I'm Glad My Mom Died.

 

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Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income. 

In I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she wants. 

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Heartbreaking. Haunting. 

I loved Jennette McCurdy ever since I saw her on ICarly not long after the show was released. I thought that Jennette did an amazing job at playing Sam, and not once did it occur to me that acting wasn’t Jennette’s choice until I read the book. I was excited when I found out that Jennette wrote a book and curious when I found out the title of the book. I’m Glad My Mom Died, how can you not wonder why that title is? I couldn’t help but wonder what happened between Jennette and her mother for her to come up with a title like that. Once I started reading the book, I understood why Jennette felt that it didn’t take me long to dislike her mother. I did wonder how Jennette didn’t see what her mother was doing, and it wasn’t love; it was abuse. I saw it when her mother made Jennette attend that audition when she was six. Her mother wasn’t doing it for Jennette; she was doing it for herself; she forced Jennette into acting. I understood why Jennette didn’t enjoy it, which wasn’t her passion. 

I don’t know Jennette personally, but I felt as if I did as I read I’m Glad My Mom Died . The emotions in this book…I don’t think I can describe how I felt because so many emotions went through me. Considering what her mom made her do, it’s no wonder she had an eating disorder. My heart broke for Jennette, and I wished that I could give her a big hug. I think that I cried a few times while reading this book. I have read several celebrity memoirs, but this one hit me the hardest. I’m Glad My Mom Died is a sad book that breaks your heart at times, but you have trouble putting it down. I don’t even want to believe that a parent would put their child through what Jennette’s mother put her through. If it weren’t for school and tests that week, I would finish it faster than I did. I’m Glad My Mom Died was such an inspirational novel. 

While reading the book, Jennette became one of my favorite people. She was brave. I knew that writing the book meant she had to relieve all those memories again. I wouldn’t been as courageous as her. I got to know her much better after reading this book. I can see why so many people loved this book; I couldn’t get enough of this book. I have a feeling that I will be coming back to this book in the future. If I could give this book more than five stars, I would. I highly recommend checking this book out. I’m Glad My Mom Died is worth every single page, a book you won’t be able to forget.

The Forgotten Bookshop In Paris.

 

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  *Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review*

 

 Paris, 1940: War is closing in on the city of love. With his wife forced into hiding, Jacques must stand by and watch as the Nazis take away everything he holds dear. Everything except his last beacon of hope: his beloved bookshop, La Page Cachée. 

But when a young woman and her child knock on his door one night and beg for refuge, he knows his only option is to risk it all once more to save a life… 

Modern day: Juliette and her husband have finally made it to France on the romantic getaway of her dreams—but as the days pass, all she discovers is quite how far they’ve grown apart. She’s craving a new adventure, so when she happens across a tiny, abandoned shop with a for-sale sign in the window, it feels fated. 

And she’s about to learn that the forgotten bookshop hides a lot more than meets the eye… 

 

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I love books that feature bookstores. Whenever I come across a book that features books in a bookstore, I’m always eager to pick the book out, and most of the time, I’m fascinated by the stories. The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris wasn’t any different and ended up being one of my favorite historical fiction I read this year. The fact that it was also historical fiction made the book much more enjoyable. For as long as I remember, I have always loved books that are told in different timelines but connect the characters. I couldn’t get enough of Juliette’s and Jacques’s stories; they had a unique story to tell. Even though I had enjoyed both stories, I felt more drawn to Jacques’s story than I did to Juliette’s. Much more was going on with Jacques's story, and everything had me on the edge of my seat. Although I enjoyed most of Juliette’s story, I felt she was whiny at the start. I understand why she was upset, considering what had happened. However, as the novel progressed, it was as if Juliette became a completely different person. I loved the development of Juliette throughout the story. 

I was afraid when Jacques started helping others, hiding them at his place. I didn’t even want to imagine what would happen to him if he got caught. I knew he was careful, but that doesn’t always work. For some reason, Jacques’s story had me on the edge of my seat, and I found it hard to put the book down. If it weren’t for school, I would have read the book faster than I had. Jacques helped so many, and at some point, I felt as if maybe he was trying to take in too many. But he had such a good heart, and even though he was a fictional character, to me, he was real. That was what I loved about The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris ; everything felt natural. This is another book where my emotions went on a roller coaster ride. 

I loved the descriptions, and despite not knowing how it felt when the Nazis took over, it felt like I did. While reading the book, I pictured everything, all of the tragedy and fear. The Forgotten Bookshop In Paris is a story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. I couldn’t get it out of my head. I wanted to go back and reread it. This was my first book by Daisy Wood , and now I am eager to check out the rest of her works. Highly recommend this book, especially for historical fiction fans.

The Lindbergh Nanny.

 

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 *Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review*

 

When the most famous toddler in America, Charles Lindbergh, Jr., is kidnapped from his family home in New Jersey in 1932, the case makes international headlines. Already celebrated for his flight across the Atlantic, his father, Charles, Sr., is the country’s golden boy, with his wealthy, lovely wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, by his side. But there’s someone else in their household—Betty Gow, a formerly obscure young woman, now known around the world by another name: the Lindbergh Nanny. 

A Scottish immigrant deciphering the rules of her new homeland and its East Coast elite, Betty finds Colonel Lindbergh eccentric and often odd, Mrs. Lindbergh kind yet nervous, and Charlie simply a darling. Far from home and bruised from a love affair gone horribly wrong, Betty finds comfort in caring for the child, and warms to the attentions of handsome sailor Henrik, sometimes known as Red. Then, Charlie disappears. 

Suddenly a suspect in the eyes of both the media and the public, Betty must find the truth about what really happened that night, in order to clear her own name—and to find justice for the child she loves.

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 Mysterious. Engaging. Memorable. 

Despite being a famous case, I hadn’t heard anything about the Lindbergh kidnapping before reading the book. The title caught my attention first, followed by the summary of the book. The Lindbergh Nanny is one of those books that will have your attention from the start until the end. Even as I turned the last page, I wondered what had happened after. Every page and chapter had me wondering what would happen next. Would they find out who kidnapped Charlie? I wasn’t there, but all the emotions that Betty felt in the book before the kidnapping and afterward felt so real. That was one of my favorites about this book; it felt realistic. While reading, it was as if I was there besides Betty, going through everything she was going through. Like Betty, I fell in love with Charlie. I can’t even begin to imagine the horror the family felt when he was taken from them, and my heart broke for them. 

I loved the connection that Betty had with Charlie before the kidnapping. It didn’t take him long to get attached to Betty, and I could tell she loved him. I could tell that after some time, Mrs. Lindbergh became jealous of the bond that Betty and her son had developed. When Charlie was kidnapped, I thought of so many suspects, but the actual suspect was the last person I thought would have anything to do with the case. I learned a lot about the case in the book. The book had me curious, so once I finished the book, I went back and researched the real-life case. I enjoyed that at the end of the book, the author talked about the facts and the fictional that she added, making the book even more realistic. 

All the characters were so well developed in the book, especially Betty, who changed the most of all the characters. As I said before, I love historical fiction mixed with mystery. The Lindbergh Nanny was one of the best books I have read this year. I was on the edge of my seat from the start to the end. I would highly recommend that to any historical fiction and mystery fans. I’m happy that I got a chance to read this book, and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us next.

The Epic Story Of Every Living Thing.

 

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*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review* 

From the award-winning author of Honey, Baby, Sweetheart comes a gorgeous and fiercely feminist young adult novel. When a teen travels to Hawaii to track down her sperm donor father, she discovers the truth about him, about the sunken shipwreck that's become his obsession, and most of all about herself. 

 
Harper Proulx has lived her whole life with unanswered questions about her anonymous sperm donor father. She's convinced that without knowing him, she can't know herself. When a chance Instagram post connects Harper to a half sibling, that connection yields many more and ultimately leads Harper to uncover her father's identity. 

So, fresh from a painful breakup and still reeling with anxiety that reached a lifetime high during the pandemic, Harper joins her newfound half siblings on a voyage to Hawaii to face their father. The events of that summer, and the man they discover—a charismatic deep-sea diver obsessed with solving the mystery of a fragile sunken shipwreck—will force Harper to face some even bigger questions: Who is she? Is she her DNA, her experiences, her successes, her failures? Is she the things she loves—or the things she hates? Who she is in dark times? Who she might become after them? 

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 I have been reading Deb Caletti books for years, and there hasn't been a single book of hers that I didn't end up falling in love with. I have been excited about The Epic Story Of Every Living Thing ever since she announced the book, and when the cover was revealed, I was even more eager to read it. Anyone who sees the cover will be curious about the book. It's one of the most breathtaking covers that I have seen, and it tells the story all its own. I was happy that I got approved to read an early copy of this book. Through the years, I have read a few coming of age books, but I have never read a book like The Epic Story Of Every Living Thing . Honestly, this book is one of those stories that I'm having trouble describing all of the emotions that I felt about the book. 

Harper. I had mixed feelings in the beginning. I didn't think how she treated her boyfriend at the start wasn't respectful. At first, it seemed as if she was obsessed with social media and how she looked. However, she changed once she went to Hawaii and connected with her sperm donor father and the other half siblings. I believe that Harper had the most character development of all the characters. I loved the connection that Harper made with the others. I loved that Harper was determined to meet her sperm donor father, despite her mother telling her otherwise. The trip to Hawaii changed her and made her a completely different person. 

What I loved about The Epic Story Of Every Living Thing is how many real themes were mentioned in the book: anxiety, Covid -19, social media addiction, family, and friends. I have anxiety as Harper did, so I felt I could relate to her in some ways. The story felt so real to me. The beginning started a little slow for me, but once it picked up, I had a hard time putting the book down; I had forced myself to put it down. I couldn't get enough of the story. I would highly recommend this book. 

It was…breathtaking

The Nanny.

 

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*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review* 

20 years ago, a little girl disappeared. You thought it was your fault. Until now… 

To the outside world, I am just like any other mother. I juggle my job with the school run and taking care of my mum, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. My family is everything and I want to keep them safe. 

But when a young woman arrives on my doorstep, a past secret that I have spent years running from comes hurtling into my present. 

In an instant, I am taken back to a dream trip to Thailand and to a job as a nanny that changed my life forever. It was supposed to be my chance at a better life. But it turned into a nightmare.
I try to tell myself that I am overreacting. But the woman in front of me looks so much like him. Is she the child who vanished without a trace? Does she want to be part of my life, or destroy it? 

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 Haunting. Captivating. 

I could use many more words to describe the book, except those would take me days. I love thrillers and mysteries. Ever since I was little, it has been one of my favorite genres to read. However, I was always picky about what type of thrillers and mysteries to read. The Nanny was the type of thriller I love. I couldn’t get enough of this book; I was hooked from the beginning and to the end of the book. Every page had something happening, and it was almost impossible for me to put the book down; I needed to see what would happen next. The Nanny was the first book that I have read by Ruth Heald , and now I am eager to check the rest of her books out. There isn’t a single page in this book that doesn’t have you wondering what’s going to happen when the truth about Chloe is going to comes out. 

I loved the writing style, which went between the present and when Haley was the Nanny for Chloe, Emily, and Eva. Every time I read about the past, I found myself trying to see if I could put the pieces together of what happened. I did get a feeling that Haley wasn’t being honest about something. The way that she was acting after she told Lars what happened in Thailand, there was something else that she was not sharing with him. I wondered if Haley had something to do with Chloe’s disappearance. That was one of the reasons that I kept on reading late into the night, and I wanted to find out what Haley was hiding, was she possibly not the person that everyone thought that she was? The thriller aspect of the story was terrific, and just you thought it couldn’t get any more suspenseful; something new happens. I’m so glad that I got a chance to read an early copy of this book. I would highly recommend checking this book out.