Review: Y2K - Colette Shade -  January 2025 Reading Y2K by Colette Shade felt like stepping into a time machine and revisiting the chaotic, colorful, and sometimes cringeworthy era of my youth. This essay collection is a brilliantly provocative and entertaining deep dive into the turn-of-the-millennium years, capturing both the cultural highs and the unsettling lows of a generation-defining period. From the gaudy excesses of the bling era to the shadow of global political turmoil, Shade paints a vivid picture of the early 2000s—one that resonated deeply with my own memories. For anyone who grew up in this time, Y2K is like flipping through a personal scrapbook. I could practically see my childhood and teen years reflected in its pages, from the Leonardo DiCaprio and Heath Ledger posters adorning my bedroom walls to the iconic pink lips-shaped phone that sat on my nightstand. My gold blow-up plastic backpack was the height of fashion, just as my sister's blue plastic chair was a sta...

Review: Inspiring Quotes from Childhood Classics - Annie Sarac and Illustrated by Ruth Burrows  - October 2024 "Inspiring Quotes from Children's Classics" by Annie Sarac, with illustrations by Ruth Burrows, is a delightful anthology that enchants readers of all ages. This book, received as a review copy from NetGalley, is a treasure trove for bookworms, evoking nostalgia and joy with every turn of the page. It's perfect for any family or child who cherishes the timeless wisdom found in children's literature. The collection boasts over 170 quotes from beloved children's books, spanning both historical and modern classics. The variety includes timeless tales such as "Charlotte's Web," "The Wind in the Willows," and "Winnie-the-Pooh," as well as contemporary favorites like "El Deafo" and "We Are Water Protectors." Each quote is carefully selected to resonate with themes like friendship, courage, and individual...

Review: I Know What You Did - Cayce Osborne - July 2023 I found the past year and coming into 2023, that I am reading and enjoying more mystery novels rather than romance as found I got bored of romance chick lit reads. This was a fun read and a bit of an I Know What You Did Last Summer type read crossed with Verity by Colleen Hoover. Almost thirty years ago, Petal lost everyone she loved when her parents killed themselves, and then her new best friend Megan died while they were in high school. After the tragedy happened, Jenny and Petal went their separate ways and never spoke to one another or about what happened that night their friend Megan died. Petal changed her name to Petta and moved on with her life, never looking back. Now years later, a new novel has been released and has also been picked up as a movie. The book talks about three friends who went out one day and only two came home. The dedication also reads "I know what you did Petal Woznewski". Petta is first to...