theresidentbookworm's reviews
3256 reviews

First off, I want to say that I absolutely adored Robin Benway's debut novel Audrey Wait. The day I bought it, I just sat on my couch and read until I finished it, laughing hysterically the whole time. In fact, a section from it even inspired my ex-best friend's thank you cards for a b-day party, but that's a whole other story. That being said, I was disappointed in Robin Benway's sophomore novel.

I've been trying to figure what it was about this novel that just didn't satisfy me. I mean, it was a good story. I enjoyed the dynamic between the sisters and found it to be reasonably believable. (Then again, I'm the only girl in the family, so I don't have anything to refer to.) The characters, however, just didn't cut it for me. April was just a uptight priss, and reading her chapter was like watching someone have an anxiety attack. May was more bearable. I could relate to her awful teenage angstness and loner syndrome. June, however, was my favorite sister. I can relate to being the baby of the family and wanting to be my own person and follow my own path. I also envy her superpower. I mean, who wouldn't want to read minds? Imagine all the gossip you could get! *winks* The parents in this novel fell flat, something that disappointed me after the quirky parents in Audrey Wait. There weren't really many friends in this story, something that might contribute to my disappoint in this novel. I did like Mariah, who added some edge to the story. I absolutely hated Blake, who was just your stereotypical jackass. Oops, can I say that in a review? *shrugs* Oh well!

Now, of course, I must talk about the guys of this novel. Henry sounded adorable, and I loved the nice contrast between him and May. (Reminds me of That '70s Show with the couple's roles in reverse.) Julian and April are a whole other story. I feel like the author just threw him in so she would have an excuse to loosen up April a bit. Really, I think the two things that brought this book down were April and too many unnecessary plot points.

Which now allows me to talk about the plot. The plot of this novel itself is interesting but not well executed. Benway throws us a few good twists that are satisfying, but the overall feel is cluttered. (Not going to say what those twists are cuz you should read and find out.)

Recommendation: Definitely worth a read, but get it from the library.

Cover: I absolutely love this cover! It's so cool, thought the girls on the front aren't what I imagine the three sisters to look like.

I'm not sure I'm really well suited to review this collection of Civil War comics. I'm pretty new to comic book reading. If it hadn't been for my very good friend (and fellow Goodreader) Grace, I would have never ventured into the comic section of Barnes and Noble. I didn't even know they sold comic books there. Still, I'm a reviewer and so I must review.

Obviously, this volume cannot cover the entire arc of the Civil War storyline. There are more than a hundred of comics involved in the whole story, but this volume has a nice summary of the conflict between Iron Man and Captain America. That was the main reason I bought the comic; I wanted to see if I could get any clue into the conflict between Tony and Steve in the upcoming film. I'm not sure it did, but I was captivated anyway. I was heartbroken to see Tony and Steve fighting. You could clearly see there was a bond between the two men that was now broken, and both were clearly conflicted about their positions. I appreciated the insight into Tony's position, and the scene where he's explaining it to

Spoiler

a dead

Steve broke my heart. It obliterated it. I thought the stuff with Sharon was very interesting, and I'd like to read more of the Civil War comics and specifically Captain America comics to see more of her character arc. I was a bit confused by a white Nick Fury, completely used to Samuel L. Jackson's depiction of the character, but I did squeal when I saw Bucky Barnes (aka Winter Soldier). I'm going to have to pick up more of his comics as well.

If you're looking for a quick fix (or insight into the upcoming film) before May 6, I'd recommend this volume.

I will always have a soft spot for Dear Dumb Diary. When I was a little girl, my mom and I would cuddle on Saturday mornings and read these books together. I was old enough to read them on my own (one could argue I was way beyond the reading level of them), but I liked reading them with her. I still remember laughing with her at Jamie's antics with her and drinking hot chocolate. Those are some of my favorite memories.

What I love about Jim Benton's books is that they are so funny. At 19, I still find them unbelievably funny. Benton writes Jamie's sarcastic, middle school girl scarily well for a middle-aged man. I loved Jamie because she wasn't persistently cheerful like the girls in the American Girl books or super smart like Nancy Drew. Jamie was real. Her diary felt real. She didn't always get what she want, and things didn't usually go her way. She might be the first character I ever really felt was real. I still love her.

Recommended to anyone who wants a good laugh. Read them with your kids if you have them. Read them to your nieces or nephews. If you're an elementary school teacher, read them to your students. I dare you not to laugh.

I used to be a Kindle hater in my youth. I thought, "This would be the end of print books as we know it." Ah, the foolishness of the young! (The little voice inside my head that sounds too much like my friends is saying, 'Jillian, you're only eighteen. Stop thinking you're super cool.') Now I know having a Kindle means more bang for my buck when it comes to my library. It also means I never have to go into a bookstore with my dad and have to explain the kissing couple on the front of my latest new adult purchase. That was just awkward. Anyways, I love my Kindle especially with Bookbub and Amazon Deals that lead me to little gems like When You Make It Home.

I was a little wary of When You Make It Home. I'd been disappointed in Baby & Bump and a few other stories with pregnant heroines I'd gotten discounted lately, but I took a gamble here. Unlike those other girls, Meg isn't nearly as whinny or dumb. She admits when she messes up, and her problems are understandable. Plus, her romance with Theo made me swoon. I loved Theo! He was so sweet and damaged, and I loved how he took care of Meg and made her face reality. I laughed when she insisted she was okay without Jason because she had people to take care of her, and he just goes, "Where? I don't see anyone taking care of you." They were just good together.

Of course, Meg and Theo have their issues (ex-boyfriends, past trauma, etc.), but they're dealt with honestly and realistically. I screamed in frustration when Theo went away, but I also understood. I was mad at him for a little bit, but I fell in love with him once again when he showed Meg the nursery. The book was so sweet it hurt my teeth! Also, Meg gets extra bonus points because she owns a bookstore.

Spoiler

(And gives birth in one!)

There were only a couple of things that made the book lose a star: Jason, Jason, and Jason. Just stay away, dude! You're not making anyone's life easier. Oh, and the beginning when Meg was insistent on hiding her pregnancy for no good reason. That was a little lame. Otherwise, I totally recommend When You Make It Home. It's one of the better romances I've read this year.

A Review In Five Words

I'm glad I didn't pay.

Okay, I have to admit something: I absolutely despise hockey. This may not seem like a big deal to you, but I live in Michigan. Hockey is a state pastime here. What is even more confounding is that I've grown up in a house where hockey is nearly as sacred as God. All my brothers played, my parents are die hard Red Wings fans, and I've been to more hockey games than I can count. We have signed hockey sticks and Jerseys hanging in our basement. This is a hockey family, but somehow the gene skipped me.

That being said, I actually find hockey kind of hot in new adult novels. I guess it's because it eliminates everything I hated about going to my brothers' games: sitting in the cold for hours a time, being stuck in an arena when I'd rather be anywhere else, etc. In a book, it's just me sitting in my bed reading about very attractive men throwing it down on the ice. It's pretty easy to like in this format.

I actually think the hockey aspect added a star to my rating because I had trouble liking the characters. Danny, for her outside rebellious quirkiness, was pretty much a Mary Sue. She was too tragic and wholesome, and it made me want to throw up in my mouth a little bit. Ryan is your typical spoiled rich kid, and I didn't find much fire in him. I wasn't really interested in either Danny or Ryan individually so I had trouble being interested in them as a couple. I do think Emily's story has potential though. The supporting characters were a mixed bunch. Some were interesting (Emily, Paula) and others typical of the content (Angelica, Ryan's parents). It just wasn't anything unique, and if you're not going to be unique, you have to do ordinary extremely well. This was not extremely well down.

If you are very much into new adult, I guess you should give this a go, but there is really nothing new here. The genre itself has better stories.

Sweet Home is probably my favorite new adult romance right next to Beautiful Disaster. I just loved Molly and Rome. They were more intense than other new adult couples, but I enjoyed that. Their relationship is a balanced mix of gentle love and alpha strength. Both of their backgrounds are absolutely heartbreaking, and I was on the verge of tears towards the end of the novel. There are a few new adult cliches it falls into, which deducts a star, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Definitely recommended. Please pardon my inarticulate and jumbled review.

Between Sweet Home and Sweet Rome, I'd have to say I prefer Sweet Rome. I gave them the same rating because most of the time stories told like this have similar content, but I loved getting inside of Rome's head. I loved seeing what exactly made him tick because I couldn't always understand it from Molly's logical point of view, and here it just made sense to me. Rome's actually easier for me to like as a narrator. I just felt closer to him for some reason, and I loved seeing pivotal scenes from his eyes. There was more raw emotion in Rome's story than in Molly's. He so clearly displays his hurt and pain, and I nearly cried when he was with Molly when she lost the baby and then later in the hospital. It is official. Romeo Prince is just a heartbreaking guy in the best way. I might even love him more than I love Travis Maddox, which is hard for me to say. I am also a sucker for extra bonus scenes, which I found out Sweet Rome had. I loved seeing Rome and Molly's wedding and the epilogue was adorable! I hope to see more of my favorite couple in the companion novels, but I'm happy enough with what I've been given. Definitely recommended!

Review In Ten Words

Sexy, touching, and fun! Can't wait for the next one!

I fell in love with Emily and Logan in Tall, Tatted, and Tempting, and I couldn't wait to follow their story in the sequel. There was everything I wanted: Emily and Logan reunited, plenty of scenes with the Reed brothers, romantic gooeyness galore, and a little bit of drama. You can't have a new adult romance with a little bit of drama, but my star deduction comes from how much I truly hated Tripp and Emily's dad for a while. Emily's dad redeemed himself (a redemption that felt somewhat forced and not completely genuine), but Tripp was rotten until the end. I wish the sequel had been longer, but it had everything I really wanted. I must get my hands on Pete's story.