Cassie DeNisco

Reading Essentials for the Book Lover

February 26, 2024

I don’t have a book review for this month so I thought I would instead share my reading essentials! These are perfect for a book lover who wants the connivence to read in any situation! Essentials like these have transformed my reading habits and made it so much easier for me to read wherever!

This post contains affiliate links so I make a small commission if you choose to purchase through them! These have seriously made me reach my reading goals and just elevate my reading time!

Kindle

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The Kindle paper-white has truly changed the reading game for me. I swear it’s more convenient to read with this than a regular book because you can really get comfy and cozy anywhere with this. I love that it tells you the percentage left in the book and you can really tailor it to your preferences. You can make smaller fonts so you can have more words on a page or you can make it brighter or yellower so it’s easier for you to read.

Pop Socket for Kindle

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If you have a Kindle, you NEED a pop socket for it! It truly makes holding the kindle so much better. I had mine for about 2 years before I added the pop socket to it and I’m not even kidding that it made it so much better for me. It elevates your reading experience and makes it comfy to read whenever you want.

Reading Light

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If you are still into the regular old book, I highly suggest a reading light. I love reading at night before bed but hate when I have to have such bright lights on. This particular light is so amazing because you can really toggle the color and lighting to whatever is best for you. I also love that this attaches so easily to your book with the clip so it doesn’t fall off if you try to get comfy.

Good Reads

https://www.goodreads.com

This is such an amazing concept that I can have a to be read list and then an actually read list all in one spot. I know there a few other apps like this out there but I love this one because easily links to your Kindle. It will record reading progress and even mark when you finish books so you don’t have an extra step!

I hope you love this post dedicated to my reading essentials! I love a good book and all of these have seriously helped to make my reading experience so much better! You can check out January’s book review here: january book review!

American Royals Reign Book Review!

January 29, 2024

A new year means new reading goals for me! I kicked off the year by finally reading American Royals Reign which is the last book in this series! I really loved this series as it gave a look into what America would look like with a royal family.

It had all the drama of the British royals set in an American landscape! This review contains an affiliate link so I make a small commission if you choose to purchase the book through my link!!

American Royals Reign by Katharine McGee

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This final book of the American Royal Series follows the siblings after Queen Beatrice’s accident. She’s in a coma for the beginning of the book and then seeks to regain her lost memory while navigating a tough political climate.

I will say I was a little underwhelmed with her story line. I had really hoped that her and her bodyguard from the previous books would rekindle or just have more of a moment than they did. There was a lot of buildup from the other books that it just left me hanging.

As for the other siblings though, I feel like I really enjoyed their story lines and the wrap up to their characters. Nina, the family friend and Prince Jefferson finally have their moment in the end of the book and sister Samantha is able to figure out what she really wants in life.

I loved this series because it’s just such a fun thought about what the American royals would be like if we had any! This fictional series is just a light read that keeps you turning the pages!

You can check out my to other review of this series here! I hope you’ll give this American Royals Reign book a read! I am so excited for another year of reading and hope you’ll follow along with me!

Let me know in the comments below your must reads for this year!

Top Books for 2024!

December 18, 2023

I am so excited to be sharing my top books for 2024 with you! This post is dedicated to all the books I’ve read this past year and the ones that really stood out to me! Posts like this really help to grow my to be read list and I hope it gives you some inspo for this new year!

I love this recap because it really forces me to go through my Good Reads and see what books I truly enjoyed this year. Everything is linked below through an affiliate link so I make a small commission if you choose to purchase! I hope you love this post as much as I do!!

The Rules of Magic

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I always love the Reese’s Book Club picks but this one was just extra good. I love the movie practical magic but to explore and dive into the story lines before the movie was just so fascinating to me. This was so well written and I just loved it.

Daisy Jones and the Six

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I snuck this book in as quick as I could before the series came out and boy am I glad I did. This love story is epic and I still think about it to this day. I loved the uniqueness of how the book was written and I seriously couldn’t put it down.

The Woman in Red

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This historical fiction read was a game changer for me. It gave me all the girl boss vibes with little hints of romance and adventure. I’ve never heard of the main character from this book but I’ve actually done a lot of research on her since because this read was fascinating.

The Nightingale

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The story of The Nightingale itself is amazing but this book really opened me up to Kristin Hannah and her writing. She really helped me fall back in love with historical fiction this year. Her attention to detail with the time periods she sets her stories in is epic and the stories themselves are so amazing and heartwarming.

Books of the Month 2023:

January– Confess

February– The Luckiest Girl Alive

March– The Hollywood Spy

April- The Woman in Red & The Housemaid

May- The Cuban Heiress & The

June– Meet Me at the Lake

July- The Senators Wife & The Rules of Magic

August– Did you hear about Kitty Karr?

September– Summer of ’69

October– The Great Alone

November– The Four Winds

I hope this top books for 2024 gives you some great ideas for next reads! This has become my favorite post to write for the year because I love looking back at great books! You can check out last year’s recap here Books to Read in 2023!!

The Great Alone Book Review!

October 2, 2023

I can hardly believe this is my first October post for the month! I have finally surpassed 50 books this year goal and I am so excited to share one of my favorite reads of the summer with you! The Great Alone book review by Kristin Hannah was such a great read and one that I often find myself thinking about, even today!

This is a historical fiction read, which we all know is one of my favorite reads. I devour books like this, even with a page count of 549 because of how interesting the read is. This post has an affiliate link to shop for the book but as always, there’s no pressure to purchase!

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

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This book follows the Allbright family as they navigate very big life changes. Leni, their daughter is forced to move with the family to an extremely remote part of Alaska. Mom Cora will do anything for her husband Ernt, even though he’s working through PTSD and is extremely abusive towards her.

Once they move to Alaska things only get harder as they realize life up there is rough. It’s essentially a full time job just prepping for Winter in order to stay alive. The community around them welcomes them with open arms but Ernt still struggles with his mental health.

I found myself captivated by what life would be like up in a remote part of Alaska. They had no running water in the house so they’d have to collect and boil water for cooking. It’s such a different way of living that I’m not sure I would survive.

We read as Leni starts to grow up and move into her teen years. Navigating being a girl is hard enough but with a toxic home life and just the harshness of Alaska, you find yourself routing for her to make it through.

With really tough topics, like domestic abuse, this book does need a trigger warning. If you are able to get passed that, the themes of community and resilience are popping off the pages. We read as Leni falls in love for the first time and has to battle her father who is very much against it.

I loved this book because you route for Leni and her mom on every page. Kristin Hannah really gives you insight into toxic relationships but finishes off the story with an ending that makes you feel warm and fuzzy and so incredibly proud and happy for Leni.

Final Thoughts

I’ve reviewed another book by Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale which I absolutely loved! It’s safe to say for me Kristin Hannah has really become one of my top author’s! She writes so beautifully that you really become transported back to the time period the book is in.

I also recently read Four Winds and if you’d like a book review on that let me know! I’d give The Great Alone Book Review a 4.25/5 and would consider it a must read! Be sure to check out my other book reviews here!

The Luckiest Girl Alive Review!

February 1, 2023

I definitely am late to the party on this book since it’s already a movie, but The Luckiest Girl Alive review has been on list for so long! I’ve committed to 50 books again this year and this was book 3 for me.

I actually didn’t previously watch the movie not because I wanted to spoil the book but I honestly was super interested in it. It didn’t look really great to me but I am definitely going to be checking it out now.

The Luckiest Girl Alive

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Trigger Warning: SA, School Shooting

I won’t lie, this one started out slow for me. For some reason I couldn’t quite get into it and was almost just like confused at where it was going. Once the flashbacks started it slowly started to piece together and make sense. I really liked looking at Ani’s life in the present and how she got there.

This book has the NYC girl boss feels with twists and turns towards the end that you’ll never have guessed. When Ani is asked to do a documentary about an incident that happened in her Pennsylvania private school, the reader doesn’t find out about the incident until the end.

You almost think you know what it is about and then there’s another turn that twists even more. I loved that you got to see a sneak peak into her glamorous current NYC life juxtaposed to her less rich and exciting high school life.

There are definitely heavy topics that this book dives into which is why I listed the trigger warnings above. I really liked this book because you just didn’t expect the ending so it kept me on my toes. Sometimes thrillers miss the mark and are too easy to guess but this really was it for me.

I hope you enjoyed this Luckiest Girl Alive Review! I would rate this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars so I definitely recommend to read it! You can check out my January book of the month post here!

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover Review!

October 5, 2022

I can hardly believe that I’m sharing October’s book of the month! This month I went back to Colleen Hoover and gave her book Ugly Love a try! Colleen Hoover books are always so good when you feel like you’re in a book rut.

They always help me get back into reading because they’re so good! Her books are usually complex love stories with a twist at the end. I seriously love her writing style and wasn’t surprised when I loved this book!

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover- Shop Here

Ugly Love was my last read of the summer and it definitely did not disappoint! I loved the writing between current Tate and flashbacks to Miles’ past. It helped to paint a picture of who these people are and how they got to the places they’re in.

Tate first meets Miles drunk and crying in her brothers apartment. They don’t speak of that night again but it leaves this lingering feeling that Miles isn’t telling the entire truth to Tate. He essentially just wants to be friends with benefits but as we know, feeling started to evolve.

Tate and Miles end up falling for each other and we realize Miles has a traumatic history with being in love. This makes us understand why he is so against being in love with Tate and how important it is that he might actually be ready to move on.

Ugly Love is one of those books that makes you realize just how complex love can be. It does show that it is so worth it to find your person that helps you to work through your issues and create new happiness.

I truly believe you can just never go wrong with a Colleen Hoover book. No matter which one you choose they are all so good and make you want to just keep reading!

You can read last month’s book review here!

Reputation Book Review!

August 3, 2022

I am so excited to be sharing another book review with you! This one is seriously was on my want to read list for months before it even came out! We all love Bridgerton and this book gave me all those vibes! I seem to be obsessed with historical fiction since my last reviews have been just that!

This book was a quick read for me but really kept me entertained. I loved the vibe of it and it seriously was reminding me of Bridgerton meets mean girls! Here’s my Reputation book Review!

Reputation by Lex Croucher- Click Here

This book follows Georgina Ellers who is essentially abandoned by her parents. She’s sent to live with her aunt in this regency era and gets thrown into this world of high society. She meets Frances, the ultra high society queen bee and soon falls in with her friends.

The story follows them breaking the rules and pushing the boundaries that are set up for them during this time period. From underage drinking to sneaking out to party with boys, this book shows just how restricted teenage girls had it.

It also touches on the love lives of these girls and how they all essentially want to be married by the summer. They think that will magically solve all their problems and they can move up in society that way.

Final Thoughts

This was definitely a different book for me. I thought going in I would absolutely devour it but it wasn’t my top favorite and thought it was just a little all over the place. It definitely was a good read but the story line just wasn’t it for me.

It definitely was fun and Bridgerton/Mean Girls inspired but I guess I just had higher hopes for it than what it was. I think you definitely still should check it out yourself!

I hope you enjoyed this Reputation Book Review! Reading has been so much fun for me and I hope you’ve been inspired to read too! Be sure to subscribe here so you don’t miss another post!

Check out my other book reviews here!

The Most Beautiful Girl In Cuba- Book Review!

May 11, 2022

This month I’m sharing with you my book review of The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton! I have fallen in love with Chanel’s books based around historical fiction. As a child, this was my favorite genre and to be honest, finding her books has opened my eyes to it again.

If you read my book review for 2021, I shared my thoughts on Next Year in Havana and When We left Cuba both by Cleeton. These books are connected and are such great reads. I decided to pick this book up at my local book store because I seriously just love her writing.

I was definitely not disappointed by this book and am excited to share my thoughts with you! Historical fiction has seriously become some of my favorite books to read so this was perfect for me.

The Most Beautiful Girl In Cuba- Shop Here

The themes of this book are that of girl power, bravery, and love. This book takes place during the Spanish invasion of Cuba in the late 1800s. This backdrop of war really shows how tough it was for women.

We follow the stories of 3 women: a writer in the US, a rich woman turned war prisoner, and a woman who has to live in an encampment. I love that each chapter discusses how different each’s life is. This book is actually based around a true story about a woman who American media deemed “The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba”.

As the story progresses we learn more about the conflict and see how American media is trying to influence the war after the American government does nothing. I couldn’t help but be in awe of the bravery of these women.

The writer is trying to make a name for herself in a male dominated industry. One woman is acting as a spy and smuggling notes into the war prisons. The beautiful woman in prison eventually gets aid from the writer and the spy to break out of being wrongfully imprisoned.

I loved this story because it kept me on my feet and really made me think. Chanel Cleeton does a great job of weaving a great story into actual historical events. If you are interested in history, this book is seriously for you!

Wrap Up

Let me know in the comments below if you like these posts! If I’m being honest, they’re some of my favorites to write. Be sure to subscribe here to my mailing list so you never miss a post from me! Stay tuned for next month’s book, it’s a good one!

What I’m Reading this Summer

June 10, 2019

I always have been such a huge reader but there is just something about summer time and reading that sparks a huge desire to read even more. To me, there is nothing better then laying out in the hot sun on a beach with a great book . This post is dedicated to some of the books I’m planning to read this summer or have read but may reread because they’re just that good.

My first book should be no surprise if you saw my GOT review. I am absolutely going to be started the Game of Thrones books series with the first book, A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. I am really looking forward to taking the time to site and read this book and find all the hidden foreshadowing of the finale’s events that I missed in only watching the TV series. Most of the time, I do read the books before I watch the TV or movie versions but for some reason GOT just didn’t seem that appealing to me until I saw the series. I have only heard great things about the books so they are definitely my top must read for the summer.

One genre that I have really found myself loving as I have gotten older is self-help. I think a lot of people probably shy away from it because the name seems like a turnoff but I think these types of books really provide great guidance and motivation as I grow older. One book series that I LOVE is the You Are a Badass collection by Jen Sincero. I have read the yellow one about how to stop doubting yourself but this summer I have my sight set on the green one called You Are a Badass at Making Money. I just loved her first book so I am sure that this one will be just as insightful and provide the guidance I am looking for.

Staying in the realm of self-care, I really recommend reading Eat Pretty by Jolene Hart. I know I mentioned it in my Skin Secrets post but I think if you are like me it’s totally worth the read. The summer is the best time to pursue your goals and if cooking more and living a healthier lifestyle are on your list this book is right up your alley. Not only is this book broken down into seasons of the year to tell you what fruits and veggies to eat for what you’re looking for but it also gives you recipes on how to incorporate them into your diet. I am just so obsessed with this book and I reread it at least once or twice a year because its basically a food bible.

A few other books that are on my must read list are When Life Gives You LuluLemons, Make Your Bed, and of course The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. Every time I walk by these books in Barnes and Nobles I am so tempted to pick them up but I just know I already have such a long list of books to read. If you have an book recommendations leave them in the comments below.

Happy Reading! – C