Review: Taylor Swift is Life by Kathleen Perricone

“Written by Kathleen Perricone, this is truly an inside look at Taylor Swift. From her songs to her clothes to her history and even, some fun things just for fans, this book is honestly one of the coolest ones I’ve read this year.” ―Culturess

Celebrate your best Swiftie life with this gorgeously illustrated, all-encompassing fan book on everything there is to know and love about the modern icon that is Taylor Swift.

From her first vocal lessons at age nine, to learning the guitar at twelve, to becoming the most downloaded women on Spotify, and then breaking the internet with her Eras Tour, Taylor Swift has rocked the music scene and captured the hearts of fans across the globe. Gathering her incredible life story, music, and fan culture all in one place, Taylor Swift Is Life captures her epic achievements, brilliant lyrics, and her incredible ability to connect with her fans like no other musician before her.

This treasure trove of essential Swiftie knowledge includes:

· A full biography capturing her early inspiration and first performances through her through her sensational 2023-2024 Eras Tour

· A full discography of Taylor’s music, including the significance of each album personally and professionally, the meaning behind every Track 5, and all the hidden Easter eggs and symbolism behind the songs.

· Swiftology, or Taylor A to Z, covering significant words, imagery, and people in Taylor’s life that every Swiftie should know, from arm poetry to maple lattes, and polaroids to Zoë Kravitz

· Taylorscopes for every sign, to find out how your stars align with Swift’s music, and learn which Taylor song represents you

Both a tribute to our beloved Tay and a chic showpiece for any well-appointed bookshelf, Taylor Swift Is Life is a must-have title for every true Swiftie.

The Modern Icons series takes you on a journey through the lives and legacies of cultural icons who have shaped our world, from fashion to music to media. With original illustrations and meticulously crafted prose, this series captivates and enlightens, offering a glimpse into the personalities whose unparalleled charm and authenticity have left an indelible mark on popular culture.

Review

This book would be perfect for any Taylor Swift fan or anyone looking to get into her music. I appreciated that the author spent little time on rumors and presented the information. She had direct quotes from Taylor and others and even included album statistics. I wouldn’t consider this a full biography. Instead, I’d consider it an introduction to Taylor and her fandom.

One of my favorite things about this book was the sections dedicated to the albums. For each album, the author gave an overall breakdown, including sales, track lists, inspiration, and creative direction. The Tortured Poets Department is one of my favorite albums, and I enjoyed learning more about it.

Final Thought

Taylor Swift is Life might be small, but there is so much material packed into the pages. From the history of Taylor Swift to Easter eggs to album insight, there is so much here for any Swift fan to enjoy. Not to mention, the artwork is gorgeous, and it’s all very easy to read.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Hardcover | Bookshop.org

Review: High Hopes by Ki Stephens

About the Book

BIRDIE Collins has a plan: finish her junior year in Dayton U’s competitive 3D4M program and secure a coveted arts fellowship. But since a car accident left her battling anxiety and chronic pain, keeping it together has become an uphill climb. The very last thing she needs? A distraction—especially not from a loudmouthed, overly-charming soccer player.

LIAM Donovan is the carefree jokester everyone assumes he is. As a star right winger on Dayton’s D1 soccer team, he’s always ready with a sarcastic remark or teasing grin. But the nonstop banter? It’s a cover for the heavy weight of family expectations he struggles to bear. He doesn’t have time for a complicated artist who sees straight through his defenses.

When Birdie and Liam’s paths collide, what starts as a reluctant partnership quickly turns into something deeper. Late-night study sessions melt into midnight confessions, and they find themselves drawn into each other’s worlds in ways they never expected.

As the final stretch of soccer season heats up and Birdie’s fellowship deadline looms, they’ll have to decide if they’re willing to take a chance on each other. Because sometimes, leaning on someone else isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s a leap of faith.

Review

I have read all but one of Ki Stephens’ books. I’ve learned what to expect from her; colossal disappointment is never it. All the books have a certain feel to them. It feels soft, intimate, and quiet—which can sometimes cause the books to hit a low point. The romance is always cute and fluffy—lovable main characters with a natural progression. They feel nice, safe, and soft. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Stephens is a great writer, and I’d like her to try something new and not-so-safe.

With all that being said, High Hopes is my favorite of hers. It’s a standard Ki Stephens contempt romance; however, Birdie and Liam felt elevated. Both have several layers and are trying the best they can. Birdie is a dedicated and passionate ceramist who wants peace and a break. Birdie’s dealing with PTSD and grief while trying to earn a spot at a fellowship as her finances deplete. She’s isolated herself, and her old friends have abandoned her because they didn’t understand what she was going through after her car crash. She truly has no one. Spoiler alert--  she and her roommate become closer, and their friendship is beautiful, adorable, and fun.

Liam is a pathological people-pleaser whose parents make him feel like he’s not enough and try to dictate his life. He wants to play professional soccer, though that isn’t what his parents want for him. In a way, both have hidden their true selves from the world. They are silently suffering, and only when they find each other does someone finally see them. They have a genuine, comfortable friendship that turns into a sweet, endearing romance. There are so many small and thoughtful moments between them that really helped elevate them as a couple. Stephens built an emotional connection with them that met my expectations.

Final Thoughts

High Hopes has the classic soft love romance that one can expect from a Ki Stephens book. This is an art that she has mastered. Birdie and Liam are wonderful characters who deserve a big hug.

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Review: Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson

In this chilling and thought-provoking thriller, Poe Webb, a true crime podcaster who thrives on evoking anonymous confessions, finds herself at the center of the kind of story she usually tells. When a stranger claims he is responsible for the death of her mother, Poe becomes unsettled not just by what he says but also because she knows he’s not telling the truth. With her own secrets, she knows because she killed the person who took her mother’s life.

From its chilling premise to its continuous tension, this novel blurs the line between justice and crime. Poe is faced with the moral dilemma of how to expose a lie when she knows the truth has its own consequences. As the pace of the book quickens with anticipation, the novel keeps you engaged as Poe unravels information that threatens to uncover a secret from her past.

As Poe’s past collides with her present, the story brings unexpected twists and reveals that keep the reader hooked until the end.

This book was extremely addicting. The pace of the book made you not want to put it down. It felt like every time something happened, you needed to know what was coming next and it wasn’t what you thought. The way this book was written keeps you completely zoned in with an unsettling grip, especially the interactions between Poe and Ian. 

The alternating from the beginning of the story unfolding and the podcast transcripts of Poe and Ian really set the book on edge for me. I honestly didn’t like Poe until that bomb drop of who her guest was then my perspective stuck in conflict. What’s interesting is the perspective dilemma of the protagonist from this moment on. Considering her perspective on the criminals who confessed to her and the disdain she had for their actions, were her actions in the same category as the people who confessed to her? Was her punishment justified? This sat in the back of my mind as it spun trying to justify rooting for her but in the end it was worth it. 

This was my first book read by this author and I’m beyond excited to read what he has coming in the future. This was written well, thought out and seamed together perfectly. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, I recommend putting this on your reading list. 

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Audible | Paperback | Bookshop.org

Review: Rookie Mistake by Maren Moore

About the Book

I won my brother’s rival in a Date the Player auction… and had the best night of my life.

Davis Guidry is Orleans University’s starting rookie pitcher.

He’s handsome, charming, and an all-around flirt.

After spending a hot, spontaneous night together, we can’t seem to keep our hands off each other.

But our no-strings fun comes crashing down when my overbearing brother, who happens to be Davis’s biggest rival, catches us in action.

Even that seems to only make the fire burn hotter when we’re together.

And suddenly, our secret fling starts to feel like something more than either of us bid on.

Are these casual hookups between us just a fun way to pass my freshman year…

Or have we made the ultimate rookie mistake and caught feelings?

Review

I went in with low expectations for Rookie Mistake. I’ve tried in the past to read books by Maren Moore, and I have rarely succeeded. I’m not a fan of her writing style and was willing to overlook it to at least be entertained and have fun with this one.

I could be overthinking this novella; however, I wasn’t entertained. There’s really no plot at all, and the character felt surface-level to me. They could be exchanged with any other characters in a hockey book and the story wouldn’t change. It was also pretty cringe when Davis proclaimed that Zara wasn’t like any other girl.

Final Thoughts

Rookie Mistake has no real substance. It feels like every other book with this same plot just condensed.

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Review: Echo by Tracy Clark

Tracy Clark’s Echo is the kind of psychological thriller that you will find yourself absorbed in. The perfect plot that piques your interest and keeps you engaged.

The latest installment in the Detective Harriet Foster series by Tracy Clark, Foster tackles the dark secrets of Belverton College’s Hardwicke House, home to the Minotaur Society. The novel begins with the discovery of Brice Collier’s body in a field that claimed the life of another thirty years ago in the same place. Due to Collier's family influence and the similarity to the previous incident, Detective Harriet Foster and her partner, Detective Vera Li, find themselves navigating through privilege, betrayal, and secrets as they attempt to link these decades-apart deaths.

Parallel to Detective Foster trying to solve this case, she is haunted from the death and dealing with the grief of her previous partner. Her journey adds another layer of depth to the narrative as she battles with trying to seek justice for her ex partner, with trying to solve this case. The partnership between her and Li brings a refreshing balance to the book that draws you in and makes you want to root for them to solve the case. On a side note, the supporting characters blend well creating some moments where their banter keeps the reader entertained.

Overall, a good read. Since this is my introduction to the Detective Harriet Foster series, I feel like this could be read as a standalone. This book definitely grabbed my interest to go back to reading the previous two books in the series. For those of you like me who will back read, the first two books in the series are called, Hide and Fall. For those following the series, it looks like we can anticipate the concluding book this fall. 

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Audible | Paperback | Bookshop.org

Review: Nightshade: An Enemies to Lovers, Dark Academic Romance (Sorrowsong University) by Autumn Woods

About the Book

*Book one of a duet*

When Ophelia Winters accepts a scholarship at a prestigious Scottish university to prove that her parents' death was the fault of Cain Green, an American aviation tycoon, her plan is simple. Keep her grades up and her head down; the last thing she wants is to wind up in a mafia war or step on the toes of royalty.

Her plan gets off to a rocky start when the mysterious man that almost kills her on her first day turns out to be Cain's eldest son. As far as she’s concerned, Alex Corbeau-Green is a younger version of his billionaire father. A monster hiding beneath a beautiful facade.

Loneliness has been Ophelia’s only dependable companion for years, but when anonymous threats and mysterious occurrences start to haunt her time at Sorrowsong, she wonders if she really can survive there on her own.

Between being paired together for a project and ending up as each other’s alibi for a murder, avoiding Alex becomes increasingly impossible. She begins to fall for the soft heart that hides beneath his hard exterior.

Tormented by a malicious stalker and growing closer to Alex, Ophelia’s desperation for revenge wavers for the first time. Can she really bring herself to pull the trigger on Cain now that she knows the family it’ll split into two?

__________

Dark Academic Romance - Hate to Love - Slow Burn - University Setting - Murder and Mystery

This work is dark in places and contains several triggers throughout. Please heed the warnings before reading.

Review

I must give credit when due, and Autumn Woods deserves high praise for how atmospheric this felt. Nightshade felt how a dark academic story should feel. It’s very clear that she took her time establishing Sorrowsong University and wanted it to be this dark and mysterious place. I give her all the kudos for that.

She also had a strong setup for the story. Ophelia’s parents are killed in a plane crash, and she’s determined to figure out what happened to them—so determined that she’s willing to attend a university that she promised she’d never attend and do dangerous snooping. I unfortunately was not as keen on Ophelia had I had hoped. I sympathized with her and wanted her to find justice for her parents; however, she felt a little boring. She does have a decent back and front with the MMC—Alex, who has a tragic backstory as well. Though, he didn’t click for me either.

Alex’s father heads the company that produced the planes that Ophelia’s parents tragically died in. When she meets him, she’s oblivious to who he is. That felt a little odd, concerning that he is a public person. Anyway, she quickly learned his true identity and tried to stay away from him. That can only can only go on for so long. I enjoyed the lead-up to their relationship more than them being in a relationship. The book started to drag once they did eventually get together.

Final Thoughts

Nightshade has pretty words and amazing descriptions; however, it losing its steam in the middle. It felt as if the book took a pause for the romance, and then everything felt rushed at the end.

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