en-US Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:30:26 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Review7488636550 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 13:30:26 -0700 /review/show/7488636550 Ro gave 4 stars to Yoko: A Biography (Hardcover) by David Sheff
Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

Before reading David Sheff’s book, my knowledge of Yoko Ono was pretty limited. Like so many others, I mostly saw her through the lens of Beatles lore—as the woman blamed for their breakup. However, my husband (a HUGE music fan and feminist) had told me I had the wrong impression and I welcomed this opportunity to learn more.

I found a thoughtful, detailed portrait of someone who’s obviously often been misunderstood and has endured a lot of hardship, and put a lot of art into the world before meeting John Lennon. Her life with Lennon brought public scrutiny and, after his death, personal danger and grief.

Sheff, who interviewed both Yoko and John extensively before Lennon’s murder, clearly admires her. The book reads more like a tribute than a traditional biography—empathetic and rich in detail, but lacking a bit of balance. Nonetheless, I'd recommend it - the world has done enough to vilify her and she deserves to be championed. ]]> Review7454396805 Tue, 01 Apr 2025 13:29:35 -0700 /review/show/7454396805 Ro gave 5 stars to Say You'll Remember Me (Part of Your World, #4) by Abby Jimenez
Thank you so much Netgalley, Abby Jimenez and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Good grief did I LOVE this book.

I had been putting off reading it due to content warnings/not knowing if I'd be emotionally prepared for the premise, but once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I was so bought in on every element - the characters, the impossible situations that they found themselves in, and their romance.

I did find some of the more 'of the times' references a bit distracting, but not enough to take any stars off - this was a rare 5 star book for me, and I can't wait to read the next one in the series. ]]> Review7454316497 Tue, 01 Apr 2025 13:00:01 -0700 /review/show/7454316497 Ro gave 4 stars to Friends with Benefits (Paperback) by Marisa Kanter
Thank you Netgalley and Celadon books for the ARC of Friends with Benefits in exchange for my honest review.

Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter is a fun, heartfelt friends-to-lovers romance. The story follows Evie, a Foley artist struggling with health insurance due to a chronic illness, and Theo, an elementary school teacher trying to hold onto his rent-controlled apartment. They resolve this in a very romance novel-familiar way: a marriage of convenience.

I loved the set up of their friendship, but I felt the romance element was a little harder to buy. Evie and Theo’s friendship feels authentic, filled with inside jokes and support, but I didn't really buy the chemistry, nor how they treated each other, all the time.

All that said, I loved the representation of chronic illness and the financial impacts it has, as well as the banter and the spice. I'd recommend it!

If you love a good friends-to-lovers romance with plenty of heart and a little chaos, this one’s worth the read! ]]> Review7248217174 Thu, 23 Jan 2025 07:38:24 -0800 /review/show/7248217174 Ro gave 5 stars to How To Cook Everything Kids: Empowering Young Chefs with Essential Kitchen Skills, Adventurous Eating, and Customizable Recipes for Joyful Discovery ... Kitchen (How to Cook Everything Series, 9) by Mark Bittman
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have followed Mark Bittman for years and years, and while there have been some misses for me along the way, "How to Cook Everything" has remained one of my most frequently reached-for and used cookbooks. I was thrilled to see "How to Cook Everything Kids" coming out and I cannot wait for my daughter to be ready to dig into it (she's still a bit young).

The book is a great find for kids who want to learn their way around the kitchen, which is a very important life skill and key to helping them be nutritionally balanced. It has tons of photos and fun graphics, and the techniques feel simple enough that they should make cooking feel accessible, easy and exciting.

The book also covers basics like spices and prep techniques, and I loved seeing what I consider to be a Bittman hallmark: providing a basic recipe and then multiple ways to mix it up with different flavors or riffs.

I can't wait to dive into this with my daughter in the next year or two! ]]> Review7245653213 Wed, 22 Jan 2025 13:13:29 -0800 /review/show/7245653213 Ro gave 4 stars to Sinéad O'Connor: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations (The Last Interview Series) by Melville House
Thank you Melville House and NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for my honest review.

I am a huge fan of Sinead O'Connor's, and have been educated on her history and place in pop culture, and I really liked these interviews for providing even more context on who she is, what influenced her behavior and decisions, and where she saw herself in relation to her popularity and as an activist. The interviews span from her early days to her final conversations, really demonstrating her unwavering commitment to authenticity, and her fearless approach to addressing controversial topics. Reading through these dialogues, I was struck by her candidness and the depth of her reflections on music, activism, and personal struggles. The book doesn't shy away from the challenges she faced, such as her mental health battles and the infamous moments that defined her public persona like the tearing up of the Pope picture on SNL.

For fans and newcomers alike, this compilation serves as a testament to Sinéad's enduring influence and the complexities that made her such a compelling figure. It's a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the woman behind the music and the headlines. ]]> Review7245635035 Wed, 22 Jan 2025 13:08:08 -0800 /review/show/7245635035 Ro gave 4 stars to The PLAN: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius (Hardcover) by Kendra Adachi
Thank you Netgalley and Convergent books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love the Lazy Genius approach, and am even part of their Facebook group where others share their own Lazy Genius hacks - it has really helped me live my ADHD/Working Mom life better in so many ways, and I was so eager to hear about "The PLAN" by Kendra Adachi.

On the plus side, she really meets me where I am - I love how practical and compassionate her approach to time management is. The strategies she offers are not only actionable but also feel incredibly relatable. Her writing is so concise and well-organized—it made even complex concepts easy to understand which really helps when I am already feeling overwhelmed.

That said, I felt like there wasn't a TON new in this book - a lot of it felt recycled from prior books/podcasts, etc. So maybe not as necessary for someone already really well-acquainted with her work and ideas. ]]> Review7069598334 Sun, 08 Dec 2024 21:47:41 -0800 /review/show/7069598334 Ro gave 5 stars to Out of the Woods (Paperback) by Hannah Bonam-Young
Oh my, did I ever love this book. I discovered Hannah Bonam-Young with Out on a Limb, and was thrilled when I got an ARC of Out of the Woods. And it really delivered.

It follows the story of Sarah and Caleb, featured in Out on a Limb, as they hit a bump in their marriage and go on a wilderness couples retreat to see if they can reconnect. The wilderness component wasn't a favorite part of mine going in, but I ended up enjoying it a lot as a great setting for the story to explore Sarah and Caleb's personalities, histories and their current relationship. It was funny, touching, heartbreaking and full of hope. I highly recommend it. ]]> PollVote82320081 Sun, 01 Dec 2024 19:58:54 -0800 /poll/show_vote/82320081 Ro voted for Just for the Summer as Readers' Favorite Romance in the 2024 Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Awards. ]]> ReadStatus8621127653 Mon, 11 Nov 2024 20:51:24 -0800 /review/show/6997878231 Ro has read Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey
]]> ReadStatus8621127208 Mon, 11 Nov 2024 20:51:14 -0800 /review/show/6997877912 Ro has read Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey
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