Review: More Bad Days in History

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Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy of this book for free as part of a review tour hosted by TLC Book Tours. 

What an outrageously fun book! 

I haven’t read the first volume (Bad Days in History) so I cannot say how it compares. 

I’ve always loved learning about history, so naturally I found this book to be fascinating. I loved learning about all the weird, strange, and terrible things that have happened throughout the course of history. Some events were hilarious, others were more tragic, and a few were a little disturbing. 

I appreciated the use of footnotes and the extra information they provided. They were utilized well and not overdone (some authors go a little overboard with footnotes). 

There are also a few illustrations scattered throughout that added to the comedic appeal. 

My one critique is that I wished it was more global. The majority of the events were US or Europe based. For example, there were numerous events about various US presidents. I would have loved to seen more diversity in the events and people showcased. Bad days are a universal experience after all. 

Overall, this was an intriguing read. I recommend it to anyone who loves weird history or is having a bad day and needs a pick-me-up. It’s a book you can read all at once, or read daily. It would also make a great gift to the cynics and pessimists in your life.

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Review: The Woman in the White Kimono

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Rating: ★★★★

I received an ARC of this book for free from TLC Book Tours as part of a review tour. 

This was such a heartbreaking read! It was sad, yet beautifully written. 

This book has dual storylines, but I loved that the author really let the historical story shine! Naoko’s story was the more interesting of the two, so I was glad that the author devoted more time to it and was able to really flesh it out. 

The subject matter of the book touches upon a very unknown part of history. It deals with the relationship between American servicemen and local Japanese woman and the children they had. I never knew about this so I was really fascinated by this story. Also being mixed race myself (I’m Filipino and white) I was particularly struck by the attitudes towards mixed race people. I could tell that the author did a lot of research and I liked the author’s note at the end where she talks about the real life inspiration behind the book. 

The strongest part of the book is the writing. Ana Johns writes in such a tragically beautiful way that perfectly captures the mood of the story.

The book is a little slow in the beginning, especially with the contemporary storyline. But by the time you get near the end, you’ll be flipping pages like crazy to find out what happens next. 

Overall, I recommend this book for historical fiction lovers, especially those with an interest in Japan. 

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Review: Everything She Didn’t Say

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Rating: ★★★★

I received this book for free from the publisher (Revell Books) in exchange for an honest review. 

This book provided a fascinating glimpse into the real life of Carrie Strahorn, a famous pioneer woman. Prior to reading this book, I had never even heard of her. 

I loved how the book focused on the things Carrie didn’t say in her memoir. It gave a nuanced portrayal of the actuality and hardships of being a pioneer, as well as just being a woman during her time. I also liked how it explored her complicated relationship with her husband. It showed both the ups and downs of their marriage. 

The author did a tremendous amount of research and it really showed throughout the book. The book is rich in details and in facts. There is even an author’s note at the end, explaining what was fact and what was fiction. 

This book is published by a Christian publisher so there is a Christian element to it, but it’s very subtle and well done. 

My one critique is that the story dragged a bit in the middle since it was just Carrie and her husband constantly traveling. I got a little lost in it. Once they got settled down in a town the book picked up again. 

Overall, I really enjoyed learning about Carrie and the author did an amazing job portraying her life. 

Review: But Not Forever

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Rating: ★★★½

I received an ARC of this book for free as part of BookSparks’ YA Summer Reading Challenge.

This was a fun and fast read. It wasn’t super intricate but it was still enjoyable.

I loved the characters, especially the side characters like Kerry (she was the best!) and Sonnet’s cousins. 

The ending was really good. I didn’t quite know how it was going to end but I loved the reveal that happened. I was on the fence about this book while I was reading it, but the ending tipped me over and made me decide that I liked the book. 

As for the things I didn’t like, there were a few things I wasn’t huge fan of. The first being that the book read a little too juvenile for my taste. The characters are 15 and 16 but the writing style felt very middle grade. 

Second, there really was no explanation at all for the time travel aspect. That didn’t bother me a lot, but I still would have lot to have seen more depth to it. How it happened still remains a mystery. 

Lastly, two of Sonnet’s cousins were half Filipino and half white (just like me!), and I wish there would have been more done with their heritage, since Filipinos hardly get any representation. I knew it probably wasn’t going to happen, but I kept hoping that there would be some sort of nod to Filipino culture in the book.

Overall, while this book wasn’t 100% perfect, it was still an entertaining read.