Brat: An '80s Story by Andrew McCarthy

 I was 14 when St. Elmo’s Fire and Sixteen Candles released. I was a teen in the John Hughes era. I crushed on the boys of the Brat Pack (I was all about Judd and Andrew) and wanted to be Molly or at least friends with her. I was a little sad to learn I was 2 years shy of having been in Washington Square Park at the same time as @andrewtmccarthy 

So when this book was released a couple of weeks ago I knew I had to have it. 

For me this was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read. But if you’re not familiar with the time and hold no nostalgia for it or if you have a taste for memoirs filled with lots of very intimate and private details about the writer and/or those they come in contact with this may be 3-4 stars for you. 

It’s a thin one, 217 pages. It’s not gossipy and there’s nothing scandalous or salacious in the pages. 

But I loved it. I was surprised to learn that The Brat Pack weren’t for the most part a group outside of the movie sets, in my teenage brain and heart they were the group of friends I wanted to be with and join. I felt like Andrew on these pages was as laid bare as he could be as sparse as it was given what he shares about his nature and insecurity defense mechanism of withdrawing. I imagine even sharing this much wasn’t easy and that makes it all the more revealing. 

I almost thought that I wished he had shared more about his life now, how he is doing, but then I realized that is part of the problem we have with celebrity, the feeling of wanting to know all the slimy and private details. If a friend was telling me about their life before we met and these were the details they shared I wouldn’t be angry to feel cheated, I’d feel thankful they shared anything with me as we grew our knowledge of each other. And that’s what this is, a small glimpse given by someone who owes nothing to anyone. 

I’m so glad I read it and spent some time remembering that time and my love of the movies he wrote about. 

(Finished May 26, 2021)

The Blacktongue Thief (Blacktongue #1) by Christopher Buehlman

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⭐️ (I think this hovers for me between 3.5 & 4 stars but I gave it the 4 because it’s clever and so sarcastic that I appreciated it.)

If you’ve ever read The Name of The Wind this will bring that to mind. I liked Rothfuss more but this was in that same style of story telling, full of snarky wit and humor with its heart buried a little. You can definitely tell Buehlamn was influenced by Rothfuss and he says as much in the acknowledgements. 

This story has so much in it, magic, thieves, giants, witches, a cat that maybe isn’t, a kraken, blood, sex, foul (amusingly so) language, irreverent humor, adventure...

I didn’t love it but I liked it a lot. I can understand why those who read fantasy outside of the YA/NA books would love it more than I did. It was absolutely well done.

(Finished May 23, 2021)

A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3) by V.E. Schwab

Book 1: A Darker Shade of Magic

Book 2: A Gathering of Shadows

I just finished reading this with enough time to post before I have to head to work. I loved this trilogy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

No doubt this time around!!

The saga of The Londons comes to a conclusion with magic and love and pain and loss and healing too. 

Lila is so strong and badass. I love her even when she is so stubborn she makes a hot mess things. I love how vulnerable she is without ever realizing it. 

Kell is just the best. I wish he hadn’t made the choice he did at the market (sorry that’s vague but I’m trying to avoid spoilers) because now I’ll never know 😂. His budding bond with Lila over the three books is everything. I’m not a huge fan of sappy, I much prefer their snarky growth. 

And my heart broke for Holland and I loved him at the end and I am so mad at V.E. for that 😂

And finally I need to say that Alucard and Rhy healed me and were just everything I wanted them to be and more. And they healed each other too, I think. I’d like to think. And I am so glad to have met them. 

(Finished May 21, 2021)

A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab

Book 1: A Darker Shade of Magic  

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

At first I was going to say 4⭐️ but this was one that got under my skin and into my heart over the course of it. I was at times frustrated with Lila’s stubborn refusal to listen to anyone but by the last page it all wrapped up to make sense, I began to understand the front she put on and was pulling for her to find peace and rest, to stop running. 

The other part that had me wondering if I should go down a star was the tournament scenes. While it was a bit interesting it also had the feel of the Quidditch scenes for me, I was over it pretty quickly and just wanted to get to the scenes where the real action was, the reveals of more clues as to who/what Lila is, what will happen to/with Kell and Rhy, and the Alucard reveal (one I didn’t see coming). But luckily they didn’t drag on any longer. They aren’t bad, just made a pause I was anxious to get past. But there were some important clues/bits there so I can’t complain too much. 

Overall, while different than my now beloved Addie LaRue, I truly do love the way VE writes, the twists, the flow of language, the imagery, the feels. I’m only sorry I waited so long to read this installment, I finished A Darker Shade of Magic on March 27, 2019.

(Finished May 9, 2019)

Every Day Is a Gift: A Memoir by Tammy Duckworth

 Because she reads the audiobook herself I wanted to listen rather than grab the hardcopy. Listening to Senator Duckworth narrate her memoir made it feel more intimate, like she was talking right to the listener. She isn't an actress, that is clear, but her tone is conversational, like one would expect if someone was sitting there telling them stories about their life, so in that I give the narration 5 ⭐s, though I was a little tempted to deduct a 1/4 of a star for her rant about granny panties since I felt a little attacked 😂😂

Every Day Is a Gift is really the message of her story and not just the title. Senator Duckworth tells the story of her life beginning with the start in Thailand through the current day. She shares openly about her parents and extended family and the emotional and financial hardship of her childhood and teen years after moving to Hawaii. She shares about her drive and desire to serve. We go along for the ride as she joined the military and began flying Blackhawks. She shares what she learned about the shoot down that took her legs, she doesn't have many of her own memories of it and the blanks are filled in by those with her that say, heroes all. Senator Duckworth unflinchingly shares details of the long and painful road of her recovery and the time at Walter Reed and how that led her to get involved in the political side of public service. 

And in the later parts of the book she shares the struggle she and her husband Brian faced in their efforts to become parents. 

While there are some, I mean she is a senator after all, political parts of this story but it isn't all that and even if you disagree with her views on policy there is a lot to like about her and feel as you hear or read her story. 

I have been rather lucky of late...another ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ book. 

(Finished May 2, 2021)

Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali

 I had seen this book at work and was thinking it looked like a good one, then I saw a fellow bookstagramer saying how much she loved it, how much she loved the story and how wonderful and respectful and awesome the Muslim representation is in the story. I believe that if you aren't of the group that is being represented it isn't for you to judge the representation and that when someone who is of that groups tells you it is good or bad you should believe them. Since I am always seeing stories with good representation as part of my desire to learn more and understand more as I truly want to be a good ally and of course I am always looking for a good story I decided to check this one out. 

And I am so glad I did!!! What an amazing story, I loved it so much. I love Adam and his dad and sister. Adam has the kind of outlook on life that tries to see the good, the marvel, in each day. His mom died and he misses her and hurts over it and over something else that has happened or is happening. But she still tries to hold on to his sense of awe and wonder for the world around him. 

As much as I love Adam, I love Zayneb even more. She is brave and loving and angry and sad and so alive and complex and amazing. I love when a writer is able to bring a character to life so much so that you can feel them, really get a sense that they are a person and not just ink on a page. And that is what Zayneb is. She has been treated so badly by people, sometimes in overt ways and sometimes in ore subtle ways too, but it has sparked a fire in her. It all stems from her choice to wear hijab, and how Muslim it makes her appear. She is treated horribly by a teacher, by a stranger on a plane and at a swimming pool, and she doesn't go into details, but she makes it clear that is happens often. 

And she is near about at her breaking point. Then she meets Adam. 

Their story is one of love. Love of family, love of life and friends, love of God and a strong faith. 

This was just what my soul needed, but it is also what my bookseller heart needed, because I now know I can safely suggest this to the teens that come into my workplace and ask for romance that isn't all sex and drinking and whatnot. And for those who ask if we have books with Muslim representation. 

(Finished April 30, 2021)

Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

 I listened to this as an audiobook narrated by Imani Parks. 

The voice of the person reading for an audiobook is so important to the experience and this was so well done. 5⭐ for that part. 

The story...wow, just so much more than I thought it was going to be. I went into this not knowing that much about it, just that it was about a young girl with a missing best friend and no one wanting to listen to her and help her find her friend. And it was..but damn it was so much more. 

CW for major mentions of abuse and neglect of children. 

Claudia has a best friend names Monday. They have been best friends almost forever. Claudia and Monday usually exchange letters over the summer, when Claudia goes to stay with her grandma and Monday stays in DC. But this time no letters came. And then school starts. And Monday doesn't show up. And the next day still no Monday. And not the day after that or the day after that. And Claudia knows something is wrong. But she can't get anyone to believe her. Without Monday nothing feels right and nothing works. She has no other friends and is struggling in school, so how is she supposed to go on? And why won't anyone help? Where is Monday? And as she tries to get answers her life also kind of has to move on. 

The story is told in a back and forth in time style. There is the before, the after, and the before the before. In this fashion the story begins to unfold. 

Their friendship and struggles are laid out in the before the before. 

Trying to get someone to listen and trying to find out what happened to Monday is the before. 

And after Monday is found is the part of the story we get in the after. And this is the part that I didn't see coming. The entire story is one long gut punch and heart shredding tale. But the after is just so much more. And I can't tell you more or give any specifics, it really needs to be experienced. 

This was my first book by Tiffany but I plan on adhering her to my must read no matter what list of authors. The story is so raw and beautiful and ugly and real and devastating. There is love and loss and hope and pain. I will be thinking about and feeling this one for a really long time. 

5⭐ for the story too. 

(Finished April 27, 2021)