5 out of 5 stars. I really liked “The Christmas Cookie Wars” by Eliza Evans. It is a story that touches on grief, acceptance, second chances and the ever moving forward thing called life. A sweet, low spice romance set in a small town during the Christmas season that will make you want to indulge in cookies and all sorts of holiday traditions.
5 out of 5 stars. The Promise of Tomorrow by Samantha Tonge helped me get out of a reading slump… it is such an amazing and reflective read. There are twists and turns throughout the novel. The cast of characters is diverse and the two main characters each have their own private struggles that ultimately help (predictably) them together. But, the personal realizations each one has about things they’ve thought about their life are relatable and honest. It gives the reader a lot to think about. I really enjoyed their growth and was happy with the ending. All in all, I would recommend this novel to everyone who wants to reexamine what’s important to them in life, how they want to live their life and a sweet romance.
5/5 out of stars. .stk-620844b{padding-bottom:12px !important;margin-top:0px !important;margin-right:0px !important;margin-bottom:0px !important;margin-left:0px !important}I really enjoyed “One Moment” by Becky Hunter. The characters, the storyline, underlying message- all of it. The author managed to combine numerous heavy topics (grief, chronic illness, relationship challenges etc.) into a novel that was fun to read. I became invested in the characters and was overall pleased with the ending. I look forward to reading more by this author!
4 out of 5 stars. I’ve read a few of Emma Lord’s previous novels and “The Break-Up Pact” seems to delve into more complex and heavy issues. On the surface, it seems like the novel is going to focus on the fake dating story but it’s much more more than that. Yes, there are some funny rom-com type moments but it’s also about learning to live with grief, changed or different expectations and more. It’s about learning to respect yourself enough to not be pushed around by others or compromise how you want to live your life. The writing was easy to follow and relatable; I’d recommend this to my friends!
5 out 5 stars. “The Last Days of You and Me” by Debbie Howells is a heart-wrenching novel featuring a cast of interconnected characters. Each character is going through their own journey related to loss and grief. They each are learning and reflecting about the meaning of life. It highlights the universal need for friendship and love. It makes you think about what is important to you, the reader. I really enjoyed it and hope to read more by this author.
4 stars. “Always Together” by Patricia Kreiser is a picture book to help kids grapple with the topics of loss and grief. The illustrations are very nicely done. The text is appropriate for the target age range. One concern I had is that it might be difficult to see because of the font size and color contrast between the font color and illustrations in the background. Otherwise, I think this is a good option for helping kids navigate their big feelings.
5 out of 5 stars. Postcards from Summer by Cynthia Platt is a young adult novel filled with many relatable themes: grief, first love, the innocence of youth, figuring out who you are, navigating family expectations, and the realization that the adults in your life aren’t perfect. The novel is written from the points of view of a mother and daughter when they are both around age 17. In the present, Lexie has always had questions about her mom who passed away when she was a little girl. Her father doesn’t like to talk about her so Lexie has always felt the ache of sadness and curiosity about her. Then, out of the blue Lexie receives a package from the nursing home where her estranged grandmother had been living until her recent passing. Inside, Lexie finds a mosaic chest filled with mementos from her mom’s teenage years. This is how we learn more about Emma’s summers living in scenic Mackinac Island, Michigan. Lexie decides to test the waters of defiance and independence by secretly going to the island in the hopes of learning about her Mom’s past. Throughout this trip Lexie is confronted with more questions than answers… Throughout the novel the reader slowly learns the answers to these questions (as does Lexie, eventually). I found myself anxiously reading chapter after chapter to figure out the answers to these questions. I found some of the characters frustrating at times but one of the highlights of the novel is the character development/growth.. I really enjoyed this novel and give 5 stars.
5 out of 5 stars. Kendyl Arden’s The Art Therapy Way: A Self-Care Guide is a book that I would recommend to pretty much anyone. I really like how the book is organized into different sections based on the type of mood or emotion you are experiencing (happiness, pain, anger, grief etc.) and then with each activity there is a meditation / mantra, the actual activity instructions, and the follow up “processing” questions to think about. This is especially appealing for me because sometimes I’m better at writing than I am at creating something… so even if I decided not to do the art project specifically as described, I still have some amazing reflection questions to think about and use. I envision adapting some of the activities to be part of my journal as opposed to separate pieces.