I think the thing that makes the Heartstrings series enjoyable to me is that I've (so far) never seen the movies that inspired the books. They feel nostalgic, yet I'm not trying to look for the comparison.

Over the years, meteorologists Jackson and Delilah have been sporadically and professionally acquainted. Neither was the other's first pick when getting an assignment together covering a massive snowstorm. Powerless against it, they tough it out, hoping their clashing personalities don't cause them too much trouble. For Delilah, in this assignment, she comes to see an opportunity. If Jackson can help her be taken seriously by her colleagues, she can teach him how to have fun on the job.

Of course, no assignment can go smoothly. After confusion with the hotel bookings, Delilah's room choices are a yurt in a camp across the way, or to accept Jackson's invitation to share his room. They decide this will be fine. After all, they're friends now. That's all…

I felt much the same about this book as I did about First-Time Caller, though I was more attached to the characters in that book. I enjoyed my time with it, but it's not going to be one that I forever carry with me. I'm glad about that because that means in a few years I'll get to revisit the series and relive the books all over again.

It's interesting returning to Heartstrings after reading the first two books in the Lovelight Farm series. It's wonderful to see how B.K. Borrison has grown as a writer, and I appreciate that (so far) this series hasn't been quite as spicy as Lovelight.

For some reason, I've been drawn to this book. The length of not only the book but also the number of books in the series terrifies me. I tried to resist, alas, here I am now.

Straight away, we are introduced to Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica, and the history of the Bene Gesserit. Paul is an unusual figure given that the Bene Gesserit women strictly produce females. There is a suspicion that he may be the 'Kwisatz Haderach', but Paul doesn't understand the gravity of what this means until much later on.

The world-building is a bit slower than the discussion of politics, which is present on nearly every page. At first, I was absorbed into the world, but once I was about a fourth of the way into the book, I was on information overload. Multiple narrations are going on without any organization or rhythm, along with a lot of interior monologue (to the point where it was irritating).

Honestly, I don't think I retained much. I was so focused on scanning for what was an important detail that I ended up not allowing myself to get immersed. I'm not sure if I'll continue the series or not. If I do, I will probably reread this one as an audiobook first. I'd also like to give the movies a go, because the core plot itself is interesting. I think I need the visuals.

I've been rewatching Gilligan’s Island this past month and impulsively bought this book (I still need to read Dreama Denver's first book about Bob Denver). I didn't realize it was a scrapbook! It was such a sweet collection of memories. So glad to have it as part of my classic television collection!

I can't even remember when I bought this book it's been sitting on my shelf for so long. I'm glad to have finally gotten to it, although I realized a third of the way into the book that I'm not as interested in hippie culture as I thought I was (although I probably was around the time I bought it). Still an interesting read culturally and historically.

I've read a couple of Kazuo Ishiguro's novels, so I when I saw this while browsing Barnes & Noble, I thought it was interesting that he has also written lyrics. It's a super quick read, but it's a nice, lighthearted book with nice illustrations.

Nim's Island was one of my absolute favorite movies growing up. I loved the characters, the story, the island… absolutely everything about it. I didn't realize until I came across this book at the thrift store that it was a book first.

Honestly, I enjoyed the movie more. I missed Alex Rover as the second narrator. Her story was my favorite even as a kid. The movie, surprisingly, added a lot of depth. I think for kids not familiar with the movie, it's a great book. For adults looking to relive childhood nostalgia? Just rewatch the movie.

Perhaps more interesting than this book itself is the story behind it. Before Irène Némirovsky's had the chance to complete five planned parts of Suite Française, she was taken by the Nazis and sent to Auschwitz, where she died shortly after. Before her murder, she was able to complete the first two parts of the book by hand. Decades later, the manuscript was found by her daughter, who then transcribed and published the work.

The story follows various characters living in Paris during World War II. As the Nazis invade Paris, civilians pack up their families to flee. We follow families, a priest and the children in his care, wives who were left behind while their husbands went to fight in the war, a writer, a farmer, and others. Unlike the modern dual POV style, the book embraces the ensemble of voices without a singular plotline uniting them. Knowing this was written as the war was actively going on, it adds to the feeling of authenticity.

I got the same feeling reading this as I get when I watch Casablanca (particularly the scene when they overpower the Nazis in the bar by singing La Marseillaise). Yes, it's fictional, but knowing that the stories weren't written in hindsight makes everything feel more haunting. Irène Némirovsky observed life in France during this time, and I would think the things she witnessed found their way into her characters, at least in essence. Knowing why the book was never completed packs a punch. If for nothing else but the author's history alone, this is worth the read.

I don't think I was in the right headspace for a mysterious time travel book. The premise is intriguing, but I struggled to follow along with it. I'm not sure if it was because of the execution or if it was me. I may revisit this again sometime. Where it's being compared to The Ministry of Time, I will say that I enjoyed this book more.

I've wanted to read this book for so long but I felt so intimidated by it. Given it's one of those niche classics, I was so excited when an opportunity for a buddy read came along. I was glad to be able to go into it with someone and to be able to have discussions about it. To my surprise, the fragmented style and lack of a cohesive plot weren't difficult to follow. The absence of an outward premise is filled by an internal monologue that often has a way of crawling into the recesses of the reader's brain, putting the nuances of the human experience into words.

Published posthumously and dubbed 'a factless autobiography', Fernando Pessoa gives readers a glimpse into his interior life rather than his exterior through his alter ego, Bernardo Soares. He muses on topics of society, human interaction, religion, books, nature, emotion, dreams, travel, past, future… there's not much that he doesn't touch upon. Something interesting about this book is that it can be read in any order. There is no chronological timeline and there are barely any characters to follow.

This is one of the most interesting books I've ever read. Not so much for the content itself, but because of Pessoa's mind and thought processes. There are a few fragments in the book where he mentions his future readers and how they will appreciate his writing more than the people of his time. His ability to perceive the future is astounding.

As interesting as I found the book to be, it could be equally as bizarre. I don't know if it's included in every edition, but Advice to Unhappily Married Women was disturbing, for lack of a better word. It felt out of place with the rest of the book, and frankly, made me like the rest of the book a little less.

As an introvert myself, I could relate to a lot of the sentiments made throughout the book. For example, the way Soares approached social interactions and self-image was painfully familiar. However, it was not entirely like looking in a mirror, which was encouraging. Introversion in this book was exhibited at an unhealthy level, with Soares constantly making arguments for why it is better to live entirely in the mind rather than build relationships with anyone. This philosophy also applies to life experiences, preferring to stay held up in his room and sleeping (or specifically dreaming) whenever possible.

Overall, I did thoroughly enjoy the book, even with the off-putting moments. Though a lot of classics can be read nowadays and be considered challenging for the time it was written, this is one that I'd consider to still be challenging to this day. This, along with the author's history, makes it a standout.

I am inexplicably drawn to C.G. Drews' books. I've been dabbling more in the horror genre lately, and I keep coming back to this author. The premises are so interesting.

Evander is isolated and tormented in the Hazelthorn estate. When his caretaker dies and leaves everything to Evander rather than his grandson, Laurie, suspicious eyes fall on him. Evander is sure that Byron Lenox-Hall has been poisoned, but by whom? He seeks out Laurie for help, even though the two boys have been forbidden from seeing each other after a violent incident as children.

Every time I thought this book couldn't get wilder, it did. Never in a million years would I have guessed the twists at the end, which honestly left me with more questions than answers. I enjoyed this more than Don't Let the Forest In, but I still struggled at times trying to follow along.