Tips for Tuesday - Books: Red, White and Royal Blue & All About the Burger

We may have been given complimentary copies for review purposes of one or more of the books and/or other products mentioned below. Any and all opinions expressed here our own.

Books: Red, White and  Royal Blue and All About the Burger

Me - Today I am recommending Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston which is my favorite book of all time. It's about Alex Claremont-Diaz, the son of the first female president of the United States. When Alex accidentally causes an international scandal with Henry, the youngest  Prince of England, the two of them must come together and play the part of best friends in the eye of the media in order to smooth things over. What starts off as a rivalry quickly turns into a genuine friendship and soon something more.

I love this book with my entire heart and soul. The characters are so lovable and real. Even though their situations are wildly unrelatable for most, it's so easy to find pieces of yourself in Alex and Henry. Alex is my favorite character ever. I relate to him so much. He's so determined, strong-willed, caring, and passionate.  I love Henry too. He's so brave and warmhearted. All of the side characters are also phenomenal and so well developed. I have a hard time remembering sometimes that the characters aren't real.

I've never seen two people who love and respect each other more than Alex and Henry. Their love for each other is just so pure. They're so supportive, and they genuinely care about each other so much. As swoon-worthy and wonderful as the romance is, it's not the only thing this book has going for it. The story completely sucks you in. I love the friendships, familial relationships, and the emphasis on discovering your sexuality and yourself  The story is heartwarming, fun, comforting, and at times heartbreaking. It makes me cry and makes me laugh out loud. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

Mom - Today I am recommending All About the Burger by Sef "Burger Beast" Gonzalez. This weekend marks the unofficial beginning of the summer and with it the unofficial start of the summer grilling season which makes this the perfect time for a book about burgers. While All About the Burger is not really about grilling burgers nor does it contain any recipes except for one for Frita Cubanos, a Cuban favorite that is similar to a burger,  everything you could ever want to know about the history of burgers you can find in this book. The origins of the burger as well as of that of the most well-known burger chains and even some chains that don't exist anymore, regional specialty burgers, burger advertising wars, and more are all covered. Anything you want to know about burgers short of how to cook them you can probably find in this fascinating book. If you really love burgers, reading this book will probably make you hungry but it will feed your curiosity about one of the most popular foods.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.