Review: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Title: Tuesdays with Morrie

Author: Mitch Albom

Publisher: Warner

Where to buy: Barnes & Noble, Amazon
Pages: 210

Stars: 5 +

Summary: Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, and gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.

Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded. Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you? 

Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life. Knowing he was dying of ALS - or motor neurone disease - Mitch visited Morrie in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final 'class': lessons in how to live.

Review:

Honestly this book is absolutely amazing. I read it late last year... I guess it was almost a year ago now. I am going to read it again soon. I am one of those people who really doesn't like re-reading books because my TBR pile is so big it honestly has no end. But this is by far one of those books that I can see myself reading over and over again and always taking something new from. I had to stop reading it at the point when it got close to when Morrie was going to die because that was close to the year anniversary of when my friend was murdered and that was difficult for me. At the same time this book actually helped me a lot with getting through it once I was able to read it again. I honestly wish I had read this earlier. I feel like this book would have helped me a lot in life. This should be on one of the required to read lists and it is one of those books that you absolutely just feel the need to devour. It is so good and pulls at every bit of your heart. Right now just thinking of the book I am considering going home and starting the book again. I completely stand behind this book. If I could give this book more than 5 stars I absolutely 100% would. I recommend this to everyone. Not just those that have experienced loss may it be new or old. I recommend it to everyone. It really provides a fresh prospective on life itself and how you view everyone you have come across. But putting aside the bits about how heart warming the story is and how it may have changed my view on life the one downside is that the author himself or maybe the way it was republished if there were changes was poorly written. I honestly would have loved to have had the honor of meeting Morrie because people like Morrie are what make me so proud to be who I am. Me, myself in the truest way. The only way I know how. Loud and proud without regret and completely open and without apologies. 
-Kati

Review: Hello, Sunshine by Laura Dave

Title: Hello, Sunshine

Author: Laura Dave

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 242

Where to buy: B&N, Amazon, Simon & Schuster

Stars: 4

Summary: Sunshine Mackenzie truly is living the dream. A lifestyle guru for the modern age, Sunshine is beloved by millions of people who tune into her YouTube cooking show, and millions more scour her website for recipes, wisdom, and her enticing suggestions for how to curate a perfect life. She boasts a series of #1 New York Times bestselling cookbooks, a devoted architect husband, and a reputation for sincerity and kindness—Sunshine seems to have it all. But she’s hiding who she really is. And when her secret is revealed, her fall from grace is catastrophic. What Sunshine does in the ashes of destruction will save her in more ways than she can imagine.

In our modern world, where celebrity is a careful construct, Laura Dave’s compelling, enticing novel explores the devastating effect of the secrets we keep in public…and in private. Hello, Sunshine is a fresh, provocative look at a woman teetering between a scrupulously assembled life and the redemptive power of revealing the truth.

Review: I love that this book kind of opens up with with a song. For me it is a song I am really not too familiar with. In case you are wondering it is Moonlight Mile by The Rolling Stones. I recommend listening to it. I also love that the song carries throughout this book all the way to the end.
Now enough about the song and onto the book. This book had its ups and downs for me. I wanted so much to just absolutely love it. My boyfriends name is Daniel (Danny) so my heart just really was rooting for it all to work out. I loved her sister and her daughter... Okay mostly her daughter. I could really connect to her daughter on a few levels. I was able to quickly and easily read through this book. However with that said it was also kind of easy for me to put down. That isn't necessarily a good sign. I was able to connect to Sunny because at this current time I feel like my life is kind of falling apart but in another way. I could also connect to Sunny in the way of honesty. I am that kind of person. The brutally honest person. The person who says everything they think and feel you can see it in my face if I don't decide to say it out loud. Everyone loses their way and I think that is a really important factor of this book.
Amber is the person that everyone loves to hate.
Now for what I found to be lacking in this book. This being not released yet I found some grammar issues that I am sure will get fixed in production. But past that I feel like they tried to rush the end of the book out. I don't think it flowed as well as the beginning did. I think that is where my love for it started to fall off. I don't feel like it really ended. There was no closure. It didn't end in a cliffhanger either. I guess what I am trying to get at is that the end is what is what disappointed me most about this book. If it had ended as strongly as it had started I would have loved it.