Uh...this is one of the coolest things that‘s happened to me!!! I‘m obsessed!

Definitely one of my fave books I've read this year!

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Full review: erinkonrad.com

Loved this historical fiction novel set in WWII with strong female characters. Surprised to see some bad reviews out there but it definitely kept me interested the whole time.

Full review on Goodreads

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Coates' first novel is a wonderful mix of historical fiction and magical realism. I was completely entranced by the story of a slave named Hiram, who learns he has a power to transport himself away from danger.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #Netgalley #arc

Full review at erinkonrad.com

Fun YA read described as Babysitters Club meets Buffy. Will definitely check out the next book in the series when it comes out.

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A fascinating (though super depressing) take on the ethical issues surrounding climate change.

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#Goodreads #arc

A jolly book centered in London during WWII with a feisty female protagonist.

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Full review on Goodreads

An absolute must-read for true crime fans!

Full review at erinkonrad.com

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#NetGalley #arc

I loved the premise - super timely focus of a woman politician trying to succeed against a misogynistic opponent. However, I HATED the ending! ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #Netgalley

Full review on Goodreads

9,000, baby! Hooray!🎊🎊🎊

Great collection of short stories centering around Jamaicans and Jamaican immigrants in the US. My fave story was loosely inspired by Rihanna!

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A fun, twisty legal thriller that's a perfect summer read!

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Full review at: http://erinkonrad.com/2019/08/06/thirteen-book-review/

#Netgalley

A great YA dystopian novel that kept me guessing the whole time. Love the premise and the characters! On to the next in the series! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#Botm for August! Yay!

A must-read for anyone who loves this show (or Broadway musicals in general!)

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Full review at https://erinkonrad.com/2019/07/27/come-from-away-book-review/

#Netgalley

Couldn‘t connect to this one as much as some of her earlier work but it‘s still a powerful collection.

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Full review on Goodreads

Gorgeously written with powerful prose and strong, female characters. Full review on Goodreads.

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#Netgalley

It's hard to classify - not really enough grit or substance for a memoir, but maybe could be viewed as more of a collection of humor essays. The chapters jump around; I liked getting a look at different areas of her life, but it felt way too scrambled to keep jumping back and forth to different times. Of course, Kemper is very funny but I don't think her self-deprecation and bubbling energy really come through successfully. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #Netgalley

If you're at the very beginning of your freelance writing career or if you're trying to determine if it's the right career for you, this book can be super helpful. It explains the traits you need to succeed as a freelance writer and offers the basics. Someone with more experience in the field might not find any meaningful insights and some sections can feel a little repetitive, but overall it's a great look into the industry. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #Netgalley

Gorgeous writing but it missed the mark for me. Not enough action in the plot and repetitive thoughts about belief in God. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #Netgalley

Full review on Goodreads

Absolutely loved this beautifully heartbreaking read set in South Africa. A definite recommend! #NetGalley

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Full review at: https://erinkonrad.com/2019/06/29/if-you-want-to-make-god-laugh-book-review/

Some confusing POV stuff, but still a good suspense read. #Netgalley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Full review on Goodreads

Kinda predictable and pretty schmaltzy, but heartwarming and still a good read!

Full review at erinkonrad.com

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*ARC provided by @StMartinsPress*

This book centers around self-help strategies that can fall into place much like the process of making kintsugi art. I appreciated the structure - a little bit of info about kintsugi, suggestions for empowering and discovering your best self., and exercises to do to try out the techniques. I especially loved the inclusion of photographs of beautiful kintsugi art pieces. But I wasn‘t crazy about the repetition. #Netgalley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dark and full of twists...just how I like em‘!

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Kinda obsessed with this latest read. Funny, smart, and inspiring! Check out my review:

http://erinkonrad.com/2019/05/31/sorry-im-late-i-didnt-want-to-come-book-review/

5 stars! #NetGalley

I found that the beginning was frustrating to read - there's a lot of talk about a mysterious event but no details on what that is until at least a quarter of the way in. There was some suspense that I enjoyed, but I would definitely not classify this as a thriller. Overall, it really came down to the structure of the novel not working for me - I liked the idea for the story, just not the execution. #NetGalley ⭐⭐⭐

This book (recently retitled “Suicide Tango“) did elicit strong emotions for me - unfortunately, they weren't positive. The writer completely missed the mark on accurately describing mental illness, a working therapist-patient relationship, and how people actually experience suicidality. I get that the author was trying to write a satire, but that form has to be based in reality to work. Instead, this felt completely irresponsible. #NetGalley

Officially finished this trilogy! This one was actually my favorite of the three. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This novel just completely missed the mark for me. I was expecting a sci-fi angle or even magical realism. It's set up to make it seem like there might be a parallel universe at play since the main characters start seeing people who aren't really there. However, this concept is never fully drawn out. I was also disappointed with the lack of a true plot. The only exciting things happened after 80% of the book was already done. ⭐️⭐️ #NetGalley

Loved this! Excited to move on to the second book and to watch the new show!

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I admire Gates' mission to improve the lives of women around the world. The best parts of the book are her stories of the women she's met who have endured incredible hardships but are still eager to create better lives for themselves and their children. I think this is a great read for anyone interested in charity work or in how they can inspire positive change in the world. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #Goodreads

Such a powerful and moving read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Full review at erinkonrad.com

#NetGalley

Definitely obsessed with this short story collection! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My full review: erinkonrad.com

#NetGalley

Locke does an incredible job of transporting the reader to the Deep South - where racial division and violence run rampant. This novel follows the story of a Texas Ranger who becomes involved in a double homicide investigation. Anyone looking for a fast-paced thriller might find this boring, but readers who appreciate a fully-realized and inhabitable setting will enjoy Locke's work. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #NetGalley

Complicated parents are one of my fave memoir genres, and Guerrero certainly has plenty of interesting stories about her father - a Mexican American immigrant who might have been experimented on by the CIA or is potentially a schizophrenic addict. This memoir is at its best when Guerrero examines her roots which allows the reader to be swept away by the mysticism and magic of Mexican culture (alongside the often brutal violence). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was completely into some of the essays, and then felt a little blah about some other ones. She covers a huge range of topics - everything from Disneyland to "The Sopranos.” I also felt like I had a harder time with some of her writing style choices - her syntax forced me to concentrate really hard, instead of the reading feeling effortless (although this probably has more to do with me than her). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #NetGalley

There are a ton of great elements to this memoir - honesty, humor, heart. Rannells does a great job recounting tales from his youth. My only complaint about this book is that it felt like it ended right before the part of his life that I'm most interested in. I would have loved to get Rannells' take on actually making it in the industry (and I would have killed for some celebrity gossip). Perhaps he is thinking about writing another book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Best. #Bookmail. Day. Ever. 😃

This was a gorgeous book with lots of stunning pictures of delicious foods. However, most of the recipes seemed really complicated to me (as someone who doesn't have a whole lot of cooking experience), so there weren't a lot of recipes that seemed doable. With a great blend of different cuisines from all over the world, I'll certainly be recommending this cookbook to my fellow pescatarians (who are better cooks than me). #NetGalley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Every once in a while a main character comes around that steals my heart. Anne Griffin has provided me with that with Maurice Hannigan, an elderly Irish man who decides at the end of his life to look back on how he got where he is. He contemplates the twists his life has taken by toasting five of the most important people in his life. I won't soon forget Maurice - in all of his heartbreaking glory. #NetGalley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A great horror read! Now I‘m hyped to watch the TV show when it comes out! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm afraid that I might have been just the wrong reader for this book. I'm not a fan of a lot of graphic content and descriptions of bodily habits - and this book was filled with that stuff! The story is broken into four sections and follows Mona, a young woman in her 20's who works as a cleaning lady in New Mexico. Although I appreciate Beagin's dark humor and her quirky characters, I couldn't find anything I actually liked. #Netgalley ⭐️⭐️

This was the perfect thriller for me – lots of red herrings, an unreliable narrator, and several twists that I just didn‘t see coming! I read “Final Girls” by this author, but this one left me way more satisfied. The story centers around the mystery of three girls going missing at Camp Nightingale 15 years ago. Their cabinmate, Emma, decides to return to the camp in the present to finally discover what really happened to her friends. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A word of warning: The Royal Art of Poison is not for people with weak stomachs! Herman offers excruciatingly disgusting facts about the horrors of being poisoned. I especially loved the section that broke down several famous poisonings in history (including what scientists have to say now). I'd recommend this to someone who wants to learn some fun facts - and who doesn't mind descriptions of bodily functions and disease! #netgalley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finally, a post-apocalyptic novel that feels fresh and inventive. I've gotten pretty tired of regular ol' zombies, so I loved Ling Ma's creation of "the fevered" - infected people that end up endlessly repeating tasks until they die. The only downside to me was that the jumping around in time frames felt a little disjointed at times. Can‘t wait for more of her work though! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #Netgalley

Loved her voice and her take on everything from rape culture to the loss of a parent. Am so hyped for the new show on Hulu inspired by this collection!
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I'm afraid this was a huge miss for me. The book begins with an exciting event - while talking to her former best friend, Molly, on Skype, Liza sees an intruder in her friend's home. However, that's where the suspense ends. Because I thought this would be more of a thriller, I kept waiting for twists that just didn't come. If this book was trying to fall into more of the 'women's fiction' category, it also didn't seem to succeed. ⭐️⭐️ #netgalley

As far as mental health diagnoses go, I believe eating disorders are one of the most frequently misunderstood diseases. Because of these misconceptions, most books centered around eating disorders have a falsity to them. Enter Yara Zgheib's novel: one of the best fictional depictions of what it's actually like to live with an eating disorder.

Full review up at erinkonrad.com!

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This novel tells the story of a struggling young woman in New York who gets befriended by a socialite and then decides to take over her life. This trope has been done many times before (and better). I was willing to give it a shot because I thought it could be done in a fresh way with a social media lens. However, a lot of it was predictable, and the writing style just felt really stilted and stale. ⭐️⭐️