Review | "My True Love Gave To Me" by Stephanie Perkins, Rainbow Rowell, Kelly Link, Matt de la Pena, Kiersten White, Ally Carter, Jenny Han, Myra McEntire, David Levithan, Holly Black, Gayle Forman, and Laini Taylor

I know I know, another Christmas book that is very late in getting its review up. I could argue that a few of the stories in the book aren't so much Christmas stories, but I won't. I realize that this review is very late, but it's taken me a while to decide how I wanted to review it.
Before I begin, though, here's the Goodreads description:

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: TWELVE HOLIDAY STORIES by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins. Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or Kwanzaa, there’s something here for everyone. So curl up by the fireplace and get cozy. You have twelve reasons to stay indoors and fall in love. 

Being an anthology, I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk about my general thoughts, or go into my thoughts on each story. I've decided on the latter.

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell: Cute. Noel reminded me a lot of Levi from Fangirl, so I'm not sure how original the story itself can claim to be in origin, but it was a good start to the book and I enjoyed it.

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link: The vocabulary didn't really fit the characters' ages at the time and was told in a semi out of order way for a time which made it confusing. Also, the story had the stereotype that rich people are unstable and eccentric which was a little eye-roll worthy. The ending got a little unclear and confusing the story itself didn't really seem to fit the anthology's theme (which actually happens with a few of the stories).

Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Pena: Nice. The main character got a little annoying, and it felt unfinished, but over all it was nice.

Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han: Very reminiscent of the Santa Claus movies. There were some contradictions. The elves were actually pretty unkind. The fact that they aren't the traditional
Santa Elves is never addressed (like where that myth came from) and the ending was pretty unsatisfying.

It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins: There was some word cushioning, but other than that, it was adorable and I loved it.

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan:  Didn't really fit the anthology theme until the very end, and even then not really. The story was too big and complicated to fit into a short segment and should have been its own novella/novel

Krampuslauf by Holly Black: Rushed into things a bit, but still good. The magical elements just sort of appear with no explanation and I think it should have been longer to have lived up to the potential it had.

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman: The story resolved itself a little too quickly, but otherwise, I really enjoyed it.

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire: I didn't really like the characters or their voices and they all seemed pretty generic with their personalities and backstories. I didn't really care about the plot or anyone involved in it.

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White: Very heavy on the "jealous of mom's boyfriend" plot tool. The story and characters were pretty run of the mill. The change of heart of some people happens so quickly it gave me literary whiplash. 

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter: Story is incredibly unbelievable, there's no way it would work out. The big reveal at the end was even more far fetched and there are so many ways it could have been handled better.

The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor: Confusing, it didn't really fit the theme in really any way. The plot tried to explain itself but it failed a little and just ended up being dark and odd.

Overall, non of the stories made me want to read anything by the authors I hadn't already read and it didn't deliver what you might expect. You would probably go into this book wanting a lot of cute, fluffy stories to fit the cheerful Christmas spirit, and some of the stories really don't meet that.
I wouldn't say to definitely avoid it, but I think it's passable if you're not that interested.

Review | "In Kelly's Corner" by Roxie Rivera

This week's review is over an ebook that was (and possibly still is) available for free download from amazon. It's the first book in the "Fighting Connolly's" series and is thus meant to pull you into the story and purchase the other books.
Before I get into my thoughts, though, here is the book's Goodreads description:

After a stalker breaks into her home, internet entrepreneur Bee Langston decides Kelly Connolly is the only man who can help her—but seeking help from the former Marine isn’t easy, especially after she made a spectacular fool of herself trying to kiss the sinfully sexy bodyguard.
When Kelly spots Bee weaving her way through the Houston nightspot where he’s working security, all those feelings he’s desperately tried to deny for his best friend’s sister come flooding to the surface. He’ll do anything to keep her safe, even if means getting up close and personal with the one woman he simply can’t have.
Soon, Bee’s stalker isn’t his only problem. His gambling addict father is tangled in a mess of debts to two of Houston’s toughest loan sharks. With the family gym on the line, there’s only one way for Kelly to make everything right. He agrees to fight for the Albanian mob in an underground bare-knuckle fighting tournament.
But winning the tournament and saving his family’s legacy comes at a high price—one that just might cost Bee her life. 

This book has a pretty good average of 3.93 stars, and it isn't terribly long, so I was looking forward to reading it. It seemed like it would have the gritty tones that make me like Kit Rocha's "Beyond" series so much without being a dystopian- and over all, I did enjoy it and would recommend it, if nothing else, because it's available for free. However, I noted quite a few things that anyone who was reading critically would notice.
In the beginning there is quite a bit of clunky exposition. The backstory is necessary, but I feel like it could have been done smoother.
Kelly's reasoning doesn't make much sense. He's supposed to be Bee's bodyguard, he's supposed to keep her safe...and he does that by dragging her into his own dangerous personal problems.
The fact that everyone knows each other gets a little confusing, partially because the connections between them aren't always clear.
Bee is the typical "quirky" (or just clumsy) female character who jumps to conclusions and doesn't use her head because she's "independent" when in reality she's just being stupid. I mean, Kelly is telling her things so her stalker doesn't start wearing her around as a jacket, not because he wants to patronize her like the little sister he never had. Her doing this, among other things, makes her come across as immature and at times had me really questioning how I was supposed to believe she created such a successful company when she couldn't understand even simplistic things (all the misunderstandings serving solely as fuel for drama that didn't need to be there).
The romance was rushed. I understand why, that's the reason people are reading the book, but there should have been either 1) less initial conflict or 2) more time for those feelings to organically develop and become known.
The romance scenes weren't written the best. They're heavy with adjectives and adverbs that don't intensify the scene, but rather makes it seem like the author didn't quite know what she was doing and was trying to hide that fact. While at other times, there were details that were on the ridiculous side.
The "everyone has a secret" plot point that drives Bee's storyline is overdone. Not to say it's an impossible secret, but it's definitely extreme, and in a story that has a lot of extremes, that one wasn't exactly needed and was only there to beat in the idea that the book is supposed to be edgy.
Certain reactions and descriptions were repeated.
The  "I want to take this slow and really get to know you so it will be special" perspective regarding sex is completely dropped. Not even in a way that acknowledges that it existed in the first place.
The end had a lot of forced conflict, and I found myself really having to force myself to get through the last 50 pages or so of the book.
In the end, it was a flawed story and I wasn't so invested in it that I could look past the numerous problems I noticed, but it wasn't bad. I think someone who just wants a fun read and won't be scrutinizing everything as they read it will enjoy it, and while there are many better books out there, this one is available for free download, which is always a positive.

Review | "Bossypants" Audiobook by Tina Fey

I listened to another audiobook! I have heard opinions from both people who read the physical edition of "Bossypants" and people who listened to the audiobook (recorded by Tina Fey herself!) and the consensus leans much more towards listening than reading for yourself. That's understandable, unlike a novel, "Bossypants" is a memoir of sorts and if the audio narration will be done by the author, then it becomes more of a conversation. If the author is a great comedian like Tina Fey, you get to hear the tone her words were meant to be read in and it makes the experience that much better.
Now, before I get further into my thoughts, here is the book's Goodreads description:

In her acceptance speech for Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Tina Fey announced that she was proud to make her home in "the 'not-real America'." It is perhaps that healthy sense of incongruity that makes the head writer, executive producer, and star of NBC's Emmy Award-winning 30 Rock such a cogent observer of the contemporary scene. Bossypants, her entertaining new memoir, shows that strangeness has been her constant companion. Fey's stories about her childhood in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania are only appetizers for LOL forays into her college disasters, honeymoon catastrophes, and Saturday Night Live shenanigans. Most funny read of the month; the best possible weekend update.

Now, it goes without saying that if you are not a Tina Fey fan, or are not familiar with any of her work, this isn't the book for you. If you are, I definitely recommend reading (or better, listening to) it for yourself. The audio is around 5.5 hours so it's entirely out of the question to finish it in one day, depending on when you listen to audiobooks/how much time you have at your disposal during those times. The great thing about audiobooks is, of course, the fact that you can multitask. Granted, if you multitask, let's say, filing papers while listening, you'll miss the story, but I don't think I have to explain how to listen to an audiobook. 
Right away, I noticed a few words repeated themselves, "grim" for example, is a word that shows up in the book a lot as a way to describe things. It doesn't show up so much that it becomes too annoying, but if you start to notice it (which you undoubtedly will now that I've pointed it out) then it sticks out more. 
The book also slows down some once you get into the SNL and 30 Rock history. It makes sense that there is a lot of focus on those aspects of her career, but it does change the pace of the story. Around that time the book also turns into a sort of parody self-help/mommy memoir sort of book over a biography (though the book in general isn't extremely biographical and is more geared to let us in on Tina Fey's history and her insights and everything that was behind career moves etc.)
This book has quite a bit of sarcastic humor, and listening to it read by the author makes that even more apparent. If you are a fan of that, like I am, then you will find yourself laughing out loud or smirking at multiple parts throughout the audio. 
Ultimately, the book (the audio at least) makes Tina Fey seem so much more relatable. It puts the point across that she was an average girl who was fortunate enough to make it in her craft and has had success since, which is nice. I think a biography can easily go in the opposite direction and make people seem larger than life and this didn't do that. 
Like I said, if you are a fan of Tina Fey, I highly recommend checking this out. I think the physical book would be funny and entertaining, but I suggest the audio edition if you get the chance.

Review | "BookElves Anthology Volume 1" by Jemima Pett, Rebecca M. Douglass, Fiona Ingram, M.G. King, Wendy Leighton-Porter, S. Smith, and Ben Zackheim

I know Christmas is long gone, but today's review is over a seasonal anthology I won in a Goodreads giveaway (get used to the unseasonal reviews, because my review over "My True Love Gave to Me" will be coming up soon, as well). It's an independently published middle grade anthology with stories contributed by authors you may not have heard of before. However, before I get into my thoughts, though, here's the book's Goodread's description, as always:

Seven stories, seven situations threatening the festivities – a postbag that gets bigger, a Santa in summer, the strange disappearance of the gifts, a petnapping gang, a snowstorm in the wilds, a kidnapped messenger, and a whole raft of celebrations that are too strange to contemplate.
Will the holidays be a disaster? Will families be left out in the cold? Will there be tears before bedtime, or will there be happy endings all round?
Each tale weaves its own seasonal magic. Each magician has already warmed the hearts of thousands of young readers with their stories; Max the time-traveling cat, Champ the rescue dog, Shirley Link, the schoolgirl detective, the Ninja Librarian, the Princelings of the East, and the Seed Savers. As part of the MG BookElves group they bring you tales to enjoy during the holiday season.
Suitable for readers age 8 and up. 

My only real points that I want to make about this book are that:
I found it more of an elementary level anthology, rather than middle grade. Some of the stories don't evolve too much while others are too complicated to fully wrap up by the end, and I noticed some typos. A short review, I know, but there isn't much to say. I didn't particularly love the book, but I'm also not the intended audience. I don't recommend this to older readers, but I think 8-12 year olds could enjoy it as a light, holiday read. I couldn't find the book available on the Book Depository, however you can find it on amazon both in digital and paperback format- both at reasonable prices if you're looking for a little gift for a young reader.