Everything, Everything – Nicola Yoon

Everything, Everything – Nicola Yoon

Title: Everything, Everything

Author: Nicola Yoon

Release Date: September 1, 2015

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Format: Paperback

Page Number: 308

Source: TBR Pile

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

4 out of 5 stars

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Cute? Yes.

Fun? Yes.

Predictable as heck? Yes.

Still enjoyable? Yes.

Everything, Everything follows Maddy who has a disease called SCIDS, which basically means she’s allergic to everything. She has to stay inside her climate controlled home in order to stay healthy, and it’s been that way for as long as she could remember. Even the smallest thing could make her deathly ill, so she stays at home every single day and her mother and nurse take care of her.

Her whole life is predictable, but fulfilling… or so she thinks, until she sees a family moving in next door. Not only is this just a family, it’s a family with a cute boy. A cute boy who makes her want to experience life outside the confines of her home.

She and cute boy, Olly, start emailing and falling for each other.

CUTE.

I think that contemporaries are so much fun. And so so cute. There were so many moments that I had to take a deep breath because the cute was just overwhelming me lol.

I do have to admit, the relationship formed so quickly. I understand that it’s a short book, but it felt very unrealistic to me. Maddy has never touched anyone except her mother, nurse, and doctors, and then is totally fine with touching Olly right away…. hmm. Seems a little sketchy and I’m skeptical.

The cute moments were ever so cute, though. Again, contemporaries are so fun and I love getting to read something fast and fun. I started and finished this in one day… oops.

I think part of the reason that I found this predictable is because I’ve seen the movie. Well, duh. I knew the plot twist before even starting the book, so that could just be a me thing, I guess.

All in all there were lots of aspects I really enjoyed about this book, and I would like to read more by Nicola Yoon! I really enjoyed this novel and it was her first, so I’m guessing her writing just keeps getting better :)

Aubrey Joy

The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2) – Holly Black

The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2) – Holly Black

Title: The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2)

Author: Holly Black

Release Date: January 8, 2019

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Format: Hardcover

Page Number: 322

Source: Library

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself that strong.

Jude has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were biddable. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her, even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a faerie world.

4 out of 5 stars

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That plot twist at the end.

I’m usually really freaking good at predicting the way that books will go, but I did not see that one coming. Looking back at it, I probably should have, but omg.

The Wicked King follows Jude, a mortal girl living in Faerie, who just so happens to have control over the new king of faerie, Cardan. Jude kind of hates Cardan, but also has a major crush on him, but won’t let him know that (keep this in mind… it comes in handy later on). Jude has to deal with being a mortal girl in this mystical and magical land of cunning faeries who just want to destroy literally everything. And oh yeah, Jude almost gets killed by someone she thought she could trust, her sisters seem a little sketchy, and her father is now on the opposite side as her.

This book was a whirlwind.

THE ENDING. Honestly, I’m just so impressed with Holly Black because that plot twist ending was so freaking good. I really enjoy the characters throughout this book and I like how Jude develops, especially from the first book.

I did get a little confused with all the different names because it doesn’t make a ton of sense to me to have characters named that have nothing to do with the story or plot line whatsoever. Why name the sister to the cousin of the random knight? okay maybe not that extreme, but kinda.

Cardan. Cunning little evil, but is he evil, but is he good mr. faerie boy who just so happens to be the king… his character kinda confused me, but I didn’t hate it. I think it made some of the scenes more intense and impactful that I wasn’t super convinced by him or his motives. I loved his relationship with Jude around the middle of the book. When they knew they liked each other, but didn’t want to fully admit it, yeah that was pretty cute. Then it got irritating, a little cute again, and then the ending made me do a double take.

Jude is kind of irritating as a main character because they’re so much inner dialogue that never really gets acted upon, but she was still fun to read from because she had lots of different ways of going about situations. Pretty cool gal. She needs to take some time to do yoga or something to chill the frick out about her Cardan/senachal position, but other than that she was cool.

I’m really excited to read the final book in the series to see how everything plays out! I think the ending will be really epic and probably consist of a few great plot twists. But as per usual, Holly Black is the QUEEN of the faerie books.

Series:

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1)

Aubrey Joy

Dark Matter – Blake Crouch

Dark Matter – Blake Crouch

Title: Dark Matter

Author: Blake Crouch

Release Date: July 26, 2016

Publisher: Crown

Format: ebook

Page Number: 342

Source: Libby

“Are you happy with your life?” 

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. 

Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. 

Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.” 

In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.

Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.

From the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy, Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human—a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we’ll go to claim the lives we dream of.

4 out of 5 stars

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Such a trippy book.

I started listening to this on audiobook way back when I was still in school because I like having something to listen to whilst walking to class, and I was intrigued and didn’t want to put it down, then the stress of the end of the school year came and I just never finished it. I listened to about 40% of it, then checked out the book from my local library when I got home. I didn’t read anything from the physical book, then checked out the ebook from the Libby app, and sped through it. Who knows lol.

I was intrigued right away by this book because I didn’t know what to truly expect. I don’t know how I consistently do this, but I always hear of a book being really great but NEVER actually know what it’s about. Yay for not being all about spoiling myself.

This book followed a crazy smart scientist named Jason. He had a great life with his wife and son, but always wondered what would have happened had he followed his more scientific pursuits instead of having a family. All is well and good until one night he’s walking home after attending a party for his friend, and he gets mugged by a man wearing a mask. The man asks him if he’s happy with his life, and after hearing Jason’s answer, makes him follow instructions and drive to an abandoned building. Once they get there, the kidnapper makes Jason take off his clothes and trade him attire, then gives him a drug in a syringe and the next thing he knows, is waking up to people welcoming him back.

SPOOKY.

So like I said earlier, this book was really fricking trippy. So many things happened that would have been so confusing to me had I read this when I was younger, but luckily I read it now because I really enjoyed it!

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing style, but I know that it fit the book well. I don’t think the book would have been as effective had the writing style been any different, so good job Mr. Crouch. I applaud you for that. I wonder if his other books have a similar writing style or if his great authorly skills allowed him to adapt to this new setting.

The idea of this book is one I’ve actually had a dream about before.

SPOILERS.

Having multiple versions of yourself in the same place in time and how that would happen. I, of course, have NO IDEA about any of the science behind it, but I’ve always been curious. Kind of like Hermione with the time-turner in Harry Potter. What would happen if you saw another version of yourself? Yeah, that’s right. Bad things. Really not good, but it’s an interesting thing to read and wonder about.

I’m interested in reading Blake Crouch’s new book, so maybe I’ll try and pick that up the next time I’m at the bookstore or the library!

Aubrey Joy

The Magic of Tiny Business: You Don’t Have to Go Big to Make a Great Living – Sharon Rowe

The Magic of Tiny Business: You Don’t Have to Go Big to Make a Great Living – Sharon Rowe

Title: The Magic of Tiny Business: You Don’t Have to Go Big to Make a Great Living

Author: Sharon Rowe

Release Date: May 8, 2018 *my birthday!*

Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers

Format: Paperback

Page Number: 160

Source: Amazon

Too many of us feel trapped by work that keeps us from living our purpose. We fantasize about starting our own business, yet we’re warned against falling into debt, working eighty hours a week, and coping with the pressure to grow. Eco-Bags Products founder Sharon Rowe says there’s another way: go tiny.

Like a tiny house, a tiny business is built on maintaining a laser focus on what is essential by living an intentional life. As an entrepreneur and mother, Rowe is most concerned with putting family first, maintaining financial security, and doing something that makes an impact in the world. Using the success story of Eco-Bags Products, Rowe distills the step-by-step process of building a profitable, right-scaled, sustainable venture that doesn’t compromise your values. She shows you how to test your concept, manage your money and priorities, and more, while staying true to the “tiny” ethos.

4 out of 5 stars

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I picked up this book because my goal is to have a business with a “tiny” ethos. I want to open a sustainable, zero-waste coffee shop that sources locally. I don’t want a grand, expensive life, I want to live sustainably, ethically, and minimally. I want to work enough to be able to travel for at least two months out of the year and have a cute little eco-friendly family.

WANTED: a fun boy interested in an eco-friendly lifestyle, loves being outside, enjoys drinking coffee, and wants to build a tiny house with me.

Great. Now that that’s out of the way…

I enjoyed this book because of the things it explained and the ideas it stood for. I think having a tiny business makes so so SO much sense for the lifestyle that I’ve started living, and I can’t wait to create my business after I’m done with college!

I do have to say, quite a bit of this book went right over my head. There were sections that were kind of hard to understand because of the business world lingo. I’ve not taken that many business or entrepreneurship classes, so I don’t know a lot of these concepts, but I look forward to learning more about them.

One of my favorite parts about this book was the idea to get up and drink a glass of water. It helps you to think things through before jumping to any conclusions, and to also gets your body up and moving. I think it’s applicable to most everything in life.

Reading this book just made me really excited to create my coffee shop and live the tiny lifestyle I want to live.

Aubrey Joy

REREAD Milk and Honey – Rupi Kaur

Milk and Honey – Rupi Kaur

Title: Milk and Honey

Author: Rupi Kaur

Release Date: November 4, 2014

Publisher: Createspace

Format: Paperback

Page Number: 204

Source: Walmart

milk and honey is a collection of poetry and prose about survival. It is about the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity. It is split into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose, deals with a different pain, heals a different heartache. milk and honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look.

4 out of 5 stars

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Oh little naive 2017 Aubrey.

I originally read this book before my painful breakup. Before I realized I was in an unhealthy relationship. Before I admitted to myself that I wasn’t happy. I didn’t understand then how beautiful and true these feelings were.

When I originally reviewed this I rated it 2 stars because I didn’t connect with any of it. I didn’t understand. I actually read part of it on my then boyfriend’s front porch. I was just naive. But that’s okay because everyone is supposed to have a point of naivety in their life, mine just lasted a little longer than it probably should have.

This book touched me and reached me so differently than the first time. I don’t really know why I was drawn to reading it for a second time because I didn’t enjoy it the first time, but I’m so glad I picked it up. I strongly believe that people won’t enjoy this unless they’ve experienced a painful heartbreak. Even if it’s you breaking up with a significant other, it’s still painful.

I know that maturity made me love this book. I now see why people love it so much.

Rupi Kaur writes about four different stages in her life: the hurting, the loving, the breaking, and the healing. The book is split into these four sections and takes a different tone for each. I related to the sections “the loving” and “the breaking” the most, but still appreciated the others.

The prose is beautifully written and easy to consume. The stories are tragic and true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVo4q6xsWNc

Some of my favorite poems/quotes:

what i miss most is how you loved me. but what i didn’t know was how you loved me had so much to do with the person i was. it was a reflection of everything I gave to you. coming back to me. how did i not see that. how. did i sit here soaking in the idea that no one else would love me that way. when it was i that taught you. when it was i that showed you how to fill. the way i needed to be filled. how cruel i was to myself. giving you credit for my warmth simply because you had felt it. thinking it was you who gave me strength. wit. beauty. simply because you recognized it. as if i was already not these things before i met you. as if i did not remain all these once you left.

 

losing you was

the becoming

of myself

 

most importantly love

like it’s the only thing you know how

at the end of the day all this

means nothing

this page

where you’re sitting

your degree

your job

the money

nothing even matters

except love and human connection

who you loved

and how deeply you loved them

how you touched the people around you

and how much you gave them

Aubrey Joy

April Wrapup *how did I forget about this until now?*

Read:

1. Begin Again: The Brave Practice of Releasing Hurt and Receiving Rest – Leanna Tankersley and Shauna Niequist *review*
2. Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) – Leigh Bardugo *review*
3. Small Graces: The Quiet Gifts of Everyday Life – Kent Nerburn *review*
4. REREAD Truly Devious (Truly Devious #1) – Maureen Johnson *review*
5. P.S. I Like You – Kasie West *review*
6. The Vanishing Stair (Truly Devious #2) – Maureen Johnson *review*

FAVORITE BOOK OF THE MONTH

Aubrey Joy

The Vanishing Stair (Truly Devious #2) – Maureen Johnson

The Vanishing Stair (Truly Devious #2) – Maureen Johnson

Title: The Vanishing Stair (Truly Devious #2)

Author: Maureen Johnson

Release Date: January 22, 2019

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Format: Hardcover

Page Number: 384

Source: public library

All Stevie Bell wanted was to find the key to the Ellingham mystery, but instead she found her classmate dead. And while she solved that murder, the crimes of the past are still waiting in the dark. Just as Stevie feels she’s on the cusp of putting it together, her parents pull her out of Ellingham academy.

For her own safety they say. She must move past this obsession with crime. Now that Stevie’s away from the school of topiaries and secret tunnels, and her strange and endearing friends, she begins to feel disconnected from the rest of the world. At least she won’t have to see David anymore. David, who she kissed. David, who lied to her about his identity—son of despised politician Edward King. Then King himself arrives at her house to offer a deal: He will bring Stevie back to Ellingham immediately. In return, she must play nice with David. King is in the midst of a campaign and can’t afford his son stirring up trouble. If Stevie’s at school, David will stay put.

The tantalizing riddles behind the Ellingham murders are still waiting to be unraveled, and Stevie knows she’s so close. But the path to the truth has more twists and turns than she can imagine—and moving forward involves hurting someone she cares for. In New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson’s second novel of the Truly Devious series, nothing is free, and someone will pay for the truth with their life.

5 out of 5 stars

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I loved this book. I was engaged the entire time, and wanted to keep reading and learning what would happen. This is the first book in a long time that I’ve had the “okay just one more chapter” over and over again.

The Vanishing Stair follows Stevie Bell coming back to Ellingham Academy to try and solve the Ellingham case from the 1930s. She was sent home after events that happened in the first book, Truly Devious, and finds herself back at the school. She’s allowed to go back to the school because Edward King, her friend David’s father, sends her back to keep an eye on his son. Even though the reasoning behind her being back may not be the most honest, she still finds a way to do some research and questionable exploring with her friends back on the Ellingham campus.

Guys.

This was a fantastic sequel. I don’t know what to do with myself after the ending because I really just want the next book now! It’s crazy because I enjoyed the first book, but this one blew me away.

The characters are great and mysterious and had me wondering THE WHOLE TIME. What is David’s deal? When will they figure out what happened? What was this riddle about from Ellingham?

The riddles and clues throughout this book were so fun to try and figure out. (I totally didn’t, but was just here for the ride lol) I loved the introduction of the new materials and clues Stevie found out about because it added so much to the story.

I’m usually really annoyed by the presence of love triangles, but omg. This is a good one, actually. I really like David, but Hunter is so sweet. David is mysterious, and Hunter is an open book. Hmmm.

The most underrated character in this series is Larry the security guy. He’s so cool and values Stevie so much. He genuinely wants her to succeed and tries to help her stay at the school. What a cool guy. And they trust each other with information about the case yay for real relationships.

I’m really excited to read book three because SO MUCH HAPPENED RIGHT AT THE END. I’m actually shook. It all happened so fast, but I feel like that’s what would have happened if this were a real case. The influx of information would have happened so fast, and Stevie is just so fricking smart. So smart. It blows my mind every time she comes across something new for the case. 

Series:

Truly Devious (Truly Devious #1)

REREAD Truly Devious (Truly Devious #1)

Aubrey Joy

REREAD: Truly Devious (Truly Devious #1) – Maureen Johnson

Truly Devious (Truly Devious #1) – Maureen Johnson

Title: Truly Devious (Truly Devious #1)

Author: Maureen Johnson

Release Date: January 16, 2018

Publisher: Harpercollins

Format: Hardcover

Page Number: 416

Source: public library

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place” he said, “where learning is a game.”

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym, Truly Devious. It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history. 

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.

4 out of 5 stars

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Okay. I think I’m FINALLY OUT OF MY READING SLUMP!

This is the second time I’ve read this book because I REALLY wanted to continue on with the series, but didn’t really remember what happened, and I think I liked it even more the second time.

ORIGINAL REVIEW

Truly Devious follows Stevie trying to actually solve the Ellingham case from the 1930s. Two people died, and one is still technically missing. Stevie is obsessed with detective work and she loves true crime, so when she got accepted to the Ellingham school she dove into trying to learn more and solve the case.

Super cool concept, and it was executed SO WELL.

I forgot how much I love rereading books, and I was a little concerned because I haven’t ever reread a mystery, but it’s so cool to see all the clues when they’re happening! I also remembered way more than I thought I would, but it was great because then I could follow along easily with what I remembered.

I’m so excited to see where the second book goes, and I’m actually going to start it right after I finish writing this. This book set up the next so well.

Series:

The Vanishing Stair (Truly Devious #2)

Aubrey Joy

Review: Begin Again: The Brave Practice of Releasing Hurt and Receiving Rest – Leeana Tankersly

Begin Again: The Brave Practice of Releasing Hurt and Receiving Rest – Leeana Tankersly

Title: Begin Again: The Brave Practice of Releasing Hurt and Receiving Rest

Author: Leeana Tankersly

Release Date: April 3, 2018

Publisher: Fleming H. Revell Company

Format: Paperback

Page Number: 192

Source: borrowed from a friend

What happens when life begins to trip us up and failure starts creeping in? Many of us just keep on doing the same thing, hoping for different results. Some of us look for escape, to find a way out of the mess we feel that we’ve created. But neither enduring nor escaping is ultimately what we need.

The answer is to allow ourselves to begin again, every day, in every part of our lives. Through engaging, lyrical prose, Leeana Tankersley shows women how to forgive themselves, develop new and healthier patterns of living, and do away with resentment and regret. Her life-giving words will free women who are feeling stuck and allow them to clear out the debris to make room for what God wants to do in their lives. To begin again is to open the window, even a crack, to let the breeze of grace come in. It is a call to stop running from our fears. To take one small step toward becoming the brave women we were made to be.

2 out of 5 stars

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I enjoyed the message of this book, but the execution was extremely lacking.

Begin Again is a non-fiction, Christian self-help book written by Leeana Tankersley taking stories from her life and noticing how she has chosen to live by the motto “begin again.”

Again, the message is great. Give your life over to Jesus, He will save you, and help you to start over when times are hard and you’re confused with life. I COMPLETELY agree. I’ve been dealing with some hard stuff and big decisions in the last year, and my newfound relationship with Christ has helped me in countless ways. I love being part of a church and reading my Bible; it’s been awesome, so I was really excited about this book because it seemed like I would be able to connect with it.

I was disappointed.

The writing style was just so unpolished that it took away from the purpose of the book for me. This read like a first draft written by a middle schooler. No offense to middle schoolers… a 40 year old woman with an English degree should definitely be able to write better than this.

The chapters were so short and choppy. The sentences were so simple that it made it difficult to read. Come on. You. Do. Not. Need. To. Put. Periods. After. Every. Three. Words. Get it together, honestly.

I am a word nerd. I LOVE sentence structure. Semi-colons are my favorite form of punctuation. The fact that I have a favorite form of punctuation should speak to the fact that I like books and reading. It just doesn’t make sense to me why you would write something so simplistic for the fact of emphasis. Complex sentences make the world-go-round, people!

Another thing that was confusing to me: Unnecessary Capitalization. Um. It makes no sense to me why the word ‘love’ was capitalized… for no reason. It wasn’t representative of anything. It was just the classic meaning of the word. Why does it need emphasis then? There were so many instances of this and it just makes no sense.

The way the stories and chapters were written was so confusing. She would start one story, then randomly jump to another thing, return but be going in a different direction. Bro. Chill out. Introduce the members of your family so I know what your kids’ names are. I don’t want to be confused the heck out about who Elle is in the second to last chapter! The thing with memoirs is that you need to be open about your life in order for them to be successful. I feel like I don’t know this woman because she didn’t explain ANYTHING about herself.

Maybe I’m just in a hypercritical mindset right now, but these are my thoughts. I would still give this a try if you enjoy Christian self-help books; go in with an open mind.

Aubrey Joy

Review: My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies – Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Jacob Phillips

My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies – Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Jacob Phillips

Title: My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies

Author: Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, Jacob Phillips

Release Date: October 10, 2018

Publisher: Image Comics

Format: Hardcover

Page Number: 72

Source: Library

Teenage Ellie has always had romantic ideas about drug addicts, those tragic artistic souls drawn to needles and pills have been an obsession since the death of her junkie mother ten years ago. But when Ellie lands in an upscale rehab clinic where nothing is what it appears to be… she’ll find another more dangerous romance, and find out how easily drugs and murder go hand-in-hand.

MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES is a seductive coming-of-age story, a pop and drug culture-fueled tale of a young girl seeking darkness — and what she finds there.

3 out of 5 stars

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I don’t know. I’m not 100% sold.

This graphic novel follows a girl named Ellie who has been romanticizing addiction her whole life. Her mother was an addict and all her musical heroes were addicted to alcohol or drugs, so she decides to experiment with different substances. The novel starts out with her in rehab and escalates from there.

I don’t really understand the point of this book.

The art style was cool and the color scheme was nice, so I’m adding an extra star for that, but the plot was just dumb. Ellie decides to date this other guy that’s in rehab with her, and she deceives him in the end, but there was no point to her doing that. There just wasn’t a purpose for any of her motives at all.

I liked the flashbacks from her childhood about why she became obsessed with addiction, but it also doesn’t seem like a solid plot device.

This served its purpose of being a quick read. Idk I don’t really have anything else to say about it.

Aubrey Joy