#published2021

Seven Days in June ~ Tia Williams

Rating: 4/5 This was a strange pick for me, a romance between two star-crossed lovers with a lot of “bad boy” trope. I read the first two chapters over the summer, and decided I couldn’t put it down. When I picked it up again from the library this winter, I had the same reaction. This book is a breeze to read, and the characters have this dangerous vibe going that kept me on the edge of my seat.…

The Bomber Mafia ~ Malcolm Gladwell

Rating: 3.5/5 I started this book on a whim as I’ve read several books of Malcolm Gladwell’s. It is very different than the other social science books I’ve read as him, rooted much more in niche history about the development of bombs and how people learned to fly bomber planes. Although I’m not typically a history person, I found myself drawn in by his clear passion for the subject. He started…

Off Trail ~ Rick Polito

Rating: 2/5 I found that I didn’t like this one as much as I was hoping. It reminded me of Holes, with the troubled teens sent away to a “camp” as an alternative to ending up in juvie, except also kind of mixed with Looking for Alaska, where they’re snarky teens at an actual camp like scenario. I honestly found myself bored by the characters and their interactions, and irritated by their…

Crying in H Mart ~ Michelle Zauner

Rating: 4/5 The first adult memoir I’ve read in quite a while, Crying in H Mart did not disappoint. Zanner spends plenty of time monologuing about the impact food has had on her memories. She shares how food was love growing up in her family, and the memories she has of her mother (and others) through food. Primarily a memoir about the grief of losing her mother and everything that comes up when…

Antoni: Let’s Do Dinner ~ Antoni Porowski

Rating: 3/5 Antoni’s second cookbook,this one has a range of vegan dishes and meat option to satisfy most eaters. Porowski shares his secrets to quick meals. If you’re a regular chef, there won’t be many secrets, but for lay-people, Antoni might inspire you to eat healthier and shorten your cooking time while doing it too. I appreciated that he started out his book by sharing a quick tip to…

A Court of Silver Flames ~ Sarah J Maas

Rating: 5/5 My favorite of the series so far, Nesta Archeron is the protagonist of this installment in the Court of Thorns and Roses series. She’s testy, reluctantly Fae, and ready to set the world on fire as her revenge. Of course, the rest of the court thinks it’s about time she stops all her self-destructive habits, and Feyre gives her an ultimatum; go train at The House of Wind with Cassian,…

Amelia Unabridged ~ Ashley Schumacher

Rating: 5/5 Book Riot’s Read Harder #22 – Read a book set in the Midwest. Amelia Unabridged is the most emotionally packed books I’ve read so far in 2021. Schumacher’s writing flowed perfectly through this story, wrapping around scenes like a cozy blanket, and taking readers in. I almost had a sense of being underground – everything outside of the story felt far away and hard to refocus…