Tag: Reading

Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

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A library copy sits on a green blanket next to the spines of The Hunger Games trilogy. A lit candle rests above the book.

Alexis:

When I saw the new trailer for the The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie, I thought, Well, I guess I’d better read the book!

Like a lot of people, when the book was announced a couple of years ago, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read it. President Snow is the villain of The Hunger Games, after all. 

Here’s the thing about this book: compared to Katniss’ close point-of-view in The Hunger Games, this prequel feels very distant. 

The book is from Corolanius’ point of view, sure, but it’s a distant third. We’re not bathed in his fear, horror, and opinions like we are Katniss’. When the Hunger Games happen, we’re nothing but a spectator alongside Corolanius, watching from the outside. Because of this, despite it being a literal life or death situation, it didn’t feel like it actually was a life or death situation, and I found myself skimming the depictions of the Games. There’s also a myriad of side characters, and most of them felt rather flat and blurred together.

All of that being said, I thought the ending was well done.

Overall, this book was just okay. I think Collins’ publishers were probably like, “Hey, you need to write a prequel,” and she just had to roll with it. However, I do think it will translate better on screen when we can be more involved in the Games, so I still plan on watching the movie!

Review: Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

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Alexis' hand holds her Kindle over a marble table with a black notebook with a honeybee and an embroidery with a cat and yellow flowers

Alexis:

This past month has been a little crazy, so I haven’t written a review in a while!

I picked up an ARC that I’ve been trying to read for a while, but it wasn’t doing it for me. But then my hold of Practice Makes Perfect became available on Libby, so I started reading it, instead.

I read When In Rome by Sarah Adams recently and loved it. I’m generally picky with rom-coms, but it was so cute and fluffy, with baking and Audrey Hepburn references. Plus, I really liked the characters and Adams’ writing style.

Practice Makes Perfect is set in the same small town, Rome, Kentucky, and follows Annie, (Noah’s sister from the first book), who owns a flower shop. I haven’t read a rom-com with a main character like her in a while: a bookish introvert. I really connected with her character and appreciated her. 

As much as I loved the first book, this one just had so much chemistry and tension between Annie and Will, her love interest. Adams did a great job with making them well-rounded, and dual POVs always helps. I also love books that are set in the same town with the same cast of characters (like this one!). It really makes the story and setting feel more grounded, and you also really get to know the characters well. 

Overall, if you want a well-written and cute rom-com with flowers and an adventurous bodyguard love interest who has tattoos, then you’ll like this one!

VERDICT: 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

Review: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

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A library copy of the book rests on an iron table next to a bottle of Wegman's mango kombucha

Alexis:

Are you looking for a swashbuckling pirate story that has both historical and fantasy elements?

The Adventures of Amina al-Sarafi follows Amina, a retired, middle-aged pirate. She lives far away from society in order to keep her young daughter safe and away from the haunts of her past. But when an old woman (the mother of a former crewman) comes to her door claiming her granddaughter was kidnapped, Amina finds it to be a job she can’t refuse. With the promise of making a fortune that will secure her daughter’s future, Amina comes out of retirement to dive back into her pirate life and finds herself facing the greatest adventure, and threat, of her life that might just leave her a legend. 

I absolutely loved the vibes of this book. The first half has a very strong historical fiction feel with very little fantasy elements, and you can tell Chakroborty did a phenomenal amount of historical research. The second half is very action-packed and becomes high fantasy very quickly. But the whole book has a strong feel of adventure and danger, which is perfect for a pirate story!

Amina is a fun main character with a strong voice. I love the fact that she’s older and has to come out of retirement. I love how she reconnects with her old crew. And I also love how she’s a mother, which plays a large part in her motivations. Amina is Muslim, and her reckoning with her religion also plays a large part in the story. 

Additionally, I like how the story is set up as an oral tradition. Amina is telling the story to an unknown someone (we find out at the end), and there are even tidbits of letters and info placed between chapters. 

I will say, the first half of this book is a little slow. Chakroborty takes her time setting everything up, and I kept wondering, When does this become a fantasy book? A lot of the side characters felt a little flat, but I really enjoyed the character of Dunya, the missing granddaughter. This definitely would’ve been a 5-star read if the first half didn’t drag quite as much.

Additional aspects I liked:

  • If you couldn’t tell from the cover, there’s a kraken-like creature that makes an appearance. 
  • Pirates of the Caribbean plus Life of Pi vibes 
  • Plenty of comedic moments and conversations 
  • There’s a demon with a vibrant personality 
  • Emphasis on myths and legends, alongside storytelling 

VERDICT: 🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️/5 

What The River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

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Alexis:

What the River Knows is a historical fantasy novel set in late 1800’s Egypt. When Bolivian-Argentinian Inez Olivera’s parents die during an adventure-gone-wrong in their beloved Egypt, Inez defies her new guardian, her uncle’s, order and arrives in Egypt. She won’t rest until she discovers what happened to her parents and learns how a gold ring with old-world magic, which her father mailed her before he died, fits into the narrative. Soon, she finds herself on a dangerous yet mysterious archaeological adventure with her uncle, his young assistant named Whit, and their crew.

What the River Knows is full of adventure and Egyptian history. I definitely has The Mummy but make it YA vibes (there aren’t any undead mummies, however). My favorite part of this book is how you become so immersed in the setting. Ibañez definitely did her research! I loved reading about the politics of the time period, as well as the ancient history of Egypt, which plays a large role in the story. Ibanez touches on British colonialism and the importance of history and not stealing artifacts.   

The actual fantasy aspect of this book is fairly minimal, as magic only clings to old objects in this version of history. However, I found it works well because the magic didn’t overpower the importance of the setting and the archaeology. 

I also enjoyed the romance. Inez and Whit are both headstrong characters, and it was fun to read about their tension and growing forbidden relationship. I especially appreciate Inez’ resolve, especially in a time period where women had no agency over their own lives, and she was unfortunately naive in a lot of situations. 

My biggest critique is that I could tell the story is setting up for a sequel. The middle drags a little bit, especially the mystery. A lot of questions and mysteries were piled up on top of each other, and we didn’t get any answers until about 75% of the way into the story. I think having a couple of reveals earlier would’ve helped propel the plot along.

Overall, I loved the adventure, history, and romance in this book. If you’re looking for a fun YA fantasy, then look out for What the River Knows, pub date November 14, 2023!

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks so much to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for sending me an ARC for review!

Review: The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten

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The Foxglove King sits on top of a laptop on a table at a coffee shop, next to Alexis's hand in a gray sweater, which holds an iced matcha latte.

Alexis:

If you want a book that feels like For the Wolf, Furyborn, and The Wolf and the Woodsman mixed together, read The Foxglove King!

Synopsis: Adapted from Goodreads

The Foxglove King follows Lore, a poison runner and spy who has also happens to be a necromancer. When one of her runs goes wrong and Lore is caught, she is sent to Presque Mort, a group of monks sanctioned to use Mortem, or death magic, and work for the Sainted King. When entire villages on the outskirts of the country start dying overnight, seemingly at random, Lore is blackmailed by the King into figuring out why.

Thrown into court, Lore must work together with Gabriel, a duke-turned-monk, and Bastian, the prince, in order to save both herself and more villages from dying.

Review:

This book is dark and gritty, with an almost renaissance yet gothic feel to it. When I read Whitten’s For the Wolf, I fell in love with her writing style and snarky characters. And I’m happy to say that her writing and characterization have improved! Lore is a no-nonsense type of character. Gabe has a good heart but a tortured past (and, you know, he’s a monk). And Bastian is hilarious and snarky. Often, the banter between the characters is a welcome comedic relief, yet it manages to fit into the dark setting. 

As for worldbuilding, I was impressed! The worldbuilding feels well-fleshed out, and I like how Whitten describes the use of Mortem and how Lore can control it. The religion itself reminds me of the religion in The Wolf and the Woodsman, which also uses body horror in tandem with religion. 

I was hooked on the story from the beginning, and I loved the vibes and all of elements. My only main critique is that Gabriel/Gabe, who only has one eye, is described as only having one eye literally on every other page in the first half of the novel. I feel like having a handful of meaningful descriptions of Gabe would’ve been more impactful than being hit over the head with them. However, in the grand scheme of things, obviously this didn’t impact my feelings about the rest of the book. 

Overall, if you’re looking for a gritty adult fantasy with court politics, flawed and interesting characters, a small dash of romance, religious trauma, and plenty of death magic, then you might like this one! I’m looking forward to the sequel.

VERDICT: 💀💀💀💀💀

Review: The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan

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A library copy of The Buried and the Bound rests on a white marble table with a notebook, a gold pen shaped like a feather, and a candle in a tin.

Alexis:

Hello! 👋 I’m back! 

I feel like I haven’t posted a review in ages! (In reality it hasn’t been that long, right?)

I read a lot of books while recovering from lung surgery, but I didn’t have the energy or urge to review a lot of them. It doesn’t help that spring has sprung early, bringing my allergies in full force along with it.

However, I recently read The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan and enjoyed it.

Synopsis:

The story has three different main characters and POVs: Aziza, Leo, and Tristan. 

Aziza is a hedgewitch. She helps protect her town of Blackthorn, Massachusetts from all sorts of magical creatures and mischief. 

Leo is cursed. On his sixteenth birthday, he was cursed to forget his true love, and now he feels the absence in his life and spends his free time searching for answers. 

Tristan is lost. After being kicked out of his family home, he made a bargain with an evil hag, and now he finds himself not only doing her dirty work and bidding, but being a necromancer, as well. 

Review: 

This is definitely a very me story. It has a host of magical, whimsical creatures, but it also has a dark tone and deals with a lot of dark themes. It touches on topics such as homophobia, death, and memory loss. 

The main characters are all well-rounded and flawed. I love how this book has the found family trope but without feeling tropey at all. It has several plot twists that are well-done. And I like the LGBTQ representation.

My main critique is that the middle of the story dragged, and the slow pace meant that it didn’t do a great job of holding my attention. However, I really enjoyed both the beginning and the ending, and I think the ending set up for a fantastic sequel. I guess we’ll see!

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Review: A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross

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Alexis holds A River Enchanted next to A Fire Endless on a gray blanket with an Aquarius candle.

Alexis:

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

I’m back home from a hospital stay, where I unfortunately had to have (more) lung surgery. The only good news about that is I’ve had plenty of time to read!

During my recovery, I read A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross, which is the sequel to A River Enchanted. 

This adult fantasy duology follows four main characters—Jack, Adaira, Sidra, and Torin—who live on the Isle of Cadence. The Isle is split between two warring clans and has spirits/faeries, music, and magical items. 

As with the first book, I loved the historical Scottish-inspired island in A Fire Endless. Ross’ writing is as lovely, atmospheric, and lyrical as ever. 

What I really appreciated about this sequel was getting to know Jack and Adaira better. In the first book, I preferred both Sidra and Torin’s POVs. But I felt like both Jack and Adaira had great character arcs. 

Sidra is still my favorite character, and I loved her character arc, as well!

Torin’s POV lost me a little bit. This book is slow moving, and I felt like Torin’s POV dragged it down. I also felt like his character growth already happened in the first book, so I didn’t feel as invested in his journey. I also didn’t like the plot as much as in the first book; however, I did really enjoy the ending!

Overall, I think if you’re looking for a character-driven, historical fantasy novel, this duology might be for you. 

VERDICT: 🔥🔥🔥🔥/5

Alexis’ 2023 Hopefuls

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Alexis:

Happy new year from me and my new book cart! The top shelf is my physical TBR (will I ever get to it?) And the bottom is shelf overflow. ⁣

I’m currently reading an ARC of A Song of Salvation by Alechia Dow, as one of my goals for this year is to delve into more sci-fi/space operas.
⁣
Here’s a long list of books I would love to get to at some point in 2023.⁣

  • Know My Name by Chanel Miller
  • The Little Village of Book Lovers by Nina George
  • Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans
  • Empire of Exiles by Erin M Evans
  • The Ashfire King by Chelsea Abdullah 
  • Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
  • Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou
  • Never a Hero by Vanessa Len
  • The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart 
  • The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten
  • A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross
  • The City of Dusk by Tara Sim
  • When In Rome by Sarah Adams 
  • Seven Faceless Saints by M.K. Lobb 
  • A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
  • Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

I also saw that there’s some interesting discourse going around in the book community (I mean when is there not?). Apparently, some readers think it’s a red flag when someone mostly reads new books.

I’ve always enjoyed reading newer releases. As a writer myself, I love supporting authors during and after their book launches, because some day, I hope that will be me! I’m also all for reading what you like and what you want, as long as it isn’t hurting anybody.

What do you think? Do you feel the same as I do?

Happy reading!


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Anna’s Yearly Wrap-Up: Best Books Of 2022

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Anna: It’s that time of year again! 

Reading Stats

In 2022, I read a total of 69 books. My top three genres were literary, mystery, and contemporary, although not as many mysteries made it to my top books this year. I read 93 percent fiction and 7 percent nonfiction. Oops— one of my reading goals for 2022 was to read more nonfiction. Maybe next year!

Reading Tracking App

This year, I stopped using Goodreads and switched over completely to The StoryGraph to track my reading. Why? Goodreads is owned by Amazon and The StoryGraph is independently owned. I also just prefer it— The StoryGraph is more user-friendly, you can actually select the correct edition you’re reading, there are trigger warnings and each book is tagged by its mood, pacing, and genre. I also like that you can tag the books you own and digitally line up your TBR. 

Reading Journal

Instead of using my main bullet journal, this year I tried chronicling my reading in a separate reading bullet journal. I found it pretty tedious and stopped about halfway through the year. Even though I find that journaling helps me remember and process a book better, I need to stop writing so much of the summary or I get too burned out to actually journal. Luckily my in-laws got me a templated reading journal for Christmas, which I’m going to try using this year. 

So without further ado, let’s talk about the best books that I read this year! I’m not attempting to rank these; I loved them all.

Fiction

The Push by Ashely Audrain

I could not stop reading The Push and it haunts me to this day. This is a fast-paced yet deeply character-driven thriller about a mother who is convinced her daughter is evil, but no one else believes her. It’s about how terrifying parenthood is and how you might not have as much control over your child as you think.

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub

I was hesitant to read this since I did not enjoy the only other book I’d read by Emma Straub, The Vacationers. But I loved This Time Tomorrow! It centers on a father/daughter relationship and how that changes as we age. It’s also about being happy where you are in life while recognizing that it’s okay to feel nostalgic for the past.  It also involves time travel! I can’t wait to reread this one.

Other People’s Clothes by Calla Henkel 

This coming-of-age book has a lot going on—some themes include mental health, sexuality, and our obsession with true crime. It follows Zoe, a struggling college student who becomes involved in a dangerous scheme when she and her study abroad roommate move into the apartment of a famous mystery writer. It’s a little slow in places but has so many elements I love that I couldn’t stop reading.

Bewilderness by Karen Tucker

This was one of the first books I read in 2022, and it continues to stick with me. It’s literary fiction about two friends living with drug addiction. Tucker writes about the heartbreaking cycle of addiction in a way that humanizes it without glorifying it. The writing is beautiful, I loved the friendship between the two main characters, and the ending still gets me. 

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

After reading (and loving) the Monk & Robot series by Becky Chambers, I was excited to jump into this sci-fi series. This first book was so fun and featured a diverse, lovable cast of characters that travel space together in a rag-tag ship called the Wayfarer. I’m looking forward to continuing the series! 

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

It’s hard to write about mental health in a fresh, new and meaningful way, but Meg Mason does it. Martha’s mental illness is never named in Sorrow and Bliss. We just know it’s a very stigmatized disease. I loved the role of family in this book, and that a large part of Martha’s journey is about accepting their love and support.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Modern Irish fiction is among my favorite, and this slim, “quiet” novel packs a punch. I read this one in early January, and it’s the perfect book to read around Christmas time. It makes you question what you would actually do when confronted with someone in need around what is supposed to be the happiest and most giving time of the year.

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel 

I’ve loved every Emily St. John Mandel book I’ve read, and this one is no exception. It’s almost impossible to describe what Sea of Tranquility is about, but it follows different characters across different timelines and worlds. Slowly their stories start to weave together. I loved the sci-fi and dystopian elements of this one as well!

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell 

This was one of my most anticipated new releases of the year, and it did not disappoint! No one writes historical fiction like Maggie O’Farrell. This retelling of the life of the duchess Lucrezia de Medici is set in Renaissance, Italy. We know from the beginning that Lucrezia is killed early in her marriage by her husband. The Marriage Portrait is beautifully written, full of tension, and I loved the direction it went. 

Down Comes The Night by Allison Saft

I don’t read much YA any more, but I picked up this one and liked it so much that I also read Allison Saft’s other book, A Far Wilder Magic, this year. I preferred this one, which follows Wren, a young healer who visits a gothic, crumbling mansion to figure out its dark secret. It also has a romance plot, which I actually enjoyed (I’m not huge on romance in my reading these days). The way the relations between the different kingdoms are written in this one is really well done.  

Nonfiction

Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles

Kathryn Miles explores the life and death of Julie Williams and Lollie Winnans, avid hikers who were murdered while camping in Shenandoah National Park. As a woman and frequent hiker of Shenandoah, I was intrigued—and terrified—by what Miles has to say about how the places we consider the most peaceful are not actually safe, especially if you’re a woman. 

My Body by Emily Ratajowski 

I knew nothing about model Emily Ratajowski before reading her memoir. Now, I respect her. Her essays recognize that Emily uses her body as currency and that it’s made her wealthy. Yet she challenges the perception that a woman can’t be sexy, intelligent, and call herself a feminist and a writer all at once.

Here’s to another great year of reading in 2023!

Review: Kill Your Darlings by L.E. Harper

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A Kindle ARC of Kill Your Darlings rests on a white marble table next to a Santa hat and a book notes notebook

Alexis: 

If you’re looking for Inkheart meets Inception, then Kill Your Darlings is for you. 

Inkheart was my absolute favorite book as I kid, so you know I had to request Kill Your Darlings on Netgalley!

The story immediately jumps into the action. Author Kyla thinks she’s dreaming at first. After all, she’s in Solera—the world she created in her fantasy series. But soon, she realizes that she’s stuck in Solera, who is in the middle of a war against the evil villian, and Kyla has to figure out how to save both herself and her favorite characters.

This book depicts the struggle of mental health, specifically with depression. It’s the main theme and the main abstract obstacle that Kyla must overcome. Kyla’s struggles, which Harper explains stem very closely from her own, give this book such a raw and emotional edge. I really felt for Kyla as she struggles with her very dark thoughts and depression in order to learn her self worth.

Harper’s wordbuilding is amazing. Solera is the perfect mix of a fantasy and sci-fi world. It has a healthy mix of dragons, magic, battles, and a slew of magical creatures. Since Kyla is the author, we also get a great insight to how the world and its dark and light magic works. 

Without giving anything way, I thought all of the parallels between Earth and Solera were done well. I like how we get asexual representation with Kyla’s character. And I love Kyla’s relationship with a dragon named Cendrion. 

I did think the romantic subplot felt a little forced, especially considering the age gap. However, I think it accomplished what Harper needed it to do for the story. Besides that, my only main critique is that I wanted even more at the end of this story. There were some open-ended questions and interactions that I itched to see while I was reading. However, I understand why Harper ended the book this way, especially considering the frame of the novel (which is within the frame of the novel about Soltera…hence the Inception aspect!). Even without a more beefy ending, this book packed a punch!

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

TWs: Depictions of mental illness including depression, anxiety, suicide and suicidal ideation, and self-harm

Note: I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.