In a world inundated with digital distractions and fleeting trends, a timeless treasure continues to captivate hearts and minds: the written word. Books, those bound collections of thoughts and stories, are the gateways to worlds uncharted, emotions untapped, and wisdom unspoken. Every turn of a page is an opportunity to embark on a new adventure or gain fresh insights. Here you'll find all of the book reviews we've written over the years, with more to come.
Book Review: Can't Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan
A heartfelt review of Kennedy Ryan’s Can’t Get Enough—a steamy, emotional romance with standout representation and unforgettable depth.
All the Men I've Loved Again by Christine Pride
All the Men I've Loved Again by Christine Pride starts off very slow – almost to the point I DNF. A lot of time is spent introducing things instead of getting right into the story. Cora is our protagonist, and the beginning of the book is about her time at Hamlin...
Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter
I literally read Better than the Movies in one sitting, staying up all night because I couldn't put it down. I needed to know what would happen with our two main characters, Wes and Liz. This YA novel earned a rare 5 out of 5 stars from me.
Same Time Next Year by Tessa Bailey
Long story short, if you want a romance with well-thought-out characters (or even semi-thought-out), Same Time Next Year probably isn't for you. If you're just after the smut, well, I think you'll find better smut elsewhere.
Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
In Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, all of the odds are against Kimberly and her mother after their move to the United States, yet they make it through by having faith that things will get better and being resourceful when necessary.
The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok
Jean Kwok's writing style draws you right in. In a world where there are too many books and too little time, there are fewer and fewer books I read past the first chapter. I need to be hooked immediately and the Prologue for The Leftover Woman did that. Once I started reading this book I could not put it down.
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
If you like romance novels, The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory lives up to the hype. If you like fairly progressive interracial romance novels with strong female leads, I think you're going to love this book.
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour is a young adult novel about a summer road trip adventure, which means it is pretty much the perfect summer book.
First Comes Love by Emily Giffin
Fans of Emily Giffin are going to enjoy First Comes Love, which feels like a return to vintage Emily Giffin.
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
Luckiest Girl Alive, by Jessica Knoll, received comparisons to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, but in my opinion, the similarities stop with the word “girl” in the title.
Off Our Shelves: In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume
My husband and I didn't go anywhere over the long holiday weekend so it was nice to actually take a few days to relax and do nothing. I filled my nothing hours by reading two books, Crooked Little Lies, and Judy Blume's new book, In the Unlikely Event. I received In...
Off Our Shelves: Crooked Little Lies by Barbara Taylor Sissel
This is an absolute first. Earlier today I wrote about the July Kindle First Books and I've already read one of them! We were planning on going out of town this weekend to celebrate the 4th of July with friends but called off at the last minute because my husband's...
Off Our Shelves: Someone Else's Fairytale
After making my way through The Goldfinch I wanted something light and easy to read and I admit that I'm a sucker for romantic stories. I'd had Someone Else's Fairytale by E.M. Tippetts on my Kindle for over a year, so this seemed like the perfect time to pull it out....
Off Our Shelves: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
I had no grand plans to read Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. At some point toward the end of last year I stumbled upon a review that said the book was worth reading and I immediately downloaded a copy to my Kindle. While I won't tell you that the...
Off Our Shelves: The Goldfinch
I spent the majority of 2014 trying to read The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, but didn't manage to pick it up until the day after Christmas. I was determined to read the book by the end of the year, but it wasn't until I started reading that I realized The Goldfinch is a...
Off Our Shelves: We Were Liars
This may be the shortest review I've ever done because I feel like the less known about We Were Liars prior to reading the better. One of the reasons I like my Kindle, truthfully, is that I can't keep flipping to the back of the book to read the synopsis over...
Off Our Shelves: The Girl on the Train
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins was released on January 15 and billed as the next Gone Girl, which meant that I had to read it immediately. (Although per my review I remain on the fence over the Gone Girl ending!) I was in desperate need of a good distraction...
Off Our Shelves: Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead
I don't normally do book reviews on consecutive days, but I finished Astonish Me last night and I just can't get it out of my head. On a side note, when I added this book to GoodReads I was excited to see that it is the 25th book I've finished this year. My goal is to...
Off Our Shelves: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
I started Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell quite a few months ago, but couldn't quite get into it. After seeing that Rainbow Rowell books were on sale at Amazon last week I was inspired to finish the book and stayed up way too late Friday night binge reading....
Off Our Shelves: The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes
At this point you might be wondering if I have a bit of an obsession with Jojo Moyes books, and you wouldn't be entirely incorrect. I cannot get enough of this author! In fact, Jojo Moyes had a reading in Chicago earlier this month and my cousin and I went to see her....