Author: Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

Review ~ The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared ~ Jonas Jonasson

What a fun, quirky story! The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared is reminiscent of Forest Gump and Allan Karlsson is every bit as endearing and loveable. Steven Crossley, the narrator, who was new to me, made the story that much more entertaining. He was able to convey the wit of Allen’s antics perfectly. Allan, a Swedish man with unique talents (specifically blowing up things), has had a hand in many – possibly every – historical event in his century-long life. Of course, Allan never intended to play a role in any of the events he inadvertently participated in. The only things he truly cared about were having food to eat, vodka to drink, and a place […]

Posted 14 April, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 3 Comments

Review ~ Dead Money ~ Srinath Adiga

I picked up Dead Money because the premise intrigued me. Those first few sentences of the synopsis reeled me in. I’m ever so glad I happened upon this masterful debut. Although Dead Money wasn’t always easy to sit with, it’s worth the time sitting with. “How can you stop something that’s on a mission to destroy itself?” -Theo, Loc 6278 In Dead Money, SAdiga deftly weaves together three stories in three locales with three different characters connected by one cleverly crafted over-arching plot. In the first story, set in Hong Kong, we meet a stock market trader and see the scary genius employed to create Afterlife Dollars. We’re also privy to the greed and corruption that led to its creation. […]

Posted 12 April, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review ~ Seducing His Secret Wife ~ Robin Covington

Seducing His Secret Wife is the second installment in RCovington’s Redhawk Reunion series and it’s a worthy addition. I knew it’d take quite the woman to capture Justin’s attention. Hooboy did the sparks fly! And then we find out who *she* really is. Watching the romance bloom between Justin and Sarina was heartwarming and fun. These two are broken in their own ways and it was something to see as they proved to each other that they were enough just as they are. I only wish I’d gotten to see even more page time between them. Sarina has experienced abandonment most of her life. Being separated from her parents and split from her brothers was only the beginning. Foster care […]

Posted 31 March, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 4 Comments

Review ~ Mafia Bride ~ CD Reiss

With Mafia Bride , Reiss returns to the world of the Italian mafia and it’s a world I delight in. Being more fully immersed in the customs, the rules, the violence…it’s all so foreign and yet fascinating. And Reiss’s writing is exceptional. She’s the only author I’ve read whose words are beautiful in their brutality. I was enthralled from the first page. The first time I see Santino, I don’t know how old his is, but I am 12, and he is a man. Though I expect him to carry all the subtle and seductive dangers of men, his menace is controlled, with the direction and force of gravity. He comes to my uncle’s house, where I’ve lived since I was a […]

Posted 23 March, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 6 Comments

Review ~ Sing, Unburied, Sing ~ Jesmyn Ward

Sing, Unburied, Sing is beautifully written and emotionally gripping. It’s also thought-provoking and the thoughts aren’t always easy to sit with. This being because the story deals with systemic racism and the lasting repercussions of it. Sing, Unburied, Sing also incorporates grief and guilt, among other things, and the role they play in how we, as humans, live our lives. Sing, Unburied, Sing follows 3 generations of one family. Pop and Mam, their daughter, Leonie, and Leonie’s children, JoJo and Kayla. This family has endured much. Prison, poverty, discrimination, and grief. Lots and lots of grief. JWard deftly portrays life in rural Mississippi. The hardships faced by people still experiencing racism. The culture differences in the population. She also conveyed […]

Posted 22 March, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 3 Comments

Blogger Wife Chat Review ~ The Right Wrong ~ Michelle Mankin

Wow. The Right Wrong certainly toyed with my emotions. Both Ben and Sierra had a lot to overcome in order for their romance to blossom. But it did bloom and it did so rather quickly for my tastes but this is a fairytale. 😉 I didn’t really see the parallel to Sleeping Beauty here… even metaphorically 😀 But yeah, there were definitely feels here. I had to do some thinking on it but I eventually got the parallel… Ben’s childhood was far from idyllic. I can’t imagine being told – your whole life – that you’d ruined a parent’s life. That you were the reason they were unhappy. It was no wonder Ben drank himself to oblivion and/or buried […]

Posted 18 March, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 1 Comment

Blogger Wife Chat Review ~ Dirty Empire ~ Nina West

Sigh. Wifey, I thought we were going to get the conclusion to Mercy and Gabriel’s story with Dirty Empire. Alas, there’s one more book to come. Good thing, NWest put enough goodness and suspense in Dirty Empire to keep me satisfied while I wait. 😉 Oh my gosh! This was such an intense book! So much was going on. And I agree, I thought this would be the conclusion as well. And now, we have to wait until September :O After the ending of the last book, I figured Mercy would be freaked. And rightfully so. She’s had some difficult things to consider when it comes to her feelings for Gabriel and where she wants this relationship to go. […]

Posted 9 February, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 4 Comments

Bookworm Bites ~ One Day in December & And the Mountains Echoed ~ Josie Silver, Khaled Hosseini

It’s been a hot second since I read One Day in December (read: a month) and it’s a story that’s still sticking with me. JSilver managed to incorporate some pretty meaty themes in relating Laurie and Jack’s journey to their HEA. It’s not a conventional path. In fact, I would even consider this a romance. And yet, it is in its own way. One Day in December rolls together tragedy, happiness, loyalty, love, friendship, and betrayal, leaving you with the certainty that everyone’s path to that elusive HEA is varied. And beautiful…in its own way. And the Mountains Echoed was the first book by KHosseini I’ve read. Believe me when I say it won’t be the last. This was […]

Posted 24 January, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 1 Comment

Blogger Wife Chat Review ~ Layla ~ Colleen Hoover

With Layla, CoHo dipped her toes into unchartered waters – paranormal romance. I wasn’t sure what I was going to get other than I knew I’d enjoy it. And I wasn’t wrong. CoHo delivered on what I knew to expect from her – a well written story with fully realized characters – and on what I could only have imagined. Layla was suspenseful, mysterious, twisty, romantic, and AMAZING. It really was! I had so many different theories as I was reading Layla, with each little thing that happened, I was totally going off in my imagination. As always, CoHo did very well. I adored Layla from the start. She was so open and honest, insightful and REAL…refreshing. Her meeting Leeds […]

Posted 18 January, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 5 Comments

Bookish Asks ~ An (un)Conventional Farewell to 2020

Linda and I typically list our favorites for the year in the final week of December. However, 2020 hasn’t been typical in any way so we decided we’d end the year in an (un)Conventional way. 😉 Thanks to lettercollectors on Tumblr for the Bookish Asks. What book did you finish last and when was that? I finished Layla by Colleen Hoover last – on December 19. I finished Driven by Rebecca Zanetti on December 29th… not sure if there will be one more or not. What are you currently reading? I’m reading Dream Chaser by Kristen Ashley. I’m reading The Twelve Dukes of Christmas by Erica Ridley. It’s so much fun! What was the last book you added to your […]