I finally got to Daisy Jones and the Six this month!! I love Taylor Jenkins Reid but all of her books need another chapter.
I don't want to give too much away about why I dropped a star but like I said before
.... I NEED ANOTHER CHAPTER PRONTO.
To REALLY put you in the mood, here are a few documentaries you must watch before reading:
Fleedwood MAC
The Rise of Blondie
AND (I know the time period is off but the drama of the band remains)-
The Mamas and the Papas.
Honestly, (unpopular opinion) I didn't like Daisy. She didn't have that many redeeming qualities (a little bit of a poor rich girl), but I did love The Six!! I enjoyed the side stories of each of them. I loved the ups and downs of the band as they rose to fame, and the passion for music really jumped off of each page. Happy Reading (and don't forget to play Dreams by Fleetwood Mac while you read).
4/5 stars.
I had to jump right into another Taylor Jenkins Reid book. I know this one got terrible reviews but I think I enjoyed it more than Daisy Jones and the Six! But you know what!?!
I dropped a star because I NEED ANOTHER CHAPTER.
The story started out great! "Malibu: August, 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas..."
I adored the Riva clan, and Nina was my favorite. Both model/ professional surfer, she is the oldest of the clan and fights for each one of her siblings to the death.
Part I gives us all the rich history. Part II we begin to be immersed in the WILD Riva party (and unfortunately introduced to every new character under the moon).
Pet Peeve: when a book has too many characters and is unable to develop them properly.
My only regret, I wanted more of Nina's story. Now I must take a field trip to Malibu!!
4/5 stars.
Now for a little romance for the evening.
Meet the Bellinger sisters- blonde, sassy, and spoiled!
The first book in the series, It Happened One Summer, is all about Piper Bellinger (think in your head Paris Hilton). She is a total mindless debutante who got in trouble for the LAST time. Her parents send her off to where her birth father lived and died as a fisherman. Piper is tasked with renovating his bar and running it for 3 months!!
This book was funny!! I just loved when Piper finally realized her talents. I adored the sisters and the way they worked together to set up the bar. Of course the romance with grumpy fisherman Brendan was off tha' charts y'all! They were steaming up all the pages. 🔥
5 Steamy Stars
Book II:
Hook Line and Sinker is book two in the series, and tells the story of the much more down to earth sister Hannah.
Eh.
This is a friends to lovers format and they spent more time talking about why they shouldn't be together than just dating already!
I guess my true love is "Chick Lit" where the main character goes on more of a journey with herself than finding a boyfriend, and there was so little focus on Hannah's dreams. Book one really explored Piper's changes as a person, and book two just had a couple talking about why they wouldn't work in between make-out sessions.
3 Disappointing Stars
"Rosie and Dominic Vega are the perfect couple: high school sweethearts, best friends, madly in love. Well, they used to be, anyway"
I thought I would give Tessa Bailey one more chance. This book sounded so good, and I really had hopes for it when I checked it out on Libby. Unfortunately, it was my least favorite read for the month. During the whole book Rosie and Dominic could not keep their hands off each other! You could tell they were sooooo in love, yet I was supposed to believe they were headed for divorce. The only redeeming thing about this book for me was the quirky marriage therapist. Dominic was absolutely destroyed when Rosie packed up and left, yet he would never be honest and talk. He would rather her walk out than talk.
'You know simple talk would help in these situations!?!' -me the therapist.
2 Stars
This is certainly one of the most interesting reads of the summer. After COVID, I had cleaning, laundry, and cooking to catch up on so I played this audio book.
This story centers around fourth grader Patrick O'Brien. He is shy, dyslexic, and small for his age. His grandfather walks into Rosato and DiNunzio law firm to seek help because Patrick is being accused of assaulting a teacher's aide when Patrick claims the teacher's aide was assaulting him first!! Lawyer Mary DiNunzio takes the case and this case takes her on all kinds of twists and turns- including murder!!
The pros of this book: it really advocated for the child. I related to Mary DiNunzio because she put herself last and Patrick first (even missing her wedding fitting). I totally understood because Patrick needed someone. I love the advocacy for Patrick, and the realties that many public school in America ignore EC law due to funding. I was also interested in the semi mystery- who was the guilty party?? Patrick? Grandpa? Teacher's Aide? was there a killer lurking?
The downside- the book went on and on focusing on detailed law. It became a bit dull. The quick wrap up wasn't that shocking.
I ended up buying the book used on Amazon because I was fascinated with an author who knew so much about Exceptional Children's law (the author was a lawyer prior to writing). Being an EC teacher, I have never read such an accurate fiction book for dyslexic children in my life. I shared just a few highlights that hit the nail on the head, and I hope it teaches any teachers and parents to advocate for their child. Simple inclusion is not enough, having an EC teacher help with home/classwork is NOT ENOUGH!
Children who are behind MUST have a researched based intervention(s)!!
3 stars
Yes- Mary WINS compensatory services! You go Mary!!!
Naked Love by Jewel E. Ann
I enjoyed this one.
This was a light read that I treated myself to after the first week of school. It was just what I needed. At first I thought this was just going to be a little too vulgar but it evened out until I fell in love with the coupling of Avery and Jake.
Avery is a pampered princess who normally dates old, rich men (ugh, the vulgar part).
Jake is a former fighter turned vegan chef!
Jake + Avery + a ride to LA with the cutest dog= Craziness.
Adventures begin and anything that could happen to poor Avery did, and I was there for it.
This one promises a HEA.
4 Stars
