Beans And Bookends

Remarkably Bright Creatures
By: Shelby Van Pelt



shelbyvanpelt.com

🛍️ https://bookshop.org/p/books/remarkably-bright-creatures-a-novel-shelby-van-pelt/80d8bf54665f88a8
🛍️ https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9780063204164
🛍️ https://a.co/d/0ccp9HMb

Beans And Bookends Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review ⬇️
Heartwarming, charming, and cozy. I absolutely adored this book!

I loved the different POVs in the novel and how they captured seemingly relatable experiences of grief, finding out who you are or are becoming, making new friends, and genuine care for other beings.

First, we have Marcellus. What a gem! I could not get enough of his witty, dry humor and astute observations about human interactions and the characters at the aquarium. Some of his comments had me giggling out loud and I could have read an entire novel full of his thoughts.

Tova, what a sweet soul. Tova’s perspective is such a gentle exploration of aging and navigating life after tragedy and loss. She is spunky and stubborn, but deeply caring. My heart was broken and mended over and over again as she healed and made peace with her circumstances, while taking Cameron under her wing.

Cameron and Tova’s friendship that blossoms throughout the pages made me so happy. Young, grumpy guy that is just trying to get by, but is actually a big softy with no power to stand up to the sweet old lady. What a pair these two are! I also adored Ethan’s patient pining for Tova and the Knit-Wits really added an element of fierce friendship through the harsh realities of getting older.

I was so glad that I read the book before watching the film adaptation. Not because the film wasn’t great (because it absolutely was!), but because it made specific moments in the film hit so much harder. When I tell you that I was SOBBING…but I loved every minute of it!

*Please note that this is my personal review and rating and is subjective to my personal preferences. I encourage you to read this book for yourself if you are interested!

You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It
By: Lisa Rinna

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/you-better-believe-im-gonna-talk-about-it-lisa-rinna?variant=43996732162082

🛍️ https://bookshop.org/p/books/you-better-believe-i-m-gonna-talk-about-it-lisa-rinna/1b7c5e57b40ce862
🛍️ https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9780063425330
🛍️ https://a.co/d/0blw0l18

Beans And Bookends Rating: 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘪𝘳
Review ⬇️
Let me start out by saying that I knew of Lisa Rinna prior to her run on The Traitors, but I have never seen a full episode of RHOBH, only clips. I became a fan after The Traitors, I think she just so hilarious and iconic!

Mixed feelings for me on this one. I enjoyed the conversational style for the most part, especially because I was listening to the audiobook. Hearing her break down in chapter one while discussing her parents’ deaths made me quite literally sob on my run. I went into the read thinking it was going to be mostly wild reality tv scandal reveals and was pleasantly shocked that some real emotion was in there! I did enjoy learning about some of the infamous moments from Rinna’s perspective, and reading about her relationship with Harry and her daughters was a nice surprise as well.

The second half of the book was a smidge rambly. I felt it went from a tell-all to an almost “self-help” book in the later chapters. I do enjoy someone looking back on their life and reflecting on what they would have changed, or what advice they would pass along, but it became a bit redundant and a little contradictory. For example, Rinna talks about how she has never struggled with any sort of addiction or disorder, yet two pages later she is saying she “starved herself” before photo shoots.

Overall, I do think this was a fun read! I highly recommend listening to the audiobook! Lisa is so funny and charming, which makes for a super engaging listening experience!

*Please note that this is my personal review and rating and is subjective to my personal preferences. I encourage you to read this book for yourself if you are interested!

I’m training for a marathon and April was a high mileage month, so I listened to a LOT of audiobooks!

April Recap
📚
•I See You’ve Called in Dead by | 5⭐️
Witty and insightful with perfectly timed dark humor. It’s simultaneously raw, awkward, and humorous while expertly tackling the process of grief; with truly lovable characters.

•My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney | 5⭐️
I’m still not sure I’ve recovered from this one! So many twists, thrills, and reveals! The wild ride is absolutely worth the read!

•Rites of the Starling by Devney Perry | 5⭐️
An amazing follow up to book 1! I loved the new characters and finding out what happened to Odessa after the wild ending of Shield of Sparrows. But Holy Cliffhanger!!!!! Can’t wait for book 3!

•Woman Down by Colleen Hoover | 1⭐️
Meh. Not a fan of an author underestimating the intelligence of their readers.

•This Story Might Save Your Life by | 5⭐️
The perfect amount of suspense and mystery without being overly complicated! The audiobook is TOP TIER! The narrators have such amazing chemistry and the humorous bits are perfection!

•This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page | 5⭐️
Absolutely adorable and heartwarming! Libby does such a great job of tackling grief with tenderness, humor, and makes you feel hopeful and cozy while doing so.

•A Song of Spells & Sorrow by Kalynn Applewhite - Author |
I’m 50% through this one and am enjoying it so far. Sweet and spicy romance meets Dungeons and Dragons! Review to follow! Preorder your copy today!

•You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It by Lisa Rinna |
I’m flying through this one, about 50% in! Have I ever watched a full episode of RHOBH? Nope. Am I loving every second of this audiobook so far? Absolutely! Did not expect to be sobbing on my run, but then Chapter 1 happened!!

☕️
•Brown Sugar Latte 📍 Fox in the Snow Cafe | 10/10

The best vibes ☕️
Fox in the Snow Cafe

Brown Sugar Latte📍Fox in the Snow Cafe | Westerville, OH

foxinthesnow.com

Beans And Bookends Rating: 10/10
Review⬇️
This cafe has all the good vibes!
•Not only was this latte DELICIOUS, but the atmosphere in this cafe is top notch! Great decor, relaxed, friendly staff, and soooo many goodies to choose from!
•I can see why the Apple Crostada is a crowd favorite. It’s all the best parts of a classic apple pie, but elevated! That paired with the brown sugar latte was perfection!
•My latte was made just right, not overly sweet, with the perfect amount of foam on top! I’m excited to stop back in next time I’m in Columbus!

*Please note that this is my personal review and rating and is subjective to my personal preferences. I encourage you to try this latte for yourself if you are interested!

This Book Made Me Think of You
By: Libby Page

Libby Page

libbypage.co.uk

🛍️ https://bookshop.org/p/books/this-book-made-me-think-of-you-libby-page/39c01e2fd74010e0
🛍️ https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9798217186990
🛍️ https://a.co/d/07YALiou

Beans And Bookends Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review ⬇️
I’m a sucker for a heartwarming story that gets me emotional. Libby does an excellent job of tackling the topic of grief with tenderness and Tilly’s journey was so enjoyable to read.

You get sadness, humor, found-family, romance, and hope all wrapped in the most beautiful “Twelve Months of Books” gift. I particularly loved the side characters and the most precious bookstore cat in town. Listening to the audiobook was lovely. It made me feel like I was in the cozy towns right along with Tilly and her friends.

P.S. Being a runner, I particularly loved the bits about Tilly’s half marathon journey. And a particular scene related to running was the most heartbreaking scene of the novel in my opinion. IYKYK.

*Please note that this is my personal review and rating and is subjective to my personal preferences. I encourage you to read this book for yourself if you are interested!

This Story Might Save Your Life
By: Tiffany Crum



tiffanycrum.com

🛍️ https://bookshop.org/p/books/this-story-might-save-your-life-a-novel-tiffany-crum/f83a8f20e914f0b1
🛍️ https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781250395238
🛍️ https://a.co/d/01VeCiZ9

Beans And Bookends Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review ⬇️
I really liked this story! Fantastic writing, engaging characters, thrilling plot, and a love story all in one!

The audiobook is top tier! Both narrators are so enjoyable to listen to and I loved the added elements during the “podcast” segments! I couldn’t put this one down. Just enough mystery to keep you guessing, but nothing too complex to keep track of. I loved the humorous bits thrown in, especially because the narrators had so much chemistry during those moments!

*Please note that this is my personal review and rating and is subjective to my personal preferences. I encourage you to read this book for yourself if you are interested!

Woman Down
By: Colleen Hoover

colleenhoover.com

🛍️ https://bookshop.org/p/books/woman-down/b3c2342b77b8d51e
🛍️ https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781542025614
🛍️ https://a.co/d/05iTzEUO

Beans And Bookends Rating: ⭐️
Review ⬇️
Meh.

When I spend most of a thriller going, “why on earth would you make that decision?”…I just can’t get behind it. This book was weird. Why would you keep letting a man into your house over and over again that you just met and are terrified of? Apparently because he’s hot? 🤮

Took me way longer to finish than it should of. After finishing it and seeing other reviews, I totally agree that a portion of the plot is suspiciously close to certain real life events that happened to the author. I’m not a fan of an author underestimating the intelligence of their readers. No thanks.

*Please note that this is my personal review and rating and is subjective to my personal preferences. I encourage you to read this book for yourself if you are interested!

Rites of the Starling
By: Devney Perry

Devney Perry

devneyperry.com

🛍️ https://bookshop.org/p/books/rites-of-the-starling-devney-perry/ad41545e8e7f44ec
🛍️ https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781682816752
🛍️ https://a.co/d/02CcdbAU

Beans And Bookends Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review ⬇️
Holy. Cliffhanger. 🧗🏻‍♀️🔥

Such a great follow up to book 1! I loved diving back into the world of Calandra, meeting new characters and monsters, and finding out what happens next after the wild ending of Shield of Sparrows! Personally, I felt the twists were well done and a few had me shocked because I had been so immersed in the story. The dual timeline made for a fun read, adding to the high stakes of the imminent migration looming over the realm.

I did tear up a few times! 𝘐’𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘍𝘢𝘹𝘰𝘯! If you are a mom, prepare thy heart! ❤️ Can’t wait for book 3!

*Please note that this is my personal review and rating and is subjective to my personal preferences. I encourage you to read this book for yourself if you are interested!

My Husband’s Wife
By: Alice Feeney

Alice Feeney

alicefeeney.com

🛍️ https://bookshop.org/p/books/my-husband-s-wife-a-novel-alice-feeney/3892c0e8d3fdcfe9
🛍️ https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781250337818
🛍️ https://a.co/d/04Hgenkr

Beans And Bookends Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review ⬇️
I am genuinely still like WHAAAAT?!?!

Was this book extremely thrilling, fast-paced, eerie, and intense? Absolutely. Am I still trying to figure out what I just read? Also absolutely.

There are so many twists and surprises in this book it’s insane. I FLEW through it and couldn’t put it down. I felt like I was miles behind in solving the case, had no clue what would happen next, and I never would have predicted the ending.

That being said, there are some reveals that were nowhere near plausible, but the crazy ride was worth it!

*Please note that this is my personal review and rating and is subjective to my personal preferences. I encourage you to read this book for yourself if you are interested!

I See You’ve Called In Dead
By: John Kenney



byjohnkenney.com

🛍️ https://bookshop.org/p/books/i-see-you-ve-called-in-dead-john-kenney/7743f0c9f88b162a
🛍️ https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9798989923014
🛍️ https://a.co/d/0fxJ1j56

Beans And Bookends Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review ⬇️
Little Leo! You got my tears going, sweet boy! ❤️

This book was fantastic! So witty and insightful, with perfectly timed dark humor that made me so excited to read on. Kenney does a great job of capturing how a lot of us process grief and learn to cope with life after a tragedy or loss.

Several chapters made me tear up. The writing was simultaneously raw, awkward, and humorous in all of the best ways. I honestly loved every single character and am so happy that I picked this one up!

*Please note that this is my personal review and rating and is subjective to my personal preferences. I encourage you to read this book for yourself if you are interested!