kassie_rankin's reviews
146 reviews

Spare by Prince Harry

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

This book was an intriguing peek behind the curtain at Prince Harry’s life. I did not have too many expectations when I started it. Overall, I thought it was a good read and a conversation starter.

I was interested in the story throughout most of it. Some portions about his time in the military felt a little long to me, but that is because I am not interested in those stories. I did enjoy his emotions and stories about his mom. I could feel his heartbreak every time he spoke about her, which was something I did not think would affect me as much. 

I enjoyed this book and recommend it to those interested in the Royal Family or family dynamics. But if those two things do not interest you, this book probably isn’t for you.

I listened to this book and thought it was a great way to connect with the story and the author.

Sex and Your Stars: A Sexologist's Guide to the Erotic Energy of the Zodiac by Stefanie Iris Weiss

informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

Over the last year or two, I have been trying to learn more about astrology. This book is another perspective I would never have thought to focus on within astrology, but it makes a lot of sense. 
I learned more about each of the astrological signs, including their basics and how they influence a person’s sexual needs and wants. 
This would be a great book to own physically or as an e-copy to reference at different times. It can be beneficial to learn more about yourself sexually and about future partners. 
I also enjoyed that this book felt like there was little to no judgment towards the reader.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sounds True Publishing for the opportunity to read the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

The Townsend Family Recipe for Disaster by Shauna Robinson

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

 I LOVED THIS BOOK. I loved it so much that I read Shauna Robinson’s backlist (two other books) directly after finishing it. The description of this book was spot on. You will get some yummy food, some juicy family drama, and a whole lot of love.

The Townsend Family Recipe for Disaster follows Mae as she plans her wedding. In the midst of planning her wedding, she finds out that her paternal grandmother has passed away. Now, Mae is estranged from her paternal side of the family, but she wants to reconnect. To do so, she uses a family BBQ and a lost mac & cheese recipe to try to reconnect with a family she has never really known.

The story has bumps and turns, but Mae’s feelings made me want to keep reading it. I fell in love with the characters and wanted to know more about them throughout the story. 

Please check content warnings for racism, death, toxic friendships, etc.

I read an eBook version and listened to the audiobook. I loved both of these options!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebook Landmark for the opportunity to read the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

Carrie by Stephen King

5.0

 This was a reread for me this year after reading The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson. 

I was reminded of how much I enjoyed this book. This book has a very unique writing set up, which was very fun. You get to hear about the story from different perspectives (not different POVs). 

I still don’t think this book is “scary” but that may be because I have read it before and watched the movies.

 

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

3.25

I picked up this book because I LOVED dystopian YA when I was in middle school. So I thought I might as well pick it up and see if I still enjoy them. I really enjoyed this story. It followed the typical early 2000’s YA dystopian tropes and storylines. But I did not love it enough to keep reading the series. I will also not be watching the movie… 

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 I ate this book up! It had me very interested till the very end. I wanted to know what was going to happen at every turn. I will say that the ending had me very surprised. 

I am very excited to see the TV show now 🙂

 

Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell by Taj McCoy

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.5

This book sounded interesting and I thought it would be a body positive book about finding love within yourself. But that is not what I read. Savvy only loved herself as she lost weight and became thin. This book was just not for me. 

A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother by Janny Scott
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.

Just not for me. I like biographies, but this felt very textbook-y. 
May come back in the future and try again!

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I only finished this because I started to listen to the audiobook. 
This book is wildly unbelievable. The main character is not someone I wanted to listen to or follow at all. I really did not enjoy this book. 

 I was very excited to read this book. The story and setting sound like a perfect winter thriller to read when there is snow outside or you want a little escape. But the storyline just fell short for me. I was bored throughout the book and did not care to continue it, but I did finish. 

Second Night Stand by Fay Stetz-Waters, Karelia Stetz-Waters

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I LOVE THIS BOOK!
This book is very cute and sweet, with a bit of spice!

I loved all of the characters in this book. They were real and relatable, but also awe-inspiring, which is truly amazing. I wanted to know what was going to happen to the characters throughout the whole book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.