The Chase by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg | Book Review #163

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
The Chase by Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

Are there spoilers?

Nope.

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Title: The Chase 

Author: Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg

Series: Fox and O'Hare #2

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Pages: 304

Published: 2014

Publisher:  Bantam 

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Romance, Crime

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Date Read: May 2, 2019

Rating: ★★★☆☆

An internationally renowned thief and con artist Nicolas Fox runs daring cons now teams undercover for FBI with the agent who caught him, Kate O'Hare. Together they catch the world’s most wanted—and untouchable—criminals, next to Carter Grove, former White House chief of staff, now the ruthless leader of BlackRhino private security for a rare Chinese rooster from the Smithsonian.

The Rating:

My Review:

The Chase didn't catch and hold onto my attention like The Heist did but it was still a good read. This one had a lot of the same elements that the first one had too.

I love how Kate and Nick's relationship is still going on like a slow burn. they obviously have a lot to sexual tension between them and they flirt with each other so it's all there. And I can't wait to see when it starts to get more official.

Kate's father is still my favorite character. He's just so cool. And I still think that Sylvester Stallone or Bruce Willis or even Jean-Claude Van Damme could play him. Or maybe a little bit of the three of them in one. Crazy but smart, and a loving father, and a good fighter/sharpshooter. But also I don't think he'd be old. Like I know he's retired but I don't think he's old-old. Ya know?

Goodreads

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The Bookish Island
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Please Send Help by Gaby Dunn & Allison Raskin | Book Review #159

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
Please Send Help by Gaby Dunn & Allison Raskin

Are there spoilers?

Nope.

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Disclaimer:

This book was sent to me by the publishing company (St. Martins Press) through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Please Send Help

Author: Gaby Dunn & Allison Raskin

Series: I Hate Everyone But You #2

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Pages: 320

Published: July 2019

Publisher:  Wednesday Books 

Genre: Young Adult, New Adult

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Date Read: March 31, 2019

Rating: ★★★☆☆

In this hilarious follow-up novel to the New York Times bestseller I Hate Everyone But You, long distance best friends Ava and Gen have finally made it to the same time zone (although they’re still over a thousand miles apart).

Through their hilarious, sometimes emotional, but always relatable conversations, Ava and Gen are each other’s support systems through internships, relationship troubles, questionable roommates, undercover reporting, and whether or not it’s a good idea to take in a feral cat. Please Send Help perfectly captures the voice of young adults looking to find their place in the world and how no matter how desperate things seem, you always have your best friend to tell it like it is and pick you back up. 

The Rating:

My Review:

Please Send Help is the Sequel to I Hate Everybody But You which I read a while back. And although its the sequel it didn't have the same themes throughout it. And I'm not mad at it. But I'm also not thrilled.

It was good to see that the friendship between Ava and Gen was still going. Despite them now being in two different (and far away states) they still kept texting and emailing each other. Which is also the format of the book.

And through those texts and emails, you could see how they dealt with a lot of things and still managed to stay in constant communication and care about one another. Despite how needy and childish they were to each other at times.
They also contradicted each other in the way they treated each other.

One of the things that bothered me with this story is that nothing really seemed to happen. The hurdles they were thrown in got patched up quick and it didn't seem to leave an effect on the two. Some of the things they did should have had bigger consequences than they got. And it left me not understanding their choices and issues.

I'm not saying that I didn't like the characters and the way they interacted with each other or how the two "worlds" Ava and Gen were living in were created and utilized. What I'm saying is that it seemed to have a lot of little climaxes that had equally little resolutions that didn't really fix anything because some of the situations they were in didn't make that much sense.
And like I wrote above they were not the sort of problems that left the characters changed. Yeah, they seemed to grow as new adults now that they had graduated from college (since in the first book they were freshmen in college [which was a huge leap between the two books]) and were starting their jobs,  but nothing else. They were in the same situations as the first book just a little bit different.

Still, I'm glad I got to read this book. Because I got to see how strong Ava and Gen's friendship is and to see how they are still figuring things out as they go. And didn't magically know how the world work. It was enjoyable although frustrating at times.

Goodreads

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The Bookish Island
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Darwin: An Exceptional Voyage by Fabien Grolleau & Jérémie Royer | Book Review #158

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
Darwin: An Exceptional Voyage by Fabien Grolleau & Jérémie Royer

Are there spoilers?

Nope.

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Disclaimer:

This book was sent to me by the publishing company (Nobrow) in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Darwin: An Exceptional Voyage

Author: Fabien Grolleau & Jérémie Royer

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Pages: 184

Published: February 2019

Publisher:  Nobrow

Genre: Nonfiction, Graphic Novel, Biography, Comic

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Date Read: March 30, 2019

Rating: ★★★☆☆

The year is 1831. A gifted yet somewhat distracted young man named Charles Darwin has been offered a place aboard the H.M.S. Beagle. The journey will change both his life and the course of modern science…

This is an intelligent and immersive graphic novel from award-winning duo Fabien Grolleau and Jérémie Royer that follows legendary scientist Charles Darwin as he embarks on the voyage that began his career. Join him on a journey of thrilling discovery as he explores remote corners of the natural world and pieces together the very beginnings of his revolutionary theory of evolution.

The Rating:

My Review:

I ended up giving this 3 stars out of five and here are my reasons.

The illustrations/art in this book were incredible. I had the same feelings when I was reading Audubon. And I think I like how the animals were done more than the people but that's just because the animals look beautiful. Nature was also beautiful in this book. The endpapers were cool and the cover with all the animals surrounding Darwin was very beautiful.

These two (the author and illustrator) managed to bring a story I didn't know about come to life through the form of a graphic novel. And it was easy to follow and understand.

I felt something and although it wasn't a good feeling and it left me angry it happened.
And this is all I have to say on that.
In the end, I'm stuck with the same thoughts as I had while reading Audubon. Humans are terrible. And the natives didn't deserve the treatment they were getting. And although Darwin was opposed of the way the natives were treated he didn't do anything. He wasn't a saint despite his contributions to science.

Aside from these three thoughts, I can't seem to feel anything else in regard to this book. Which is why I gave it that rating. So a solid 3 is a good rating with all that in consideration.

Goodreads

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The Bookish Island
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Deja Who by MaryJanice Davidson | Book Review #155

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
Deja Who by MaryJanice Davidson

Are there spoilers?

A little. Maybe.

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Title: Deja Who

Author: MaryJanice Davidson

Series: Insighter #1

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Pages: 304

Published: 2016

Publisher:  Berkley

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Mystery, Humor, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

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Date Read: March 4, 2019

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Leah Nazir is an Insighter. Reincarnation is her business. But while her clients' pasts are a mess, Leah's is nothing short of a tragedy. She's been murdered. A lot. If left to that bitch, destiny, it'll happen again. Leah wants to know who's been following her through time, and who's been stalking her in the present...

P.I. Archer Drake has been hired by Leah's mother to keep an eye on her. But the more time he spends watching, the more he finds himself infatuated. Before long, he even finds himself agreeing to help find the person who wants her dead. Over and over again.

Now going full-on "rewind," Leah hopes it can stave off the inevitable. After all, she's grown fond of this life - and even fonder of nerdy Archer. But changing her pattern means finding out who her killer is today. And as Leah fears, that could be anyone she has come to know and trust. Anyone.

The Rating:

My Review:

Deja Who was a weird read for me. I didn't know if I should find the characters and situations funny or weird. Weird because I felt that if the author intended it to be a serious story then it was not good. But if it was meant to be a funny story and I just didn't get it I'm at fault and need to rethink my opinions. So here they are.

I didn't expect to read a funny book when I bought it or when I started reading it. It was only when I finished reading it that I paused and had to think if it was all meant to be funny.

I liked the concept of Insighters. A mystery where the main character was someone who could see peoples past lives and help them deal with their present life based on what happened to them in the past. Still, it felt like the concept was only superficial. Instead of the main concept.

Leah changed so much but maybe that was the humor in the story. She changed so much from the beginning to the end. And while that often means character growth, in this it felt too much. And childish. I mean, she wasn't my favorite character and neither was Archer.
Their relationship was weird too. But again maybe its meant to be funny. Archer would just blurt out whatever weird thought he had. And it made him way younger than he was. He was acting like a high schooler and not a 30-something-year-old, which he was.

And the story, although like I said was a good concept, it went above and beyond what I expected. Background characters got more detailed and were given more backstory than I would have preferred.
If more was established with the main characters or how they were portrayed rather than having overly detailed background characters I think that I would have enjoyed this more.

Still, I'm not gonna lie. The concept was good. And the explanations and stories about the people with past lives were detailed and well written. But I'm not meant to like the background characters more than the main characters. So in that, I ended up giving this a 3 out of 5 stars.

But now I don't know if I should re-read it or be satisfied with it. Or if I want to read the second one in the series or not.

Goodreads

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The Bookish Island
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Cures for Heartbreak by Margo Rabb | Book Review #140

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
Cures for Heartbreak by Margo Rabb 

Are there spoilers?

There's a pinch of spoilers.
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Title: Cures for Heartbreak 

Author: Margo Rabb

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Pages: 256

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Fiction 

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Date Read: January 20, 2019

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Margo Rabb’s critically acclaimed debut novel Cures for Heartbreak—a somber yet humorous depiction of love, loss, and new beginnings—has been reissued with a stunning new look.

Less than two weeks after fifteen-year-old Mia Pearlman’s mother is diagnosed with cancer, she dies, leaving Mia, her older sister, and their father to face this sudden and unfathomable loss. As Mia struggles to navigate her grief, she’s also forced to examine the truth about her parents’ rocky marriage, her unexpected feelings for a guy with leukemia, and the nagging health phobias that plague her on a daily basis. Ultimately, her journey down this road slowly paves the way for hope amid immeasurable loss.

In this heartfelt novel that Michael Chabon called “sad, funny, smart, and endlessly poignant,” Margo Rabb dives deep into the complicated emotions that befall a family after the death of a loved one.

The Rating:

My Review:

Cures for Heartbreak was read I one day. Mostly because I wanted to read a book that day since it was so cold and nice that I felt like reading it in one sitting. 

It wasn't at all a story that was represented in the cover. Like AT ALL. It's so weird because I thought it was going to be a fun book. Yeah, I knew that it was about a girl whose mom dies but I thought that after she'd made some friends that would help her cope. But it was not like that. I repeat. AT. ALL.

It was a good book. I liked the part where her love interest shows up. And I say. "shows up" because he was barely in the story. But he was cute and smart and I was rooting for him to be happy. 

Our main character, Mia, in this was so young and childish but the fact that she was going through so much without someone actually fully understanding what she was going through, made her so mature. Like she was much older than she actually was. 

And I kind of wish her sister was there for her but that's what happens when the age difference between siblings is big. You kind of don't understand each other a well as siblings that have a shorted age difference.


Having read this book I can now tick off one book read in the Romanceopoly. As a part of my 2019 Reading Challenges.

I decided to not add the amazon, and barns & noble links because its unnecessary. I was just adding them in case some of you were interested in the book and wanted to find out or get one for yourselves.

Goodreads 

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The Bookish Island
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A Lie for a Lie by Robin Merrow MacCready | Book Review #133

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
A Lie for a Lie by Robin Merrow MacCready

Are there spoilers?

There are some spoilers.

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Title: A Lie for a Lie 

Author: Robin Merrow MacCready

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Pages: 208

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Published: 2017

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Contemporary

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Date Read: November 24, 2018

Rating: ★★★☆☆

A gripping YA mystery about seventeen-year-old Kendra, an amateur photographer who discovers her father is leading a double life.

Kendra Sullivan loves taking pictures. But when a photograph reveals that her father is leading a double life, she sets out to investigate the situation. Before long, Kendra discovers her father's second family, which he has hidden for years. Kendra's knowledge soon turns into power; she is torn between exposing her father and destroying her family as she's known it, or looking deeper for the truth and suffering that outcome. This emotionally charged mystery pushes the boundaries between truth and deception, and the consequences one faces when dealing with life-changing information. of what it means to be a mother--and how far someone will go to keep a child safe.

The Rating:

My Review:

A Lie for a Lie was a disappointment for me because I thought it was going to be an interesting YA mystery about a girl who takes a photo of a murderer or whatever in the act of doing something bad. But that wasn't the case. It was just the story of a girl who is obsessed with taking photos of everything and everyone and t just so happens that she catches her father with another woman and a child. And instead of doing something about it or tell her mom (which I would so do if it was me) she, you guessed it, takes a photo of them being all happy together. 

She kinda gets a little too obsessed with the other woman and her kid by following them around and breaking and entering. Which I thought was going to go somewhere dark and that would have fixed this story for me. But that didn't happen. She is also okay with telling her friends and the guy she's into but not her mom. That pissed me off.  

Yeah, the story ends with her having killed her grandma and the kid's hamster but the whole parental situation was way too awkward and weird for me. Or at least the way it was dealt with. I'm glad she got out of there and got with her best friend who had a crush on her since forever and s so sweet to her but that bit before and most of the middle could have been a lot different and I would have liked this book lots. 

The one good thing about this book was the love interest for the main character. Not the guy she's into but the guy who is into her. He had been her best friend since they were kids so he knew her all too well. Which at first was a little too creepy (I so thought he was gonna assault her and he kind of did) but it was the latter half of the book's version of him that made it enjoyable. First half was a little too creepy but later half was cool.

Like I said in the beginning, I thought this was going t be along the lines of the movie, The Lovely Bones, (and I say movie because I haven't read the book, so I don't know how it's different from the movie) but it wasn't like that. And that's okay but the cover totally had a mystery/thriller look to it and the beginning of the book felt that way too. I'm just so caught on to that because I read the whole book thinking it was gonna be one thing but ended up being a whole other thing. I enjoyed some of this story, but because of the confusion, it ended up just being that. A book I enjoyed and nothing further. 

I just didn't get it. It's not for me and I'm sad because I picked it because I thought I would love it. Maybe I should pick it up again in the future and go into it with no expectations and a clear mind.

Goodreads  

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The Bookish Island
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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving | Book Review #130

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Are there spoilers?

This is a classic so I don't believe that a spoiler warning matters here.
But no, there aren't any spoilers.

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Title: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Author: Washington Irving

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Genre: Classics, Horror, Fiction, Short Stories, Fantasy, Mystery, Gothic, Historical Fiction

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Date Read: October 28, 2018

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Sleepy Hollow is a strange little place...some say bewitched. Some talk of its haunted valleys and streams, the ghostly woman in white, eerie midnight shrieks and howls, but most of all they talk of the Headless Horseman. A huge, shadowy soldier who rides headless through the night, terrifying unlucky travellers.

Schoolteacher Ichabod Crane is fascinated by these stories....Until late one night, walking home through Wiley's swamp, he finds that maybe they're not just stories.

What is that dark, menacing figure riding behind him on a horse? And what does it have in its hands?

And why wasn't schoolteacher Crane ever seen in Sleepy Hollow again? 

The Rating:

My Review:

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was a book I had been wanting to read since forever ago. Probably because of the movie that I saw when I was a kid and barely remember. And then the tv show, Sleepy Hollow came out and I remember that used to want to read the original story. But it was when I got the opportunity to be able to read The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel by Alyssa Palombo that I knew I had to finally sit myself down and finally read this story of a headless horseman and Ichabod Crane.

But I was truly disappointed to find out that although the story was short (which I like) it was also not that spooky. It didn't deliver on the spooks for me so I was sad when I finished reading it and nothing thrilling happened. 

In my Goodreads review I said:

I don't even know what I was expecting from the source of everything Sleepy Hollow. Maybe I expected a dark and exciting read but instead got -not that. 
But I'm still glad I read this because now I can, not only, say I read it but I can now read any adaptation.

And I still feel that way after months of having read it. I am glad. Glad that I read another classic. Because to me reading a well know/beloved classic means I've not only accomplished something that no one in my family has done (that I know of) but that I read a book I wouldn't have been able to read 5 years ago before I started this blog and reading journey. I used to get so mad because I wouldn't understand anything, the language or what was going on, and would just give up. Now I know for certain that me from 5 years ago would be so proud that I read this classic Along with so many others.

But I should mention that in regards to The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel I did write a review down for that book. So please make sure to check that out. It was such a good book to read during October.

The Spell Book of Katrina Van Tassell Review

Goodreads    

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The Bookish Island
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Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding | Book Review #122

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

Are there spoilers?

No.

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Title: Bridget Jones' Diary

Author: Helen Fielding

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Pages: 288

Publisher: Penguin 

Published: 1999

Genre: Women's Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

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Date Read: July 7 > July 8, 2018

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Meet Bridget Jones—a 30-something Singleton who is certain she would have all the answers if she could:
a. lose 7 pounds
b. stop smoking
c. develop Inner Poise

"123 lbs. (how is it possible to put on 4 pounds in the middle of the night? Could flesh have somehow solidified becoming denser and heavier? Repulsive, horrifying notion), alcohol units 4 (excellent), cigarettes 21 (poor but will give up totally tomorrow), number of correct lottery numbers 2 (better, but nevertheless useless)..."
Bridget Jones' Diary is the devastatingly self-aware, laugh-out-loud daily chronicle of Bridget's permanent, doomed quest for self-improvement — a year in which she resolves to: reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1.5 inches, visit the gym three times a week not just to buy a sandwich, form a functional relationship with a responsible adult, and learn to program the VCR.
Over the course of the year, Bridget loses a total of 72 pounds but gains a total of 74. She remains, however, optimistic. Through it all, Bridget will have you helpless with laughter, and — like millions of readers the world round — you'll find yourself shouting, "Bridget Jones is me!" 

The Rating:

My Review:

Bridget Jones's Diary is cute. I wouldn't say I'm happy that I got to experience this book but I also wouldn't say that I'm glad I read it. It was just not as great as I thought it would be. 

I fell in love with the movie so much that I somehow thought I would love the book too. I mean, I don't like to watch movies multiple times because everything is just too fresh in my head but with the movie version of this novel I have probably watched well over ten times if not more.

Colin Firth was amazing and even though I hadn't seen him as official Darcy in the Pride and Prejudice adaptation I loved him as Mark Darcy.

*swoons and fans herself with her fancy hand fan when he's not looking. And tries not to make a fool of herself when he's looking*

As for the rest of the series, I just don't know if I will read the rest or not. I mean, I already own the third book so maybe, maybe not.

Goodreads    |    Book Depository

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Wait With Me by Amy Daws | Book Review #120

The Bookish Island's Book Review:
Wait With Me by Amy Daws 

Are there spoilers?

A few ones may have escaped me.

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Title: Wait With Me

Author: Amy Daws 

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Pages: 302

Publisher: Stars Hollow Publishing 

Published: 2018

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Adult

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Date Read: May 28, 2018

Rating: ★★★✩✩

When romance novelist Kate Smith suddenly gets writer's block as she's beginning the final installment of her international bestselling erotic Bed 'n Breakfast series, she'll do pretty much anything to get her groove back.
Like sneak into a Tire Depot waiting room because her words flow there just like complimentary coffee-smooth, sweet, and scorchingly hot.
She manages to fly under the radar until the rugged and charming mechanic, Miles Hudson, notices the quirky redhead slinking in and out of the employees only entrance.
But she's way too intriguing to blow the whistle on.
Doing a test-drive of her new book idea sounds like a much better option.

The Rating:

My Review:

Wait With Me was so good.  Not great but good.

I loved the main character in this book, Kate. She is a writer having some trouble getting inspiration. Wheather it was because of the little fact that she still lived with her ex and he's not the best guy ever to her, or that she just isn't getting inspired. At the same time her car breaks down (I actually don't remember if that's what happened) and she meets the waiting room and finds inspiration at Tire Depot. (was it a tire store??)

Then she finds ways of constantly going there without being found out just to use that room and write her novel and that's how she meets Miles. Miles is one of the mechanics there. And the two instantly connect.

I don't like Miles 100%. It's more like 25%. Maybe more, maybe less.  His character and personality just didn't seem right to me. He was too controlling and jealous for my taste.

*shrugs and mouths idk*

Besides Miles, there were also other parts that I didn't like. For me, at times it just sounded a bit boring and at others, it felt like too much was happening. 

😕

Goodreads    

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The Bookish Island

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