About time I read the screenplay for one of my favourite movies. I adored this, it was even wittier with the scene descriptions. I love you Greta GerwAbout time I read the screenplay for one of my favourite movies. I adored this, it was even wittier with the scene descriptions. I love you Greta Gerwig! ...more
"Maybe happiness isn't what you believe, but who you believe in." Pg. 223
I love Fleabag with my whole heart. It is hands down one of my favourite show
"Maybe happiness isn't what you believe, but who you believe in." Pg. 223
I love Fleabag with my whole heart. It is hands down one of my favourite shows of all time and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the scripts, they were laugh out loud funny! I dropped a star because I do think it works better as a show than a book, but regardless, this is a must-read for any Fleabag and Pheobe Waller-Bridge fans....more
“They could be like young witches sometimes, his daughters, with their black hair and sharp eyes. It was easy to understand why women feared men with
“They could be like young witches sometimes, his daughters, with their black hair and sharp eyes. It was easy to understand why women feared men with their physical strength and lust and social powers, but women, with their canny intuitions, were so much deeper: they could predict what was to come long before it came, dream it overnight, and read your mind.” Pg. 24
The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties was a completely unnecessary addition to this series, and somehow even more unrealistic than the first two books. TThe Good, the Bad, and the Aunties was a completely unnecessary addition to this series, and somehow even more unrealistic than the first two books. This third installment follows Meddy and her husband Nathan, who decide to join the Aunties, and Meddy's extended family in Jarkarta for Chinese New Year, after their European honeymoon. And of course, all hell breaks loose. I was hoping for character development and a plot line that was different from the first 2 books, and I got neither. It really felt like Sutanto was just dragging the story for the sake of making this series a trilogy. And just like in the first 2 books, the entire "problem" is solved within the last 2 chapters, which made it feel really rushed.
I know I said this last time, but I am officially done with Jesse Q. Sutanto's books. I am clearly not the audience they are meant for and I gave her books 4 shots... that is enough.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the e-arc of The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties, in exchange for an honest review.
"We had too little time," he says. She shakes her head. "We had an eternity. Children and grandchildren." "I only had you for the blink of an eye," he s
"We had too little time," he says. She shakes her head. "We had an eternity. Children and grandchildren." "I only had you for the blink of an eye," he says. She laughs. "You had me for an entire lifetime. All of mine." "That wasn't enough." pg. 12
What an incredible introduction to Fredrick Backman! This heartfelt short story follows an elderly man, who is struggling with Alzheimer's, as his son, Ted, and grandson, Noah are learning to care for him. Written in the stream of consciousness format, the man revisits some of his memories, many of them filled with his late wife, whom he misses so much. It was both a heartwarming read about a grandfather and grandson relationship and a heartbreaking read about the struggle both the individual and family go through in cases of memory loss. The overall message of living each day to the fullest, and loving those who mean the most to you, is one I'll never get tired of being reminded of through literature. To say I am excited to read more Backman is an understatement!
"You want to know why I'm crying?" My voice was cracked, my eyes burning. "It's that you think I'm some kind of horrible person just because I wear pa
"You want to know why I'm crying?" My voice was cracked, my eyes burning. "It's that you think I'm some kind of horrible person just because I wear pants and have a nose ring, and yet you see the girl outside and praise her. That's why I'm crying, Daddy. I'm evolving and changing, just like that girl out there, but you can't see it. You treat me like I'm a prodigal who's turned her back on you. You treat me worse than you treat my pedophile brother." pg. 268
Like many others, I grew up watching the 19 Kids and Counting TV show on TLC, not because I am religious, or a part of the IBLP, but because I thought the family was so interesting. I watched live as Josh Duggar's involvement in the Ashley Madison scandal came out to the public, and when the information about his abuse toward his sisters came out, I watched the Jill and Jessa interview with Megyn Kelly. By then I knew the family was not healthy, and to some extent abusive but I continued watching as Jill and Jessa: Counting on was on TLC. Over the years it has become clear that Job-Bob was abusive and controlling to his children in many, many ways, however, the Shiny Happy People documentary that was released earlier this year really put the abuse into perspective for their wider audience and even the general public.
"I was blind to it at the time, but eventually, I would see just how dangerous and toxic IBLP's teachings about authority were in my life." pg. 74
Although Jill's memoir covers similar topics that are discussed in the Shiny Happy People documentary, (which she was a part of) what I really enjoyed about this book was hearing it from her perspective, and in her words. You could tell through her writing how empowered she was to be finally telling her story, and I know this book will reach and inspire hundreds of people to find their voice and do the same. If not, it will be validating to people in similar situations of familial abuse and control, whether there are ties to religion or not, and without a doubt in my mind will help many leave similar situations.
“It seemed to me that he was realizing that he was losing control of me. He’d text verses reminding me to “honor thy father and mother,” and every conversation we had just heaped more guilt on me, leaving fear gripping my throat even tighter. Often he would text me and apologize, but the messages were often followed up by more words condemning our actions or calling us out. His apologies felt insincere and invalid. Hardly a day would go by without some barbed message from him—either directly or from one of my siblings—and it got so that I didn’t want to talk to him anymore." pg. 210
Overall, as a fan of Jill Duggar as a little girl, and as a big fan of her now as an adult, all I have to say is that I am so proud of her. The fact that she named the things Jim-Bob (and sometimes Michelle) were doing to her as abuse, and called her brother Josh a pedophile, are two of many clear signs in this book that she's been able to break out of the cult control of the IBLP, Bill Gothard's 7 basic life principles, the umbrella of authority, the abusive control of her parents, and deprogram and grow from all she's been through. It was also encouraging to read about how many of her siblings (whom she doesn't name, which I respect so much) now have come to her for advice on how to ensure Jim-Bob does not infiltrate, dictate, or influence their marriages, and how others have followed in her footsteps of wearing pants, drinking alcohol, using birth control, etc. She is such a huge role model, and if the rest of the kids see through her that freedom from the control their under is possible, hopefully, it will be easier for them if they decide to follow in her footsteps. I am so happy she was able to find a husband and partner as supportive as Derrick and wish nothing but peace and happiness for her, Derrick, and their 3 beautiful children.
If you are a former fan of the 19 Kids and Counting TV show, the Duggars in general, religious cults, or celebrity memoirs I highly recommend reading Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar. It was real, emotional, and extremely impactful. It is definitely one of my favourite celebrity memoirs I've ever read, and I wouldn't be surprised if it makes my top 10 books of 2023 list at the end of the year!...more
"You know, people come to Italy for all sorts of reasons, but when they stay, it's for the same two things...love and gelato."
Love and Gelato is a
"You know, people come to Italy for all sorts of reasons, but when they stay, it's for the same two things...love and gelato."
Love and Gelato is an adorable young adult romance following Lina after she moves to Italy to live with her Dad for the summer, shortly after her Mother’s passing. Her Mom never told her about her Dad, so with the help of one of her Mom’s journals from her own time in Italy, she pieces together her Mom and Dad’s love story from 17 years ago.
This book was adorable! The setting of the Tuscany countryside and Florence was so nice to read about especially because I’m in Tuscany right now! I really loved Lina and Ren’s friendship and although it was technically instalove, since the book takes place over only a week or so, it didn’t feel that way. I really would have enjoyed this series at 13/14, it really reminds me of the vibes of 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' series by Jenny Han. I’m excited to see where their love story goes in the next two books.
This is my book club’s September book! Join us on Instagram @ejgbookclub...more
sheets is a beautiful graphic novel that follows marjorie, a middle school girl, who is running her family's laundromat as her dad suffers from depressheets is a beautiful graphic novel that follows marjorie, a middle school girl, who is running her family's laundromat as her dad suffers from depression the year after her mother's passing. it was a simple yet touching story! marjorie is dealing with grief from her mother's passing, trying to help take care of her younger brother, has some mean girls at school, and there is a resort developer trying to get his hands on the property their laundromat is on. but with the help of a little ghost friend, the story plays out in a very sweet way.
the colour palate of the art was beautiful! i am very excited to see where this story goes in the second and third books! ...more
read via audiobook! i have been searching for a book on this topic for the past 2 years as, unfortunately, this subject pertains to me. this one was sread via audiobook! i have been searching for a book on this topic for the past 2 years as, unfortunately, this subject pertains to me. this one was spot on, validating, informative and undoubtedly one of the best non-fiction/self-help books i’ve ever read.
i am a very self-aware person, have a degree in sociology, am in therapy, and understand that i am an adult child of emotionally immature parents, so naturally going into this i thought it would be filled with everything i've already heard/researched/learned on my own, in school and with my therapist. yet i learned tons, and i am so so happy that i did. some things that set this book apart compared to others of similar nature are that it discussed what may have happened to the parent to make them emotionally immature, the different ways children respond to emotionally immature parents, how to deal with emotionally immature parents after becoming aware of this, different ways to help heal from emotionally immature parents and develop emotionally mature/intelligent habits going forward. usually i find that self-help/psychology books touch on one or two of these kinds of points, but lack in demonstrating how you can implement what you learned in the book in real life. but this one covered it all!
some concepts that i learned about, that i highly recommend those in similar situations to look into are: - the role self vs the true self - internalizers vs externalizers - emotional contagion - consemptatory cheerfulness (!!!) - family systems theory (learned about this in school but i wanted to highlight it as i think it is very valuable) - enmeshment
i can’t recommend this enough to those who are adult children of emotionally immature parents, suffer from extreme anxiety/cptsd due to childhood, have a parent who is a narcissist, or those looking to support a loved one in one of these situations. i am really looking forward to buying a physical copy to reread, annotate, and pass on to others!...more
i am officially obsessed with this series and the eaton boys! heartless was even better than flawless, especially after reading the nanny last week, wi am officially obsessed with this series and the eaton boys! heartless was even better than flawless, especially after reading the nanny last week, which has such a similar concept. it had some of my favourite tropes, without being cringy, and i love chestnut springs as the setting for this whole series!
willa and cade were so perfect for each other, and luke was such an adorable side character. sometimes kids can really be annoying in books, but he was so sweet! it was also so nice to see summer and rhett after their book, and the rest of the eaton family ...more
This was such a sweet, quick read and the cover is so cute! Emmy and Brooks were adorable, I was rooting for them the whole time. I don't think I’ve eThis was such a sweet, quick read and the cover is so cute! Emmy and Brooks were adorable, I was rooting for them the whole time. I don't think I’ve ever read a brother's best friend romance before and I didn't expect to enjoy it, but I did! I really liked the family aspect of the book, Emmy’s dad was so sweet. Emmy and Teddy's friendship was really fun, I loved how complimentary they were for each other! But omg the bar scene on Teddy's birthday where Brooks took Emmy into the back! ...more
It was really fun to jump back into this world! Kai and Miller were cute together, although I do feel like they could have just talked about3.5 stars!
It was really fun to jump back into this world! Kai and Miller were cute together, although I do feel like they could have just talked about how they were feeling about one another later into the summer instead of pretending they didn't want to be together after Miller left, it could have solved a lot of problems. I did love Monty, and the Sunday night dinners with all of the characters from the first 2 books. And the end was super cute, which made me bump this up from 3 to 3.5 stars. Overall these are just quick and fun reads, but nothing groundbreaking, I would probably only recommend them to fans of sports romance. But don't get me wrong, I will be reading book 4!...more
i honestly don't have enough good things to say about mile high! i had never read a sports romance before so i didn't really know what to expect goingi honestly don't have enough good things to say about mile high! i had never read a sports romance before so i didn't really know what to expect going into this but oh my gosh it was so good!
i loved both stevie and zanders especially because it was duo pov! her being one of the teams flight attendants for the season was just too good, and i loved chicago as the main setting. i adored all of the side characters - i couldn't choose my favourite out of indy, logan, maddison, ryan, ella and rosie (lol) if i had to. there was also actual character growth and the growth wasn't just surface quick changes, you saw it develop throughout the book, which made the romance and book as a whole even better. stevie and zanders individual struggles with their parents were super relatable and i thought they dealt with it very well and maturely! the scenes toward the end with stevie and her dad, when he visited her, and zanders with his dad at the hometown bar, were both so sweet i was tearing up.
It's 600 pages, but it actually went by really quickly. the alternating pov chapters and their banter makes it so addicting to read, i was tearing through 200 pages at a time. i am so so so excited to read the right move - i was already loving her and ryan in this one! i also saw the third one comes out in october, has she said who's pov it is yet? let me know!...more
im not going to lie, i was a bit worried when i started seeing so many negative reviews about meet me at the lake since it is my book clubs (@ejgbookcim not going to lie, i was a bit worried when i started seeing so many negative reviews about meet me at the lake since it is my book clubs (@ejgbookclub on instagram) first book! thankfully it ended up being a super summery, cute romance, just as i hoped!
meet me at the lake takes place during 2 timelines, the present day in muskoka, and 10 years earlier in toronto, on the day fern met will baxter. the timeline in the past follows fern and will on their unforgettable day together where they decide to have no contact but to meet up in exactly a year. one year later, will is inevitably a no show, leaving fern wondering about their only day spent together. the timeline in the present follows fern as she decides whether or not to move back to muskoka and take over her mother's lakeside resort after her unexpected passing, when all of a sudden will shows up hired as a consultant to help with the resort.
fern and will were cute, but i found it hard to fully root for them because their relationship started in a way that i consider cheating, even if its emotional cheating. there's nothing wrong with spending time or being friends with someone no matter their gender, but the day they spent together, while she had a boyfriend of 4 years, was super inappropriate. i also really expected the day to have a little more umph to be described as SO life-altering and memorable, but maybe my expectations were too high. i also don't really know why jamie was a character in the later timeline if it wasn't going to be a love triangle situation. it was just a reminder of the cheating to me and made it hard to root for fern and will in the second timeline as well. i was really kind of team jamie... lol.
i really loved learning about ferns mom and peter, omg i could read a whole book about those two - they reminded me of characters from an elin hilderbrand novel! the setting was also adorable, it reminded me of high school musical 2, especially with the end of summer dance.
overall, it was a great summer read! it did not live up to every summer after, but i was not really expecting it to. it was definitely different enough from esa while maintaining the canadian summer atmosphere i enjoyed so much from carley fortune when reading her debut. i am so so excited to chat about it next weekend on my book club's instagram - make sure to follow and join if you're interested! https://www.instagram.com/ejgbookclub/
random note: i also had an elaborate theory in my head for like half the book that the reason why will never showed up in the past timeline was because he was his "niece's" bio dad, and his older sister took on the roll as her mother. and will was too busy and stressed about the baby mom walking out (just like his mom did), and he thought he'd do the same so he signed parental rights over to his sister to give the baby a more stable upbrining. i also thought thats why he stopped his art and just worked to provide for his sister and niece/bio daughter. i was wrong but i mean that would definitely be what happened if this was a colleen hoover book... LOL...more
Emma Griffioen
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