Gabriella M Reads

It's Always Sonny by Kate Watson 4 Stars I was given an advanced copy from the author in exchange for my honest review. I'll be the first to admit that closed door romances are mostly not my thing and this is also my first Kate Watson book. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this romance. It's Always Sonny is a classic case of right person, wrong time. The setting was perfect for the kind of story Kate was building. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters, and even in such a short time, I was made to care for each and every one. Well, most of them. Someone's parents are more than a little sucky. A quick read for when you just need a little joy in your life. Basically, I had a good time, which is all I ask of the books that I read. I wouldn't mind reading more of her works in the future. It's Always Sonny is available for purchase as a paperback or an e-book as of today, March 21st. You can also snag it on Kindle Unlimited if you ...

State of the Union by Nick Hornby 4 Stars I had actually never heard of this book prior to my purchasing it. Nor have I run into anyone who has read it. State of the Union actually caught my eye at my local Dollar Tree because of the neon design on the cover. I had not even read the synopsis before my decision was made. I also bought two more for two of my friends in the honors program with me. We all finished reading it within days of each other since we all started at different times. State of the Union is about a couple who ventures into marriage counseling to try and mend their somewhat broken relationship. The book is split into ten parts, each taking place prior to their counseling appointment. I found this intriguing. I would have loved to see the actual appointments, but only seeing the couple prior to them wasn't as bad as I had assumed it was going to be. Being that the novel is only 132 pages, it was a very quick read and I looked forward to seeing how their relationship...

Beach Read by Emily Henry 4.5 Stars Beach Read was not a book that I ever intended on picking up. Unfortunately, I judged the book by it's cover and also its title. However, I saw a TikTok where someone went through the synopsis as if it were their life and I'll admit that I was intrigued. It also wound up being the perfect book for one of my assignments. I tried to keep an open mind going into this one. Romance is indeed up my alley, but I would have to ignore my prior judgements. Our lead, January, has discovered family secrets after the passing of her father and is having a hard time coping. She goes to this beach town to pack up his life while also working on her next novel. Of course, there has to be an irritating next door neighbor who to her shock, she knows from college. His name is Gus, a fellow author, and she loathes him. I am pretty sure everyone who has ever read a contemporary romance can see where this is going. An enemies to lovers trope is honestly one of my fa...

My decision for 2021 was to split my reading plans into quarters and so far that plan is working. In the first three months of the year I have been able to finish six whole books! I am so proud of myself! I started off the year with a book I already knew that I was going to love, Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer. Needless to say I was not wrong. Reliving the book from Edward's point of view brought new life to a story that I have loved for so long. I would read the whole series from his point of view if I could. I also read a short poetry book called 2 AM Thoughts which was as enjoyable as every poetry book that I have read. I mostly read poetry when I am looking for comfort and it typically works out as planned. However, The Messengers was not as great for me. I can see why people enjoy it for its social commentary, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. Alas, the long awaited return of Sarah J Maas to the beautiful world that she created. A Court of Silver Flames was more than I co...

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas 5 Stars I'm normally not one to review anything in a series beyond the first book because of my inability to express my thoughts without spoilers. Technically this is the first book in a new trilogy, but because it builds off of the original story within A Court of Thorns and Roses I might be vague. I have waited so long for this book to be released into the world. I am completely into this world that Sarah has built and this book did not disappoint at all. If anything it actually went beyond my expectations. A Court of Silver Flames follows Nesta's journey and the fact that it is a journey of mental health is actually something that means a lot to me personally. The book opens with our main character at her low, she could probably go lower, but it is definitely a time where you can tell she wants to be numb and is using whatever she can to achieve that. This book takes place over about year and is packed with so much content in the best...

This post is almost a year overdue. I never realized that I didn't post it. So if you're here reading it despite how late it is, thank you. Wow, what a month March has been. Is anyone going a little stir crazy being inside? I'm still working, both from home and also on campus, so I have plenty to keep my mind busy. I am here to talk if anyone needs it. Now let's get to the wrap-up. I was able to finish four books last month. I started my month with two picture books that were written by Jonathan Stutzman. Llama Destroys the World, illustrated by Heather Fox, was definitely a cute read. I actually find it quite fitting for the current situation, especially the ending. Llamas may not be my favorite animal, but I recommend this one for anyone looking for a smile. Next came Tiny the T-Rex and the Very Dark Dark, illustrated by Jay Fleck. I was excited for this one since I really enjoyed the first book, Tiny the T-Rex and the Impossible Hug. Needless to say, I was not disa...

February Reading It is to no surprise that I did not finish any books in February outside of my reading for school. However, I surprised even myself by starting to listen to my very first audiobook. Yes, you read that right. I am reading, or listening to, my very first audiobook! I am very excited about this and I am breezing through compared to my current reading speed lately. I am on track to finish it this month. Well, what book is it? I am listening to Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon. For the very few of you who may not be familiar, it is the second book within the Outlander series. I got really amped up for season five of the show and therefore decided it was time to read the book. Because I am having such a hard time right now with reading, I thought I would give an audiobook a shot and it is really helping me. I listen when I am driving, eating my lunch, cooking, and sometimes doing my homework. I am actually listening to it right now! I have just under nineteen ...

Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber 5 Stars I know that the Thanksgiving/Christmas debate weighs heavy on some people. I'm all for giving thanks and all that, but it shouldn't be only on one day. Thanksgiving food is not my favorite and my family drives me nuts so I'm already in Christmas mode. I saw this book on Amazon for about five dollars and it sounded cute as hell. What isn't appealing about a blogger performing acts of kindness around Christmas time? Debbie certainly was able to put me in a festive mood. This Christmas romance is short, sweet, and just the right amount of cheesy. I loved reading as these two went from annoying one another to loving each other. Julia and Cain are just the sweetest and I was rooting for them from the start. Luckily, the romance does not disappoint. I also appreciate that there is a super cute dog in the book even if he isn't a huge focal point. It was a completely heartwarming experience. Debbie Macomber ope...

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 5 Stars I finally finished a book! I'm so glad that it was this one. If you weren't here for one of my more recent posts, I recently decided to give the television show Outlander a try. I have always said that it wasn't my thing and that I wouldn't enjoy it at all. Oh boy was I wrong. After racing through the show, I needed more. I'm going to keep this short and super simple because I finished reading this a few months ago and have lost the details in my brain. Diana Gabaldon just has a way of sucking you into her story and keeping you there. I was already so in love with her characters and I knew what was going to happen, but I still could not put this one down! I get that it has some issues. However, I feel like these issues are more of a time period problem. I won't go any further than that. I was so invested in the relationships that Diana created. Not just the romantic ones; the friendships were so fun to read about....

Summer Reading Wrap-Up So I bet you all know what I'm about to say. I failed at my Summer tbr. Big shocker there. However, I have been reading. Hopefully in a few days I'll be able to post a review. I haven't done one in forever! I'm actually quite excited. I had planned to read The Cheerleaders and The Woman in the Window over the Summer, but my slump prevailed and I put them both down for the time being. At this point I had absolutely given up on finding something to pull me out of what I would call a severe slump. It was completely on accident that I am actually reading now. What happened? Well, I was browsing Netflix for something new to try. I always said I wasn't interested in Outlander and that it wasn't my type of show. I hate historical fiction and I know this is more than that, but still it does have that historical element. I've never had access to the show anyway until they put it on Netflix. Needless to say I was very surprised when I couldn...

Adrift by Tami Oldham Ashcraft 5 Stars Y'all should know by now how much I tend to struggle reading non-fiction work, but something about this one pulled me in. Maybe it was because the movie trailer was so intense. I just needed to know all of the facts behind the story. So, I went out on a limb and bought the book. It took me around 3 months to read Adrift, but it was worth every second. Tami is so strong and I suppose you don't know your strength until it's tested the way hers was. It was incredible to read about everything that went through her head while adrift at sea while also seeing her memories of her life with Richard. These memories were woven in so perfectly throughout. I cried a lot during the time I was reading Adrift. I just couldn't help it. Even though it took me a very long time to read this book, I would do it all over again. I'm just in awe. If you are even a little bit interested in Tami's story I recommend picking this up. ...

The Martian by Andy Weir 4 Stars I'm going to keep this pretty brief. Mostly because I have forgotten anything of real significance since it took me over a year to finish this book. Don't get me wrong, it is a great book. I just kept putting it down in favor of other books that were more in my comfort zone. I picked it back up last night and finished the last 150 pages fairly quickly. What I love about this book is it's humor. This man is stranded on Mars and he could very well die. Dying actually seems most likely and he's cracking jokes and maintaining his normal personality despite everything he's going through. Yes, he gets stressed and frustrated, but it's written in a light way. Or it was for me anyway. Andy Weir has a talent for making the science stuff reasonably understandable for those of us who may not have been the best in the subject. It's gripping and I really found myself rooting for him the whole time. I definitely recommend this one...

The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley 5 Stars This novel gave me a full range of feelings. I sobbed a ton, full on ugly cried, and I even wanted to throw the book across the room. I would say that is the mark of a fantastic book. I buddy read this one with my best friend, who isn't much of a reader, and when she finished it I was basically told that she hated me and I needed to finish it. One of the best texts ever. Anyway, in this book we are introduced to a couple as a big shift is happening in their lives and slowly we go through flash backs and begin to really understand them. This book will absolutely break your heart in the best way. I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that it deals with when life begins as well as when life should end. If any of you have read this, I would absolutely love to talk about it. If you haven't and you would like to, it's decently priced on the Barnes & Noble website. Xoxo, Gabriella

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton 5 Stars As a lover of the Jurassic Park movies, I just had to read the book. Now there were some changes and I actually didn't mind them much. An example being the nephew is older than the niece and it's the opposite in the films. I actually loved that difference. The boy being older made a ton of sense to me. I personally really enjoyed how this book jumps from the people that are in the park to the people that are in the labs and control rooms instead of only getting one side of the story. It's very interesting to see how each person reacts to all of the chaos. I would have to say one of my absolute favorite things was every time Dr. Ian Malcolm started rambling about how things wouldn't work, etc. When it came to the action, it was every bit as thrilling as the movies, if not more. I definitely needed to know what was going to happen next and I could not put it down! Within a few days of finishing Jurassic Park, I found myself...

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn 4 Stars I picked this book up a couple of months ago because my mother was desperate to see the movie and I obviously had to read the book first. Starting off, I really wasn't that into it and I kept putting it down for days and sometimes weeks. I actually found myself only enjoying the "Ben" chapters for most of the book. It wasn't until the last 150 pages or so that I began to enjoy every perspective as the story unraveled. The book felt a tad slow to me for the most part, only speeding up towards the end and boy did I need to know what was going to happen next. I felt the same way while reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn so I think that if you enjoyed the writing style there, then you'll enjoy it in this novel as well. I don't want to give anything away, but this one took me by surprise. I actually had no idea who actually committed the murders. If you haven't read the synopsis, I recommend not reading it. I personall...

The Pact by Karina Halle 4 Stars Had I written this review sooner, I would probably know what I wanted to say. What I can tell you is that I did enjoy reading this book. It's a classic friends to lovers story filled with a lot of near misses that may or may not frustrate you. I was certainly frustrated, my head was going, "GET TOGETHER ALREADY!" You can tell this is going to happen from the very beginning when "the pact" is first brought up. I enjoyed how while you are going through several years of these people's lives, you don't linger. Maybe one chapter is dedicated to unimportant years just to give you a glimpse of something that may be important before moving on to the more important years. Overall, I enjoyed it and I have already purchased it's companion novel The Offer. If you enjoy friends turning into lovers then this is the book for you, but I will say it's like most others. If you're looking for something absolutely specia...

Eye Candy by R.L. Stine 4 Stars When I found out that the television show was based off of a book, I was intrigued. Then the show got cancelled after a fantastic first season and I decided I must have the book. I knew there were going to be some differences given the year of publication, but wow, they were different. I'm not complaining though. I found them both interesting. Even without the missing sister, online hackers, hot detective, and horrible "taunting" this book held up. From the very beginning I was in the mindset of "I'm going to figure this out." I totally thought I knew who it was and was COMPLETELY thrown for a loop. I love when a book can shock me. Looking back I was wondering how on Earth I had missed it because in my opinion there are a few small hints. I don't want to say too much because I think I found most of the fun in not knowing anything and trying to figure it out. To give a brief summary Lindy is a gorgeous girl in her ea...