Review: Settle for More by Megyn kelly

Source: Amazon.com

Settle for More by Megyn Kelly

Publisher: Harper

Genre: Autobiography/Memoir

Pages: 352

Publication Date: November, 2016

Rating: 5/5

Summary:

            Megyn Kelly, the anchor of The Kelly File, shares her life’s experiences. She discusses her family’s background, her stint as a lawyer after law-school, and her experiences as a news anchor. She explains how her time being bullied, losing a father at a young age, and experiencing sexism in the workplace have given her tough enough skin to deal with Trump’s attack on her during the 2016 election.

Pros:

·       This book gave interesting information about Trump’s actions during the election. Photographic evidence is presented in the book that back up the claims about Trump’s constant contact with Megyn Kelly.

·       I think this is a book that can help empower females without falling into the present-day feminist narrative of needing to put men down for women to get ahead. Instead, it shows that we should be empowering everyone so we can all have equality.

Cons:

·       Honestly, none; I really enjoyed the whole book. It is hard to find the cons of a book that are an memoir; who am I to say I disagree with how the author views her own life.

Final Thoughts:

            I absolutely loved this book. As someone who is about to graduate from grad school and launch into my career, this book came at a great time for me. It shed some great insight on navigating competitive jobs, dealing with loss of family members, and how to not settle for less in life. I knew next to nothing about Megyn Kelly before reading this book, but now I will definitely start following her career!

           

Review: Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko

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Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko

Publisher: Harper Paperbacks

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Pages: 457

Publication Date:  1998

Rating: 4.5/5

Summary (From Goodreads):

            “They are the "Others," an ancient race of supernatural beings—magicians, shape-shifters, vampires, and healers—who live among us. Human born, they must choose a side to swear allegiance to—the Dark or the Light—when they come of age.

For a millennium, these opponents have coexisted in an uneasy peace, enforced by defenders like the Night Watch, forces of the Light who guard against the Dark. But prophecy decrees that one supreme "Other" will arise to spark a cataclysmic war.

Anton Gorodetsky, an untested mid-level Light magician with the Night Watch, discovers a cursed young woman—an Other of tremendous potential unallied with either side—who can shift the balance of power. With the battle lines between Light and Dark drawn, the magician must move carefully, for one wrong step could mean the beginning of annihilation.”

Pros:

·       I thought the format of having three stories in one book kept it interesting and fast paced.

·       The concept of a treaty between the Light and Dark to keep a balance, complete with a watch force from each side to enforce it, is quite interesting.

·       I really liked the main characters, they all have personalities that make them stand out from each other.

Cons:

·       The first story in the book was a bit difficult to get into. I’m not sure if that’s because of the writing or because I saw the horrific movie version of it first, which almost made me not read the book (skip the movie, read the book).

·       This book was translated into English which makes some of the sentences a bit awkward to read and understand.

Final Thoughts:

            I will definitely read the next book in the series, which is told from someone else’s perspective. The overall premise of Light and Dark, the twilight world, and having night and day watches made it stand out compared to other fantasy novels I have read.

Review: Aunt Dimity's Christmas by Nancy Atherton

 

Aunt Dimity’s Christmas by Nancy Atherton

Publisher: Penguin Books

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pages: 224

Publication Date: 1999

Rating: 3.5/5

Summary:

            Aunt Dimity’s Christmas is the fifth installment in the Aunt Dimity mystery series. This tale follows Lori Shepard as she searches for the true identity of a man who she discovers injured and unconscious in her lawn. She joins forces with a priest that has a connection to the man as they travel from city-to-city piecing together this mysterious man’s past. Lori must learn how to balance her investigation with upholding her mother’s traditions of Christmas parties, cookies, and decorations; all this while her husband, Bill, is out-of-town helping a client. Oh, and she gets help from the not-quite-dead Aunt Dimity through a magical journal.

Pros:

·       I loved the Christmas theme throughout the story. It was enough to remind you of the season but not too much. You can easily enjoy this book during 

the summer just as easily.

·       The characters Lori meets were quite the characters.

·       I love the concept of Aunt Dimity being a spirit that communicates through a journal. And Reginald, the stuffed rabbit.

Cons:

·       Now that I’m reading these books in order, I am getting kinda tired of the “Wandering eye” trope that seems to be in every book. It wasn’t as noticeable when I was reading this series out of order and with a year, or so, in between each one.

·       This book honestly made me feel a bit guilty for not being more charitable; it had very strong themes of charity, acceptance, and caring for all. Which is great, but it felt like too much for a quick, fluffy read.

Final Thoughts:

·       This was a solid read; it definitely was not my favorite book of the series, but worth a read if you already are familiar with the characters. It just felt like it was missing the mark compared to the others.

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