When you mix together a young girl who dreams of being a pirate, a runaway bride who needs to get married within a year and a grumpy farmer still in love with his childhood best friend, you get a recipe for romance and jams. 

Shay has her relationship planned. She has the perfect wedding and perfect dress. Everything is exactly that. Perfect. Until her fiancé leaves her on the day of their wedding. 

Shay is angry and is spending her time at her best friend’s place when she gets a call telling her she has inherited her step grandmother’s farm. She is confused to say the least, but her confusion is nothing compared to how she feels when she learns the stipulations of inheriting the farm. She must live in the town of Friendship, where the farm is located, for a year, as well as be married within that year. 

Shay makes the decision to move to Friendship and start anew. When there, she runs into Noah, her best friend from high school. 

A Yale graduate and ex-attorney, Noah has taken over his family’s farm since his father passed away a few years back. Noah has recently been named the legal guardian of his niece, Gennie, and has his hands full. However, with Shay back in town, he might be able to handle one more feisty woman in his life. 

This book was one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. Every character had such a fun sense of humor and brought it out full force. 

Shay and Noah worked well together, but Noah was the star of this novel. He was so sweet and entertaining, and his love for Shay was unparalleled. Everything about him could make anyone swoon. Shay included. 

That being said, I loved Shay, but she didn’t deliver the way the other characters did. She had a lot to work through in terms of her life and her relationships, and I didn’t feel she did everything she should’ve done in order to become a better person. There were some pieces of character development that just fell flat for me. 

Overall, this romance, though slightly long, was a wonderful and enjoyable novel. I felt like I knew each character in a personal way and was able to connect with them in a way I don’t  always find in books. 

Although I stated above that I haven’t had time to read since the start of the school year, there is one book I had to read for school that I couldn’t help but love. “The Great Gatsby” the story of the American Dream, the 20’s, money and social status. 

For English, I was required to read this book and was pleasantly surprised with how much  I adored this novel. Something about the characters and the setting drew me in and didn’t let go. 

Jay Gatsby. The man everyone knows of but nobody knows. The one that throws the party but doesn’t show up. The man who loves Daisy but can’t have her. Jay Gatsby. The symbol of the unattainable.  

Daisy Buchanan. Love of Gatsby’s life. The ‘golden girl.’ Daisy Buchanan. The one who was as free as she was stuck. 

Nick Carraway. The narrator and the judge. Carraway is as within the story as without the story as he chooses to be. 

Every character in “The Great Gatsby”  is flawed and at times horrible. Each and everyone of them makes mistakes and they aren’t always small. But, that is part of what I love about the story. Each character feels real. When I finished this novel, I had to remind myself they weren’t real. But, they felt real, because they weren’t perfect. Nobody is and no one will ever be. 

“The Great Gatsby” is the story of a summer on Long Island. Nick is spending the summer in East and West Egg and partying and drinking to the nines. While there, he meets the enigmatic Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is a man of whom everybody wants to know. Every weekend, Gatsby has people showing up at his house and partying the night way. But, Gatsby isn’t interested in the party. He spends each and every night waiting for Daisy Buchanan, the love of his life, his American Dream, to come to his party. Daisy has moved on with her life, but Gatsby wants to repeat the past. 

Although “The Great Gatsby” is a classic, it is still a story that is accessible even today. It can be hard to read or understand at times, but it is impactful and meaningful and shares many valuable lessons. 

Sometimes, reading books for school can be annoying and they can truly be dull. But, if you go into “The Great Gatsby” with an open mind, you might just find something you didn’t realize you needed to learn. 

Three years ago, I read “Daisy Jones & The Six” for the first time. I lied to myself and said I understood what I had read and pretended I loved it. In truth, I hadn’t comprehended what I was reading. I tried, but it fell flat. 

However, the next year, I reread the novel, and this time I could honestly say I adored it. Since then, I have reread the novel at least once a year and enjoy it more each and every time. 

Told through a series of interviews, “Daisy Jones & The Six” follows the rise and fall of the great singer Daisy Jones and the band The Six. From beginning to end, their story is full of addictions, pain, music, wonder and Rock ‘N’ Roll. However, Daisy and Billy, the lead singer of The Six, are becoming closer than they should. 

This novel is compelling and enthralling. I couldn’t put it down. Every single word feels needed and important. The lead up to the end keeps the pages turning. 

Daisy is such a beautiful and sad character. Her life is an interesting one, but she never lets anyone put her down. She is her own person. 

Billy is stuck trying to find who and what matters to him in life. He struggles to find who he is and what makes him keep going. 

Combined, these two are a complete powerhouse. Their chemistry is undeniable and they complement each other beautifully. 

An important thing to note is that this book is not to be taken lightly. There are many triggering topics that enhance the story but can be challenging to read about at times. Due to the story being set in the 70’s, it can be difficult to understand why the characters act the way they do. But, the story is worth it. Everything about this novel is worth it.