Review: Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You: Soulmate, Vol. 1

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Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free for promotional purposes. 

This manga is a sequel to another series. I have not read the previous series, but that did not hinder my reading experience. I was able to understand the storyline just fine and piece together what had happened previously. 

The storyline is fairly simple (basically the main character is in search of a boyfriend), but I didn’t mind. Less is more in this case. 

As for the characters, I really liked the love interest, Eiji. He was so sweet and protective towards the main character. 

The best part of this book was definitely the art style. It was so dreamy and romantic; it worked perfectly for the story. 

Overall, this was a solid start to the series! I’m intrigued to see what happens next. 

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Review: The Five Stages of Courting Dalisay Ramos

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Rating: ★★★★★

I received an ARC of this book for free from the author for promotional purposes. 

I’ve been a reader and fan of Melissa de la Cruz since middle school. Her books are always so fun and engaging, and this one was no exception. 

First off, there’s so much Filipino representation in this book. I loved it. The book captures so much of Filipino culture and family life. As a Filipino American, I found it very relatable (especially in regards to how stubborn Filipino mothers can be). I’m so happy Melissa de la Cruz has started incorporating more of her Filipino heritage into her books. Representation does matter! 

The story was well done. The Filipino stages of courtship was an entertaining premise. I liked how the story came full circle (sorry if this is vague, I’m trying to remain spoiler free). It was so cute and just made for an adorable love story. 

Since this is a romance, there’s naturally some sex/sexy scenes. I loved how sex was handled. The main character, Dalisay, is a virgin, but everything was so sex positive. 

Lastly, the characters were all so lovable. I particularly loved Dalisay’s lola (grandmother). I also had no complaints with the love interest, Evan. 

Overall, this was such a joy to read! If you’re looking for a feel-good contemporary romance, check this one out. 

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Review: Dear Dolly

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Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Harper Perennial) for promotional purposes. 

I previously read Dolly’s memoir, “Everything I Know About Love,” and loved it, so naturally I also enjoyed this one. 

This book is a collection of selected responses from her Dear Dolly column. I’ve never read her column, so all of these were new to me. The responses are divided into 7 sections: Dating, Friendship, Relationships, Family, Sex, Break-ups & Exes, and Body & Soul. I liked that they were organized in this way; it gave the book structure. 

Like her memoir, Dolly’s responses to her readers are very conversational. Reading them feels like talking to an old friend. Her advice is very practical and real, but she’s never judgmental. She seems to really understand what her readers are asking and gives relatable advice. She also knows how to incorporate pop culture references (like when she mentions listening to a Lana Del Rey album) without seeming like she’s trying too hard. 

This is a great book to pick up if you’re looking for some life advice, especially when it comes to dating or love. As someone still looking for love, I found quite a bit of her advice helpful.

Overall, if you’re a fan of Dolly’s work, you should definitely give this book a read! 

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Review: Madame Bovary

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Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Canterbury Classics) for promotional purposes. 

What a tragic yet captivating tale! 

I added this book to my “To Read” shelf on Goodreads way back in March of 2015. Now 9 years later I finally read it and I’m so glad I did.  

There is nothing happy about this story, but it’s beautiful and intriguing in its own way. Immediately upon starting, I was pulled right into the story. 

Madame Bovary is such a fascinating character. She’s not particularly likable, and that’s precisely why I liked her. She’s a complicated woman who makes numerous questionable decisions, but I find that makes for the most interesting of characters. I found myself constantly thinking about her and what I would do if I were in her shoes. 

For a classic, the writing style is easy to read and follow but still elegant. I didn’t have trouble understanding what was going on. The chapters are fairly short which also helps. 

I originally was going to give this book 4 stars, but after a few days of reflection, I decided I had to give it 5 stars. This is a story that will stick with me for a while. 

Overall, I loved this story and I can’t believe it took me this long to read it. It was well worth the wait! 

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Review: Disappointing Affirmations

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Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Chronicle Books) for promotional purposes. 

What a gem of a book!

I am personally not a fan of positive affirmations. They’re just not my thing and I find them overly optimistic. Disappointing affirmations are more up my alley so I ended up loving this book. 

The book starts with a short intro that gives some background into how the book came about. Knowing how/why the book was written made me appreciate it even more. 

The affirmations were all so hilarious and spot on. Some of my favorites were:

  • “It’s not imposter syndrome. You really do suck at everything.” 
  • “Stop overthinking. You are the only one who cares.” 
  • “Take a moment to be grateful for all that you have. Okay, now back to wishing everything was different.”
  • “My entire vibe is I don’t want to.”

The background photos are also gorgeous and were taken by the author. I loved the juxtaposition of the serene pictures with the disappointing affirmations. 

This book would make a great gift, but do keep in mind there is some foul language. 

Lastly, the book jacket turns into a poster that says, “Have a panic attack. You’ve earned it.” I thought that was a fun and creative touch. 

Overall, this was an entertaining and relatable read! 

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Review: Forever Barbie

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Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Liveright) for promotional purposes. 

What an insightful look into the world of Barbie! 

This book was originally published in the 90s, but this edition has a new preface which does discuss the Barbie movie. In the preface, the author also discusses that she left the book unchanged so it’s a large reflection of the 90s. 

The title states this book is an “unauthorized biography,” however, only the first few chapters feel like a biography. If you are looking to read a comprehensive history on Barbie, this book isn’t it. This book offers a lot of commentary on Barbie and people’s complicated relationship with her. Some of it feels a little out there (like The White Goddess chapter that discusses how Barbie is similar to ancient fertility idols), but there were a lot of interesting ideas presented (I really liked the discussion on Barbie and class mobility). The book also discussed things I never knew about like the Barbie board games, books, and comics from way back in the day. 

I liked that this book had a concluding chapter. I always hate it when nonfiction books don’t have one. My biggest takeaway from this book came from this chapter. The author writes, “People project fears and prejudices into her; when a person talks at length about Barbie, one usually learns more about the speaker than about the doll” (pg. 264). That is so true. Barbie has never been the enemy, people just project their owns ideas and feelings onto her. 

Overall, I recommend this book if you’re looking to explore Barbie on a deeper level and don’t mind the 90s influence. 

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Review: The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight (The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven #3)

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Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

What a wonderful way to end the trilogy! 

This book, like the previous two, was fast paced and filled with romance, magic, and adventure. The story picks up where book 2 ended and from there becomes a real page turner. There was never a dull moment and grips you right from the start. 

What I loved most about this book was the emphasis on love and loyalty. I love Tristan and Issylte’s relationship and how their love just kept getting stronger. I also liked how their friends and allies never hesitated to help them out. Lancelot, in particular, has been a standout character throughout all the books due to his friendship with Tristan. 

As usual, the world building was amazing. It’s so vivid and enchanting! I absolutely loved this world and will miss reading about it. 

The writing style was also impeccable. The author writes with such an ease. Often times fantasy books can be confusing, but not this series. The reader is guided through the story effortlessly. 

Overall, this was a satisfying conclusion to an exciting trilogy. I highly recommend this book/series to fantasy lovers, especially those who like fantasy with a touch of fairy tales and/or medieval influence. You won’t be disappointed! 

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Review: Why We Read

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Rating: ★★★★½

I received an ARC of this book for free from the publisher for promotional purposes. 

What a wonderful collection of essays on reading! 

This book is a collection of personal essays on the impact of books and reading on the author’s life. As a lifelong reader myself, I found many of the essays relatable. One of my favorites was “To Break The Rules” (pg. 65) which discusses how there is no right way to be a “Good Reader.” We should read how and what we want. I wholeheartedly agree!

The book is well organized. It is organized in rough chronological order of the author’s life, which made the essays flow logically. The earlier essays focused on her childhood, while the later ones focused on her teaching career. There are also short and humorous list-like essays (for example, “Calmed-Down Classics of American Literature for the Anxiety-Ridden” and “Signs You May Be a Female Character in a Work of Historical Fiction”) dispersed throughout which helped break up the monotony of essays. 

The author’s writing style is easy, accessible, and often humorous. Despite talking a lot about teaching, it’s never pretentious or overly academic.

My one critique is that some of the essays started losing steam at the end. I found some of the later essays not as impactful as the earlier ones. 

Overall, I highly recommend this book to all my fellow bookworms! 

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Review: Magnolia Parks The Long Way Home (Magnolia Parks Universe #3)

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Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Dutton) for promotional purposes. 

This book destroyed me in the best possible way. 

I loved the first 2 books in the series, but this book was on a whole other level. It really tied books 1 and 2 together. This book focuses on Magnolia and BJ, but Daisy was in it a little bit more than she was in the first book and Julian was in this way more and had a larger role. Because of that, there was a convergence of Magnolia’s rich and privileged lifestyle with the Haites’ gang lord lifestyle, which made for an intriguing read. 

The last 100 or so pages of the book were insane. A lot of crazy stuff went down. At one point, I was nervous to keep reading because I was a little scared to know what was going to happen next. The book definitely ended on a massive OMG moment. 

There’s something so captivating about this series that has me addicted to it. It feels very different from any other series I have ever read. The author really knows how to take a reader on an emotional roller coaster. 

Overall, this series just keeps getting better and better! I can’t wait to get started on reading the next book. 

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Review: Love Poems

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Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Canterbury Classics) for promotional purposes.

This was a lovely collection of classic love poems! 

The selection of authors was expected. It features classic love poets such as Shakespeare, Dickinson, and Byron. I’m not that familiar with classic poetry (I read more modern poetry), so I cannot speak too much on the selection of poems. 

As with almost all poetry collections, some poems stood out more than others. Here were my favorites:

  • Passion by Sappho (pg. 1)
  • The First Kiss by Sappho (pg. 2)
  • Sonnet 147 by William Shakespeare (pg. 22)
  • Sylvia by George Etherege (pg. 37)
  • A Cradle Song by William Blake (pg. 47) 
  • A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns (pg. 50)
  • Surprised by Joy by William Wordsworth (pg. 64)
  • Love’s Young Dream by Thomas Moore (pg. 79) 
  • When We Two Parted by Lord Byron (pg. 83)
  • Remind Me Not, Remind Me Not by Lord Byron (pg. 86) 
  • And Wilt Thou Weep When I Am Low? By Lord Byron (pg. 87)
  • To Caroline by Lord Byron (pg. 91)
  • Love’s Philosophy by Percy Bysshe Shelley (pg. 99) 
  • Sonnet 14 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (pg. 106)
  • Sonnet 21 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (pg. 107)
  • Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (pg. 110)
  • A Dream Within a Dream by Edgar Allan Poe (pg. 114)
  • Till Death Us Part by Arthur Penrhyn Stanley (pg. 130) 
  • Are You the New Person Drawn Toward Me? by Walt Whitman (pg. 132) 
  • To a Stranger by Walt Whitman (pg. 133)
  • As if a Phantom Caress’d Me by Walt Whitman (pg. 139)
  • To One Shortly to Die by Walt Whitman (pg. 139) 
  • Bequest by Emily Dickinson (pg. 148)
  • If You Were Coming in the Fall by Emily Dickinson (pg. 149)
  • I Have No Life but This by Emily Dickinson (pg. 158)
  • Wild Nights by Emily Dickinson (pg. 159)
  • The Lost Jewel by Emily Dickinson (pg. 162) 
  • Longing by Emily Dickinson (pg. 168)
  • When Will Love Come? by Pakenham Beatty  (pg. 173)
  • Patterns by Amy Lowell (pg. 176)
  • Choice by Angela Morgan (pg. 184)
  • A Dream Girl by Carl Sandburg (pg. 185)

Overall, this was a quick and romantic read! If you’re looking to get into classic poetry, consider this book. 

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