beach reads – takes two to book review

Alexis’ June 2024 Wrap Up

July 7, 2024July 8, 2024 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

Three book spines next to a candle on a gray blanket

Alexis:

I can’t believe it’s already July, but June was a great reading month for me. I went on my summer beach vacation and happily read on the beach. Overall, I read 8 books in June.

Loved: ⁣

A Song to Drown Rivers (ARC) by Ann Liang: See my review for more, but this book destroyed me in the best way. It’s a beautifully written fantasy novel based on the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China.
Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland: See my review for more, but this book was pure fun. It’s a new adult fantasy book where different assassins with unique abilities join together to assassinate the tyrant king.

Really Liked: ⁣

Star Splitter by Matthew J. Kirby: If you’re looking for a thrilling YA sci-fi, this is it. It reminds me a bit of The Darkness Outside Us. It follows 16-year-old Jessica Mathers, who crash-lands on a desolate planet lightyears from Earth.
A Dream of Blood and Magic (ARC)⁣ by Olivia Boothe: If you’re looking for a fun read filled with vampires, witches, a prophecy, and the start of a romance, then this one’s for you.
Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban: Inspired by Semester at Sea, this thrilling new adult thriller and murder mystery had me on the edge of my seat. Set on a ship, it follows Jade as she deals with a mystery of jealousy, love, and betrayal.
Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage: This is the second book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series. If you’re looking for a fun cowboy romance series, I really like it!

Liked: ⁣

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez: This was the perfect beach read. It follows Emma, a traveling nurse, as she meets Justin in an unexpected way. This romance book has Jimenez’s usual hard themes mixed in. While I like it and the plot, the romance is lacking a little for me.
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb: This was my first Robin Hobb read! I know starting with this one is unconventional, but I wanted a pirate read for the beach. I adore the liveships and did like this one, but it’s definitely slow moving and depressing and took me a while to get through. However, I’m looking forward to reading more from Hobb.

Review: The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst

June 11, 2021June 11, 2021 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

Alexis:

Despite copious amounts of rain, our beach trip ended up being a successful reading trip! While The Bone Maker isn’t the usual kind of beach read, I’m always in the mood for a spooky read.

The Bone Maker follows Kreya, a hermit living in a tower with no one for company but her constructs, little creatures and dolls she created from pieces of bone. Oh, and her dead husband, Jentt, who she raises from the dead as often as she can.

Twenty-five years ago, Kreya and her group of heroes risked their lives to defeat the bone maker Eklor—a corrupt magician who created an inhuman army using animal bones. The heroes reunite to help Kreya on her journey.

The story is primarily told from Kreya’s POV, though we dive into each of the character’s heads at one point or another. I thought the world was super interesting. There are bone makers, who created constructs from bones; bone wizards, who create talismans with powers (think playing an action card in a card game); and bone readers, who predict the future by reading bones. The characters’ successful backstory was great fuel for the plot, and I almost wish I could read a prologue book!

While I liked the plot, I really enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters. This book has the perfect balance of darkness (lots of bones, dead people, war, and death) and lightness (witty dialogue, funny characters). I love when I can find an adult fantasy that also has humor and great dialogue. But what kept this book from being 5 stars is that I wanted to get to know the characters even more! That, and the plot didn’t feel as urgent as it probably should have.

If you’re looking for a fun book with necromancy, defeating evil, and a journey with loveable characters, then I think you’ll enjoy this.

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Review: Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper

August 5, 2019 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

Alexis:

I read Etta and Otto and Russell and James last year, and I immediately added it to my favorite books list and gave it 5 stars! But I read so many books that, over a year later, I couldn’t remember all the details. I knew I was going to the beach, so I thought, “Why not get it for the beach and give it a re-read?”

The first time I read this, when I checked it out from the library, I didn’t realize it was magical realism. But I love magical realism, and reading it a second time, it made more sense in the story.

This book is character-driven, low on the plot, and heavy on the emotion. The book is non-linear, and switches back and forth not only in POVs (though all are in 3rd person) but also back and forth in time. It explores the relationships between three main characters: Etta, Otto, and Russell. Etta and Otto are married, and Russell is their longtime friend. In the present day, they are all old farmers in Canada. One day, Etta decides to trek across the Canadian wilderness in order to see the ocean for the first time.

In the past, Otto grows up on a farm, and Russell, his neighbor, becomes his best friend. Later, Etta becomes a school teacher while Otto goes off to fight in WWII.

Hooper is a wonderful writer. She’s also a musician, which gives her writing a rhythmic and lyrical feel that I love. Hooper also excludes quotation marks in her dialogue, which adds to the magical realism feel of the book.

Overall, this is a quietly powerful book. At its core, it’s about both a physical and an emotional journey through the Canadian landscape and the characters’ pasts. It explores war, family, and farming, with a talking coyote thrown in there for good measure. If you love magical realism, lyrical, poetic writing, and character-driven stories, I highly recommend it!

VERDICT: 5 stars