Mapless by Erin Anastasia - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

I recently started attending a nearby open mic poetry night.  They're almost ALWAYS in NYC, so I was ecstatic to find one that meets on the other side of the Hudson close to home.  Because I was afraid to go alone, my boyfriend tagged along.  He's a mechanic not a reader or a poet, but I think he might be slowly edging towards the dark side... or at least he enjoyed the event and may even tag along again.  

Erin Anastasia was one of the main poets at the open mic, reading a few selections from her self published collection, Mapless.  As many of you know, I've been working with putting together a poetry collection myself and toying with the idea of self publication.  Because of this I LOVE seeing poets who have done it successfully well.  Erin Anastasia is one of these poets.

Erin Anastasia writes with such powerful imagery and emotion, and I love that she has not fallen on the "keep everything lowercase" bandwagon.  Lowercase is trendy right now, but it's not how I was taught to write in college.  I value poetry that pushes boundaries wile keeping grammar intact.  Not only is the way that she writes beautiful, but the performance of her poetry is AMAZING.  I think that hearing a poet recite their work gives a whole new appreciation to their poetry.

So Dewey Readers, check out Erin Anastasia's poetry book!  She also has an awesome YouTube page!  I's give it 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.  

Until the next read!
~Jessica 

P.S.  I'll let you know if I ever get brave enough to read my poems aloud at one of the open mic nights.   

The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Disorder by Emmanuella Hristova - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Reads!  

Emmanuel Hristova reached out to us and asked if we would review her poetry collection The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Disorder.  Of course, we agreed.  Hristova's poetry is amazing.  She crafts language in a way that is both beautiful and powerful as she tackles difficult subjects while promoting female empowerment.  

One thing that I especially like about her work is how her poems do not each start on their own page.  Instead, her poems will start towards the end of a page and continue on to a next, in a way that is fluid and helps the reader to visually feel the fluidity of her work.

The copy that Hristova sent to us also contains images of her artwork.  This art only helps to show the depth and darkness of the feelings painted through her poetry.    

So Dewey Readers, for those looking for a new and fresh poet, definitely check her work out!  I rate her work as 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans.

Until the next read! 
~Jessica   

Pretty in Punxsutawney by Laurie Boyle Crompton

Cover was copied from Goodreads! 

Helloooooo everybody!

This review is brought to you all by Netgalley! In return, I will be posting a fair and honest review. 

Thank you (many thanks!) to Netgalley for approving this title and allowing me another chance to redeem myself after the Netgalley fail of 2018. 

I’m going to start off this review be asking how many of you all have watched a John Hughes film. I hope that everyone is eagerly waving their hands in the air (or punching their fist in the air ala Bender in The Breakfast Club)

Pretty in Punxsutawney was inspired by Groundhog Day and the John Hughes’s film, Pretty in Pink.  Th book follows new girl, Andie as she navigates her first day of school. Every day of over 4 months!  As the reader, we can see how Andie navigates each and everyday in the hopes of breaking the spell that has been cast over her. 

Each day Andie learns different and new things about her classmates and she tries to use them to her advantage. Without them knowing that she knows.

Boyle- Crompton was able to easily pull me in with the opening! However, by the time I was at chapter 3, I was starting to lose steam in my positive feelings about this book. 

My problem with the book was that it was repetitive and redundant.  (Which makes sense when you factor in that Groundhog Day was a movie based on reliving the same day over and over and over again).

I felt like at one point, even the story gave us on itself because of how Andie was going out about her days.  

While it wasn't my favorite book, I must say that it did have a positive message at the end; that you need to be the best you. 

I would give this book 3.5 coffee beans.  

If you are interested in reading Pretty in Punxsutawney, the book is available now!

~ Jillian

The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel - Reshelved Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

So Jillian has gifted me a small pile of books that have been abandoned from her to-read pile.  In my pursuit of being the best blogging cousin that I could possibly ever be, I have made it my mission to read these books and post about them pronto.  The first book from this pile was The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel.

This book is cute, even though I found the setting to be a little bit disorienting.  The main characters live in NYC, but then a few supporting characters also live in Millburn, NJ, and then some of them end up going to England for a wedding...and there's talk of New England, so it's sort of like wait... where were they from and where are we now?  

Quick story about Millburn.  I have a new job that is about a 10 minute drive to and from Millburn.  Right now I'm still living with my parents and my commute is about 50 minutes with traffic.  Right before I stated reading this book I told my mother I might look for an apartment in Millburn, "But that's so far...." Then the town pops up in this novel...... Dare we say fate? Maybe, maybe not.   

Now, since we're familiar with part of the setting, the characters go to Engalnd for a wedding because the bride wants to get married in a castle.  There are castles right here in Jersey.  Lambert Castle in Paterson is only an hour away (with traffic) from Millburn, or 33 minutes without traffic, I just checked. And, Kipps castle in Verona is even closer.  Plus, I'm pretty sure Kipps does weddings. Going to England was just so unnecessary.    

Now, a bit about the book. The premise of the novel is that a 21 year old woman had a relationship with a man. Shocker.  She was from a wealthy family and he was just a bartender. Then they split up. Now he's making A LOT of money from developing an app and she's doing well but not as well as him.  She's a little jealous about this. They meet again in England at this wedding.  

The story is told in dual time periods (present day and the past), which I think does well to give a sense of why he is "the one who got away" and not just another ex boyfriend with a bridge that should be burned.  This read is quick, cute, and slightly funny, making it an enjoyable read.  I'm not sure why it ended up in Jillian's abandoned TBR.  So Dewey Readers, I give you a rating of 4 out of 5 Coffee Beans.  

~Jessica 

Welcome to Ghost Town by Gretchen Gomez

Hello Dewey Readers!

I found a new poet who I absolutely adore via Instagram.  Gretchen Gomez's book Welcome to Ghost Town is just wonderful.  She tackles tough subjects with brilliant images and breath taking vocabulary that I devoured.  

One thing that I think is particularly inspiring is that Gomez's book is self published, which seems to be the new trend amongst millennial poets.  It's also an idea that I have been toying with myself, so I love reading books by poets that have actually done it well.  

What drew me to this book right away was the cover.  Not only is it gorgeous but it was also designed by poet Cyrus Parker.  But once you crack open the spine to this collection it becomes clear that the cover is simply there to compliment the pages hold so much talent. 

With other self published poets getting deals with publishers, I find it hard to believe that Gomez hasn't yet signed with a publishing house.  She clearly has a gift and if anyone should be signed, it should be her. I give it 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans. 

Stay tuned for our next review!  
~Jessica 

One Day in December by Josie Silver- Reshelved Books

Back before I requested an INSANE amount of galleys from Netgalley and making myself so incredibly sick of reading and stripping away all of the enjoyment I found in reading- because I was BURIED under book after book after book; I found this book as an arc.  I thought of how cute it sounded and how I would very much like to review it.

Fast forward to the end of 2018.  That was months ago.  The book made Reese Witherspoon's Book Club.  I purchased One Day in December by Josie Silver to read it. 

Here we are in the beginnings of 2019 and I'm giving you the review!

Yes, my picture has tiny ornaments. Yes, the title says "December".  In my defense, the book does span 10 years and in that time, Laurie is always opening that new year with a list of her New Year's Resolutions.  Fact.

As noted by the red double Decker bus on the cover of this bus, we are yet again jumping across the pond! (If you can't tell, I would loooove to visit England.  Especially at Christmas time.  I think that it would be truly spectacular and beautiful)


I really really liked this book! It was a pleasure to read.  I didn't fit it to be dull or lukewarm (unlike my review from New Year's Day)

Laurie is riding the bus home from work, miserable.  When she finds that she has caught her eye on a mysterious man.  It was an instant connection! But like any good love story, the bus pulls away and Laurie spends the next year looking for this fellow. 

Again, like any other good love story, Sarah who is Laurie's best friend happens to be dating the guy from the bus- who has a name now.  He is Jack!

Obviously Laurie can't tell Sarah that Jack is the guy from the bus - that wouldn't be cool. Especially because of how happy Sarah and Jack make each other. 

There are a few moments that Jack and Laurie share; there are some major life events that Laurie goes through.  Jack even has a life altering experience himself but they're there for each other as friends. 

Over the course of the book, the reader does get to see how the dynamics of these relationships change.  I found that the book was realistic and relatable. (It was a love story that wasn't far fetched)

Silver wrote a story that left you rooting for Laurie and Jack, whatever their paths may have been.

My rating?  This book is an easy 4 coffee beans out of 5!

~ Jillian

A Totally Awkward Love Story by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison - Reshelved Books

Happy 2019 Everyone!

I hope everyone rang in the New Year in a fun way. I hope everyone has some awesome goals set for themselves this year and you fully accomplish them by going above and beyond :)

What better way to start off the new year than with a lukewarm review??

I finished two books today and I started a new one. 

A Totally Awkward Love Story by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison is the lukewarm reviewed book. 

(In a very strange way, this little YA book does make mention of a philosophy from the other book that I finished. A review of  I’ll Be There for You by Kelsey Miller will come at a later date!)

This a classic example of judging a book by it’s cover. The cover art is totally adorable (this is not the original cover art though)- it has little people drawn on it and there’s quotes from the book behind these little people.  But that’s where the cuteness stops. 

I don’t have any true issues with this book. I just didn’t like it. It lacked something. 

It’s a solid 3 coffee beans. Yes, I’m giving the rating before I finish my review. (A new change for the new year?)

A Totally Awkward Love Story takes us across the pond to meet 18 year old Hannah and 17 year old Sam. By a weird state of fate, Sam and his friends crash a party of Hannah’s friend, Stella. Sam and Hannah meet each other in the bathroom- Hannah is having some concerns from a recent waxing incident and Sam just needs to use the restroom. They share a magical moment in the bathroom, creating a new way to high 5 (high 10) for an important occasion and how awesome not spiced grape juice is. 

But as life is, these two star crossed lovers have been pulled apart by the arrival of Hannah’s crush, Freddie. (I guess you could say, this is The One Where Girl Leaves Boy. Anybody get it?) Sam is sad and goes to see if he can find Hannah. He sees that Hannah is very much preoccupied with Freddie. So Sam goes back to his friends. Sam does met Hannah’s friend, Stella. Which is the official start of these two running into each other. 

The start of a long winded and complicated series of run-ins. I think these run-ins might be why I lost interest in Sam and Hannah. 

Hannah believed that Sam was her lobster. Sam believed that Hannah was his lobster (he never used those words but the notion was there that they shared the same feelings) YET these 2 couldn’t get their act together. 

I recant the statement above where I said that I didn’t any real issue. I do. I have a real issue with this storyline and that was Stella. I thought she was a really crappy friend. She had a big mouth and she was doing things to Hannah that best friends don’t do to their best friends. 

Hannah’s grandmother had bought her this dress that both her and Stella thought was beautiful. When they were in Kavos, Stella happened to go through Hannah's luggage and happened to find this dress (mind you, Hannah had HIDDEN the dress prior to traveling to Kavos). Without asking, she just puts it on and decides to wear it out for the night. See? Characteristics of a crappy friend. 

Then they all ended up at a festival together for 3 days. Hannah and Sam find each other again. But yet again, have a long drawn out trouble with encounter. Just like they have at the end of the book. 

Yes, the story had it moments where I would laugh. But it had moments where it was fresh and I was wondering if that was totally necessary.  It had more moments where it was boring. 

This is a lukewarm book at best. 

~ Jillian