The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson

August 27, 2023 – September 14, 2023

I busted out the laptop for this instead of just thumbing it on the phone.

and… DONE! Unfortunately this book was one of those ones, and not for anything that was really the book’s fault. It was just painful to read, not because it was poorly written, it was just set up from the get go to have so many bad things happen in painful ways. Like lying to her best friend? That confrontation wasn’t something I was looking forward to (which actually never happened.) And Ralph finding out about the secret book selling and firing everyone and everything (which totally did happen)? It was difficult to get into a book that had so much promised awfulness waiting for me. Like I knew it was going to have a happy ending and that there would be a revolution and take back the town from this JERK (family friendly blog so I’m not using other words) who was trying his hand at dictatorship. So I kept going, slowly.

I should say something nice. Maggie was great. She had spunk and a personality that I could root for and her aimlessness was VERY relatable. I was happy for her happy ending, and it felt genuine. Like the situation she was put in in the end really was somewhere she could live and grow.

Malcolm and her relationship was kind of bouncy to me. At first he was a total snob jerk, then they met up at the book thing and we find out that he’s in fact human, but it didn’t really mesh with the image I had of him in my head. Like it was more than “you just didn’t know him well enough, just like Maggie!” Something just felt off about it. I mean, I LIKED him a lot as a character once I did get to know him and felt like him and Maggie really had great chemistry. And that first kiss that he stole, *chef kiss* it was pretty close to perfect.

Which made their first night having sex so weird. It felt like it was out of nowhere and that it did not fit with where their relationship was. Like I get casual sex and have friends who have it, so I’m not talking from the moral high ground of “You need to wait until you’re sure they are your soul mate” (though I do, but living with the duality of believing in ultimate truths and being open and defending other people’s views is another conversation)- as a writer sex is a plot point that MEANS something, and right now it felt about as meaningful if not a little less then their first kiss. Like if the kiss moved their relationship forward by a factor of four, then having sex did move them forward only by three. If that makes sense.

There is also the question that the lovely ladies (and one guy) brought up in book club: did she get off too easily? I mean with Malcolm I’m torn, because she did completely violate his trust and got him fired, but he’s so apathetic as a character it was in character for him to forgive her so easily. Rochelle? I think she did get off too easy. Maggie put Rochelle’s entire livelihood on the line, if anything underlining how financially strapped she was would have made that confrontation bigger than it was. The whole town? She singlehandedly destroyed their economy. Yes it worked out, luckily. But I don’t know if I could have shown my face, even if it was for a woman who got butted out by history.

Side note: I was LIVID when I found out what Bell did to that woman. I agreed in the. beginning that that book stunk of misogynism, but that last letter when he just brushed past her and said “well I changed a few things so the book really is mine and here’s some blackmail to keep you quite.” Ug. I wanted to wring this fictional character’s neck very badly. It’s making me wonder about all these famous authors and wondering what they all think about different things. What people who read my books will think. Will these reviews be found after I’m dead and buried and tarnish my millions of books I’m obviously in the middle of writing? I hope I’m a decent enough person that my legacy won’t have problems like this.

Anyways.

I loved the book events. One of the questions at the end was what combo you would pick, and I honestly don’t know. Which in embarrassing since I’m an author and am supposed to have a bizzilion ideas. Maybe I’ve just not thought hard enough. I can say that I DEFINITELY would go to one if I could.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. It is a solid book. Do I like it enough to engage in a long-term relationship and buy it? No. And that’s ok.

I think I’ll go read Emma M. Lion Vol. 7 again (I’ve only read it three times) or maybe break down and get Ready Player One – just to mix things up. But yay for reading something new!

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 7, by Beth Brower, The Unselected Journals #7 

August 30, 2023 – August 31, 2023

 Six stars, most excellent. Made me smile the whole time.

You have no idea how badly I wanted this book. After the cliffhanger of the last book my mind was just going crazy asking and picturing what in the world their conversation was going to be. I honestly haven’t been this excited about a book drop since Twilight. I was checking Amazon multiple times a day to see if preorders were up yet (spoiler there weren’t any) even calling our local book store to see if they were planning on carrying it. I even started stalking her on Instagram (I now have a reason to go on there.)

Then it happened! A day before it was supposed to drop it showed up! But then I had to wait TWO WHOLE DAYS until I actually got it.

But it was so worth the wait.

I’m glad they addressed the whole “what will she wear” question. That was part of the day dream. And the conversation when it happened? It did not go quite how I thought it would. I thought he would be a lot more sure of himself and stuff since he is the one who kissed her. But still satisfying.

And we found out how he hurt his leg! Sort of. Sigh. He asked if she’ll be able to handle the fact that he just plain isn’t going to tell her stuff, and she doesn’t know, which I think is realistic as I don’t know too.

So much happened and I read it so fast, I need to read it again. And I would like the record to show that I TOTALLY called it that Jack would find her a chaperone – it was exactly like I hoped it would be.

Random thing I wasn’t expecting was Duke guy becoming her guardian. Like it makes sense and I can see why they would be so upset, but it keeps her safe from her aunt and he’s not going to clip her wings. I do wonder if he’s going to throw a fuss when he finds out about Pierce. Because yeah he’s not the polished nice look suitor. I mean we’re all in love with him, but what are they going to think? Hawkes obviously caught onto that something is up, but I don’t think even he knows how serious Emma and Perice are.

And now they are courting. I’m glad that it ended like that, but at the same point it wasn’t the joyous “yeah! This is so great!” No he put a storm cloud over it with his threat to leave if it looks like he’s going to hurt her. Which is just foreshadowing that something awful is going to happen.

Marinda MMM frowns.

I’m glad she’s free of her aunt, but now there is more mystery and questions around Hawkes than ever before. How did he know her father and why of all people did he leave her in his care?

This time I would say I want the next book, not that I need it like this one was.

I’m going to go reread it today- and eat a scone.

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

May 29, 2023 – August 24, 2023

 This book is evenly split between a five star and a one star, but the one star is because of my trama so I went with the five as the official.

Full confession I didn’t finish this book. I had two more sections to go, but the library called me and it was a struggle to move forward anyways.

Five star stuff: this was an EXCELLENT plot structure book. I had read the original and it changed how I viewed storytelling and I was hoping for more of the same, which I got. I’m a discovery writer so I didn’t take it as much an outline of how to write a book and saw it more of an in-depth study of what are the necessary components of a story. I did think it was funny when the broke down Stephen King’s book since he was so vocal against plot structures. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to be a writer, outliner or discovery writer.

Now for the one star: they had a lot of examples to show the different points in the story that did certain things. This made it so you basically got to read them, which was fine and kind of fun. Until it wasn’t. One of the books (I can’t remember the title) was about a woman who cares for and falls in love with a quadriplegic man who decides he hates his life so much that he’s going to commit suicide. And the moral of the story is that she’s supposed to respect that he’s an adult and can make his own choices just like she would want other people to respect her decisions and step aside and let him kill himself.

I have sever mental health challenges including struggling with suicidal tendencies. You do NOT roll over and give up. This book sent me spiraling in a multiple month long pit of hell. I’m grateful for friends who won’t give up on me, no matter what.
This book would have been great if she hadn’t analyzed that book. That is all.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings #0

August 20, 2023 – August 21, 2023

I read this book years ago when I was a kid, but really all I remembered were the scenes from the animated one. As I assigned this to my son to read, I figured I should bust it out too.
And it was just as fun as I remembered. Our unlikely hero who ends up saving the day over and over who in the end gets to go home (I forgot about them auctioning off all his stuff, that was the most stressful part of the whole thing for me).
Another thing that is interesting is that I heard it was written in the style of a bedtime story. I’ve been reading a lot of fairy and folk tales lately and the way it reads does match what I’ve been reading, which I find interesting.
Over all a fun read. Maybe I’ll bust out LOTR next.

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson

July 28, 2023 – August 3, 2023

Ok this book was incredibly hyped up. My husband said he thought it would be my new favorite Sanderson book. My dad said it’s his new favorite book PERIOD after The Book of Mormon. Everyone was “it’s YA! You LOVE YA!”
And I did love it. The world building was beautiful, the cosmere stuff felt like I needed a refresher course but in a good way, it was narrated by Hoid, the twist when you find out she and her world aren’t real. And don’t get me started on the art! I feel bad for people who only do audio because these pieces are AMAZING.
There is only one thing that is holding me back- that makes me give this book a 4.5 stars (I rounded up). I’m just having trouble believing that you can put two teenagers naked together and not have them want to have sex. He briefly mentioned it when their noses touched, but that was it. Not to be crud but Painter at least would have some physical reactions to seeing a naked girl. I can buy that exposure after a month or so could lessen any sex drive they might have and they could have their conversation while naked with each other, but there should have been a lot more in the beginning.
There. That’s my only complaint that I think he handled wrong.
I did like the ending when he finally got to hold her. And their first kiss was kind of perfect.
There is one more thing that is holding me back from giving my heart to this book, but I think it is more my problem than the book’s problem. You see, whenever I finish a book I immediately start daydreaming fan fic in my head. I can’t help it, I’m just so much still in the story that it is all around me. But this book? Nothing. Blank wall. I’m trying to think up scenes but it is like shoveling mud. I have been in a slump with writer’s block so maybe it has something to do with that. I don’t know. I need to reread this book again. It really was great and think other people should read it too.

The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson

July 19, 2023 – July 20, 2023

I have to write SOMETHING. My mind is so much moosh, like there is nothing there, but I finished this book DAYS ago. So something is what I shall write.

I liked this book. A lot. It was fun, like really fun. A common daydream of mine is time travel and how I would interact with the people and the things I know and the technology I had. This book easily fed all that.

And he did a good job having bits and pieces come back, showing who he really was before he remembered how pathetic he was.

I was so mad at his friend, and agreed with what’s his name, the village leader guy, that he sure didn’t act like his friend. And then when he found his girlfriend again and that they had been cheating on him, yeah I wanted him to wash his hands of his old life too.

I did think the romance went a tad too fast. I know it had to happen in a short book, but the pacing was off. Still, it made me happy that they ended up together. The last part where they were doing their puppet show made me smile, like he was getting his happy ending.

Over all a good book, would recommend it to people. A solid four stars.

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 6, by Beth Brower, The Unselected Journals #6

June 20, 2023 – June 21, 2023

I love these books so much. They were originally a loan from a friend but I went ahead and bought them all. I had been reading her’s so I could write my name in the inside cover (in a salute to Emma’s copy of Jane Eyre) but she said I could go ahead and buy this one instead of waiting.

I’m so glad I did. This one is up there with my favorite in all the best ways.

Before I say anything can I say something of the poetry in these books? It’s almost as if I can hear Hawkes in my head, and I fall in love with him a little bit more.

Can we talk about Hawkes? I said in the last book he’s on the board, but this book shoved him into the spot light. I was half way through and I texted my friend “why am I in love with Hawkes now?” Because he’s amazing that’s why.

For some fluff stuff when he walked in when her aunt was there my heart just stopped, then when duke guy walked in I just started smiling like an idiot. I think I understand the phrase Christmas came early now. And when the door opened and I was like “oh shoot it’s going to be Perice!” But it wasn’t and I breathed with relief. When her aunt said she was insignificant and Hawkes SLAMMED his book shut I almost jumped. It was so unlike him it just underlined how much he cares about her. I mean they all do, but like I said this book was all about him it felt like.

Almost. But I’ll get into that later.

But first her job! It was so ridiculous! That lady and her red ink. Then that last scene when the uncle touched her butt and her gut reaction was to brain him but hit the urn and was covered with dead dog ashes… it was amazing.

It was all amazing.

And Perice… he’s amazing. I know in the last book it painted him in a less that flattering light, this book made him into what he’s become- which is basically her husband. How she felt when he said welcome home and went to get tea, how he’s there for her, how she felt when she saw him hanging out with Agnes in the kitchen and some of his darkness was gone. Then when he basically said they were acting like a married couple… I fell in love with him all over again.

And then, at the end, I can hardly write it I’m in so much shock. I know this is freaking book six but I did NOT expect that to happen at this point. I mean there is so many books to go! What are we going to be building toward!

That being said, him kissing her was as soon as it could have been. I feel like she’s healed enough from Maxwell that when he kissed her she didn’t think of him until after, and that was just to compare their kisses. While with Maxwell they were still basically children, Perice is very much a man, and he kissed her like a man would. She said it shook her, and it shook me too.

I need the next one like right now. They are going to talk the next morning. What are they going to say? What is SHE going to say?!

If only one of these comes out a year I’m going to scream.

Oh gosh, I’ve daydreamed about what their first kiss would be like and it wasn’t like this. It was better to see it in print.

I’m bringing all these on vacation with me. Daugh. ❤️

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 5, by Beth Brower, The Unselected Journals #5

June 18, 2023 – June 18, 2023

Book six just came, so I need to get this done. If I can remember what happened. Not that I’m going to forget any of it (I’ve already read it twice), but because my head is so full of fanfic that I’m writing. Because there is a lot of stuff that needs fixing after this.

But first! The things I liked! The funeral. I’m sorry I don’t often make noises while reading but that made me laugh out loud. It was so ridiculous and then to have Hawkes cracking up as well, then she accidentally got engaged! That line “Hawkes blinked” just sent me over. I want to mark it so I can find it again when I need a pick me up.

Then when duke guy comes over to her at the dinner, all I could think was “oh shoot her aunt is going to kill her!” But then he was awesome. As I will discuss below he has actually pulled ahead in front of Perice.

But before I get into all THAT.

Jack.

Those chapters at his mom’s house were probably the best in the whole series. Even more than her saying good bye at the funeral. How he’s falling apart, her slap, how they stay up all night in the dark, then his mom telling her she knew. How angry Jake was, the one random tear. When he appears again in her house my heart felt for him. I think her’s did too. Is he in the running of potential love interest? I don’t think so, not yet.

I have a prediction, that she’s going to use her favor for him to find someone to pretend to be her chaperone.

Speaking of people who are potential love interests Hawkes finally made it onto the board but just barely. When he said he had something he needed to tell her I had a mini panic attack that he was going to say he likes her (likes her?! What is this middle school?) but he didn’t say anything like that. Though every scene with him in this book made me smile and fall a little in love with him.

Ok. Here we go.

It is not secret that I’m shipping Emma and Perice HARD. At the end of the last book I thought I heard in his voice that he was falling in love with her. Then everything seemed like it was going ok between the two of them. They are basically living together, eating dinner almost every night and breakfast and tea. Then that intense scene where they fight over the Roman – when he brought up Maxwell it felt like a slap in the face. Then how he’s apparently a functional alcoholic (whiskey in his tea?)- like she hinted before with his hand always moving like it would like to hold a drink, but this book it really laid it on thick. And he also smokes now. Like we saw him smoke a cigarette at the end of book 4, but it felt like he smoked a whole lot more.

So the drinking thing needs to be figured out.

Then there was the party. Oh the party. I felt a little sick to be honest. When he sees her and he does a double take, then looks at his arm around that other woman and you think maybe he thinks that he shouldn’t be doing that. But then she said that he did it a ton more, so clearly being seen acting this way by Emma didn’t make that much of an impact.

It was awful. There I said it. The fact that he most likely has history with these women or just women in general is another sticking point they would have to figure out how to work through – you know, if he ever decides that he shouldn’t do with them something he would never do with her. It just puts this big fat blob over all their physical interactions, that society has put these guidelines in place that they follow- but he apparently doesn’t follow with his fellow artists.

On Christmas Eve when he kisses her check, it was muted by all this. He probably kisses plenty of checks just at that party, it could be him just being friendly. Everything is pointing at it not meaning to him what it meant to her. But maybe it’s special because he follows those rules with her! Maybe.

I’m so mad.

As I said, duke guy is now squarely in the lead. Not like any of them are good for her. She isn’t worldly enough for Perice’s life, she would make a terrible duchess, and an even worse vicar’s wife.

Hawkes isn’t completely without sin though. Stupid cousin is totally reading her journal and I very much doubt Hawkes hasn’t figured it out.

Grumpy. That’s how I feel. I’m going to go reread the funeral to make me feel better then pace in circles while writing fanfic in my head of them cleaning up all this junk.

Wait I have book 6! Never mind that’s what I’m doing tonight.

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 4, by Beth Brower, The Unselected Journals #4

June 11, 2023 – June 11, 2023

I think I’m ready to write this.

It has been two days. Which for those that know me is an eternity worth sending in the cops to find out what the heck is going on with me. Well my brain hadn’t exactly been playing nice the last week and this book hit some big vulnerabilities.

But first! Fluff! That scene with the dancing hall, oh gosh I wish I could have closed my eyes during it but this is a BOOK where I am forced to read every embarrassing line. And then to have the duke guy whose name starts with an “I” that I’m not going to attempt to spell finds her and they fight and argue and then for them to run into Hawkes, oh man I wanted to just die! Then the sermon the next morning, that made me smile and think it was all worth it just for that moment.

And how did Hawkes know her adventure to get the books?! It’s driving me crazy.

I was disappointed that there wasn’t more scenes with Pierce. I was living for shipping them and wanted more.

But… but it was all made up for in the end. When he went with her to the funeral, then punched the brother, and just dripped how much he cares about her. How he threw social convections out the window and held her while she completely lost it on the train. Then at the end of the night when he asks her if she could ever be with someone else who wasn’t Maxwell you could just hear him asking if she could be with him. He’s in love with her, and she is falling for him but her heart is still shattered.

And that’s what’s killing me. Because that was me. I lost someone too, he didn’t die but he might as well have. I found someone else, but it took years to really be able to put him aside.

But that letter… if he has signed “sending you all my love” I would have been able to swallow it. But he said “I love you you know.” That destroyed me. It was so simple, it showed how close they were. How obvious it was that they were meant to be together. I could hear how young he was. I explained to a friend that why his family might blame her is because he was a second son so he needed a career unless he married into money. And she had no money. Did she blame herself as well?

A few weeks ago Amit asked me if I had thought my old boyfriends were my soulmates. And the horrid truth is that I did. I know soulmates are made not found. But it cut me open. And Emma? Was she and Maxwell soulmates? The broken parts inside me says yes. That she had lost him and will live her life basically as a widow.

But what of Pierce? Could she really love again? Was she damaged goods now, because she would constantly be comparing him to Maxwell? What of me? I was able to move on, but she isn’t me.

She asked if it was enough to have friends. And friends she had. When the three of them took care of her, made her a member of their group, it was like taking a breath of air.

This book was hard. I’ve been rereading the other ones on repeat (see above comment as to my mental health this week) but I’m not sure I’m ready to reread this one.

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