Book Reviews

Meet Me At Midnight // Book Tag

- Bunny 4 Comments

Hi Friends,
I am excited to share that I created an original book tag! This tag was inspired by Taylor Swift’s new album ‘Midnight’. I had a lot of fun coming up with the questions, and think that they went with the songs well. If you do this tag please credit me as the creator.

Lavender Haze: A book that left you in a reading slump?

‘As Good As Dead’ by Holly Jackson was a book that left me in a big reading slump. I have a lot of issues with this book, and still fume at the though of it. However, the first two books in the ‘A Good Girls Guide To Murder’ series were amazing! Sometimes I wish it was just a duology, to save me from the reading slump.
Related Post: As Good As Dead // Book Review

Maroon: Show A Book You Love That Is You Favorite Color!

My favorite color is pink, so I choose to show off ‘If I’m Being Honest’ by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley. Not only is this cover pink, but this book is super cute. It is a YA contemporary ‘Taming of the Shrew’ that is a ton of fun.
Related Post: If I’m Being Honest // Book Review

Anti-Hero: A Book That Has Mixed Review But You Still Want To Read?

‘Beautiful Creatures’ by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl is a book that has been on my TBR for years, but I’ve been put off by all the mixed reviews. All I know is that it’s a popular YA fantasy that now has a lot of mixed reviews. Also, my husband really enjoyed the books. Even though the book isn’t as well liked anymore, I still would like to eventually read it.

Snow on the Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey): Are You A Seasonal Reader?

100% yes! I am the type of reader that associates certain books with each season. I am not someone that can read a beach read in the middle of winter. Honestly, I think it is way more fun to be a seasonal reader.

You’re on Your Own, Kid: A Book Couple You Didn’t Like?

Annie and Clay in ‘You’d Be Mine’ by Erin Hahn wasn’t a match made in heaven to me. I didn’t see their chemistry except for the fact that they both had a lot of emotional baggage. There personal issues made it hard to root for them as a couple, because they had a lot of things they need to workout on their own. I don’t see their relationship lasting or being very healthy.
Related Post: You’d Be Mine // Book Review

Midnight Rain: What’s A Book You’ve Changed Your Mind About?

‘Thirteen Reasons Why’ by Jay Asher is a book that I use to think was amazing. However, after reading so many books, my taste has changed, and so has my opinion on this book. It isn’t a bad book, but I probably wouldn’t rate it that highly today.

 

Question…?: A Book That Left You With More Questions Than Answers!

‘The Fear’ by Natasha Preston has a great premise, and kept me guessing the whole time I was reading it. But, the ending drove me insane! There were still so many unanswered questions. Why Natasha Preston decided on that ending confuses me.
Related Post: The Fear // Book Review

Vigilante Shit: A Mystery/Thriller You Can’t Walt To Read!

‘The Christmas Murder Game’ by Alexandra Benedict is a book that I have very high hopes for! I am actually kind of nervous that it won’t live up to my expectations. But, in my mind a mystery thriller that takes places at Christmas time sounds like the perfect read.
Related Post: November 2022 // To Be Read

Bejeweled: A Book You Bought Because Of The Cover!

‘Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me’ by Mariko Tamaki is a graphic novel with a fantastic cover and that is all I know about it. I saw the book on sale and the cover screamed by me. The artwork is beautiful and I have no shame admitting it was a cover buy.

 

Labyrinth: A Book Trope You Love But Also Hate?

Friends to lovers is a trope that I have mixed feelings about. It is usually so obvious to everyone that they have feelings for each other, but they are too blind to see it. I cannot stand characters that can’t see what is right in front of their faces. Nevertheless, I don’t hate all friends to lovers stories, so I am not sure I truly hate this trope.

Karma: A Book That You Thought Would Be 5 Stars, But Wasn’t?

‘You’ve Reached Sam’ by Dustin Thao was such a disappointment. I was hoping for a 5 star read, but instead got a 2 star book. I wasn’t a fan of the writing, characters, or plot. Basically, it just wasn’t for me.
Related Post: You’ve Reached Sam // Book Review

 

Sweet Nothing: A Book That Makes You Happy?

‘Better Than the Movies’ by Lynn Painter is a book that I gush thinking about! I went into this book not excepting much, and was very surprised at how much I loved this book. Even just thinking about it makes me smile. It is a total feel good YA romance that I think even non young adult readers will enjoy.

 

Mastermind: An Author That Never Fails You?

Kasie West might not always give me a 5 star read, but she never fails to save me from a reading slump. Her books a quick, cute and easy reads that always lift my mood. Also, most of the time I rate her books 4 or 5 stars which is always nice.
Related Post: On The Fence // Book Review

 

Dear Reader: Give A Book Recommendation!

‘Five Feet Apart’ by Mikki Daughtry, Rachael Lippincott, and Tobias Iaconis is beautiful and heartbreaking. I would recommend it to anyone that is looking for a sweet teen romance. And, if you need a good cry this book is perfect for that as well.
Related Post: Five Feet Apart // Book Review

 

There you have my ‘Meet Me At Midnight’ book tag! I wanted to tag a few book blogger, but everyone is welcome to do this tag. I tag Elfie @ Enchated Elfie, I’m All Booked Up, Goddess Of Books and Jordann @ The Book Blog Life. In the comments, let me know if you did this tag on your blog because I would love to read it. Please follow my blog for more bookish posts like this one.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Reading Wrap-Up // August 2022

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
Below is my August wrap-up! I show all the books that I read in the month of August and my ratings for them. August was a great reading month, since I was able to read 13 books. My ratings were all over the place and I had my first 1 star read of the year. In the comments, let me know if you are excited to see my reviews for each of these books. And, feel free to follow not only my blog but my booktok (@bookswithbunny) and bookstagram (@books.with.bunny).

How I Rate Books // Star Rating Method

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
There are many differing opinions on star ratings for books. Actually, anything one can review, for that matter. However, star rating is my preferred method of rating things. So, I wanted to give a rundown on what my ratings actually mean to me. I won’t include half star ratings, though, since they mostly mean that I was on the fence about which way the rating should go. It fell somewhere in the middle of those two stars.

Full, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on Iconfinder: The best of the best. Would read again and recommend. I would sing these books praises any day! In my opinion, everyone should read these books. These are the books that I truly love, it’s that simple.

Full, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on Iconfinder: Great, but not amazing. I had a great reading experience, but something fell short. Some of the things that could make it a 4 star only are less than adequate character development, book length, or writing style. But, in the end, this book was a good time, which I’d talk about to others.

Full, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favorite, like, rating icon - Download on Iconfinder: It was okay. I am glad that I read it, but it wasn’t my favorite. I would have been fine not reading the book, but I’m not totally disappointed with picking it up. To me, this seems to be the most common rating.

Full, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on IconfinderFull, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on Iconfinder: Why did I read this? What did I just read? This book wasn’t for me and I wouldn’t read it again. It isn’t something I’d buy or talk about in the future. This is the type of book I’d likely forget about, because it wasn’t anything special to me.

Full, star, bookmark, favorite, favourite, like, rating icon - Download on Iconfinder: This is a book that I should have DNF’ed. I can’t, for the life of me, understand why I read this book. Complete waste of my time. I wouldn’t recommend it to others at all. It was absolutely not my type of book, and wasn’t a pleasant reading experience.

I know that my lower ratings might seem a bit harsh, but I don’t intend them to be. I’m a strong believer that not every book is intended for every reader. Just because I give a book a 1 or 2 star rating doesn’t mean it’s a bad book, just that I personally didn’t enjoy it. Remember, if I like or dislike a book, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will feel the same way. So please, take every one of my book reviews with a grain of salt. Please like and share this post if you enjoyed it. And, show your support by following my blog!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Way You Make Me Feel // Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments

Author: Maurene Goo
Published: 2018
Genre: YA/Contemporary/Romance
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Synopsis
Clara Shin lives for pranks and disruption. When she takes one joke too far, her dad sentences her to a summer working on his food truck, the Honeycut, alongside her uptight classmate Rose Carver. Not the carefree summer Clara imagined. But maybe Rose isn’t so bad. Maybe the boy named Hamlet (yes, Hamlet) on the truck next door is pretty cute. Maybe Clara’s estranged mom deserves a second chance. What if taking these relationships seriously means leaving her old self behind?

Unfortunately for me, this book was a dud. The main character, Clara, wasn’t very likable. She was a prankster, and had a reputations of being a rebel. She wasn’t sneaking out late, or drinking under age, but she did whatever she wanted. Clara was very outspoken, and sometimes I found her to be too honest.

She had a single father and pretty absent mother. A lot of books follow single parents, but the difference with this book was that her parents were teen parents. I don’t find that a lot of books go for that angle. However, the fact that they were teenage parents wasn’t a big plot point. Also, her mother was a ‘social media star’, which I didn’t care for.

The main focus of the plot was Clara having to spend the summer working at her dads food truck with her nemesis, Rose. I actually found Rose to be much more enjoyable to read about. Something that annoyed me was Clara’s attitude about working in the food truck. I understand that she was looking forward to visiting her mom over the summer, and that she’s only a teenager, but she acted like working with Rose would be like going to jail.

However, throughout the book I saw Clara grow and learn. She formed a bond with Rose, and they learned a things from one another. Although, I am not a fan of stories where characters forget about their old friends, I do understand that people grow apart. But I felt like Clara was sort of ditching her old friends, instead of having a real conversation with them about their friendships.

There was a romance aspect, but it seemed rather rushed. I know that not all romances have to be slow burns, but let’s have an actual friendship start to form before a relationship happens. From the moment Clara and Hamlet met, she was kind of obsessed with her. She was jealous when she thought he liked Rose, which is crazy since they weren’t even a thing yet.

“The person who feels no fear in their heart when seeing a freaking clown in the flesh is probably a serial killer!”

I found them to be very clingy to one another, and I didn’t like that Hamlet didn’t respect Clara’s choices. There was a moment he used the ‘boyfriend’ title. She cleared stated she wasn’t ready for that, but did he listen? Nope. Also, who says ‘I love you’ after just a short while of dating? Especially as a teenager.

As for the father and daughter relationship, I found it very refreshing. Not a lot of books focus on the family side of things. It was very real that Clara was used to being the center of her father’s world, and her reaction to that changing was understandable.

There is a food truck competition within the story, but it actually played a pretty small part of the plot. Honestly, the author could have omitted it, and that wouldn’t have bothered me. Something I did enjoy, were the pop culture references throughout the book. They mentioned ‘Supernatural’, and hung out at ‘7/11,’ That, I found slightly weird. Do people do that?

Overall, the ending was predictable and happy. But all in all, the book was kind of forgettable, at least for me. It could be that I didn’t mesh with the writing style, and it felt like a younger YA contemporary. In the comments, let me know if you’ve read this book. And, before you go, please hit that follow button!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Radio Silence // Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments

Author: Alice Oseman
Published: 2016
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary/Mental Health
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Synopsis
Engaging with themes of identity, diversity and the freedom to choose, Radio Silence is a tour de force by the most exciting writer of her generation.

This book gave me ‘Catcher in the Rye’ vibes, since both stories don’t have a ‘true’ plot to them; it’s more of an important message. The whole point of the book was about finding yourself, doing what you love, and not conforming to others’ opinions of you. Life isn’t about making other people happy, but making yourself happy.

The characters were enjoyable to read about. And, there wasn’t a true romance plot, which is different than most YA contemporaries out there. It showcased friendship, and how guys and girls can be just friends. The book featured hardship and conflict, something that we all go through.

There were funny moments that made me laugh out loud. Other times it was sad, and making me feel empathy for the characters. Their emotions were raw and real. The plot wasn’t particularly fast paced, but the slower moving story helped to get the message across better.

“Hello. I hope somebody is listening.”

The underlying theme of everyone wants different things in life was amazing. There was such an element of truth within the story that the author captured well. Even when you think you know your life plan, it might not be as straightforward as you believe it to be. Following your heart is sometimes more important than what others expect from you.

There was a lot of focus on college, and if it is the only path in life. As someone that doesn’t have college degree, I know that school isn’t for everyone. At least it wasn’t for me. I want to mention the trigger warnings in this book, since I want other readers to know what to expect before going into the story. There is the death of a pet, suicidal thoughts, depression, and emotional abuse by a family member.

This book was a whirlwind of emotions, and a powerful story. I think it is best suited for older YA readers, who may understand the point of the story better. Please leave me your thoughts in the comments below. And it would make me smile if you shared and liked this post. Following the blog would make that smile even bigger!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

One Of Us Is Lying // Book Review

- Bunny 1 Comment

Title: One Of Us Is Lying
Author: Karen M. McManus
Published: 2017
Genre: Young Adult/Thriller

One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.
Source: Goodreads

I went into this book with low expectations, considering that the reviews aren’t the best. The book started off fairly slow, but from there, it got right into the main plot. Unlike others, I was a fan of the writing style. The characters were the typical ‘Breakfast Club’ stereotypes. However, you could see growth and development throughout the story. The author took a lot of time on their personalities and lives. They all had secrets of their own, which I will admit were pretty mediocre. Although, I was spoiled for one of the secrets, but I probably would have figured it out before it’s reveal.

Now, if you’re looking for a shocking mystery thriller, then this book probably isn’t for you. It seemed like a Lifetime original movie that was trying to be “Pretty Little Liars”. Personally, I enjoy Lifetime movies. But I can see readers being split on how the book handles certain topics, especially mental health. I struggle with mental illness myself and thought the representation was a little far fetched. Still it was an interesting take on the topic.

“Things’ll get worse before they get better.”

Most people probably won’t find the twist at the end particularly surprising. Some might even call it predictable. Maybe I am just clueless, because I thought the ending was pretty clever on the author’s part. I haven’t read too many mystery thrillers at this point in my life, so I’m judging this from a newbies perspective. I would be interested to see how I feel about the book in a few years, when I have more mystery thriller reads under my belt.

After reading the book I am excited to read Karen M. McManus other works. She could become a new favorite author of mine. This was a shorter review, but sometimes I don’t have much to say about the book. One last point, try going into it the story with an open mind. Don’t let reviews, good or bad, sway you one way or another. There are trigger warnings for this book, but unfortunately knowing them will spoil the book. If that doesn’t bother you visit Book Trigger Warning to view them all.

If you have read the book, leave me your thoughts in the comments. Please don’t leave any spoiler for the for others that haven’t read it yet. Don’t forget to like and share this post. Also, go ahead and subscribe to the blog to get notifications about new content.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Sylvia Aguilar-Zéleny And Meghan Rienks // 2-In-1 Book Review

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Hi Friends,
There are some books that I read, but don’t have enough thoughts to dedicate a whole review to. I decided that, in those cases, I would do mini review posts. So, I will be doing shorter reviews for multiple books in this post. Here, I will be reviewing a middle-grade and and a sort-of-memoir. I hope you enjoy!

“The Everything I Have Lost” by Sylvia Aguilar-Zéleny
2.5/5.0 Stars
*I received an ARC of the audiobook from Netgalley*
This is a hard-hitting contemporary middle-grade, told through a young girl’s diary entries. I found this to be a very impactful story that deals with some serious topics. The narrator did a wonderful job bringing the main character to life, and I felt all of her emotions. I knew going into the story that it would be sad and touching. It gave a look at the differences between living in Juarez, as compared to El Paso, which was interesting to hear about.

However, there were some plot points that left me feeling uneasy. There was an incest incident that was unsettling and glossed-over. Also, one of the characters was shamed for being plus-sized, called Fat Nelly. However, the book is told from the perspective of a 12-year-old, so I tried to ignore the stereotyping. I wouldn’t exactly call this a middle-grade read, since the subject matter is heavy. But if you are looking for a bridge between tween and young adult, you might want to give this one a try.

“You’re Not Special” by Meghan Rienks
2.5/5.0 Stars
A person has to be pretty awesome for me to want to pick up their memoir. The life of YouTuber Meghan Rienks wouldn’t exactly be one I would usually care to read. However, I heard a rumor that it talked about her falling out with her mother, so it piqued my interest. This is mainly because I used to see her mom in her vlogmas videos, and they seemed to have a good relationship. First, I want to note that I never really watched Meghan’s YouTube channel, but I have seen some of her vlogs. No shade to her, I just always found her personality to be over-the-top and unauthentic. I think she overacts in her videos.

Anyhow, the book is tagged as sort-of-memoir, where she tells stories and gives real advice. I found the deeper parts of the book engaging and interesting. Learning about her struggles with alcohol and strained parental relationship were the best parts of the book. They were the most honest and unfiltered chapters as well. However, most of the book was filled with random, silly anecdotes with pop-culture references. This could be her inner YouTuber coming forth. In my opinion, much of the book could have been a story-time video. I got the impression that she was trying too hard to keep the reader engaged with her tips and witty one-liners. My biggest issues with the book was that it blurred the lines between memoir and self-help book. It was too all-over-the-place for me to truly enjoy.

I can’t wait to do more of these 2-in-1 mini book reviews. Don’t worry, though – I will still be doing solo reviews as well. I would love to know if any of you have read either on these books. If you have, leave your thoughts in the comments. Please like and share this post with all your bookish friends.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny