Book Reviews by a Chick Who Reads Everything
I read every kind of book from the absolute serious to the downright silly.
Hi Everybody!
Grab your hot air balloons, travel to the World’s Fair, and conduct a seance because guest Sarah Rick I talk about how we would adapt Kittentits by Holly Wilson on the latest episode of the Adapt Me Podcast. You can check it out at this link.
My review of Kittentits will be up next week!
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*I know that some are adaptations and original movies, but that’s besides the point.
Holy moley! I’m now approaching my 200th review. I’ve enjoyed posting these reviews for the last six years, and to meet that milestone means so much to me. I’m also glad that I’ve expanded what I evaluate. I plan on continuing to post reviews as long as possible.
Just like before, I will rate each of the 199 books that I have reviewed on this site. These are based on the ratings that I gave them on Goodreads, Letterboxd, and IMDb, but some have changed since their initial postings.
Here is the chart that I used to rate^ them:
* = Bad
** = Meh
*** = Decent
**** = Good
***** = Great
^Note: The books within each rating are only in alphabetical order.
Now, let’s begin!
*
**
***
****
*****
And there you have it! Let me what you think via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or email!
Join me as I post my 200th review next week! It’s of the weirdest book I’ve ever read, and I’ve looked at plenty of strange ones.
Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates. Also feel free to email me here for any review suggestions, ideas, or new titles!
Full disclosure: I was given a free advance reader copy of this book by Books Forward in exchange for an honest review.
It’s been a long time since I read stories that were written in an informal manner. The ones penned by John Marszalkowski were so good that I wanted to look at some more. Recently, I read some informal tales written by someone not named John Marszalkowski. It’s called Cancer Moon: How I Survived the Best Years of My Life by Jenna Tico – a good collection of stories that detail how the author lived through her 20s.
Cancer Moon: How I Survived the Best Years of My Life is a series of flash-prose, essay, and poetry that takes a look at one millennial artist’s transition from late bloomer to adult and invites women to embrace their self-worth, sexuality, and weirdness. Growing up in Santa Barbara, California, Jenna yearned for validation from celebrities and spiritual F-boys until she discovered her own value. She shares personal stories in various forms like the ones mentioned above while chronicling her journey from late bloomer to a grownup, which are all grouped following the cycles of the moon. Jenna observes the world of twenty-something relationships from perspectives that range from a bachelorette party to a deathbed and validates the experiences of women who felt abandoned by the generation before. Her stories also encourage healthy lifestyle choices for young women without telling them what to do and how to live their life with a dose of humor on the side.
I had never heard of a cancer moon prior to reading this book. It turns out that a cancer moon is a person who is sensitive and nurturing, feels deeply, and possesses plenty of intuition. This comes from astrology, especially when the moon is in the cancer sign. For more information, click on this link . Tico doesn’t fully explain what a cancer moon is, but she does talk about what it means to be one in the introduction titled “Come Sit in the Palm of My Hand.”
In addition, I love the framework of the sections being moon phases. The first part is Waning like Jenna’s self-confidence, and the second one is New, where she is shrouded in darkness. Then, sections three and four called Waxing and Full see her slowly regain her self-esteem.
Within the structure, it feels disjointed. The stories bounce all over the place, and I wasn’t really sure at what part in her twenties she was going through during a certain tale. But the more I thought about it, I realized that that decade is supposed to be full of unadulterated chaos. The fact that Tico organized it in story form shows how mature she’s become over time.
Let’s get into the content itself. I find Jenna to be absolutely relatable. Female readers will definitely connect with her story, especially her self-esteem issues and her quest to seek validation from people who didn’t really care. I certainly did when I was in my 20s, and I certainly related hard with the conflict of being used versus being invisible. She embodies humor and sincerity all throughout her work, yet she could be downright serious like in the story “Vital,” where she recounts her thoughts the moment when her Nana dies.
My favorite stories were “Cabo is the New Cabo,” “To the New Girlfriend of the Man I Used to Blame for Everything,” and “Terrible Twos, Or: How a Toddler Taught Me to Stop Regretting and Love Life.” All of them are very funny while they reveal some hard truths about life and how to navigate it. This is especially true in the first one, where she observes other women losing all inhibitions at a bachelorette party. I also enjoyed the connections from the earlier tales to the latter one. For example, the opener “Cabo is the New Cabo” gets referenced in the last official essay “I Was Told I’d Be Glowing.” Moreover, if readers want to see how Jenna evolves throughout the collection, read her one-page essays “Other People I Can Blame” and “Other People I Can Thank.”
As much as I liked Cancer Moon, I don’t think it will ever top the work of John Marszalkowski, yet it’s not Tico’s fault. I just happened to read his essays first, so I inadvertently set expectations on informal content I would later come across. It’s like if one’s first introduction to sketch comedy was Monty Python’s Flying Circus. One would still like other shows, but they can’t look at that style of comedy the same way after viewing the aforementioned series. That’s essentially what happened. I like Cancer Moon very much, yet I can’t read informal works the same way after consuming Marszalkowski’s books because the latter set the bar high. At the same time, both excel at being funny and honest at the same time.
Like Marszalkowski’s work, Cancer Moon is not going to be for everyone. After all, how many readers can say that they’ve had relations with a celebrity? Even more so, some may be off put by the non-linear structure. But then again, an author will never please everybody when they use non-conventional methods.
Cancer Moon: How I Survived the Best Years of My Life by Jenna Tico is a good set of informal stories about how one woman survived her 20s. While not everything is going to connect with the readers, the core elements will, and Tico is funny and sincere about them. She can also be downright serious when she speaks about her life and relationships. I would recommend it to those who want to get into stories that are less formal because of how palatable they are as well as to those who want to read more books about the trials and tribulations of going through one’s 20s and the journeys toward self-love. Cancer Moon: How I Survived the Best Years of My Life is out tomorrow, September 17, so go grab it wherever you get your books.
Before I go, I want to let you know that it is my 199th review! Next week, I will rank all of the 199 titles I’ve read and/or watched (including this one) in my Ranking series. This will lead up to my 200th review in two weeks. Stay tuned for the ranking! In the meantime, check out my prior Ranking posts.
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Full disclosure: I was given a free advance reader copy of this book by Author Marketing Experts in exchange for an honest review.
It’s been awhile since I read an action-packed thriller. I enjoyed the ones by Clive Cussler and Brad Thor, so I wanted to try a new author, or in this case, two. Today’s review is The Caiman of Iquitos by Piper Bayard and Jay Holmes aka Bayard & Holmes. It’s a part of the “Apex Predator Espionage Thrillers,” and it’s enjoyable due to its characters, plot twists, and environment.
The Caiman of Iquitos is the third book in the “Apex Predator Espionage Thrillers” series. Former CIA Operations Officer John Viera is doing his best to lead a normal life and start a family, but fate has other ideas. When a Russian ship is mysteriously torpedoed off the coast of Peru, untracked enriched uranium is found in its cargo. The US President, wanting to protect his multi-billion dollar business interests, blocks agency investigations into the incident. Instead, top intelligence officials call John and his team of former operatives to uncover the new player on the nuclear chessboard. They are the only ones who stand between international security and the Caiman of Iquitos.
Although it’s the third book in the series, The Caiman of Iquitos can easily be a stand alone. While it certainly made some possible references to the previous titles, it didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the novel.
I really enjoyed the characters in the book. Each has a distinct personality. For example, Angelina is a strong, confident woman and is the only female member of the operatives team. She butts heads with John a lot, yet she can be vulnerable, especially when something tragic happens on the mission. There’s also John Viera. At first, he might seem like every other CIA officer that one may find in a spy novel, but there’s more to him. He wants to live a normal life, yet his wife leaves him at the beginning of the story. Soon, he finds out that she’s pregnant with their child. Throughout the novel, John wonders why he’s on this assignment when he should be at home trying to repair his marriage and to be the best father he could be. In all of the action/adventure spy thrillers I’ve read, I’ve never encountered something like this before.
While the plot follows a similar structure to that of a Cussler tale (one main plot and two subplots), the twists are unique. One involves Heung – a North Korean spy – trying to get the uranium for his motherland, and he “promises” a guerilla group in Peru that he will help them find their leader and get them out of prison in exchange for the metal. It’s super hilarious when they finally locate that leader. There were some plot twists that I almost missed because I was mostly reading it while I was in bed about to fall asleep. I know that I said I wouldn’t do that after reading Nighthawk by Clive Cussler, but I did. I apologize. Now, I know for real not to read an espionage thriller right before I go to bed.
What stood out to me the most was the environment. I’m not just talking about how Bayard and Holmes describe the jungles in Peru, but also the realistic political atmosphere in which the operatives have to work with. The whole reason why they are on that mission is because the current president doesn’t want citizens to find out about his own personal business endeavors (does that sound familiar?). As a result, the tension is high during the sections involving the intelligence officials and the leader of the free world. Even the head of intelligence tells one of the officers to do what they can to find the uranium culprit by whatever means necessary, even if that means committing something illegal. Brad Thor would be very proud.
Another thing that stuck out was the Truth or Fiction section that follows the end of the book. The title is self-explanatory. Additionally, it reveals some of the liberties that the authors took while crafting this story. I didn’t mind this because the environment was grounded in reality, and some details had to be eschewed to move the plot forward.
The Caiman of Iquitos by Baynard & Holmes is a fun action spy thriller. The book is enjoyable with its distinct characters and plot twists. What impressed me the most was the tense, but authentic environment the operatives have to work under for their assignment. I would recommend this book for those who have read the previous titles in the “Apex Predator” series as well as readers who have consumed Clive Cussler and Brad Thor. Now if you will excuse me, I’m going to read more Apex Predator thrillers.
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Hi Everybody,
Over this summer, I went to a few places that I have never gone before. Each of them had a bookstore that I had to check out. Today, I’ll show them all to you. All of the photos used, except for one, were ones that I took.
First up is the Elkhart Lake Public Library in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Just like the last two years, I went to Wisconsin right before Memorial Day Weekend with my husband. But, this time, we decided to go to the Village of Elkhart Lake together, which is where Road America – one of the world’s fastest permanent road racing tracks – is located. The town itself is between Milwaukee and Green Bay.
While he spent his time driving cool cars on the Road America tracks, I took some time to explore. Even though some stores were closed during the time that we were there, it was still a nice area.
And of course, I had to check out their local library. It’s in the heart of the town right next door to the Village Hall. The library is all on one floor. It’s not as small as the Meadows Library in Las Vegas, yet it still packs in a lot of items while still being spacious.
A good example of this is the children’s area. The area is very organized with well-placed shelves, tables, chairs, and a rug while adding lots of color. This certainly would attract plenty of kids during the summer and after school. In fact, it did since when I was there, there was a group of children completing a scavenger hunt to find certain items in the library. Summer Reading started the week I visited Elkhart Lake.
I especially love the dinosaur in the background.
Every library needs a gigantic stuffed animal like this elephant.
Oh hey, Pigeon! What are you doing up there?
The adult section also had well-organized shelves. For instance, there was an orange sign on some to indicate that they were fiction. Similar signs were in the children’s area.
In addition, they had some neat displays like for new releases and for other themes.
Furthermore, I liked how the library cared about hygiene. They had these signs in the computer area.
The library also had a puzzle that people could work on. I spent a good chunk of time there trying to put the pieces together. It was so much fun.
My favorite part of being at the Elkhart Lake Public Library was their historical and vintage collection. There wasn’t a whole lot of items in them, but I can easily see people coming in to do research and read from very old books.
You know how I mentioned that Road America was in Elkhart Lake? There’s documents regarding its creation and even a DVD of footage filmed from the early days of the race in the 1950s that patrons could check out. Later on when I had dinner at a bar, I told the locals about this, and they couldn’t believe it. They didn’t know that the library held accessible artifacts relating to the history of Road America.
Lastly, the library housed a framed letter entitled “The Library Resolution,” which formally established the facility in 1906.
While the Elkhart Lake Public Library was a relatively small place, it still contained a lot of things that people could do, whether that being reading books, playing puzzles, or researching local history. Along with their website, you can check them out on Facebook and Instagram. There’s more to Elkhart Lake than Road America.
The second book place is Plot Bound Books in Gaylord, Michigan. This is the first time that I’ve reviewed a bookstore located in my home state.
Soon after I got back from Wisconsin, I was traveling once again. This time to Gaylord, Michigan, where a dear friend of mine invited me to stay with her at her parents’ house in the nearby town of Johannesburg during Memorial Day Weekend.
One day, she took me to downtown Gaylord. I’ve never been to that city, and it was a very pleasant experience. We went to the Alpine Chocolat Haus to have ice cream and lots of chocolate. Then, we walked over to Plot Bounds Books.
According to its website, it’s an independent bookstore that strives to provide customers with high-quality books that inspire, educate, and entertain as well as to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere among book lovers of all ages and backgrounds.
I immediately felt the cozy atmosphere when I walked right into the shop, which was the size of a living room. Even the Meadows Library in Las Vegas was slightly bigger than this. In addition, we managed to explore the place prior to the shop moving to a different location. Don’t worry, it’s still in Gaylord.
One of the first things that we noticed was the crafting table, where people could make their own bookmarks.
This was pretty cool, and it allowed anybody that walked in to make them. Plus, the bookstore was celebrating its birthday when we went, so I wonder if it was their way of giving back to the community. We made about two each. I made the ones seen below.
Most of the books on sale were located along a wall and a half, and many of them were popular titles. This makes sense for a smaller bookstore if they want to make a profit.
At the same time, Plot Bound Books offers some unique items like Michigan-based story books and stuffed animals. These can be seen below in this adorable display.
They also got bookmarks with really cool designs. I’m glad that Plot Bound Books also sells them and not just allows customers to make them.
And don’t worry parents. They got books for the littlest of kids seen here.
Additionally, the bookshop carried wrapped books. These are ones where customers can buy them based off of certain descriptions and then find out what the title is.
As much as I was tempted to purchase a “mystery” novel, I had my eye on Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange. I’ve been wanting to read that book ever since I found out about his follow-up to his debut title There There. I managed to get it at a discount since it was the bookstore’s birthday.
While Plot Bound Books may be small, it absolutely carries high-quality materials for customers to read and enjoy. Above all, it creates a warm and welcoming environment with ease. Along with their website, you can check them out on Facebook and Instagram. Birthday or not, come into their store the next time you’re in Gaylord, Michigan.
Finally, towards the end of summer, my husband and I went to Juniper Books in Windsor, Canada.
Located in downtown Windsor, Canada, Juniper Books sells used and rare books. According to its website, it also contains maps, prints, and ephemera for all kinds of readers. And no, it’s not related to the Juniper Books based in Boulder, Colorado.
This was our second trip to the bookstore since we made a visit to it earlier this summer. We were in Canada for our 10th dating anniversary, and he wanted to check out a game shop that had a Yu-Gi-Oh tournament. When the conversation with one of the clerks turned to books, he recommended checking out Juniper Books before the event began, and so we did. I didn’t take pictures the first time since we were on a time crunch, yet we knew we wanted to come back.
And, we did in August. The photos I took were from our second trip there.
As seen in the picture above, it’s covered in leaves, which makes it a magical place. I can’t think of many bookstores that have that kind of aesthetic. In addition, the bookshop was apparently a house in the past, and it shows. Each room has books nearly from the ceiling to the floor. Don’t worry, there’s enough space for customers to walk through as seen in this photo. My husband – a tall man – had a much better experience navigating this shop than he did when we were at Arcadian Books & Prints in New Orleans.
They also had a cat named Alfred roaming around the store when we were there the first time. He was very cute. Sadly, he wasn’t present when I took these photos because the owner was away, and he took the feline. Nonetheless, we still had a good time exploring the place.
Another thing that makes the shop stand out is that each room has different kinds of books. For example, the study room was filled with titles about religion. Two other spaces had popular adult as well as juvenile and young adult titles. Even the kitchen and the back room contained cookbooks and food-related books in the former and gardening ones in the latter.
They also had books in the basement and in the upstair rooms. The former had biographies and more nonfiction, while the latter contained science fiction, fantasy, and horror paperbacks. People can even look out from the window when they are on the second floor. While in the basement, my husband had to duck his head, so he wouldn’t hit it against the ceiling.
I loved the decor at Juniper Books. It’s a bit haphazard, but they are well-placed and add to the charm. Even the stairs had some nice artwork on them.
Moreover, the bookstore had movie posters as part of its ephemera, including this one of the 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood.
Juniper Books does more than sell books and other items. It also does bookbinding, free delivery, appraisals, and events.
In the end, I purchased Too Much Happiness by the late Canadian author Alice Munro, Fan-Tan by Marlon Brando (yes, that Marlon Brando) and Donald Cammell, and Twelve Angry Librarians by Miranda James. Coincidentally, my husband bought another book written by James titled No Cats Allowed along with car-related content.
Juniper Books is undoubtedly one of the quirkiest bookstores I’ve ever been in with the amount of books it had and how it looked. It also was one of the coziest since it was in a house. The chairs were very comfortable, and if I had my way, I could have sat in them all day. Regardless, it appeals to every reader in creative ways. I know I plan on going back when I’m in Canada again. You can check them out on their website.
And that concludes the sixth installment of “Literary Travel!” I hope all of you had a great time on this trip. There might be another one down the pipeline, so stay tuned for that!
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Full disclosure: I was given a free advance reader copy of this book by Author Marketing Experts in exchange for an honest review.
Science fiction is a genre that I’m not that familiar with. I’m not usually drawn to these kinds of books like I am with historical fiction. Nonetheless, I want to read more science fiction. I had the opportunity to do so recently with the novel The Mechanics of Memory by Audrey Lee. It was a good story with a unique concept, multifaceted characters, and great twists.
The Mechanics of Memory is about one woman’s journey to remember her lost year. Memory is Copeland-Stark’s business. They help patients to recall forgotten memories at their sleek new flagship facility. Yet after months of reconsolidation treatment, Hope Nakano still has no idea what happened during her lost year, or the life she was just beginning to build with Luke – her one great love. Each procedure surfaces fragmented clues that lessen Hope’s trust in her own memories, especially those of Luke. As inconsistencies mount, her search for answers reveal a larger secret that Copeland-Stark is determined to protect at all costs. But everyone has secrets, including Hope.
I love the concept. Plenty of science fiction novels deal with memory in one way or another. Yet, none of them handle it like The Mechanics of Memory does. Copeland-Stark aims to recover memory by implanting false ones in patients in the Wilder Sanctuary, which is anything but. I’ve not read anything like that before. My one complaint about this concept was that not every treatment was made clear. I get that implanting the false memories was the start, and the recovery strategies involved therapy sessions and going through a labyrinth in order for patients to find a way to recall certain things. They also spend time in a place called The Butterfly Box, which I was never sure what it was and what it was used for. Other than that, the concept is unique, and I hope to see more of this take in future science fiction books.
In addition, I really like Hope. She is strong, resilient, and flawed. Readers will immediately see her as determined as she tries to figure out why she was put in the sanctuary in the first place. On top of that, they will be invested in her relationship with Luke as they are wonderful together. The novel reveals that Hope was in an emotionally and verbally abusive relationship prior to meeting Luke, and she sees him as someone who treats her like an individual, and she can open up to him with no problem. Sadly, she wonders if he was the one who put her in the sanctuary. The other people at the facility are interesting too. Doctors Stark and Emerson as well as other patients like Carter, Quinn, and Spooky (aka Spencer) have their own secrets as well. Some readers complained how there were too many characters. I didn’t feel that way at all because all of them were distinct.
Even though it’s mainly Hope’s story, readers do get Carter’s and Luke’s points of view. In one chapter, tech genius Carter is in a therapy session and finds out why he’s in the sanctuary. For some parts, people get to know Luke more and how he feels about Hope being in the facility. He is just as complicated as Hope, especially the fact that he works for Copeland-Stark – the same business that placed Hope in the treatment center in the first place.
Moreover, there are plenty of twists that will catch readers off guard. Obviously, I can’t spoil any of them. What I will say are two things: 1. Many of them didn’t see it coming and 2. One blew my mind towards the end and made me squirm in my chair. I haven’t felt that way since I learned about the big reveal in Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell. The twists are definitely worth it.
The Mechanics of Memory by Audrey Lee is a vastly interesting science fiction novel. The concept alone makes the book worth reading, but it also helps that it has well-developed characters and twists that will leave readers thinking about them for a long time. I would recommend it for those who love science fiction with some mystery and suspense as well as reading about corrupt businesses and how memory works. The Mechanics of Memory is out tomorrow, August 27, so go grab it wherever you get your books.
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Content warning: this review discusses stillborn births and mental health.
I’ve read plenty of romances, especially within the last two months. Yet, there is one trope that I’ve always been curious about, but never fully explored until now, and that is the second chance romance. This involves a couple breaking up, finding themselves, and possibly getting back together. An example of this is Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan. It’s a highly introspective look at a divorced couple, hope, and mental health that makes it a true standout among second chance romances.
Before I Let Go is the first book in the Skyland series. Yasmen and Josiah’s love was supposed to last forever, but one devastating blow after another, they found that love couldn’t solve or save everything. It couldn’t save their marriage.
Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she’s starting to find joy again. Also, she and ex-husband Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids, and running a business together. But, they are always drawn back together, and they wonder if they were ever truly ready to let go of everything they once had. Soon, one stolen kiss leads to another, and they end up having secret rendezvouses. It’s all good until it reopens some wounds. Is it too late for them to find forever? Or could they even be better, the second time around?
One of my first thoughts was how much Before I Let Go reminded me of the 1937 romantic screwball comedy The Awful Truth starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. In it, a rich couple splits up, but they interfere with each other’s romances because they can’t face the awful truth that they still have feelings for one another. They have similar premises and almost identical scenarios like the different partners and the trip the main couple are forced to go on together. However, there is one major difference, and that’s the tone. The Awful Truth is light and contains plenty of farce.
On the other hand, Before I Let Go handles its situations with more gravitas. It’s grounded in the reality of how a divorced couple lives while co-parenting and running a business together. Yasmen and Josiah are, or become, aware of the consequences of their actions. This is especially true when two deaths in the family shake them in different ways. When their child Henry is stillborn, Yasmen becomes depressed and unable to do anything unless it involves their other children Deja and Kassim. Josiah buries the grief so deep that he comes off as insensitive to Yasmen, while he points out how over reactive she could be. It only takes time for them to realize what had led them to separate and why they still have feelings for another. In a subplot, Yasmen struggles to connect with their teenage daughter Deja, while Josiah has no problem getting along with her. Even though Deja certainly comes off as brooding, stubborn, and spoiled, her feelings are valid, especially when she reveals why she has so much resentment towards her mom.
Hope plays a huge role in second chance romance for obvious reasons, but Before I Let Go is realistic about it. There’s plenty of wishing, especially on Yasmen’s side because she realizes that she regrets asking for the divorce in the first place. At the same time, she is all too aware of the obstacles like Josiah dating the chef from their restaurant and her seeing someone else too. Yet, once they hook up again, their relationship becomes more complicated than ever. It becomes clear that they want to get back together, but they wonder if it’s worth it as they might reopen some wounds. Even Josiah has to lay down some ground rules while they had their rendezvous. And reader, those scenes are pretty steamy, and I was reading those parts while I was at work. Getting back to the point, I love how hope is seen in a mature light.
Another asset Before I Let Go has is the depiction of mental health and therapy. These are portrayed authentically. When readers meet Yasmen, she’s in a post-depressive state, but that doesn’t mean she’s 100%. She goes to therapy, and it took her awhile to find the right therapist, who could listen to her and give her pointers about how to deal with certain situations. When 10-year-old Kassim has some recurring thoughts about deaths of family members, Yasmen and Josiah agree to get him some therapy, so his emotional intelligence could be strengthened. While Kassim is initially reluctant, Josiah offers to go to some solo sessions to entice his son to attend his own. Again, Josiah makes it clear in the beginning that he doesn’t care all that much for therapy, thinking that it’s not for him, but I love seeing his growth and him getting in touch with feelings buried beneath him, especially when it comes to the death of his parents, during the course of the novel. The novel is fully aware of how it takes time for people to heal and therapy can help under the right circumstances. It also makes it clear that therapy is for those at the right place and at the right time. Josiah realizes that he needed it even if he was too stubborn to admit it at first. As someone who is in therapy right now, I felt that these scenes were true to life.
Of course, the biggest strength is the relationship between Yasmen and Josiah. I knew I was going to like this couple when I read how he fell in love with her when she gave him watery chicken noodle soup. It goes back and forth from each perspective, thus providing plenty of nuance to the story. They both complement each other. Josiah is neat, while Yasmen is sloppy. When he had the dream to open up a restaurant in Atlanta, she had the drive to make that happen. This is true of their faults as well. As mentioned earlier, Josiah can come off as emotionless at times, while Yasman could possibly exaggerate some of her feelings. They bring out the best and worst in each other, and they have to figure out if the relationship is worth rekindling on those merits. Even though I had a sense of what the outcome was, the book certainly had me on my toes because of all of the hoops the couple was going through. It kept me interested in their romance.
Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan is a wonderful second chance romance. It’s everything that readers would expect from this trope and more. The novel is grounded in reality that the main characters are all too aware of. The depictions of mental health and therapy are well-handled. And above all, the romance between Yasmen and Josiah will have readers rooting for them to get back together. I would recommend this to those who enjoy reading black romances as well as about business owners, co-parenting, mental health, and couples possibly reigniting their love for each other. After reading this, I know I’m not going to let this go for a while.
Now before I let you go, I want to let everyone know that I will be recording the latest episode of the Adapt Me Podcast soon. Guest and Bookstagrammer Asha Bartley and I will talk about how we would adapt this novel. Keep an eye out for the link.
Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates. Also feel free to email me here for any review suggestions, ideas, or new titles!
Content warning: this review discusses trauma and sexual assault.
Full disclosure: I was given a free advance reader copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
You know what I haven’t read in awhile? A time travel romance! The last one I read was Transcendence by Shay Savage, which involved a caveman. This time I wanted something different. Luckily, I finished one that involves time travel to prevent climate change. What was that book called? It’s The 23rd Hero by Rebecca Anne Nguyen. It had great worldbuilding and a memorable main character although I had issues with certain plot points and the overall structure.
The 23rd Hero is about an ordinary woman with an extraordinary memory who travels back in time to sixteenth century France to stop climate change before it starts and return to the man she loves. In a world ravaged by climate change, a mysterious time travel agency called The Program sends carefully selected Heroes back in time on missions to prevent environmental damage from occurring. Sloane Burrows longs to be a Hero and restore the natural world from her childhood – a place that she can recall vividly because of her powerful memory. However, her father made her believe that her “freak memory” was shameful and that it should be hidden from the world. She buries her dreams of becoming a Hero and conceals her memory to the point of making her sick. Her only break from the shame is the recurring dream that she’s been having for a decade. In it, a beautiful man makes her feel accepted in a way that she never has experienced before, not despite her memory, but because of it. When that man, named Bastian, shows up in the real world, Sloane’s life turns upside down. It also turns out that Bastian is from The Program, and he wants her to do the one thing that will shatter her chances of winning her father’s love: become a Hero, travel back to sixteenth century France, and use her superpower memory to save the world.
Let’s start off with the good. I loved the world building in The 23rd Hero. Nguyen does a great job with establishing the dystopian place that Sloane lives in. It reminded me of the districts in The Hunger Games series, with more technology. I especially love the descriptions of the sight and smell of smog. Additionally, the time travel in the novel is fascinating. I have read and watched stuff that deals with that trope, but The 23rd Hero takes it in a whole new direction. Usually, when people go back in time, it’s usually to see what the past was like and stop whatever is going to alter the timeline (ie Doctor Who). In this case, the objective is to deliberately change the past, so the future would be better environmentally. The Program sends one Hero to stop something that would result in climate change. If something else occurs as a result, they can send another to fix that. While there isn’t much logic surrounding the time travel, there’s enough for readers to piece it together. It was intriguing to see it portrayed in this way.
Another plus is Sloane herself. She is one who believes that her superpower is a curse. Sloane has a wonderful memory, but anything that she has to access it reminds her of the father’s emotional abuse, and she vomits. As a result, she barely has any self-confidence despite her dreams to become a Hero. Her issue is absolutely relatable to any person who’s gone through something similar. Sloane’s romance with the mysterious man later known as Bastian helps her to build her confidence. Even though it would’ve been nice to have a bit more character development from Bastian, their chemistry is undeniable, which hurts more when Sloane has to enter the portal into 1500s France. This would no doubt remind readers of The Outlander series.
There have been people who have taken issues with certain elements of the book. One of them includes the depiction of religion. Some have said that it is used to manipulate others to spread their version of God’s word. There’s no doubt that priests in Catholic France would have done something like this to suit their view of Catholicism. My problem is that Sloane does something similar to advance the message about Mother Earth. It’s like when bad people cajole others to believe a message, it’s wrong, but when a good person does it, it’s good?
Also, at one point, one of the priests sexually assaults Sloane while he’s trying to get her to confess her sins. She is no doubt traumatized, but she deals with it by trying to have sex with another man. Many readers had a problem with it because it’s not how people should handle a situation like that. I had a similar initial thought with, “Ok…why? Wouldn’t you not want to have sex for a while after that incident?”
But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it makes sense for Sloane. Since she has a powerful memory, she remembers everything, both good and bad. For her, she wants to rewrite it with a better one. There are people who are like Sloane and have to have different associations with places and things. For example, I had a friend who went through a terrible break up last year. One of the places they went to was a restaurant in Grand Rapids. When I visited her, she wanted to go to that place to “erase” the memory of the dude she dated. The point is that with Sloane, wanting to have sex after experiencing sexual assault is a realistic response even if it’s not the most appropriate. After all, she makes some incredible stupid decisions, but once readers know why, it’s understandable. Plus, if every character had perfect reactions to bad things, they would be quite boring.
My main issue with The 23rd Hero is the structure. From the blurb, one would think that Sloane would spend plenty of time in sixteenth century France. Surprisingly, she doesn’t. In fact, she doesn’t actually travel through time until over halfway through the novel. The book spends a good chunk of the time on her training and her romance with Bastian, which makes sense since they all are a part of her journey. I wish that Sloane would’ve gotten to time travel sooner. It’s like what if Cinderella went to the ball in the third act as opposed to the second one. Also, once Sloane is in France, her time is brief. I wish that there was more time spent on the mission once she’s in the past. As it is, it felt underwhelming.
The 23rd Hero by Rebecca Anne Nguyen is a fine time travel romance. The first half got me invested in the world the characters live in and in Sloane. However, once the time travel happened, it kind of lost me. I wish that occurred sooner, so more time could be spent in 1500s France. I still liked it though. I would only recommend this to those love time travel romances like The Outlander series and to those who enjoy reading about characters embracing their “superpowers.” While it’s not a bad book, I think it could’ve been better. Maybe I’ll read another one that involves a caveman.
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Full disclosure: I was given a free advance reader copy of this book by Author Marketing Experts in exchange for an honest review.
When I search for books online or at a store, certain words will pop out. These include “girl,” “woman,” “wife,” and “daughter.” This is especially true with the last word as I have seen that in several novels, usually in the The ___’s Daughter format. This was big back in the 2000s and 2010s, but the trend has died down since then. But, books like today’s subject The Cheesemaker’s Daughter by Kristin Vukovic prove that it hasn’t gone away entirely. The novel earns that title for its exploration of the main character and identity along with having a wonderful setting.
The Cheesemaker’s Daughter is about a woman who tries to save her family’s cheese factory in Croatia. As her marriage unravels, New Yorker Marina Maržić returns to Pag Island to help her father with his struggling cheese factory, Sirana. She is forced to confront her Croatian-American identity and her past as a refugee from the former Yugoslavia while she lives with her parents and starts a new life working at the factory. While she gradually settles into the place that she once called home, her life becomes inextricably intertwined with the island’s cheese. On top of that, when her past with the son of a rival cheesemaker comes back to haunt her on the divided island, she must find a way to save Sirana and learn to belong on her own terms.
First, let’s get this out of the way: I like cheese just fine. I like it on burgers, hot dogs, pasta, salads, crackers, and pizza. I won’t eat it by itself. In other words, it needs to be on something if I’m going to eat it. However, Vukovic does such a great job describing the various cheeses, especially the taste, made throughout the novel that it makes me want to take a bite out of them. It’s also clear that she loves the process of making cheese as there are plenty of descriptions of how Sirana puts them together. Normally, I would put my recommendation towards the end, but I have to say that for the descriptions alone, cheese lovers will enjoy this, both for the food and how it’s created.
The setting and how Vukovic paints it is exquisite. Much of the story is set on Pag Island, which is a part of Croatia. Vukovic portrays it as a rugged, but beautiful place filled with tradition. Readers also get to learn about its history being influenced by regions like Venice and Yugoslavia as well as the impact that the Bosnian War (1992-1995) had. For those who don’t know, the Bosnian War took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina and was a key factor in the collapse of Yugoslavia. Even Operation Storm – the last major battle for Croatian Independence and major outcome of the war in general – has a pivotal role in the book. On top of that, the book takes place in 2012-2013 when Croatia was about to enter the European Union. The author does a great job with depicting Pag Island realistically but not forgetting what makes it special, especially its cheese. This is important, for why would Marina return to it if she didn’t think of Pag Island in those ways?
In addition, Pag Island is a great location to reflect on identity. As mentioned earlier, the island was influenced by a bunch of cultures and world events. Marina, too, is a product of similar circumstances. Even though she grew up on Pag Island, her father sent her to live in New York City as a Croatian refugee during the Bosnian War when she was a teenager. As a result, she has many conflicting identities, both as a Croatian and as an American since she has survivor’s guilt for escaping the war when there were people, especially ones she knew, who didn’t. Moreover, she also reconciles her role as a wife, sister, and daughter, while she forges her own.
Finally, Marina is a wonderful character. The Cheesemaker’s Daughter wouldn’t work without such a multi-faceted person like her. When readers meet her, she has left her marriage in the United States to spend time in her homeland of Croatia, but her problems don’t go away. When she was a teenager, she had a romance with a guy from a rival cheesemaker family on the island, yet she may or may not still have feelings for him. Additionally, she has a lot of trauma, not only with the national one as a result of the Bosnian War, but also she experienced a miscarriage. She goes through depression, but she finds purpose in working at Sirana. Mirana is a strong-willed individual, yet she’s vulnerable. Her relationship with her equally strong-minded father Nikola is also interesting. A lot of Marina’s trauma was the result of the decisions that he made from sending her to New York City to the origins of the feud with the rival cheesemaker. I was wholly invested in her journey to find where she truly belongs and to transform into the cheesemaker.
If I had one complaint about this book, it would be that it has too many conflicts happen right after another. Let me elaborate. There’s always something that occurs without much breathing space, especially in the second half. Granted, the novel spends some time divulging into how Marina feels about all of these developments, so it’s not like they don’t get brought up again. It simply felt a bit too melodramatic.
The Cheesemaker’s Daughter by Kristin Vukovic is a good story about one woman’s journey for a sense of belonging. Pag Island was a wonderful location that reflects the conflicts the main character goes through. I enjoyed how the novel explores identity, and a lot of the book wouldn’t work without such a character like Marina. Also, it’s got plenty of descriptions of cheese and a loving portrayal of the process. Along with cheese lovers, I would recommend this book to readers who love stories that take place in Croatia and in other countries that were formerly part of Yugoslavia; tackle identity, national and generational trauma; and the sense of belonging. It’s been awhile since The ___’s Daughter became a trend, but this one rightfully earns it because it proves that Marina is more than just the cheesemaker’s daughter. The Cheesemaker’s Daughter is out tomorrow, August 6, so go grab it wherever you get your books.
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Hi Everybody!
Grab your 1920s ghost hunting kits and take a trip to the countryside because returning guest Mel B. – owner of BDA Publishing – and I talk about how we would adapt “The Haunting of Maddy Clare” by Simone St. James on the latest episode of the Adapt Me Podcast. You can check it out at this link.
In the meantime, you can see my review of The Haunting of Maddy Clare here.
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Book Reviews by a Chick Who Reads Everything