I remember seeing The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister floating around #bookstagram a year or so ago. The cover is beautiful, the premise intrigued me, but for whatever reason, I set it to the side on my #tbr. That is until this weekend. What a wonderful choice of book to get lost in over a weekend at home with no plans. I found myself transported to the ocean coast and remote island where Emmaline lived with her father. I swear I could smell all of the scents she described

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to Simon & Schuster, 37 Ink, and Dawnie Walton for the gifted copy of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev. This is hands down the best marketing campaign I have ever seen for a book. #partner Give me more new releases like this! The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton blew me away. I went into this one after briefing reading the synopsis and assuming it would be like Daisy Jones & The Six. While The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is similar t

Dominicana by Angie Cruz is a hauntingly realistic coming-of-age story about the immigrant experience. I read this one after recently finishing Infinite Country by Patricia Engel and found that both depict the immigrant experience in very different ways. I highly recommend reading both of them and, if you want to read some nonfiction, check out The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio. I cannot rave enough about these books and how important it is to understa

Give me a good psychological thriller any day of the week and I am a happy girl. The Push by Ashley Audrain scratched that itch for me. With a name like The Push I wasn't sure what to expect, but with motherhood themes, it made my existential mind go wild. It's really crazy when you think about how a simple word like "push" can have so many meanings to a mother. What do you hear over and over during labor? "Are you ready to push yet? Time to push?" What do children do to you

I feel like everyone under the sun has already read this book and I am the last to arrive. The recently released Netflix series of this book adaptation had me rushing to read it before I watch. The common theme with Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough that I hear over and over is about who wild and crazy the ending is. Of course that intrigued me and I had to see what all the fuss was about! Synopsis: Louise is a single mom, working a part time job to keep a roof over their h

When I saw that Infinite Country by Patricia Engel was an option for February's BOTM, I had to add it. I had been seeing inklings of this book among the book bloggers I follow and was immediately intrigued by the synopsis of young Talia and her journey between countries to be reunited with her family. At just over 200 pages, this book packs so much between it's covers and is an honest and searing portrayal of the effects immigration and deportation have on families. If you ar

White Ivy...… I cannot help but think of Poison Ivy when I read this title and strangely, it fits. This book was different than I expected, but was well worth the read. Ivy is toxic and manipulative on the inside, but sweet and subtle on the outside. She immigrated to the US and just wants to fit in with her affluent classmates. The difference is that Ivy will do whatever it takes, no matter who becomes collateral damage. Synopsis: White Ivy by Susie Yang is a debut novel abo

Looking for another digital minimalism book to add to your toolbox? Look no further! Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig is timely, witty, and oh so enlightening. While Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport gives tactical advice and a step by step plan on decluttering your life, Notes on a Nervous Planet gives you insight into the actual impact social media and technology devices have on our mental health. Matt Haig is relatable and opens up about his own mental health struggl

Kristin Hannah does it again. She introduces these characters that I cannot help but fall in love with, then when I am least expecting it, she shatters my heart. Why do I do this to myself?! The easy solution is: don't read these books. But let me tell you why I do. Because they make me FEEL. They remind me what is important in life. You cannot have happiness without some heartbreak and somehow she is able to convey this in every book I have read of hers. The Four Winds is K