alex, approximately by jenn bennett

Now this book review is over a month past due because I finished this book in July but please bare with me people, this book review will be short and to the point.

This book is basically about a girl who’s online crushing on a mystery guy and they both have the common interest in movies. So when an opportunity to come visit the boy’s city arises, the girl takes the chance in hopes to finally meet her online crush.

From what I remember, this book had a bit more drama than I expected and it was also pretty underwhelming when it was time to reveal who was the mystery guy. I’m going to keep this review short and to the point since I don’t really quite remember all that happened but I do remember enjoying the book as if it was another cute teen romance movie. It does have a bit of the enemies-to-lovers vibes but it doesn’t really last long.

In conclusion, this book was a cute little read and something to get into if you’re looking for a quick light read.

I rate this three and a half stars. Thanks for reading!

-Cayla 💛

The one guy Bailey Rydell can’t stand is actually the boy of her dreams—she just doesn’t know it yet.
Classic movie fan Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online as Alex. Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.
Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new archnemesis. But life is a whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever it is she’s starting to feel for Porter.
And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately.

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august wrap up + september tbr

I know I am incredibly late for this post and I’m also sorry for not being active lately. August has been a crazy month with family, going back to school, and other drama. I haven’t really read much books in August. Actually I only read a total of two books in August.

I know it’s pathetic and my goal at the end of this year is to read 40 books and I’m only at 24 books and three books behind schedule according to Goodreads.

The two books I’ve read were The Unhoneymooner by Christina Lauren (review) and I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella (review to come).

I have five more books to be reviewed and posted on my book blog so let this be a lesson to myself and you guys that procrastination is not the answer and will only lead to pile of books needing to be reviewed. On the plus side I already finished two books in the month of September.

As for my tbr for this month, they’re some new releases this month that I am excited to read.

Hopefully I’ll have time to read these books since I’m busy with college and track. As of now, I’m currently reading The Ruthless Boys by C.M. Stunich and I CAN NOT wait to review the first book and share with you guys. If you want to read a reverse harem book for the PURPOSE of entertainment and love Ouran High School Host Club then please read The Secret Girl by C.M. Stunich and then come back so we can both discuss! The review is for sure coming.

Thank you guys for reading!

-Cayla 💛

the unhoneymooners by christina lauren

Finally I’m writing this book review. I finished this book in early August and it’s already September.

I know I am the most laziest book reviewer ever.

I read this book because it was super hyped and had the “hate-to-love” trope that I too, am a sucker for and my reading taste has changed to the point where I read more contemporaries than fantasies so I gave this book a try. Not only does it have the hate-to-love trope but also the “enemies fake dating trope” so I was sold!

This book was definitely worth the hype!

This book was about a girl name Olive who’s used to having bad luck happen to her but she never expected to be one of the only two people in her sister’s wedding to not be affected by food poisoning. So taking her sister’s and groom-to-be place in their honeymoon, Olive and Ethan, her enemy and best man, pretend to be a married couple and take a trip to Hawaii in a fake honeymoon.

This book was so funny and I like the fact that the author had no problem in making it so cringe-worthy awkward. Like she takes it to the point that you can’t help but experience secondhand embarrassment.

Besides the humor in the book, the character development and growth was probably my favorite part in the story. I relate to Olive’s pessimistic thinking and seeing her from the beginning of the book to the end when she’s happy and more confident with herself makes me so happy. I also love the family support and presence in this book as well.

Highly recommend this book! I rated this book five stars!

Thanks for reading! 💛
-Cayla

Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Ami, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.
Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.
Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of… lucky.

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july wrap up + august tbr

No seriously August, please be good to me.

I know I am six days late for this post but I wanted to post something besides book reviews which more are coming soon since I keep finishing books left and right.

I read a total of six books and my July tbr was inspired by the reading rush book picks. I didn’t actually partake in the reading rush because I was not going to have time to finish seven books in a week with trigonometry and work taking up much of my time but I am pleased and proud of myself for finishing a total of six books because it has been a while since I read that much in a month.

Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett (review to come!)

Blackbird by Sam Humphries (A graphic novel I rate two stars, the art is beautiful but the plot was pretty basic honestly. Or maybe I just read it too fast)

The Cactus by Sarah Haywood (review here!)

When the Sky Fell on Splendor by Emily Henry (review here!)

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson (review here!)

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (review here!)

I also recently finished The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren and you guys!!!
I’m so late in reading this but I honestly loved it and it’s just the type of book that us awkward people would appreciate. Review to that will be coming soon.

I’m not sure what I’ll be reading this month specifically but I know I want to read a new release this month so if you guys have any suggestions, let me know! I’ve been in the mood for cheesy chick lit contemporary. I don’t know why, maybe it’s because it’s quick and gives me fuzzy feelings.

On a more personal note, I have been diagnosed with Major depressive disorder which is known as Depression. I am seeing a psychiatrist and a therapist so fingers crossed things go well!

Thank you guys for reading! 💛

-Cayla

skyward by brandon sanderson

It must be really cool to have the mind like Brandon Sanderson and write cool books such as Skyward, Steelheart, and the Final Empire.

His mind >

What I like about his books is that every little thing is so detailed. Like how you zoom in on pixar animations and you see the tiny details of the characters?

That’s how I would describe Brandon Sanderson’s books.

The beginning and middle I would admit are pretty slow but the book was so character driven that I didn’t mind it at all. The main character, Spensa, was so funny and dramatic that you can’t help but love her. M-Bot has to be my favorite character in this whole book. His sarcasm and dialect is just on point and I love him so much. There isn’t any romance in the book but you do see some sparks from Spensa and another character but just barely. Maybe we’ll see some in the next book.

That ending? That Climax!? I remember reading this six in the morning, excited and on my feet because it was getting exhilarating and I was just so excited for Spensa and was rooting for her the whole time. I can not wait for the second book and know what happens next. The ending didn’t exactly end in a cliffhanger but it does make you wonder what’ll happen next and eager for the next book.

I rate this book five stars!

Thank you for reading! Tell me your thoughts on Skyward!

-Cayla

Defeated, crushed, and driven almost to extinction, the remnants of the human race are trapped on a planet that is constantly attacked by mysterious alien starfighters. Spensa, a teenage girl living among them, longs to be a pilot. When she discovers the wreckage of an ancient ship, she realizes this dream might be possible—assuming she can repair the ship, navigate flight school, and (perhaps most importantly) persuade the strange machine to help her. Because this ship, uniquely, appears to have a soul.
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when the sky fell on splendor by emily henry

You know, I’m getting pretty tired of people saying, “If you like this then you’ll like this,” when there’s almost nothing of the two have in common.

That’s kind of the same with this book.

Now this was recommended for fans of Stranger Things and as you all know, I am one of those fans.

In a way, I see why people would say that since this book is centered around a group of friends and have some science fiction to it but that’s as far it’ll come in common with Stranger Things and I’ll admit I was a bit bummed because this book was confusing and almost hard to finish.

This book was about these group of kids who come across this thing that fell from the sky which affected them and they’re basically trying to figure out what is going on and why it happened.

Now, judging from the cover, I was expecting a book about a group of teens from a small town who come across aliens or something like that but unfortunately they’re no aliens but their are supernatural in this story and it is more centered friendship and grief.

This book was also more emotional than I expected towards the end, which I wasn’t ready for at all and it’s kind of sad but yet hopeful? I guess, I don’t know. Also, this book got mad confusing a lot of times and it was hard to sit and read this book because sometimes I would get bored and do something else.

In conclusion, this book did tell a good story and had it’s many flaws and was also hard to finish. If you’re looking for a book with weird kids in small towns with some supernatural and also emphasizes friendship and grief, then this is your book.

I give this book three stars!

Thanks for reading! 💛

-Cayla

Almost everyone in the small town of Splendor, Ohio, was affected when the local steel mill exploded. If you weren’t a casualty of the accident yourself, chances are a loved one was. That’s the case for seventeen-year-old Franny, who, five years after the explosion, still has to stand by and do nothing as her brother lies in a coma.
In the wake of the tragedy, Franny found solace in a group of friends whose experiences mirrored her own. The group calls themselves The Ordinary, and they spend their free time investigating local ghost stories and legends, filming their exploits for their small following of YouTube fans. It’s silly, it’s fun, and it keeps them from dwelling on the sadness that surrounds them.
Until one evening, when the strange and dangerous thing they film isn’t fiction–it’s a bright light, something massive hurdling toward them from the sky. And when it crashes and the teens go to investigate…everything changes.
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the cactus by sarah haywood

Have you ever read a book if it weren’t for the main character, you would’ve stopped reading this a long time ago?

Because this is exactly how I feel about this book.

This book was about this woman named Susan who’s trying to obtain her late mother’s house from her brother, who their mother gave in her will and then stuff happens from there.

Susan honestly saved this book.

If it were any other character, I would’ve DNF this book a long time ago because it was super slow and nothing much happens but Susan is such a likable character that I couldn’t stop reading, I just wanted to root for you until the end and I’m glad I finished. When I tell you it is slow, it is SLOW. Our lovely main character Susan is pregnant throughout this whole book and it’s interesting to see how she plans her motherhood and how she interacts with kids.

The romance was so slow but this was a different kind of slow because half the time he wasn’t there and I wish we had more scenes between him and Susan but I’m glad their romance wrapped up perfectly but this book isn’t a love story. It’s more about Susan than Susan and the love interest (I forgot his name sorry!) Susan’s other relationships with her neighbor was probably my favorite because they’re the complete opposites but their friendship is just the cutest.

This book will take a lot of patience since the plot is very slow but if you’re someone who enjoy books that’s more character driven than plot then I recommend this book to you.

I overall rate this book four out of five stars!

Thanks for reading! 💛

-Cayla

In this charming and poignant debut, one woman’s unconventional journey to finding love means learning to embrace the unexpected.
For Susan Green, messy emotions don’t fit into the equation of her perfectly ordered life. She has a flat that is ideal for one, a job that suits her passion for logic, and an “interpersonal arrangement” that provides cultural and other, more intimate, benefits. But suddenly confronted with the loss of her mother and the news that she is about to become a mother herself, Susan’s greatest fear is realized. She is losing control.
Enter Rob, the dubious but well-meaning friend of her indolent brother. As Susan’s due date draws near and her dismantled world falls further into a tailspin, Susan finds an unlikely ally in Rob. She might have a chance at finding real love and learning to love herself, if only she can figure out how to let go.
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stranger things book tag!

So we all know Stanger Things came out on July 4th and in celebration of that, I decided to do this book tag. Was I tagged by anyone? No, but I’m still going to do it anyways and I got the idea from LaRonda @ FlyingPaperbacks

Unfortunately I have not watched season 3 yet because I’m going to buddy watch it with someone but that won’t last long because I really can not wait to watch it. I love love love the show so much.

Epic Intro: The opening sequence of Stranger Things is amazing and really grabs your attention. Name a book that grabbed your attention from the first page.

You guys know I love this book! And on the very first chapters, our main character Jack is getting arrested and even the opening chapter is called “How to Save No One”. If that doesn’t grab your attention, I don’t know what does.

Dungeons & Dragons: Name a fantasy world you would like to experience yourself.

I am a huge…HUGE Rick Riordan fan and I love all his books. I know this world sounds dangerous but I have to experience Camp Half Blood and meet Percy Jackson!

Squad Goals: When Eleven met Mike, Dustin, and Lucas, it was a mostly perfect team. Name your favorite bookish group of friends.

Again, I have to pick Jack and his friends on Opposite of Always. You can feel the love and support from all three of them to each other and it’s so wonderful to see.

ABCs & Christmas Lights: Joyce Byers goes mad with grief after Will goes missing. Name your favorite mentally unhinged character.

The Darkling. Enough said.

The Upside Down: Name a book that was the opposite of what you expected.

We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya, #1)

I went into this book with high expectations and and anticipating so much but this book was so anti-climatic and wasn’t what I thought it was going to be like.

Mad Scientists: Dr. Brenner likes to get freaky with humanity. Name the freakiest dystopian government you can think of.

I haven’t read any dystopian lately! If you guys have any freaky ones you can think of, please comment below!

Demogorgon: Name a scary bookish creature that you would not want to come through your walls.

I will never forget this book because this book gave me nightmares. The antagonist in this book does all these horrible things and I would NOT want him near me.

Cliffhanger Ending: Name a book that left you wanting more.

Need I say more?

Thank you guys for reading and I hope you enjoyed the post as much as I had making it💛💛

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june wrap up and july tbr goals, stranger things, and an unrealistic tbr

I’m so happy July here because you know what’s in July? My birthday!

In case you guys didn’t know, my birthday is on July 14 and I’ll be finally turning 21! I’m finally going to be an adult adult!

Gross….

Anyway, reading for June wasn’t what I planned. I didn’t tackle all I wanted to read because I got distracted by other things during that month but here are the books I’ve finished and their reviews.

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal (Full Review)

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds (Full Review)

If I’m Being Honest by Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund-Broka (Full Review)

I’m kind of disappointed I didn’t read all I wanted from my June tbr (post here) since I went through that phase where I just couldn’t get into reading so it took me the longest to read The Kiss Quotient (Full Review), which I started in June but didn’t finish up until recently.

So as of right now, I’m reading When the Sky Fall on Splendor by Emily Henry and I saw this book at Barnes and Noble and I read the synopsis and it said for fans of Stranger Things and I adoooooooooore that show! I honestly can not wait to binge watch it as soon as it comes out so that already sold me and I’m also a fan of modern sci-fi and aliens coming into small towns trope so I was already drawn to it. Even though the ratings aren’t that great on GoodReads, I’m going to still keep reading and so far it’s interesting and a bit confusing but I’m still enjoying it.

I actually have an ambitious TBR for this month even though I’m going to be pretty busy for this month between classes and work but I still want to keep my book blog up and running so my TBR was inspired by The Reading Rush, which I unfortunately can’t partake since I’m a book blogger and not a booktuber but because it’s the renamed version of BookTubeathon.

It lasts for a week but I can barely finish a book in a week but basically they’re reading challenges and since I keep having a hard time picking my next read, I used these challenges to to inspire my TBR for the month.

Here are the challenges:

Read a book with purple on the cover
Read a book in the same spot the entire time
Read a book you meant to read last year
Read an author’s first book
Read a book with a non-human character
Read a book that has 5 or more words in the title
Read an watch a book to movie adaptation

Like I said, very ambitious TBR but it actually inspired me what to read for this month which also inspired me to start reading and getting out of this slump.

So what I chose for the book with the purple cover is Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. I’m actually pretty excited to read this book because I know Brandon Sanderson has a lot of good hyped and I read a bit of Mistborn but never finished it but I do remember enjoying it a lot! So I’m pretty excited for this one.

The book I chose to read in the same spot is The Cactus by Sarah Haywood. I started this book at Barnes and Noble and that’s where I’m going to finish it as well. I go there like once or twice a week so while I’m there I’ll be reading this book ever time!

A book I meant to read last year was Wildcard by Marie Lu. Now I heard mixed reviews with this book and not really lived up to the hype from the first book but I was really looking forward to reading the second back right after it came out but college makes it hard to find time to read especially when you’re so busy!

The next challenge is to read an author’s first book. This book I chose The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab.

A book with a non-human character, City of Ghost by Victoria Schwab. Anything with ghost, is a MUST READ for me.

A book that has 5 or more words on the cover. For this one I picked When the Sky Fell on Splendor by Emily Henry which I’m reading as of now!

Read a book that has been turned into a movie. For this one I picked Simon vs the Homosapien Agenda by Becky Albertalli. Yes, I am super late reading this and yes, I am super late to watching the movie but better late than never right?

Will I finish any of these books in July? Heck nope! But am I still going to try? Heck yeah! I probably might read other books from my TBR like I always do.

My goal for this month is to start posting more memes since I’m not posting as much book reviews as much and to stay consistent as best as I can.

Thanks for reading my long post! 💛

the kiss quotient by helen hoang

This book took me almost forever to finish.

There was nothing wrong with the book at all. I read the Bride Test by Helen Hoang before this and The Kiss Quotient was just as cute and adorable just like her second book. It’s just I’ve been having the biggest reading slump and it’s been hard to really get into reading lately but I really wanted to finish this book even if it meant reading a page a day but I’m so glad I finally finished because the book was just everything.

I’m going to keep this review short, sweet, and to the point just like this book.

To summarize this book, this book was about this woman, Stella, who’s an autistic and wants to know how to please a man before she gets into another relationship so she hires an escort, Michael, to teach her the basics and then we go from there.

I appreciate books with POV from both the love interests in books because I like to see both sides of the story and and I admire Stella so much. Especially towards the end when she didn’t want to be pitied from Michael or anyone for her disability and then I love the fact that Michael still cares for her genuinely anyway.

The part I love the most in this book when you know there’s a conflict between the two love interests that drive them apart and *minor spoiler* Michael of course doesn’t think he’s good enough for her and I love how his mom tells him if he thinks that then leave her alone and don’t bother her and that scene just hit me and just the whole reality check for Michael was honestly one of my favorite parts because most of the book he’s always complaining about his life and I’m so glad that eventually changes.

Overall this book was absolutely adorable and I loved Stella so so much. I would recommend this to anyone if you need a quick and cute contemporary read. Even her author’s note at the end was touching!

I rate this book four and a half stars!

Thanks for reading! 💛

A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there’s not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.
Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases — a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.
It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice — with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan — from foreplay to more-than-missionary position…
Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he’s making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic…
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