Bookish appetites and desires

Pop the bubbly because it's that time of year again, the new year! A time for celebration, reflecting on the past year, and looking forward to the new year. Today, we'll do all of those things, so raise your glasses to what 2019 was and what 2020 will be! Celebration Let's be honest, 2019 was a pretty trash year all around. Sure, there were good parts to it, but overall it was a pretty rough year, so let's focus on the good parts. For me, it was the year I finally decided to start blogging -wow, shocking, I know-. I wanted to get back into writing and trying to be creative again, so I figured that blogging about what I'm reading and trying to make a habit of it would be a good start. It's been rocky at times, but I think I've found a rhythm so that 2020 can go a bit more smoothly. I'd like to take this moment to thank all of you for stumbling upon my little corner of the internet and supporting me so far, it's been greatly appreciated! I...

Authors: Hazel Graynor and Heather Webb    First Published: 2017 Genre: Historical Fiction    Rating: ★★★★★    Have you ever wondered what letters to loved ones and friends on the battlefield during the great and tragic wars were like? What about their correspondence back? How is it that over such great distances, love can blossom during tragedy? Well, this book is the one for you if you've answered yes to any of these, and if you haven't, then it's about time you stopped lying to yourself.  Both Hazel and Heather did a fantastic job weaving this story using letters to depict what World War 1 was really like for those involved. I love that they didn't get too gory with details, but instead let the reader have a taste of what this war did to those involved, from being naive and optimistic to bruised, broken and psychologically damaged. As the characters progress and as the war progresses you get a sense of just how desperately those in...

Author: Kim Law   Published: 2019   Genre: Holiday Romance   Rating: ★★★    Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to finally get "the one that got away" despite you trying your best to forget that they ever existed? What if that special someone used to be your best friend? What if your best friend has a traumatic past that prevents them from getting close to you despite everything? Then this just might be the book for you! Set in Montana, with little description of what Montana is like besides saying "mountains!", this feisty little holiday piece is a lot packed into a small book. Think Nicholas Sparks level of complicated and sordid relationships mixed with tragic and traumatizing events, muddled all together in a quick-to-digest book. What I'd wished from this book though is that the author had taken the time to put a little more into it. I wish she'd gone a little deeper into the traumas and past, a little more into the set...

Author: Scarlet Wilson   Published: 2016   Genre: Holiday Romance   Rating: ★★★★★    Are you a sucker for Hallmark Christmas movies and looking for a book to read? Do you love down-on-her-luck ladies who are swept away by charming and handsome European men? Then do I have the book for you! A Royal Christmas Princess by Scarlet Wilson has all of this and a little bit more for you. I'll be the first to admit that I do not enjoy Hallmark Christmas movies; they're always a little to uplifting, a little too cheesy, and a little too merry. However, put that in a book and I will gobble it up for breakfast! This book had just the right amount of cheesiness and the right amount of self-awareness of the genre and tropes to toe the line between Hallmark style ridiculousness and real world fairy tale. This is honestly a very good book to get you into the holiday spirit if you, like me, are a bit of a Scrooge. At only 165 pages this book f...

Author: Heather Morris    Published: 2018   Genre: Historical Fiction   Rating: ★★★★    Special Note: People's Choice for 1000 Views Appreciation   Have you ever wondered what it was like in the concentration camps for the prisoners who were slightly more privileged than the rest? Have you ever considered what it was like for those prisoners who've had to endure a lifetime of guilt for aiding the Nazis in any capacity in order to survive? This incredible, based-on a true story novel is the prefect book to delve into just that. Heather Morris did a wonderful job of presenting Lale, his actions, the actions of those around him, and the consequences of those actions, as incredible and astounding they may have been, in a way that was very easy to digest yet still left one feeling uneasy. She didn't write this novel in a heavy, in your face with shock value sort of manner, but rather in a way that made you empathize with Lale ...

Author: E.L. James    First Published: 2017   Genre: Erotica   Rating: ★★★★   We're back and continuing Christian's journey through his relationship with the intoxicating Anastasia Steele. This week with delayed gratification. -Yes, I've been hiding Easter eggs in my posts for people who've read the books, you're welcome.- Again, which I don't think comes to a surprise to anyone, I've rated it quite highly due to it's entertainment value and how well E.L. James was able to piece together and answer a bunch of the questions that I, and I'm sure many other readers, had from Ana's side of the story. Without getting into spoilers, here's a list of the things -in no particular order- that I was most happy to get answers about: Christian's impulsive behaviour Leila's reappearance  Mrs. Robinson v. Grace fallout To anyone who has read Fifty Shades Darker or even Darker itself, this will make a lot more sense. For those who...

Author: E.L. James First Published: 2015 Genre: Erotica ★★★★ Have you ever wondered what makes the rich tick? What it is that guides their hands in their decisions and their conquests? What if they are lascivious conquests? Intrigued? Then Grey may be the book for you. I'll be the first to admit that some of my book vices are ones that would make people roll their eyes: vampires, werewolves, cheesy romances, and -oh yeah!- Fifty Shades of Grey . I'm not one to read through a series quickly, I like to take my time and absorb the stories before moving on to the next in the series, but for some reason these book suck me in and drag me down with them.  What I enjoyed the most about this book is it is an excellent companion to the original Fifty Shades of Grey novel. Many of the questions that I'd had reading it, mostly "What the Hell is his problem?" or "Why the Hell is he reacting that way?" got answered in this book. It actually makes you e...