Bite-Sized Reviews :: Edition Forty-Four

Hello again! It's Sunday and I am here to chat about a couple non-fiction reads I read recently-ish. But first, I hope all is going well for you? I am hoping to get some fun posts up soon about all the awesome bookshops I found in Thailand! I figured that was worthy of showcasing around these parts. :) I wanted to get my reviews caught up before doing so, but I hope you will anticipate all the fun adventures I want to share about soon! So hang in there for more reviews and we shall get there! Promise. :)

Looming Transitions 
by Amy Young
After all my adventures overseas, I knew in preparing to go home again, it might just be helpful to get some advice from someone who's been there. This was a very practically-written book filled with good info and suggestions for hanging in there when things are hard. Because let's face it, transition and change are NOT easy things to go through. (Totally worth doing, but not easy!) I appreciated Ms. Young's relatable way of writing. So all in all, I'd say this was perfect for what I needed at the time. :)

Why I Hate Green Beans 
by Lincee Ray
This one I read purely to get a good laugh in and goodness did that ever work! I howled, friends. Literally howled with laughter! To the point that my dear father, who was in the other room, began to wonder if I was going crazy. :D Ms. Ray certainly has quite a hilarious and fun outlook on life! She's also not had an easy time of it always, but I appreciated her ability to see humor in even the toughest places. If you simply need a little pick me up with a giant laugh or two, give this one a try! Meanwhile, I believe I shall see if I can't get her second book, I could use another laugh or two. :)

Bite-Sized Reviews :: Edition Twenty-One

Hello there, my lovelies! Guess what? More mini reviews for your reading pleasure! Aren't you so excited? I just knew you would be.

Okay, okay. Enough with the sarcasm, huh? :)

Anyhoo! Still getting caught up with my reviews. I hope I'm not overwhelming y'all with all these, but a blogger/reviewer has got to do what a blogger/reviewer has got to do! I always tend to read escapist type stories, ones that are more fluffy than hardcore. And right now, for the past couple months, that's definitely what I've been veering towards! So, these are fun books, nothing extraordinary or AMAZING, but great reads nonetheless. Onwards!

First Light by Michele Paige Holmes
As a fan of stories based on fairytales, the synopsis of this one intrigued me. And I really enjoyed it! It feels like a mashup of a bunch of fairytales, yet with lots of original ideas as well. Which sounds a bit crazy probably, but somehow it all worked. I was swept into Adrielle's plight from the very beginning and spent the rest of the story avidly turning pages to find out what would happen next. The fairytale elements are lots of fun, the romance is pretty adorable, and there were several little twists I was not expecting. My only qualm was that much of the chaos could have been prevented had the adults been more adult and actually communicated with Adrielle! Still, I liked this a great deal and definitely recommend it. :)

Summer by Summer by Heather Burch

I admit it took a few chapters before I really got into the story, the beginning is a little rough around the edges. But once Summer and Bray were on the island, I settled in and enjoyed. There were still a few moments where transitions weren't as smooth as I'd like, but the sweetness of the romance overpowered those. The cute of the story is the relationship between these two seemingly opposite people. I loved how kind and loving Bray was towards Summer, especially once she explained her past. They have a bit of insta-love in their attraction, but I could overlook it based on their adorableness together. And were they ever adorable! :) This is a sweet and fluffy story, where even the tension-filled moments never feel quite as life and death as they're supposed to be. It's just a fun summertime read!

A Star to Steer By by Mary Jane Hathaway
More shenanigans overtop By the Book! That bookstore (and apartments above) seems to have a magic about it that can bring people together. (Helped by Alice and Paul, of course. ;) I absolutely loved catching up with Andy again! And he and Roxie were so perfect together. Take a mutual love of Dante, add in a dash of attraction, a sprinkle of family confusion on both sides, and a whole lot of charm, and you end up with a really sweet story about two people finding each other very unexpectedly. Both characters have family obligations that are hard, which is where the story really struck a chord with me. Plus I just really loved watching Andy and Roxie fall in love, what can I say? I'm a romantic at heart and these two were adorable.

Kiss the Bride by Melissa McClone, Robin Lee Hatcher, & Kathryn Springer

All three stories are plenty cute and fun, full of funny moments and sweet moments. My favorite was Love on a Deadline though. Something about Mac and Ethan just drew me in and made me swoon over them several times! :) Yet all three are well worth your time. When you're in need of a quick and delightful love story to while away an hour or two, I definitely recommend these novellas!

Adulthood is a Myth by Sarah Andersen
This little book of Ms. Andersen's artwork is absolutely delightful! I've been a fan of her work for quite some time now and was excited when I learned she was publishing a book. So much truth in each short comic strip. She is able to capture all the unknowns and frustrations and craziness, and even the wonderful moments, that take place in adulthood (if there is such a thing, right? :). I saw myself SO many times! If you haven't seen her work, then make haste and find you a copy of this! You won't be disappointed.

Review: Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores by Jen Campbell

Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores

About the book:

Customer: Have you read every single book in here?

Bookseller: No, I can't say I have.

Customer: Well, you're not very good at your job, are you?

A simple Twitter question posed by John Cleese-"What is your pet peeve?" -inspired Jen Campbell to start a blog collecting all the ridiculous conversations overheard in her bookstore, everything from "Did Beatrix Potter ever write a book about dinosaurs?" to the hunt for a paperback which could forecast the next year’s weather; from "I've forgotten my glasses, please read me the first chapter" to "Excuse me ... is this book edible?"; and from "Can books conduct electricity?" to "My children are just climbing your bookshelves: that's ok... isn't it?"

If we didn't know it already, this irresistible book is proof positive that booksellers are heroes, the world over.

My thoughts:

This wonderful little book is a very quick read, but oh what fun it is! You read it and can't hardly fathom that there are people in this world who would say/ask such things. I mean, I know we're all human and each of us can do some silly stuff once in a while. But the quotes collected here make you shake your head in wonder. It did not take much time to read this one, but it certainly makes you laugh all the way through! Get it and have it handy when you need a pick me up. :) (There is an adult section that you may not want your children reading. It's only one small section, but it is there. Just a heads-up.)

Examples:

(A couple approaches the desk)
Bookseller: Can I help you find something?
Man: Yeah, we're looking for a vocabulary book. It's either called The Soars or The Sars.
Bookseller: Let me look it up and see what we have.
Woman: Oh, it's ok, I made a note of the title.
(Customer pulls a napkin from her purse and lays it down for the bookseller to read. Written on it is: "The Saurus.")

 -----

Customer: Do you have any books on Japan?
Bookseller: Sure. A travel guide or a history?
Customer: Yes.
Bookseller: Which one?
Customer: Both.
Bookseller: Right.
Customer: ...And it should also have stories for children.
Bookseller: ...
Customer: Illustrated.
Bookseller: ...
Customer: And it has to be a hardback, not a paperback. And it should be a good price.
Bookseller: ...
Customer: A really nice old edition, with a modern twist.
Bookseller: ...I'm really not sure what kind of book you're looking for.

Toodle-loo kangaroos!