Les's Book Nook

Title  - The Guest List Author  - Lucy Foley ________________________________________________________________   spice 🌶 - 2 scare 😱 - 1 plot 📖 - 3 characters  🧍- 3 stars ⭐ - 3 The Guest List is a very classic mystery. Anyone could be a suspect, anyone could also be a victim. Everyone has a motive and everyone is somehow connected. They're isolated and anything goes. There are six POVs which makes for short chapters, the chapter length was the saving grace of The Guest List . There are also dual timelines, after the murder and before the murder.  The Guest Lis t has everything you need for a grade-A mystery/thriller, but instead, it was a huge snooze fest for me. There was way too much filler in some of the POVs, primarily Hannah's. Every time her POV came up I sighed. There are twists, but I saw all but one coming, and even that one wasn't a huge shock. There were no jaw-drop moments and certainly no thrill. The whole reason most read mysteries is the ending...

Title  - Jarbidge Author  - M. Bryce Ternet ________________________________________________________________   spice 🌶 - 0 scare 😱 - 0 plot 📖 - 2 characters  🧍- -1 stars ⭐ - 1 ALL RATINGS AND THOUGHTS CONTAINED IN THIS REVIEW ARE BASED SOLEY OFF OF THE FIRST 30% OF THE BOOK.   It is a shame that Jarbidge's great information on Basque history and family dynamics within those Basque communities was overshadowed by the author's need to interject his misogynistic and close-minded views within the storyline.   Here are some examples:  Confidence in a woman was good. Too much was too much though. For as ditzy as Katie could be, as she was most of the time, she did know men. Though her technical side had to resist pointing out that cannabis was the actual name of the narcotic. They’d just have to wait until later when the others were asleep. That’d be fine. He really wanted some action. And that primal urge was not lessened by having sexpot Kati...

Title  - Fourth Wing (Empyrean #1) Author  - Rebecca Yarros ________________________________________________________________   spice 🌶 - 5 scare 😱 - 2 plot 📖 - 3 characters  🧍- 4 stars ⭐ - 4 It's giving steamy, it's giving messy, it's giving DRAMAAAA!  There's not much I can say that everyone hasn't already with this book's mass popularity. What kept me from giving a full 5-stars is that it took me wayyyy too long to get into this book. Don't get me wrong once it got good I was strapped in, but it took me nearly 300 pages to get there. Yes, worldbuilding in a fantasy novel (especially a series) takes some time in the first book, but this wasn't worldbuilding - it was straight-up slow . I would put the book down and never felt the need to pick it back up. If it wasn't for several people asking me how I was liking it I may have just left it to collect dust for a while.  In true fantasy book fashion, the last 100 pages were wild. I balled my eyes ou...

Title  - Lessons in Chemistry Author  - Bonnie Garmus ________________________________________________________________   spice 🌶 - 1 scare 😱 - 0 plot 📖 - 4 characters  🧍- 4 stars ⭐ - 4   “Men and women are both human beings. And as humans, we’re by-products of our upbringings, victims of our lackluster educational systems, and choosers of our behaviors. In short, the reduction of women to something less than men, and the elevation of men to something more than women, is not biological: it’s cultural. And it starts with two words: pink and blue. Everything skyrockets out of control from there.” This review is probably one of the most difficult ones to write thus far. Did I enjoy this book? No, I didn't. Will I think about this book every day? Yes. Did Lessons in Chemistry teach me valuable insights and knowledge I can share with others about a time in history every human should know about?  YES . Lessons in Chemistry is not a fun read, but a necessary on...

   Title  - What Happens in Paradise Author  - Elin Hilderbrand  ________________________________________________________________   spice 🌶 - 2 scare 😱 - 0 plot 📖 - 4 characters  🧍- 4 stars ⭐ - 4 What Happens in Paradise  was a step down from  Winter in Paradise . In this second book of the Paradise series, you get some much-needed backstory about how Rosie and Russ met. This brings the element of infidelity to light. While it was a part of the first book, the second dives deep into it. Russ pissed me off a lot during these chapters. Baker rubbed me the wrong way through the first book and that feeling carried on through the second. It may be because I have a book crush on Cash, but I freaking  hateeeeeee  his brother. Baker could make all the right decisions and I fully believe I would still think it was the stupidest thing to do on the face of the Earth. As with the first book,  What Happens in Paradise  is MESSY. Th...

  Title  - The Love Hypothesis  Author  - Ali Hazelwood ________________________________________________________________   spice 🌶 - 5 scare 😱 - .5 plot 📖 - 5 characters  🧍- 5 stars ⭐ - 5 Absolute predictable trash - 5 stars! There is a fine line between cringe and swoon-worthy romance novels. The STEM aspect of the book, primarily the women in STEM, immediately grabbed my attention. That paired with the high ratings had me PUMPED to start reading. Then, I began reading and was immediately disappointed. I was ready to chuck the book across the room and call it a day, but I kept going with the little hope I had left in my heart. Thank god I did because oooo baby that shiz turned out GREAT . This book had me wide-mouthed in shock, hitting my boyfriend who was sitting next to me saying "Oh my god, oh my god , OH MY GOD! ", and fist-pumping into the air. Did I know everything that was going to happen? Absolutely. Did it make it any less amazing when it did...

  Title  - Run, Rose, Run Author  - Dolly Parton & James Patterson ________________________________________________________________   spice 🌶 - 0 scare 😱 - 2 plot 📖 - 5 characters  🧍- 4 stars ⭐ - 5 “I say if you’re going to take a chance on something, you just go full balls to the wall.” ― Toby Keith Run, Rose, Run  was my first read by James Patterson. While perusing the book table at Costco it was Dolly Parton's name that caught my eye. I have been listening to her music since I was born, and when I saw James Patterson's name accompanying it I knew it would probably be a great read. The back of the book was vague, but I threw it into my cart and took it home. It then collected dust for over a year. I just didn't have a pull to read it. I let my partner pick the next book I read and he chose  Run, Rose, Run  and I'm so happy he did. If you've been on the fence about picking it up, do it! The book doesn't have a slow part. Is it not partic...