Kind of a Big Deal - Shannon Hale

Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon Hale
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for a review copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Typically, I am a Shannon Hale fan. So when I saw she had a new book, I was excited to get my hands on it. I was disappointed.

This book was wonky. Really just...odd.

Josie Pie peaked in high school. She was the "It" girl - popular, star of all the shows, etc. But when she dropped out of high school to pursue a career on Broadway, reality sets in. It is not a reality she likes. Then she learns she can escape into (literally, INTO) books. Will this bring the success and adoration she craves?

I don't know that I can say anything about this book other than it was odd. Josie jumps in and out of different genres and story lines interspersed with flashbacks of high school and Broadway as well as current day interactions with the girl she nannies and others. There's this whole thing with the Muses. It was just weird.

I love books about books. This premise appealed to me. I think the book just failed in carrying it out. It was all over the place. Josie was whiny and depressed. Lots of making out and talk of making out. It was like so much of her character revolved around that. Family dynamics that were over the top. An extra weird conclusion.

I was not a fan.



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Short Thoughts on Recent Reads 8.25.2020

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I finished this a few days ago and am still trying to decide how I feel about it. It was interesting to see how Snow became who he was in the Hunger Games trilogy. However, so much of it was so dark. There were times I had to put the book down and walk away because it just left me yucky feeling.
I have waffled between 1 and 2 stars on this.

View all my reviews Christy by Catherine Marshall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I first read this book in middle school, and I remember loving it. I felt the same rereading it in high school and college. This time around, I did still like it. However, it didn't have the same spark and inspiration I recall. Probably has more to do with me as the reader than the book itself.

View all my reviews Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I did not anticipate enjoying this book as much as I did.
Lori Gottlieb sheds light into her therapy practice as well as her interactions with her own therapist. It was funny. It was heart warming. It was sad. It was challenging.
I read a copy from my library but plan to buy one for my shelf. It was good, even, for introspection; and I anticipate rereading it in the future.

View all my reviews Recursion by Blake Crouch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I will admit that I was super confused for the first half of this book. Then the science-y ideas all started coming together and making sense. I ended up enjoying this more than his book Black Matter.

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