Number of Books Read: 12
Top Moods: Adventurous & dark
Paced: Majority medium; some fast; no slow
Length: Mostly 300-499
Most frequent genres: YA, fantasy, romance
Throne of Glass // Sarah J. Maas
5 stars
This is the first full book in the Throne of Glass series (I read the prequel novellas in The Assassin’s Blade first!) and it did not disappoint. I love a good contest trope, and I LOVE Celaena Sardothien, and I am ashamed to say that I also love a good love triangle. This book delivered. While I did find the ending somewhat dissatisfying, overall, I was extremely impressed. I recommend starting with The Assassin’s Blade, as I’ve seen some criticism of this book that they thought Celaena was whiny and annoying. I found her endearing, partially because I had the context of what she’d been through leading up to this book. If you were a slave trapped in a salt mine labor camp for a year, you’d be pretty dang excited about living in a castle with elegant dresses and gourmet food, too. In conclusion, I am a huge fan, and cannot wait to read the rest of the series!
City of Ashes // Cassandra Clare
4 stars
This is the second installment of The Mortal Instruments series. I really enjoyed it, though not as much as the first book. The angst surrounding the Jace/Clary relationship is not my favorite, and Simon was honestly extremely pushy with the whole “we’re dating!” situation with Clary. Miscommunication is one of my least favorite conflicts in YA books. I generally like to think that teenagers are capable of, I don’t know . . . talking to each other. The book also dragged a bit for me in the middle, and the ending was less than satisfying. Good thing there are another four books just waiting for me! Overall, not a bad mid-series read. Looking forward to the next though.
Crown of Midnight // Sarah J. Maas
4 stars
This is book two (maybe three, depending on what order you read these books in) of the Throne of Glass series. As always, Sarah J. Maas is an absolute rockstar and this story swept me up. This would be a 5-star read for me except that the critical death occurred about halfway through the story, and I assumed it would’ve been a much bigger deal (such as a finale scene, not randomly in the middle of the story). The part immediately following the death somewhat dragged for me, as it felt like it was constantly being revealed that the character had lied to Celaena repeatedly, yet Celaena was grieving so deeply and determined to avenge the person despite knowing about the continual dishonesty. Seemed uncharacteristic for Celaena (the loyalty despite dishonesty, not the ruthlessness). Also, there was not nearly enough Dorian in here, though I love where his storyline is going! I also am a Mort stan. For being a literal doorknob, he is the best.
These are super nitpicky issues, as overall I still loved this book and overall I still give this entire series 5 stars so far!
Princess in the Spotlight // Meg Cabot
4 stars
This is a light, fun second installment in the Princess Diaries series. Mia deals with a secret admirer, her mom and Mr. G getting more serious, and her mysteriously hot cousin from out of town. Lilly loses her mind, per usual, and Michael is getting more attractive as the days go on. This entire book occurs over the course of about two weeks, but it’ll keep you entertained the whole time! Quick and simple, and a great palette cleanser if you’ve been reading a lot of heavy books.
We Came Here to Forget // Andrea Dunlop
4 stars
We Came Here to Forget is a part-thriller, part-literary fic about an Olympic skier at the top of her game who faces some tragic family drama and as a result, is spiraling in all ways possible – emotional, professional, and relational. She escapes to Buenos Aires on a limb and gets enmeshed with a group of friends, united by their love for each other and tango, who ultimately are all hiding something too.
This book started off a big slow for me while I was still getting a feel for the main character, Katie Cleary. However, as the story picked up, I found myself being drawn in by the dual timelines – one follows the “before” of the tragedy, and one follows Katie’s time in Buenos Aires, the after. The thriller-esque, mysterious, I-have-to-know elements of the events leading up to the incident gripped me, while the magic and joy and friendship of the Buenos Aires portions enthralled me. Andrea Dunlop’s writing is fantastic, and it’s rare that I love characters from first-person POVs, but Katie’s narration and personality really grew on me.
Also, no spoilers still, but Blair can get it, if you know what I mean.
Overall, 4.5 stars out of 5. Goodreads and their lack of half stars will always haunt me.
The Orphans of Mersea House // Marty Wingate
4 stars
If you love historical fiction, you’ll love The Orphans of Mersea House. Set in Southwold, England, post-WWII, this story features main character Olive Kersey, beginning right after the death of her mother when she is forced to start her life over. Her one love and her brother both died in the war, and she is what many would refer to as a spinster. However, her childhood friend Margery swoops in and rescues her from an otherwise dreary plight, and enlists her to help run and keep house for her new boarding house. Meanwhile, Margery receives news that she has an 11-year-old ward, Juniper Wyckes, daughter of one of Margery’s old flames. Margery takes her in, and Olive instantly falls in love. The caveat is that Juniper contracted polio when she was four, and as a result cannot walk on her own. As a result, her children’s officer from the local authority, says Margery can care for Juniper for a trial period–and she keeps an annoyingly close watch on her.
This book was a relatively quick but incredibly heartfelt read. Olive and Juniper’s relationship demonstrates the wonder of found family. I also loved the elements of romance sprinkled throughout, as well as the character development of the other lodgers in Mersea House. The writing pulls you into the time period, but also manages to deal with larger themes that are extremely prevalent today: LGBTQIA+ issues, adoption, terminal illness, and even suicide.
I highly recommend this book to anybody looking for a charming and wholesome historical fiction read.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette? // Maria Semple
4 stars
This is one of the quirkiest books I’ve ever read! Written primarily in the form of letters, emails, faxes, notes, and other random documents, this story is narrated by Bee, the daughter of Bernadette, who loves her mom more than life itself. Once an award-winning architect, Bernadette is now a social recluse, scared of almost everything and everyone.
This book started off really strong for me, but the anticipation built a tad too slowly. I read this for one of my book clubs, and after week 2 I figured I would just power through the rest and I was not disappointed! Parts 4-6 were wonderful; the quick wrap-up at the end was a bit too quick for my liking, but I was entertained for the entire ride. I also love the depictions of both Seattle and Antarctica, which was a major bonus.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and I think you would too if you’re ready to suspend some common sense and basic logic and just appreciate the ride for what it is. I can’t wait to watch the film adaptation!
Crooked Kingdom // Leigh Bardugo
5 stars
“I would have come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we’d fight our way out together–knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.”
Guys. When I say this book broke me . . . this book BROKE me. It took me for a RIDE. Even though I knew our queen Leigh Bardugo wouldn’t let our crows die the horrendous deaths they seemed destined for every few pages, I was on the edge of my seat every. Single. Page. I’m in love with Kaz & Inej, Nina and Matthias, Jesper and Wylan, Alys and her horrendous singing voice.
This is the second book in the Six of Crows duology of the Grishaverse (and my first Grishaverse series, so no spoilers for me on how everything fits together! I’ll be reading Shadow & Bone soon!). There are rumors that a third book will be coming someday, but don’t hold your breath. Either way, please read these books. They’ll break your heart and repair it over and over again in the best way possible.
Found family? Check. Heist storylines? Check. Revenge? Check. Romance? Check. Coming of age? Check. Trauma bonding? Check. Multi POV? Check. Incredible world building? Check. Diverse characters? Check. Deeply flawed MCs? Check. Patriotism for your homeland? Check. PTSD? Check. Addiction, relapse, and recovery withdrawals? Check.
Don’t even get me started on Matthias talking about his wolf, Trassel. Instant tears.
So yeah, I kind of like this book and you should totally read it. Cheers.
Hello, Goodbye // Kate Stollenwerck
4 stars
This was the sweetest story about a 15 year old, Hailey, who is forced to spend her summer helping her grandmother Gigi out when her best friend is unreachable at a summer wilderness camp. Hailey’s sure this will be the most boring summer of her entire life, but her expectations go from zero to one hundred quickly when Gigi ends up being . . . well, cool. She loves the Beatles, has a beautiful old convertible named Betty, and will even read Twilight in exchange for Hailey reading The Great Gatsby. Hailey gradually starts to learn some family secrets, and with a little help from the resident heartthrob Blake Anderson, Hailey embarks on a quest to learn the truth about her ancestral roots and Gigi’s past.
I loved this book. Hailey annoyed me a bit in the beginning, but she grew on me as time wore on. Blake is probably the most endearing a high school football star could be and served major Austin Ames vibes from A Cinderella Story.
Some themes that readers might enjoy: running, highschool romance, the Beatles, holocaust recovery, Bonnie & Clyde, generational roots, tense mother-daughter relationships, Twilight, The Great Gatsby, and nice football stars.
Read if you liked: Something Wilder, Little White Lies, or Paper Towns
Thank you to Spark Press and Net Galley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
City of Glass // Cassandra Clare
4.5 stars
The third installment in the Mortal Instruments series, City of Glass is easily my favorite thus far. It’s fast-paced and jam-packed with plot, twists, turns, and our favorite characters . . . plus a few extra. Check out the goodreads synopsis, as I don’t actually trust myself not to post spoilers while discussing this book.
I LOVED this book and read it extremely fast, even for me. I’m re-reading it for the first time since my initial read in . . . 2013 or so. It’s been awhile. I sincerely enjoyed myself, though at times the book did feel a bit juvenile, but hey – it’s YA. It’s literally supposed to be that way.
Sebastian still has major hot boy energy, but he unfortunately is no longer on my Shadowhunter boy draft. Read to find out more.
Overall – 4.5 stars (rounded down to 4 on goodreads).
The Fixer Upper // Lauren Forsythe
5 stars
Publication Date: August 2, 2022
“In this funny and sharp romantic comedy, a woman with a knack for turning her boyfriends’ lives around starts a professional service to help wrangle men, only to be unexpectedly matched with an old flame.”
You guys . . . I LOVED this book. I am extremely stingy about my 5 star ratings, but this is my favorite romance of the year so far. Aly and Dylan were childhood best friends until Aly’s one day ghosted for reasons explained in the book. Later, when Dylan is essentially the project of his celebrity girlfriend’s new PR campaign, she hires Aly to intervene.
I am not normally a fan of friends to lovers or miscommunication as the central issue, but I love a good career woman plotline and second chance romance, so I predicted around 3-4 stars. However, I fell in love with Aly as a character – she’s funny, sympathetic, ambitious, and incredibly hardworking. Dylan had very obvious flaws, but you could just FEEL the tension and I loved that.
I also appreciated the other plotlines within the book, most notably Aly’s relationship and conflict with her mom. I can’t say much more about it without spoilers, but know it was a highlight for me because it felt incredibly authentic.
My complaints: No spice. Like . . . none. I’m not normally one to want spice to go overboard either, but a little something would have been nice. Obviously, this was not a dealbreaker as I still gave it 5 stars.
Second, the whole issue with the house is literally not how the law works. I’m a divorce attorney, so I recognize that most people would be able to suspend belief (or not even know they were suspending belief!), but the whole “she’ll lose the house if Aly doesn’t fix it!” was like . . . not it. But that was a smaller issue in the grand scheme of the story.
Overall, a heartwarming, entertaining read that is somewhat predictable but incredibly heartwarming.
Read if you liked: Sarah Adams books, Scandal (the TV show), second chance romance, and powerful career ladies who know what they want professionally but are emotionally lost. Lol.
4 stars
This book was great. I started off finding it a little bit slow – I think a lot of the Throne of Glass books leave off on a TON of action and emotional turmoil, so starting new ones always feels like a weird let down for me at the very beginning. BUT . . . this book really picked up. I might be in love with Rowan. Celaena/Aelin is a force to be reckoned with.
I don’t trust myself to do a spoiler-free synopsis on this one but know that if you enjoyed the other preceding books, you’ll love this one.
Also, Sorscha. Stab me. That’s all.