Tuesday, March 31, 2020

{Review} Well Met by Jen DeLuca

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Page Count: 336
Published On: September 3, 2019
Published By: Berkley Romance
Genre(s): Adult romance
Source: Hardback bought through Book of the Month
Where To Find It: Amazon// Book Depository

My Rating: 5 stars


Goodreads synopsis:

All's faire in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author, Jen DeLuca.

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

The faire is Simon's family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn't have time for Emily's lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds, he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she's in her revealing wench's costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they're portraying?

This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can't seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon, or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.

~ ~ ~

Content Warning: 
This does contain sexual content, a pirate in leather, and a swoon-worthy man in a kilt


Hey guys!

Welcome to my review of Well Met by Jen DeLuca. Full disclosure, I adored this book. It was everything I needed: small-town romance, hate-to-love and a sort of enemies to lovers situation, and there was a kind of fake dating spin. It was EVERYTHING. I loved it so freaking much. I absolutely fell in love with the characters that we met in this novel. I want to befriend them IRL and become their best friends. I love it when I feel so connected to a cast of characters. This has quickly become a new favorite romance book and I cannot wait for the companion/sequel that follows our main character's ren faire BFF.

This book was so freaking delightful. I cannot believe I waited so long to read it. Back in August 2019, I picked Well Met as my Book of the Month, but I didn't pick it up until March of 2020. What a travesty! Thank the Lord for the BaeCrate buddy reads on Facebook, otherwise, I would have waited even longer to pick it up.

In this novel, we meet Emily. After breaking up with her long term boyfriend, Emily moves to her sister's small town to take care of her and her niece after her sister is in a debilitating car accident. That summer, she takes her niece to sign up for the town's renaissance faire, but she soon finds out that she has to sign up too because minors can't participate without a guardian present. She signs up/volunteers to be a tavern wench. Little does she know that she is about to have her most enjoyable summer yet. 

This book hooked me as soon as I started reading it. Not only is Emily a snarky, flirty, caring character, but the way she took in her surroundings and processed what happened to her was so engaging and addictive. I loved seeing her world through her eyes. She was so brilliantly written. Whenever she interacted with Simon throughout the story, I was on the edge of my seat. Their banter and interactions were so perfectly done. Their chemistry was palpable and so addicting. 

Simon. Simon Simon Simon. What a darling male companion. Right off the bat, I knew I was going to love him because somehow Emily's delightful and adorable personality was going to break through his curmudgeonly personality. I adored how his character developed and how his relationship with his friends blossomed and improved as he began to open up and communicate. I love him so much.

Additionally, the side characters in this book were so fabulously written. Even though they weren't the main characters, I still felt like I knew them so well. They didn't just fit in to make Emily's life better. They had their own lives outside hers. Jen DeLuca just did such a wonderful job writing this book.

Also, the steamy scene that occurred in this book is so wonderfully written. It wasn't creepy or weirdly done. It was perfect. You need it.

If you haven't picked up this romance novel, I definitely suggest that you do. It's so well written and I cannot rave about it nearly enough. This book deserves all of the praise. Please read it.

If you would like to pick up a copy of this book for $14.99, I definitely recommend the Book of the Month service. I adore their boxes and their choices every month. 


I hope you enjoyed this review. Please stay safe out there and please stay home. This virus, the coronavirus (COVID-19) is a very dangerous and fast-spreading sickness that is affecting so many people. It is a very scary time out in the world, but we can get through it if we continue to work together by using social distancing and staying home. 

Please think of the immuno-compromised, the young, the elderly, and all those who cannot fight off this virus as easily as the able-bodied. 

Please take care. 


Happy reading, my lovelies.
Olivia 
~Liv the Book Nerd~




Wednesday, March 25, 2020

{Review} Highland Conquest by Heather McCollum

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Page Count: 300
Published On: April 28, 2020
Published By: Entangled: Amara
Genre(s): historical romance
Source: eARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley
Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 1.5 stars


Goodreads synopsis:

Cain Sinclair has a plan. In order to finally bring peace to his clan, he will wed the young female chief of their greatest enemy. Only problem: capturing her and forcing her back to Sinclair castle doesn’t exactly make her want to say yes. Ella Sutherland may be clever, passionate, and shockingly beautiful, but what she isn’t is willing.

Every attempt Cain makes to woo her seems to backfire on him. A gift? The kitten practically claws his eyes out. A competitive game of chess? Even when he wins, he loses. It seems the only time the two ever see eye to eye is when they’re heating up Cain’s bed. Still, the only thing Ella truly wants is the one thing he cannot offer her: freedom.

But when Cain discovers she’s been harboring a secret—one that could threaten both clans’ very existence—he’ll have to decide between peace for the Sinclairs or the woman who’s captured his heart.

~ ~ ~

Content Warning: sexism, parental abuse, violence
This does contain sexual content.


Hey, guys,

I was sent an eARC of this book for my honest review via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own. 

When I first requested to read this book, I was really hopeful. The synopsis was intriguing, the characters and drama were something that I was very interested in reading about, and I haven't really read many historical romance books that take place in Scotland. I'm a sucker for a brooding man in a kilt. 

Unfortunately, this book was just really annoying to me. The characters weren't developed well at all, the romance was so lackluster, and the language used throughout was just a slog to get through. I didn't enjoy this book at all.

When it comes to historical romance books of the cheesy variety, I usually have to suspend my reality to fully enjoy the story. They're supposed to be dramatic and unrealistic but in the best way. Unfortunately, this was just too bizarre, unrealistic, awkward, inconsistent, and full of plot holes for me to actually enjoy.

One of my main issues with this book was that the language was just a chore to understand. There was a good mixture of modern English, Old English, and random Scottish slang or terms -- as well as random words that were spelled differently to sound Scottish or old. For example, "cock" was "cod" and "fuck" was "fok." Not only was the first extremely terrible to imagine. (All I imagined were dead fishes whenever a person was called a cod. Please no.) The use of "fok" kept getting 'autocorrected' (if you will) to "fork" or I would just cringe and be annoyed. In my opinion, these random uses of phrases and terms just made it even more confusing to follow. It was just awkward and annoying to me. 

I love it when books use terms or phrases from a different language or even when they make up their own language, but this book just randomly used the phrases or terms willy-nilly and it was quite obvious that they didn't really know what they were doing. I swear I'm not trying to sound like a snob or something, but the method that this author used in this book was just annoying my English major heart. I couldn't do it.

Let's move onto another thing I didn't enjoy -- the romance. The characters in this book were quite two-dimensional already, but the attempted romance just made their lack of depth unbearable. I feel like the author was focusing their efforts on making the language historically accurate, rather than focusing on the story. The romance that developed just didn't feel realistic to me. The "strong" female lead wasn't the kind of strength that I expected. There were some good feminist ideas throughout, but the execution was just lacking. 

I'm in the middle of a massive romance kick right now, so I wish I had liked this book more. I need to find a historical romance book that I completely adore. Until then, I'm going to keep tentatively searching for my historical romance sweet spot. 

Stay tuned!
Happy reading!
Olivia
Liv the Book Nerd ~




Wednesday, March 18, 2020

#QuarantineReads: What Am I Reading?


Hey, guys!

I know we are in the middle of a pandemic and it's super stressful, but I'd love to talk about what you're currently reading. As someone who suffers from a form of anxiety, I have to find different ways to cope with the things that bring me stress and all the negative emotions. My most prominent hobby and coping method is to read a butt-ton of books.

Last week, my campus moved all of our classes online, spring break was extended a week, and it's looking nearly all businesses will be shut down (willingly or ordered by the governor). My city is a ghost town and a good majority of the people that are usually bustling around are being told to go home, social distance, and some can work from home. Lots of people are out of jobs for this weird period and a lot of us are freaking out about how we are going to survive and pay the bills.

I'd like to brighten up your feed with a means of escape. I think keeping busy and sticking to a routine is really important. Even if you're staying home and working from home, I firmly believe that getting dressed or changing your clothes, going through your daily morning routine, and being at-hope professional will keep the weird quarantine blues away. These past few days have been really freaky and depressing on my end. I keep taking naps or sleeping in 'til 11am or being anything but productive.

From now on, I'm going to be productive and move around. I can't go out and write in coffee shops, but I can learn how to make my own coffee the way that I like it. I can exercise in my garage or take a walk. I can do things that will keep me accountable.

What do you do to keep yourself busy and away from the depression fog in your brain?

I've said it a few paragraphs up, but my favorite thing to do in my downtime is read. This year my goal is to read what I want to read, to keep up with the books that I buy, and to DNF when I'm not feeling it. Since the COVID-19 was declared to be in my Indiana town, I've definitely read more...or I've at least picked up too many books.

Here is what I've read recently: {click here}. I'll have reviews for some and mini-reviews for them at the end of the month, but if you'd like to chat about a previously read book, feel free to comment below, email me, or DM me on Instagram.

Here are my current reads and immediate TBR!

Current Reads:

  • A Court of Thorns of Roses (#1) by Sarah J. Maas
    • This is my favorite series of all time and I've been so eager to reread, annotate, and analyze because there is so much depth in the characters and the story. I adore this world so much and I'm having a wonderful time rereading.
    • I'm about 120 pages into this reread.
  • Docile by KM Szpara
    • This was sent to me by Tor for an honest review. I'm 2 chapters in and I'm really enjoying it.
  • Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
    • This is such a fun read, but it's a little too real right now. I'm about 60% through and I've put it down for a minute. I'm eager to finish it because it's really fun.
  • The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
    • I started this one recently via audio (Ugh yes! So good!) and I'm so excited to continue on with it. I love TJR so much. She has a fantastic writing style. I haven't met Evelyn Hugo yet in the book, but I love how she develops her characters and fleshes out the story. She's a fantastic storyteller.
  • Well Met by Jen DeLuca
  • Seven Endless Forests by April Genevive Tucholke
  • A Heart So Fierce & Broken by Brigid Kemmerer
  • Lucky Caller by Emma Mills
  • The Unfairfolk by Sara Wolf
  • Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco
  • The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune
  • Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
  • Havenfall by Sara Holland
The majority of these books are ARCs that I am either behind on or anticipating getting to. I'm very excited to binge read them as quickly as I can. They all have fascinating premises. 

What will you be reading during this time of quarantine?

Happy reading!
Olivia
~Liv the Book Nerd~


Monday, March 9, 2020

{Review} Sick Kids In Love by Hannah Moskowitz

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Page Count: 300
Published On: November 5, 2019
Published By: Page Street Kids
Genre(s): YA contemporary romance
Source: ARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley, audiobook available through Hoopla
Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 4.75 stars


Goodreads synopsis:

Isabel has one rule: no dating.
It's easier--
It's safer--
It's better--
--for the other person.
She's got issues. She's got secrets. She's got rheumatoid arthritis.
But then she meets another sick kid.
He's got a chronic illness Isabel's never heard of, something she can't even pronounce. He understands what it means to be sick. He understands her more than her healthy friends. He understands her more than her own father who's a doctor.
He's gorgeous, fun, and foul-mouthed. And totally into her.
Isabel has one rule: no dating.
It's complicated--
It's dangerous--
It's never felt better--
--to consider breaking that rule for him.

~ ~ ~

Content Warning: ableism

Hey, guys!

When diving into this book, I was really nervous that the representation would be harmful or dishonest to the experiences of others; however, this wasn't the case. Sick Kids in Love is a #ownvoices YA novel that follows two teens who experience chronic "invisible" illnesses. Full disclosure, I am an able bodied human, but that doesn't stop me for appreciating the knowledge that this story has provided to me. I'm so thankful to the author for writing such a captivating and educational story. 

Isabel struggles with chronic pain from her arthritis. Her "invisible" illness then causes her to struggle on a day-to-day basis. Some days are worse than others, but she's learned to manage her pain -- alone. Isabel also struggles to verbalize her pain and struggles because of the negative issues she's had to face. Her friends and family don't understand her illness. They don't understand the issues and struggles that she faces every day. 

Sasha has Gaucher Disease. His illness isn't invisible, and has some really potentially deadly and painful symptoms that keep Sasha from going to school consistently, refraining from hospital visits, and maintaining the friendships that he so desperately would love to have. 

This book discusses the concept of "invisible" and "visible" illnesses so well. These characters are so young, but have constantly had to juggle their illnesses, their doctors, their families, etc. Isabel is constantly undermined and gaslit by doctors even though she is in terrible terrible pain that they can't see. Sasha is constantly held back from the experiences that he wants to experience, not just by himself, but by his family and doctors. He's constantly in the hospital from his bones breaking or from an organ that suddenly decides to shut down on him. He's in constant fear that his body will decide to shut down or turn on him. However, these kids don't let that fear keep them from being forced to act and pursue being "perfectly healthy." They're proud of the struggles they've had to experience and being a disabled person is a part of their identity. 

This book is just so freaking inspiring and eye-opening. Please read it.

Not only is there a fantastic message, the kids fall in love (hence the title). This romance story is so wonderfully executed. Isabel is a girl after my own heart. She refuses to change herself or change her story for a boy, but then she meets Sasha. Sasha is just a cinnamon roll of a person. I absolutely adore him. Sasha is a total dork who just falls for Isabel's bold and fearless outlook, her closed off wariness that surrounds attaining friendships, and her desire to learn. She's a risk taker and she's really rude sometimes, but he likes that about her because she doesn't bullshit him. She doesn't want to admit it (she's so stubborn), but she falls for Sasha too. They become besties. They bond over his dynamic and engaging family, their Jewish identities, and the beauty found only in New York City. 

Their relationship was just so relatable. Seeing them fall in love just reaffirmed my love for my own person. Our favorite thing to do is to just sit and do our own thing, but be together. I think that Isabel and Sasha even said something about how they just wanted to be homebodies and do nothing together because they just wanted to be near each other. I just loved that so much.

This story was just everything I could have hoped for. I need to buy myself a finished copy ASAP. 

Please read this book!

Happy reading:
Olivia
~ Liv the Book Nerd ~

The Author's Playlist for This Book: 

If I Was Sick--Guy Forsyth
It's a Pleasure to Meet You--Motion City Soundtrack
Her Morning Elegance--Oren Lavie
Dancing Through Life--Wicked Cast Recording
Sister Winter--Sufjan Stevens
Falling Slowly--Once Soundtrack
Falling for the First Time--Barenaked Ladies
Strange--The Feeling
Delicate--Taylor Swift
Same Old Stuff--The Feeling
Best Worst Mistake--If/Then Cast Recording
One Night Town--Ingrid Michaelson and Mat Kearney
If I Fell--Across the Universe soundtrack
Just The Way You Are--Billy Joel
King of My Heart--Taylor Swift
New Year's Day--Taylor Swift
Dogs--Damien Rice
The Book of Love--The Magnetic Fields
Could I Be You--Matchbox 20
Out of the Woods--Taylor Swift
New Romantics--Taylor Swift
Talking in Code--Margot and the Nuclear So and So's
The Worst Part--Motion City Soundtrack
Hold Me Down--Motion City Soundtrack
Give up/Give in--Motion City Soundtrack
Breakway--Kelly Clarkson
You Were Right--Badly Drawn Boy
The Way I Am--Ingrid Michaelson
Love Story--Taylor Swift
Get Happy--Bowling for Soup
You Are in Love--Taylor Swift
Wires--Athlete
Tic--Loch Lomond
Chasing Cars--Snow Patrol
Here is a Heart--Jenny Owen Youngs
In My Life--The Beatles
Calendar Girl--Stars
Call it What You Want--Taylor Swift

Friday, March 6, 2020

February 2020 Reading Wrap Up


Hey, guys!

It's that time again! During the month of March, I managed to read so many lovely books! I also managed to start a bunch of tomes before the end of the month, then not completing all that I started before the end of the month. Oh well! Expect a fairly large March reading wrap up! Here are the lovely books I read in February!




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Circe by Madeline Miller
2nd read: 5 stars (all the stars)


There's are so so so many reasons why this book is one of my all-time favorites, but I'll try to explain concisely.

When I first read this book, I felt like it was a bit slow; however, upon rereading I realized how crucial that pace was. Circe, the character, is thousands of years old and has experienced so much throughout the book. It just makes sense that some of the parts of the story are slower than others. That's just how life goes! 

I've explained this in my review for my first read of Circe, but I'm obsessed with her character and growth. I'm obsessed with her strong attitude and dedication to pursue her truth and power. Circe is such an inspiration and one of the most fascinating and intriguing characters I've ever read about. 

I love this book with all of my heart and soul and it deserves every award and word of praise possible. Madeline Miller is a goddess of a writer and I cannot wait to read or listen to The Song of Achilles in 2020. I'm so jazzed to dive in.

Where to Purchase:



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Beyond the Shadowed Earth by Joanna Ruth Meyer
4 stars
{full review}

I had the pleasure of reading this early, however, I didn't manage to finish it before it was published because I wanted to savor the story. 

Joanna has the beautiful capability of crafting intricately developed stories, intriguing characters, and badass and addicting magical worlds. Beyond the Shadowed Earth is a companion to her other novel, Beneath the Haunting Sea, which also takes place in the same world. I believe that Earth follows sometime after Sea, but you aren't required to read Sea before Earth. I have yet to read Sea. 

This book was so magical and wonderfully crafted. I'm obsessed with the politics and the magic that shapes the world. I need need need more of the gods and the backstories of the gods. I hope there is more in Sea because I loved the mythology that this story is based on. I saw so many connections to other mythologies that I adore. This was such a wonderful read. 

The only reason that I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 was because I didn't really like Eda at all. I really love to connect to the characters and become connected to them, but Eda was just not my favorite character. She was interesting and her story was interesting, but her personality didn't jive with me.

Where To Purchase:


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Beezer by Brandon T. Snider
2 stars

While this was a very nice audio performance, this story was just not stellar. The development of Beelzebub/Beezer was much too fast and unrealistic and it was all dialogue rather than a story. There were some cool noises/sound effects and the voice acting was pretty good, but this production was not an audiobook. It was missing a setting, descriptions, and originality. This story just was so lackluster. 

I liked the unconventional family that had taken in Beezer, but it just was so awkward. The dialogue was cheesy and forced.

Just disappointing. I'm glad it was only 2 hours. 

Where to Purchase:

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Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
First read: March 2018 // no rating
2nd read: February 2020 // 3 stars

When I first read this for one of my early literature classes, I really didn't enjoy it. I ended up skimming and Sparknote-ing and just not enjoying it. This time around, I started it via audio and finished it physically and I really liked it. The ending, granted, was so slow and I didn't enjoy it as much, but the first half was wonderful and beautiful.

I really loved Janie's character, the growth she experienced, and her outlook on life and love. Her struggles and the lessons that she learned are so powerful. This is a wonderful, lyrical story about a woman finding her independence through the people she meets and the struggles that she faces. I think that all literature lovers should read it. 

Where To Purchase:

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Meg, Jo, Beth, & Amy by Rey Terciero, Bre Indigo, and Louisa May Alcott
4 stars

I really loved this modern retelling of Little Women. A massive thank you to my friend Brittany for gifting me this book for Christmas. 

I'm always wary to read any sort of modern retelling of Little Women. Little Women is my favorite book of all time, a classic, and really shouldn't be changed by other authors -- that's fanfiction, and I can't do it. (I love fanfiction, but I don't like it for LW.) Though I was wary when it came to retelling this story, I so so so loved how the authors approached this modern take. Some of the lessons were a bit watered down compared to the novel, but I can't expect a 500 page graphic novel. That would just be exhausting for the authors.

Overall, the authors did a fantastic job retelling the March sisters' stories. There were quite a few changes to the story, but they made sense for the ages of the girls and the time period that the story took place in. I love the feminist take on the story and the empowerment that it instills in the reader. In this instance, I wasn't too mad about the changes because they made sense in context. 

Where to Purchase:
Amazon // Book Depository // Goodreads


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Sick Kids In Love by Hannah Moskowitz
4.5 stars

Physical ARC provided by publisher and eARC provided by NetGalley


This was just so wonderful to read. I cannot believe that I waited so long to pick it up. I guess I was just worried that the illnesses that the main characters had would be romanticized or dramatized in ways that were harmful to those who were represented. However, I felt like this novel really stayed true to real life. Not only were the illnesses and the status of being chronically ill done exceptionally well (hell yeah, #ownvoices), the romance that developed was so beautiful, natural, and clever. I adored Isabel and Sasha's characters. They were wonderful protagonists to follow. Reading their love story reminded me how much fun it was to fall in love with my fiance and really reinforced my ideas that surround love.  I saw a lot of my own relationship and the ways that we fell in love in how they fell for each other.Hannah Moskowitz definitely knows what's up. What a fantastic romance novel. I'm excited that this book is a part of the YA genre because it is a true gem. I really resonated with Isabel's tendency to overthink. Her thought processes were so relatable. I love her so much. SASHA! What a sweet, soft boy. I cannot fully describe how much I adore him.
Where to Purchase:
Amazon // Book Depository // Goodreads
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Go With the Flow by Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann
5 stars

Physical copy borrowed from my campus' library

This was such a fantastic graphic novel about teen girls and the struggles that come from being naturally and authentically themselves. This story follows a cast of 4 teen girls as they fight for equal treatment and equality in their school. 

This is a lovely story about friendship, what it means to be a woman, and what it means when you need to stand up for your basic rights. 

This story completely revolves around periods, but you definitely need to read this story. Please pick it up. Don't shy away from this topic. 

Where to Purchase:
Amazon // Book Depository // Goodreads

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A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
5 stars

Trigger/Content warning: Islamophobia, xenophobia, racism, physical/verbal harassment, parental abandonment

This book. Wow. This was everything. 

I have so many words that cannot possibly fit into a mini-review. Please stay tuned because a full review will be coming soon. 

Please pick up and read this book. 

Where to Purchase:
Amazon // Book Depository // Goodreads


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Stargazing by Jen Wang
4 stars

This was another powerful read. (Look at me, picking up all of the powerful emotional reads before the end of February. Hello, me.) 

I really didn't go into this graphic novel knowing how powerful and emotional the story would be, but holy cow I should have just known. Jen Wang's The Prince and the Dressmaker was just so powerful and is one of my all time favorite stories. It deserves all the love, but wow! Stargazing was just as beautiful. The art was so freaking gorgeous and expressive. The colors were everything. The characters were so engaging and so inspiring in their own way. Their stories were so un-putdownable. The emotions that permeate this story are so powerful and delightful. You don't want to miss.

Where To Purchase:
Amazon // Book Depository // Goodreads 





Average Rating: 4.05 stars
Number of Pages Read: 2,438 pages

Format, Genre, & Age Break-down:

- YA: 4
- Adult: 2
- Children's: 3



- Audio: 3
- Physical: 5
- eBook: 1

- Graphic Novels: 3
- Contemporary/Romance: 2
- Class reading: 1
- Fantasy: 3


What did you read in February? What was your favorite read? Comment below!

Happy reading:
Olivia
~ Liv the Book Nerd ~