Scan barcode
diversifyyourreading's reviews
282 reviews
Love at the Northern Lights by Darcie Boleyn
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of Love at the Northern Lights.
Norway & the Northern Lights are high on my bucket list, so I jumped at the opportunity to read Love at the Northern Lights this holiday season.
So what happens when a wealthy, has it all runaway brides ends up in Norway in search of her estranged mother and meets what is essentially the modern day version of a Viking?
I loved the setting of this book, and absolutely adored the mother-daughter storyline that was happening alongside the romance, but compared to other holiday reads I've read this year, it just didn't do as much for my heartstrings as the others. I found that everything fell into place just a bit too well, and the romance storyline moved a bit too slowly for my liking. The cast of characters is fantastic (even Helen Ashford!), but I found myself constantly wanting more from the plot.
I won't be ruling out other books by Darcie Boleyn, but I also don't think I'll be recommending this one much. It's a 'meh' from me.
Norway & the Northern Lights are high on my bucket list, so I jumped at the opportunity to read Love at the Northern Lights this holiday season.
So what happens when a wealthy, has it all runaway brides ends up in Norway in search of her estranged mother and meets what is essentially the modern day version of a Viking?
I loved the setting of this book, and absolutely adored the mother-daughter storyline that was happening alongside the romance, but compared to other holiday reads I've read this year, it just didn't do as much for my heartstrings as the others. I found that everything fell into place just a bit too well, and the romance storyline moved a bit too slowly for my liking. The cast of characters is fantastic (even Helen Ashford!), but I found myself constantly wanting more from the plot.
I won't be ruling out other books by Darcie Boleyn, but I also don't think I'll be recommending this one much. It's a 'meh' from me.
A Short History of Drunkenness by Mark Forsyth
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook version of A Short History of Drunkenness, read by Mark Forsyth. It's a comedic history of all things alcohol related and I loved the little stories about what alcohol (and drunkenness) means to different cultures around the world. This audiobook was a really fun way to learn the history behind something that is so commonplace today. I highly recommend this as a fun way to learn some new facts!
When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger
5.0
This was such a fun listen!
About thirty minutes in, I texted my friend from Greenwich saying, "you need to read this and tell me if this is what Greenwich moms are really like!". The portrayal of "housewives" in this book was extremely comedic in the reality TV sense of the word, and I found it so enjoyable to listen as these three women navigated their scandals.
When Life Gives You Lululemons (published as The Wives in the UK) follows Emily Charlton (everyone's favorite ex-Miranda Priestley assistant) in her new life as a (slowly become irrelevant) PR genius. She goes to visit her Greenwich-based friend and ends up roped into the scandal of her friend's friend, and she's determined to fix it. The relationship between the women in the book is a wonderful one to follow, and there were so many funny moments.
The audiobook was LOL funny, and I imagine that reading it would have the same effect. This is a great summer read - if you're looking for something to read on the beach or by the pool or on a plane, pick this one up!
About thirty minutes in, I texted my friend from Greenwich saying, "you need to read this and tell me if this is what Greenwich moms are really like!". The portrayal of "housewives" in this book was extremely comedic in the reality TV sense of the word, and I found it so enjoyable to listen as these three women navigated their scandals.
When Life Gives You Lululemons (published as The Wives in the UK) follows Emily Charlton (everyone's favorite ex-Miranda Priestley assistant) in her new life as a (slowly become irrelevant) PR genius. She goes to visit her Greenwich-based friend and ends up roped into the scandal of her friend's friend, and she's determined to fix it. The relationship between the women in the book is a wonderful one to follow, and there were so many funny moments.
The audiobook was LOL funny, and I imagine that reading it would have the same effect. This is a great summer read - if you're looking for something to read on the beach or by the pool or on a plane, pick this one up!
The Christmas Lights by Karen Swan
4.0
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review.
4.5 STARS! I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this book, and it took me awhile to get into it but, all of a sudden, I was HOOKED.
The Christmas Lights is a somewhat suspenseful romance with a social media twist that takes a look at some of the not so glamorous parts of being Instagram famous. The book consists of two parallel stories - the story of young, 14 year old Signy in 1936; and, the story of Bo & Zac, an Instagram couple (called the Wanderlusters) looking for an epic adventure in Norway (along with their photographer, Lenny), who end up staying in Signy's house in 2018.
There is love in this story and there is heartbreak. There are some relatively dark moments as pasts are explored and truths are realized, but there are some truly beautiful moments as relationships are explored and personal growth happens.
I absolutely loved Bo as a character - she's essentially described as an Instagram model at first, but she has so much more depth that starts to come out as the plot progresses. I also loved Signy and Anders, her grandson who ends up playing tour guide to the Wanderlusters. They're what I imagine people are really like in the more remote ares of Norway, and it makes me want to visit the country even more.
There were times where I felt the book was unrealistic, a few side plots that I didn't think were necessary, and many points where I was annoyed by the characters. But I loved the setting of the story and getting to know SIgny and Bo through their individual stories. Once I got into it, it was such an enjoyable read and I devoured the rest of it in a few hours!
p.s. While reading the acknowledgments, I found out that Karen Swan also has a book set in Zermatt and that will 100% be coming with me on my trip there next month!
4.5 STARS! I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this book, and it took me awhile to get into it but, all of a sudden, I was HOOKED.
The Christmas Lights is a somewhat suspenseful romance with a social media twist that takes a look at some of the not so glamorous parts of being Instagram famous. The book consists of two parallel stories - the story of young, 14 year old Signy in 1936; and, the story of Bo & Zac, an Instagram couple (called the Wanderlusters) looking for an epic adventure in Norway (along with their photographer, Lenny), who end up staying in Signy's house in 2018.
There is love in this story and there is heartbreak. There are some relatively dark moments as pasts are explored and truths are realized, but there are some truly beautiful moments as relationships are explored and personal growth happens.
I absolutely loved Bo as a character - she's essentially described as an Instagram model at first, but she has so much more depth that starts to come out as the plot progresses. I also loved Signy and Anders, her grandson who ends up playing tour guide to the Wanderlusters. They're what I imagine people are really like in the more remote ares of Norway, and it makes me want to visit the country even more.
There were times where I felt the book was unrealistic, a few side plots that I didn't think were necessary, and many points where I was annoyed by the characters. But I loved the setting of the story and getting to know SIgny and Bo through their individual stories. Once I got into it, it was such an enjoyable read and I devoured the rest of it in a few hours!
p.s. While reading the acknowledgments, I found out that Karen Swan also has a book set in Zermatt and that will 100% be coming with me on my trip there next month!
Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes by Eva Chen
3.0
3.5 STARS - I bought this for my goddaughter for Christmas and just had to have a read before wrapping it!
Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes is a really cute story that introduces the reader to many important women throughout history. I love the meaning behind the book, and adored the illustrations.
I did feel like some major parts were skipped, though - the story didn’t flow too well, and there wasn’t a ton of explanation about who these women were and what they did. There is a page at the back that covers all of that, and I wish that information was included throughout the book so I was introduced to each character as they came up, not after the fact. It didn’t make too much of a difference to me because I am already familiar with all of the names, but I imagine many children reading this aren’t!
Still super cute and a great gift for any little girl!
Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes is a really cute story that introduces the reader to many important women throughout history. I love the meaning behind the book, and adored the illustrations.
I did feel like some major parts were skipped, though - the story didn’t flow too well, and there wasn’t a ton of explanation about who these women were and what they did. There is a page at the back that covers all of that, and I wish that information was included throughout the book so I was introduced to each character as they came up, not after the fact. It didn’t make too much of a difference to me because I am already familiar with all of the names, but I imagine many children reading this aren’t!
Still super cute and a great gift for any little girl!
Mutts and Mistletoe by Natalie Cox
4.0
I fully stand by the "if you like dogs or Christmas, you'll love this book" comment.
This is a cute Christmas rom-com with an adorable cast of canine characters. Charlie heads to her cousin's place in the countryside to recover from an accident. She's totally not a dog person, but somehow ends up running her cousin's doggy hotel over the holidays. Throw in a pregnant beagle, a hunky vet, a charming dog owner and you've got the perfect Christmas rom-com.
This was such a fun, light-hearted read that I absolutely blasted through it. It's got everything I look for in an easy to read rom-com PLUS dogs!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book!
This is a cute Christmas rom-com with an adorable cast of canine characters. Charlie heads to her cousin's place in the countryside to recover from an accident. She's totally not a dog person, but somehow ends up running her cousin's doggy hotel over the holidays. Throw in a pregnant beagle, a hunky vet, a charming dog owner and you've got the perfect Christmas rom-com.
This was such a fun, light-hearted read that I absolutely blasted through it. It's got everything I look for in an easy to read rom-com PLUS dogs!!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book!
The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur
4.0
I don’t really know how to write a review about a book of poetry because I don’t normally read poetry. But I enjoyed The Sun and Her Flowers.
One of the reasons why I shy away from poetry is that I get nervous it’ll be a bit too artsy, and I’ll spend so much time trying to find a hidden meaning that I won’t actually enjoy the reading bit. But I found Rupi Kaur’s words to be very straightforward and easy to understand.
I was not expecting so many poems about sex, but I enjoyed the layout of the book in the five chapters, and there were a few poems that I really enjoyed. Whether they were about finding yourself or women sticking together, there are some great messages hidden in this work, so it’s definitely worth a read.
It’s also a great starting point if you aren’t that into poetry or haven’t explored the genre much. As I said, the poems are easy to understand and brief, so you can spend your time thinking about the message, not how they’re meant to be read.
One of the reasons why I shy away from poetry is that I get nervous it’ll be a bit too artsy, and I’ll spend so much time trying to find a hidden meaning that I won’t actually enjoy the reading bit. But I found Rupi Kaur’s words to be very straightforward and easy to understand.
I was not expecting so many poems about sex, but I enjoyed the layout of the book in the five chapters, and there were a few poems that I really enjoyed. Whether they were about finding yourself or women sticking together, there are some great messages hidden in this work, so it’s definitely worth a read.
It’s also a great starting point if you aren’t that into poetry or haven’t explored the genre much. As I said, the poems are easy to understand and brief, so you can spend your time thinking about the message, not how they’re meant to be read.
Snowy Nights at the Lonely Hearts Hotel by Karen King
4.0
This was such a feel good festive romance and I loved all of the characters! Saffy was such a fun character that everybody underestimated, which had me rooting from her from the moment I started reading. Robbie & Duncan were a fantastic side story - I would love to have them as friends! And who can resist the sexy single dad next door (er - across the road)?
Karen King did a fantastic job portraying the Christmas spirit, especially the part where people come together to help each other, and help strangers, in order to make it a happy time of year for all.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Karen King did a fantastic job portraying the Christmas spirit, especially the part where people come together to help each other, and help strangers, in order to make it a happy time of year for all.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!