readwithbec_'s reviews
57 reviews

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

“𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕒𝕦𝕤𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕕𝕠𝕟’𝕥 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕛𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝕚𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕕𝕠𝕖𝕤𝕟’𝕥 𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕡 𝕚𝕥 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕖𝕩𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕦𝕤.”

Thoughts: I absolutely loved ‘The House in The Cerulean Sea.’ It is a YA fantasy and contemporary fantasy book that I found wholesome and full of amazing messages. The interesting cast of characters made it truly enjoyable to read. TJ Klune’s writing style and the character development, especially Linus’s, were highlights. I am looking forward to reading ‘Somewhere Beyond the Sea,’ book #2 of the Cerulean Chronicles.

Synopsis: Linus Baker leads a quiet life. At forty, he has a tiny house with a devious cat and his beloved records for company. And at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, he’s spent many dull years monitoring their orphanages. Then one day, Linus is summoned by Extremely Upper Management and given a highly classified assignment. He must travel to an orphanage where six dangerous children reside – including the Antichrist. At the orphanage, Linus must somehow determine if these children could bring about the end of days. But their guardian, the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, will do anything to protect his wards. And, as Arthur and Linus grow ever closer, Linus must choose: his duty, or his dreams.

Please check trigger/content warnings before reading this book.

★★★★★

Fragile Sanctuary by Catherine Cowles

Thank you, Catherine Cowles, for gifting me an Advanced Reader Copy of Fragile Sanctuary for an honest review. Fragile Sanctuary is now available for purchase on Amazon AU and US!

“𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖’𝕤 𝕟𝕠 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕘𝕚𝕗𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕖”.

Thoughts: “Fragile Sanctuary” is book #1 of the Sparrow Falls series. This is the first book I have read by Catherine, and I absolutely loved it. The prologue was emotional, and from there, I knew I was going to love this book. I loved the FMC and MMC; their characters were written so well. Anson is amazing and has the qualities of a perfect book boyfriend. If you enjoy small-town suspense, age gap romance, dual POV, forced proximity, grumpy sunshine dynamics, and brother’s best friend tropes, you will adore this book.

Synopsis: The scowl should’ve been my first clue to stay far away from Anson Hunt. The sexy smirk and the fact that he’s my brother’s best friend? Reasons two and three. Not to mention, he’s the new contractor working on my house. He’s everything I’m not: grumpy, rude, and more than a little attached to his solitude. It doesn’t matter how many times I try to kill him with kindness; the man simply won’t crack. Until he sees me shatter. Because when my world comes crashing down around me, Anson is the one catching me as I fall. And as so-called accidents start plaguing every part of my life, it’s Anson who steps in to keep me safe. As he does, I can’t help but feel a flicker of heat. And it only takes a single moment for that spark to ignite into flames, engulfing us both. But Anson’s a man with secrets, and they have a price. When they’re revealed, neither of us will make it out unscathed…

★★★★☆

The Subtitle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

“𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕚𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕤 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕪 𝕘𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕒 𝕗𝕦𝕔𝕜 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥’𝕤 𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕝𝕪 𝕗𝕦𝕔𝕜𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕪”.

Thoughts: ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck’ has been on my TBR list for the longest time, and I saw it available on Everand, so I decided to give it a listen. Mark was brutally honest in this book, and I truly believe everyone should read it at some stage due to its many good messages (especially chapters 1 & 2). I enjoyed the first half of the book, but towards the end, it became a bit tiring and repetitive while listening.”

Synopsis: For decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. Drawing on academic research and the life experience that comes form breaking the rules, Mark Manson is ready to explode that myth. The key to a good life, according to Manson, is the understanding that ‘sometimes life is messed up and we have to live with it’. Manson says that instead of trying to turn lemons into lemonade, we should learn to stomach lemons better, and stop distracting ourselves from life’s inevitable disappointments chasing money, success and possessions. It’s time to re-calibrate our values and what it means to be happy: there are only so many things we can worry about, so we need to figure out which ones really matter.

Please check trigger warnings before reading this book.

★★★☆☆

The Girl Who Fell From The Sky by Emma Carey

“𝕃𝕖𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕝𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕤𝕖𝕖𝕞𝕤 𝕚𝕞𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕝 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕧𝕖, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕚𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕚𝕤 𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕟 𝕞𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕤𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪”.

Thoughts: The Girl Who Fell From The Sky is a memoir by Emma Carey, who had a skydiving accident that left her paraplegic. This memoir was both heartbreaking and inspiring. I have been following Emma on social media for many years and I am so glad I finally read her memoir. This memoir was heartbreaking and inspiring. Emma is so strong and such an inspiration. This book made me feel thankful for small things and reminded me not to take things for granted. This is a must-read for everyone.

Synopsis: From a terrible accident that left her paraplegic, Emma Carey has become an inspiration for hundreds of thousands online to live life to the fullest and remind us that if we can, we must. There on that helicopter, somewhere over Switzerland on a Sunday in June, came the first tiny whisper. A voice that would carry me for years to come. 'I'm going to be ok. There's still joy here.' When Emma Carey was twenty, she fell from 14,000 feet and survived. In The Girl Who Fell From the SkyEmma tells us the inspirational story of how, through one of her greatest tragedies, she found her truest self. From waking in the hospital a paraplegic to learning how to use her legs again, through the six-year long court case and now being finally free to make the most of her life, Emma teaches us the importance of courage and resilience. This heartfelt book is more than a memoir, it's a call to action that reminds us not to take our lives and abilities for granted - to live every day like it could be our last.

Please check trigger warnings before reading this book.

★★★★☆

If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin

“ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕤 𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕒𝕤𝕜 𝕞𝕖 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕤 𝕞𝕖𝕒𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕖. 𝕀 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕥𝕖𝕝𝕝 𝕙𝕚𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕚𝕥 𝕞𝕖𝕒𝕟𝕤 𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕖”

Thoughts: ‘If He Had Been With Me’ is a ‘teen romance/coming-of-age’ novel. I devoured this one in less than 24 hours after a bit of a reading slump and a draining few weeks, so thank you, Laura, for helping me out of my slump. I really enjoyed this book. It covers lots of teenage issues such as love, friendship, family, and mental health. The story starts with the ending, so we were all doomed from the start knowing it was going to be a tearjerker. Despite already knowing the ending, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed the flashback memories of Autumn and Finn growing up together. This one had me in tears multiple times, but I’m so glad I read it and cannot wait to read ‘If Only I Had Her’.

Synopsis: An achingly authentic and raw portrait of love, regret, and the life-altering impact of the relationships we hold closest to us, this YA romance bestseller is perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover, Jenny Han, and Lynn Painter. If he had been with me, everything would have been different… Autumn and Finn used to be inseparable. But then something changed. Or they changed. Now, they do their best to ignore each other. Autumn has her boyfriend Jamie, and her close-knit group of friends. And Finn has become that boy at school, the one everyone wants to be around.
That still doesn’t stop the way Autumn feels every time she and Finn cross paths, and the growing, nagging thought that maybe things could have been different. Maybe they should be together. But come August, things will change forever. And as time passes, Autumn will be forced to confront how else life might have been different if they had never parted ways.

Please check trigger warnings prior to reading this book.

★★★★★

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

“𝕊𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕚𝕥’𝕤 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕡𝕖𝕠𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕒 𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕗𝕦𝕝 𝕥𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕚𝕟 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕕. 𝕀𝕥’𝕤 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕒 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕤 — 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕞𝕒𝕪𝕓𝕖 𝕚𝕗 𝕚𝕥’𝕤 𝕙𝕠𝕨 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞,𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥’𝕤 𝕙𝕠𝕨 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕒𝕣𝕖. 𝕀𝕥’𝕤 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕖 𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕗𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘.”

Thoughts: I enjoyed seasons 1 & 2 of the Amazon Prime series, so I knew reading this book was a must. I read half of it in paperback and listened to the other half on audiobook due to a busy week. I loved that Lola Tung narrated the audiobook; it made it more enjoyable to listen to. I particularly enjoyed watching Belly navigate her love triangle and seeing how it all unfolded… Team Conrad all the way! The fluff was delightful, and it was such a comforting read. I can’t wait to dive into the next book in the series!

Synopsis: Everything that happened this past summer, and every summer before it, has all led up to this. To now. Every year Isabel spends a perfect summer at her favourite place in the world - the Fisher family’s beach house. It has everything a girl could want- a swimming pool, a private stretch of sandy beach and two boys. Unavailable, aloof Conrad - who she’s been in love with forever - and friendly, relaxed Jeremiah, the only one who’s ever really paid her any attention. But this year something is different. This year, the boys seem to really notice Isabel for the first time. It’s going to be an amazing summer - and one she’ll never forget.

★★★★☆

Funny Story by Emily Henry 📚 

“𝕐𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟'𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕔𝕖 𝕒 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕙𝕠𝕨 𝕦𝕡, 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕟 𝕒 𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕠𝕟 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕕𝕠𝕟’𝕥”

“𝔸𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕤𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕕𝕒𝕪𝕤, 𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕜𝕤, 𝕞𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕙𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕕𝕠𝕟'𝕥 𝕘𝕖𝕥 𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕜𝕖𝕕 𝕠𝕟 𝕔𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕣𝕤 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕕-𝕕𝕣𝕒𝕨𝕟 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 𝕠𝕣 𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕔𝕜𝕖𝕣𝕤. 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕤𝕖 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕒 𝕝𝕚𝕗𝕖. ℕ𝕠𝕥 𝕘𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕘𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕤, 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕞𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕟𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥, 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖, 𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕦𝕞𝕦𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕖 𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕝 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕒 𝕙𝕠𝕞𝕖, 𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕒 𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕖. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣. 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕀 𝕔𝕒𝕟'𝕥 𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕡 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕠𝕣.”

Thoughts: This was my first Emily Henry book that I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I adored Daphne and Miles and how a challenging situation brought them together. The unfolding of their relationship and its progression was delightful. I also loved both the female and male main characters. If you enjoy single POV, fake relationships, roommates-to-lovers, found family, and forced proximity, this book is a must-read!

Synopsis: Daphne always loved the way Peter told their story. That is until it became the prologue to his actual love story with his childhood bestie, Petra. Which is how Daphne ends up rooming with her total opposite and the only person who could possibly understand her predicament- Petra's ex, Miles. As expected, it's not a match made in heaven - that is until one night, while tossing back tequilas, they form a plan. And if it involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their adventures together, well, who could blame them? But it's all just for show, of course, because there's no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiance's new fiancee's ex . . . right?

★★★★★

“𝕀 𝕞𝕖𝕒𝕟, 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕡𝕤𝕪𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕙 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕖 𝕒𝕥 𝕒 𝕢𝕦𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕠 𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟?”

Thoughts: ‘The Gift’ follows Stella Hansen on Christmas Eve. While I usually love Freida's books, this one did not quite hit the mark for me. However, I have to admit, the ending did catch me by surprise.

Synopsis: It’s Christmas Eve and Stella Hansen is broke. She is so broke that despite working two jobs, she can’t even afford a present for her husband on their first Christmas as man and wife. But then a mysterious storekeeper at a pawn shop offers Stella an intriguing trade.

Stella wants more than anything to buy her husband the Christmas gift of his dreams. But will it come at a terrible price?

★★★☆☆

“𝕊𝕠 𝕀 𝕥𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕣𝕦𝕥𝕙: 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕖, 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕒𝕪 𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕖, 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕖; 𝕪𝕠𝕦’𝕣𝕖 𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕕, 𝕦𝕟𝕤𝕦𝕡𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕖𝕕, 𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕝𝕪 𝕡𝕙𝕪𝕤𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕕. 𝔹𝕦𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖’𝕤 𝕟𝕠 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕛𝕠𝕓 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕.”

Thoughts: This is Going to Hurt” follows the secret diary entries of Junior Doctor Adam Kay. I believe everyone should read this book as it gives you a good glimpse of what is it like for doctors within the healthcare system, in particular the UK. Being in healthcare myself, it was nice to have an understanding of what Adam was discussing. For those who may not have knowledge of some topics, there are footnotes at the bottom of the page, which I thought were great. Adam discussed many sad stories but was still able to share his funny encounters too. I look forward to adding more of Adam’s books to my tbr.

Synopsis: Welcome to the life of a junior doctor: 97-hour weeks, life and death decisions, a constant tsunami of bodily fluids, and the hospital parking meter earns more than you. Scribbled in secret after endless days, sleepless nights and missed weekends, Adam Kay’s This is Going to Hurt provides a no-holds-barred account of his time on the NHS front line. Hilarious, horrifying and heartbreaking, this diary is everything you wanted to know - and more than a few things you didn’t - about life on and off the hospital ward.

Please check trigger warnings before reading.

★★★★★

Thoughts: The Glass House is written by Anne Buist (Australian Psychiatrist) and her husband, (Author and Screenwriter) Graeme Simsion. I took away so much from this book, and I honestly believe everyone should read it. I found the unique style of writing fascinating as it was not a style of writing I had read before. The book was very accurate, aligning with what I have witnessed as both a student nurse and now as a nurse. This book covered many mental health conditions, and I think Anne did a fantastic job covering the topics with her experience and knowledge. I knew within the first couple of chapters that this would be a 5-star read for me. I really look forward to the next book.

Synopsis: Psychiatry registrar Doctor Hannah Wright, a country girl with a chaotic history, thought she had seen it all in the emergency room. But that was nothing compared to the psychiatric ward at Menzies Hospital. Hannah must learn on the job in a strained medical system, as she and her fellow trainees deal with the common and the bizarre, the hilarious and the tragic, the treatable and the confronting. Every day brings new patients: Chloe, who has a life-threatening eating disorder; Sian, suffering postpartum psychosis and fighting to keep her baby; and Xavier, the MP whose suicide attempt has an explosive story behind it. All the while, Hannah is trying to figure out herself. With intelligence, frankness and humour, eminent psychiatrist Anne Buist tells it like it is, while co-writer Graeme Simsion brings the light touch that made The Rosie Project an international bestseller and a respected contribution to the autism conversation.

Please check trigger warnings prior to reading this book.

★★★★★