The Undrowned by K.R. Alexander

When your kid tells you that you just have to read a book, that it's the best book ever, you do it, no questions asked. That is how I came to The Undrowned by K.R. Alexander. Samantha is a mean bully who pushes her former friend into the lake and watches her die. The next day, she is shocked to see the girl back at school, pretending as if nothing happened.

I was very sad to tell my kid that this book was... not good. She likes it and kids should always be allowed to read what they enjoy, but I was not a fan. The main character has no redeeming qualities and the writing was pretty uninspired. I hate to be so critical, but it was pretty awful.

The only good thing to come of this, was that I made a deal with the kid that I would read this one if she would read Cinder. I've been trying to talk her into it for months and this finally made it happen. I will happily sacrifice a couple of days reading a terrible book if it will introduce her to a fantastic series. And if you haven't yet read The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, the first book of which is Cinder, I highly recommend that you do. Now off to find something better, hopefully.

 

No Offense by Meg Cabot

Sometimes you start a book and you can tell right away it is not worth your time. It's not well written or the characters are terrible people you can't possibly invest the time in to see if they will have any kind of redemption at all. That was what happened to me a week ago and I find that a bad book can sometimes sour me for reading for a little bit. Fortunately, I the picked up Meg Cabot's No Offense and it was like a breath of fresh air!

Molly Montgomery is the new children's librarian on Little Bridge, a small island in the Florida Keys. She is still smarting from a difficult break up and obsessed with true crime shows on TV when a real mystery drops into her lap, er, library. As she gets to know the sheriff, with whom she butts heads on more than one occasion, she tries to solve the crime and also uncover a little romance as well.

I don't normally read cheesy romance, but when the time is right, it's right. This light, fluffy, sweet novel was exactly what I needed to get the yucky taste of that DNF out of my mouth while also serving as a distraction from the world. It was also very good writing with darling characters. This was cute and would make for perfect vacation reading.

 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is about Nora Seed, a young woman whose life is falling apart. Her brother isn't talking to her, she's lost her job, and her cat just died. Heartbroken and feeling hopeless, Nora somehow finds herself in a magical, and infinite, library that is filled with books that are nothing but the lives she could have lived. Every decision we make, large or small, leads to a completely different possible existence and Nora is being given the opportunity to face her regrets and choose better. What if she'd gone to Australia with her friend? What if she'd stuck with swimming and pursued her Olympic dreams? What if she hadn't backed out of her wedding at the last minute? So many possibilities. Where would she be now if only...?

This is a book I've seen called the best of the year by person after person on blogs and other book nerd pages that I follow. The reviews are so positive that it made it difficult to even find a copy; many places were sold out just before Christmas. Once I finally got my hands on it, I was really excited. Book nerds almost always love books that are set in libraries and this library was filled with parallel lives.

What could be better?!

Unfortunately, I didn't love this book as much as I had hoped I would. Maybe it was all they hype surrounding it that raised my expectations too high. It wouldn't be the first time that's happened. I liked Nora and I loved the idea of exploring the "road not taken" as it were, but it fell flat for me. It lacked depth and texture in a way that I can't exactly articulate. I wanted more and it felt like it was almost there, but not quite. Like plain frozen yogurt when what you really crave is a triple dip cone of premium ice cream.

I will say that I enjoyed all the little sprinkles of philosophy scattered throughout the book. Nora is a philosophy major and a big fan of dropping quotes into conversations. And the lives we get to watch her live are interesting, even if they aren't exactly the right lives for her. I just wanted more. It wasn't the right book for me, but over 100K reviewers on GoodReads can't all be wrong. It's worth your time.

I'll leave you with this short, but very important, quote:

The only way to learn is to live.

You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar

You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey is written by Late Night with Seth Meyers writer Amber Ruffin and her sister Lacey Lamar. Mostly written by Amber, she describes it this way:

My sister Lacey is a lightening rod for hilarious racist stories.

And also:

When you hear these stories and think, None of these stories are okay, you are right. And when you hear these stories and think, Dang, that's hilarious, you are right. They're both.

You may have seen Amber on the segment Jokes Seth Can't Tell which is flipping hysterical. Or perhaps you've seen her show on the Peacock app, The Amber Ruffin Show. If you haven't then you definitely should. She's really funny. And whether you have seen these or you haven't, I highly recommend pulling up several segments on YouTube and watching them just to get her voice in your head. Her sweet tone of voice and sarcastic delivery will absolutely make the reading experience better for you.

The stories Amber and Lacey tell are unbelievable, by which I mean they are horribly believable. Who are these people that would treat someone this way? What is wrong with some people? How do people who treat others this way sleep at night? I really would like to know. Anyone else telling these stories would be depressing, but somehow Amber makes it hilarious.

I highly recommend this book. I've even added it to my "Required Reading" list. I can't wait to listen to the audio version because it is going to be ah-mazing!

 

Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim

In Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim, Vanessa can see the future. Sometimes. Usually unreliably and without specificity. If she catches a glimpse of the beverage someone has been drinking, a prediction will burst forth unbidden and unexpected. It may be a nice thing, like winning the lottery, but in most cases it is disappointing or traumatic information that Vanessa has no way of controlling. It should be easier for her, but when she was a child she gave up on the lessons with her Aunt Evelyn who has the same gift. When life isn't working out the way she'd like and the predictions are causing more and more trouble, Vanessa agrees to accompany Evelyn to Paris where she is opening a new tea shop in hopes that she can resume her lessons.

This was a cute, easy read and more of a romance than I had anticipated. Magical Realism is one of my favorite fun genres and this one fits squarely in that category. There were, however, a few things that bugged me. First of all, the title is too long. The Magical Paris Tea Shop would have been better. And then as you read the book, you discover that maybe even that would be a misnomer. Also, I'm all for adding texture by including all five senses, but the amount of time the author spent describing gourmet foods didn't match with this plot very well, as if it was just something fun to add, but not really necessary. And finally the love interest is, in my opinion, too flawed. I won't get into why for fear of spoiling it for you. 

Luckily for me, this book came at just the right time when a light, fluffy novel was just what I needed. These are stressful times so if you are also in need of this kind of read, may I recommend this one?

 

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris

In The Dilemma by B.A. Paris, Livia is keeping a terrible secret from her husband Adam about their nineteen-year-old daughter Marnie. She wants to tell him, but the timing has never seemed right. Now it is the day of Livia's extravagant fortieth birthday party that has been in the works for the past two decades. Once it is over, then she really will tell him. Unfortunately, Adam has a secret of his own and keeping it to himself to prevent ruining Livia's big day just may kill him.

This book had plenty of suspense and it kept me turning the pages, but at some point near the end, it became too much for me. The author may have wanted to keep the reader hooked a little longer, but it nearly made me stop reading. Spit it out already! Once she did, it was emotional, but I've never liked the trope in which someone needs to tell someone else something important, but doesn't, causing all kinds of conflict and confusion. It annoys me. 

If you are better at sitting on the edge of your seat than I am, you'll probably really like this book. Families are messy and when children become adults, parents have to accept that their children may make decisions they wish they didn't. Those make for very interesting themes and for that I enjoyed reading this book.

 

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren

'Tis the season for silly, light-hearted romance and Christina Lauren's In a Holidaze fits that bill just fine. Mae spends every Christmas with her mom, dad, brother, and her parents' college friends and their families in a cabin in Park City, Utah. It is her favorite place in the world, but this year something has gone terribly wrong. Mistakes are made and it could be the last Christmas they ever spend together when suddenly Mae is sent back to relive it over and over again. Stuck in a time loop that could allow her to figure out what she really wants in life, Mae tries to make everything perfect without losing her mind first.

This book was fun and quick to read. The writing isn't great, but once you've given yourself over to the story, it doesn't matter very much. I've seen a lot of five star reviews for this book and I'm not sure I'd go that far, but it is cute and great for this time of year. Add it to your stack of December reads and let yourself enjoy the magic of the season.