My audiobook is Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. I am using it for a Beat the Backlist prompt! Its been fine but I am not super intrigued lol. I’ve been having a rough month when it comes to books.
I’m also reading Last Sunrise in Eterna by Amparo Ortiz (arc) and The Winter Garden by Alexandra Bell. They are both pretty intriguing, so I am curious to see where they go.
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore (🎧) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner (🎧) ⭐⭐
Not sure what my next audiobook will be.
My other reads will either be Chaos & Flame by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland (arc) or The Comeback by Lily Chu (arc).
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT READ? ARE YOU LOVING IT? HAVE YOU READ OR WANT TO READ ANY THAT I HAVE LISTED? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!
Title: Sunbeams in the Sky Vol. 1 Author: Monika Kaname Genre: YA Manga Publication Date: March 21st, 2023 Publisher: Yen Press Rating: ⭐⭐
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to read! All opinions are my own.
“Twin sisters Himari and Mio are perfect copies on the outside, but their personalities couldn’t be any more different. When Himari decides to stay home from school due to an unfortunate incident, Mio decides the best way to convince her to return is to take her place! ” (Goodreads)
This one just didn’t work for me.
I thought that the setup was interesting but to me it felt rushed and nothing ever really came out of the situations they got themselves into. Mio obviously had plans as to why her sister needed to pretend to be her but it was never talked about. It may be to try and get her back in school but at what cost? They do care for one another but I did expect more from their bond.
I’m sure in the next few volumes there will be more about the romance but I am just not interested in seeing how it will play out.
Overall, this was okay but I just needed it to hook me more.
Title: The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway Author: Ashley Schumacher Genre: Ya Contemporary / Romance Publication Date: March 14th, 2023 Publisher: Wednesday Books Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review! All opinions are my own.
“Since her mother’s death, Madeline “Gwen” Hathaway has been determined that nothing in her life will change ever again. That’s why she keeps extensive lists in journals, has had only one friend since childhood, and looks forward to the monotony of working the ren faire circuit with her father. Until she arrives at her mother’s favourite end-of-tour stop to find the faire is under new management and completely changed.
Meeting Arthur, the son of the new owners and an actual lute-playing bard, messes up Maddie’s plans even more. For some reason, he wants to be her friend – and ropes her into becoming Princess of the Faire. Now Maddie is overseeing a faire dramatically changed from what her mother loved and going on road trips vastly different from the routine she used to rely on. Worst of all, she’s kind of having fun.
Ashley Schumacher’s The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is filled with a wise old magician who sells potion bottles, gallant knights who are afraid of horses and ride camels instead, kings with a fondness for theatrics, a lazy river castle moat with inflatable crocodile floaties, and a plus-sized heroine with a wide-open heart… if only she just admits it.” (Goodreads)
I was really looking forward to this one after loving her first two books. Sadly, this ended up not being a favorite but still a good read for what it had to offer.
The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Madeline Hathaway. It’s been almost a year since she lost her mother and she is still learning to deal with the grief that comes with loss. She isn’t in a typical family either because they had and still are, now with just her dad, travel around to the different Ren Faires.
Madeline doesn’t just deal with grief. She is also plus-size which comes with it’s own insecurities and obstacles. I can relate to her on that front because I have been overweight my whole life. The scene where she is trying on pants really resonated with me as I have been one to feel defeated while trying on clothes. It sucks and it’s nice to see it talked about in books.
The romance is where I struggled. Arthur is a cinnamon roll but he is definitely a “too good to be true” kind of guy. He doesn’t do anything hurtful, communicates well, and is oblivious to things that normal people wouldn’t be. I just had a hard time believing she liked him when she kept calling him annoying and being really mean towards him, but he was quite persistent. There also just wasn’t enough time for their relationship to blossom.
Side characters felt very one-dimensional and they were just okay.
I do wish we would have got more from the setting as well. There wasn’t too much going on with it like I have seen other books do with a similar setting.
Overall, this was good but could have been better. Even if this one didn’t wow me I would still recommend it for those who want a simpler YA Romance. I’ll definitely still check out whatever else she writes because I am a sucker for her books!
My audiobook is Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury. I haven’t started it yet but I can’t wait to!
The Isle of the Gods by Amie Kaufman (arc) and The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore are what I am currently reading! I am not far at all so I can’t give an opinion yet lol.
Revelle by Lyssa Mia Smith (🎧) ⭐⭐⭐💫
Mixed Signals by B.K. Borison (🎧) ⭐⭐
Not sure what my next audiobook will be.
My other reads will either be The Last Word by Katy Birchall (arc) or Last Sunrise in Eterna by Amparo Ortiz (arc).
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT READ? ARE YOU LOVING IT? HAVE YOU READ OR WANT TO READ ANY THAT I HAVE LISTED? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!
Title: Off the Map (Beck Sisters #3) Author: Trish Doller Genre: Adult Contemporary / Romance Publication Date: March 7th, 2022 Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin Rating: ⭐⭐
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review! All opinions are my own.
“Carla Black’s life motto is “here for a good time, not for a long time.” She’s been travelling the world on her own in her vintage Jeep Wrangler for nearly a decade, stopping only long enough to replenish her adventure fund. She doesn’t do love and she doesn’t ever go home.
Eamon Sullivan is a modern-day cartographer who creates digital maps. His work helps people find their way, but he’s the one who’s lost his sense of direction. He’s unhappy at work, recently dumped, and his one big dream is stalled out—literally.
Fate throws them together when Carla arrives in Dublin for her best friend’s wedding and Eamon is tasked with picking her up from the airport. But what should be a simple drive across Ireland quickly becomes complicated with chemistry-filled detours, unexpected feelings, and a chance at love – if only they choose it.” (Goodreads)
I enjoyed the first book in this series called Float Plan and the second The Suite Spot was good so I figured I would enjoy this one too! Or at least, I had high hopes. Sadly, this just wasn’t my cup of tea for a few reasons.
The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Carla. She has been friends with Anna since they started working at the same bar until Anna left on a trip of a lifetime and is now marrying Keane. They were the couple from book one and I loved reading about their story!
Carla likes to travel around and has been doing it with her dad for many years as he raised her as a single parent. I liked learning about their relationship, which was basically a second plot, and I could understand her feelings when it came to her dad as he had dementia. My grandmother had it and its very devastating to see their mind deteriorate over time. She is very adventurous and I liked that about her. Besides those two things, I didn’t care much for her or her love interest. I just never connected with them on a deeper level, especially Eamon.
Eamon and Carla have a very insta-lust relationship from the beginning. They were already canoodling within a very short time. I figured it wouldn’t end well and sure enough, I was right. Even though they have some adventures, I just felt like they didn’t grow a deep connection, especially when Carla was throwing the word love out there in a very short time. It didn’t feel genuine. This could also be due to the first half of the book being more about them and then the second half being about her dad and them feeling like two separate books. Eamon doesn’t come back into the picture until it’s very close to the end.
The emotional stakes in this third book weren’t as grand as we have read before. The first was about Anna finding herself and the romance was a slow-burn which I enjoy. This one just felt like it was more spice than anything and it’s just not the type of book I enjoy reading. I know others won’t feel the same as me.
Overall, this one didn’t work for me. I liked parts of it but I just had a very hard time getting into it.
My audiobook is The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. It’s been great and I like all of the details we learn about the show.
While Time Remains: A North Korean Defector’s Search for Freedom in America by Yeonmi Park and Out of the Ashes by Kara Thomas (arc) are my current reads. Not very far in either so we will see how they go!
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross (arc) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Bear With Me Now by Katie Shepard (arc) ⭐⭐
Revelle by Lyssa Mia Smith will be my next audiobook!
My other reads will either be The Isle of the Gods by Amie Kaufman (arc) or The Last Word by Katy Birchall (arc).
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT READ? ARE YOU LOVING IT? HAVE YOU READ OR WANT TO READ ANY THAT I HAVE LISTED? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!
Title: The London Séance Society Author: Sarah Penner Genre: Adult Historical Fiction / Mystery Publication Date: March 7th, 2023 Publisher: Park Row Rating: ⭐⭐✨
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review! All opinions are my own.
“1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.
Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves…” (Goodreads)
The Lost Apothecary was a surprising read for me. I loved it more than I had thought and it was one of those books where it was hard to put down! I really liked how it all played out, so of course I wanted to read her latest.
The book is told from two point-of-views as well as present and past tense. Both come from Lenna Wickes and Mr. M. Morley. In ways I felt that Morley’s PoV hindered the story. I wasn’t as intrigued with his story and felt like maybe the story would have been better with a PoV from her sister Evie instead. It would have added a better connection to the overall story which is something that was missing for me but was present in her last book. Morley’s also gave a lot when it came to clues and I really wasn’t surprised with the outcome of it all.
Although I was excited with the whole Séance Society mentioned in the blurb I feel like it was very lackluster and didn’t have the magical realism I was looking for or expected. It was kind of a letdown.
There were times that I was intrigued by the story but it wasn’t enough to keep me glued to the story for long.
Overall, this was a bummer for me. I know there will be those who love this one more than me and I hope this book finds its readers.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review! All opinions are my own.
“Shy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene has always felt inadequate compared to the rest of her accomplished family, who strive for Black excellence. She dreams of becoming an editor of children’s books but has been frustratingly stuck in the nonfiction division for years without a promotion in sight. Lily finds escapism in her correspondences with her favorite fantasy author, and what begins as two lonely people connecting over e-mail turns into a tentative friendship and possibly something else Lily won’t let herself entertain–until he ghosts her.
Months later, still crushed but determined to take charge of her life, Lily seeks a date to her sister’s wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbor, whom she feels drawn to for unexplainable reasons. Little does she know that Nick is an author–her favorite fantasy author.
Nick, who has his reasons for using a pen name and for pushing people away, soon realizes that the beautiful, quiet woman from down the hall is the same Lily he fell in love with over e-mail months ago. Unwilling to complicate things even more between them, he agrees to set her up with someone else, though this simple favor between two neighbors is anything but–not when he can’t get her off his mind.” (Goodreads)
This was a bit different than what I had expected.
The book is told from two point-of-views and they come from Lily and Nick. Their worlds revolve around the same thing, books. I am always down for a book about books! I liked reading about how she was interested in his work and from there it formed into a real romantic connection. It was cute.
It did take me a bit to get into into this book because a portion of the beginning was dedicated to their email exchange. It was page on top of page of it and although I like seeing this format, it felt a bit much. I wanted to read more about them outside of the email exchange and see how it impacted their day-to-day life. All we got was past mentions of these exchanges and not even their family or friends knew.
I also felt like the plot was a bit forced and I’m not really sure how Lily didn’t catch on to who Nick really was but he caught it pretty quickly after they finally started talking in person. Instead, she thinks it is some other guy just because of two small minor clues. It was just odd to me. 🤷♀️
The plot is filled with lots of book talk, cute moments between the two, and learning to not run when the going gets tough.
Overall, this was a good read. I think I got off on the wrong foot with it due to the beginning and I just don’t think it recovered enough for me to love it.
Title: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi Author: S.A. Chakraborty Genre: Adult Fantasy Publication Date: February 28th, 2023 Publisher: Harper Voyager Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✨
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review! All opinions are my own.
“Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.
But when she’s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family’s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God’s will.
Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there’s more to this job, and the girl’s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.” (Goodreads)
I hadn’t read anything by this author before picking this book up. Although, I had heard great things about her writing. I do have her first series on my tbr, haha. The book, for the most part, was good and I can see why this author has a following.
The book is told from on point-of-view and it comes from Amina al-Sirafi. She is a retired pirate who now takes care of her child and mother. It’s such an interesting change of careers and I like that through the book we get her thoughts on both and can understand the pull of the adventure, but also wanting a good life for her child. Amina is one fierce lady and masks her concerns well! She is a fighter and will do anything to protect those she cares about.
There are quite a few other characters in this book that get a lot of page time. One being her crew. There are three major players to this and each one is brought back into the fold when a kidnapping takes place and they in a way are connected to the girl. Loyalty is a trait that they all have in common. The crew was fun to get to know, but I definitely thought Delila was hilarious with her antics when it comes to alchemy. The villain is also pretty present and he is the perfect guy to hate. There is also a special someone that has a fun relationship with Amina and I hope they continue to make a presence in the trilogy.
The plot is filled with adventures on land and sea, politics, backstabbing, and magic. I will say that it took me a bit to get into and there were some lulls in the story as well that kind of took me out of it. It was definitely much harder to put down once I got past the 50% mark and things started to move rather quickly. I also thought the plot would stretch across the trilogy but it wraps up by the end although she was give a task to complete and I am assuming that is what the other books will be about. Because of it wrapping up, the climatic ending didn’t feel so climatic for me.
My only other complaint is that the writing style was confusing because we are told in the beginning that she is being interviewed about her adventures and someone is writing them down so the dialogue is a bit different here which is fine, but it will jump to that sort of dialogue in the middle of chapters telling about the adventure but the tense and narration changes so suddenly that it can be hard to make sense of while reading. I don’t even know if that makes sense with how I explained it, haha.
Overall, this was a good read. I am curious how the sequel will be and I am sure I will check it out.
Title: The Winter of the Witch Author: Katherine Arden Genre: Adult Fantasy Publication Date: January 8th, 2019 Publisher: Del Rey Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review! All opinions are my own.
“Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, stronger than ever and determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself and her history as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.” (Goodreads)
The Winter of the Witch was one of my most anticipated reads for 2019 and it did not disappoint. We are swept back into this magical world right where The Girl in the Tower left off. Vasya is trying to make peace with what happened to Moscow the night before while trying to keep her family safe as an angry mob wants her tried for witchcraft. Katherine Arden’s writing is once again captivating and brings to life this world and the characters we have grown to love.
We find ourselves back at recognizable places such as Moscow and the forest but we also are drawn into new magical worlds that feel like a dream. Her world building is breathtaking and imaginative as always.
New and familiar characters come back for this epic conclusion. Vasya is still growing in the beginning and by the end she is finding her purpose which is satisfying to see. She is always full of real human emotions as Katherine has a way of making each character come to life. I even grew to like Medved, the bear, and I didn’t think that was possible. Many of the characters are met with tough decisions they must make and sometimes those decisions lead to fateful consequences.
This book gave me so many emotions and tears were shed multiple times as well as a few laughs here and there. Although I am sad to see this wonderful world end, The Winter of the Witch is a great ending to a beloved series.
TheGeekishBrunette 