Gabriella M Reads

Riding in Cars with Boys by Beverly Donofrio 5 Stars I don't know if any of y'all have seen this movie, it came out in 2001 when I was around 6 years old and I fell in love with it. So naturally when the adult me found out that it was actually based on an autobiography, I had to buy it despite my struggles reading non-fiction. Let me tell you, I finished this book in a matter of hours. I just couldn't put it down! I did have my problems, but they weren't with the book itself. Instead they were with the decisions being made by Beverly most of the time. Don't get me wrong, it was a fantastic read, hence the rating, but it was so hard for me not to be judgmental. If you don't know, Beverly finds herself pregnant in high school during the late 60's if memory serves. It's all about her parenting journey, but mostly how she finds herself along the way. I definitely recommend this one and it's also very short, barely over 200 pages so it goes by so f...

The Geek's Guide to Dating by Eric Smith 5 Stars First off, I want to thank Eric Smith for so kindly sending me a copy of his book to review. Secondly, I just want to say that despite the absurd amount of time it took me to finish this book, I really loved it. I just struggle when there isn't something making me go, "OH MY GOD, I need to know what happens next!" Moving on, this is a literal guide to dating. It's completely relevant and full of pop culture references that will help you understand what is being said. Example: "If you're an autobot and she's an aerialbot, you can't expect her to suddenly transform into a ground-based vehicle. But you can still bond over your mutual love of administering beat downs to Decepticons. Be respectful, be patient, be open to learning about her passions." Smith also adds the right amount of humor to his work. I personally found myself laughing at several points and I know you will too. I've se...

A Work In Progress: A Memoir by Connor Franta 5 Stars I will admit that I bought this book because I love Connor Franta. If you did not already know, he is a well known YouTuber. Don't hold that against him, he's great at what he does. The second he touched on what his book was going to be like on his channel, I went home and preordered it. I loved that I'd be able to get inside his head a little. I've heard things along the lines of "Who writes a memoir at 22?" and "He hasn't even lived!" However, I feel this was the perfect time for him to do so. Every page gave me insight into Connor as a person and also made me see things differently. He touches on topics like loneliness, friendship, dating, self image, and acceptance. I may be biased, but I felt he discussed these things with such grace and realness. A book that is able to make me reflect and reevaluate my life doesn't come around often. Mostly because I read fiction, but those ca...