Tag: fiction

ARC, contemporary, three star book, ya

#NotReadyToDie ARC Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You

Thank you to Netgalley and Common Deer Press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

| Amazon | Goodreads |

Ginny’s life suddenly comes to a screeching halt one fateful Monday when a shooter shows up at Southwestern High School during first period. In lockdown with both the homeroom sub and her secret crush Owen badly wounded, Ginny finds herself teamed up with Kayla, one of the “barbies.” Together, they must try to keep their classmates alive amid terror and pain. As the chaos continues, Ginny is plagued with questions. Has she judged Kayla too harshly? Will she ever have the chance to ask Own to prom? Will the fight she had with her mom before school been their last interaction ever? With the uncertainty of everyone making it out alive growing with every minute, there’s only one thing Ginny knows for sure: no one is making it out unchanged.

– Goodreads

I don’t know why I love such tragic books. I love true crime. I love disaster books. So when I saw this book on Netgalley, I wanted to read it. It goes through the harrowing hours while a high school in Canada is on lock down due to a school shooting.

It was interesting that this was set in Canada. They have much different laws than we do – which are shown in the book. I know their gun control is much stricter.

The novel is told through the eyes of Ginny. She’s a typical teen girl. She had a blow out fight with her mom before school. Honestly though, what teen girl doesn’t? It normally wouldn’t matter, the fight would be forgotten about by dinner. Only today, it does matter. What if Ginny never gets to see her mom again?

Throughout the story, you are told of teens texting their parents and loved ones. Last ditch efforts to say they love them. You are told of the killer at the door. Will he get in? Teachers are trying everything they can think to save the kids. It’s honestly a haunting novel. My son is 2.5 years old. I can’t imagine him going through this. It’s getting all too common in America. During the story, you are shown parts of Ginny’s past. It was a nice reprieve from the horror that was occurring.

#NotReadyToDie was a quick read. At 200 pages, I could have read it in an afternoon if someone wasn’t so distracting -cough-child-cough-. The novel moved at a nice pace, it never seemed rushed. You got to know all the kids in the class with Ginny – including her crush and a girl she thinks hates her. They both have surprising ends. However, I did have a problem with some of the dialogue. The actions of the teens totally fit, but I felt their conversations were somewhat juvenile.

I do wish the ending gave me a little more. You didn’t find out who the killer was or the motives. As a true crime buff I just HAD to know! I think that was my biggest gripe about the book.

If you are like me and are a fan of true crime/tragedy books, I think #NotReadyToDie is definitely worth picking up!

Have you read #NotReadyToDie? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

adult, two star book

More Bedtime Stories for Cynics Review

Courtney/Enchanted.to.Read.You
  • Title: More Bedtime Stories for Cynics
  • Author: Multiple
  • Book Form: Audio
  • Publisher: Audible Originals, LLC
  • Pages: 250
  • Genre: Humor, Fiction, Short Stories
  • Rating: ★★

Nick Offerman and his posse of high-profile guests present this series of 12 short stories written in the style of classic kid’s tales, but with a decidedly adult approach.

If children’s literature is any guide, we should all be able to magically fall asleep simply by saying goodnight to the things we can see from our beds. But any adult knows that our work anxieties and shameful memories would rather stay up all night and chat. That’s where Offerman and Co. come in—with clever and occasionally downright dark parodies of the classic kids genre. What really happened after Snow White died, from the perspective of the one medically trained dwarf? A naive wizard professor reports back from the trenches of an underprivileged school of magic. A middle-aged man is haunted by the voices of his own aging body. The stories will make you laugh, cry and probably squirm a little.

Performers include: Patrick Stewart, Alia Shawkat, Jane Lynch, Aparna Nancherla, Harry Goaz, Mike Birbiglia, Ellen Page, Rachel Dratch, Gary Anthony Williams, Nicole Byer, and Matt Walsh.

Please note that this audiobook contains explicit content.

– Goodreads
I hated to give this book such a low review.  I saw it as an audible member freebie in May and was like, oh I have to get that! I listened to Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally’s audio a couple months ago and LOVED it. I thought this would be the same. Not so much.

This was a collection of short stories, narrated by various famous humans. The stories just didn’t hold my attention. None of the grabbed me, which I was sad about. I listened while driving to work, and while at work. Sometimes work can command my attention so it takes away from the audio, but that wasn’t the case here. Even when driving I found my mind wandering because I just couldn’t stay focused.

The best part was at the very end when Nick Offerman called himself my lumberjack daddy and sang me a lullaby.

Unfortunately, I can’t recommend this audio to anyone. Even my love of Nick Offerman isn’t enough.

Until Next time…