Simone and Her Books

My Thoughts on The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

April 25, 2019

I absolutely loved The Kiss Quotient from Helen Hoang last year and I’m excited to see The Bride Test come out next one. I can’t wait until everyone can get their hands on this one. Let me tell you about it.

The Bride Test follows Khai and Esme. When Khai’s mother travels to Vietnam to find him a wife, she comes across My (aka Esme) in a bathroom at a luxury hotel. Esme is a young single mom working as the bathroom attendant. After all the eligible bachelorettes failed to impress Khai’s mom, she found something interesting about Esme in that moment in the bathroom and asked her to join her in America for the summer and spend time with her kid. Esme saw this as an opportunity to go to the States, learn a little about America, and possibly find her biological father. So she goes ahead and agrees to go to the US and meet Khai.

Khai is a young dude who’s main focuses are work, working out, and avoiding everything else. He has autism spectrum disorder, which makes social interactions and most importantly dating difficult for him. When Esme arrives in America, Khai doesn’t know how to deal with his physical attraction for her let alone the budding emotions he starts to feel.

Before I begin, I want to emphasize that this isn’t The Kiss Quotient Part 2. A lot of folks asked me if the book is as steamy as The Kiss Quotient and it’s not. In fact, sex is a theme of this book as you continue to read it you’ll understand why.

Ok, I loved this book. There were a couple of pet peeves towards the end that I wasn’t a fan of, but it didn’t get in the way of my enjoyment. I will mention that the wrap up at the end is a little too convenient, but as I mentioned it didn’t get in the way of my enjoyment. I love stories like this because you’re not busy worried if the couple will stay together at the end. Instead, you can focus on the topsy turvy relationship Khai and Esme have.

But it’s so fun to read their relationship grow. First off, Khai has no idea what to make of Esme as she goes around the house hacking down trees with a meat cleaver and cleaning his bathroom to look like something out of a hotel room. While they’re both Vietnamese, there’s some obvious cultural clashing (Khai is Vietnamese-American). It’s obvious between the two of them as they awkwardly start living together and attending Khai’s family weddings (ending with Stella and Michael’s wedding from The Kiss Quotient) that they start catching feels, but keep each other at arm’s length for most of the novel. Esme tries her best not to burden Khai while he seems like he wants to be burdened. It reminded me a lot of my relationship with my husband.

The best part of this book is that it’s not just a romance. It’s the biggest part of the book so it does count for a romance, but Esme also works to find her father, expand her education, and finds she’s worth more than just a bathroom attendant. Seriously, this theme in the novel brought me to tears. She’s not trying to scheme and stay in America. She’s so humble for the opportunity and wants to take advantage of her time in America by learning English, taking classes, and bettering herself before heading back to Vietnam. I mean, she’s got obligations back at home so there’s no doubt she wouldn’t leave all that behind just to become an American citizen.

Khai also grows ridiculously throughout the novel. First off, Khai has autism spectrum disorder. This is where the anti-social tendencies come from for Khai and while Esme doesn’t understand this about him (she doesn’t know what autism is), she’s willing to accept him as he is and accepts his quirks because she likes him for him. It’s so sweet and while Khai struggles to accept his feelings for her, you see him grow throughout the novel. I honestly teared up at his confession to her. It’s probably the most Darcy-esque confession I’ve ever read.

The last thing I want to mention is read the Author’s Note. If you want to know more about why Helen Hoang wrote this novel, came up with the characters, etc, then the note will definitely answer those questions. Honestly, it solidified the great story even more after reading the note and conveying what Helen Hoang wanted to get across with this story.

Seriously, I can’t not hype this book. It’s got immigration, diversity, adversity, love and some steamy sex scenes. Most definitely pick this up if you’re a fan of The Kiss Quotient, but don’t expect them to be the same. It’s different, but in the best way.

I received a copy of this book from Berkley for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.
Weekend Wrap-Up // April 19, 2019

April 19, 2019
Ok I was going to post my jam of the week here, but I heard this new celebrity Earth Day song and I had to share because it’s so funny and so real. The one thing I stand for is the Earth, this planet that we all live on. Seriously, there’s no where for us to go if this planet dies or runs out of resources then it could be over for us. I’m a strong supporter for the Earth and its creatures, so I wish you all a good Earth Day.

This week was so busy and it’s not even done. Yesterday, I went to Knott’s Berry Farm with my husband to celebrate our anniversary. It was super cute and we ate all the boysenberry foods! We went on a few rollercoasters as well (Bucky loves rollercoasters) and enjoyed the little amusement park. Honestly, it was so cute and so much fun.

I also went to the LA Festival of Books and Bart’s Books in Ojai County last weekend. I’ll be writing about both of these experiences sometime this weekend, but for now I leave you with this pic of me reading in the stacks of Bart’s Books

Links I Love

Ian McEwan writes a science fiction novel, but doesn’t call it science fiction – So over the week, Ian McEwan did this interview with BBC where he talks about the potential books have to talking about issues humans face nowadays. He says all types of books and genres can really convey this except for science fiction.

Seriously, this makes Ian McEwan sound like he’s living under a rock for the past 40 years. Science Fiction not only covers the human condition and real world problems, but also expands beyond it. I mean, NK Jemisin wrote her whole Broken Earth trilogy wondering what would happen to the world if we continue on living the way we have? If anything, science fiction and its elements have been helping authors write about human experiences for years. Let’s put you back under that rock, McEwan.

The Notre Dame fire – I don’t think I need to expand on this one especially since it’s something everyone saw in the news. The sad part is that funds to rebuild this beautiful building has already been provided while other churches, cities, and lives are still waiting for the funds to fix their beautiful buildings. Oh well.

Blog Posts This Week

This was a review-heavy week including my mid-month checkin. I’m sorry for the reviews, but it’s been a busy week trying to get as much work done before the weekend where I’ll be taking a step back to celebrate my wedding anniversary. But I do have some interesting books I shared and how I’ve been doing this month. I think blogging will change a little bit with my new job and its obligations. Don’t worry! I’m not going anywhere, but I do have to re-organize my life. Lol, what a surprise.
What I’m Reading This Weekend

Well, funnily enough, this weekend I’ll be focusing on my book for work. I’ll be reading Paranoid by Lisa Jackson. Are you a Lisa Jackson fan?

I’ve never heard of her, but looking at her bio it looks like she’s been around for a while with over 85 published books and a New York Times Bestseller. I mean, her reputation proceeds her and I’m excited to read her next thriller for my review job. Here’s some more about the book I’m reading:

There are people in Edgewater, Oregon, who think that twenty years ago, Rachel Gaston got away with murder.

Rachel still has no idea how a foolish teenaged game turned deadly—or who replaced her soft pellet air gun with a real weapon. When a figure leapt out at her from the darkness, she fired without thinking. Too late, she recognized her half-brother, Luke, and saw blood blooming around his chest.

Despite counseling, Rachel’s horrifying dreams about that night continue. Her anxiety contributed to her divorce from Detective Cade Ryder, though he blames himself too. But as Rachel’s high school reunion nears, she feels her imagination playing tricks, convincing her that objects in her house have moved. That there’s a hint of unfamiliar cologne in the air. That someone is tailing her car. Watching her home.

She’s right to be scared. And as connections surface between a new string of murders and Luke’s death, Rachel realizes there’s no escaping the past, and the truth may be darker than her worst fears …

What are you reading this weekend? Have you come across anything fun? Let me know!
My Thoughts on The Devouring Gray

April 18, 2019
I received a copy of The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman to promote on Instagram, but I’ve been trying to be better about reading books I received when I receive them.

I’m so glad I picked up this one because it was thrilling, mysterious, and a little scary. Reviews online have been calling this one a mix of The Raven Boys and Stranger Things. While I haven’t read The Raven Boys, I can most definitely get the Stranger Things vibes. Less Eleven and more a beast living in a parallel dimension called “The Gray.”

The story follows four teenagers, Violet Saunders, Harper Carlisle, Isaac Sullivan, and Justin Hawthorne. These four kids are descendants of the four founding members of their little town of Four Paths. Violet’s mother, Juniper, brings her to Four Paths after losing her husband and their second daughter.

Of course once Violet gets there, their world starts to unravel as a secret plan to free the beast comes into play.

Alright, this book definitely read like you’re watching a CW show. It felt like Riverdale as we’re all on the ride and learning about the four kids’ parents, their past, and the hardships they’ve endured so far. Once Violet arrives, the book takes off bringing not only the “who’s that girl?” vibes, but also

The magic in this book is definitely the first thing you see. Justin and his sister, May, are sitting around about to have their cards read. Magic is very much a part of the story, but it’s also not. Aside from a few shows Isaac puts on, you don’t really see anyone else use their magic or at least not with the intention of killing the beast.

It’s actually interesting because no one uses their magic to kill the beast. There’s a lot of using it against other people (humans), but I don’t see anyone standing up to that beast and being like “back up, or Imma punch a hole in your chest” vibe.

The good thing about this YA novel is that it doesn’t read as a YA novel. The teenagers in this group are extremely mature especially for their age. It’s because they’ve experienced horrors in their life that no teenager normally would. They’ve seen people die. They’ve gone through trials to gain their magical powers. They’ve seen some ish.

Also, don’t expect the relationship coupling you imagine. Actually, don’t expect a relationship storyline at all. There are some romantic feelings between a few of the characters, but nothing started…yet. I can imagine the other books in this series will go into depth with that.

But the characters are all good and have their own issues to deal with. I love that they’re all so complex. Even Justin, the main male character (that you expect to have everything be perfect), has his own demons to face coming from the family that runs the town and having no powers.

The only issues I had were the pacing and the beast’s motivation. There wasn’t any explanation on how it landed in that part of New York. There really wasn’t any background at all to this beast other than what supports the main story. I hope that the rest of the series will explain it, but I sorely missed that background info here. Also, the pacing was quite slow. While I’m a fan for a slow burn, this felt out of place especially when important pieces of the story are missing.

But aside from that, a great horror/fantasy novel from a debut author. I won’t be reading the rest of the series, but I hope the book gets you hooked.
- 3/5 Stars
- Find my review on Goodreads
- Find The Devouring Gray on Amazon
I received a copy of this book from Disney/Hyperion for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.
Mid-month Checkin // April 2019

April 17, 2019
Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I was out all weekend with friends and books, so I’m waking up this Monday morning pretty exhausted. Sadly, there’s no rest for the wicked as I’ll be celebrating my anniversary this weekend and I’ve got a lot of reading to do.

But we’re not here to talk about the future. We’re here to talk about the past and what I’ve read so far in April. If you don’t recall, I kicked off this month with plans for reading as many books as possible. The verdict? Doing pretty well! So far I’ve read five books and plan on reading another six or seven before the end of the month.
Out of all of these, I think my absolute favorite was The Bourbon Thief by Tiffany Reisz. My friend, Emma, let me borrow her copy a while back and I wanted to read a little something for myself this month. This was absolutely an amazing novel with a strange family history and so many Southern Gothic themes. I was completely enamored with the book the entire time and immediately went out to buy The Night Mark and The Siren by Tiffany Reisz. This novel also brought the realization that I love Southern Gothic and will be exploring this tiny universe some more.

I also really loved How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow. I got this book to promote, but ended up reading it and loving it. Grief and loss is a tough subject to tackle, but I think Kathleen Glasgow did an excellent job conveying the emotions of losing someone close to you especially if it was your last living relative. The focus on the foster care system was also super interesting since I haven’t read many books with that theme. I would also recommend reading the author’s note at the end for extra feels.

I snuck in My Sister, The Serial Killer and it really blew me away. For a tiny book, it packs a serious punch. If you need to sneak in a little book before the end of the month, highly recommend this one!

While I really wanted to like 99 Percent Mine, I found it a little underdone. It’s like getting your food only to see it’s a little pink in the middle. You want to eat it, but you can’t fully enjoy it.

What have you read this month so far?
My Thoughts on 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

April 16, 2019
While I did drag the beginning of this book on Instagram, I did end up finishing 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne. It’s definitely a fun one with a marketing synopsis that really doesn’t do it justice.

Seriously, I would ignore what it says on the back of the book and focus on getting through the beginning. Because it’s quite confusing, I’ve gone ahead and written my own interpretation:

This is the story of Darcy and Tom. Darcy is a twin to Jamie, her older and more sparkling brother. Because of her heart murmur, she’s lived an isolated life. It’s led her to live her own “black sheep” story.

Jamie and Darcy’s best friend is Tom. Tom is the kid nest door that always came over. He’s practically family. Darcy has always had an intense crush on him and he has had a crush on her. It’s just that Darcy’s turned him down when they were 18 and blew their chances.

So now Jamie and Darcy’s grandmother dies leaving her eccentric cottage to the twins. They need to renovate the cottage and then sell it. Jamie, being obsessed with money, wants to get the most out of the house while Darcy wants to preserve some of her grandmother there. Jamie asks Tom to do the renovations because he just happens to be a contractor and needs the work. Darcy is already living in the house, so she will live, help, and give direction to Tom and his team.

Of course a bunch of stuff happens and Tom and Darcy have their romance and spill their darkest secrets to each other before Jamie suddenly arrives. Once Jamie arrives, it’s up to Darcy and Tom to tell him about their relationship or continue to live their secret life.

The first thing I will warn you and say is that the beginning is confusing. All the information I wrote above is gleamed from what I’ve read and determined. What Sally Thorne provides in background information is sparse and told second-hand by Darcy. I honestly wish these beginning scenes were written out even if it means a truncated timeline or time jumping in large chunks. I think writing out these scenes would have been more powerful than having the characters explain the background.

I really loved Tom and Darcy. Despite their foolish behavior toward each other, they were very cute. I kind of love stories where the two main characters are crushing on each other. I love that sexual tension that can only be met when the two characters finally have sex or admit they love each other. It makes reading a little bit more thrilling because you don’t know if they’ll actually admit it.

Tom himself was so complex! I mean, he was a very strong example of exquisite human, but he also had a lot going on in his head. He was the mediator between the twins, but he also did whatever they asked. He didn’t necessarily spoil them, but he couldn’t help but repay their kindness to him and his mother. He also had some real problems going on at home juggling that plus his feelings for Darcy and doing what Jamie asked of him? That’s one pretty stressed out dude.

But I wasn’t a fan of Darcy. She seemed aloof and almost put on by her “bad girl” personality and style. However, I can understand how her life choices and lifestyle helped shape the person she is. I can understand the level of loneliness and regret she felt about her life. There was some depth with Darcy, but maybe it wasn’t enough to really connect me to her.

I also didn’t love the ending. I thought it was a little rushed. It was like one week of shenanigans between Tom and Darcy and then two months of nothing. There was a time jump at this point, but it didn’t feel like it worked well with the rest of the story. I feel like we were in the middle of a story to pause and fast forward into the future.

So aside from the beginning and the end, you’ve got a really good middle. I will admit the middle made me blush and almost made me cry. It almost forgives the editorial decisions made in the beginning and end.
- 3.5/5 Stars
- Find 99 Percent Mine on Amazon
- Find my review on Goodreads
Weekend Wrap-up // April 12, 2019

April 12, 2019
Happy Friday! I heard this new song from Drax Project and Hailee Steinfeld, but I think this music video is life goals for me. I always imagine myself dancing down the street (sometimes more than just dreaming) and it feels exactly like this. I hope this new little bop gets you going and dancing down the street.

I’ll be heading to the LA Festival of Books tomorrow, which is my first time. I’m so excited about this and seeing my bookish friends and just hanging out. I do have my eyes on a few books, so I’ll pick those up if I see them. Mostly, I’m just there to see my friends and spend some time with bookish folks. If you’re in the LA area, make sure to take a mosey to the USC campus and hang with us!

I also received my first assignment as a book reviewer and it’s got to be the weirdest book I’ve ever read. However, I think I’ll need to get used to books like this one with my new job. Of course I’ll update you with what this experience has been next week. Let’s get to the rest of the week:

Links I Loved

This week felt like a big week of firsts. If you’re into science and space, then it was definitely a good week for you. My husband was overjoyed with everything from a successful space launch to the eye of Sauron floating in space.
- First off, The Lion King trailer! When I was watching it, I was shocked how exact the shots were to the animated movie. I loved the realistic look of all the animals and even more, Timon and Pumba at the end of the trailer. I hope you enjoy that!
- Everyone was talking about the first images of a black hole ever. Of course the first thing people thought of was the Eye of Sauron, because it legit looks like it. But the truth of it is that we’re seeing a black hole (one of the biggest mysteries of the universe) on camera. It’s like seeing a super private celebrity pop out of their house holding hands with someone you know they’re not regularly dating. It’s legit big, big news!
Blog posts from this week

This week, I updated y’all with my life for the next few weeks. I’m excited about reading and getting as much done as possible before I hit summer and reading only backlisted novels. Of course, there will be other books I’ll have to read for work, but most of the books I’ll read are ones I already own. It’s going to be an exciting time.
- My Reading Life For The Next Few Weeks
- My Thoughts on My Sister, The Serial Killer
- My Thoughts on How to Make Friends With The Dark
- Publishing Books for Yourself : For this one, I put out the question of whether or not you would publish a book for everyone to read or just for yourself? It’s an interesting idea to publish just for yourself, but at the same time all that work needs to be seen. What would you do?
What I’m Reading This Weekend

Today I’ll be finishing The Bourbon Thief by Tiffany Reisz. I can already tell this will be an amazing book with so much intrigue and mystery. I’m honestly shook and I want to read everything by Tiffany Reisz. I’m also taking this book as a sign of my love of gothic novels. Is it because they’re like mini soap operas? Maybe.

It’s probably been too long since I’ve read a male author. I mean, I think the last time I read something by a guy was February and that was Marlon James’s Black Leopard, Red Wolf. However, Steven Rowley is a totally different writer. I have a feeling The Editor will entertain me until the very end.

Here’s what I’m reading this weekend:
- The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
- The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
- The Editor by Steven Rowley
How’s your weekend been?
My Thoughts on My Sister, The Serial Killer

April 11, 2019
If you read the title of this post pretty carefully, it sounds like I’m calling my own sister a serial killer. However, she is not (thankfully) and I’m no pushover when it comes to cleaning up her mess.

My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite is the story about Ayoola and Korede, two sisters who live in Nigeria and have one major issue; Ayoola tends to kill her ex-boyfriends.

When I first read this book, I thought it was going to be a thriller. It was going to be mysterious in the way they kill the boyfriends or Ayoola denies it. I thought maybe Korede didn’t know or she had an idea. But the truth is that it isn’t a thriller. You know exactly who did the killing, who did the cleaning up, and who is getting away with it. In fact, the only thrill you’ll get in this book is whether or not Ayoola and Korede get caught. The story reads more literary and in Korede’s POV.

However, this doesn’t mean the book isn’t any good. If anything, it’s better than I imagined. The book has layers. It’s not a straightforward story about a young woman who kills her ex-boyfriends. It’s about the sister, Korede, who cleans up the mess. She’s the one who hasn’t told anyone but a comatose man about what her sister has done. She feels loyal to her family more than the law. That’s the kind of book this is about.

The book reminded me a lot of So I Married An Axe Murderer. If you haven’t watched that movie, it’s about a young man who falls in love with a beautiful young woman who happens to kill her husbands. It’s a little twisted, but there’s a lot of elements across the two stories that make me think of the movie. It’s a good thing! I love that movie.

What I thought was interesting were the callbacks to memories with their family. It was a clever way to show how the girls became so close and how their relationship started when they were younger and surviving in their parents’ house. It helped to paint the picture between Korede and Ayoola. It showed the over-aggressive father who didn’t have a clue how to understand his daughters. It showed how Ayoola shaped into the selfish person she is. It was a lot of questions being answered.

I think one of the more infuriating parts of this story is how Korede enables Ayoola. Instead of saying no or telling her not to kill people or even calling the police, I feel like Ayoola just knows she’ll get away with it. It’s also possibly their sibling dynamic. Korede is always taking care of her younger sister and Ayoola always got away with everything.

But aside from that, a really short read with a lot to think about at the end. Do you condone your sister if she murdered her boyfriends? What would you do?
- 4/5 Stars
- Find My Sister, The Serial Killer on Amazon
- Find my review on Goodreads
Publishing Books for Yourself

April 10, 2019

Last Tuesday, I went to a conversation between Taylor Jenkins Reid and Steven Rowley. The conversation was in celebration of Steven Rowley’s newest novel, The Editor. However, he’s known for his book Lily and the Octopus, a story that’s brought many people to tears.

However, there was something Steven Rowley said at the conversation that really stuck with me. I wanted to dig into this a little myself because it’s a concept I didn’t even consider until he brought it up. Before Lily and the Octopus was picked up by Simon and Schuster, Steven Rowley was considering self-publishing a few copies of the novel to give to friends and family. Because the novel is semi-autobiographical, he wanted to publish the book himself to give to his people as a way of knowing him even more deeply.

And it dawned on me. Why didn’t I consider publishing my own novel?

I think when it comes to writing a novel, most authors want to publish the book for as many people in the world to read. This is a career for them and the only way to make money is to really sell the book. However, I never thought people published books just for themselves.

It reminded me of The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick. The story follows a librarian who comes across an unfamiliar book. It turns out to be a book of short stories the librarian wrote as a young girl. Who could the author be? Only her grandmother who kept all her stories when she was growing up. She took those stories and self-published them. Then they would go around town reading stories from the book and leaving the book for someone to pick up.

Aside from Steven Rowley sharing books about his life and librarians finding stories they wrote when they were kids, it didn’t occur to me that I could write a novel and then I can control who actually gets a copy.

It’s not like my life is a big secret. I’m definitely not a writer, but when I think of the person I’ll be when I’m 70 years old, I imagine that I have some record of the life I’ve lived. I want to keep a photo album of my wedding photos, so it makes sense I want record of my blog posts and articles I’ve written. I could put together a portfolio book or a book of essays I’ve always wanted to write.

If I can share my life with my family and friends or write stories just for my nieces, it would be amazing to self-publish them to give to other friends and family. I mean, could it also be super pretentious? I think so, but I don’t think anyone who publishes just to share their story with the people close to them is that pretentious.

Self-publishing is way more interesting to me now knowing that it’s not just for authors. Perhaps because it’s always sold as your “big break” or the way you’ll get your book “out there.” But if you can self-publish anything, then the world is kind of endless.

What kind of story would you publish?
My Thoughts on How to Make Friends With the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow

April 9, 2019
I received a copy of this book to promote on Instagram, but I was interested in the book before the promotion and so I read it right away. This book didn’t disappointment me and made me think about more things than just a young girl who loses her mother.

::TRIGGER WARNING::

This story deals with loss and grief as its main theme. There’s also discussion of homelessness, the foster care system, and child/domestic abuse.

How to Make Friends with the Dark was my first novel by Kathleen Glasgow and I have to admit, I’m extremely impressed. The story touches on some interesting topics I never would have thought of. It’s also got a lot of emotions and themes to make you continue reading.

The story follows Tiger (who’s real name is Grace) who for all intents and purposes is your average teenage girl. She’s about to finish sophomore year of high school. She’s been making out with her long-time crush. She’s got a best friend in the entire world. And she has an incredible mother who’s a little eccentric, protective, and loving.

On a random day, Tiger and her mother have a big fight over a date to the dance. Tiger wanted to protect herself by not talking to her mother all day only to see a photo of a hideous gown she bought for her.

Suddenly, Tiger’s mother dies of a brain hemorrhage. Because Tiger only has her mother, she’s taken in by the state and enters the foster care system.

The next part of the book is watching Tiger go from home to home while in the middle of mourning a mother she loved dearly, but barely knew. I really loved this part because it was a realistic depiction of someone’s mourning process. She even dealt with a few of the stereotypical things people say to mourners. She even went over in her head the things she said to her mom before she died.

There was a lot of regret in Tiger’s personality. She hated that she didn’t ask more about her father. She was mad at her mother for not sharing enough about her. Tiger was pushed into a world she knows nothing about without the one person she relies on the most. It’s an incredibly stressful time for anyone in that situation.

I thought the most interesting part of this novel was depictions of the foster care system. I guess I haven’t read many books where kids are shuttled between homes, but this was an interesting overview that I’ve never seen. I honestly feel bad that I didn’t know more, but now I’m more intrigued.

However, the main theme of this novel is loss and grief. Tiger’s story is only one person who dealt with loss in their own way. It was shocking to see her, how she dwindled down to nearly nothing, but I can imagine how much pain she must be feeling. If you’ve ever lost someone close to you, then you know that feeling.

As I kept reading, I wanted there to be a break for Tiger. I felt like every step she took was another steep uphill battle. One step forward and two steps back kind of struggle. It felt like her trial would never end.

On top of everything, Kathleen Glasgow’s writing is so poetic. It almost felt lyrical as she described how Tiger felt. It also felt like a mature teenager writing; it wasn’t overly young and it wasn’t too old. It moved the story forward in a natural way. I was surprised by what happened to Tiger in the end, but Kathleen Glasgow is good enough to hide that surprise until the end.

I really recommend this book if you’re into sad stories. You may not cry with catharsis, but it may bring up some long forgotten thoughts.
- 4/5 Stars
- Find How to Make Friends with the Dark on Amazon
- Find my review on Goodreads
I received a copy of this book from Delacorte Press for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.
My Reading Life for the Next Few Weeks

April 8, 2019

Hey everyone!

I wanted to pop on here and give you an update on my reading life for the next few weeks. Of course I’ll be doing my mid-month checkins, but I’m reading as much as I can for my first Summer Reading List.

Yes, it’ll be my first time creating a summer reading list for my blog and I’m excited and nervous. It was almost last minute and it actually stems from a bigger project I’ve been working on with my TBR. Here’s how this all came about:

I was looking at my April TBR and just wanting to finally catch up with my growing TBR. Every month, I feel like I receive so many books and as much as I want to read all of them, I can’t. I’m always playing catch up and I always seem to leave a few books behind. I want to fix this problem and really only read new books as they come out (and a few older books mixed in each month).

My first challenge is reading all the new books currently releasing. In order to catch up, I need to ignore my backlist and only focus on the new releases. I figured since I’m reading all these new books then I’m going to put together the summer reading list. So what I decided to do was work on putting this list together and spending my summer reading only backlisted books.

My second challenge is then dedicating my summer to solely reading backlisted novels. This means only the books I’ve accumulated on my bookshelves over the years. No new reads. No library holds. I’ll read a new release every once in a while (especially since my review job is reading ONLY new releases), but I want to finally catch up on my fantasy series, start some new fantasy, and read older books written by some of my new favorite authors.

I always feel like I don’t have enough time to read my backlist while new reads continue to publish every single week. While there’s no stopping the train over the summer, I want to read pretty much only new books for now. When June/July starts, then I’ll be switching over to an 80/20 split; eight backlisted novels and two new reads or something like that. I would love to read at that ratio until the end of September where I’ll switch back to only reading new books until the winter.

I’m not sure if this method will work, but my biggest issue is the backlisted TBR. I want to dedicate an entire season to reading them and catching up with my TBR. Even if I make a small dent, I’ll feel proud that I dedicated time to reading these books and finally feeling the accomplishment of reading them.

I apologize to everyone who don’t want me to read only new releases, but it’ll be for a little while. My review numbers will be going up as well, but I’ve decided I like having reviews on here. It’s a part of my reading life and something I don’t want to ignore anymore.