In Conclusion, Don't Worry About It by Lauren Graham
Published by Ballantine Books on April 3, 2018
Pages: 64
Goodreads

Advice for graduates and reflections on staying true to yourself from the beloved Gilmore Girls actress and New York Times bestselling author of the memoir Talking as Fast as I Can and the novel Someday, Someday, Maybe.

"If you're not where you want to be on this day - don't worry about it. Because the spotlight aspect of life? That's not the satisfying part."

In this expansion of her 2017 commencement speech at her hometown Langley High, Lauren Graham reflects in her hilarious, relatable voice, on growing up, pursuing your dreams, and living in the here-and-now. "Whatever path you choose, whatever career you decide to go after, the important thing," she writes, "is that you keep finding joy in what you're doing, especially when the joy isn't finding you." She reminds us to be curious and compassionate, no matter where life takes you. "Whether you hope to be an actor or a politician or a mathematician, I've learned that empathy and kindness are your most valuable tools." Grounded and inspiring, this is Graham's roadmap to a happy life: "Be a fan, not a theater critic."

Hey!
Welcome back to a another fun reading post! When I heard about this readathon happening over on Youtube I knew that I couldn’t resist joining in. In case you missed it, you can watch my youtube video below.

Here are my reviews on the books that I was able to finish during the readathon.

First up, I read In Conclusion, Don’t worry about it by Lauren Graham. The group book for this readathon was Lauren Graham’s autobiography which I read a few years back and you can read here. While, I could have re-read the book I decided to challenge myself to something new and read the book on her commencement speech that has been on my TBR for a minute. I thought the book was interesting for a speech that was roughly 5 minutes or so, that turned into a 50ish page book. I found the advice related to her career and the highs and lows as well as her relationship with her father. I thought the advice was appropriate for a high school graduating class and that it was pretty sound.

Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
Published by Delacorte Press on April 5, 2016
Pages: 328
Goodreads

Everything about Jessie is wrong. At least, that’s what it feels like during her first week of junior year at her new ultra-intimidating prep school in Los Angeles. Just when she’s thinking about hightailing it back to Chicago, she gets an email from a person calling themselves Somebody/Nobody (SN for short), offering to help her navigate the wilds of Wood Valley High School. Is it an elaborate hoax? Or can she rely on SN for some much-needed help?

It’s been barely two years since her mother’s death, and because her father eloped with a woman he met online, Jessie has been forced to move across the country to live with her stepmonster and her pretentious teenage son.

In a leap of faith—or an act of complete desperation—Jessie begins to rely on SN, and SN quickly becomes her lifeline and closest ally. Jessie can’t help wanting to meet SN in person. But are some mysteries better left unsolved?

The second book that I finished was Tell me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum. I found the premise of the book intriguing and also this book fulfilled the prompt book with food on the cover. In this book, we meet Jessie Holmes a junior in highschool who has just transferred to Wood Valley High in Los Angeles after her dad marries a woman he met on the internet. Jessie at first has a hard time adjusting to life in Los Angeles and then surprisingly during her first week of school she gets a random email from someone at school, who is willing to help her navigate the mysterious world of Los Angeles. The book takes you through nearly 2.5 months of her in navigating this life and figuring out how it all should work since her mother passed away. I loved the book, even though it may have fallen into some of the typical miscommunication tropes I definitely recommend this cute story about love and a little bit about life.

The Babysitters Coven (The Babysitters Coven, #1) by Kate Williams
Published by Delacorte Press on September 17, 2019
Pages: 368
Goodreads

Adventures in Babysitting

meets

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

in this funny, action-packed novel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.

Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it's kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she's good at it.

And lately Esme needs all the cash she can get, because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let's just say she owes some people a new tree.

Enter Cassandra Heaven. She's Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria food. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even take on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme's babysitters club?

The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra's mother left her: "Find the babysitters. Love, Mom."

Turns out, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they're about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home.

The third book I actually ended up finishing was The Baby Sitters Coven by Kate Williams, which is the first book in the series of books. Again with the series of books people!*sigh* This was also the Creating & Co group read for the RIP Readathon that happened the following week, so you can read a more in depth review here. Overall, I like the book and would probably continue the series, but I found it very YA in the writing style. You can also tell that this is the author’s first foray into writing a full novel because there are some plot points that don’t quite add up.

Finale (Caraval, #3) by Stephanie Garber
Published by Flatiron Books on May 7, 2019
Pages: 478
Goodreads

A love worth fighting for. A dream worth dying for. An ending worth waiting for.

It’s been two months since the Fates were freed from a deck of cards, two months since Legend claimed the throne for his own, and two months since Tella discovered the boy she fell in love with doesn’t really exist.

With lives, empires, and hearts hanging in the balance, Tella must decide if she’s going to trust Legend or a former enemy. After uncovering a secret that upends her life, Scarlett will need to do the impossible. And Legend has a choice to make that will forever change and define him.

Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun. There are no spectators this time—only those who will win, and those who will lose everything.

Welcome, welcome to Finale. All games must come to an end…

The last book that I was able to finish for the readathon even though it was a couple of days late was Finale by Stephanie Garber. I had hoped to read this book when it initially came out months ago, but things just kept getting in the way. I am glad that I finally got the chance to read it. If you haven’t read my reviews on the other books in the series you can do so here and here. In fact, you might want to read those before you read this mini review. In this book, we catch up with Scarlet and Tella a few months after Legend has taken the throne as Elentine’s missing heir. We find Tella still has torn feelings regarding Legend and his actions and Scarlet even though she has real feelings for Julian doesn’t want to give up on the life her father gave her. Scarlet and Tella’s mother is also still asleep at the beginning of the book. This book has many twists and turns as it jumps back and forth from Scarlet and Tella’s point of view to weave together a beautiful story.

I’m a bit sad that I didn’t get to finish more books during the readathon, but I’m glad that I had the chance to participate and that I finally was able to read some of these books. I hope that this readathon comes back next year and that I will have the chance to participate again. Let me know if you participated in this readathon and how you did. See you soon!