book Archives - The Bursting Bookshelf

Getting Hot with the Scot by Melonie Johnson

April 30, 2019 18 Comments

A review copy of this book was provided by St Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

When St Martin’s Press reached out to me about reading this book, I was a little hesitant given my recent experience with this genre. All too often, reading a romance book feels like reading a checklist – all the main points are the same, the only things that change are the names and the backdrop. While this book was a bit predictable, it has massive heart and an enjoyable plot that will hold a lot of appeal to people who are looking for a fun, fast read.

Getting Hot With the Scot follows Cassie and her horde of friends as they are finishing up their dream European vacation. Cassie’s at a pivotal part of her life – she’s ready to trade her safe career for a more challenging and serious (read: more unstable) role at her company. In the meantime, she’s also trying to break out of her shell and push her boundaries – be more daring in her life. Enter Logan: a YouTube prankster who pulls a con on Cassie and starts following her around Europe to get her to sign a release form.

Book Review

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

September 7, 2018 29 Comments

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Everyone has gone through an awkward phase in their life, whether it was in middle school, or if it never really seems to end. Most books that tackle the classic awkward period in youth either glorify it or over exaggerate it. When I found out this book centers around a girl who is obsessed (and I really do mean obsessed) with a fictional character, I was a little hesitant to pick this book up. I was afraid of how the book might handle this character (mostly that she wouldn’t be taken seriously and be treated like a caricature of a cosplayer at Comic Con). Taking a chance on this book is one of the best literary decisions I’ve made in a while – Fangirl has become one of my perennial favorites. I seem to keep coming back to this book every time I’m in a reading slump or I just want a book that feels like a tea and a warm blanket on a cold day.

Book Review

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

August 31, 2018 42 Comments

I originally missed the hype train for this book. It came out while I was still in university and I wasn’t reading much in the way of fiction at that time (let alone keeping up to date with the latest bestsellers). When the first trailer for the movie came out (and that obnoxious basically-just-an-ad-for-this-movie episode of Riverdale came out), I knew I had to read this book ASAP. I’ve finally gotten around to reading it and seeing the movie, so which did I enjoy more?

Book Review

Walt Disney: An American Original by Bob Thomas

August 17, 2018 30 Comments

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I am a massive Disney fan. I’m lucky enough to have gone to Disneyland and Disney World (and I am counting down until I can go back to Disney World). I’ve read all sorts of insider posts about the parks and watched all the documentaries that I could get my hands on. Of course, I’ve also done a ton of reading about the man himself. I love the fact that he was a self made man who worked hard to become one of the biggest names in entertainment. I had been wanting to read a biography about him for ages, but there were so many of them that I wanted to be sure I chose the right one for me. This book paints a beautiful picture of Walt Disney: it’s honest and doesn’t sugar coat his failures, and it doesn’t over exaggerate his successes. It’s the definitive biography for any fan who wants to know more about who Walt Disney was not only as a filmmaker, but also as a person.

“After I die, I would hate to look down at this studio and find everything in a mess,” Hazel retorted “What makes you think you won’t be using a periscope?”