readtotheend's reviews
1412 reviews

Another Word for Love: A Memoir by Carvell Wallace

emotional reflective medium-paced

3.5

I saw other reviewers mention that this felt more essay collection as memoir and I think that's spot on. I felt like it was meandering at times but if I approached it as a series of essays, that would not have really bothered me as much. The writing was lyrical and I enjoyed it overall. There are some beautiful sentences but it did feel a little more "tell" and less "show" which made it harder to connect for me. I appreciated Wallace's journey and reflections on queerness, addiction, Blackness and love.

Forever . . . by Judy Blume

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Judy Blume is the OG queen of YA. While this feels a little bit dated, that's fair since it was published in the 70s!  But the depiction of first love and the exploration of sex and sexuality still resonates for teens today.  There's so many romance choices now, even for YA but back in the day, finding books that talked about sex and also had a teen audience was rare.  I remember giggling with my friends at the library while passing this along to each other because it felt so illicit.  It might not be appreciated as much now but I am glad it existed in the 80s! Interested to see the Netflix reboot of this!

Mumbo Jumbo by Ishmael Reed

adventurous challenging informative slow-paced

2.0

It started out ok for me but ultimately, I don't think I'm smart enough for this one! Once I started to get lost, my interest also faded and it became more about finishing it than enjoying it. This feels like a book that would be assigned to a college course with a lot of discussion that I would also not be prepared for! The book explored the effects of ragtime and jazz music through Jes Grew, a sort of dancing epidemic that overtakes people during the 1920s. It has some photos and drawings in it which, like an elementary school kid, I looked forward to the most between the pages I didn't understand! Not for me. 

Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory

lighthearted medium-paced

2.0

Oof, this one was not a fave for me. I was excited to read a queer romance from Guillory and I did love the characters but this felt way too long and very formulaic and ho-hum. Just reading the title, you could guess the whole storyline and it definitely didn't need to be 400 pages!  Everything you think will happen will happen - there's no feeling of anticipation at all.  I feel like Guillory has gotten a rhythm down and it feels like this one went on cruise control. Also, grateful for PRH Audio for the ALC but this narrator was also not my fave!  The tone of voice really irked me and didn't help my general feelings about the book at all. This one is a pass y'all.

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

3.75

Steamy, summer read that gives all the summer vibes and perfect to read poolside or on vacation. I love a good lake house setting and I could just feel myself at Barry's Bay. It was fun but honestly I felt like it was a very steamy YA read - maybe new adult? We go back six summers with Percy and Sam and the chapters are alternated with present day.  So we kind of work towards what happened to them after going back to the beginning when they first met.  I did feel like it was a touch long - it's only 320 pages but it felt like 400 at times.  But if you like drama and second chance romance and an easy, breezy summer read this may be it!

The Favorites by Layne Fargo

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

Ice dancing soap opera! It was fun and felt like we were reading a magazine expose on the ice dancing world in the best way!  I did feel like it was way too long - it needed about 100 pages edited out.  It kept going and going and going and sometimes the details were just not that necessary.  I believe this is a Wuthering Heights retelling but I can't really speak to that because it's been decades since I read Wuthering Heights and can't remember a darn thing!  The audiobook had a full cast and it is so fun to hear skating stars narrate this!  A fun albeit long ride but recommend, especially on audio!

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

Breathtaking! So atmospheric and had me riveted until the very last page. Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. A mysterious woman washes ashore on this remote island and away we go! This was my first read by McDonaghy and I'm interested to read more. She tackles climate change and conservation and science but in an accessible way that didn't feel offputting to me. It all made sense and came together for me. The ending! I have already recommended this to friends and will continue to do so - one of my favorite reads this year.

The Tell by Amy Griffin

emotional reflective medium-paced

3.0

As often with memoirs, I deeply respect the experiences and journey of the author which, in my opinion, is not really rate-able. The rating is more about my experience reading the book and the writing, not of the experience as I think this is an important story to tell.  However, I felt like the writing was not very strong and I was wondering why this was chosen as an Oprah's book club selection until I looked on IG and saw Griffin is a friend of Gwyneth Paltrow and then I thought "ahhh, that's why".... The author shares her experience with MDMA therapy after her husband introduced her to it. Better known as ecstasy, I would have liked more scientific information and knowledge on MDMA therapy as there are still differing views on MDMA therapy and memory. Overall, I think I just looked forward to finishing this one and did not enjoy the journey.

Count My Lies by Sophie Stava

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

3.5

This was a fun ride even if I kinda guessed the main plot twist. But don't worry there's more to come after that twist!  It was a really fast listen and I just enjoyed going on the ride.  It's about compulsive liar, Sloane Caraway, who manages to tangle herself with Jay and Violet Lockhart and their young daughter. She becomes a nanny to the daughter and with the setup being that she's a compulsive liar, you know the story can go basically anywhere.  The ending didn't really quite work for me which is why I didn't rate it higher. Although a lot of the story was unbelievable the ending was truly unbelievable for me.  I'd recommend picking this one up while on vacation - easy and fun reading that will have you turning pages.

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

5.0

It's been quite a while since I've read a whole book in one sitting and I would have with this one had it not been Easter and we had family dinner and drove my son back to college.  But I finished it in 20 hours as it totally consumed me. It was beautifully atmospheric and emotionally charged. My heart felt like it was in my throat. It's a love story but also a murder mystery and all set on a farm. I went into it knowing nothing except that it was all over my Instagram and everyone was raving about it.  Now I will be another voice singing its praises. Best book I've read in 2025 so far!!