Instagram story viewer> @bluntbookends> Posts

Heather & Meagan

@bluntbookends

683

followers

564

following

Just 2 boy moms who have strong opinions about books
We love:
🎿 🥃 📚
Content you’ll find: blunt reviews & occasional cocktails

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

by @bluntbookends

36

24

a month ago

📚 BOOK REVIEW: Mad Mabel 📚

We went into this book expecting a sweet cozy little mystery, and instead we got emotionally kidnapped by a fictional old woman. Mabel is grumpy in the way you aspire to be once you stop caring what people think. Witty, no-nonsense, and fully capable of dismantling your entire personality with one eyebrow raise. And yet?? Her accidental friendship with her 7-year-old neighbor Persephone might be the most unhinged-yet-wholesome duo we’ve read all year. A cranky recluse and a tiny chaotic human, solving mysteries and apparently healing each other’s souls in the process.

The unreliable narrator made us hang onto every word, chasing the dual-timeline breadcrumbs into Mabel’s childhood. Add in a podcast and a whole neighborhood quietly showing up for Mabel in ways she’d never admit she needed, and you’ve got a book that’s part whodunit, part character study, and a whole lot of heart. In case it wasn’t clear we say give this book a read or a listen, both were great! 🕵️‍♀️✨

Anybody else love the relationship between these two as much as we did??

#madmabel #bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendation #booklovers by @bluntbookends

93

37

2 months ago

Cursed Daughters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cursed Daughters is a beautifully written, multi-generational family drama centered on a curse that haunts the women of one family over generations. The writing is lyrical and atmospheric, and I genuinely enjoyed parts of the story.

That said, I listened to the audiobook, and I found myself rewinding more than once trying to figure out whose timeline I was in. This may be one of those books that’s easier to follow in print, where you can quickly flip back and keep the generations straight.

The story also felt familiar. While the premise had promise, it didn’t ultimately feel as original as I’d hoped. At its heart, the “curse” is really about the stories families tell, the trauma they pass down, and how those narratives shape generations of women. A compelling theme, even if the execution didn’t completely win me over.

Overall, it was a solid read, but not one that will stick with me long after I finished it.

#IGreads #bookreview #bookstagram #magicalrealism #booksaregreat by @bluntbookends

64

6

2 months ago

😎June… July… summer months seem to be running together… anyone else agree?? 🌊 🍹

We’ve had some good reads… and a few misses.

#bookstagram #summerreading #loveaudiobooks #booksofinstagram #booklover by @bluntbookends

103

46

2 months ago

This story might save your life-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Heather and our friend Gabi were relentless about getting me to read this one, so I finally gave in. It started off pretty slow, and since I go into every book completely blind, I had no idea where it was headed.

We all listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the dual narration—it added a lot to the experience. The podcast element was also a fun twist and kept me engaged.

Now, if you’ve read enough of my reviews, you already know I’m not exactly a romance girl. Friends-to-lovers? Cue the eye roll. At times it gave me Emily Henry vibes, and I was fully prepared to tolerate another love story.

But then…there was a messy marriage, questionable decisions, drama, and a murder mystery. Now we’re talking. (Don’t judge me.)

What I appreciated most was that the ending didn’t try to tie everything up with a perfect little bow. It left enough room for the reader to sit with the story and decide what they thought happened. Apparently there was just enough closure for Heather…because if you’ve met Heather, you know she would’ve started a petition if the ending had been any more open-ended. 😂

Anybody else enjoy this one?

#bookreview #thisbookmightsaveyourlife #bookstagram #summereads #bookish by @bluntbookends

101

45

2 months ago

In case your TBR is as crazy as ours is. We decided to put together a little list of books you might consider avoiding this summer (or really ever). We sure wished we had.

6 books to skip:
*The Perfect Child: boo. Boring. Wanted something more like The Push.
*The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek: this book has been written before - It’s called The Giver of Stars. Read that instead.
*We Used to Live Here: what in the world? Multiple universe horror book. Kinda like stranger things, but weirder.
*In Her Defense: the only reason I didn’t DNF this is because I was waiting for the thrill. No “thrill” just a painful slow drag.
*Wait for Me: I honestly have no idea if this book is good. The minute they started playing shrill folk music through my AirPods. I knew it was over.
*This Is Not About Us: the most exciting thing that happened in this terribly long book was a lifelong riff between sisters over an apple cake.

#unpopularbookopinion #booksofsummer #disappointingread #bookstagram #DNFbooks by @bluntbookends

71

32

3 months ago

Calamity Club ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
We had a pretty good hunch we were going to like The Calamity club, by Katherine Stockett the minute we heard about it, but it ended up being maybe, book of the year for us?!? 💥
Set during the great depression in Mississippi. the book was told through two different perspectives, 11-year old Meg living in the Lafayette County orphan Asylum and Birdie who shows up in Oxford looking to borrow money from her wealthy sister. Meg was an absolute standout for us, resilient and sassy. Birdie is outspoken and loyal. Listening to the other crew of women scheme their way through the Great Depression was the perfect added layer. 👯‍♀️ 🎶
We both listened to this one and agree it’s definitely the way to go! The narrating was incredible and nailed Meg’s personality.

Don’t let this 656 page book intimidate you, once you get going, you won’t regret it. 😍

#bookreview #historicalfiction #summerreads #thecalamityclub by @bluntbookends

78

38

3 months ago

📚June Hopefuls📚

We are almost halfway into June. Today was finally the last day of school! We have made our way through a few of these so far. Meagan is #currentlyreading The Compound and wondering if it’s going to make a “worst of” list. Heather just finished Uncool and was a little surprised at how much she enjoyed it.

Although, we aren’t super romantic beach read kind of gals. I think we could step it up a bit for July. Any recommendations?

#summerreads #booklovers #currentlyreading #IGreads by @bluntbookends

52

7

3 months ago

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ @sarahdamoff impressed us again with her book, The Burning Side. We loved The Bright Years and while this book is different it still pulled us in with her ability to write phenomenal character development.
After April and Leo’s house burns down, experiencing the painfully real, ups and downs of choices made throughout marriage and the close knit relationship of the Russo family we were hooked. Meagan and Heather agreed Deb was the absolute favorite- she felt so relatable and authentic. The Alzheimer’s arc was undeniably hard to read and hit a heavy emotional nerve, but it was handled with so much depth and genuine tenderness.
Meagans only gripe was after so much messy history and angst, the bow on April and Leo’s relationship felt a bit too rushed for her taste. Heather of course disagreed, the bow was almost nonexistent for her.

This will definitely be a top book of 2026 for us!

#BookReview #Bookstagram #GreatReads #EmotionalBooks #BookRecommendations by @bluntbookends

46

19

4 months ago

📚 We made it through Maycember! 📚

Wow, did we have a lot of great reads this month! We enjoyed everything from Trad Wife (Meagan and the internet say thriller, Heather’s not so sure) 🤯, Horror, Romance, and some amazing Literary Fiction.

Anybody else have a favorite read in May?

#books #whattoreadnext #bibliophile #booklovers by @bluntbookends

33

5

4 months ago

We are making our way through May at lightning speed! Started out with one plan, however, this month that plan took a bit of a hard left. Looks like we will be pushing a few of these to June. Can’t wait to share some we ended up bumping to the top of our list due to the flurry of book controversy… Yesteryear anyone??
#bookstagram #bookish #maycember
#bookcontrovery #booklover by @bluntbookends

34

11

4 months ago

We’re blaming Maycember for this delayed post.

We had some great reads in April. Heather only had one DNF. (Wait for me, they were singing folk music on the audio version. 🤪) Meagan was thrilled that Gone Before Goodbye wasn’t as overhyped as she feared it might be.

Anybody else experiencing Maycember?

#bookish #bookstagram #maycember #pnwreaders by @bluntbookends

28

16

4 months ago