books on tap: whenever, wherever

Is anyone else singing that old Shakira song in their heads now? No? Just me? Fine. The cheese stands alone.

It's not the end of the month, but at this point time is basically one big joke - every month has, on average, 30 days, except the last month of pregnancy which lasts roughly three and a half years.  However, I've somehow managed to read things despite my insane pregnancy brain, so here's your Books on Tap. A little late. Oh, well.

xoxo,
E

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All We Ever Wanted, by Emily Giffin*. I've had a hard time figuring out what I think about this book. I liked it, and I read it in two days. I wanted to find out what happened. But as for actually loving the book, feeling close to the characters? It didn't really happen for me. And the ending was particularly unsatisfying. Without giving too much away, the book is about two teenagers at a ritzy private high school in Nashville who get into trouble with social media, and their parents who are drawn into their drama and conflict. There needed to be more interaction with Finch, one of the teenagers, rather than just his mother, Nina's, perspective. He seemed particularly one-dimensional. And Nina's decisions often seemed hasty, without enough back story to warrant them. This could have been an interesting study on class and wealth, had Giffin not beaten us over the head with it - it was told, not shown. Same with the social media issues. I liked the book, but I don't think I'd buy a copy - definitely borrow it from the library if you can. At this point, I think Giffin is relying on her famous name to sell titles rather than crafting a truly great book. Her first ones were great. This one, and her previous one, just didn't do it for me. 3/5 stars.

*I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

So Much To Celebrate, by Katie Jacobs*. This is a beautiful book that encourages readers to celebrate the everyday moments in life with party planning ideas and recipes. I'll admit that most of the themed parties in the book seem way over my head, particularly since the hubs and I are both introverted and tend to not entertain much, to say nothing of the fact that I'm expecting  a baby, oh, any day now. But if you're the hostess type (Taylor, I'm looking at you!), this would be a great book. And the recipes look fantastic. Regardless of whether we ever host a party, I have a feeling I'll be making, say, the salted oatmeal cornflake cookies. Get in my (very pregnant) belly. This book would also be fantastic for a gift if you have friends or loved ones who like to entertain. In short, it's not exactly what I need or am looking for right now, but for the right person at the right time, this is a gorgeous book. 4/5 stars.

*I received an advanced copy of this book from Booklook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.