Family lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
goodreads blurb: Flor has a gift: she can predict, to the day, when someone will die. So when she decides she wants a living wake–a party to bring her family and community together to celebrate the long life she’s led–her sisters are surprised. Has Flor forseen her own death, or someone else’s? Does she have other motives? She refuses to tell her sisters, Matilde, Pastora, and Camila. But Flor isn’t the only person with secrets. Matilde has tried for decades to cover the extent of her husband’s infidelity, but she must now confront the true state of her marriage. Pastora is typically the most reserved sister, but Flor’s wake motivates this driven woman to solve her sibling’s problems. Camila is the youngest sibling, and often the forgotten one, but she’s decided she no longer wants to be taken for granted. And the next generation, cousins Ona and Yadi, face tumult of their own: Yadi is reuniting with her first love, who was imprisoned when they were both still kids; Ona is married for years and attempting to conceive. Ona must decide whether it’s worth it to keep trying–to have a child, and the anthropology research that’s begun to feel lackluster. Spanning the three days prior to the wake, Family Lore traces the lives of each of the Marte women, weaving together past and present, Santo Domingo and New York City. Told with Elizabeth Acevedo’s inimitable and incandescent voice, this is an indelible portrait of sisters and cousins, aunts and nieces–one family’s journey through their history, helping them better navigate all that is to come.
my take: 3.25 out of 5 This is an interesting latin family saga, with very familiar themes, as a latin woman. Family dynamics, guilt, immigration, shame and the relationships between the homeland and the new place. I really related to the theme they present that in a lot of families and dynamics love is safety. That some people don’t necessarily express love as openly but keeping people safe is the ultimate proof. Could that be the sixth love language? The slight supernatural aspect of it was also cool. But there were some things that I wasn’t a fan. First, I had more questions than answers by the end and i feel that it was an abrupt close.I was not a fan of the audiobook. In theory there were three narrators and i should be able to differentiate them but their voices were too similar and i couldn’t really tell right away which narration we were at so it caused some lost space.
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
Goodreads blurb: Anastasia Allen has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA. A competitive figure skater since she was five years old, a full college scholarship thanks to her place on the Maple Hills skating team, and a schedule that would make even the most driven person weep, Stassie comes to win. No exceptions. Nathan Hawkins has never had a problem he couldn’t solve. As captain of the Maple Hills Titans, he knows the responsibility of keeping the hockey team on the ice rests on his shoulders. When a misunderstanding results in the two teams sharing a rink, and Anastasia’s partner gets hurt in the aftermath, Nate finds himself swapping his stick for tights, and one scary coach for an even scarier one. The pair find themselves stuck together in more ways than one, but it’s fine, because Anastasia doesn’t even like hockey players…right?
My take: 3.75 out of 5 I really wanted to read this as it had so much buzz. First response: it is a A quick read and an addictive romance and I really love all the characters. The downside, I’m 40 and as it sometimes happens when I read YA I get annoyed at some of the more immature aspects of it. Oh this is definitely not YA, half the book is an open room scene. It is more that a lot of the antics made me think that I would appreciated this book more when i was in college, and now I am more like, where we that way in college? did we drink that much? There are some adorable characters though, Love Nathan and Anastasia but you fall almost as much in love with the side characters, especially Henry. Its great that we are getting continuations for some of the characters and I will definitely be reading these. Also the epilogue was a wonderful way to close of the story, one of the best epilogues I’ve read recently
Til There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff
goodreads blurb: Culinary student Lexi Berman, 24, has one goal: to make her late mother proud by becoming an executive chef in a Michelin-star restaurant. And she isn’t going to let anything–or anyone–get in the way. But when she meets Jake Taylor, a dive bar musician who charms her with show tunes, she makes a rare exception to her no-dating rule. After a steamy weekend together, Jake leaves for L.A. to record his demo, and Lexi never expects to see him again. And she definitely doesn’t expect him to become an overnight celebrity, with a breakout single that’s almost certainly about her famous blueberry pancake recipe. As Jake’s star rises and the world speculates about the subject of his song, Lexi keeps the affair to herself. After all, she’s finally found her footing at her new restaurant job, and even has a prospective romance with her coworker. But when a distraught Jake turns up on her doorstep late one night, her carefully-laid plans are thrown for a loop. Though she and Jake try to be friends, things between them soon reheat faster than a bowl of Lexi’s matzah ball soup. But a relationship with Jake means risking her face in tabloids, withstanding cruel internet comments, and worst of all, jeopardizing her career. As Jake’s upcoming tour approaches, and rumors swirl about him and another pop star, Lexi has to decide if holding onto her meticulously-planned future is worth walking away from what could be the perfect recipe for love. Set both in the chaos of fame and the high stakes world of New York City restaurants, this novel sprinkles in a second chance at love and a dollop of celebrity drama to create a romantic romp that will make even the most jaded reader smile.
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher. Book comes out April 23.
my take: 3.75 out of 5 Thoroughly enjoyable romance where Music and Food make a great combination. Because really you are joining two things I really enjoy, the inner workings of the food and music scheme. Add in a third, its set in New York! The Meet cute between Lexi and Jake is one for the ages, come on don’t we all want to have a song be inspired on us? Also Jake is book boyfriend dreams, quite a wonderful character. Not perfect in any sort of way, but perfectly flawed and relatable. This is a great quick romantic read that I highly recommend.
The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
goodreads blurb: What’s the point of giving someone a beautiful death if you can’t give yourself a beautiful life? From the day she watched her kindergarten teacher drop dead during a dramatic telling of Peter Rabbit , Clover Brooks has felt a stronger connection with the dying than she has with the living. After the beloved grandfather who raised her dies alone while she is traveling, Clover becomes a death doula in New York City, dedicating her life to ushering people peacefully through their end-of-life process. Clover spends so much time with the dying that she has no life of her own, until the final wishes of a feisty old woman send Clover on a trip across the country to uncover a forgotten love story––and perhaps, her own happy ending. As she finds herself struggling to navigate the uncharted roads of romance and friendship, Clover is forced to examine what she really wants, and whether she’ll have the courage to go after it. Probing, clever, and hopeful, The Collected Regrets of Clover is perfect for readers of The Midnight Library and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine as it turns the normally taboo subject of death into a reason to celebrate life. What’s the point of giving someone a beautiful death if you can’t give yourself a beautiful life? From the day she watched her kindergarten teacher drop dead during a dramatic telling of Peter Rabbit , Clover Brooks has felt a stronger connection with the dying than she has with the living. After the beloved grandfather who raised her dies alone while she is traveling, Clover becomes a death doula in New York City, dedicating her life to ushering people peacefully through their end-of-life process. Clover spends so much time with the dying that she has no life of her own, until the final wishes of a feisty old woman send Clover on a trip across the country to uncover a forgotten love story––and perhaps, her own happy ending. As she finds herself struggling to navigate the uncharted roads of romance and friendship, Clover is forced to examine what she really wants, and whether she’ll have the courage to go after it. Probing, clever, and hopeful, The Collected Regrets of Clover is perfect for readers of The Midnight Library and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine as it turns the normally taboo subject of death into a reason to celebrate life.
my take: 3.25 out of 5. This book had great premise but questionable execution for me. It was just too slow and boring. At some point I was not caring about Clover, let alone her regrets. Billing itself as perfect for readers of the Midnight Library might have been an overreach, its nowhere close. There are some very interesting death conversations that were eye opening and her evolution although predictable was lovely to see. I also love how romantically the book takes a twist.
Tati's Tidbits 