en-US Sun, 20 Apr 2025 01:24:32 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 35397031
This collection, with an introduction and fresh new renderings of the tales by Neil Philip, includes not just "The Little Mermaid" but also such favorites as "The Tinderbox," "The Emperor's New Clothes," "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," and "The Little Match Girl."

Philip also includes some lesser known tales that reflect different facets of Andersen's genius, such as the tall tale "The Flying Trunk," with its witty story-within-a-story, the charming fantasy of "Little Ida's Flowers," the comic fable "The Collar," and a story about the magic of everyday reality, "The Gardener and His Master."

A special feature of the book is the inclusion of several fairy tales of spiritual search and redemption, including "The Bell," "The Toad," and, of course, "The Little Mermaid."

The book is illustrated throughout by Isabelle Brent's magical watercolors, lavishly embellished with gold leaf, making this handsome volume a book the whole family will treasure.]]> 240 Hans Christian Andersen 0062692593 Ri 0 to-read, own-and-to-read 3.95
author: Hans Christian Andersen
name: Ri
average rating: 3.95
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/20
shelves: to-read, own-and-to-read
review:

]]> 215805920 After the loss of her mother, Adara struggles to communicate with her family about her grief. When a sympathetic ear arises in an unlikely place, Adara can finally find her words ¡ª but can she find the time to listen? A stunning graphic novel for middle-grade readers about family, friendship and magic in unlikely places,?for fans of The Witches of Brooklyn and Raina Telgemeier.

Eleven-year-old Adara and her dad are moving from California to the cold and flat lands of Michigan . . . and it sucks. After Mom's recent passing, it seems way too soon. Talking to Dad has always been harder than with Mom, but now it's like walking on eggshells. And why did Dad bring so many of Mom's houseplants across the country? Her mother might have been called the Plant Whisperer back home, but Adara is beginning to wonder if there is something more to it. But when she meets a little succulent named Perle, she unlocks the same magical ability her mother had: talking to plants!

But taking care of Perle isn't as easy as it seems ¡ª the environment isn't suited for her, and Adara doesn't know how to meet her needs. Kind of like the situation Adara herself is in. If only Perle could ask Adara for help . . . and Adara could ask her dad.

With a touch of magic, this debut middle-grade graphic novel explores loneliness, mental health and empathy, and shows how communication, openness and a willingness to listen can help young people ¡ª and older people ¡ª and plants! ¡ª navigate their mental well-being and heal from loss, individually and together.]]> 224 Zoe Persico 1774883147 Ri 4
When Adara gets a succulent, she soon discovers she can talk to plants and becomes friends with it. Navigating the struggles of moving to a new place, her grief, and the growing distance between her and her dad, Adara slowly finds herself suffocating from frustration and loneliness.

This book reminds us of the importance of advocating for ourselves, while also being present with our family and friends. There are heavy and tender moments, and overall it's a heartwarming story.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC to review. All opinions my own.



Merged review:

After her mom's recent passing, Adara and her dad move from California to Michigan to start anew. She doesn't understand why they had to leave home and she feels more alone than ever as her dad avoids her attempts at talking to him about their loss.

When Adara gets a succulent, she soon discovers she can talk to plants and becomes friends with it. Navigating the struggles of moving to a new place, her grief, and the growing distance between her and her dad, Adara slowly finds herself suffocating from frustration and loneliness.

This book reminds us of the importance of advocating for ourselves, while also being present with our family and friends. There are heavy and tender moments, and overall it's a heartwarming story.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC to review. All opinions my own.]]> 4.19 2025
author: Zoe Persico
name: Ri
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves: 2025-favourites, family, graphic-novels, highly-recommended, read-in-2025
review:
After her mom's recent passing, Adara and her dad move from California to Michigan to start anew. She doesn't understand why they had to leave home and she feels more alone than ever as her dad avoids her attempts at talking to him about their loss.

When Adara gets a succulent, she soon discovers she can talk to plants and becomes friends with it. Navigating the struggles of moving to a new place, her grief, and the growing distance between her and her dad, Adara slowly finds herself suffocating from frustration and loneliness.

This book reminds us of the importance of advocating for ourselves, while also being present with our family and friends. There are heavy and tender moments, and overall it's a heartwarming story.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC to review. All opinions my own.



Merged review:

After her mom's recent passing, Adara and her dad move from California to Michigan to start anew. She doesn't understand why they had to leave home and she feels more alone than ever as her dad avoids her attempts at talking to him about their loss.

When Adara gets a succulent, she soon discovers she can talk to plants and becomes friends with it. Navigating the struggles of moving to a new place, her grief, and the growing distance between her and her dad, Adara slowly finds herself suffocating from frustration and loneliness.

This book reminds us of the importance of advocating for ourselves, while also being present with our family and friends. There are heavy and tender moments, and overall it's a heartwarming story.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC to review. All opinions my own.
]]> 203578847 The long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive¨Dthe iconic epic fantasy masterpiece that has sold more than 10 million copies, from acclaimed bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.

Dalinar Kholin challenged the evil god Odium to a contest of champions with the future of Roshar on the line. The Knights Radiant have only ten days to prepare¨Dand the sudden ascension of the crafty and ruthless Taravangian to take Odium¡¯s place has thrown everything into disarray.

Desperate fighting continues simultaneously worldwide¨DAdolin in Azimir, Sigzil and Venli at the Shattered Plains, and Jasnah at Thaylen City. The former assassin, Szeth, must cleanse his homeland of Shinovar from the dark influence of the Unmade. He is accompanied by Kaladin, who faces a new battle helping Szeth fight his own demons . . . and who must do the same for the insane Herald of the Almighty, Ishar.

At the same time, Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain work to unravel the mystery behind the Unmade Ba-Ado-Mishram and her involvement in the enslavement of the singer race and in the ancient Knights Radiants killing their spren. And Dalinar and Navani seek an edge against Odium¡¯s champion that can be found only in the Spiritual Realm, where memory and possibility combine in chaos. The fate of the entire Cosmere hangs in the balance.]]> 1344 Brandon Sanderson 1250319188 Ri 0 currently-reading 4.36 2024
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Ri
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 223849523
But Mama¡¯s want is stronger than her hunger sometimes, and when a beautiful, white-toothed stray named Eden turns up in the heart of a snowstorm, Margot must confront the shifting dynamics of her family, untangle her own desires, and make her own bid for freedom.

With this gothic coming-of-age tale, novelist Lucy Rose explores how women swallow their anger, desire, and animal instincts¡ªand wrings the relationship between mother and daughter until blood drips from it.]]> 8 Lucy Rose Ri 4 3.81 2025
author: Lucy Rose
name: Ri
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: 2025-favourites, family, horror, read-in-2025, queer
review:

]]> 35562505 Jacqueline Carey Ri 4 fantasy, family, read-in-2025 4.5/5 4.26 2003
author: Jacqueline Carey
name: Ri
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/06
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: fantasy, family, read-in-2025
review:
4.5/5
]]> 24427052
Dragons will fly over Kelsingra once more

Attacked by hunters, Tintaglia is dying of her wounds. If she perishes, her ancestral memories will die with her and the dragons in the ancient city of Kelsingra will lose the secret knowledge they need to survive.

The dragon keepers immerse themselves in the dangerously addictive memory-stone records of the city in the hope of recovering the lost Elderling magic that once allowed humans and dragons to co-exist.

But war is coming: war between dragons and those who would destroy them.]]> 535 Robin Hobb 0008154465 Ri 4 Blood of Dragons once I started it! I'm once again in awe of Hobb's writing because of how she deals with multiple characters, invests enough in their storylines to make you care about them, and still manage to give a satisfying ending to their journeys.

As much as I enjoyed the book I did feel parts of it were rushed. While I liked how certain characters met their end, it felt too quick and easy. There was also a build up for a war that didn't last more than a few pages and a much needed rescue that fell short of what it could have been.

Another thing I'm not a big fan of is the romance in this series. It's not that it's cheesy, unrealistic, or overdramatic, but I do wonder if it was necessary for every character to pair off with someone else. Some couples I rooted for but some I would have been fine without.

What I love about this series is how it opened up possibilities for future books. I love Hobb, so the more she writes, the better for me. The Rain Wild Chronicles not only gave us a look into business and trouble in the Rain Wilds, it also paved the way to new characters and future alliances.

While this series is not one of Hobb's strongest, I'm glad I read it. It was better than I expected and once again made The Realm of the Elderlings a richer world in my books. Please don't do yourself a disservice and read Hobb's books out of order! The best order is still Farseer, Liveship Traders, Tawny Man, Rain Wild Chronicles, and The Fitz and the Fool. It's hard to believe I'm almost caught up to the latest series - I'm both nervous and excited!]]> 4.07 2013
author: Robin Hobb
name: Ri
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2019/04/04
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: fantasy, highly-recommended, read-in-2016
review:
My favourite book in the series, I couldn't put down Blood of Dragons once I started it! I'm once again in awe of Hobb's writing because of how she deals with multiple characters, invests enough in their storylines to make you care about them, and still manage to give a satisfying ending to their journeys.

As much as I enjoyed the book I did feel parts of it were rushed. While I liked how certain characters met their end, it felt too quick and easy. There was also a build up for a war that didn't last more than a few pages and a much needed rescue that fell short of what it could have been.

Another thing I'm not a big fan of is the romance in this series. It's not that it's cheesy, unrealistic, or overdramatic, but I do wonder if it was necessary for every character to pair off with someone else. Some couples I rooted for but some I would have been fine without.

What I love about this series is how it opened up possibilities for future books. I love Hobb, so the more she writes, the better for me. The Rain Wild Chronicles not only gave us a look into business and trouble in the Rain Wilds, it also paved the way to new characters and future alliances.

While this series is not one of Hobb's strongest, I'm glad I read it. It was better than I expected and once again made The Realm of the Elderlings a richer world in my books. Please don't do yourself a disservice and read Hobb's books out of order! The best order is still Farseer, Liveship Traders, Tawny Man, Rain Wild Chronicles, and The Fitz and the Fool. It's hard to believe I'm almost caught up to the latest series - I'm both nervous and excited!
]]> 26841427
One of the most gifted fantasy authors writing today, New York Times bestselling author Robin Hobb has dazzled readers with brilliantly imaginative, emotionally resonant, and compulsively readable tales set in far-flung realms not unlike our own. In this enthralling new novel, she returns to the territory of her beloved Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies with a story of dragons and humans, return and rebirth, and the search for meaning, belonging, and home.

For years, the Trader cities valiantly battled their enemies, the Chalcedeans. But they could not have staved off invasion without the powerful dragon Tintaglia. In return, the Traders promised to help her serpents migrate up the Rain Wild River after a long exile at sea--to find a safe haven and, Tintaglia hopes, to restore her species. But too much time has passed, and the newly hatched dragons are damaged and weak, and many die. The few who survive cannot use their wings; earthbound, they are powerless to hunt and vulnerable to human predators willing to kill them for the fabled healing powers of dragon flesh.

But Tintaglia has vanished and the Traders are weary of the labor and expense of tending useless dragons. The Trader leadership fears that if it stops providing for the young dragons, the hungry and neglected creatures will rampage--or die along the river's acidic muddy banks. To avert catastrophe, the dragons decree a move even farther up the treacherous river to Kelsingra, their ancient, mythical homeland whose mysterious location is locked deep within the dragons' uncertain ancestral memories.

To ensure their safe passage, the Traders recruit a disparate group of young people to care for the damaged creatures and escort them to their new home. Among them is Thymara, an unschooled forest girl of sixteen, and Alise, a wealthy Trader's wife trapped in a loveless marriage, who attaches herself to the expedition as a dragon expert. The two women share a deep kinship with the Thymara can instinctively communicate with them, and Alise, captivated by their beauty and majesty, has devoted her life to studying them.

Embarking on an arduous journey that holds no promise of return, the band of humans and dragons must make their way along the toxic and inhospitable Rain Wild River--an extraordinary odyssey that will teach them lessons about themselves and one another, as they experience hardships, betrayals, and joys beyond their wildest dreams.]]> 560 Robin Hobb 0008154392 Ri 4
I've always been a fan of how Hobb writes her characters. I don't know how she does it, but she always writes them in a way that makes them very human. It usually takes a number of chapters before I find myself drawn to a character's story, but a couple of chapters in Dragon Keeper and I was already relating to and advocating for some of them.

Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven (the second book of the series) are actually two parts of one book. This is why Dragon Keeper feels like a long read without much of anything really happening. Viewed by itself, Dragon Keeper is very slow in its pacing. However, if seen as half of a whole, it becomes a foundational set up for what's to come.

I'm typically not a fan of slow books. Most of the time, I find them so slow that I end up losing interest. Dragon Keeper is not that book. I didn't find its slow pace an issue and here's why: Hobb is a master at characterization. Dragon Keeper is the tenth book I've read by Hobb and she just keeps getting better. Her characters will compel you to keep reading and the next thing you know, you're at the end of the book.

If you've read other books by Hobb and you're tempted to skip this series, I would encourage you not to. While these books mainly focus on the Rain Wilds, it adds richness to the world Hobb has built in her previous novels. I enjoyed seeing the 'other side of the story' when certain events were happening in different places of this realm and I really liked the appearances of some characters from her previous books.

I can't wait to read the next instalment of this series and see what else Hobb has in store. If you've read her previous trilogies (Farseer, Liveship Traders, and Tawny Man), you will understand what I mean when I say reading her books is like coming home.]]> 3.89 2009
author: Robin Hobb
name: Ri
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2018/09/08
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: fantasy, highly-recommended, read-in-2016, read-in-2018
review:
Robin Hobb is one my all-time favourite authors so I'm more likely to love anything she writes. I will say that I wasn't very excited about starting The Rain Wild Chronicles, not because I didn't think I'd enjoy it, but more so because I didn't feel like reading about new characters. Ironically, meeting these characters was actually what I loved and enjoyed about the book.

I've always been a fan of how Hobb writes her characters. I don't know how she does it, but she always writes them in a way that makes them very human. It usually takes a number of chapters before I find myself drawn to a character's story, but a couple of chapters in Dragon Keeper and I was already relating to and advocating for some of them.

Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven (the second book of the series) are actually two parts of one book. This is why Dragon Keeper feels like a long read without much of anything really happening. Viewed by itself, Dragon Keeper is very slow in its pacing. However, if seen as half of a whole, it becomes a foundational set up for what's to come.

I'm typically not a fan of slow books. Most of the time, I find them so slow that I end up losing interest. Dragon Keeper is not that book. I didn't find its slow pace an issue and here's why: Hobb is a master at characterization. Dragon Keeper is the tenth book I've read by Hobb and she just keeps getting better. Her characters will compel you to keep reading and the next thing you know, you're at the end of the book.

If you've read other books by Hobb and you're tempted to skip this series, I would encourage you not to. While these books mainly focus on the Rain Wilds, it adds richness to the world Hobb has built in her previous novels. I enjoyed seeing the 'other side of the story' when certain events were happening in different places of this realm and I really liked the appearances of some characters from her previous books.

I can't wait to read the next instalment of this series and see what else Hobb has in store. If you've read her previous trilogies (Farseer, Liveship Traders, and Tawny Man), you will understand what I mean when I say reading her books is like coming home.
]]> 57185878 Giant turtles, impossible ships, and tidal rivers ridden by a Drowned girl in search of a family in the latest in the bestselling Hugo and Nebula Award-Winning Wayward Children series from Seanan McGuire.

Nadya had three mothers: the one who bore her, the country that poisoned her, and the one who adopted her.

Nadya never considered herself less than whole, not until her adoptive parents fitted her with a prosthetic arm against her will, seeking to replace the one she'd been missing from birth.

It was cumbersome; it was uncomfortable; it was wrong.

It wasn't her.

Frustrated and unable to express why, Nadya began to wander, until the day she fell through a door into Belyyreka, the Land Beneath the Lake--and found herself in a world of water, filled with child-eating amphibians, majestic giant turtles, and impossible ships that sailed as happily beneath the surface as on top. In Belyyreka, she found herself understood for who she was: a Drowned Girl, who had made her way to her real home, accepted by the river and its people.

But even in Belyyreka, there are dangers, and trials, and Nadya would soon find herself fighting to keep hold of everything she had come to treasure.]]> 160 Seanan McGuire Ri 5
"No single person could absolutely do everything without aid, and so her own limitations weren't limitations at all, merely different standards."

I loved this one.

- The world explored: underwater cities, talking turtles, river creatures

- The disability rep: MC born without right limb but it no way makes her feel less than compared to her peers

- The portrayal of adults adopting for the wrong reasons (no matter how well-meaning), adults deciding what's good for their children without consulting what the children wanted, the default idea of what a good and happy child should look like, etc.

- And my favourite of all: found family. Finding people who understand and celebrate you for who you are, not viewing you as someone to be changed, but loved.

I want to give Nadya a big hug and I hope to see her again in future installments of this series.

Thank you Tordotcom for providing me with a copy to review. All opinions are my own.]]> 4.03 2025
author: Seanan McGuire
name: Ri
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: 2025-favourites, fantasy, highly-recommended, read-in-2025, young-adult
review:
4.5/5

"No single person could absolutely do everything without aid, and so her own limitations weren't limitations at all, merely different standards."

I loved this one.

- The world explored: underwater cities, talking turtles, river creatures

- The disability rep: MC born without right limb but it no way makes her feel less than compared to her peers

- The portrayal of adults adopting for the wrong reasons (no matter how well-meaning), adults deciding what's good for their children without consulting what the children wanted, the default idea of what a good and happy child should look like, etc.

- And my favourite of all: found family. Finding people who understand and celebrate you for who you are, not viewing you as someone to be changed, but loved.

I want to give Nadya a big hug and I hope to see her again in future installments of this series.

Thank you Tordotcom for providing me with a copy to review. All opinions are my own.
]]> 6396174 28 1606208780 Ri 3 classics 3.83
author: Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve
name: Ri
average rating: 3.83
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: classics
review:

]]> 18952341 640 Ken Liu 1481424270 Ri 0 3.77 2015
author: Ken Liu
name: Ri
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: own-and-to-read, currently-reading
review:

]]> 60726999 #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson brings us a gripping story set in the Cosmere universe told by Hoid, where two people from incredibly different worlds must compromise and work together to save their worlds from ruin.

Yumi comes from a land of gardens, meditation, and spirits, while Painter lives in a world of darkness, technology, and nightmares. When their lives suddenly become intertwined in strange ways, can they put aside their differences and work together to uncover the mysteries of their situation and save each other¡¯s communities from certain disaster?]]> 480 Brandon Sanderson Ri 4 4.47 2023
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Ri
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: fantasy, read-in-2025, romance
review:
More of a 3.5 but I'm feeling generous. Concept was great, but it's hard not to feel that it's a less polished Your Name. Perhaps if it wasn't inspired by it, and I didn't love Your Name so much, I wouldn't notice.
]]> 28962996
It was not common to awaken in a cloning vat streaked with drying blood.

At least, Maria Arena had never experienced it. She had no memory of how she died. That was also new; before, when she had awakened as a new clone, her first memory was of how she died.

Maria's vat was in the front of six vats, each one holding the clone of a crew member of the starship Dormire, each clone waiting for its previous incarnation to die so it could awaken. And Maria wasn't the only one to die recently...]]> 361 Mur Lafferty 0316389684 Ri 0 to-read 3.80 2017
author: Mur Lafferty
name: Ri
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 50357825 The eagerly awaited sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling Oathbringer, from epic fantasy author Brandon Sanderson

After forming a coalition of human resistance against the enemy invasion, Dalinar Kholin and his Knights Radiant have spent a year fighting a protracted, brutal war. Neither side has gained an advantage, and the threat of a betrayal by Dalinar's crafty ally Taravangian looms over every strategic move.

Now, as new technological discoveries by Navani Kholin's scholars begin to change the face of the war, the enemy prepares a bold and dangerous operation. The arms race that follows will challenge the very core of the Radiant ideals, and potentially reveal the secrets of the ancient tower that was once the heart of their strength.

At the same time that Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with his changing role within the Knights Radiant, his Windrunners face their own problem: As more and more deadly enemy Fused awaken to wage war, no more honorspren are willing to bond with humans to increase the number of Radiants. Adolin and Shallan must lead the coalition¡¯s envoy to the honorspren stronghold of Lasting Integrity and either convince the spren to join the cause against the evil god Odium, or personally face the storm of failure.]]> 58 Brandon Sanderson Ri 4 4.55 2020
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Ri
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/17
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: fantasy, mental-health, read-in-2025
review:

]]> 124936306 A Day of Fallen Night, Samantha Shannon sweeps readers back to the universe of Priory of the Orange Tree and into the lives of four women, showing us a course of events that shaped their world for generations to come.

Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory. For fifty years, she has trained to slay wyrms ¨C but none have appeared since the Nameless One, and the younger generation is starting to question the Priory's purpose.

To the north, in the Queendom of Inys, Sabran the Ambitious has married the new King of Hr¨®th, narrowly saving both realms from ruin. Their daughter, Glorian, trails in their shadow ¨C exactly where she wants to be.

The dragons of the East have slept for centuries. Dumai has spent her life in a Seiikinese mountain temple, trying to wake the gods from their long slumber. Now someone from her mother's past is coming to upend her fate.

When the Dreadmount erupts, bringing with it an age of terror and violence, these women must find the strength to protect humankind from a devastating threat.

38 hours and 48 minutes]]> 39 Samantha Shannon Ri 4 4.5/5 4.11 2023
author: Samantha Shannon
name: Ri
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: 2025-favourites, family, fantasy, highly-recommended, queer, read-in-2025, romance
review:
4.5/5
]]> 216637604 AN ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS COFFEE SHOP ROMANCE, SLOW-ROASTED TO PERFECTION. IDEAL FOR FANS OF JENNY HAN AND BETTER THAN THE MOVIES!

Meet River Langston-Lee. In the past 24 hours, he's dumped his girlfriend, walked out of his SATs, and quit his job at his parents' Seattle cafe in spectacularly disastrous fashion - even for him.

Somehow, he manages to talk his way into a job at a failing Korean cafe, Bingsu for Two. This could be his lucky break - but then he meets grumpy goth Sarang Cho, his new, no-BS co-worker, and she is as determined to make River's life hell as she is to save her family's cafe.

After River accidentally uploads a video of his chaotic co-workers to his popular fandom account, the cafe strikes viral fame. The kicker? Their new fans are putting River and Sarang together, big-time. In order to keep the internet's attention - and the cafe's new paying customers - River and Sarang must pretend that the tension between them is definitely of the romantic variety, not the considering the best way to kill you and hide your body variety.

But when Bingsu for Two's newfound success catches the attention of River's ex and his parents' cafe around the corner, he faces a choice: keep letting others control his life or stand up for the place that's become home. And a green-haired girl who's not as heartless as he originally thought . . .]]> 368 Sujin Witherspoon 1471417751 Ri 4 3.25 2025
author: Sujin Witherspoon
name: Ri
average rating: 3.25
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: 2025-favourites, contemporary, read-in-2024, queer, romance, young-adult, recommended-to-me, highly-recommended
review:

]]> 217387964 Annihilation meets Day of the Triffids in this full-on body horror/alien invasion apocalypse.

This is just a story. It can't hurt you anymore.

Since she was three years old, Anastasia Miller has been telling anyone who would listen that she's an alien disguised as a human being, and that the armada that left her on Earth is coming for her. Since she was three years old, no one has been willing to listen.

Now, with an alien signal from the stars being broadcast around the world, humanity is finally starting to realize that it's already been warned, and it may be too late. The invasion is coming, Stasia's biological family is on the way to bring her home, and very few family reunions are willing to cross the gulf of space for just one misplaced child.

What happens when you know what¡¯s coming, and just refuse to listen?]]> 480 Mira Grant 1250768233 Ri 0 currently-reading 4.10 2025
author: Mira Grant
name: Ri
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 50702014 Stephen's god died on the longest day of the year¡­

Three years later, Stephen is a broken paladin, living only for the chance to be useful before he dies. But all that changes when he encounters a fugitive named Grace in an alley and witnesses an assassination attempt gone wrong. Now the pair must navigate a web of treachery, beset on all sides by spies and poisoners, while a cryptic killer stalks one step behind¡­

From the Hugo and Nebula Award winning author of Swordheart and The Twisted Ones comes a saga of murder, magic, and love on the far side of despair.]]> 366 T. Kingfisher Ri 0 to-read 4.08 2020
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Ri
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 223734010
Eight years in prison changes a person. Particularly when you're only there because your partner, your best friend, your all-but-sister, sold you down the river.

Even getting Edie out on early parole doesn't earn Angel any forgiveness. That's why Edie knows they'll turn down Angel's offer of a job. One last, big score. A chance to take down the man who put them away: Joyce Atlas.

But Edie's lost too much time with their family. A heavily pregnant sister, a seriously ill niece, and a nephew who wasn't born before they went to prison. There's not a question. Edie's going straight. Or trying to - but Atlas has had them blacklisted from every employer on the station.

Edie really doesn't want to work with Angel. It's far too complicated, they're far too angry, and Angel is bringing up a lot of confusing feelings. But they don't have any other choice . . .

And if they pull it off, the 1.25 billion payout might just soothe some old wounds.

"Betray me, and I'll ruin your life."
"You've done it once already."
"And I won't hesitate to do it again."]]> 12 Makana Yamamoto Ri 4 queer, read-in-2025, sci-fi 3.67 2024
author: Makana Yamamoto
name: Ri
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: queer, read-in-2025, sci-fi
review:

]]> 78950663
A fresh-faced newcomer arrives in an isolated, gang-run town and soon finds herself taking a job nobody else wants: bodyguard to a ghoul. Not just your average mindless, half-rotted shuffler, though. Lucille is a dancer who can still put on her own lipstick and whose shows are half burlesque, half gladiator match. But the stranger is no stranger to this particular ghoul. Both women are undercover in their own way. And both have something to lose if their connection comes to light.]]> Tamsyn Muir Ri 0 to-read 3.84 2022
author: Tamsyn Muir
name: Ri
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59666195 An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

A deeply moving and insightful collection of personal essays from #1 bestselling author John Green.

The Anthropocene is the current geologic age, in which humans have profoundly reshaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his groundbreaking podcast, bestselling author John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale¡ªfrom the QWERTY keyboard and sunsets to Canada geese and Penguins of Madagascar.

Funny, complex, and rich with detail, the reviews chart the contradictions of contemporary humanity. As a species, we are both far too powerful and not nearly powerful enough, a paradox that came into sharp focus as we faced a global pandemic that both separated us and bound us together.

John Green¡¯s gift for storytelling shines throughout this masterful collection. The Anthropocene Reviewed is a open-hearted exploration of the paths we forge and an unironic celebration of falling in love with the world.]]> 302 John Green Ri 0 to-read 4.23 2021
author: John Green
name: Ri
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 200389830 The first book in the Shady Hollow series, in which we are introduced to the village of Shady Hollow, a place where woodland creatures live together in harmony--until a curmudgeonly toad turns up dead and the local reporter has to solve the case.

Reporter Vera Vixen is a relative newcomer to Shady Hollow. The fox has a nose for news, so when she catches wind that the death might be a murder, she resolves to get to the bottom of the case, no matter where it leads. As she stirs up still waters, the fox exposes more than one mystery, and discovers that additional lives are in jeopardy.

Vera finds more to this town than she ever suspected. It seems someone in the Hollow will do anything to keep her from solving the murder, and soon it will take all of Vera's cunning and quickness to crack the case.

A VINTAGE CRIME/BLACK LIZARD ORIGINAL.
]]> Juneau Black Ri 3 3.77 2015
author: Juneau Black
name: Ri
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/05
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: mystery, read-in-2025, recommended-to-me
review:

]]> 224615587 From an outstanding new voice in cozy fantasy comes Greenteeth, "a joyful, warm-hearted" (H. G. Parry) tale of fae, folklore, and found family, narrated by a charismatic lake-dwelling monster with a voice unlike any other, perfect for fans of Travis Baldree and TJ Klune.

Beneath the still surface of a lake lurks a monster with needle sharp teeth. Hungry and ready to pounce.

Jenny Greenteeth has never spoken to a human before, but when a witch is thrown into her lake, something makes Jenny decide she's worth saving. Temperance doesn't know why her village has suddenly turned against her, only that it has something to do with the malevolent new pastor.

Though they have nothing in common, these two must band together on a magical quest to defeat the evil that threatens Jenny's lake and Temperance's family, as well as the very soul of Britain.]]> Molly O'Neill Ri 3 fantasy, read-in-2025 RTC 3.93 2025
author: Molly O'Neill
name: Ri
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/05
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: fantasy, read-in-2025
review:
RTC
]]> 220994166
As an immigrant, Omar El Akkad believed the West would be a place of freedom and justice for all. But in the past twenty years, reporting on the various Wars on Terror, climate change, Black Lives Matter protests, and more, and watching the unmitigated slaughter in Gaza, he has come to the conclusion that much of what the West promises is a lie. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This is a chronicle of that painful realisation, a moral grappling with what it means ¨C as a citizen of the US, as a father ¨C to carve out some sense of possibility during these devastating times.

This is El Akkad¡¯s nonfiction debut, his most raw and vulnerable work to date. It¡¯s a heartfelt breakup letter with the West, a brilliant articulation of the same breakup we are watching all over the world, in family rooms, on university campuses, on city streets. This book is for everyone who wants something better than what the West has served up. This is the book for our time.

Omar El Akkad is an author and journalist. He was born in Egypt, grew up in Qatar, moved to Canada as a teenager, and now lives in the United States. He is a two-time winner of both the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award and the Oregon Book Award for fiction. His books have been translated into thirteen languages.

¡®It is difficult to understand the nature of a true rupture while it is still tearing through the fabric of our world. Yet that is precisely what Omar El Akkad has accomplished, putting broken heart and shredded illusions into words with tremendous insight, skill and courage. A unique and urgently needed book.¡¯ Naomi Klein

¡®I feel inadequate to describe a book like this with the right superlatives ¨C I don¡¯t want to reduce the book down to one thing in doing so¡­but I hope Omar El Akkad¡¯s One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This will find a large audience.¡¯ Jeff Vandermeer

'I can¡¯t think of a more important piece of writing to read right now... I found hope here, and help, to face what the world is now, all that it isn¡¯t anymore. Please read this. I promise you won¡¯t regret it.' Tommy Orange, author of Wandering Stars

'I urge you to read Omar El Akkad¡¯s astonishing book.' David Olusoga, author of Black and British

'A startling, shocking, beautiful and essential book.' Brian Eno]]> Omar El Akkad 1923059459 Ri 4
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions my own.]]> 4.28 2025
author: Omar El Akkad
name: Ri
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/05
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: nonfiction, read-in-2025, highly-recommended
review:
Through his essays and commentary on the West's treatment of Brown people, to colonialism and the genocide in Palestine, the use of language in journalism, and his lived experience, Omar El Akkad voices out what I'm sure many of us have felt and continue to feel about the current state of the world we live in. The book assumes you are informed and have kept up with what's going on in Gaza, so bear that in mind. While I gathered nothing new from the book, it helped me process my thoughts and feelings and gave me hope that I wasn't alone.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions my own.
]]> 62991463
Always mindful of the debt she owes, the girl finds her worth as a weapon in the hand of the Prince. Her victories make him a king, then an emperor. The bards sing her name and her enemies fear it. But the war never ends and the cost keeps rising¡ªhow many times will she repeat her own story?]]> 31 Alix E. Harrow 166250957X Ri 5 This hurt. 4.32 2022
author: Alix E. Harrow
name: Ri
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/04
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves: 2025-favourites, fantasy, highly-recommended, read-in-2025
review:
This hurt.
]]> 29632242 750 Junji Ito 1421590565 Ri 3 horror, manga, read-in-2025 4.14 1987
author: Junji Ito
name: Ri
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1987
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/04
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves: horror, manga, read-in-2025
review:

]]> 142223121 7 Priya Guns Ri 3 3.17 2023
author: Priya Guns
name: Ri
average rating: 3.17
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: bipoc-experience, contemporary, immigrant-experience, queer, read-in-2025, recommended-to-me
review:

]]> 60027940 Lavender Clouds is breakthrough work from a leading voice in mental health comics.

Eisner Award nominated author Bex Ollerton¡ªknown as @Schnumn to her thousands of followers¡ªis a talented comic artist who feels energized and courageous on some days and exhausted and emotionally depleted on others. In Lavender Clouds, she translates her experiences with autism, ADHD, and mental health into a series of colorful, emotionally resonant comics that tell stories of neurodiversity and resilience.

With a tone that is sharp but always sensitive, this debut book collection describes the many insights and strategies the author has learned on her journey to self-acceptance. Among the many topics addressed in the book are the folly of "foolproof" organization strategies, the perils of burnout, the joy of small hopes, and the importance of growing at your own pace and on your own path.
?
Breathtaking in its artistic range and emotional truth,?Lavender Clouds offers an enlightening and uplifting read for?anyone struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, burnout, or other issues.?
?]]> Bex Ollerton Ri 3 4.02 2024
author: Bex Ollerton
name: Ri
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: comics, nonfiction, read-in-2025, slice-of-life, mental-health
review:

]]> 203159077 An alien invasion hits the town of Muddy Gap, but a disgruntled pie aficionado is the only one who seems to remember it¡­

Denver Bryant¡¯s passion for pie has sent him across Wyoming in search of the best slices. Though he dutifully posts reviews on his blog, he¡¯s never been able to recreate his brief moment of viral popularity, and its trickling income isn¡¯t enough to pay his rent next month.

Driving home from a roadside diner, Denver witnesses a UFO explode directly over his tiny town of Muddy Gap. When he questions his neighbors, it appears that Denver is the only person to have seen anything ¨C or to care that the residents¡¯ strange behavior, as well as a shower of hail-that-isn¡¯t-hail, might be evidence of something extraterrestrial. Being both non-binary and autistic, he¡¯s convinced his reputation as the town eccentric is impeding his quest for answers. Frustrated, he documents the bizarre incidents on his failing pie blog, and his online popularity skyrockets. His readers want the truth, spurring him to get to the bottom of things.

The only person in town who takes him seriously is handsome bartender, Ezra. As the two investigate over pie and the possibility of romance, the alien presence does more than change the weather. People start disappearing. When Denver and Ezra make a run for it, the town refuses to let them leave. Reality is folding in on itself, and it¡¯s suddenly a race against time to find the extraterrestrial source and destroy it before it consumes not only Muddy Gap but everything beyond. Denver¡¯s always been more outsider than hero, but he¡¯s determined to ensure that a world with Ezra ¨C and with pie ¨C still exists tomorrow.]]> 304 Al Hess 1915998123 Ri 4
This book was so rich with autistic and queer experiences and shows why representation matters. I'm glad this book exists.

Thank you Angry Robot for sending me a copy to review. All opinions my own.]]> 3.73 2024
author: Al Hess
name: Ri
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: 2025-favourites, highly-recommended, queer, read-in-2025, romance, sci-fi
review:
I loved this one! It's one of the few books I've read so far with autistic rep outside of what's usually portrayed in media (because you know, it's a spectrum). I found Denver extremely relatable in different ways and while I wasn't that into the alien-side of the story, I was there for the found family, friendships, and Denver's story. The pie descriptions were absolutely torture though, and I now have a big craving for them.

This book was so rich with autistic and queer experiences and shows why representation matters. I'm glad this book exists.

Thank you Angry Robot for sending me a copy to review. All opinions my own.
]]> 210619397 104 Juno 1772943525 Ri 3 picture-books, read-in-2025 4.24
author: Juno
name: Ri
average rating: 4.24
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: picture-books, read-in-2025
review:

]]> 223007259
From writer Fernando Llor (Ojos Grises, Una Historia de Acoso Escolar) and writer/illustrator Carles Dalmau (Lucid Lucy, Cult of the Lamb) comes Soma, a science-fiction adventure about creativity and companionship during times of peril.]]> Fernando Llor 1637156138 Ri 4
The story is quite action-packed and fast-paced, which I didn't mind. Some moments could have probably benefitted from more page time, but it didn't affect how much I enjoyed the story. I love a reluctant hero and an unlikely friendship.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the eARC for review. All opinions my own.]]> 3.00 2025
author: Fernando Llor
name: Ri
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: 2025-favourites, graphic-novels, post-apocalyptic, read-in-2025
review:
I loved everything about this. The art style is STUNNING. I adored the colour palette and colour choices; from an artistic perspective, it's the kind of style I personally love.

The story is quite action-packed and fast-paced, which I didn't mind. Some moments could have probably benefitted from more page time, but it didn't affect how much I enjoyed the story. I love a reluctant hero and an unlikely friendship.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the eARC for review. All opinions my own.
]]> 42747739 426 T. Kingfisher 1614504636 Ri 0 to-read 4.06 2018
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Ri
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 30025791 "I am no prince!"

When the heroic princess Amira rescues the kind-hearted princess Sadie from her tower prison, neither expects to find a true friend in the bargain. Yet as they adventure across the kingdom, they discover that they bring out the very best in the other person. They'll need to join forces and use all the know-how, kindness, and bravery they have in order to defeat their greatest foe yet: a jealous sorceress, who wants to get rid of Sadie once and for all.

Join Sadie and Amira, two very different princesses with very different strengths, on their journey to figure out what happily ever after really means -- and how they can find it with each other.]]> 53 Kay O'Neill 1620103400 Ri 4 3.97 2014
author: Kay O'Neill
name: Ri
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: 2025-favourites, graphic-novels, highly-recommended, queer, read-in-2025, romance
review:

]]> 215177127 Misha knows that chasing success in Hollywood can be hell.

But finally, after years of trying to make it, his big moment is here: an Oscar nomination. And the executives at the studio for his long-running streaming series know just the thing to kick his career to the next level: kill off the gay characters, "for the algorithm," in the upcoming season finale.

Misha refuses, but he soon realizes that he¡¯s just put a target on his back. And what¡¯s worse, monsters from his horror movie days are stalking him and his friends through the hills above Los Angeles.

Haunted by his past, Misha must risk his entire future¡ªbefore the horrors from the silver screen find a way to bury him for good.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books. This program features multicast narration.]]> 10 Chuck Tingle Ri 5 More books like this please! 4.14 2024
author: Chuck Tingle
name: Ri
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: 2025-favourites, horror, queer, read-in-2025, highly-recommended
review:
More books like this please!
]]> 125473361
Best friends Mason and Kimmy live through their early twenties in the early ¡®20s, navigating a global pandemic and terrifying job market alongside making friends, dating, and playing way too many video games. But when shy and nervous Mason can¡¯t find a boyfriend, it¡¯s up to Kimmy to play matchmaker!

Who will it be? The cute boy down the hall with the Sailor Moon mask? A mysterious stranger from the dating profile that Kimmy masterminded? Or maybe the angsty barista from the neighborhood coffee shop?

A stubbornly hopeful and funny comic about the bonds between queer and trans friends, the families we make, and the happiness we find in each other.]]> 280 Cam Marshall 8886200293 Ri 5 4.25
author: Cam Marshall
name: Ri
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: 2025-favourites, graphic-novels, highly-recommended, read-in-2025, slice-of-life
review:
I hope everyone experiences friendships like this.
]]> 54252031
A bandit walks into a coffeehouse, and it all goes downhill from there. Guet Imm, a young votary of the Order of the Pure Moon, joins up with an eclectic group of thieves (whether they like it or not) in order to protect a sacred object, and finds herself in a far more complicated situation than she could have ever imagined.]]> 4 Zen Cho Ri 3 fantasy, read-in-2025 3.32 2020
author: Zen Cho
name: Ri
average rating: 3.32
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: fantasy, read-in-2025
review:

]]> 53152636
Noem¨ª is also an unlikely rescuer: She¡¯s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she¡¯s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin¡¯s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noem¨ª; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi¡¯s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family¡¯s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noem¨ª, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family¡¯s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family¡¯s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noem¨ª digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noem¨ª, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.]]> 320 Silvia Moreno-Garcia 0525620788 Ri 2 horror, read-in-2025 3.66 2020
author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
name: Ri
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: horror, read-in-2025
review:

]]> 215020997 ALL first edition copies will be signed by the author! Signed copies available while supplies last.

From V. E. Schwab, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: a new genre-defying novel about immortality and hunger.

This is a story about hunger.
1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
A young girl grows up wild and wily¡ªher beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But Mar¨ªa knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, Mar¨ªa makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets.

This is a story about love.
1827. London.
A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family¡¯s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. Charlotte¡¯s tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow¡ªbut the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined.

This is a story about rage.
2019. Boston.
College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new. That¡¯s why Alice moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge.

This is a story about life¡ª
how it ends, and how it starts.

USA Today, 15 Most Anticipated of 2025
BookBub, Most Anticipated of 2025 (and Reader¡¯s Pick)
Readers Digest, 20 Most Anticipated Books This Year
Paste Magazine, Most Anticipated Fantasy Books of 2025
BookRiot, Most Anticipated Books of 2025
Men's Health, 25 Best & Most Anticipated Books of 2025
The Nerd Daily, SFF to Devour in 2025
Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ, Readers' Most Anticipated Books of 2025]]> 560 Victoria E. Schwab 1035064642 Ri 3
The first 50% of the book focused on Sabine's story which I enjoyed, with 20% of it mixed with Alice's POV. Things don't really pick up until the 60% mark, and then we no longer get Sabine's POV, and it's now mainly Lottie's story and some of Alice's.

There was also a build up of tension and suspense in the last half of the book, only for it to end in a very underwhelming way.

Schwab does an excellent job telling this story of toxic lesbian relationships - how hard it is to get away, how selfish things can be, and how quick it can escalate. I loved that these women went for what they wanted, whether or not that resulted in chaos or good.

I received the eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]]> 4.39 2025
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: Ri
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: fantasy, queer, read-in-2025, romance
review:
I really wanted to love this, but some things just didn't work for me. I'm sure juggling 3 POVs is no easy feat, but it felt unbalanced with the way it was split. It made sense the way it was handled, but it took me out of the story.

The first 50% of the book focused on Sabine's story which I enjoyed, with 20% of it mixed with Alice's POV. Things don't really pick up until the 60% mark, and then we no longer get Sabine's POV, and it's now mainly Lottie's story and some of Alice's.

There was also a build up of tension and suspense in the last half of the book, only for it to end in a very underwhelming way.

Schwab does an excellent job telling this story of toxic lesbian relationships - how hard it is to get away, how selfish things can be, and how quick it can escalate. I loved that these women went for what they wanted, whether or not that resulted in chaos or good.

I received the eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
]]> 202201897 132 Ethan Sacks 1534397779 Ri 3 3.54 2024
author: Ethan Sacks
name: Ri
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: family, graphic-novels, horror, read-in-2025
review:

]]> 209456186 Vikram Seth and Thrity Umrigar meet Rebecca in this sweeping multi-generational debut novel by accomplished television executive Nayantara Roy, about a young Indian American book editor from Brooklyn who returns to Kolkata when she learns that she has inherited her family¡¯s enormous ancestral home, and the secrets that lie within it.


It¡¯s the summer of 2015, and Lila De is on the verge of a breakthrough in her career as an editor at a prestigious New York publishing house. But when she gets a call from her mother in India, informing her that she¡¯s inherited her family¡¯s sprawling estate, she must confront the legacy of an extended family she thought she left behind sixteen years ago. Returning to Kolkata reunites Lila with her mother after a decade of estrangement, and then there are her grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins, all of whom still live in the house, all of whom resent her sudden inheritance. To make matters more complicated, her first boyfriend seeks her out when she arrives, and her star author¡ª and occasional lover¡ª is suddenly determined to make things more serious.


As Lila tries to come to terms with both past and present, long-suppressed secrets from her family emerge, culminating in an act of shocking violence, and she must finally reckon with her inherited custom of keeping everything under the surface. For fans of Mary Beth Keane¡¯s Ask Again, Yes and All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews, The Magnificent Ruins is an utterly addictive read.]]> 448 Nayantara Roy 1643755846 Ri 3 3.82 2024
author: Nayantara Roy
name: Ri
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: contemporary, family, read-in-2025
review:

]]> 211098735
Two writers with a complicated history end up working on the same TV show... Can they write themselves a new ending? A sexy and emotional enemies-to-lovers romance guaranteed to pull on your heartstrings and give you a book hangover from brilliant new voice Yulin Kuang

Helen Zhang hasn¡¯t seen Grant Shepard once in the thirteen years since the tragic accident that bound their lives together forever.

Now a bestselling author, Helen pours everything into her career. She¡¯s even scored a coveted spot in the writers¡¯ room of the TV adaptation of her popular young adult novels, and if she can hide her imposter syndrome and overcome her writer¡¯s block, surely the rest of her life will fall into place too. LA is the fresh start she needs. After all, no one knows her there. Except¡­

Grant has done everything in his power to move on from the past, including building a life across the country. And while the panic attacks have never quite gone away, he¡¯s well liked around town as a screenwriter. He knows he shouldn¡¯t have taken the job on Helen¡¯s show, but it will open doors to developing his own projects that he just can¡¯t pass up.

Grant¡¯s exactly as Helen remembers him¡ªcharming, funny, popular, and lovable in ways that she¡¯s never been. And Helen¡¯s exactly as Grant remembers too¡ªbrilliant, beautiful, closed off. But working together is messy, and electrifying, and Helen¡¯s parents, who have never forgiven Grant, have no idea he¡¯s in the picture at all.

When secrets come to light, they must reckon with the fact that theirs was never meant to be any kind of love story. And yet¡­ the key to making peace with their past¡ªand themselves¡ªmight just lie in holding on to each other in the present.]]> Yulin Kuang Ri 4 3.48 2024
author: Yulin Kuang
name: Ri
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves: 2025-favourites, contemporary, read-in-2025, romance
review:

]]> 223205743
For fans of The Last of Us, a fast-paced supernatural horror novel about a mass demonic possession epidemic that spreads through the internet from Vulture¡¯s ¡°master of horror¡± Clay McLeod Chapman.

Noah Fairchild has been losing his formerly polite Southern parents to far-right cable news for years, so when his mother leaves him a voicemail warning him that the ¡°Great Reckoning¡± is here, he assumes it¡¯s related to one of the many conspiracy theories she believes in. But when his own phone calls go unanswered, Noah makes the long drive from Brooklyn to Richmond, Virginia. There, he discovers his childhood home in shambles, a fridge full of spoiled food, and his parents locked in a terrifying trance-like state in front of the TV. Panicked, Noah attempts to snap them out of it and get medical help.

Then Noah¡¯s mother brutally attacks him.

But Noah isn¡¯t the only person to be attacked by a loved one. Families across the country are tearing each other apart-¨Cliterally-¨Cas people succumb to a form of possession that gets worse the more time they spend watching particular channels, using certain apps, or visiting certain websites. In Noah¡¯s Richmond-based family, only he and his young nephew Marcus are unaffected. Together, they must race back to the safe haven of Brooklyn¨C-but can they make it before they fall prey to the violent hordes?

This ambitious, searing novel from "one of horror's modern masters" holds a mirror to our divided nation, and will shake readers to the core.]]> 12 Clay McLeod Chapman Ri 0 dnf 3.39 2025
author: Clay McLeod Chapman
name: Ri
average rating: 3.39
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> 202104245 Live, laugh, shed blood. Dexter meets Richard Scarry¡¯s Busy, Busy Town in this twisted debut graphic novel.

Don¡¯t murder the locals¡ªthis is small-town serial killer, upstanding citizen, and adorable brown bear Samantha Strong¡¯s cardinal rule. A sea of potential victims is in the city just beyond the forest, but when you¡¯ve worked as hard as Sam to build a cozy life and a thriving business in a community surrounded by friendly fellow animal folk, warm decor, and the aroma of cedar trees and freshly baked apple pie, the last thing you want is to disturb the peace. So imagine Sam's indignation when one of Woodbrook¡¯s own meets a grisly, mysterious demise. You wouldn¡¯t blame her for doing anything it takes to hunt down her rival before the town self-destructs and Sheriff Patterson starts barking up the wrong tree.]]> 152 Patrick Horvath Ri 4 4.20 2024
author: Patrick Horvath
name: Ri
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: graphic-novels, horror, read-in-2025, slice-of-life
review:

]]> 60320144 Serving up another steaming hot cup of the warm and floofies, this new collection follows your favorite regulars at Cat's Cafe as well as several all-new characters as they handle the ups and downs of life with the help of their friends.

A follow-up collection based on the popular webcomic Cat's Cafe,?One Cup at a Time?immerses readers in the gentle, supportive world of cafe owner Cat and his adorable friends. With familiar faces like Penguin and Kiwi and new friends like Fox and Spider, this collection handles real issues like relationships, self-esteem, and mental health through a tender, positive lens. One Cup at a Time isn't about forgetting your problems; it's about supporting one another through those problems and loving each other and ourselves through it all.]]> 160 Matt Tarpley 1524872180 Ri 0 comics, read-in-2025 4.42 2022
author: Matt Tarpley
name: Ri
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: comics, read-in-2025
review:

]]> 40170373
Sam is only fifteen but he and his autistic older brother, Avery, have been abandoned by every relative he's ever known. Now Sam's trying to build a new life for them. He survives by breaking into empty houses when their owners are away, until one day he's caught out when a family returns home. To his amazement this large, chaotic family takes him under their wing - each teenager assuming Sam is a friend of another sibling. Sam finds himself inextricably caught up in their life, and falling for the beautiful Moxie.

But Sam has a secret, and his past is about to catch up with him.]]> 347 C.G. Drews 1408349922 Ri 0 to-read 4.27 2019
author: C.G. Drews
name: Ri
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220636610
Protect him. Lie for him. Kill for him.

High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality¡ªThomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more.

But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won¡¯t say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork¡ªwhimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew¡¯s wicked stories.

Desperate to figure out what¡¯s wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster¡ªThomas¡¯s drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew begins to fear that the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator¡­]]> 9 C.G. Drews 1470371766 Ri 5 My heart is on the floor. 3.76 2024
author: C.G. Drews
name: Ri
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: 2025-favourites, highly-recommended, horror, read-in-2025, recommended-to-me, romance, queer
review:
My heart is on the floor.
]]> 42369064 135 Kay O'Neill 1620106558 Ri 0 to-read 4.40 2019
author: Kay O'Neill
name: Ri
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 210718838 Meet Detective Beans, the best kitten detective in town, equipped with his tie, brown trench coat, and¡ªGASP. It¡¯s gone! His detective hat is missing! Follow along to discover the charming, whimsical, and mysterious world of Detective Beans.

Meet Detective Beans (just Beans for short), a young cat sleuth dedicated to doing whatever it takes to solve the case. After a night of mystery movies with his best friend, Biscuit, Detective Beans wakes up to find his detective hat is missing. There¡¯s only one thing to hit the streets of Cat Town and find that missing hat! Cat Town is full of suspects, from the neighborhood bird to a magician in the park, and each twist and turn in this journey leads to an interesting new encounter ¡ª and to solving a much bigger case than Beans could have imagined.?

Brilliantly written and illustrated by New Zealand comic artist Li Chen, creator of the internationally popular ExtraOrdinary Comics, Detective Beans and the Case of the Missing Hat is filled with charming cat capers, warm-hearted humor, and detective stories all in the form of a graphic novel that will entertain comics fans and middle grade readers everywhere.?]]> 0 Li Chen 1524897000 Ri 4 graphic-novels, read-in-2025 4.60
author: Li Chen
name: Ri
average rating: 4.60
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: graphic-novels, read-in-2025
review:

]]> 201626949 If boys will be boys, girls will fight back.

For high school senior Nell and her friends, a vacation house on a private Florida island?sounds like the makings of a dream spring break. But Nell brings secrets with her¡ªsecrets that fuse with the island's tragic history, trapping them all with a curse that surrounds the island in a toxic, vengeful mist and the surrounding waters with an unseen, devouring beast.

Getting out alive means risking her friendships, her sanity, and even her own life. In order to save herself and her friends, Nell will have to face memories she'd rather leave behind, reveal the horrific truth behind the encounter that changed her life one year ago, and face the shadow that's haunted her since childhood.

Easier said than done.

But when Nell's friends reveal that they each brought secrets of their own, a?solution even more dangerous than the curse begins to take shape.

Perfect for fans of Courtney Summers and Rory Power and reading like a YA feminist spin on Stephen King¡¯s The Mist, So Witches We Became is a diverse, queer horror about female friendship, the emotional aftermath of surviving assault, and how to find power in the shadows of your past.?]]> 368 Jill Baguchinsky 0316568805 Ri 5
This was such a great book. It started off a bit slow but I didn't mind it. I was invested in the plot and the mystery, and over time, I grew to care for the characters.

I love the way the horror aspect was written, it was descriptive and atmospheric without being too much. I did end up wishing there was more female rage, but that's probably just me.

The more I think about this book, the more I love it. It explores what women typically experience, how 'boys will be boys', and the many reasons women stay quiet when harassed. It goes into surviving SA and what comes after, unraveling trauma you'd rather forget, and finally - using your voice.

I also loved the friendships and relationships in this book, and how it touches on navigating changing dynamics and being there for each other.

Thank you Libro.fm for providing me with the ALC to review. All opinions my own.]]> 3.80 2024
author: Jill Baguchinsky
name: Ri
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: 2025-favourites, horror, read-in-2025, young-adult, highly-recommended, queer
review:
4.5/5

This was such a great book. It started off a bit slow but I didn't mind it. I was invested in the plot and the mystery, and over time, I grew to care for the characters.

I love the way the horror aspect was written, it was descriptive and atmospheric without being too much. I did end up wishing there was more female rage, but that's probably just me.

The more I think about this book, the more I love it. It explores what women typically experience, how 'boys will be boys', and the many reasons women stay quiet when harassed. It goes into surviving SA and what comes after, unraveling trauma you'd rather forget, and finally - using your voice.

I also loved the friendships and relationships in this book, and how it touches on navigating changing dynamics and being there for each other.

Thank you Libro.fm for providing me with the ALC to review. All opinions my own.
]]> 222851334
Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who happily resides as an amorphous lump at the bottom of a ruined manor. When her rest is interrupted by hunters intent on murdering her, she constructs a body from the remains of past meals: a metal chain for a backbone, borrowed bones for limbs, and a bear trap as an extra mouth.

However, the hunters chase Shesheshen out of her home and off a cliff. Badly hurt, she¡¯s found and nursed back to health by Homily, a warm-hearted human, who has mistaken Shesheshen as a fellow human. Homily is kind and nurturing and would make an excellent co-parent: an ideal place to lay Shesheshen¡¯s eggs so their young could devour Homily from the inside out. But as they grow close, she realizes humans don¡¯t think about love that way.

Shesheshen hates keeping her identity secret from Homily, but just as she¡¯s about to confess, Homily reveals why she¡¯s in the area: she¡¯s hunting a shapeshifting monster that supposedly cursed her family. Has Shesheshen seen it anywhere?

Eating her girlfriend isn¡¯t an option. Shesheshen didn¡¯t curse anyone, but to give herself and Homily a chance at happiness, she has to figure out why Homily¡¯s twisted family thinks she did. As the hunt for the monster becomes increasingly deadly, Shesheshen must unearth the truth quickly, or soon both of their lives will be at risk.

And the bigger challenge remains: surviving her toxic in-laws long enough to learn to build a life with, rather than in, the love of her life.]]> 10 John Wiswell Ri 5 3.50 2024
author: John Wiswell
name: Ri
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: 2025-favourites, horror, read-in-2025, recommended-to-me, highly-recommended, romance
review:
Slow burn queer romance with a dash of horror and tender moments? YES.
]]> 210367329 Greta Thunberg, dont la croisade pour la plan¨¨te se nourrit d¡¯¨¦preuves insoup?onn¨¦es v¨¦cues dans sa petite enfance.
Malala Yousafzai, qui a tenu t¨ºte ¨¤ l¡¯oppression des talibans, au p¨¦ril de sa vie.
Yusra Mardini, championne de natation syrienne, bravant tous les dangers pour sauver des r¨¦fugi¨¦s.Melati et Isabel Wijsen, ¨¦coli¨¨res en guerre contre la pollution en Indon¨¦sie, parvenues ¨¤ faire interdire les sacs plastiques.
Emma Gonzalez, rescap¨¦e d¡¯une fusillade meurtri¨¨re dans un lyc¨¦e et figure embl¨¦matique de la lutte pour le contr?le des armes aux USA.

Ne laissant ni leur ?ge, ni leur sexe, ni les menaces les b?illonner, ces jeunes filles sont devenues les porte-drapeaux d¡¯une g¨¦n¨¦ration pr¨ºte ¨¤ en d¨¦coudre avec le fatalisme des adultes.
Et si les jeunes filles ¨¦taient en train d¡¯¨¦crire notre avenir ? Un plaidoyer enthousiasmant, dessin¨¦ par 5 grand talents de la BD.]]> 144 Laurent Hopman 1787743314 Ri 5
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy to review. All opinions my own.]]> 4.47 2023
author: Laurent Hopman
name: Ri
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: 2025-favourites, graphic-novels, highly-recommended, memoirs, read-in-2025
review:
This collection of stories about five courageous young women is a must-read. It's a great reminder that no matter how young, how small, or how insignificant we may feel, we can all make a difference. Deeply moving and inspirational, I highly recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy to review. All opinions my own.
]]> 445046 The battle ends here! 216 Tsugumi Ohba 1421513277 Ri 4 manga, read-in-2025, thriller 4.39 2006
author: Tsugumi Ohba
name: Ri
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: manga, read-in-2025, thriller
review:

]]> 445044 216 Tsugumi Ohba 1421511789 Ri 3 manga, read-in-2025, thriller 4.21 2006
author: Tsugumi Ohba
name: Ri
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: manga, read-in-2025, thriller
review:

]]> 13623 188 Tsugumi Ohba 142151155X Ri 3 manga, read-in-2025, thriller 4.21 2006
author: Tsugumi Ohba
name: Ri
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: manga, read-in-2025, thriller
review:

]]> 13622 208 Tsugumi Ohba 1421506300 Ri 3 manga, read-in-2025, thriller 4.20 2005
author: Tsugumi Ohba
name: Ri
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/08
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: manga, read-in-2025, thriller
review:

]]> 13614 208 Tsugumi Ohba 1421506297 Ri 3 manga, read-in-2025, thriller 4.23 2005
author: Tsugumi Ohba
name: Ri
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/08
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: manga, read-in-2025, thriller
review:

]]> 177148776 128 Anne de Marcken 0811237850 Ri 3 horror, read-in-2025 3.70 2024
author: Anne de Marcken
name: Ri
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/07
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: horror, read-in-2025
review:

]]> 13615
Boredom
Light tests the boundaries of the Death Note's powers as L and the police begin to close in. Luckily, Light's father is the head of the Japanese National Police Agency and leaves vital information about the case lying around the house. With access to his father's files, Light can keep one step ahead of the authorities. But who is the strange man following him, and how can Light guard against enemies whose names he doesn't know?]]> 195 Tsugumi Ohba 1421501686 Ri 4 manga, read-in-2025, thriller 4.47 2004
author: Tsugumi Ohba
name: Ri
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/03
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: manga, read-in-2025, thriller
review:

]]> 13619 197 Tsugumi Ohba 1421501694 Ri 4 manga, read-in-2025, thriller 4.48 2004
author: Tsugumi Ohba
name: Ri
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/03
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: manga, read-in-2025, thriller
review:

]]> 13618 193 Tsugumi Ohba 1421501708 Ri 4 manga, read-in-2025, thriller 4.46 2004
author: Tsugumi Ohba
name: Ri
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: manga, read-in-2025, thriller
review:

]]> 13616 204 Tsugumi Ohba 142150331X Ri 4 manga, read-in-2025, thriller 4.42 2004
author: Tsugumi Ohba
name: Ri
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: manga, read-in-2025, thriller
review:

]]> 13617 201 Tsugumi Ohba 1421506262 Ri 3 manga, read-in-2025, thriller 4.33 2005
author: Tsugumi Ohba
name: Ri
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: manga, read-in-2025, thriller
review:

]]> 13620 215 Tsugumi Ohba 1421506270 Ri 4 manga, read-in-2025, thriller 4.39 2005
author: Tsugumi Ohba
name: Ri
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: manga, read-in-2025, thriller
review:

]]> 13621 211 Tsugumi Ohba 1421506289 Ri 3 manga, read-in-2025, thriller 4.44 2005
author: Tsugumi Ohba
name: Ri
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: manga, read-in-2025, thriller
review:

]]> 211004175
A mind is a terrible thing to erase...

Welcome to the HMS Fairweather, Her Majesty¡¯s most luxurious interstellar passenger liner! Room and board are included, new bodies are graciously provided upon request, and should you desire a rest between lifetimes, your mind shall be most carefully preserved in glass in the Library, shielded from every danger.

Near the topmost deck of an interstellar generation ship, Dorothy Gentleman wakes up in a body that isn¡¯t hers¡ªjust as someone else is found murdered. As one of the ship¡¯s detectives, Dorothy usually delights in unraveling the schemes on board the Fairweather, but when she finds that someone is not only killing bodies but purposefully deleting minds from the Library, she realizes something even more sinister is afoot.

Dorothy suspects her misfortune is partly the fault of her feckless nephew Ruthie who, despite his brilliance as a programmer, leaves chaos in his cheerful wake. Or perhaps the sultry yarn store proprietor¡ªand ex-girlfriend of the body Dorothy is currently inhabiting¡ªknows more than she¡¯s letting on. Whatever it is, Dorothy intends to solve this case. Because someone has done the impossible and found a way to make murder on the Fairweather a very permanent state indeed. A mastermind may be at work¡ªand if so, they¡¯ve had three hundred years to perfect their schemes¡­]]> 112 Olivia Waite 1250342244 Ri 3
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy to review. All opinions my own.]]> 3.74 2025
author: Olivia Waite
name: Ri
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: mystery, queer, read-in-2025, sci-fi
review:
This was a cozy sci-fi murder mystery with a protagonist who loves to knit. The whole concept of memories and being reborn was fascinating and I love the queer representation here. I do wish it was a bit longer. The mystery felt a little underwhelming to me but overall I enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy to review. All opinions my own.
]]> 48615751
As a child, Nezhukumatathil called many places home: the grounds of a Kansas mental institution, where her Filipina mother was a doctor; the open skies and tall mountains of Arizona, where she hiked with her Indian father; and the chillier climes of western New York and Ohio. But no matter where she was transplanted--no matter how awkward the fit or forbidding the landscape--she was able to turn to our world's fierce and funny creatures for guidance.

"What the peacock can do," she tells us, "is remind you of a home you will run away from and run back to all your life." The axolotl teaches us to smile, even in the face of unkindness; the touch-me-not plant shows us how to shake off unwanted advances; the narwhal demonstrates how to survive in hostile environments. Even in the strange and the unlovely, Nezhukumatathil finds beauty and kinship. For it is this way with wonder: it requires that we are curious enough to look past the distractions in order to fully appreciate the world's gifts.

Warm, lyrical, and gorgeously illustrated by Fumi Nakamura, World of Wonders is a book of sustenance and joy.]]> 165 Aimee Nezhukumatathil 1571313656 Ri 5 4.05 2020
author: Aimee Nezhukumatathil
name: Ri
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/16
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: 2025-favourites, highly-recommended, nonfiction, read-in-2025, memoirs
review:
This book felt like it was written for me, and came exactly when I didn't know I was looking for it.
]]> 63106097
The daughter of a powerful but disgraced Blood Worker, Shan LeClaire has spent her entire life perfecting her blood magic, building her network of spies, and gathering every scrap of power she could. Now, to protect her brother, she assassinates their father and takes her place at the head of the family. And that is only the start of her revenge.

Samuel Hutchinson is a bastard with a terrible gift. When he stumbles upon the first victim of a magical serial killer, he's drawn into the world of magic and intrigue he's worked so hard to avoid - and is pulled deeply into the ravenous and bloodthirsty court of the vampire king.

Tasked by the Eternal King to discover the identity of the killer cutting a bloody swath through the city, Samuel, Shan and mysterious Royal Bloodworker Isaac find themselves growing ever closer to each other. But Shan's plans are treacherous, and as she lures Samuel into her complicated web of desire, treason and vengeance, he must decide if the good of their nation is worth the cost of his soul.]]> 432 K.M. Enright 0356521133 Ri 2
Overall, the book felt underwhelming to me. There was lust-driven romance which isn't for me and I didn't care for the characters. What they were about, why they did things the way they did, I simply wanted more.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy to review. All opinions my own.]]> 3.28 2024
author: K.M. Enright
name: Ri
average rating: 3.28
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/17
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: fantasy, read-in-2024, read-in-2025
review:
It took me so long to finish this book because I wanted to love it, but I just didn't. The first third of the book was great. The start of the story was intriguing, the descriptions of the magic system were fascinating, and finally - a book that described Filipino food! I was so excited.

Overall, the book felt underwhelming to me. There was lust-driven romance which isn't for me and I didn't care for the characters. What they were about, why they did things the way they did, I simply wanted more.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy to review. All opinions my own.
]]> 41952241 The wonderfully original author of Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too gives us a collection of touching and hilarious personal essays, stories, poems¡ªaccompanied by his trademark illustrations¡ªcovering topics such as mental health, happiness, and what it means to belong.

Jonny Sun is back with a collection of essays and other writings in his unique, funny, and heartfelt style. The pieces range from long meditations on topics like loneliness and being an outsider, to short humor pieces, conversations, and memorable one-liners.

Jonny's honest writings about his struggles with feeling productive, as well as his difficulties with anxiety and depression will connect deeply with his fans as well as anyone attempting to create in our chaotic world.

It also features a recipe for scrambled eggs that might make you cry.]]> 224 Jonny Sun 0062880853 Ri 0 to-read 4.11 2021
author: Jonny Sun
name: Ri
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61783745 A new graphic novel series for emerging readers about accepting yourself and others from up-and-coming author-illustrator Meggie Ramm

Batcat loves being all alone in their home on Spooky Island. Up in their tree?house, they pass?the time playing video games and watching TV. But when Batcat suddenly finds themself haunted by an annoying, ice cream¨Cstealing ghost, they visit the local Island Witch for a spell to remove their ghastly guest permanently!?

With their Ghost-B-Gone spell in hand, Batcat travels across Spooky Island to gather ingredients¡ªto the Cavernous Caves where the bats tell them they¡¯re too round to be a bat, and to the Whispering Cemetery where the cats will help only if they commit?to being a true cat. But Batcat is neither and that's what makes them special, right? ?

From up-and-coming author Meggie Ramm?comes a sweet and fun story about accepting yourself when you're perfectly in-between here and there.]]> 96 Meggie Ramm 1419756575 Ri 0 to-read 4.20 2023
author: Meggie Ramm
name: Ri
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211479192 A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical journey when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel.

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones¡ªthose who are lost¡ªwill find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop¡¯s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop¡¯s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana¡¯s father and the stolen choice¡ªby way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds.

But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own¡ªand risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.]]> 384 Samantha Sotto Yambao 0593724992 Ri 0 to-read 3.79 2025
author: Samantha Sotto Yambao
name: Ri
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 139391940 A spicy small-town romance and TikTok phenomenon, perfect for fans of Hannah Grace and Stephanie Archer.

When Jeanie's aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Caf¨¦ in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.

Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor's gossip at all costs. But Jeanie's arrival disrupts Logan's routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.

Will Jeanie's happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won't fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes¡­

The Pumpkin Spice Caf¨¦ is a cozy romantic mystery for fans of Gilmore Girls, with a grumpy x sunshine dynamic, a small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed!

Tropes:

? grumpy x sunshine
? small town
? found family
? spicy]]> 373 Laurie Gilmore 0008610665 Ri 2 read-in-2024, romance
Thank you Libro.FM for my ALC. All opinions my own.]]> 3.36 2023
author: Laurie Gilmore
name: Ri
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/11/12
date added: 2024/11/12
shelves: read-in-2024, romance
review:
If you go into this expecting a small town, insta-love romance with a Fall setting and a little spice, you'll enjoy it. I came into this expecting a similar vibe to Hallmark movie romances and it gave exactly that. It's cozy and predictable, and sometimes that's all you want to be entertained.

Thank you Libro.FM for my ALC. All opinions my own.
]]> 208430658 Magic has made the city of Tiran an industrial utopia, but magic has a cost¡ªand the collectors have come calling.

An orphan since the age of four, Sciona has always had more to prove than her fellow students. For twenty years, she has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry. When she finally claws her way up the ranks to become a highmage, however, she finds that her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues will stop at nothing to let her know she is unwelcome, beginning with giving her a janitor instead of a qualified lab assistant.

What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was once more than a janitor; before he mopped floors for the mages, Thomil was a nomadic hunter from beyond Tiran¡¯s magical barrier. Ten years have passed since he survived the perilous crossing that killed his family. But working for a highmage, he sees the opportunity to finally understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the Tiranish in power.

Through their fractious relationship, mage and outsider uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever¡ªif it doesn¡¯t get them killed first. Sciona has defined her life by the pursuit of truth, but how much is one truth worth with the fate of civilization in the balance?

A standalone dark academia brimming with mystery, tragedy, and the damning echoes of the past. For fans of Leigh Bardugo, V. E. Schwab, and Fullmetal Alchemist.

(Content warnings for gore, sexual assault, and suicidal ideation)]]> 430 M.L. Wang 0593873351 Ri 5
I went into this book blind and I think my experience was all the better for it. On the surface, this book is a dark academia fantasy about Sciona, a woman who has dedicated her whole life to the study of magic to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry. As a cruel joke from one of her colleagues, Sciona's lab assistant ends up being Thomil, one of the department's janitors and a refugee in Tiran, and they must work together to further her research.

While Sciona deals with sexism and the patronizing treatment of her colleagues, her research leads her to devastating knowledge about the true cost of magic that fuels her beloved city of Tiran.

I am always impressed by standalones that not only cover so much, but also do it very well. The book explores racism, colonialism, family themes, sacrifice, and questioning one's morality. I related so much and empathized with Sciona. She was ambitious and naive and wanted to believe in the good of the higher powers she admired and trusted. Sciona's journey of learning and unlearning her prejudices and what she believed was truth was extremely similar to my experience with things I learned from history (not the polished kind) and religion. I think that's why this book had such a huge impact on me.

I won't say too much because I feel like the less you know, the better. But this book is definitely a top 2024 read for me and I look forward to getting a physical copy to reread and annotate next time.
]]> 4.40 2023
author: M.L. Wang
name: Ri
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/03
date added: 2024/11/04
shelves: 2024-favourites, dark-academia, fantasy, highly-recommended, read-in-2024
review:
¡°It¡¯s much easier to tell yourself you¡¯re a good person than it is to actually be one.¡±

I went into this book blind and I think my experience was all the better for it. On the surface, this book is a dark academia fantasy about Sciona, a woman who has dedicated her whole life to the study of magic to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry. As a cruel joke from one of her colleagues, Sciona's lab assistant ends up being Thomil, one of the department's janitors and a refugee in Tiran, and they must work together to further her research.

While Sciona deals with sexism and the patronizing treatment of her colleagues, her research leads her to devastating knowledge about the true cost of magic that fuels her beloved city of Tiran.

I am always impressed by standalones that not only cover so much, but also do it very well. The book explores racism, colonialism, family themes, sacrifice, and questioning one's morality. I related so much and empathized with Sciona. She was ambitious and naive and wanted to believe in the good of the higher powers she admired and trusted. Sciona's journey of learning and unlearning her prejudices and what she believed was truth was extremely similar to my experience with things I learned from history (not the polished kind) and religion. I think that's why this book had such a huge impact on me.

I won't say too much because I feel like the less you know, the better. But this book is definitely a top 2024 read for me and I look forward to getting a physical copy to reread and annotate next time.

]]> 198493860
Davi has done this all before. She¡¯s tried to be the hero and take down the all-powerful Dark Lord. A hundred times she¡¯s rallied humanity and made the final charge. But the time loop always gets her in the end. Sometimes she¡¯s killed quickly. Sometimes it takes a while. But she¡¯s been defeated every time.

This time? She¡¯s done being the hero and done being stuck in this endless time loop. If the Dark Lord always wins, then maybe that¡¯s who she needs to be. It¡¯s Davi¡¯s turn to play on the winning side.

Burningblade & Silvereye
Ashes of the Sun ?
Blood of the Chosen ?
Emperor of Ruin]]> 392 Django Wexler 0316392200 Ri 3 fantasy, read-in-2024 3.67 2024
author: Django Wexler
name: Ri
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/25
date added: 2024/10/25
shelves: fantasy, read-in-2024
review:

]]> 123288408 The Devil knows your name, David Aristarkhov.

As a teen, David Aristarkhov was a psychic prodigy, operating under the shadow of his oppressive occultist father. Now, years after his father¡¯s death and rapidly approaching his thirtieth birthday, he is content with the high-powered life he¡¯s curated as a Boston attorney, moonlighting as a powerful medium for his secret society.

But with power comes a price, and the Devil has come to collect on an ancestral deal. David¡¯s days are numbered, and death looms at his door.

Reluctantly, he reaches out to the only person he¡¯s ever trusted, his ex-boyfriend and secret Society rival Rhys, for help. However, the only way to get to Rhys is through his wife, Moira. Thrust into each other¡¯s care, emotions once buried deep resurface, and the trio race to figure out their feelings for one another before the Devil steals David away for good¡­

The first book in a spellbinding and vibrant new series from The Sunday Times bestselling author of A Dowry of Blood. ]]> 301 S.T. Gibson 191520268X Ri 4
Gibson's writing style in this book is quite different from her style in A Dowry of Blood and An Education in Malice, and it took me some time to get used to it.

What I loved most though, were the characters. Gibson does a really good job of writing enemies-to-lovers, I like the way she paces their interactions, making the transition more realistic and believable.

Just as the characters warmed up to each other, so did I. By the end of the book I found myself being attached to the characters and I'm looking forward to the next books in the series.

Gibson also does a fantastic job showing how childhood trauma affects our choices and actions in adulthood, and how important it is to ask for help from people who care about you.

Evocation has great LGBTQIA+ rep, BIPOC characters, and polyam rep. I was also pleasantly surprised that one of the characters mentions Polysecure, a great book on polyamory (and any relationship really).

I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it.]]> 3.61 2024
author: S.T. Gibson
name: Ri
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/20
date added: 2024/10/20
shelves: 2024-favourites, fantasy, highly-recommended, read-in-2024, urban-fantasy
review:
Witches, sorcerers, and occult societies with enemies-to-lovers, friendship, and a furious haunted house are what you'll find in Evocation by S.T. Gibson.

Gibson's writing style in this book is quite different from her style in A Dowry of Blood and An Education in Malice, and it took me some time to get used to it.

What I loved most though, were the characters. Gibson does a really good job of writing enemies-to-lovers, I like the way she paces their interactions, making the transition more realistic and believable.

Just as the characters warmed up to each other, so did I. By the end of the book I found myself being attached to the characters and I'm looking forward to the next books in the series.

Gibson also does a fantastic job showing how childhood trauma affects our choices and actions in adulthood, and how important it is to ask for help from people who care about you.

Evocation has great LGBTQIA+ rep, BIPOC characters, and polyam rep. I was also pleasantly surprised that one of the characters mentions Polysecure, a great book on polyamory (and any relationship really).

I really enjoyed this one and highly recommend it.
]]> 123133352
¡°But sooner or later your mother will find us,¡± Walter said, looking back at the house. ¡°She always does.¡±

The boy¡¯s eyes lit up again. He had an idea.

¡°Then this time we need to go where we¡¯ve never gone before,¡± he said. ¡°Into the uncut grass!¡±

In the tradition of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse comes a gorgeously illustrated fable about a young child¡¯s journey into the world beyond the shadow of home, a magical landscape where he discovers the secrets of sharing, connection, and finding peace with the people we love. Infused with the author¡¯s signature wit and imagination, in collaboration with visionary artist Sabina Hahn, it¡¯s a tale for readers of all ages¡ªto be read aloud or read alone.]]> 128 Trevor Noah 059372996X Ri 4 read-in-2024 4.02 2024
author: Trevor Noah
name: Ri
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/18
date added: 2024/10/18
shelves: read-in-2024
review:

]]> 50017483 ¡ªthere's no war, no poverty, no under-ripe avocadoes. Unfortunately, Tom isn't happy. He's lost the girl of his dreams. And what do you do when you're heartbroken and have a time machine? Something stupid.

Finding himself stranded in a terrible alternate reality¡ªwhich we immediately recognize as our 2016¡ªTom is desperate to fix his mistake and go home. Right up until the moment he discovers wonderfully unexpected versions of his family, his career, and the woman who may just be the love of his life.

Now Tom faces an impossible choice. Go back to his perfect but loveless life. Or stay in our messy reality with a soulmate by his side. His search for the answer takes him across continents and timelines in a quest to figure out, finally, who he really is and what his future¡ªour future¡ªis supposed to be.

Filled with humor and heart and packed with insight, intelligence, and mind-bending invention, All Our Wrong Todays is a powerful and moving story of life, loss, and love. ]]> 488 Elan Mastai 1101985143 Ri 4 I received an advance reading copy of this book from Dutton Books and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5*s

I¡¯ve been looking forward to reading All Our Wrong Todays since I first heard about it. I mean, there¡¯s a 2016 where The Jetsons future actually exists? And then someone from that utopia time travels to our 2016 and it¡¯s one heck of a primeval dystopia? Count me in.

When Mastai first pitched his book, I remember him saying it¡¯s either the best of worst book I¡¯d read. After finally getting the chance to read it, I¡¯m glad to say I liked it.

One thing I loved about the book is how it was written. Mastai writes his book from the perspective of his main character, Tom Barren. Except Tom Barren is ¡®writing¡¯ the book as a memoir, so reading a book within a book was like a literary Inception experience. I also enjoyed the times Tom broke the fourth wall which made it more entertaining for me as a reader.

I also liked how easy it was to read the book. I was a little concerned that the scientific jargon would be tedious, but while the jargon is still there, Tom¡¯s narration was light, funny, and very dynamic. I didn¡¯t mind not completely understanding how the science worked either because Tom felt the same way.

Another thing I liked about All Our Wrong Todays were the insightful bits that popped up from time to time. Mastai touches on life, relationships, family, and fate in a way that caused me to pause and think about what he¡¯s saying.

I do feel that the book¡¯s later half was more exciting than the first, and while the first still kept my interest, it felt like a slow build up. As far as standalones go though, I was quite satisfied with All Our Wrong Todays and I look forward to what else Mastai writes in the future.]]> 3.96 2017
author: Elan Mastai
name: Ri
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2017/02/04
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: read-in-2017, time-travel, sci-fi
review:
I received an advance reading copy of this book from Dutton Books and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5*s

I¡¯ve been looking forward to reading All Our Wrong Todays since I first heard about it. I mean, there¡¯s a 2016 where The Jetsons future actually exists? And then someone from that utopia time travels to our 2016 and it¡¯s one heck of a primeval dystopia? Count me in.

When Mastai first pitched his book, I remember him saying it¡¯s either the best of worst book I¡¯d read. After finally getting the chance to read it, I¡¯m glad to say I liked it.

One thing I loved about the book is how it was written. Mastai writes his book from the perspective of his main character, Tom Barren. Except Tom Barren is ¡®writing¡¯ the book as a memoir, so reading a book within a book was like a literary Inception experience. I also enjoyed the times Tom broke the fourth wall which made it more entertaining for me as a reader.

I also liked how easy it was to read the book. I was a little concerned that the scientific jargon would be tedious, but while the jargon is still there, Tom¡¯s narration was light, funny, and very dynamic. I didn¡¯t mind not completely understanding how the science worked either because Tom felt the same way.

Another thing I liked about All Our Wrong Todays were the insightful bits that popped up from time to time. Mastai touches on life, relationships, family, and fate in a way that caused me to pause and think about what he¡¯s saying.

I do feel that the book¡¯s later half was more exciting than the first, and while the first still kept my interest, it felt like a slow build up. As far as standalones go though, I was quite satisfied with All Our Wrong Todays and I look forward to what else Mastai writes in the future.
]]> 9898835 417 J.R.R. Tolkien 0061952893 Ri 4 fantasy 4.53 1954
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Ri
average rating: 4.53
book published: 1954
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/10
shelves: fantasy
review:

]]> 211723797
It takes a lot of commitment to make a marriage between a modern ceremonial magician and a tarot witch work, but when a malevolent entity takes up residence in Rhys and Moira¡¯s home, their love will be pushed to the limits.

Brewing up a solution is easier said than done when your magical styles are polar opposites; throw a psychic ex and a secret society in the mix, and things are bound to get messy.]]> 115 S.T. Gibson 191599859X Ri 0 to-read 3.61 2018
author: S.T. Gibson
name: Ri
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 201626899
On an Island where boys fly and fight pirates, but girls can only be mothers, Jordan's shaved head and false swagger are the only things keeping her adopted crew of Lost Boys from forcing her into a role she has never wanted. When she gets her first period, she's exposed and thrown back Outside¡ªinto a world where grown-ups die slowly in offices, flight is a fantasy, and withdrawal from the Island¡¯s magical Dust slowly strips its afflicted of their dignity.

To Jordan, it¡¯s a fate worse than death.

Nine years later, when the drug she has been using to medicate her withdrawal begins to show its fatal final symptoms, Jordan persuades her best friend and fellow ex-Lost Boy to return with her to the Island. With the help of a temperamental pilot and her long-estranged sister, she sets in motion a plan to oust Peter from his throne and seize control of the Island¡¯s Dust supply.

But Peter isn't the only malevolent force moving against her. As Jordan confronts the nature of Dust, first love, and the violent legacy carved into the land itself, she realises the Island may have plans of its own...]]> 464 P.H. Low 0316569208 Ri 5
P.H. Low didn't shy away from the dark realities and situations the characters faced, and Low did it so masterfully that these characters lept off the page, feeling as real as they can be.

These Deathless Shores explores the dark side of Neverland, of the harsh realities that come with growing up, and the stories we live to tell.

This is hands down one of my favourite books of the year. I can't wait to see what else P.H. Low writes in the future.

Thank you Orbit for sending me a copy for review. All opinions are my own.]]> 3.12 2024
author: P.H. Low
name: Ri
average rating: 3.12
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/21
date added: 2024/07/21
shelves: 2024-favourites, fantasy, highly-recommended, pirates, read-in-2024, retelling
review:
This book was written for me and I loved everything about it. An anti-hero group of queer, disabled, and BIPOC misfits in a retelling of Peter Pan, focused on the origin story of a gender bent Captain Hook? Sign me up.

P.H. Low didn't shy away from the dark realities and situations the characters faced, and Low did it so masterfully that these characters lept off the page, feeling as real as they can be.

These Deathless Shores explores the dark side of Neverland, of the harsh realities that come with growing up, and the stories we live to tell.

This is hands down one of my favourite books of the year. I can't wait to see what else P.H. Low writes in the future.

Thank you Orbit for sending me a copy for review. All opinions are my own.
]]> 181865600
A mother and a son. A goddess and a prince. A curse and an oath. A river whose course will change the fate of the world.

Ganga, joyful goddess of the river, serves as caretaker to the mischievous godlings who roam her banks. But when their antics incur the wrath of a powerful sage, Ganga is cursed to become mortal, bound to her human form until she fulfills the obligations of the curse.

Though she knows nothing of mortal life, Ganga weds King Shantanu and becomes a queen, determined to regain her freedom no matter the cost. But in a cruel turn of fate, just as she is freed of her binding, she is forced to leave her infant son behind.

Her son, prince Devavrata, unwittingly carries the legacy of Ganga¡¯s curse. And when he makes an oath that he will never claim his father¡¯s throne, he sets in motion a chain of events that will end in a terrible and tragic war.

As the years unfold, Ganga and Devavrata are drawn together again and again, each confluence another step on a path that has been written in the stars, in this deeply moving and masterful tale of duty, destiny, and the unwavering bond between mother and son.]]> 496 Vaishnavi Patel 035652020X Ri 3
This was also a very war-heavy book, which I wasn't expecting. I didn't read the retelling this story was based off so that is definitely on me, but it really affected how much I enjoyed the story.

I do love Patel's writing though, and I'm looking forward to reading other books by them.

Thank you Orbit for sending me a copy to review. All opinions are my own.]]> 3.77 2024
author: Vaishnavi Patel
name: Ri
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/21
date added: 2024/07/21
shelves: fantasy, read-in-2024, retelling
review:
Goddess of the River was love at first page with Vaishnavi Patel's writing. I was immediately captured by Ganga's character and story, and I was so certain this book would be an immediate favourite. Sadly, I struggled with 2/3 of the book when the perspective shifted from Ganga's POV to the other characters. I was so invested in Ganga that everyone else paled in comparison and I just didn't feel connected with them.

This was also a very war-heavy book, which I wasn't expecting. I didn't read the retelling this story was based off so that is definitely on me, but it really affected how much I enjoyed the story.

I do love Patel's writing though, and I'm looking forward to reading other books by them.

Thank you Orbit for sending me a copy to review. All opinions are my own.
]]> 59398154
The corrupt king August is dead. Prince Bastian has seized the throne and raised Lore¡ªa necromancer and former smuggler¡ªto his right hand side. Together they plan to cut out the rot from the heart of the sainted court and help the people of Dellaire. But not everyone is happy with the changes. The nobles are sowing dissent, the Kyrithean Empire is beating down their door, and Lore's old allies are pulling away. Even Prince Bastian's changed. No longer the hopeful, rakish, charismatic man Lore knows and loves, instead he's reckless, domineering and cold.

And something's been whispering in her ear. A voice, dark and haunting, that's telling her there's more to the story than she knows and more to her power than she can even imagine. A truth buried deep that could change everything.

With Bastian's coronation fast approaching and enemies whispering on all sides, Lore must figure out how to protect herself, her prince, and her country before they all come crumbling down and whatever dark power has been creeping through the catacombs is unleashed.]]> 400 Hannah F. Whitten 0356521559 Ri 2 fantasy, read-in-2024
Thank you Orbit for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.]]> 3.82 2024
author: Hannah F. Whitten
name: Ri
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/06/20
date added: 2024/07/20
shelves: fantasy, read-in-2024
review:
I'm so incredibly sad I didn't enjoy this book. The way things developed just didn't work for me and the characters' development turned them into paper cut-out tropes. I'm also just not a fan of love triangles. I don't think I'll be continuing on with the series after this.

Thank you Orbit for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
]]> 213133733 Holly Jackson meets Courtney Summers in this powerful debut mystery about a missing girl and a girl trying to find herself again.

Jo-Lynn Kirby used to be that girl¡ªcool, effortless, smart, and one of the guys. Now Jo is one of those girls¡ªdifficult, reckless, flunking out, and an outcast after her nudes were sent to the entire school.

Jo is the girl who deserved it.

When her former best friend¡ªpretty, nice Maddie Price¡ªcomes to Jo claiming she's in trouble, Jo assumes it's some kind of joke. But then Maddie is gone. Everyone is quick to write off Maddie as a runaway, but Jo knows there's more to the story. To find out the truth, Jo needs to get back in with the people who left her behind¡ªand the only way back in is through Hudson Harper-Moore. An old fling with his own reasons for finding Maddie, Hudson proposes a fake dating scheme to reintegrate Jo in the clique. And it works. But as the truth about Maddie's disappearance comes to light, so do long-hidden secrets from Jo's past.

And Jo is left to wonder: Who is she really searching for¡ªMaddie, or the girl she used to be?

Not Like Other Girls is a stunning debut that is both mystery and romance, enveloping a breathtaking story about trauma and healing.]]> 12 Meredith Adamo Ri 5
Thank you to Bloomsbury and Libro FM for providing me with a free copy. All opinions are my own.]]> 4.10 2024
author: Meredith Adamo
name: Ri
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/25
date added: 2024/07/17
shelves: 2024-favourites, contemporary, highly-recommended, read-in-2024, young-adult
review:
I've been trying to gather my thoughts and write a review that will give this book justice but words are just not enough. This is an incredibly important read, specially for young adult women. Meredith Adamo not only did a wonderful job with Jo's character, but they wrote about consent and experiencing trauma as a young woman in a very genuine and at times very heartbreaking way. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook, which does a masterful job bringing this story to life.

Thank you to Bloomsbury and Libro FM for providing me with a free copy. All opinions are my own.
]]> 58705823
The fate of the world will be decided when heroes and gods march into battle one last time in the searing conclusion of this bold and bloody epic fantasy series.

There are no gods. Only men.

Betrayed by her closest allies, Empress Miko Ts¡¯ai is thrust from ruler to pawn. But she won¡¯t suffer the whims of men. A string of dangerous gambles could win Miko her empire for good, but to take back the throne, she must become everything her ancestors failed to be.

Rah e¡¯Torin leads a herd again. Now he seeks to honor a promise he made a lifetime ago¡ªto safely bring his Swords home. Yet Rah¡¯s loyalty to the past may be his ultimate undoing.

Cassandra Marius is lost. Ensnared by memories that aren¡¯t her own, Cass must decide who she really is, but the answer lies beyond one final confrontation with Leo Villius.

And trapped in the heart of the Chiltaen army, Dishiva e¡¯Jaroven is handed unexpected power. The dream of a new homeland is within her grasp¡ªif she risks everything and trusts her former enemies.
Praise for The Reborn Empire:

"Imaginative worldbuilding, a pace that builds perfectly to a heart-pounding finale and captivating characters. Highly recommended." ¡ªJohn Gwynne, author of The Shadow of the Gods

"An exciting new author in fantasy." ¡ªMark Lawrence, author of Red Sister
The Reborn EmpireWe Ride the StormWe Lie with DeathWe Cry for Blood
We Dream of Gods For more from Devin Madson, check out: The Vengeance TrilogyThe Blood of WhisperersThe Gods of ViceThe Grave at Storm's End]]> 568 Devin Madson 0356514137 Ri 3 3.60
author: Devin Madson
name: Ri
average rating: 3.60
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/15
date added: 2024/06/15
shelves:
review:

]]> 61190770
Loretta Thurwar and Hamara "Hurricane Staxxx" Stacker are the stars of Chain-Gang All-Stars, the cornerstone of CAPE, or Criminal Action Penal Entertainment, a highly-popular, highly-controversial, profit-raising program in America's increasingly dominant private prison industry. It's the return of the gladiators and prisoners are competing for the ultimate prize: their freedom.

In CAPE, prisoners travel as Links in Chain-Gangs, competing in death-matches for packed arenas with righteous protestors at the gates. Thurwar and Staxxx, both teammates and lovers, are the fan favorites. And if all goes well, Thurwar will be free in just a few matches, a fact she carries as heavily as her lethal hammer. As she prepares to leave her fellow Links, she considers how she might help preserve their humanity, in defiance of these so-called games, but CAPE's corporate owners will stop at nothing to protect their status quo and the obstacles they lay in Thurwar's path have devastating consequences.

Moving from the Links in the field to the protestors to the CAPE employees and beyond, Chain-Gang All-Stars is a kaleidoscopic, excoriating look at the American prison system's unholy alliance of systemic racism, unchecked capitalism, and mass incarceration, and a clear-eyed reckoning with what freedom in this country really means.]]> 367 Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 0593317335 Ri 0 4.13 2023
author: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
name: Ri
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/12
shelves: 2024-favourites, dystopian, queer, read-in-2024, recommended-to-me
review:

]]> 40514344
A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases--a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice--with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan--from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he's making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic...]]> 10 Helen Hoang Ri 4 3.73 2018
author: Helen Hoang
name: Ri
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2018/11/13
date added: 2024/06/10
shelves: 2018-favourites, audiobook, read-in-2018, romance
review:

]]> 29453805
Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games--an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries--a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall.]]> 16 Victoria E. Schwab Ri 4
Where do I even start? What a ride.

If I had trouble with A Darker Shade of Magic¡¯s pacing, that wasn¡¯t even an issue with A Gathering of Shadows. The second book was better paced, more entertaining, more emotional, and more gripping than its predecessor.

Have I mentioned how much I love the magic system in this series? I¡¯m not going to spoil anything but the Essen Tasch was definitely one of my favourite things about AGOS. The action, the magic, the fight scenes! So good.

Oh and can we talk about the characters? From Kell to Lila to Rhy and Alucard, Schwab brought more into their stories that made them come to life. There was depth and development and emotions and pain - all of which make me one happy reader.

And the romance?! Schwab is brilliant - there¡¯s just enough hints scattered here and there, enough tension, enough emotion, and enough passion to make you ship it hard without cringing.

I loved AGOS. I loved the characters. I loved the plot. I even loved the cliffhanger! (As painful as it was)

I will say that as much as I loved the book, I had some issues with Lila. Now don¡¯t get me wrong. I love Lila Bard. She¡¯s a badass heroine who gets what she wants without letting limits, obstacles, and rules stop her. AGOS had a lot of Lila and while that was well and good, I found her a bit overbearing at times. I also didn¡¯t like the fact that everything seemed to work for her favour. Sure it wasn¡¯t easy but it also seemed like it.

Oh and Holland! Holland, Holland, Holland. I didn¡¯t like that Holland seemed to be an afterthought, like he was just a plot device to move things along or a stepping stone for someone later. I get that it was necessary, but there could have been more to it you know?

Other than that AGOS was amazing and hands down one of the best sequels I¡¯ve read in a long time!


]]> 4.10 2016
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: Ri
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/02/08
date added: 2024/06/10
shelves: audiobook, read-in-2017, fantasy
review:
4.5/5*s

Where do I even start? What a ride.

If I had trouble with A Darker Shade of Magic¡¯s pacing, that wasn¡¯t even an issue with A Gathering of Shadows. The second book was better paced, more entertaining, more emotional, and more gripping than its predecessor.

Have I mentioned how much I love the magic system in this series? I¡¯m not going to spoil anything but the Essen Tasch was definitely one of my favourite things about AGOS. The action, the magic, the fight scenes! So good.

Oh and can we talk about the characters? From Kell to Lila to Rhy and Alucard, Schwab brought more into their stories that made them come to life. There was depth and development and emotions and pain - all of which make me one happy reader.

And the romance?! Schwab is brilliant - there¡¯s just enough hints scattered here and there, enough tension, enough emotion, and enough passion to make you ship it hard without cringing.

I loved AGOS. I loved the characters. I loved the plot. I even loved the cliffhanger! (As painful as it was)

I will say that as much as I loved the book, I had some issues with Lila. Now don¡¯t get me wrong. I love Lila Bard. She¡¯s a badass heroine who gets what she wants without letting limits, obstacles, and rules stop her. AGOS had a lot of Lila and while that was well and good, I found her a bit overbearing at times. I also didn¡¯t like the fact that everything seemed to work for her favour. Sure it wasn¡¯t easy but it also seemed like it.

Oh and Holland! Holland, Holland, Holland. I didn¡¯t like that Holland seemed to be an afterthought, like he was just a plot device to move things along or a stepping stone for someone later. I get that it was necessary, but there could have been more to it you know?

Other than that AGOS was amazing and hands down one of the best sequels I¡¯ve read in a long time!



]]> 17560763
Inspired by their own fantasies, fears, and dreams, Kavalier and Clay create the Escapist, the Monitor, and the otherworldly Mistress of the Night, Luna Moth, inspired by the beautiful Rosa Saks, who will become linked by powerful ties to both men. The golden age of comic books has begun, even as the shadow of Hitler falls across Europe.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is a stunning novel of endless comic invention and unforgettable characters, written in the exhilarating prose that has led critics to compare Michael Chabon to Cheever and Nabokov. In Joe Kavalier, Chabon has created a hero for the century.]]> 27 Michael Chabon Ri 4 4.14 2000
author: Michael Chabon
name: Ri
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at: 2018/11/05
date added: 2024/06/10
shelves: historical-fiction, 2018-favourites, audiobook, read-in-2018
review:

]]> 127305606 The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats.

Nor do they have tails.

But they are most assuredly dead.

Nebula and Alex Award winner P. Dj¨¨l¨ª Clark introduces a brand-new world and a fantastical city full of gods and assassins.

Eveen the Eviscerator is skilled, discreet, professional, and here for your most pressing needs in the ancient city of Tal Abisi. Her guild is strong, her blades are sharp, and her rules are simple. Those sworn to the Matron of Assassins¨Dresurrected, deadly, wiped of their memories¨Dhave only three unbreakable vows.

First, the contract must be just. That¡¯s above Eveen¡¯s pay grade.

Second, even the most powerful assassin may only kill the contracted. Eveen¡¯s a professional. She¡¯s never missed her mark.

The third and the simplest: once you accept a job, you must carry it out. And if you stray? A ?nal death would be a mercy. When the Festival of the Clockwork King turns the city upside down, Eveen¡¯s newest mission brings her face-to-face with a past she isn¡¯t supposed to remember and a vow she can¡¯t forget.]]> 213 P. Dj¨¨l¨ª Clark 1250767040 Ri 3
Novellas are always tricky for me to review because I always want MORE ]]> 3.84 2024
author: P. Dj¨¨l¨ª Clark
name: Ri
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/18
date added: 2024/05/18
shelves:
review:
If you're in the mood for a fun, action packed, story with undead (but not zombie-like) assassins, this one's for you.

Novellas are always tricky for me to review because I always want MORE
]]> 196726166 The Honey Witch of Innisfree can never find true love. That is her curse to bear. But when a young woman who doesn¡¯t believe in magic arrives on her island, sparks fly in this deliciously sweet debut novel of magic, hope, and love overcoming all.
?
Twenty-one-year-old Marigold Claude has always preferred the company of the spirits of the meadow to any of the suitors who¡¯ve tried to woo her. So when her grandmother whisks her away to the family cottage on the tiny Isle of Innisfree with an offer to train her as the next Honey Witch, she accepts immediately. But her newfound magic and independence come with a price: No one can fall in love with the Honey Witch.
?
When Lottie Burke, a notoriously grumpy skeptic who doesn¡¯t believe in magic, shows up on her doorstep, Marigold can¡¯t resist the challenge to prove to her that magic is real. But soon, Marigold begins to care for Lottie in ways she never expected. And when darker magic awakens and threatens to destroy her home, she must fight for much more than her new home¡ªat the risk of losing her magic and her heart.]]> 368 Sydney J. Shields 0316568864 Ri 4
If you enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope in a world with magic and where queerness is the norm, this one's for you!

I found some parts of the story very predictable and the whole idea of soulmates is just not for me, but those are just my preference. :)

Thank you Redhook for sending me a copy to review. All opinions are my own.]]> 3.57 2024
author: Sydney J. Shields
name: Ri
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/17
date added: 2024/05/17
shelves: fantasy, read-in-2024, romance, queer
review:
I had fun with this one! I found Marigold very easy to relate to and loved the concept of the honey witch. I also love how friendships were portrayed in this book and it just further emphasizes the fact that love from friends is just as strong and important as romantic love.

If you enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope in a world with magic and where queerness is the norm, this one's for you!

I found some parts of the story very predictable and the whole idea of soulmates is just not for me, but those are just my preference. :)

Thank you Redhook for sending me a copy to review. All opinions are my own.
]]> 133938826 should feel successful¡ªbut all she feels is drained. Haunted by an abandoned dream, she takes a leap of faith and leaves her old life behind. Quitting her job and divorcing her husband, Yeongju moves to a quiet residential neighborhood outside the city and opens the Hyunam-dong Bookshop.

The transition isn¡¯t easy. For months, all Yeongju can do is cry. But as the long hours in the shop stretch on, she begins to reflect on what makes a good bookseller and a meaningful store. She throws herself into reading voraciously, hosting author events, and crafting her own philosophy on bookselling. Gradually, Yeongju finds her footing in her new surroundings.

Surrounded by friends, writers, and the books that bind them, Yeongju begins to write a new chapter in her life. The Hyunam-dong Bookshop evolves into a warm, welcoming haven for lost souls¡ªa place to rest, heal, and remember that it¡¯s never too late to scrap the plot and start over.]]> 307 Hwang Bo-Reum Ri 0 to-read 3.94 2022
author: Hwang Bo-Reum
name: Ri
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 195820703 A charming fantasy set in an underwater world with magical academia and a heartwarming penpal romance, perfect for fans of?A Marvellous Light and?Emily Wilde's Encylopaedia of Faeries.

A beautiful discovery outside the window of her underwater home prompts the reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. The letters they share are filled with passion, at first for their mutual interests, and then, inevitably, for each other.

Together, they uncover a mystery from the unknown depths, destined to transform the underwater world they both equally fear and love. But by no mere coincidence, a seaquake destroys E.'s home, and she and Henerey vanish.

A year later, E.'s sister Sophy, and Henerey's brother Vyerin, are left to solve the mystery, piecing together the letters, sketches and field notes left behind¡ªand learn what their siblings¡¯ disappearance might mean for life as they know it.
?
Inspired, immersive, and full of heart, this charming epistolary tale is an adventure into the depths of a magical sea and the limits of the imagination from a marvelous debut voice.]]> 400 Sylvie Cathrall 0316565539 Ri 3
I enjoyed this light academia novel and loved that the characters interacted through letters. There were unexpected moments I related a lot to, especially if you have friends who live far away. I also loved the queer characters with some of them seeming to be neurodivergent. :)

Overall I recommend this for a light read. There were parts that did feel a bit slow and dragged for a bit, but I'm curious to see where the series goes from here.

Thank you Orbit for providing me a copy to review. All opinions are my own.]]> 3.68 2024
author: Sylvie Cathrall
name: Ri
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/10
date added: 2024/05/10
shelves: fantasy, read-in-2024, romance
review:
Charming letters between two academics set in a magical underwater world? Yes.

I enjoyed this light academia novel and loved that the characters interacted through letters. There were unexpected moments I related a lot to, especially if you have friends who live far away. I also loved the queer characters with some of them seeming to be neurodivergent. :)

Overall I recommend this for a light read. There were parts that did feel a bit slow and dragged for a bit, but I'm curious to see where the series goes from here.

Thank you Orbit for providing me a copy to review. All opinions are my own.
]]> 31208691 Now a movie streaming on Netflix!

A summer in Italy turns into a road trip across Tuscany in this sweeping New York Times bestseller filled with romance, mystery, and adventure.

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn¡¯t in the mood for Italy¡¯s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She¡¯s only there because it was her mother¡¯s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn¡¯t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is get back home.

But then Lina is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina¡¯s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires Lina, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother¡¯s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It¡¯s a secret that will change everything Lina knew about her mother, her father¡ªand even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

Kirkus Reviews called Love & Gelato ¡°a sure bet for fans of romance fiction,¡± while VOYA said readers ¡°will find it difficult to put this book down.¡± Readers are about to discover a new place, a new romance, and a new talent.]]> 9 Jenna Evans Welch 1508230307 Ri 3 3.69 2016
author: Jenna Evans Welch
name: Ri
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/09
date added: 2024/05/09
shelves: family, contemporary, read-in-2024, romance, young-adult
review:
Cute! I was a little worried it might be cheesy for my liking but I enjoyed the focus on friendships and found families.
]]> 61484890
Some girls call their mother their best friend. Marisol? She could never relate. She and her mom were forever locked in an argument with no beginning and no end.

But when her mother dies suddenly, Marisol is left with no one to fight against, haunted by all the things that she both said and didn¡¯t say. And when Marisol sleeps with her best friend's boyfriend¡ªand then punches said best friend in the face¡ªshe's left alone, with nothing but a burning anger.

And Marisol is determined to stay angry. After all, there¡¯s a lot to be angry about. But as a new friendship begins to develop, Marisol reluctantly starts to open up to her, and to the possibility there¡¯s something else on the other side of that anger¡ªsomething more to who she is, and who she could be.]]> 320 Shannon C.F. Rogers 1250845661 Ri 3 3.93 2023
author: Shannon C.F. Rogers
name: Ri
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/01
date added: 2024/05/06
shelves: contemporary, family, read-in-2024
review:

]]> 53443268 Ever wonder what nonbinary or gender nonconforming really mean? And how the heck do you use they/them pronouns for just one person? Isn't it supposed to be plural?

This charming and disarming guide unpacks all these questions and more with a fun, visual approach. From a real-deal they/them-using genderqueer writer, this book makes it humorous and easy to learn so that everyone can get it. No soap boxes or divisive comment section wars here. Sometimes funny, sometimes serious, always human, this 101 primer is about more than just bathrooms and pronouns. It's about gender expression and the freedom to choose how to identify. While they might only be for some, that freedom is for everyone!]]> 240 Stuart Getty 1632173131 Ri 5 4.42 2020
author: Stuart Getty
name: Ri
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/21
date added: 2024/04/21
shelves:
review:

]]> 25614492
Sepetys (writer of 'Between Shades of Gray') crafts four fictionalized but historically accurate voices to convey the real-life tragedy. Joana, a Lithuanian with nursing experience; Florian, a Prussian soldier fleeing the Nazis with stolen treasure; and Emilia, a Polish girl close to the end of her pregnancy, converge on their escape journeys as Russian troops advance; each will eventually meet Albert, a Nazi peon with delusions of grandeur, assigned to the Gustloff decks.]]> 391 Ruta Sepetys Ri 0 to-read 4.35 2016
author: Ruta Sepetys
name: Ri
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 52569124
Polyamorous psychotherapist Jessica Fern breaks new ground by extending attachment theory into the realm of consensual nonmonogamy. Using her nested model of attachment and trauma, she expands our understanding of how these emotional experiences influence our relationships. Then, she sets out six specific strategies to help you move toward secure attachments in your multiple relationships.

Polysecure is both a trailblaizing theoretical treatise and a practical guide. It provides nonmonogamous people with a new set of tools to navigate the complexities of multiple loving relationships, and offers radical new concepts that are sure to influence the conversation about attachment theory.]]> 268 Jessica Fern 1944934987 Ri 5
I highly recommend this book to anyone - poly or mono or anyone who wants to educate themselves on a topic they're not familiar with. I also love that Jessica Fern emphasizes the importance of being secure with ourselves first and foremost, and how doing that can help us better love others. There's something here to learn for everyone.]]> 4.36 2020
author: Jessica Fern
name: Ri
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/19
date added: 2024/04/19
shelves: 2024-favourites, highly-recommended, nonfiction, read-in-2024, recommended-to-me
review:
This is an extremely helpful book for anyone interested in learning about polyamory and how attachment styles and trauma can affect people's experiences with it. Someone I care about recommended this to me and I learned a lot not only about being poly, but about my own attachment issues and how trauma plays into all of my relationships.

I highly recommend this book to anyone - poly or mono or anyone who wants to educate themselves on a topic they're not familiar with. I also love that Jessica Fern emphasizes the importance of being secure with ourselves first and foremost, and how doing that can help us better love others. There's something here to learn for everyone.
]]> 121818855
Taking everything they?know from more than a decade of working with the queer and trans community, their personal journey of gender exploration, and clinical best practices, licensed therapist, coach, and speaker Rae McDaniel created the Gender Freedom Model. A uniquely supportive narrative for gender exploration and transition grounded in queer joy, their nine-pillar model has helped thousands of transgender and nonbinary individuals explore gender through play, pleasure, and freedom. And now, it can help you too.?
?
Whether you're transgender, non-binary, cisgender, or still exploring, this compassionate and practical guide will help you experience your gender in new, expansive ways by Brimming with warmth, celebration, and practical advice Gender Magic ?is essential reading for anyone who yearns to step into their fullest self and imagine a life beyond gender binaries.?Because you¡ªyes YOU¡ªare magic.?

"Rae McDaniel is a leader in their generation, matching compassion with clear-sighted vision for a sex-positive future.¡± ¨C ?Emily Nagoski, Ph.D, author of Come As You Are and Burnout?]]> 304 Rae McDaniel 1538724898 Ri 5
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy to review. All opinions are my own.
]]> 4.44
author: Rae McDaniel
name: Ri
average rating: 4.44
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/12
date added: 2024/04/16
shelves: 2024-favourites, highly-recommended, nonfiction, read-in-2024
review:
This is one of my favourite reads of the year. While the book is mainly for those who are exploring their gender identity, I think it's also a very informative read for friends, family, and allies. The amount of care and understanding poured into this book is extremely evident and it's a wonderful guide and resource for those who are curious, exploring, or learning about gender identity. It's a very thoughtful book with end-of-chapter prompts/questions to reflect on.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy to review. All opinions are my own.

]]> 182761629
Britain, 60AD. Hoping to save her lover, her land, and her people from the Romans, Herla makes a desperate pact with the king of the Otherworld. But years pass unheeded in his realm, and she escapes to find everyone she loved long dead. Cursed to wield his blade, she becomes Lord of the Hunt. And for centuries, she rides, leading her immortal warriors and reaping wanderers¡¯ souls. Until the night she meets a woman on a bloody battlefield¡ªa Saxon queen with ice-blue eyes.

Queen ?thelburg of Wessex is a proven fighter. But when she leads her forces to disaster in battle, her husband¡¯s court turns against her. Yet King Ine needs ?thel more than ever. Something dark and dangerous is at work in the Wessex court. His own brother seeks to usurp him. And their only hope is the magic in Ine¡¯s bloodline that¡¯s lain dormant since ancient days.

The moment she and ?thel meet, Herla knows it¡¯s no coincidence. The dead kings are waking. The Otherworld seeks to rise, to bring the people of Britain under its dominion. And as Herla and ?thel grow closer, Herla must find her humanity¡ªand a way to break the curse¡ªbefore it¡¯s too late.]]> 448 Lucy Holland 0316321656 Ri 4
I loved the main characters Herla, ?thelburg, and Ine. They each dealt with internal struggles and personal growth, and I enjoyed reading about their personal experiences and the choices they made because of them. I thought there was such a great ace representation through Ine and it was particularly interesting because I haven't read a lot of male ace characters in fiction.

I was also particularly intrigued by the romance and how Lucy Holland went about it. Some of the dialogue between the characters definitely got me. Oof.

Thank you Orbit for sending me a copy to review. All opinions my own.

]]> 3.69 2024
author: Lucy Holland
name: Ri
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/08
date added: 2024/04/16
shelves: historical-fiction, fantasy, read-in-2024
review:
I greatly enjoy reading about strong female characters so when I heard this was a feminist fantasy story, that's all I needed to know. Set in Britain in 60AD, the Song of the Huntress touches on the Anglo-Saxons' quest to rule new lands and the conflicts that arise from it. It's not a time period I'm particularly interested in, but the characters kept me invested in the story.

I loved the main characters Herla, ?thelburg, and Ine. They each dealt with internal struggles and personal growth, and I enjoyed reading about their personal experiences and the choices they made because of them. I thought there was such a great ace representation through Ine and it was particularly interesting because I haven't read a lot of male ace characters in fiction.

I was also particularly intrigued by the romance and how Lucy Holland went about it. Some of the dialogue between the characters definitely got me. Oof.

Thank you Orbit for sending me a copy to review. All opinions my own.


]]> 125545367 1 Etaf Rum 1799971759 Ri 5
I'm blown away by how Etaf Rum wrote all of it in this book. This one will stay with me for a very long time.

]]> 3.90 2023
author: Etaf Rum
name: Ri
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/15
date added: 2024/03/15
shelves: 2024-favourites, contemporary, family, highly-recommended, immigrant-experience, read-in-2024
review:
This is hands down one of my top reads of 2024. My heart hurts and my mind is heavy from this incredibly emotional book. Reading this sent me on a rollercoaster of emotions as Etaf Rum wrote about the expectations on women of colour, the struggle and conflicting emotions of motherhood, dealing with complex and unhealed generational trauma, and the constant battle of suppressing oneself to uphold reputations.

I'm blown away by how Etaf Rum wrote all of it in this book. This one will stay with me for a very long time.


]]> 72007750 From a major new debut author in epic fantasy comes the second book in a trilogy where action, intrigue, and magic collide. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is an Emperor's Justice: a detective, judge, and executioner all in one. But these are dangerous times to be a Justice....

A Justice's work is never done.

The Battle of Galen's Vale is over, but the war for the Empire's future has just begun. Concerned by rumors that the Magistratum's authority is waning, Sir Konrad Vonvalt returns to Sova to find the capital city gripped by intrigue and whispers of rebellion. In the Senate, patricians speak openly against the Emperor, while fanatics preach holy vengeance on the streets.

Yet facing down these threats to the throne will have to wait, for the Emperor's grandson has been kidnapped - and Vonvalt is charged with rescuing the missing prince. His quest will lead him - and his allies Helena, Bressinger and Sir Radomir - to the southern frontier, where they will once again face the puritanical fury of Bartholomew Claver and his templar knights - and a dark power far more terrifying than they could have imagined.

"Richard Swan's sophisticated take on the fantasy genre will leave readers hungry for more." - Sebastien de Castell on The Justice of Kings

"A fantastic debut." - Peter McLean on The Justice of Kings

Also by Richard Swan:

The Empire of the Wolf
The Justice of Kings
The Tyranny of Faith]]> 1 Richard Swan 1668629968 Ri 3 fantasy, read-in-2024 3.84 2023
author: Richard Swan
name: Ri
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/03/15
date added: 2024/03/15
shelves: fantasy, read-in-2024
review:

]]> 55965459 The empire has fallen and another rises in its place in the action-packed third book of Devin Madson's bold and bloody epic fantasy quartet.


Ambition and schemes have left the Kisian Empire in ashes. Empress Miko Ts¡¯ai will have to move fast if she hopes to secure a foothold in its ruins. However, the line between enemies and allies may not be as clear-cut as it first appeared.

After failing to win back his Swords, former Captain Rah e¡¯Torin finds shelter among the Levanti deserters. But his presence in the camp threatens to fracture the group, putting him on a collision course with their enigmatic leader.

Assassin Cassandra Marius knows Leo Villius¡¯s secret¡ªone that could thwart his ambitions to conquer Kisia. But her time in Empress Hana¡¯s body is running out and each attempt they make to exploit Leo¡¯s weakness may be playing into his plans.

And, as Leo¡¯s control over the Levanti emperor grows, Dishiva e¡¯Jaroven is caught in his web. To successfully challenge him, she¡¯ll have to decide how many of her people are worth sacrificing in order to win.

We Cry for Blood is the thrilling continuation of a heart-pounding epic fantasy series, perfect for readers of Mark Lawrence, John Gwynne, and Brian Staveley.]]> 578 Devin Madson 0356514110 Ri 4 4.01 2021
author: Devin Madson
name: Ri
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/07
date added: 2024/03/11
shelves: 2024-favourites, fantasy, read-in-2024
review:

]]>