Tag: chocolate

Book Review, Fiction

Perfect Happiness by Kristyn Kusek Lewis ~ Book Review

Morgan

IMG_6210

Harper Perennial
Genre: Fiction
Release Date: June 9, 2020
My Rating: 🍪🍪

Perfect Happiness is a family drama surrounding Charlotte, a professor of psychology and author of the best selling book ‘Perfect Happiness.’ Her wealth, success, and hundreds of thousands of instagram followers have not, however, brought her the happiness she touts on a daily basis in her public talks and classes. I liked this book’s voyeuristic focus on social media and how different it is from real life. Reading about Charlotte obsessively checking and rechecking her likes was kind of startling to read over and over even though it’s something many of us do on a daily basis. Lewis made her point.

Charlotte’s family life is struggling. She and her husband Jason have grown distant, her daughter, entering her teenage years, has started to act out, and she drowns her concerns in a bottle of wine nearly every night. That being said, Charlotte’s character came off as excessively privileged to me, and it made it really hard for me to enjoy the story. I honestly can’t tell if the author’s intention was to make Charlotte this way. Weirdly, I think I would’ve enjoyed the story more if this was intentional, because it would be more of a commentary on how out of touch many people are with their own privilege. One social media ‘troll’ even calls Charlotte out for being out of touch and I fully agreed. It infuriated me when she compared her life to the ‘troll,’ whose child had recently tried to commit suicide. Excuse me, Charlotte? Your daughter snuck out to go to a party like every other teenager. Check yourself.

I know that the issues Charlotte faced are things that people struggle with on a daily basis, I just wish her character construction or circumstances had been a little different. That being said, she had a really detailed well built out life. I liked learning about Jason’s job as a zoologist (so cool) and seeing his struggles too.

The ending felt rushed and unbelievable without any evidence of anyone actually trying to change. I read this really quickly, and could wonderfully visualize every bit of Charlotte’s story, but there were a few key elements that didn’t work for me.

My Rating: 🍪🍪
Buy Perfect Happiness at an indie bookstore near you
Perfect Happiness on Goodreads

Book Review, Fiction, thriller, Uncategorized

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin ~ Book Review

Morgan

The Night Swim book with cake

St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Thriller
Release Date: August 4, 2020
My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪.5

For some reason whenever pop-culture shows up in fiction I find it a little jarring. The Night Swim centers around Rachel Krall who runs a true crime podcast. Each season, she focuses on a different crime and the subsequent trial. The season in question takes place in a beachside town during a rape trial. Simultaneously, Rachel begins to get mysterious letters from a listener, begging her to look into the drowning of a young girl in the same town years before.

The book goes back and forth between both victims, Kelly and Jenny. Each of their experiences are heartbreaking and disturbing. Their accounts are interspersed with episodes of Rachel’s podcast. The format was very different from other thrillers I’ve read, but I didn’t love the podcast segments — they felt very cut and dry.

There was a twist in the story toward the end, which absolutely shocked me, but much of the violence (gang rape, physical abuse, etc.) was hard for me to get through. The story sheds a strong light on victim blaming, and reputation during rape trials and the mental and emotional tolls on both girls were heartbreaking. If you like true crime, and true crime podcasts in particular, I think you’d enjoy The Night Swim.

My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪.5
Buy The Night Swim at an indie bookstore near you
The Night Swim on Goodreads

Book Review, Nonfiction, Uncategorized

This is Major by Shayla Lawson ~ Book Review

Morgan

IMG_5735

Harper Perennial
Genre: Nonfiction
Release Date: June 30, 2020

Shayla Lawson’s essay collection focuses on Black girl culture, her experiences with implicit and explicit racism in her everyday life, and celebrating Black womanhood, and all that Black women have accomplished, influenced, and inspired. She touches on pop culture, career success, childhood and family life, and everything in between. I encourage you to seek out Own Voices reviews for this collection, or post any you know if in the comments. Black reviewers will understand Lawson’s words in a way that I cannot.

This book made me examine my own white privilege again and again. I cannot imagine how exhausting it must be for her (and so many others) to face racism in the workplace, in school, in everyday life, over and over again and to have her valid objections to this behavior brushed over. Lawson also brings in heartbreaking and horrific historical insight and research about slavery and the ways in which Black women in particular have been exploited and used. There was a strong mix of topics, from Black Twitter to Diana Ross, to American Girl Dolls. Some sections were poetry, since Lawson is a poet, but most were prose. I found This is Major to be incredibly eye opening and informative.

Buy This is Major at an indie bookstore near you
This is Major on Goodreads

Book Review, Fiction, thriller, Uncategorized

The Herd by Andrea Bartz ~ Book Review

Morgan

The Herd with 7 Layer Bars

Ballantine Books
Genre: Mystery
Release Date: March 24, 2020
My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪.5

I was instantly intrigued by the premise of this book since it’s classified as a mystery, but definitely doesn’t have a traditional plot. The storyline radiates around The HERd, an elite, all-female coworking space founded by Eleanor Walsh. This seemed incredibly random to me, but I loved it. Having previously worked in a building that housed a bougie coworking space (that I may have snuck around once or twice) I could easily picture the goings on and loved the weirdly relatable aspect of the mystery. The story opens with Katie, who has just moved to Manhattan, meeting with Eleanor about the potential of joining The Herd. Her sister, Hana, is the head of PR there, so her chances are good. When Eleanor fails to show up to make an important announcement at a prestigious The Herd event, Katie, Hana, and their friend Mikki, work to try to figure out what happened to her, while also trying to keep secrets from their past hidden.

This book definitely explores toxic female relationships, especially when it comes to getting ahead in career success. I thought this was really interesting in conjunction with a thriller. That being said, there was also kind of a lot going on and it could get confusing to keep track of characters (that might have been partially because I listened to this as an audiobook). I was intrigued to find out what happened to Eleanor and why, but some of the darker twists just didn’t feel like they fully gelled with the rest of the book. I would’ve liked more of a focus on The Herd itself, and more time with Eleanor, but nonetheless, this was an enjoyable and different type of mystery for me.

My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪.5
Buy The Herd at an indie bookstore near you
The Herd on Goodreads

Book Review, Fiction, Uncategorized

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger ~ Book Review

Morgan

The Devil Wears Prada with brownies

Broadway
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: April 15, 2003
My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪🍪

I absolutely adore the movie adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada and yes, I did watch it before I read the book (many, many times in fact). I’m not sure why I never thought to pick up the book until now — I might have been a teensy bit scared of being disappointed.

I think the key for me to enjoy this story was to think of it as a standalone, and not consider its relation to the movie. Did I picture Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway while I read? Maybe a little bit. But I digress. The Devil Wears Prada follows Andrea Sachs as she embarks on her first job out of college, in New York City. She lands the role of assistant to Miranda Priestly, the editor of Runway, a glamorous fashion magazine. Andrea has dreams of someday being a writer for The New Yorker, but she figures a year at Runway will be a foot in the door of the publishing industry.

The majority of the book focuses on the insane errands and impossible tasks that Miranda tosses Andrea’s way, but Andrea’s personal life is fleshed out as well, much more so than the movie. She struggles with her relationships with her family and with her boyfriend, with trying to find an affordable apartment in Manhattan, and with a friend who is dealing with a drinking problem. This rounding-out of her character kept the scenes at the office from getting repetitive. 

There are some key plot differences between the movie and the book, especially near the end, and Andrea’s character is depicted very differently. As much as I did enjoy reading this, I think I actually prefer the movie, but that might just be because I’ve seen it so many times, and am used to the story going a certain way. Nonetheless, Miranda’s antics, and Andrea’s growth throughout her time working at Runway still make for an entertaining and interesting read for sure.

My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪🍪
Buy The Devil Wears Prada at an indie bookstore near you
The Devil Wears Prada on Goodreads

Book Review, Fiction, Uncategorized

Destination Wedding by Diksha Basu ~ Book Review

Morgan

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Ballantine Books 
Genre: Fiction
Release Date: June 30, 2020 (Happy Pub Day! Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC!)
My Rating: 🍪🍪.5

Destination Wedding is a meandering work of contemporary fiction that takes place over the course of a weeklong wedding celebration in Delhi, India. Above all, this felt to me like an exploration of Delhi, the characters who act as narrators, and the varied relationships they have with India. The descriptive imagery throughout the entire narrative was extremely detailed and characterized the writing and the entirety of the novel for me.

There are a lot of players who make up this storyline. Tina Das and Marianne lead the narrative, at least at the beginning. Tina’s cousin is getting married, and she brings along her best friend Marianne with her, both traveling from Manhattan. Tina’s divorced parents come along as well as her mom’s boyfriend. I did not like Tina and Marianne. Both seemed very entitled to me, and Marianne’s fixation with dating men of different races and cultures felt problematic. I think she was constructed that way on purpose, but I wished Tina had addressed it. While in Delhi, Tina’s dad is set up with a woman who has been widowed. Their storyline was my favorite. The budding romance is not traditionally the type that’s written about, given their age, and it was heartwarming to see their renewed faith in love. I also really appreciated Mr. Das’s relationship with his ex-wife and their ability to support each other despite their divorce.

I’m a very plot-oriented reader, and as such, I struggled with this book. The descriptive language is fantastic, I felt like I could see, smell and hear Delhi through Basu’s wonderful prose, but it was a bit rambly. The asides from various, seemingly inconsequential characters, also threw me for a loop. It felt disjointed to me to suddenly have a bit of insight from someone who was not a main character, but in hindsight, it added to the overall atmospheric element of the novel. As an exploration of Delhi, and different inhabitant’s thoughts about the city, this worked well and gave a more rounded view of the city. If you are looking for a fast paced, plot driven narrative, this one may not be your cup of tea.

My Rating: 🍪🍪.5
Buy Destination Wedding at an indie bookstore near you
Destination Wedding on Goodreads

Book Review, Fiction, Romance, Uncategorized

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan ~ Book Review

Morgan

IMG_5143

Doubleday (Thanks to the publisher for an ARC!)
Genre: Fiction
Release Date: June 30, 2020
My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪.5

I was a big fan of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy (and movie!). When I first caught wind of Kevin Kwan’s new book, Sex and Vanity, I couldn’t wait to jump back into a world of over the top luxury, caricature-esque characters, and ways of life beyond my wildest imaginings. This is exactly what I got. Sex and Vanity is marketed as an homage to A Room with a View, and although I haven’t read E.M. Forster’s novel, after a brief skimming of the Wikipedia page, it looks like the general plot is closely followed, and many of the names of the main characters from the original book are used. Other than that, I can only speak to Sex and Vanity as a standalone story.

I will say that in retrospect, there are very few likable characters in this book. I loved the main characters of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, and the way they stood in stark contrast to the utter vanity of those around them. This book follows Lucie, starting when she is in high school and has a romantic trist with a boy named George while they’re at a wedding in Italy, and then skipping ahead to when she becomes engaged to Cecil. Cecil was way too much for me. He was inexcusably rude, vapid, and entitled, and the fact that Lucie could be engaged to him and keep brushing off the terrible way he treated her family made me very frustrated. Besides having little personality of her own, she came off as quite the meek pushover. Additionally, her cousin Charlotte’s character construction was extremely bizarre. She seemed incredibly old-fashioned and conservative for the modern setting. I wonder if this was a sort of carry-over from trying to adapt a novel from 1908. It didn’t quite work.

Besides the issues with the characters, I actually enjoyed this novel a lot. It was a wonderfully opulent escape from reality, with exquisite descriptions of decadence from Capri to the Hamptons. The plot was pretty predictable, but I liked the little dips and turns that were taken along the way. Lucie’s experience being biracial and feeling torn between the two sides of her family was also a thought-provoking and informative layer to her character and the story as a whole. Kevin Kwan’s descriptive language is masterful. I could practically see, taste, and smell everything he depicted, and the footnotes he includes in his writing allow the reader to have the same background knowledge as the kooky characters, without him including a bunch of exposition directly in the narrative.

My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪.5
Sex and Vanity on Goodreads 
Buy Sex and Vanity at an indie bookstore near you

Book Review, Fiction, Romance, Uncategorized

The Sight of You by Holly Miller ~ Book Review

Morgan

The Sight of You and Cake

G.P. Putnam’s Sons (thank you to the publisher for a review copy!)
Genre: Romance
Release Date: June 9, 2020
My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪🍪

The Sight of You sets up an emotional and beautiful love story with an unexpected premise unlike anything I’ve read before. One of the two main characters, Joel, has a peculiar ailment: he dreams about the futures of the people he loves. Although these are often wonderful and positive dreams, the ones that are sinister haunt him at all times of day. Plagued by the knowledge of what will happen to the people he is closest to, Joel tries to sleep as little as possible, and distances himself from close relationships. The emotional weight of this book reminded me of Me Before You. When Callie meets Joel, she is instantly attracted to him. I really appreciated seeing her side of the narrative as she struggles to understand Joel’s actions and reactions.

The narrative is split between the two of them in a heartbreaking depiction of two people who want, above all else, to be together, but who struggle to justify the pain and weight that their relationship carries. The way that their relationship affects each of them is really wonderfully portrayed. The novel shows how being together helps each of them become better versions of themselves: pursuing passions, travels, and experiences spurred by conversations they shared. The positive impacts they have on each other makes the arc of the story especially heart-wrenching.

The chapters are also interspersed with letters from Callie in the future, giving the reader some insight as to how her life has unfolded. These made me whip through the book, trying to understand the actions that led to her writing each letter. This book definitely sits heavy on the heart, but the beauty of Miller’s writing and uniquely descriptive prose makes it a truly enjoyable read.

My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪🍪
Buy The Sight of You at an indie bookstore near you
The Sight of You on Goodreads

Book Review, Fiction, Romance, Uncategorized

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon ~ Book Review

Morgan

IMG_5379
Forever
Genre: Romance
Release Date: June 9, 2020
My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪🍪.5

Thank you to Libro.fm for an audiobook of The Boyfriend Project. I absolutely loved the premise of this book. It begins with three women who discover, thanks to Twitter, that they’ve all been catfished by the same man. As they bond over their shared strife, they commiserate about how much time they’ve spent swiping through dating apps and going on wasted dates. Together, they decide to devote the next six months to their own passion projects and hobbies in an endeavor they title: The Boyfriend Project. Obviously, this is a romance, so this plan isn’t strictly upheld, but I loved the feeling of empowerment behind their decision and the way that it sets the stage for the three women’s friendship. I also really appreciate their frank conversations about the difficulties of finding strong friendships as an adult.

Samiah Brooks is our main character and largely leads the story. She works in the tech industry, and discusses the racism and sexism she’s experienced as a Black woman throughout her career. The weight of her struggle and her need to strive for nothing less than perfection is such an important addition to this story. The layers of this novel really impressed me. When Samiah meets a new hire at work, Daniel, their attraction is immediate. I was expecting her main qualm with pursuing a relationship with him to be The Boyfriend Project, but his storyline was much more complex than that (think a little bit of a double life). This was such a unique, intricate, and ~steamy~ romance and Je Nie Fleming’s narration truly brought Farrah Rochon’s work to life. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪🍪.5
Buy The Boyfriend Project at an indie bookstore near you
Buy the audiobook on Libro.fm
The Boyfriend Project on Goodreads

Book Review, Fiction, Romance, Uncategorized, YA

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell ~ Book Review

Morgan

Eleanor & Park with brownies

St. Martin’s Press
Genre: YA Romance
Release Date: February 26, 2013
My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪🍪

I have never smiled so much while listening to an audiobook. Eleanor & Park tells the story of, well, Eleanor and Park, whose romance begins on the seats of the yellow school bus that brings them to and from high school each day. Eleanor’s the new kid. She’s overweight, and her flaming red hair and eclectic clothes immediately make her standout to the other kids, and not in a good way. Park, unable to stand the awkwardness that ensues when no one lets her sit with them, scoots over for her. Aw, young love. From there, Rowell does a captivating job of creating a believable YA love story. It starts with Park’s comic books, which Eleanor reads over his shoulder on their daily bus rides, subtly at first, and then not so subtly.

The humor infused in this novel is fantastic. Eleanor’s flirty sass is adorable and believable, and her banter with Park is perfect. Their internal insights and conversations, narrated by Rebecca Lowman and Sunil Malhotra wonderfully bring to life the trepidation that comes with first relationships.

There’s an extra layer added to Park and Eleanor’s story that was woven through every action: Eleanor’s family. She lives with her mom and abusive stepfather, and a gaggle of younger siblings she tries her best to protect. The details of her home life are heartbreaking: her race to take a bath after school before her stepdad gets home because the bathroom door won’t close and her attempts to confront her mom about what’s going on while she quietly assures Eleanor she is fine.

Park’s family welcomes Eleanor into their home as Park’s girlfriend and for the first time in her life, she has a safe place. I appreciated the discussions the two of them had about their families and Park’s feelings about his Asian heritage. It was touching and painful to see the way he tried to understand and accommodate Eleanor’s home life, and the way the romantic relationships Eleanor’s mom engaged in affected her ability to express the way she felt toward Park. Overall, this was an engrossing coming-of-age romance and there was a good balance between the heavy and disturbing topics and the adorable and humorous relationship between Eleanor and Park.

My Rating: 🍪🍪🍪🍪
Buy Eleanor & Park at an indie bookstore near you
Eleanor & Park on Goodreads