and more hopeful message.  Naive perhaps, but hopeful.

The book takes place in the not so distant future, after the sea level has risen and because of  acidification, the ocean has undergone a massive extinction level event where many of the creatures which live in shells have become extinct.

Enter Maya Walsh, the intrepid reporter who wants to finally get the evil oil barren she believes is behind the ruination of the world - Ness Wilde.   For generations, the Wilde family has engaged in unfriendly environmental practices and profited from the destruction of the ocean.  Maya is an avid shell collector, who loves the ocean.  She wants people to know the truth....

Except the truth isn't always what it seems.   I loved the story.    I loved the premise and the reveal at the end though I find it overly hopeful and as I said earlier somewhat naive.  If you are looking for a beach read and want something just a little bit different - this was quick, easy and definitely entertaining.  I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.