Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune - Roselle Lim

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

There were more things about this that I disliked than I liked.

I would've liked this more, I'm guessing, when I added it to my want to read list back in 2019. But since then I would say that my reading taste has developed further and this just isn't my taste anymore.

What I did like: the food aspect. The recipes and the way food brought people together was really interesting. I enjoyed how the whole recipe was included and what the recipe was used for when it was made in the past. I liked the inclusion of this and how Natalie used it to get close to her grandmother she never knew. I also liked how Natalie at first didn't know that she could make the cookbook her own, but how she learned throughout the book.

Okay. Things I didn't like. The main character. Natalie is not a great main character. Her attitude about the neighbors really bothered me. The way she gaslit and treated some of her neighbors for her own personal gain, was awful. Her outlook on life is a lot for someone who has experienced the things she has. I would imagine she would have a better outlook based on the things she has experienced, but I guess not.

I also didn't enjoy the love interest. He came out of no where and Natalie blatantly disrespected him and he still came back for her. I don't think Natalie deserves someone so forgiving and loving. Also insta-love in this sense was not done well. It wasn't enjoyable and was annoying more than anything.

I wanted to like this more than I did. And I almost gave it 2 stars, but I did enjoy how the story wrapped up so.. I rounded it up.

Her Volume 2 - Pierre Alex Jeanty

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

After loving the first volume of this poetry series, I was expecting to love this one just as much (if not more). However, I ended up being very much let down by the content and writing of this book.

While there were some parts/stanzas/pages that were great, there were others that felt like mansplaining. Even if it was in a positive way, it still made me feel sort of uncomfortable. It felt like the author was the nice guy that knows a lot about her and sees how badly she has been treated in the past but is never close enough to give her the kind of love she deserves. In another sense, it felt like the author knew too much about what she has gone through and is explaining to women how to love themselves and to men on how to love women in a better way.

I was expecting more craft prose and poetry, but I didn't get that in this installment. If there are ever any more books added to this series, I may give them a try but so far I'm mixed on how I feel about this series.

The Becket List - Adele Griffin

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers for the opportunity to read The Becket List before the upcoming release of the sequel All Pets Allowed!

This was such a cute middle grade / children's story!

The main character was cheerful and upbeat (even when unpleasant things happened to her). I really enjoyed that she embraced what made her different and strived to be anything but ordinary. I think that is an important message to be received by those who are younger reading this book.

I also really enjoyed the writing style of the author! I thought it was good for the targeted audience but still resonated with those above it as well.

Something I thought was tastefully added, even though it was quite sad, was the ending of the book. When I was younger, I had to go through the same thing as the main character at a similar age. It was one of the hardest things I had to go through back then and it really shows strength in the main character. I applaud the author for making what could be a controversial move.

There was one comment about a size of a boy in the book that kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Something along the lines of him being XXL from head to toe. I get that is a way to describe that he is a bigger kid, but I think this could be written in a more tasteful way that doesn't sound so crude.

Other than that, I did enjoy this book! And would recommend for the targeted audience!