‘Why Not Me?’ by Mindy Kaling is a comedic, insightful look into Kaling’s world, both personal and professional. Even though I’m not usually a person who reads non-fiction, I do enjoy biographies and memoirs, and this book falls into that category, in my best estimation.

Kaling delivers her stories with passion and humor, citing prime examples of issues she has had in life related to relationships – crushes, dates, and how she and B.J. Novak are “soup snakes” – to friendships, a day in the life of an actress/writer, and much, much more.

I found that Mindy (I feel as though I can call her by her first name after reading some of the details of her life) and I are similar in some ways, based on some of the stories she told. One in particular stood out to me when she wrote, “This, by the way, is the anatomy of a Mindy Kaling crush. Just bear a passing resemblance to a fictional romantic trope I like and I will love you forever.” I often take way too much stock in fictional characters, acting as though they could be real people. It drives my mom crazy at times, but the fact is, in my opinion, that if a character, storyline, or other piece of the writing can move me so much that I feel the need to talk about it like it’s real, it must be pretty amazing and well worth the conversation.

I read this book in one day’s time, and almost couldn’t put it down as I did so. I had watched Kaling on ‘The Office’ as Kelly Kapoor, and I am now fascinated with how put-together she is, despite how she may say that she is anything but, based on her storytelling. I loved reading about her relationship with B.J. Novak (it seems so real and down-to-earth) and how a typical day in her life goes. I also enjoyed how she tackled many of the realities of being a celebrity, and what that really means much of the time. I will be adding her first book, ‘Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)’ to my to-read list. Her writing style flows well and maintains my interest in a way that I can honestly say many memoir-esque books cannot.

You can find ‘Why Not Me?’ by Mindy Kaling here.

‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ by J.K. Rowling is a fitting and distinctive third novel in the ‘Harry Potter’ series of books. Not only is the wizarding world populated with even more successfully crafted characters, but the storyline finds itself getting trickier, with more twists and turns coming into play.

Beyond wondering whether or not Snape is good or bad as this novel progresses, everyone is scared and tremendously cautious about how they feel about Sirius Black, the escaped Azkaban prisoner. Everyone, worried for Harry’s well-being, treats him with kid gloves, which irritates him to no end, despite the fact that he is a kid. Yet, along with Ron and Hermione, as per usual, he learns more than he bargained for, in that Black is closer to him than he ever thought possible, and his parents (most especially his father) played a role in Black’s life early on.

Also entering the mix of characters in this addition to the series if Remus Lupin, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. The students all believe (well, all except the Slytherin students) that he is the best professor they have had in that position since they began school at Hogwarts. Yet, Snape, who has been eyeing that job for years and never getting it, is especially irked and seemingly villainous as the school year goes on.

The third year students are also taking a new class – Divination – taught by Professor Trelawney. The act of prophesizing is not something many of the students, including Harry, Ron, and Hermione, are keen on. Professor Trelawney seems very “out there,” but some of her predictions seem to be coming true, and it sometimes seems a little worrisome to just chalk it up to coincidence.

In this third book in the series, Rowling has captivated her audience anew. I look forward to continuing to re-read the remainder of the novels, starting with the next one – ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.’

You can find ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ by J.K. Rowling here.

‘One Moment in Time’ by Lauren Barnholdt was what I can only call a breezy read. For some reason, I feel as though this sounds bad, but I mean it in the best possible way. Her writing was to the point, and it flowed so smoothly that the words captivated my attention and kept me reading long past the time I had set for myself to do so. The story was lighthearted, yet it contained just the right amount of past troubles that plagued the main character, Quinn, just enough to make her question her decisions and worry about regret.

Quinn’s senior class trip to Florida is off to a rocky start when she isn’t paired to room with her two supposed best friends, Celia and Paige. Instead, she finds herself with Lyla and Aven, her two former best friends with whom she had a terrible falling out sophomore year. Not understanding how her luck could be so bad, she secretly seems to relish the fact that she isn’t stuck with Celia and Paige. Their party-going and drinking is more than Quinn can sometimes stand, and she finds herself somewhat happy to be free of them for at least the overnight parts of the trip.

When she gets an e-mail from her fourteen-year-old self – one that she wrote when still best friends with Lyla and Aven – telling her to do something crazy, she balks at the idea. However, when some bad news falls into her lap, she considers how doing something crazy might be just the ticket to freeing herself from over-analyzing and worrying about the issues at hand.

This is where Abram comes into play. At first just a cute guy she meets on the beach who is promoting a club night, he soon becomes someone she finds herself flirting with. As their relationship very quickly (within one night) evolves into something Quinn never would have guessed possible – not only for her as a person who doesn’t take risks, but also in such a short amount of time – she begins to realize the stakes of friendship, loyalty, and decisiveness. These qualities were seemingly lost to her based on her inner thoughts as the story progresses, but she learns to come to terms with them, and even when she doesn’t, she understands why they are crucial to her development as a person and a friend.

The ending of the story left me wanting more. I felt that it ended kind of abruptly, and more could have been added – even just one chapter – to wrap everything up in a stronger way. There were also a couple spots throughout the story – like when Lyla came to find Quinn one morning – that made me wonder how Lyla knew where to go. Some of the points could have been further developed, but overall, I truly enjoyed this story and the way in which Barnholdt captured the inner workings of the mind of a young girl who wants to make the right choices, but needs to find her own way in doing so.

You can find ‘One Moment in Time’ by Lauren Barnholdt here.

‘Cheating Lessons’ by Nan Willard Cappo was a cute read that invested me in the outcome from early on in the storytelling. Bernadette, the main character, finds out that her school, Wickham High, has made it into the ultimate quiz bowl, and she and some of her fellow classmates had some of the highest scores on the test that got them there. However, those high scores came at the downfall of their biggest competitor – Pinehurst – a school that beats Wickham more often than not, and which all the students of Wickham want to beat at any cost.

The issue is that the cost becomes too evident when Bernadette begins to suspect foul play – cheating on the part of someone at Wickham. The average score of the students who made the Classics quiz bowl contest seems too high to Bernadette, and she finds herself searching for answers, unsure of what she’ll find. Between the principal, librarian, and English teacher – Mr. Malory – the answer is not becoming apparent. She doesn’t want to say too much, lest she find herself digging a deeper hole for Wickham. Talking to her best friend, Nadine, doesn’t too much to allay her fears, as Nadine just wants to go and win and be done with it.

As answers begin to unfold and events transpire at the competition, Bernadette realizes that sometimes finding the right answers can be the courageous thing to do, while other times it casts you in a bad light in the eyes of those around you. When she comes to terms with what really happened and who was responsible, she begins to see everything and everyone in a new light, and struggles to do the right thing despite the ramifications to which it might lead.

I appreciated the symbolism of the novel’s title – ‘Cheating Lessons’ – as it could be construed as being about lessons regarding why cheating is bad, or it could be about teaching how to cheat, which the book did touch on at times. I love the ability to see double meanings, and therefore this compelled me into reading more. I also really enjoyed the fact that, unbeknownst to me when I picked up the book originally, the novel took place in Michigan. It was fun to read about cities, streets, and other locations around me, as I live in southeast Michigan myself. Even though the name of the main schools and city they lived in were fictional (as far as I know based on my knowledge of this area after living in Michigan for 30+ years), it was nice to read about where I’m from and feel a stronger connection with the novel as a result. This was especially true of the novel having the final quiz bowl competition take place in Southfield, which is the city I grew up in.

I recommend ‘Cheating Lessons’ to anyone who wants to read about the struggle to do the right thing even when others are focusing on what can be gained by avoiding the truth.

You can find ‘Cheating Lessons’ by Nan Willard Cappo here.

‘Luckiest Girl Alive’ by Jessica Knoll was an interesting read. As someone who loves young adult novels (even though this wasn’t one), I enjoyed the mix of main character Ani’s present-day, mid-twenties life coupled with flashbacks that led to an understanding of who she is as a person now based on her scandal-riddled past.

TifAni FaNelli is what every ‘Sex and the City’-loving viewer wishes they could be – successful, attractive, and poised to marry a wealthy, good-looking, well-bred guy. With Manhattan as her home, the world seems to be her oyster. Yet the past haunts her, and it all is coming back pretty strongly through a documentary being filmed about her old high school and all the goings-on that made her past so unbearable, yet made her so motivated to propel herself toward a better and brighter future.

The young adult scenes, when Ani (what she goes by in the present day) is a mere fourteen years old, struggling with her identity and how to best fit in at a new school, is truly eye-opening. She makes friends, garners enemies, and finds that sometimes the two can get mismatched. Figuring out how to best differentiate between the two becomes harder and harder as more and more issues begin to occur.

Being in the popular crowd tends to take a toll on even the most confident. Since Ani sometimes even called herself out on being too eager to please the in-crowd, she sets herself up for situations that breed trouble. However, she is certainly the victim, despite the way her mother and some others make her feel guilty for giving in to peer pressure as it relates to drinking and boys, a combination that doesn’t serve to propel her to further popularity when one night as the new girl goes terribly wrong. Her life begins to spiral out of control, and the one friend (Arthur) she had made before trying out the popular crowd is more like a “frenemy” at this point. Her talks with Arthur lead to more trouble, when a terrible tragedy rears its ugly head at her elite school.

Ani’s past and present are intertwined through the switching off of the chapters from past to present and vice versa. The narrative, in my opinion, became more compelling as the story progresses, and by the halfway point, I was anxious to read more and the pages went much quicker than earlier on in the novel. Some of the secondary characters in Ani’s young adult life as well as her adult life seemed unimportant to me, and I sometimes had a hard time keeping track of exactly who they were and why they were relevant to her story, but at the same time, they didn’t take away from the main plot. Her relationship with her fiance, Luke, in the present day, had its ups and downs, as she questioned her relationship with him, despite feeling he was the “best” thing for her.

‘Luckiest Girl Alive’ was a provocative and telling read about how the past can creep up on you even when you think it’s “out of sight, out of mind.” I recommend this novel to those who want to read a realistic tale of seeming inadequacy, the struggle to fit in, and reinvention when it seems all but possible.

You can find ‘Luckiest Girl Alive’ by Jessica Knoll here.

**This review is of Derek Murphy’s ‘Shearwater, Part One: An Ocean Depths Mermaid Romance’. I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced review copy. Check out my review and place your pre-order on Amazon using the link at the bottom of this review!**

‘Shearwater: Part One’ by Derek Murphy is a tale of teenage drama, centered around mysteries of the past and mermaids. There is also quite a bit of contemporary high school drama mixed in, which is what I tend to gravitate toward in a young adult novel.

Clara Clark, main character, finds herself thrown headfirst into a new life when her parents are killed in a car crash very early on in the novel. Even though she’d rather live with her best friend’s family in America, she is told that her grandfather, a man named Aeden, lives in Ireland, and she is set to go live with him based on her mother’s will and the fact that she is underage and cannot make her own decisions on living arrangements just yet. In typical teenager fashion, she is quite upset and frazzled by this turn of events, but she tries to make the most of it, if for no one else other than her grandfather. However, much of her new life lies in mystery, as she didn’t even know her grandfather existed, let alone that her mother was from Ireland. Her mother had even changed her maiden name, so when Clara was told it, she thought they were speaking of someone else.

During the first few days in Ireland, Clara finds herself swept up in more and more mysteries, while at the same time making friends and enemies of her classmates. There are the typical “mean girls” who want nothing of Clara, as well as the typical friendly sorts who befriend her. It doesn’t hurt that many remember her mother from when she was a child, so she fits in easier than she thought she might.

As a fan of mysteries, I really liked the way that Murphy kept readers on their toes, wondering just what would happen next based on notes Clara received, strange occurrences that Clara felt she may have caused to happen, etc. However, even though this is only Part One of the novel, I felt that it took way too long (more than 50% of the novel) to get to more of the unraveling of the mystery of who Clara really is. Readers still don’t have all the answers, but more was given away after the halfway point of the novel. I also like mythology, but sometimes the mythological background about mermaids, warring forces, etc. seemed a bit much and made me a tad confused. I understand that the information is necessary as the novel goes on into Part 2, but those parts seemed more like a history lesson to me rather than part of the story. Maybe if more of it had been in dialogue or more of an action format, I would have been more entranced by the mythological notes that led Clara to a better understanding of mermaids and her own past.

I am intrigued to learn more about who exactly Clara’s mother and grandmother were, as well as why her mother put it in her will for Clara to live in Ireland despite running away from her homeland herself all those years ago. I’m sure the unanswered questions will be resolved in Part 2 (or later, if there are even more parts to come), but my interest is piqued. Learning more about how much her grandfather, Aeden, actually knows, as well as how her friends will react to her newfound heritage, will provide the characters in the novel with a sort of transcendent quality that readers will be able to further identify with as they continue on with the plot in Part 2.

Derek Murphy has created an intriguing and mystical world in ‘Shearwater: Part One,’ and I hope that Part 2 will live up to the hype he has built for himself through the world he has so adeptly crafted.

You can pre-order ‘Shearwater, Part One: An Ocean Depths Mermaid Romance’ by Derek Murphy here. It will be available for regular purchase on January 26, 2016.

‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ is a fantastically appealing first sequel to J.K. Rowling’s first installment, ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’. With more character details and engaging descriptions added, the wizarding world comes alive once again, and the lives of main characters Harry, Ron, and Hermione become even more intertwined with the lives of those who are not only for them, but also those who are potentially against them.

Starting off the school year on not quite the right foot when he and Ron must fly to school in Ron’s dad’s flying car due to not being able to get aboard Platform 9 ¾ to take the Hogwarts Express, things continue to go downhill for them. Students, professors, and even ghosts in the castle are becoming more and more fearful of someone they claim must be lurking in the castle, who is thought to be Salazar Slytherin’s (the founder of Slytherin house) heir. When word begins to circulate that Harry may in fact be this heir – hastened along by the fact that he can speak to snakes just like Slytherin could, among other occurrences that fail to work in his favor – no one knows quite what to believe. Yet, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are steadfast in their attempts to find the real culprit and prove Harry innocent.

Coming into play in this novel are a couple new characters who were not present (or at least not physically present) in the first book. Lucius Malfoy, Draco’s dad, is a worthy antagonist to Harry, serving as a gofer of sorts for the Dark Lord (He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named), as Harry finds himself once again working to defeat the Dark Lord.

The way in which Rowling crafts the story adds depth and a serendipitous creativity that brings Harry luck when he feels none exists, especially close to the end of the novel. I cannot recommend the ‘Harry Potter’ series of novels enough. Check this one out and move on quickly to the remaining entries in her illustrious series.

You can find ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ by J.K. Rowling here.

‘In Their Shoes’ by L J Higgins is a collection of short stories that capture disappointment, heartache, misunderstandings, trials and tribulations, as well as a variety of other emotions that come to light easily and kindly through the author’s dedication to making the stories carry a sense of purpose and strength.

Even though the stories sometimes explicitly state the basic age of the main character, each and every one of them could be anyone at all, from teenagers to the elderly. They deal with basic issues of life that plague even the most decent, upstanding individuals. Suicide, depression, weight, drugs, homosexuality, gambling, and dementia are but a sampling of the themes that Higgins has so adeptly found a way of sharing with her readers, through short stories that basically serve as snippets of time, allowing readers to delve into the minds of people who may be dealing with these issues presently.

This is a collection of short stories, after all; however, the shortness of some of the stories may be jarring to some readers who expect to read more about each person’s journey and how they will cope with any issues that may stem from the personal dilemmas portrayed in them. I, however, found the shortness compelling, as it gives readers a sense of truth, since no one can know exactly what is going on in anyone’s mind other than the person himself. We, as outsiders, can only guess at outcomes, as we are not privy to the inner workings of anyone’s mind and how their perception of life will change their outcome for better or worse.

‘In Their Shoes’ allows readers to contemplate life from a variety of angles, even if some of those angles seem foreign and not easily understood. We are all capable of shaping our own lives, and maybe with better understandings of others and what they may be going through, we can help shape the world into a better place as well. We just have to be open to hearing others’ stories, and being empathetic by means of walking “in their shoes.”

You can find ‘In Their Shoes’ by L J Higgins here.

‘The Lipstick Laws’ by Amy Holder reminded me a lot of ‘Mean Girls’. The plot is based around April Bowers, a sweet girl who doesn’t hold much popularity, and whose best friend has just moved away. She has a boy who likes her, but she’d rather be seen with anyone other than him from a romantic standpoint. There is another boy she has a big crush on, but she’s a bit too shy to approach him right away. When April’s path crosses with that of Britney Taylor since they are stuck together as gym partners, her luck seems to be changing. Britney is pretty, seemingly friendly, and most definitely popular. However, April knows that all isn’t necessarily quite what it seems, since her best friend who moved out-of-state – Haley – has always been very vocal with April about how awful Britney is, with warnings to stay away from her at all costs.

April’s interest in popularity wins out, though, as it is wont to do in contemporary young adult novels like this one, and she finds herself captivated by the attention she is receiving from merely sitting at Britney’s table for one lunch period. Not eager to tell Haley about her relationship with Britney, but not wanting to keep her in the dark, April shares some of the goings-on, but Haley only warns her about something regarding lipstick. When Britney finally deems April “worthy” of being a full-fledged member of her clique, April is happy, despite feeling like she’s been handed back-handed compliment after back-handed compliment to get there. The final test to gain “entrance” is to basically sign your life away to Britney and the other two girls who later come to be termed the “Lipstick Lawlords.” You agree to a number of rules, and then put on red lipstick and kiss the paper as a sort of contract signing.

Despite immediately regretting her decision, April finds herself thrown headfirst into the melee of high school hierarchy, not sure how she can cope with how life as she knew it is now something she isn’t even allowed to even think about, based on Britney’s ridiculous and aggravating “laws.” With the help of several other girls whom April finds to be in the same boat as her – discontent with Britney Taylor and her dictatorial nature – Britney’s queen bee status may soon become a thing of the past. That is, if the “Lipstick Lawbreakers” have anything to say about it.

Even though I wasn’t necessarily a fan of how April sought her revenge on Britney as the story went on, I don’t necessarily see how it could have been done otherwise. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire, and April proved herself strong enough an adversary when Britney decided to be the “b” that Haley had always warned April she truly was.

A story chock full of the messiness that high school can bring out – from the claws of those ranked higher on the popularity scale to the parental talks that aren’t listened to, to sibling relationships and finding friends and relationships that you never even knew could be – ‘The Lipstick Laws’ captures a side of high school that I never knew, but I can definitely believe existed in some capacity. Popularity is not all it’s cracked up to be, and it can certainly come at a high cost. Amy Holder has shown how high school can truly bring out at least a smidgen of class warfare, and how certain people classify and stereotype others based on the silliest and most juvenile terms.

You can find ‘The Lipstick Laws’ by Amy Holder here.

.’Confessions of a Not It Girl’ by Melissa Kantor takes readers right into the mindset of Jan (pronounced “Yahn”), who thinks (and sometimes professes to know) that she doesn’t have high hopes in the areas of guys and popularity. Even though her best friend Rebecca is basically a rising socialite with infinite prospects of guys, colleges, and everything else Jan could possibly want, her life feels dull and unaccomplished by comparison.

Being a senior in high school is hard enough, let alone feeling this way all the time. Instead of living the high life, dating older guys and taking glamorous trips with her parents like Rebecca tends to do, Jan finds herself relegated to having a crush on a guy named Josh whom she’s sure doesn’t notice her, dealing with what she considers her insufferable parents, and trying to fend off another guy who she used to like but now would rather not deal with at any cost. The world seems to be against her (at least from Jan’s perspective), and nothing she does seems to be good enough in her eyes, based on the turnout from every encounter she has.

As the novel goes on and Jan falls harder and harder for Josh, conflicts ensue between Jan and Rebecca, and eventually Jan and Josh. Revelations that she thought would keep the other guy who likes her away from her come back to haunt her, causing her relationship with Josh to take a swift turn for the worse, and making her question whether anything can go right in her life.

Despite some of the predictability of the ending, the issues that plagued Jan throughout the story were well-conceived, and I very much enjoyed watching Jan have issues so I had all the more reason to root for her to get the outcome she wanted in the end. I look forward to reading more of Melissa Kantor’s books. She definitely knows how to add personality and vitality to her characters.

You can find ‘Confessions of a Not It Girl’ by Melissa Kantor here