Book Review: The Storyteller

On January 10, 2022January 7, 2022 By whitreadslitIn Book Reviews1 Comment

The Storyteller by Kathryn Williams ~ 368 pages ~ to be published 1/11/22 by HarperTeen

Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s not every day you discover you might be related to Anastasia…or that the tragic princess actually survived her assassination attempt and has been living as the woman you know as Aunt Anna.

For Jess Morgan, who is growing tired of living her life to please everyone else, discovering her late aunt’s diaries shows her she’s not the only one struggling to hide who she really is. But was her aunt truly a Romanov princess? Or is this some elaborate hoax?

With the help of a supremely dorky, but undeniably cute, local college student named Evan, Jess digs into the century-old mystery.

But soon Jess realizes there’s another, bigger truth waiting to be revealed: Jess Morgan. Because if she’s learned anything from Aunt Anna, it’s that only you can write your own story.

Continue reading →

Book Review: When You Get the Chance

On December 27, 2021December 24, 2021 By whitreadslitIn Book Reviews5 Comments

When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord ~ 320 pages ~ to be published 1/4/2022 by Wednesday Books

Goodreads Synopsis:

Nothing will get in the way of Millie Price’s dream to become a Broadway star. Not her lovable but super-introverted dad, who after raising Millie alone, doesn’t want to watch her leave home to pursue her dream. Not her pesky and ongoing drama club rival, Oliver, who is the very definition of Simmering Romantic Tension. And not the “Millie Moods,” the feelings of intense emotion that threaten to overwhelm, always at maddeningly inconvenient times. Millie needs an ally. And when a left-open browser brings Millie to her dad’s embarrassingly moody LiveJournal from 2003, Millie knows just what to do. She’s going to find her mom.

There’s Steph, a still-aspiring stage actress and receptionist at a talent agency. There’s Farrah, ethereal dance teacher who clearly doesn’t have the two left feet Millie has. And Beth, the chipper and sweet stage enthusiast with an equally exuberant fifteen-year-old daughter (A possible sister?! This is getting out of hand). But how can you find a new part of your life and expect it to fit into your old one, without leaving any marks? And why is it that when you go looking for the past, it somehow keeps bringing you back to what you’ve had all along?

Continue reading →

12 Christmas and Winter Reads You Should Pick Up This Holiday Season

On December 24, 2021December 23, 2021 By whitreadslitIn Books, FavoritesLeave a comment

Do you like to read seasonally? At this time of year, I enjoy reading books about the holiday season, as well as moody, atmospheric winter stories. If that sounds up your alley, then I have a great list of Christmas and winter reads that you should pick up this holiday season!

Continue reading →

Book Review: You’ve Reached Sam

On November 11, 2021 By whitreadslitIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao ~ 304 pages ~ published 11/9/2021 by Wednesday Books

Goodreads Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Julie has her future all planned out—move out of her small town with her boyfriend Sam, attend college in the city, spend a summer in Japan. But then Sam dies. And everything changes.

Heartbroken, Julie skips his funeral, throws out his things, and tries everything to forget him and the tragic way he died. But a message Sam left behind in her yearbook forces back memories. Desperate to hear his voice one more time, Julie calls Sam’s cellphone just to listen to his voicemail.

And Sam picks up the phone.

In a miraculous turn of events, Julie’s been given a second chance at goodbye. The connection is temporary. But hearing Sam’s voice makes her fall for him all over again, and with each call it becomes harder to let him go. However, keeping her otherworldly calls with Sam a secret isn’t easy, especially when Julie witnesses the suffering Sam’s family is going through. Unable to stand by the sidelines and watch their shared loved ones in pain, Julie is torn between spilling the truth about her calls with Sam and risking their connection and losing him forever.

Continue reading →

Monthly Wrap-Up: September 2021

On October 2, 2021October 1, 2021 By whitreadslitIn Monthly Wrap-Ups4 Comments

Hello again! Sorry I took a bit of an unannounced hiatus. But, I’m back! This month I read 12 books! I am on track right now to be able to hit my goal of 150 books for the year!

While I am aiming for 150 books this year, I am also aiming to diversify my reading. I am trying to break into genres I don’t typically gravitate toward. I am hoping to read more non-fiction and classics. And, as always, I am taking part in several reading challenges.

Let’s get into it!

Continue reading →

Book Review: Never Saw You Coming

On September 5, 2021September 6, 2021 By whitreadslitIn Book Reviews5 Comments

Never Saw You Coming by Erin Hahn ~ 320 pages ~ to be published 9/7/2021 by Wednesday Books

Goodreads Synopsis:

Raised by conservative parents, 18-year-old Meg Hennessey just found out her entire childhood was a lie. Instead of taking a gap year before college to find herself, she ends up traveling north to meet what’s left of the family she never knew existed.

While there, she meets Micah Allen, a former pastor’s kid whose dad ended up in prison, leaving Micah with his own complicated relationship about the church. The clock is ticking on Pastor Allen’s probation hearing and Micah, now 19, feels the pressure to forgive – even when he can’t possibly forget.

As Meg and Micah grow closer, they are confronted with the heavy flutterings of first love and all the complications it brings. Together, they must navigate the sometimes-painful process of cutting ties with childhood beliefs as they build toward something truer and straight from the heart.

Continue reading →