Category Archives: Reason: I Like the Author

May 8, 2023 · 6:39 pm

There I Go Again by William Daniels

There I Go Again by William Daniels

I love Mr. Feeny so it’s no wonder I loved There I Go Again. Bill Daniels actually doesn’t have much to say about Boy/Girl Meets World, though he does quote part of the final scene of BMW. (I have some of the words he said in that scene on my living room wall: Dream. Try. Do Good.) He had a remarkable career lasting from when he was just a preschooler all the way until he was about 90. Along the way he played a car, a teacher/principal, a doctor, a founding father, and so much more. The book is divided into chapters each covering a different show/character, plus one about his time as SAG president. It’s very much the musings of a grandfather, or perhaps an elderly former teacher. I highly recommend There I Go Again to anyone who has ever enjoyed anything the amazing Bill Daniels has been in.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 52
Pages Read in 2023: 16,989

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Filed under Memoir, Reason: B&N Book Challenge, Reason: Flourish & Blotts Reading Challenge, Reason: I Like the Author

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April 10, 2023 · 1:11 pm

One of Us Is Next by Karen McManus

One of Us Is Next by Karen McManus

The Bayview Four have graduated and are moving on from the drama of their final year of high school. But now a copycat has started a truth or dare game leading to secrets being revealed and the death of another student. One of Us Is Next is the perfect follow up to One of Us Is Lying. Some of the characters are new, some were in the first book. As always, the author is a master at making you guess (usually wrong) who the culprit is. I figured out who did it about five pages before it was revealed and gasped because I was so surprised and yet it made perfect sense. But then with like two pages to go there was a twist I didn’t see coming at all. This book is very well written and sucks you in totally and completely. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys young adult mysteries. You don’t absolutely have to read One of Us Is Lying first, but it will definitely make One of Us Is Next more interesting and understandable.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 42
Pages Read in 2023: 13,692

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Filed under Reason: B&N Book Challenge, Reason: Flourish & Blotts Reading Challenge, Reason: Grim Readers, Reason: I Like the Author, Reason: I Like the Series, Young Adult

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March 8, 2023 · 6:23 pm

Live Wire by Kelly Ripa

Live Wire by Kelly Ripa

I watched All My Children when I was a teenager way back in the mid-90s. I loved the storyline with Kelly and Mark’s characters. I’ve seen her on Live! on occasion over the years and always find her to be hilarious and relatable. So of course when I found out she wrote a book (not a memoir exactly, just a collection of short essays about things that have happened in her life), I had to read it. It was so funny! I laughed literally out loud so much and often found myself reading bits I found too funny not to share to whomever happened to be available to listen to me. The tone of the book is like a friend just telling you little bits about their life. And, like she is on Live!, her writing is hilarious and relatable. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Kelly Ripa.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 34
Pages Read in 2023: 10,840

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Filed under Memoir, Reason: Grim Readers, Reason: I Like the Author

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January 31, 2023 · 7:30 pm

Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton

Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton

Beyond the Wand starts with Tom Felton’s family and early commercial and movie work and ends with his time in rehab and entry into stage work. In between is all the Harry Potter awesomeness a fan could ever want. Several chapters are devoted to single actors he worked with on the films and anecdotes about them. He’s pretty open about things including his substance abuse and mental health challenges. It reads fast and is very entertaining. This is a must-read for Harry Potter fans.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2023: 13
Pages Read in 2023: 4656

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Filed under Memoir, Reason: B&N Book Challenge, Reason: Flourish & Blotts Reading Challenge, Reason: Grim Readers, Reason: I Like the Author

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December 4, 2022 · 8:02 am

The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton

The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton

Michael Crichton had a way with writing that made me actually enjoy sci-fi. He was able to explain scientific sounding things in a way that made them easy to understand. The Andromeda Strain progresses at a steady pace making you feel like you are in the lab with the scientists. Often it’ll say things like “he wouldn’t realize his mistake for two days” letting the reader know that something was missed or done wrong and there will be repercussions that you are just waiting to watch unfold. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sci-fi thrillers or is a fan of Michael Crichton’s writing.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 106
Pages Read in 2022: 37,190
Graphic Novels: 3

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Filed under Reason: I Like the Author, Reason: LitHub Bingo, Science Fiction, Thriller

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October 30, 2022 · 10:55 am

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liana Moriarty

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Nine Perfect Strangers is told from the alternating viewpoints of several people who happen to be at a health resort at the same time. I liked some storylines/characters more than others. The characters’ stories were revealed little by little and really pulled me in to keep reading and learning about them. Some parts of the book were funny, some were fascinating, and some were just ridiculous (sometimes ridiculously funny). The last few chapters telling what happened later, basically serving as a years long epilogue, were great and tied everything up very satisfyingly. I highly recommend this book to adults who enjoy contemporary fiction.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 91
Pages Read in 2022: 32,392
Graphic Novels: 2

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Filed under Contemporary Fiction, Reason: Grim Readers, Reason: I Like the Author

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September 11, 2022 · 5:53 pm

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

As is typical with books by Karen McManus, The Cousins was filled with twists and turns and so many things I did not expect. My daughter read the book just before I did and she happened to be sitting next to me when I got to one of the big shockers and my mouth dropped open and my eyes got huge and she knew exactly what I had just read. All three points of view it alternates between have their own voice and are easily identifiable as Milly, Aubrey, or Jonah. Every question (except maybe one) was somehow answered satisfactorily by the end. This is a truly excellent book. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys young adult mysteries, especially if you like to be surprised.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 81
Pages Read in 2022: 29,204
Graphic Novels: 1

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Filed under Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Reason: Buddy Read, Reason: I Like the Author, Reason: Recommended by a Friend, Young Adult

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August 31, 2022 · 8:58 am

A Limited Run by Karen McQuestion

A Limited Run by Karen McQuestion

I enjoyed A Limited Run so much. Lately there have been so many reunion shows and look back podcasts for old shows. This book takes that idea and goes even further by having the original cast, twenty years older, live in character (including now-adults pretending to be teens) in a recreation of their show’s setting for ten days. They are given limited directions each day, but have no idea what their castmates have been told to do. The characters are well developed and I found that I really cared what happened to them and even felt outrage at the unfairness and gaslighting one went through. I suspected some things before they were revealed, but totally missed others. One character had me totally puzzled by her actions and wanting to know what her motivation was and where her knowledge came from is largely what made the book hard to put down. I very highly recommend this book to people who enjoy those reunions shows and podcasts. It’s a very fun read!

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 78
Pages Read in 2022: 28,229
Graphic Novels: 1

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Filed under Contemporary Fiction, Reason: Asked by the Author, Reason: I Like the Author

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July 16, 2022 · 7:30 pm

From a Distant Star by Karen McQuestion

From a Distant Star by Karen McQuestion

From a Distant Star is an incredibly sweet book. I was sucked totally into the story and completely invested in what happened to the characters. I couldn’t put it down telling myself “just one more chapter” repeatedly. The ending is absolutely perfect. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys light scifi.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 70
Pages Read in 2022: 25,511
Graphic Novels: 1

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Filed under Reason: I Like the Author, Reason: LitHub Bingo, Reason: We Be Book'N, Science Fiction, Young Adult

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May 31, 2022 · 4:04 pm

Truth is in the Darkness by Heather Sunseri

The Truth is in the Darkness by Heather Sunseri

I couldn’t put The Truth is in the Darkness down. Unfortunately this led to me staying up way too late to finish it. The ending was totally worth the loss of sleep, though. The story just seriously sucked me in. I really liked finding out more about Coop and Lil since I’d read the first and third of the Paynes Creek Thriller series so I had been introduced to them before (not sure how I missed reading the second book before I read the third but that wasn’t an issue). I highly recommend this book to adults who enjoy romantic thrillers.

5 (out of 5) Stars
Books Read in 2022: 57
Pages Read in 2022: 20,485
Graphic Novels: 1

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Filed under Reason: I Like the Author, Reason: We Be Book'N, Thriller

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