Evil spy school is the best!

3.75 stars rounded up. I find this book very hard to rate as much of the merit comes from its status as a classic. Mark Twain’s novel is full of adventure, boyhood mischief and depictions of the racist antebellum Southern US. I’m very familiar with the story and probably have the strongest memory of the Elijah Wood portrayal on film. There’s nostalgia that comes with taking that trip down the river with Huck and Jim and revisiting their stops along the way. Yet, during this reading, I was shocked at the preponderance of vernacular and ear-piercing slurs (specifically the n-word) that made it rather hard to listen to on audio. If this book were written today as historical fiction, I’d probably be rounding down the rating, but I can’t ignore where this text stands in history. Tom Parker’s narration felt rather fast-paced, but his voice felt authentic though his occasional vocal clicks stuck out a bit.

I read this book for a summer reading bingo (square: read two books with the same title). This is a very short YA book but has excellent representation of Tourette’s and a sweet friendship/romance. There’s some tough family dynamics and painful social meanness.

Pulse quickening! Mo Hayder truly out did herself with this one!

A fiery flight attendant clashes with the NHL’s resident “bad boy” hockey player on their team’s private plane, sparking an undeniable attraction despite their professional boundaries and personal baggage. As a Chicago native, born and raised in the suburbs and having spent a decade living in the city post-college, it will always be my home and one of my favorite places. Chicago is synonymous with sports. So many of my cherished memories are tied to its teams: celebrating three Blackhawks Stanley Cup wins, witnessing Michael Jordan and the Bulls dominate with six championships, and both the White Sox and Cubs clinching World Series titles. I’ve also lost count of the games I’ve attended with friends and family over the years. Given this deep connection, I was so excited to dive into this Chicago sports romance book series. I went into Mile High with high hopes, especially since I’m heading back to Chicago next week (wrote this before) and was eager for some nostalgic vibes. Unfortunately, it simply fell flat. The characters felt largely one-dimensional. Stevie, the FMC, frequently mentioned her weight and body insecurities, but little else truly defined her. Zander, the MMC, came across as primarily interested in material possessions and money, bringing them up entirely too often. With such limited character depth, their instalove connection just didn’t feel genuine, leaving me largely uninvested in their love story, which spanned a lengthy 17 hours on audiobook. It could have been done in 8! The Windy City series includes 5 interconnected standalone books. I’d recommend experiencing Mile High as a physical read. My personal experience with the audiobook fell flat due to the narration, which, unfortunately, lacked the enthusiasm and personality I usually enjoy, especially right after finishing a book with a highly animated narrator. Even for a duet narration, it just didn’t engage me. Despite my lukewarm experience with this one, many readers whose book tastes align with mine absolutely rave about this series. Because of that, I’m definitely giving the next book a chance before I decide whether to dive into the rest of the series or not. Rating: ??????

Graphic autobiography about Bechdel’s relationship with her mother. Bechdel considers writing a memoir about her father but delves into her mother’s story first. Filled with references to psychology and therapy books she read during that time, as well as her own time in therapy.

awesome

Yeah I could basically read this series forever, endlessly delighted by robots and this is such a fun depiction of 'em

edge of my seat even though this is my third time through the series. Aelin is absolutely iconic

This book has great vocabulary and shared insights to the world about life as a minority. It displays a coming of age theme which revolves around Starr, the ferocious main character of this novel. I would definitely recommend!