The Fairest Kind of Love by Crystal Cestari

From Goodreads,

""Amber! I never even thought of that! Maybe she can tell you your match."

Whoa. Now that's interesting.

Amber Sand has spent half her life solidifying other people's happily-ever-afters. As a matchmaker, she has the ability to look into anyone's eyes and see their perfect match. But lately, her powers have been on the fritz, and not only is she totally unsure whether her matches are true, she can't see anyone in the eyes of her boyfriend Charlie Blitzman. With Amber and her friends graduating high school and about to take off for various colleges, Amber is hoping to have one last carefree summer-but she's also dying to find a way to fix her powers, and learn, for better or worse, if she and Charlie are truly meant to be.
So when an online matchmaker named Madame Lamour comes to Chicago, Amber sets out to talk to her and find out who her match is once and for all. Of course, when it comes to the magical community, nothing's ever that easy, and Amber soon finds herself caught up in a breathless showdown that involves a fairy family feud and a magical-creature auction--and requires teaming up with a certain siren nemesis. Can Amber and her friends save the day one more time before setting off for their new lives? And will Amber ever learn whether Charlie is her one true love?
With tons of laugh-out-loud moments, appearances by all your favorite characters, and one totally tearful reveal, you won't want to miss a single swoony moment of this romantic conclusion to the Windy City Magic trilogy."

Goodreads - The Fairest Kind of Magic

I never know how to feel when I reach the final book in a series.  I'm either super excited that the series is over or I go into a depression because it has ended.  The Fairest Kind of Love is the final book in the Windy City Magic series and again, I don't exactly know how to put my feelings into words.  However, I will try my best to review this book and give the series a fair conclusion.

The Fairest Kind of Love follows matchmaker Amber as she is trying to figure out why she can't clearly see matches anymore.  Amber soon meets a young girl who is also a matchmaker.  Unfortunately, the girl's parents aren't understanding of her gift and think she needs to conceal her magic.  Meanwhile, Ivy is slowly dying since losing her siren powers by trying to save her sister.  Amber and Amani decide to take a road trip to meet the matchmaker's fairy family to try to save Ivy and get maybe fix Amber's matchmaking.  Things quickly spiral out of control as Ivy meets her match and he flies off in a fit of rage.  Soon they are all trying to save each other before things get way out of hand.

This book was my absolute least favorite out of the entire series.  It felt so forced and so scattered.  There was so much happening between Amber not seeing matches clearly, Ivy dying, Jane the matchmaker with awful parents and no support, and her brother Peter who basically got high on magic and spiraled out of control.  I wish that just a couple issues had been selected and used instead of trying to cram every idea that ever happened with the series into one book.  I honestly felt like Jane the child matchmaker could have been left out of the entire thing.  She had such a minor role in the entire book that I don't really know why she was in it to begin with.  Also Peter and Ivy's "love story" really took away from Charlie and Amber.  This book was a hot mess and had way too much happening in the magical realm.

On the flip side, I got really nostalgic when Amber and Amani spent their last day together before Amani went to college.  It made me think back to my best friend and I on our last day before we both moved off to college.  We had lunch at a restaurant in our town.  Afterward, we literally stood in the parking lot crying and hugging because we didn't know what we were going to do without each other.  We laugh about it now and we have talked about how we both thought that our friendship wouldn't survive us being at college.  We both thought we would make new best friends and completely forget about each other.  Our friendship endured and we now live about 8 hours apart, showing that distance doesn't change things.  Getting to reminisce about moving to college was probably the best part of the book.

This book was a bit of a letdown.  I wish that it had been a little more organized and a little less cluttered in the storyline department.  Overall, it was a good series.  I would give the entire series a 4, but give this book only a 3.

The Sweetest Kind of Fate by Crystal Cestari

From Goodreads,

"GREAT. I've somehow found myself tangled up with a siren, a mermaid, and a homicidal wicked witch who once tried to strangle me to death. Way to go, Amber!

Amber Sand, legendary matchmaker, couldn't be more surprised when her archnemesis, Ivy, asks for her help. Ivy's sister, Iris, is getting married, and Ivy wants to prove her sister is making a huge mistake. But as Amber looks into Iris's eyes, there doesn't seem to be a problem-Iris has clearly found her match.

It seems happily-ever-after is in the cards, but when Iris seeks out a dangerous, life-altering spell, it's up to Amber and Ivy to set aside their rivalry and save the day.

As Iris puts everything on the line for love, Amber continues to wrestle with her own romantic future. Her boyfriend, Charlie, is still destined for another, and no matter how hard she clings to him, fear over their inevitable breakup shakes her belief system to the core.

Because the Fates are never wrong-right?"

Goodreads - The Sweetest Kind of Fate

I read the first book of this series a few weeks ago, not knowing it was part of a series.  I really enjoyed it even though it was centered around witches and their magical qualities.  I saw copies at Books-A-Million and knew I was going to go back to purchase them once I got paid.  The only problem is that when I went back they had already been purchased by someone.  I ended up ordering them online and I'm excited I can finally share my thoughts on the second book of the Windy City Magic series.

The Sweetest Kind of Fate picks up where The Best Kind of Magic left off.  Amber is still head over heels for Charlie, even though she can see his match and it isn't her.  Amber's arch-nemesis Ivy comes to her for help.  Ivy's sister Iris wants to become a mermaid so she can be with the love of her life Brooke.  Amber confirms they are meant to be, but Iris seeks help from Victoria who has a troubling history with Amber's mother.  Amber soon finds that Iris is in a lot of trouble and they have to save her.  While trying to save Iris, Amber comes clean to Charlie about his match.  She must try to keep it together while juggling relationships, crazy witches, and her future.

This book follows right behind the first book, and this book felt easier to read.  There were fewer magical elements in my opinion.  I really liked that all the characters had some kind of development.  I feel like they were able to develop without having magic shoved down my throat every page.  I really liked the character development of Ivy.  We see her go from being a siren (someone who can manipulate people) to being just like everyone else.  I love that she finally got a solid role and was able to transition into a different person.  We see her literally soften from her hard ice queen persona.  I really feel that in the next book she will form a friendship with Amber, Amani, and Kim. 

This book really focused on love and relationships.  There was a quote at the end of the book that I absolutely loved.  It said,

"Love is a surrender, giving in to the unknown and hoping for the best."

I really like this quote because love is surrendering yourself to the person you love.  You have no idea what is going to happen in that relationship and you honestly hope for the best.  This entire quote sums up being in a relationship.  I know I definitely can look back and see this quote playing out with my boyfriend and me.  In a relationship, you surrender some of your wants and needs for the person you are in a relationship with.  My boyfriend gave up moving back to Missouri, while I gave up living in my hometown.  We lived two hours apart for two years and we were finally able to move in together.  We had no idea what to expect living with each other and we literally had to hope for the best.  It hasn't been easy by no means, but it has been a journey like none other.  We keep traveling into the unknown and hoping it all falls in place.

This book had fewer curse words than the first book.  I was upset that we saw less of Charlie in this book.  Naturally, it was because Amber and Charlie broke up, but I felt like he should have had more of a presence in the book so he could have character development like everyone else in the book.

Overall, this was a good secondary book.  Most second books in a series are either my favorite or the absolute worst.  This book was right down the middle and felt like the perfect bridge between the first book and the third.  I'm excited to get started on the final book in the series, The Fairest Kind of Love.  I give this book 4 stars.  Definitely read this if you read the first book!

Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self Love by Jonathan Van Ness

From Goodreads,

"Who gave Jonathan Van Ness permission to be the radiant human he is today? No one, honey.

The truth is, it hasn’t always been gorgeous for this beacon of positivity and joy.

Before he stole our hearts as the grooming and self-care expert on Netflix’s hit show Queer Eye, Jonathan was growing up in a small Midwestern town that didn’t understand why he was so…over the top. From choreographed carpet figure skating routines to the unavoidable fact that he was Just. So. Gay., Jonathan was an easy target and endured years of judgement, ridicule, and trauma—yet none of it crushed his uniquely effervescent spirit.

Over the Top uncovers the pain and passion it took to end up becoming the model of self-love and acceptance that Jonathan is today. In this revelatory, raw, and rambunctious memoir, Jonathan shares never-before-told secrets and reveals sides of himself that the public has never seen. JVN fans may think they know the man behind the stiletto heels, the crop tops, and the iconic sayings, but there’s much more to him than meets the Queer Eye.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll come away knowing that no matter how broken or lost you may be, you’re a Kelly Clarkson song, you’re strong, and you’ve got this."

Goodreads - Over the Top

Awards and Nominations:

• Goodreads Choice Award for Memoir & Autobiography (2019)

This past May my best friend got married.  I was her maid of honor and spent a few days in Austin for the big event.  We ended up staying at an Airbnb that had Netflix.  We ended up watching Queer Eye.  I had never seen it and had no idea what to expect.  Needless to say, I came home and binge-watched the entire series.  Fast forward to a few weeks ago.  I was strolling the aisles of Books-A-Million and saw Over The Top by Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness.  He easily and quickly became my favorite on the show.  I knew I needed to read his book and get to know the man with the flawless hair. 

Over The Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love is Jonathan Van Ness's raw and in-depth story of his life.  His autobiography starts with him as a child as he deals with being sexually abused by a boy a few years older than him and trying to find his place as being gay in small-town Illinois.  His story progresses as he moves around the country trying to find his place and learn who he is.  The story has a beautiful arc from a struggling, lost boy to a self-loving queen. 

The entire time I was reading this book I felt like Jonathan was sitting reading it to me.  It was written the exact same way that he talks.  There was an excerpt from the book that I was like "Oh this, this is true."  Jonathan wrote, 

"I don't know what it's like to raise a child.  But I know that when I was growing up, the emphasis was on fitting into the mold that was expected of you while under your parent's roof.  You respect the rules and don't talk back.  Once you're eighteen, you can do what you want.  But if your parents pay the bills, they run the house.  The emphasis is less on raising someone who can take care of themselves and more on following the ideas that have been passed down to you."

I grew up in a small town myself.  The entire time I lived with my parents, even when I was in college to an extent, I felt like I had to follow in with what my parents had always taught me and believed in.  While I was in college I really realized there were so many different views and opinions, and that the ones I had weren't the only ones.  I know for a while I would voice my opinion with things going on in the world and I would hear my parents give a different opinion.  It really took a lot of time for my entire family to get outside of their own head and see that there were other views in the world.  Jonathan writing this really made me stop and think about how much our parents influence us and how we typically follow their ideas until we get out from under their roof.  Once I got out I found I had a more open and accepting attitude toward people than my family did. 

This book was really good and it was a good recap of his life up to this point.  I didn't like the Russian names that were used instead of real names.  They were so confusing to keep straight while I was reading.  I have to give this book 4 stars and definitely recommend it to fans of Queer Eye. 

Holes by Louis Sachar

From Goodreads,

"Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.

Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten- pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the boys "build character" by spending all day, every day, digging holes: five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption."

Goodreads - Holes

Awards and Nominations:

• National Book Award for Young People's Literature (1998)
• Newbery Medal (1999)
• Boston Globe-Horn Book for Fiction (1999)
• Flicker Tale Children's Book Award (2000)
• Pennsylvania Yong Readers' Choice Award for Grades 6-8 (2000)
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (2000)
• Zilveren Zoen (2000)
• Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis Nominee for Jugendbuch (2001)
• Evergreen Teen Book Award (2001)
• West Australian Young Readers' Book Award (WAYRBA) for Older Readers (2001)
• Grand Canyon Reader Award for Teen Book (2001)
• Nene Award (2001)
• Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award for Junior (2001)
• Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award for Grade 6-9 (2001)
• Massachusetts Children's Book Award (2001)
• New Mexico Land of Enchantment Award for Young Adult (2001)
• William Allen White Children's Book Award (2001)
• Oklahoma Sequoyah Award for Children and YA (2001)
• Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (2002)
• Sunshine State Young Readers Award for Grades 3-5 and Grades 6-8 (2002)
• Soaring Eagle Book Award (2003)

It has been a while since I have read a book on one of the many award lists that I'm reading through.  I figured since I now have Disney+ it would be a good time to read Holes so I can watch the movie and give a fair comparison and review.  I'm going to try my best to give a fair review of the book since I saw the movie years ago.

Holes is the story of teenager Stanley Yelnats who is always in the wrong place at the wrong time.  He is accused of stealing a pair of shoes that were donated to a homeless shelter by a famous baseball player.  Instead of going to jail, Stanley opts to go to Camp Green Lake.  Stanley soon learns there is no lake and he will be digging holes to "build character".  Stanley eventually gains friends and starts to fit in, but trouble arises when his friend Zero runs away.  Stanley must decide to stay at camp or search for his friend to save him.

I remember checking this book out when I was in school.  I read a few pages and returned it because it just wasn't the kind of book for me.  I knew that I would have to read the book eventually since it is on the Newbery Award Winner list.  I decided that it was finally time to get it knocked out and checked off the list.  I was not disappointed, and I'm kind of mad at myself for not reading it when I was younger.  This book connects different characters and weaves their stories together.  I absolutely loved this aspect of the book because it had three different time periods, but it was all there for a purpose.  While I was reading the book I realized that there was a tidbit that I had always thought that was in fact wrong.  I had always thought that the Warden was related to Kissin' Kate Barlow.  Upon reading the book I realized that the Warden was actually related to Trout Walker who once owned all of the lake and the town.  When I read this I was so confused because I had always thought she was related to the outlaw.  It was a fun piece that I had always missed in the movie but was able to catch it thanks to the book.

Right after I finished this book I watched the movie while everything was still fresh on my mind.  The movie followed pretty closely to the book.  There were some minor things that were different, but it really and honestly stayed true to the book.  I think a big part of this was because Louis Sachar wrote the screenplay which allowed for them the movie and the book to be so close.  I will say that while I was reading I visualized the characters as those that are in the movie.  This was a struggle with Stanley because in the book he is big, but Shia LeBeouf plays Stanley in the movie and he isn't big at all.  That was the biggest and most frustrating difference in the two. 

I really enjoyed this book and the movie has always been a favorite of mine.  This is a book that is clear it deserved all of the awards it has received.  I have to give this book 5 stars and recommend it to anyone looking for a good read.  This book is perfect for middle school-aged kids.