zoeelizabethk's reviews
610 reviews

dnf at 20%. I find monks commenting on women’s bodies very icky to read

Dnf at 50%

Dnf at 60%

Dnf at 30%

Hate to Fake It to You is so wacky but I also had a good time with it. The premise - two broke college dropouts deal with the stress of their circumstances by creating an influencer account where they pretend to be a zen, positivity, yoga mom type figure. When someone reaches out to meet "Lillibet" they find themselves in a ridiculous situation in an attempt to keep up the ruse. I went in assuming it was going to be fake dating. But no it’s like fake life-ing, plus some fake marriage, plus some side fake dating. It was utterly ridiculous and I never quite figured out how seriously Sellet was taking the story. Nevertheless, I had fun with it, and there was some great commentary about real life vs online life and the importance of friends. Go in expecting wacky, and enjoy!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Adults who grew up with the original 'Twas the Night Before Christmas will find this book very familiar as it adheres pretty closely to the original. Nevertheless, Clement Moore's bear-themed version and beautiful illustrations lend a lot of fresh charm to this age-old story. A great way to introduce little kids to Christmas traditions and a classic children's story.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was so disappointed by the Lost Story. Maybe I went in with too high - or wrong - expectations. I adored The Wishing Game, but I was so bored by The Lost Story. The pacing was so slow, I did not connect to the characters, and the magical realism fell flat for me. I also really disliked the narrative structure where we would hop around povs somewhat randomly and have lengthy flashbacks interspersed. It made the narrative feel clunky and took away from the magic of the magical realism. I also felt a little bait-and-switched by the marketing and the romance set up - but I won't get into details because of spoilers. I'm so sad to not have loved this one, but I will definitely try Meg Shaffer's next book.

Thanks to Random House, Ballantine Books, and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pip's Adventure is a perfect book to encourage your child to try new things, even if they're scary, and nurture their curiosity. Pip has his routines and thrives in them, but sometimes feels lonely. When he encounters something different, he learns that sometimes it's worth stepping outside of his comfort zone and that great things are out there. My kid is very cautious and resistant to trying things that scare him, but Pip's Adventure is a great way to encourage him that we can do scary things and that it's worth it to try. Highly recommend!

Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group,  Frances Lincoln Children's Books, and Netgalley for eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a beautiful book about the value of patience, taking our time, and soaking in time with our loved ones! The illustrations and language are so beautiful and inspiring and I highly recommend this both for children and for caregivers as it will touch the hearts of everyone who reads it. I'm excited to read this at my son's bedtime.

Thanks to Pajama Press and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!