Review: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a fun book! A funny and entertaining read, with some surprising depth. It tackles some serious topics, but overall has a very lighthearted tone. I can't wait to read the next one (The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy)! I loved Felicity especially, so I am sure I'll enjoy reading entirely from her perspective.

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Review: The Dark Prophecy

The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.25 stars. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the first one. This one was a more typical Rick Riordan - entertaining, but not memorable since it is exactly like all of the others.

The things Riordan does really well are important. He creates wonderfully diverse characters that other authors should emulate. His characters come from a wide variety of backgrounds, abilities and preferences, and he does a fantastic job of making sure their differences are celebrated. He also poked fun of his own writing style in this one, which was funny. One of his characters made a comment about there "always being a deadline," which made me laugh because it was like Riordan was acknowledging the formula he always uses in his writing.

Unfortunately, although these were two great strengths, acknowledging his formula didn't seem like quite enough. The story still followed the formula too closely and lacked something that the first one had. I certainly plan to read the third when it comes out, but I hope it has some of what this one lacked.

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Review: Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love Trevor Noah, but his story about him growing up at the end of the Apartheid in South Africa would be fascinating to anyone - whether you know who he is or not. There were some very funny parts, but overall I was surprised by how difficult his life was growing up. He approaches it with the same humor you see from him on The Daily Show, but there are some things you just can't make funny. I like him even more now that I know a lot of what he has been through. I also really appreciated his honesty about himself and his bad (and sometime illegal) choices he made as a kid and teenager. I'd love to read more about him and how he became the comedian he is today. I hope he writes a second memoir!

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Review: Eliza and Her Monsters

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.25 stars. I liked this one better than Made You Up, and I quite enjoyed Made you up by the same author. One thing I really like about Zappia is that she writes stories about young girls dealing with serious issues (depression, anxiety, even schizophrenia) and presents both how difficult it can be and how it is not all of who they are. They are normal girls who want normal things, but have to learn how to deal with their mental health as well. And aren't we all?

I loved the illustrations throughout this book and how it celebrated fan culture. Several books have done that recently (Fangirl, Geekerella), and this one is definitely one of the best.

I can't wait to read more by Zappia! It was definitely one of the best I've read recently!

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Review: Red Queen

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this a lot more than I expected to! It was predictable and full of tropes often found in YA as I expected, but I didn't enjoy it any less because of it. It was very similar to many other popular dystopian fiction, but if you liked Divergent, Red Rising, The Wrath and the Dawn, etc., you will probably like this too. It was still very fun!

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Review: The Sun and Her Flowers

The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was very similar to her first collection of poems, but I really enjoyed this one as well. This collection focused a bit more on her parents immigration and on self-acceptance, which I really liked. I liked how she wrote about more than just romance in this book, and my favorite poems were the ones about "investing in the right people," community, and not focusing so much on the negative. As I said before, I am looking forward to seeing what her poetry becomes as she matures, although I can see already how she's matured between her first and second book. Reading her writing has made me want to read more poetry, so I'm going to be on the lookout for others like her!

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Review: Made You Up

Made You Up by Francesca Zappia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very solid four-star read. I loved reading about the main character, Alex, and her journey as she deals with schizophrenia. She was a really unreliable narrator and honestly, even after finishing the book, I'm not entirely sure what was real and what was a part of her delusions. Still, she was likable and headstrong. She was unafraid to stand her ground and tell people what she thought (unless it related to her mental illness). She had a great group of friends and she dealt with her illness in what felt like and honest and authentic way. As far as I know, it is not an Own Voices novel, but I've listened to people who have suffered from visual hallucinations and schizophrenia (I'm not sure if it was diagnosed or not) who have said that Alex's experience spoke to their experiences as well. I liked that (view spoiler)[ she recognized that she needed help and sought after it, even though she really didn't want it (hide spoiler)]
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It was thoughtful, fun, and just the right mixture of serious and upbeat. I also just realize that Francesca Zappia wrote Eliza and Her Monsters and now I CANNOT wait to read it! I might read it right away actually because I own it and I have been looking forward to it. Actually, I'm going to go get it right now . . .

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Review: The Darkest Corners

The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is a decent book that probably deserves more than the two stars I am giving it, but I personally thought it was just okay. I think that many would probably give this book a three or four star review. Had I been in a different mood while reading it, I may have as well. However, I just felt like I couldn't wait to get through it. I had to read it for Battle of the Books and I honestly just wasn't in the mood to read a mystery. Mysteries tend to be a bit hit or miss for me anyway, because I'm easily scared and can't read them at night. I love a good Agatha Christie, but much more than that and I can't sleep if I've read it before bed.

This wasn't too bad, but it started reeeeaaaaallllly slow. I read the first 100 pages and just kept feeling like I couldn't get into it. Finally, I decided to skim the middle third and then really read the last 40 pages or so. While clearly not the best way to enjoy a book, it was what I could handle at the time. Honestly, I'm just relieved that I got it over with. However, I don't want to deter anyone else from reading it. I think it really seems like a pretty good book, but I just was not in the mood for a mystery or reading something because I had to. I hope I enjoy my next required reading for Battle of the Books more!

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Review: Milk and Honey

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a poignant little book of poetry. I think it is something that many can relate to. I've spoken to teenagers at the high school I work at that have said they read some of the poems over and over again. I probably would have too if I had read this when I was still in high school or college.

However, I did feel like I am a little bit past the time in my life that her poetry would resonate me quite as deeply. A lot of this felt like things I would have thought or felt before my married years, but it is not relatable to my life as it is now. I'd love to see what she writes if she marries or becomes a mother, because she certainly has a way of writing short, powerful poetry. I am just at a different point in life than she is. I think that as she matures, her poetry will too. I am looking forward to reading her newest collection, The Sun and Her Flowers next!

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Review: Red Rising

Red Rising by Pierce Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My husband read this a couple of years ago and has been trying to get me to read it ever since. There was a lot I really liked about it. It was brutal at times, but always for a purpose (usually to demonstrate the cruelty of the world Darrow lives in and the need for change). A lot about it reminded me of The Hunger Games. Since I liked The Hunger Games, that was a good thing, but I do hope the story develops more and differs more in the later books.

The audiobook narrator was good. At first I was surprised that he read with an Irish accent, but then I got used to it. He was pretty expressive. I liked the main character most of the time. Occasionally I felt that he thought too much of himself, but that may be what he needs to lead his people.

I am looking forward to the rest of the series!

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Review: City of Lost Souls

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 stars. I'm enjoying these more as the series goes on, but (view spoiler)[ what is Cassandra Clare's thing with incest?????? I mean really!? Ugh it waaay weirds me out. I get it that it is because he is the bad guy, but she didn't care when it was Jace, right? I still can't get over it . . . (hide spoiler)] Ok. Rant over.

I don't think I'll ever love these like so many people seem to, but I am actually enjoying the series finally. I'm mostly trying to get through them so that I can get to the new series, but it is kind of fun to see Brother Zachariah show up from TID (I did really love those books). On to the next one!

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Review: A World Without Heroes

A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 stars. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! I've had it for a long time because honestly, I didn't really expect to like it. I finally got around to reading (well, listening to) it and found the writing style to be a sort of combination of Rick Riordan and John Flanagan. These are two of my husband's favorite authors, so now I have to get him to read this series! I know he'd like it.

I enjoyed the two main characters and their journey. There was plenty of action and the ending left me wanting much more. My one criticism would be that I had a hard time believing that Jason and Rachel would be so quick to take on a deadly quest for another world at age 13. However, I understand that if they hadn't, there wouldn't be much of a story. Also, I didn't give it a full 4 (or 5) stars because although it was compelling, it didn't grip me quite as much as a 4 star read would be. I think this is probably simply because I am just not as in to middle grade literature as I used to be.

I will absolutely be reading the other two books in this series. It was a really fun read!

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Review: Heartless

Heartless by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. This was another read for Battle of the Books. It was a good story, but I've never liked the worlds of Lewis Carroll. I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would, especially in the second half. However, I will never be a fan of Wonderland and it was pretty depressing to know where the story was headed. I never really liked Catherine very much either. However, story was pretty fast-paced and kept me wanting more. I think if I liked the whimsy and nonsense of Wonderland better, I may have enjoyed the book more. Although I liked Meyer's Lunar Chronicles more, I will probably read anything that she writes. I've been curious about Heartless since it came out, so I'm glad I finally read it!

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Review: Just One Day

Just One Day by Gayle Forman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was decent, but not fantastic. I didn't really like it at all until about halfway through, but it did get better in the second half. I was annoyed that she was so fixated on someone she'd only known a day, although I get that it is supposed to be more about her personal growth. I enjoyed seeing her development and her friendships. The ending, definitely left me wanting more, but in more of a "let me google what happens" way rather than a "I have to read the next one" way. I'm glad I finally read a Gayle Forman book because now I can talk to my students about it, but I'm not sure that I'll read more by her.

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Review: Lily and Dunkin

Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.25 stars. I haven't been enjoying middle grade books as much lately for some reason, but this was fantastic. I got some serious Wonder flashbacks when I read it, but that was a very good thing. Like Wonder, the characters face adversity that often comes in middle school (bullying, fitting in, friendships, etc.), but readers are able to hear representation from those that don't always get to tell their stories. I've never read a story about someone who is transgender, although I've been intending to for a long time. I'm not sure if I've read from the perspective of someone who is bipolar either, but both were compelling and important story arcs. Although it was not an Own Voices novel, the author's son is bipolar and she discusses in the author's note a bit about her own experience with it as well as her research process. She also writes about the research she did to work toward a fair portrayal of a transgender person.

I thought it was a thoughtful, important, and well-written book. It is another of the Battle of the Book picks for my students, but this is one that I am truly glad that I read.

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Review: Leaving Time

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. I read this to prepare my students for Battle of the Books. I've enjoyed the Jodi Picoult books I've read (I've probably read 3 or 4 others) and this was pretty decent too. I generally like her writing style and character development, and that was true for this book as well. I liked learning so much more about elephants. Some I already knew, but a lot of it was pretty fascinating.

I will say that (view spoiler)[ the ending REALLY threw me. I had a hard time changing the whole way that I thought about the characters and I didn't really enjoy that. (hide spoiler)] For that reason, I lowered my rating. However, although I don't know that it will stay with me long-term, it was a good book and I'm pretty sure that my students will appreciate it.

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Review: Audacity

Audacity by Melanie Crowder
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. First, I think this is a good, important book. Clara Lemlich was an inspiring historical figure that I hadn't heard about before I read this book. I'm so glad to have learned about this fascinating time period and the strikes that Clara led. She was impressive in the story and must have been even more so in real life.

I liked the subject matter of this book and the fact that it was such a quick read. However, I did find it to be somewhat lacking for some reason. The writing in verse was fine, but I don't know if it added much to the story. I guess it was good because it made it a faster read, but I felt like her character wasn't as well-developed as I would have liked. There were some lines that were poignant, but not enough and not as I would have expected for a novel written in verse. It told her story, but I think it left too much out. I would have loved to see more of her. It left me wondering if there were any other books (fiction or nonfiction) written about her life and I will probably look that up after finishing this review. Overall I felt that it was a decent book, but a little underdeveloped. It just left me wanting more!

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Review: Interview with the Vampire

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 stars. In the beginning, I was surprised by how much I was enjoying this. Around halfway through, I wasn't enjoying it as much, but then it had a pretty strong finish. I've never read anything by Anne Rice, and I definitely liked her writing style. I liked Louis's character a lot, but I don't think I liked any other character. He still seemed connected to his humanity, but none of the other characters did even a little bit. His relationship with Claudia creeped me out a bit and I couldn't often tell if he loved her as a father or as something more. It was just weird.

However, I'm glad I read it and I think there is a good chance that I will pick up the next one in the series at some point. I also have the movie version next in my Netflix queue, so I'm looking forward to seeing the movie. I didn't love it, but I did enjoy it and I look forward to reading more by Anne Rice.

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Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This reminded me a little of Roald Dahl. It was cute and creative, but I am not enjoying middle grade writing as much as I used to for some reason. I listened to the first 3/4ths on audiobook and then had to finish with a physical copy because my audiobook automatically returned itself to the library. It was fun, but not that memorable for me. I doubt that I'll read more in the series.

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Review: The Book of Love: Poems of Ecstasy and Longing

The Book of Love: Poems of Ecstasy and Longing by Jalaluddin Rumi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read Rumi first in my Middle Eastern Literature class at Mercyhurst. I really loved his poetry and bought this then to read. It took a few (like 7) years, but I finally got around to it.

I liked it! I didn't love it as much as I remember loving his poetry (although I read a different collection so maybe I liked that one better), but it was still good. There were a few gems.

Here are a few of my favorites:

"People want you to be happy.
Don't keep serving them your pain!
If you could untie your wings
and free your soul of jealousy,
you and everyone around you
would fly up like doves."

"If you love love,
look for yourself."

"You left the ground and sky weeping,
mind and soul full of grief.

No one can take your place in existence
or in absence . . ." (This poem about grief really got to me. It was longer than I wanted to post, but this was the beginning of it).

And finally:

"The minute I heard my first love story
I started looking for you, not knowing
how blind that was.

Lovers don't finally meet somewhere.
They're in each other all along."

Much of Rumi is so good. However, I kept reading it in small doses because I wasn't really in the mood for it. Still, it was a great collection and I hope to read more by him in the future!

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Review: The Hate U Give

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars. This was an important and timely book. I wanted to read it since it came out, but I finally got around to it. The recent events in Charlottesville and Trump's comments about them really pushed me to read it, and I'm so glad I did! I couldn't put it down. Starr's voice felt authentic and relatable. I loved her family relationships, friendships, and relationship with her boyfriend. I loved all of the Harry Potter references (of course!). I especially loved how it got me to walk a mile in someone else's shoes and think more about these important issues. I wish I could get everyone to read it!

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Review: Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. Agatha Christie books are so comforting! I had trouble keeping track of all of the characters, but by the end I got most of them. And I loved the ending! It was so satisfying and fun to listen to!

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Review: The Great Good Thing

The Great Good Thing by Roderick Townley
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

A sweet book, but I didn't finish it because it just wasn't interesting enough. I probably would have absolutely loved this book at age 10, but it is clearly meant for that age. I'd probably even enjoy reading it to a kid, but I just skipped to the end after I read the first half because I didn't really care what happened. Oh well! It's been on my to read shelf for years, so at least I finally read it!

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Review: Waking Gods

Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.25 stars. AHH I love this series!! It's so suspenseful and surprising! I loved this first one in the series and this was just as good. I kept telling my husband what happened because I had to discuss it with somebody (hopefully he doesn't mind if he ever reads it!). I like the characters and the unique format. Occasionally it is difficult to keep track of who is talking, but overall it was very readable. I cannot wait until the next one comes out . . . Hopefully we don't have to wait too long!!

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Review: Saga, Vol. 2

Saga, Vol. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just binged on this entire series. I devoured it. I read all the volumes available to read from Hoopla and then went to our local comic book store and bought all of the ones that are currently out but not yet bound in a book and read those too.

I am not going to write a review for each one because they all blend together for me now. I'll just rate them each, but oh man. . . These were amazing!

I don't know if every one was a 5-star read. Maybe I should give it a 4.5 overall. However, I really loved this story and connected to the characters. I don't usually read graphic novels, but this was just SO good. I still don't love the mature content, but it's like Game of Thrones. You can overlook some of that because the story is so amazing. That said, if that kind of mature content really bothers you, this series isn't for you. I can look past it, but I recognize that everyone has a different level of tolerance for that sort of thing. I just thought that the diverse cast of characters and the overall messages sent are ones that I can get behind. I can't wait until the next issue is released!! I plan to buy all of them!!

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Review: Saga, Vol. 2

Saga, Vol. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just binged on this entire series. I devoured it. I read all the volumes available to read from Hoopla and then went to our local comic book store and bought all of the ones that are currently out but not yet bound in a book and read those too.

I am not going to write a review for each one because they all blend together for me now. I'll just rate them each, but oh man. . . These were amazing!

I don't know if every one was a 5-star read. Maybe I should give it a 4.5 overall. However, I really loved this story and connected to the characters. I don't usually read graphic novels, but this was just SO good. I still don't love the explicit sex scenes, but it's like Game of Thrones. You can overlook them because the story is so amazing. I can't wait until the next issue is released!! I plan to buy all of them!!

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Review: The Iron Trial

The Iron Trial by Holly Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can't decide if I should give this 3.75 or 4 stars, but it was really fun! It had some VERY obvious parallels to Harry Potter, but I love Harry Potter, so I liked that! I can't wait for the next one!

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Review: A Court of Mist and Fury

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed it! After watching so many amazing booktube reviews, I thought it would probably be one of the best books I ever read. It was not that, but it was incredibly engaging and exciting. I loved how she brought some real-world problems into this fantasy land. I appreciated how she dealt with PTSD and abusive relationships. I liked how (view spoiler)[ Rhys allowed Feyre to be herself and loved her more for who she truly was (hide spoiler)]. I thought it was well-paced and had just enough action. Maas really got you to care for the characters and the things they are trying to get through. All of the characters and friendships are developed and deepened, which I loved because I love character-driven stories. If I don't care about the characters, I won't care about the book. That wasn't the case here. I came to care deeply about Feyre, which made the book much more enjoyable.

There were some frustrating parts. The sex scenes were definitely annoying, although easy to skip over. I also got annoyed with Feyre constantly calling Rhys "pig" and other names, even if she was joking. I still don't know how I feel about Rhys's behavior toward her in the first book or how he wants his court to be seen even with his explanations.

Despite possible flaws (or at least things I found annoying), I enjoyed it enough to buy the next one while I was reading it. I am very excited to read book three!!

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Review: Saga, Vol. 1

Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'd heard so much about this, but I was a little nervous about reading it after reading some of the reviews. Much like the TV show Game of Thrones, there was a lot of unnecessary nudity and sex. However, also like Game of Thrones, the story makes up for it and was interesting enough for me to want to keep reading. Parts were violent and disturbing, but they were important to the story as a whole. I really liked the two main characters. I am really rooting for them and I can't wait to see what happens next! I already got the next one out on Hoopla!

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Review: Can You Keep a Secret?

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. This is a light, fun, fluffy book that was exactly what I expected and what I needed. There were several times that I laughed out loud. I enjoyed the main character thoroughly and appreciated her tenacity and ability to be forthright with her love interest. I liked that she didn't let him push her around, although I was a little frustrated as she started falling for him despite the fact that he was trying to control too much. Still, she didn't put up with his shenanigans (I don't think I've ever used that word in a review!) and was very direct about what she wanted and needed. I loved that.

This book didn't make a huge impression on me and I probably won't remember much about it down the road, but I enjoyed it for what it was. I will likely continue reading more Sophie Kinsella in the future!

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Review: Eight Cousins

Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A sweet story, though definitely not my favorite of Alcott's. Rose was lovely, although actually too lovely to be realistic. I mostly read it because I was far more interested in reading Rose in Bloom, the second installment in the series. I hope I like it a bit more than this one. It wasn't bad, but it didn't hold my attention very well. It was probably actually more like 2.5 stars, but I'll round up since I enjoy Alcott's writing style even if the story didn't draw me in. Oh well. Maybe next time!

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Review: Sleeping Giants

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was another great science fiction this month. I read Dark Matter a couple of weeks ago, which really put me in the mood for some more sci-fi, so I picked this up. This was much different, but I enjoyed it almost as much. It was more grounded in reality than Dark Matter, but I do think that I liked that one a tiny bit more. Still a solid 4-star read though.

It was short and read especially fast because it was told in interviews. The most fascinating and surprising thing to me was that the interviewer was by far the most interesting character. I can't wait to find out more about him hopefully in the second book. I hope he continues to play a large part because trying to figure out more about him ((view spoiler)[ is he a good guy? or a bad guy? or somewhere in between? Who is he? Why does he have some much power - sometimes? (hide spoiler)] SO many questions!!).

There were also several times throughout the story that I was genuinely shocked by the turn of the events. It's rare that I really feel that much surprise as I read, but this one managed to multiple times. Also, (view spoiler)[ that ending??!!?!?!? What the heck???!!? (hide spoiler)]. As soon as I finished, I ordered the second one from the library. I hope I don't have to wait long to get it! I really enjoyed the first installment of the Themis Files and I can't wait to see where the story will go!

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Review: Dark Matter

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.25-4.5 stars. This was awesome! This is exactly what I want out of a science fiction. It was very fast-paced and exciting. It messed with your mind without being too confusing. I connected well with the narrator and enjoyed the writing style. I already gave my copy to my dad to read because I just know he'd love it. I also think it would make a great movie. I don't want to say too much more because talking about it much will give away the plot, but it hooked me from the first few pages. Anyone who enjoyed a good science fiction would enjoy this!

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Review: Down Among the Sticks and Bones

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very, very good. I definitely liked the 1st one better, but McGuire is an excellent writer and I think I'd enjoy anything she writes. I'm impressed by the depth of her writing in such a short number of pages. I loved how she explored gender roles. I guess I didn't really like any of the characters that much though, which was what kept me from loving the story as much as the first. Still, I cannot wait for the third one to come out! Seanan McGuire has made herself a "must-read" author for me.

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Review: Down Among the Sticks and Bones

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very, very good. I definitely liked the 1st one better, but McGuire is an excellent writer and I think I'd enjoy anything she writes. I'm impressed by the depth of her writing in such a short number of pages. I guess I didn't really like any of the characters that much, which was what kept me from loving the story as much as the first. Still, I cannot wait for the third one to come out! Seanan McGuire has made herself a "must-read" author for me.

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Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.25 stars. This was great! I liked it better than the Throne of Glass series for sure (while I do like the Throne of Glass books overall, this was better). I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I read it quickly because I really wanted to find out what would happen next, and I bought the second in the series when I was about 3/4 of the way through because I knew I'd want to read the rest of the series soon after.

I liked the characters in general, although they definitely fit typical tropes found in YA. Still, they were compelling and interesting to read about. I liked the subtle nods to the Beauty and the Beast story we are familiar with, although it was a very unique story on its own. I'm curious to see if the second is still tied at all to any familiar fairy tales or if it branches off altogether. The world it takes place in is interesting and I hope to learn more about it in future books. I'm not sure how I feel about Rhysand's character. I guess I'll just have read the next one to learn more and figure that out.

Overall I thought it was an exciting first novel in a new series and I look forward to continuing with the rest of the series soon!


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Review: When Dimple Met Rishi

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think I was smiling the whole time I read this book. I loved Dimple's character. She was entirely herself 100% of the time and she doesn't pull any punches, so I really admired her for that. I also loved Rishi for his sweetness and his unapologetic love for his parents and tradition in general. It was a happy book that I read very quickly. I really enjoyed it!

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Review: Geekerella

Geekerella by Ashley Poston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. I enjoyed this light, fun, predictable celebration of geek fandom and rehash of the Cinderella story. It's been told hundreds of times, and I was surprised by how closely this story stuck to the one everyone is familiar with. There were plenty of tropes and cliches throughout, but it didn't stop me from enjoying the story. Many of the characters were not very believable, but most people don't read Cinderella stories for their believability. It was comforting in the way that all familiar and well-loved stories are, and approaching it from a geek/fandom angle made it much more fun and interesting. There was nothing deep here and the fact that I had to suspend my disbelief as much as I did made my rating lower, but if you love a good fairytale retelling and especially if you are into any fandom, this one is for you.

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Review: Every Heart a Doorway

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.75 stars. For such a short book, this packs a powerful punch. Charlaine Harris got it right on her blurb on the cover that read "We know this story isn't true, but it is truth." Right from the first few pages I could tell that I was going to like this book. I've always loved a good portal story where a character goes to other worlds, but I've never really thought much about what happened when they returned. This story explores that and has a very compelling and surprisingly dark narrative all its own. I also really liked the main character and connected to her more than I expected to. Some of the other characters were fairly creepy, but in the best possible way.

It was one of the rare times that I wished the story was longer (although it didn't need to be - McGuire did an incredible job telling a big story in few pages). I cannot wait to read the next book! I ordered it from the library immediately upon finishing this one. This was definitely one of my favorites for the year!

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Review: The Upside of Unrequited

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 stars (I know - I'm giving that score a lot lately). This was exactly the kind of light fluff that I needed right now. I LOVED the diversity present in it, including the diversity in race, sexual orientation, body type, religion, etc. That was so, so great, and wasn't done in a flashy "look how much diversity we can pack in to one book" kind of way, but felt really natural. I wish more books were like that. I also really enjoyed the family dynamics in the story and the nerdy love interest, Reid. It was just really cute. I liked Molly's voice for the most part, although I wish she didn't question herself so much. However, I recognize that as a 17-year-old girl, that is probably a pretty accurate portrayal of a teen girl. I'm just getting old and want everyone to find their inner confidence (which (view spoiler)[ Molly does get more of as the book progresses (hide spoiler)].

Also, I didn't love it quite as much as Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. It was slightly fluffier and I think I liked Simon's voice a little better. However, this was a very happy story and Becky Albertalli has established herself as a must-read author in my book.

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Review: The Upside of Unrequited

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 stars (I know - I'm giving that score a lot lately). This was exactly the kind of light fluff that I needed right now. I LOVED the diversity present in it, including the diversity in race, sexual orientation, body type, religion, etc. That was so, so great, and wasn't done in a flashy "look how much diversity we can pack in to one book" kind of way, but felt really natural. I wish more books were like that. I also really enjoyed the family dynamics in the story and the nerdy love interest, Reid. It was just really cute. I liked Molly's voice for the most part, although I wish she didn't question herself so much. However, I recognize that as a 17-year-old girl, that is probably a pretty accurate portrayal of a teen girl. I'm just getting old and want everyone to find their inner confidence (which (view spoiler)[ Molly does get more of as the book progresses.

Also, I didn't love it quite as much as Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. It was slightly fluffier and I think I liked Simon's voice a little better. However, this was a very happy story and Becky Albertalli has established herself as a must-read author in my book. (hide spoiler)]

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Review: The Wrath & the Dawn

The Wrath & the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 stars. This was a hard book to shelve! It's not quite fantasy and not really historical fiction. . . It was a very enjoyable retelling of One Thousand and One Nights. It kept my interest the entire time and definitely made me want to read the second, but it just felt like it was missing something to keep me from giving it a full 4 stars. I'm not even sure what, except that somehow it failed to connect to me emotionally. I can't get over Natalie Monroe's summary of the book:

"Shahrzad: I will kill Caliph Khalid to avenge my best friend!
Khalid: *eye smoulder*
Shahrzad: Lol, nah."

Yeah, that's basically what happens. Still, despite the ridiculousness of parts of the story, I enjoyed it. It was full of action and romance. It's been a long time since I've read a retelling of Shaharazad's story and this one is probably my favorite that I've read (To be fair, I've only read 2 or maybe 3 others, and that was a very long time ago). I plan to read the second one before I completely forget what happened in this one!

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Review: City of Fallen Angels

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I definitely liked this better than I liked the first two (I never read the third because I actually really disliked the first two -didn't even finish the second, in fact), but I still didn't like it as much as I liked her Infernal Devices series. I guess I don't have that much to say about it. I know this is an unpopular opinion about this series, but it's just not my thing. I decided to read the second half of the Mortal Instruments series because I really did like the Infernal Devices and Cassandra Clare's own website recommends reading the first three Mortal instruments, then the Infernal Devices, and then the second three Moral Instruments. I just read the summary of the third book and then I was trying to follow her advice. I guess I probably still will because I want to read Lady Midnight. Maybe I'll really enjoy the last two. We'll see.

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Review: The Search for WondLa

The Search for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. This was a fun middle-grade read that I probably would have enjoyed more when I was younger. I loved the beautiful illustrations throughout. They were probably my favorite part. It went a little long, but was enjoyable overall.

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Review: A Conjuring of Light

A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.75-5 stars! This was amazing! As I was reading I kept thinking, "This is just so cool ." It was action-packed right from the start. I LOVE V.E. Schwab's writing style and I kept reading passages aloud to my husband because they made me laugh or they sounded awesome. It took me a long time to read, but by the time I got to the last half, I couldn't put it down. I love her characters, her worlds, her writing. I've loved everything I've read by her, so I think I need to read everything she's written! :)

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Review: Clockwork Princess

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a pretty decent historical fiction/fantasy series. I truly disliked the first couple Cassandra Clare books I read (I just could not get over the incest thing in the first half of the Mortal Instruments series), so I almost gave up on her entirely. Fortunately, I had a friend convince me that some people liked this series better than her original series, so I decided to try the audiobook when it showed up as available on Overdrive. I'm glad I did, because it has been a solid 4-star series overall. This one continued to be fast-paced and enjoyable. The narrator for this book was very good, although
I don't know why they switch narrators for every audiobook in the series. This narrator was probably my favorite though.

Like the last one, the love triangle just about drove me crazy, but I was able to overlook most of that because the story was compelling. I was also a little frustrated by how long the ending seemed. Once the main action was over, there was still another couple of hours of listening before the end. Still, I cared about the characters and what became of them enough to pick up City of Fallen Angels, which I'm already liking better than the first half of the Mortal Instruments series. I don't know if I'll ever be a huge Cassandra Clare fan, but I can definitely appreciate how her writing has developed and I do plan to read (or at least listen to) more in the shadow hunter world.

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Review: An Acceptable Time

An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L'Engle
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

2.5 stars. I usually love Madeleine L'Engle, but this one just wasn't great. There were some things I liked about it, but overall I thought it was pretty problematic. I listened to the audiobook and I really liked the narrator. I also liked Polly's character, although she was too perfect. I appreciated that L'Engle was careful to not to present the people from 3000 years in the past as simply "savage" or "primitive;" nor did she fall into the "Noble Savage" trap.

However, it took far too long to get in to the action of the book and it was overly preachy. I think L'Engle herself knew that, since she has one of her characters apologize repeatedly when he is "preaching too much." I realize that we were (view spoiler)[ not really supposed to like Zachary's character (hide spoiler)], but I didn't like him right from the beginning when he tried to make Polly kiss him even though she was clearly uncomfortable. I guess that was supposed to be a clue into his character, but it definitely bothered me.

I think this was the first L'Engle book that I didn't really enjoy, so she does have a pretty good track record. I loved the first 3 books in the Time Quintet and I don't really remember the 4th one. It's too bad it had a disappointing ending, but overall it is still a great series. I definitely plan to continue reading her Austen Family series and any other books she's written. Despite this disappointment, she remains one of my favorite authors. :)

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Review: Surviving the Applewhites

Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My dad lent this to me because a teacher at his school thought I might like it since I am a former middle school language arts teacher. It was fun, although perhaps not a very realistic portrayal of a teen in crisis. I could see how it would be fun to teach in some ways though.

On an unrelated note, I like the cover of this one much better than the copy that I have. Also, I see there is a second book in this series. I don't really feel compelled to read it, but perhaps I will someday if I run across a copy. . .

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Review: From Dead to Worse

From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Maybe more like a 2.5 or 2.75 if I wanted to be more exact. I enjoyed it, but it felt more like a filler in between books than a strong story on its own. Still, it was a light and fast read with a few exciting moments. I suppose I will continue on with the series, but I'm not sure anymore if I want to read all of them.

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Review: Clockwork Prince

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Again, I like this series far better than the Mortal Instruments series, but it does have a few problems (or problems for me, anyway). The story was great, but the love triangle drove me absolutely crazy. I like Tessa, but when she's thinking about Jem and Will, I almost can't stand her. I just don't think love triangles really ever happen in real life and it makes her seem indecisive and flaky (which she is not in any other situation, so I don't know why she is with these boys).

I also didn't love the audiobook narration. There were two different narrators, and I couldn't figure out why they were switching between narrators. The female narrator had a good voice for Tessa, but I couldn't stand how she voiced some of the other characters, especially Jessamine and Charlotte. It was almost enough for me to switch to the print version, but luckily those characters don't do tons of talking.

Despite some flaws, the story was fast-paced and kept me fully invested while reading. I can't wait to read the third one, and I'm considering trying the Mortal Instruments again to see the connections between characters. I really didn't like it the first time I tried them, but maybe I'd like them better now. I plan to pick up Clockwork Princess soon!

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