The Animals in That Country

This was.... an odd ride. It was completely unique and I wasn't sure where the story was going to take me but I had a fun time on the way. A pandemic rips through Australia and those effected have the ability to understand animals. People aren't sure if they're hallucinating or conversing with animals but the whole country has gone mad. People start liberating animals from zoos, sanctuaries, and farms and the whole continent is a madhouse. Jean has worked at a sanctuary for years, alternating between showing tourists the dingoes and watching her granddaughter. She's not your typical grandma though. She's an alcoholic, who loves chain smoking, and swearing. Jean gets along better with animals then she does with people (her granddaughter being the exception) and she's actually looking forward to catching this disease. She wants to talk to her dingoes. Only she has no idea what she's in for and she's in for one hell of a messed up journey. Unique and mildly terrifying - do we really want to know what the animals are saying?

Twelve Days of Christmas

Ugh - this was just over the top. It was predictable from chapter one, unbelievable, and just not great. I couldn't care less about either of the characters and it took willpower for me to finish it to the end. Julia is a happy cheerful person - she greets everyone hello, remembers her bar barista's name, and volunteers all over Seattle. While "auditioning" for a job she has to create a blog and if she has more readers and hits then the other candidates she'll get her dream job. The only problem is she doesn't know what to write about. Her friend tells her that she should kill her neighbor... with kindness. Her apartment neighbor, Caine, is a short tempered brute and Julia decides that her blog will center on 12 days of kindness. What she doesn't imagine is that they'll fall in love. It's not believable - it happens very fast - and I don't care how sad his childhood was - he's a jerk. What will happen if he finds out she's been blogging about all this - oh no?! Predictable and unbelievable. The book did not fill me with kindness - it filled me with impatience. 

What You Wish For

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. People have been raving about Katherine Center's books for a while now and I didn't get the hype until I finally doubled down and read one of her novels. I went into this novel blind (all I knew was there was a school librarian in it) so I had no idea if it was going to be funny, a romcom, serious, etc. Honestly it's a mixture of those three things. Samantha Casey has her dream job - she's a school librarian at one of the most fun and progressive elementary schools. Her icon, neighbor, confidant, and school principal has just died and to her surprise they announce that the new principal will not be Max's wife - but Duncan - a teacher from Sam's past. Duncan was her biggest crush - the coolest, funniest, most engaging teacher she ever worked with. Rather than deal with her emotions around him she found a new school and hasn't thought of him since. But now he's going to be the principal and things are going to change in unexpected ways. Heartfelt, engaging, and filled with fun quirky characters who are trying to make it through life. I will definitely read another one of Katherine Center's books!

Greenlights

Part memoir, part advice, part poetry - Greenlights is McConaughey's love letter to the world. He had an unconventional childhood and the journey into acting was less meandering than most. His stories were not just interesting but genuinely well written. He sprinkled in tips and advice throughout the book based off what he learned but it's not preachy - it just goes with the flow. I always thought he was a bit of a hippie but after reading this book I know he 100% is! From bongo-ing naked to having wet dreams that alter the course of your life to living in an airstream for years - Matthew is the man. He lives life on his own terms and it's not always sunshine and roses (although it is more often than not). He does what he wants and he's reflected a lot about how he got there and where he's going. Interesting, fun, and all around good celebrity memoir. I loved all the photos and notes with advice (the poetry was so so - but it did add to the book even if I didn't love it). 

Someone to Love

A rags to riches regency romance that reminds me of a reverse Cinderella story. Anna Snow is summoned to London from the orphanage that she grew up in and now teaches in. She has no idea who her family is and she's hoping when she arrives in London that she'll finally know more about her the circumstances that led her to being raised in an orphanage. She's desperate to be loved and to have a family. What she discovers is that her father was a Duke! He recently died, but  she has a stepmother and three siblings, now she has a family that she's always dreamed of having! It's all quite complicated though and no one is very happy about the new "interloper." Her recently discovered siblings want nothing to do with her and the one person who takes an interest in her is her haughty and well dressed step cousin. He along with some of the extended family decide she needs a makeover and a lesson in manners and etiquette. Anna's curious circumstances have made her the talk of London! Slow burn romance, the first few chapters are hard to adjust to the language and extensive family names - but once you get past that it's smooth sailing. I didn't love all the characters (or care about them) hence the low rating. The ending was... interesting. 

Joy to the World

Honestly, this is exactly what I needed. It's been a while since I read any regency romance and this inspirational novellas were just what the doctor ordered. Each story was only around 100 pages but did a beautiful job of setting up the whole story and characters in no time. In" Heaven and Nature Sing" two former love birds are thrust together at their godmother's house over the holidays. Will they get past the misunderstandings that drove them apart nearly a year ago?  "Far as the Curse is Found" had definite Beauty and the Beast vibes. A masked man takes an unmarried young woman with child under his wing and allows her to work on his estate. Will she thaw his cold dead heart? The final story "Wonders of His Love," follows a widowed woman who starts to follow for the Scottish painter who has been commissioned to paint portraits of the family. Will the dowager stand in her way? Will she find her voice? A thoughtful collection - will appeal to fans of regency romance and inspirational fiction. 

The Star Crossed Sisters of Tuscany

Absolutely charming! I loved the back and forth between two second born Italian American daughter (cousins Emilia and Lucy) and their great Aunt Poppy's romantic love story in the sixties. Their mysterious (and forbidden) great aunt Poppy takes Em and Lucy out of New York City to an all expenses paid trip to Italy. The goal of the visit is for Aunt Poppy to find her old lover on her 80th birthday and break the curse that plagued their family for generations. The curse says that all second born daughters will never find lasting love due to either death or heartbreak. It's been challenging growing up hearing that their whole lives but Em and Lucy decide to hell with it and embark on a crazy Italian adventure with a relative they barely know. It's romantic, it's crazy, it's fantastic. Wonderful plot and characters. I was definitely invested and thoroughly enjoyed the unconventional ending. I want more books about this family!