Shut Up & Read

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton My rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Mickey is an Expendable. His job description literally is to be expendable. I love the idea of this and the reasoning behind it. There are some jobs machines just can't do as well as humans, but these jobs could be potentially dangerous for said humans…so, what do you do? I liked Mickey as the narrator of the story. He's a bit quirky, funny, and a loyal friend. My only question is what happens next? I love a good standalone, but I really want to know what happens to Mickey and the colony on Niflheim. I love that this book is set so many years in the future after so many advances in science and technology, but the basis is just humans doing what humans do best…Hostile takeovers, killing anything that they don't find useful, and destroying beautiful worlds to fit their own agenda. It's humanity. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. See all of my reviews

All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers is a quick, easy read. I looked at this book initially because I listen to the author's podcast, but the premise caught my attention and I decided to give it a try. The book started slow for me but picked up quickly. I enjoyed following Margot as she delved into a cold case everyone seemed to want to forget. Dealing with her personal issues while trying to work and find out what really happened to her childhood friend was challenging, but the author wrote it in well. The ending was a surprise for me, so that's always a bonus. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys crime thrillers. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. See all of my reviews

Other Birds  by  Sarah Addison Allen My rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Other Birds is an enchanting story about love, loss, and finding yourself. Zoey is an 18-year-old following the memory of her mother out into the big world, truly on her own for the first time. She finds it's not always easy, but along the way of finding out who she wants to be, she meets up with an engaging cast of characters who love her just as she is. This is a gem of a book I'm glad I had the opportunity to read. The writing is whimsical and the setting of the book was magical. I want to go to Mallow Island and see it for myself! This is my first book by this author, but I am definitely going to check out her others. I would recommend this book to everyone. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. See all of my reviews

  I'm Glad My Mom Died  by  Jennette McCurdy My rating:   4/5 stars My oldest daughter grew up with iCarly and Sam & Cat, so I've seen most of the episodes. I always thought they were entertaining and fun, something we could watch together. It's sometimes hard to remember while you're being entertained by the TV that those are real people with real lives and real problems. I chose to read this book partly because I love biographies/memoirs but also partly because of Jennette McCurdy and her tie to those shows. It's heartbreaking to see how she grew up and the love she had for her mother who was so obviously (to anyone on the outside looking in) abusive. She was a great actress, but absolutely hated it. In this book Jennette was open and honest about her childhood, teens, and early adulthood. She managed to take this horribly sad and disturbing story of her life and turn it into something positive for herself. I'm sure she will always struggle with her body i...

You'd Be Home Now  by  Kathleen Glasgow My rating:  4 of 5 stars What are you going to do with your one wild and precious life? This book was much more emotional and real than I had expected. I laughed…I cried. Seriously. I don't remember the last time I cried with a book. This was the story of Emory, but also of her brother Joey. Their lives are so intertwined that Emory can't seem to separate them. As she watches him go down the road of addiction and everything that comes with that, as his life unravels and everything it touches, all she wants is to be able to fix him, fix herself, and be seen. Maddie, her older sister is the perfect one, Joey is the bad one, and Emory is the good one, the invisible one. What I took away from this story is that addiction is hard on everyone, not just the one addicted. Life is hard. We mess up. Sometimes a lot. But we have to pick ourselves back up and try again. Because in the end, it doesn't matter that we messed up, but that we didn...

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by  Rose City Reader .  Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. You can find more information and how to participate on your blog  HERE!    "My father was a king and the son of kings. He was a short man, as most of us were, and built like a bull, all shoulders.  He married my mother when she was fourteen and sworn by the priestess to be fruitful." Title:  The Song of Achilles Author:  Madeline Miller Genre:  Historical Fiction/Fantasy Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. By all rights their paths should never cross, but Achilles takes the shamed prince as his friend, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and me...

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly Meme hosted by  The Purple Booker   where you share two “teaser” sentences from your current read. Find out how you can participate  Here! "I define me. No event or person does this. I define me. I decide who I am and how I’m going to behave, and I choose to be better. To look more carefully, to trudge deeper. To think about other people’s pasts and not judge someone for doing or handling something differently than I would. To understand my limitations, my shortcomings—that is my growth edge." Title:  Life Will Be the Death of Me:...and you too! Author:  Chelsea Handler Genre: Nonfiction/Autobiography/Memoir In a haze of vape smoke on a rare windy night in L.A. in the fall of 2016, Chelsea Handler daydreams about what life will be like with a woman in the White House. And then Donald Trump happens. In a torpor of despair, she decides that she’s had enough of the privileged bubble she’s lived in—a bubble w...