May Wrap-up

Hey guys!! I hope you all ended up having a great May. In May I decided to try to take a break from thrillers/mysteries. I ended up reading only 2. One was a book I started at the end of April the other was one I forgot was a mystery. I overall felt it was a decent month. I am so happy to be back reading thrillers again! Now let’s see what I read in May.

Escaping From Houdini By Kerri Maniscalco

Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery
Pages: 416 pages
Publication Date: September 18th 2018
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Plot: Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they’re delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.

But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The strange and disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea. It’s up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer’s horrifying finale?

My Thoughts: I still can’t get over how I got this arc. I am so thankful for the girl in #booksfortrade who saw my post and decided to make a trade with me. I know Kerri said this was going to be a different ending from the finished copy. So I had to get my hands on it. I do say I feel I rated it a little too highly. I think once I decide to write the review reevaluate my rating. Overall I did enjoy it.

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Emergency Contact By Mary H.K. Choi

Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance, Fiction
Pages: 394 pages
Published: March 27th 2018
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
My Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Plot: For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn’t actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.

Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his checking account and his dying laptop are really testing him.

When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch—via text—and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.

My Thoughts: This was a buddy read with Destiny @Howling Libraries. I know she really enjoyed it. I overall felt iffy about it. I think it was mainly because I didn’t like one of the main characters. I really didn’t like Penny at all. I didn’t like her point of views at all. I really did enjoy Sam. I thought he was an interesting character. He was fun to read.

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Mean Girls By Micol Ostow

Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Fiction
Pages: 304 pages
Published: September 12th 2017
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
My Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars

Plot: You know the story–or do you?Cady Heron grew up homeschooled in Africa with scientist parents as her teachers, monkeys as her classmates and the African plains as her playground. But when her family moves to the suburbs of Illinois, she finds herself a stranger in a strange land: high school.With no prior research to guide her, Cady’s forced to figure out North Shore High all on her own. Suddenly she finds herself sucked into Girl World as a new member of the social elite dubbed “The Plastics.” Cady discovers that unlike the wild, Girl World doesn’t have any rules–especially when you maybe, possibly, okay definitely, have a giant crush on their ruthless leader’s ex-boyfriend. Turns out, life in high school might be even more brutal than a showdown on the Savannah.Based on the screenplay by Tina Fey, this retelling of the cult classic film includes tons of extra, never-before-seen bonus content.

My Thoughts: After I wrote my review for this a lot of people asked if this came first or the movie. The movie came first. The author basically copied the script of Mean Girls and turned it into a book. I was so upset by this. I feel there could have been so many ways to go about this. So many characters to explore. Maybe make it a prequel or what happened after the movie. It’s a waste of time to read, just watch the movie.

My Review

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Still Me By Jojo Moyes

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary
Pages: 390 pages
Published: January 30th 2018
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Plot: Louisa Clark arrives in New York ready to start a new life, confident that she can embrace this new adventure and keep her relationship with Ambulance Sam alive across several thousand miles. She steps into the world of the superrich, working for Leonard Gopnik and his much younger second wife, Agnes. Lou is determined to get the most out of the experience and throws herself into her new job and New York life.

As she begins to mix in New York high society, Lou meets Joshua Ryan, a man who brings with him a whisper of her past. Before long, Lou finds herself torn between Fifth Avenue where she works and the treasure-filled vintage clothing store where she actually feels at home. And when matters come to a head, she has to ask herself: Who is Louisa Clark? And how do you reconcile a heart that lives in two places?

Funny, romantic, and poignant, Still Me follows Lou as she navigates how to stay true to herself, while pushing to live boldly in her brave new world.

My Thoughts: This was such a great way to end the series. I ended up enjoying this one the most out of all three books. I really hope she doesn’t add anymore books to this series. I really liked how things ended for Louisa. Maybe a little novella. I would love a Louisa Clark wedding story.

My Review

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So Close to Being the Shit, Y’all Don’t Even Know By Retta

Genre: NonFiction, Autobiography, Humor
Pages: 272 pages
Published: May 29th 2018
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Plot: In So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y’all Don’t Even Know, Parks and Recreation star Retta takes us on her not-so-meteoric rise from roaches to riches (well, rich enough that she can buy $15,000 designer handbags yet scared enough to know she’s always a heartbeat away from ramen with American cheese).

Throwing her hard-working Liberian parents for a loop, Retta abandons her plan to attend med school after graduating Duke University to move to Hollywood to star in her own sitcom―like her comedy heroes Lucille Ball and Roseanne.

Say what? Word. Turns out Retta might actually be on to something. After winning Comedy Central’s stand-up competition, she should be ready for prime time―but a fear of success derails her biggest dream.

Whether reminiscing about her days as a contract chemist at GlaxoSmithKline, telling “dirty” jokes to Mormons, feeling like the odd man out on Parks, fending off racist trolls on Twitter, flirting with Michael Fassbender, or expertly stalking the cast of “Hamilton,” Retta’s unique voice and refreshing honesty will make you laugh, cry, and laugh so hard you’ll cry.

Her eponymous sitcom might not have happened yet, but by the end of So Close to Being the Sh*t, you’ll be rooting for Retta to be the next one-named wonder to take over your television. And she just might inspire you to reach for the stars, too.

My Thoughts: I am a big Parks & Rec fan. So when I saw on Netgalley that Retta wrote a book I knew I had to read it. I wish I waited for audiobook but I still really enjoyed it. I love how open Retta is about her life. Some celebrities hold back but she didn’t and I really appreciated that. I learned a lot about her and had some good laughs. If you’re a fan, I highly recommend reading this.

My Review

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Nice Try, Jane Sinner By Lianne Oelke

Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Fiction
Pages: 420 pages
Published: January 9th 2018
Publisher: Clarion Books
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Plot: The only thing 17-year-old Jane Sinner hates more than failure is pity. After a personal crisis and her subsequent expulsion from high school, she’s going nowhere fast. Jane’s well-meaning parents push her to attend a high school completion program at the nearby Elbow River Community College, and she agrees, on one condition: she gets to move out.

Jane tackles her housing problem by signing up for House of Orange, a student-run reality show that is basically Big Brother, but for Elbow River Students. Living away from home, the chance to win a car (used, but whatever), and a campus full of people who don’t know what she did in high school… what more could she want? Okay, maybe a family that understands why she’d rather turn to Freud than Jesus to make sense of her life, but she’ll settle for fifteen minutes in the proverbial spotlight.

As House of Orange grows from a low-budget web series to a local TV show with fans and shoddy T-shirts, Jane finally has the chance to let her cynical, competitive nature thrive. She’ll use her growing fan base, and whatever Intro to Psychology can teach her, to prove to the world—or at least viewers of substandard TV—that she has what it takes to win.

My Thoughts: When I heard House of Orange was just like Big Brother. I was 100% sold. Big Brother is such a guilty pleasure of mine. I use to watch it and then nonstop text one of my friends about it. This show was everything to us. I overall really enjoyed this book. I love the little competitions they. I feel this is the Big Brother type show I’d like to compete on. I know I can’t handle half the stuff Big Brother throws at the competitors.

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Daughter of the Burning City By Amanda Foody

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mystery
Pages: 384 pages
Published: July 25th 2017
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
My Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Plot: Sixteen-year-old Sorina has spent most of her life within the smoldering borders of the Gomorrah Festival. Yet even among the many unusual members of the traveling circus-city, Sorina stands apart as the only illusion-worker born in hundreds of years. This rare talent allows her to create illusions that others can see, feel and touch, with personalities all their own. Her creations are her family, and together they make up the cast of the Festival’s Freak Show.

But no matter how lifelike they may seem, her illusions are still just that—illusions, and not truly real. Or so she always believed…until one of them is murdered.

Desperate to protect her family, Sorina must track down the culprit and determine how they killed a person who doesn’t actually exist. Her search for answers leads her to the self-proclaimed gossip-worker Luca, and their investigation sends them through a haze of political turmoil and forbidden romance, and into the most sinister corners of the Festival. But as the killer continues murdering Sorina’s illusions one by one, she must unravel the horrifying truth before all of her loved ones disappear.

My Thoughts: So I recently read Amanda Foody’s book, Ace of Shades. Hands down one of my favorite reads this year. Her other book wasn’t really on my radar. I decided I’d give it a try since I loved Ace so much. I don’t know what it was but I didn’t really get into this story like I hoped. I feel like I was confused about the main girl being able to see when she had no eyes. I also had no idea who majority of her illusions were. They were announced pretty close together. I couldn’t keep track. I did like the pictures of them that popped up every couple chapters.

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Every Exquisite Thing By Matthew Quick

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Romance
Pages: 265 pages
Published: May 31st 2016
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Plot: Didn’t you ever just simply want to…stop?

Star athlete and straight-A student Nanette O’Hare has played the role of dutiful daughter for as long as she can remember. But one day, a beloved teacher gives her his worn copy of The Bubblegum Reaper—a mysterious, out-of-print cult classic—and the rebel within Nanette awakens.

As the new and outspoken Nanette attempts to insert her true self into the world with wild abandon, she befriends the reclusive author and falls in love with a young, troubled poet. Forced to make some hard choices that bring devastating consequences, Nanette learns the hard way that rebellion can sometimes come at a high price.

My Thoughts: This was a buddy read with Jenna, Luna, and Amy. I overall thought this was a fun story. I wish Matthew Quick would release The Bubblegum Reaper separately. I did really enjoy if you have the hardcover and you take off the book jacket it has The Bubblegum Reaper artwork on it. I think I enjoyed this so much because of Matthew Quick’s writing. He is such a good writer. I highly recommend this one.

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The Wicked Deep By Shea Ernshaw

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 308 pages
Published: March 6th 2018
Publisher: Simon Pulse
My Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Plot: Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.

My Thoughts: So I mainly picked this book up because I’ve been hearing about it nonstop. I have to say I overall enjoyed it but the ending killed it for me. I feel like things were so good at the beginning and then this ending ruined it for me. I felt it was highly unnecessary and I feel things should have been completely different.

My Review

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A Court of Thorns and Roses By Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, New Adult
Pages: 416 pages
Published: March 5th 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
My Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Plot: Feyre’s survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price …

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre’s presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

My Thoughts: So I honestly almost DNFed this book. I am sorry but I wasn’t really into it. It’s just not the usual story I normally read. My friend kept telling me how much better book two was so I stuck it out. Plus I got this book for free from a random stranger. I feel it’s the least I could do. I mean it got better towards the end. I wasn’t expecting that ending. I thought a certain character was going to be in the series until the end. I’m interested to see what the next story is about.

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Have you guys read any of these books? If so what did you think? What books did you guys end up reading in May? I would love to hear from you!