en-US Thu, 03 Apr 2025 01:45:12 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 59708060
As their romance blossoms into something neither were anticipating, Daisy, Christian, and Julian each have to come to terms with the fact that in this life everything comes at a price. As their relationships intersect and tangle, they all learn that sometimes life’s most worthwhile pursuits can only be paid in blood.]]> 436 Jessa Hastings sama 2 spring-vibes-tbr 4.09 2021
author: Jessa Hastings
name: sama
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: spring-vibes-tbr
review:
i feel like this was ghostwritten by an alien who saw humans interact once on love island and decided to write a whole book about them
]]> 213243908 A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

Aiden Valentine has a secret: he's fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore's romance hotline, that's a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.

Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—she begins to question if she's as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending... even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.]]> 448 B.K. Borison 0593641191 sama 0 to-read, spring-vibes-tbr 4.10 2025
author: B.K. Borison
name: sama
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read, spring-vibes-tbr
review:

]]> 60657589
Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart.]]> 336 Heather Fawcett 059350013X sama 0 to-read, spring-vibes-tbr 3.99 2023
author: Heather Fawcett
name: sama
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read, spring-vibes-tbr
review:

]]> 169485073 This highly anticipated follow-up to The Will of the Many—one of 2023’s most lauded and bestselling fantasy novels—follows Vis as he grapples with a dangerous secret that could change the course of history across alternate dimensions.


OMNE TRIUM PERFECTUM.

The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus. Still hail me as Catenicus. They still, as one, believe they know who I am.

But with all that has happened—with what I fear is coming—I am not sure it matters anymore.

I am no longer one. I won the Iudicium, and lost everything—and now, impossibly, the ancient device beyond the Labyrinth has replicated me across three separate worlds. A different version of myself in each of Obiteum, Luceum, and Res. Three different bodies, three different lives. I have to hide; fight; play politics. I have to train; trust; lie. I have to kill; heal; prove myself again, and again, and again.

I am loved, and hated, and entirely alone.

Above all, though, I need to find answers before it’s too late. To understand the nature of what has happened to me, and why.

I need to find a way to stop the coming Cataclysm, because if all I have learned is true, I may be the only one who can.]]> James Islington sama 0 to-read 4.64 2025
author: James Islington
name: sama
average rating: 4.64
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58416952 At the elite Catenan Academy, a young fugitive uncovers layered mysteries and world-changing secrets in this new fantasy series by internationally bestselling author of The Licanius Trilogy, James Islington.

AUDI. VIDE. TACE.

The Catenan Republic �� the Hierarchy �� may rule the world now, but they do not know everything.

I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilised society in allowing my strength, my drive and my focus �� what they call Will �� to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.

I tell them that I belong, and they believe me.

But the truth is that I have been sent to the Academy to find answers. To solve a murder. To search for an ancient weapon. To uncover secrets that may tear the Republic apart.

And that I will never, ever cede my Will to the empire that executed my family.

To survive, though, I will still have to rise through the Academy’s ranks. I will have to smile, and make friends, and pretend to be one of them and win. Because if I cannot, then those who want to control me, who know my real name, will no longer have any use for me.

And if the Hierarchy finds out who I truly am, they will kill me.]]> 639 James Islington 1982141190 sama 0
rtc (i need to contemplate).]]> 4.61 2023
author: James Islington
name: sama
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves:
review:
almost fell to my knees at the grocery store after that ending

rtc (i need to contemplate).
]]> 139400713 Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr! is a paean to how we spend our lives seeking meaning—in faith, art, ourselves, others—in which a newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a search that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum.

Cyrus Shams is a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss: his mother’s plane was shot down over the skies of Tehran in a senseless accident; and his father’s life in America was circumscribed by his work killing chickens at a factory farm in the Midwest. Cyrus is a drunk, an addict, and a poet, whose obsession with martyrs leads him to examine the mysteries of his past—toward an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields dressed as the Angel of death to inspire and comfort the dying, and toward his mother, through a painting discovered in a Brooklyn art gallery that suggests she may not have been who or what she seemed.

Electrifying, funny, wholly original, and profound, Martyr! heralds the arrival of a blazing and essential new voice in contemporary fiction.]]> 331 Kaveh Akbar 0593537610 sama 0 to-read 4.23 2024
author: Kaveh Akbar
name: sama
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 123257687
ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer―naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain―and his entire nefarious empire―out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.]]> 342 Hannah Nicole Maehrer 1649375808 sama 0 currently-reading 3.88 2023
author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer
name: sama
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 211481283 The stakes are even higher in this epic, romantic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology

A WITCH...
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.

A WITCH HUNTER...
Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by allying herself with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE...
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.

In Kristen Ciccarelli's Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly.]]> 456 Kristen Ciccarelli 1250866936 sama 0 on-hold 4.30 2025
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: sama
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: on-hold
review:

]]> 221490963 *This limited deluxe edition comes with an ombre spine matching the rest of the series*

A love that couldn't be broken, except by the truth.

Lizzie Young has always felt she was too much everything. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder at a young age, she's never fit in with her family, her friends, her community. Lizzie wants to be accepted and understood, but with few family or friends in her corner, she's carries her burdens and her trauma on her own.

But when she meets a kind boy on the school bus, things start to look bright for the first time in her life��

Hugh Biggs has an old soul and the wisdom of someone far beyond his years. A young man with a sharp mind and a firm code of ethics, he sees something in Lizzie Young that he can't resist. He wants to be her everything and shoulder her burden. And Lizzie wants that too.

Lizzie and Hugh's bond seems unbreakable �� their chemistry is electric, their love is potent, and their connection is soul deep �� but even the truest love can be shaken by forces beyond control.]]> 768 Chloe Walsh 1464237239 sama 0 to-read (i scream with tears in my eyes) ]]> 2.98
author: Chloe Walsh
name: sama
average rating: 2.98
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: to-read
review:
MORE PAIN?? BRING IT ON CHLOE !!! I CAN TAKE IT (i scream with tears in my eyes)
]]> 216825549 2025 on ŷ������ should make an interesting and varied catalogue of books to inspire other readers in 2026.

For those of you who don't like to add titles you haven't actually 'read', you can place 2025 on ŷ������ on an 'exclusive' shelf. Exclusive shelves don't have to be listed under 'to read', 'currently reading' or 'read'. To create one, go to 'edit bookshelves' on your 'My Books' page, create a shelf name such as 'review-of-the year' and tick the 'exclusive' box. Your previous and future 'reviews of the year' can be collected together on this dedicated shelf.

Concept created by Fionnuala Lirsdottir.
Description: Fionnuala Lirsdottir
Cover art: Paul Cézanne, Vase of Flowers and Apples, 1889-1890
Cover choice and graphics by Jayson]]> Various sama 0 annual-wrap-ups �� sama’s 2025 in books ��.��


“she’s got a book for every situation.��
�� carolina, harry styles ⋆✴︎˚｡��



table of contents ]]> 4.71 2025
author: Various
name: sama
average rating: 4.71
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: annual-wrap-ups
review:
�� sama’s 2025 in books ��.��


“she’s got a book for every situation.��
�� carolina, harry styles ⋆✴︎˚｡��



table of contents
]]> 54493401
Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?]]> 476 Andy Weir 0593135202 sama 0 to-read 4.49 2021
author: Andy Weir
name: sama
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214333691 When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 400 Suzanne Collins 1546171479 sama 5 ⊹˚�� 4.74 2025
author: Suzanne Collins
name: sama
average rating: 4.74
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/21
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves:
review:
⊹˚��
]]> 38633526
Our life is brief . . .

While vacationing at the beach with her mother, Sasha Samokhina meets the mysterious Farit Kozhennikov under the most peculiar circumstances. The teenage girl is powerless to refuse when this strange and unusual man with an air of the sinister directs her to perform a task with potentially scandalous consequences. He rewards her effort with a strange golden coin.

As the days progress, Sasha carries out other acts for which she receives more coins from Kozhennikov. As summer ends, her domineering mentor directs her to move to a remote village and use her gold to enter the Institute of Special Technologies. Though she does not want to go to this unknown town or school, she also feels it’s the only place she should be. Against her mother’s wishes, Sasha leaves behind all that is familiar and begins her education.

As she quickly discovers, the institute’s "special technologies" are unlike anything she has ever encountered. The books are impossible to read, the lessons obscure to the point of maddening, and the work refuses memorization. Using terror and coercion to keep the students in line, the school does not punish them for their transgressions and failures; instead, their families pay a terrible price. Yet despite her fear, Sasha undergoes changes that defy the dictates of matter and time; experiences which are nothing she has ever dreamed of . . . and suddenly all she could ever want.

A complex blend of adventure, magic, science, and philosophy that probes the mysteries of existence, filtered through a distinct Russian sensibility, this astonishing work of speculative fiction—brilliantly translated by Julia Meitov Hersey—is reminiscent of modern classics such as Lev Grossman’s The Magicians, Max Barry’s Lexicon, and Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale, but will transport them to a place far beyond those fantastical worlds.]]> 408 Marina Dyachenko 0062694596 sama 0 to-read 4.00 2007
author: Marina Dyachenko
name: sama
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 210395729 The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue meets This is How You Lose The Time War in this fantastical love story that defies death as two souls reincarnate through the centuries.

They've loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They've killed each other in every one.

Evelyn remembers all her past lives. She also remembers that in every single one, she’s been murdered before her eighteenth birthday by Arden, a supernatural being whose soul―and survival―is tethered to hers.

The problem is that she’s quite fond of the life she’s in now, and her little sister needs her for bone marrow transplants in order to stay alive. If Evelyn wants to save her sister, she’ll have to:

1. Find the centuries-old devil who hunts her through each life―before they find her first.
2. Figure out why she’s being hunted and finally break their curse.
3. Try not to fall in love.]]> 352 Laura Steven 1250333881 sama 0 to-read 3.81 2025
author: Laura Steven
name: sama
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 218559595 Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years--or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.]]> 384 Emily Henry 059344129X sama 0 to-read 4.26 2025
author: Emily Henry
name: sama
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 222532716 He had everything he could’ve wanted…except her.

Dangerous. Powerful. Reclusive.
��
Vuk Markovic is notorious for shunning human interactions. The scarred billionaire rarely talks, and he has no interest in relationships outside his small but trusted circle.
��
His only exception? Her . The beauty to his beast, the object of his obsession.
��
He saw her first. He wanted her first. But now, she’s engaged to his oldest friend—and the closer the wedding looms, the more he’s torn between loyalty and desire.
��
She should be his…and he might just risk it all to have her.
��
***
Beautiful. Successful. Glamorous.
��
To the world, supermodel Ayana Kidane leads the perfect life. Her career has skyrocketed, and she’s engaged to one of New York’s most eligible bachelors.
��
What people don't know is that the engagement is only a business arrangement. He gets his inheritance when they marry; she gets the money she needs to leave her abusive agency.
��
Pretending to be in love should be easy—until she finds herself increasingly drawn to her fiancé’s enigmatic best man.
��
Vuk thrills and terrifies her in equal measure. She knows she should stay away, but when her wedding is thrown into chaos, he’s the only person she finds comfort in��
��
Until his past catches up with them and threatens everything they love.]]> Ana Huang 0349436398 sama 0 to-read 2.00 2025
author: Ana Huang
name: sama
average rating: 2.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214151202 “The farmer is dead. He is dead, and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.��

Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.

As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.

A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.]]> 320 Clare Leslie Hall 166807818X sama 0 to-read 4.45 2025
author: Clare Leslie Hall
name: sama
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214268979 From the New York Times��bestselling author of We Were the Lucky Ones, an unforgettable story of hardship and hope, courage and resilience, that follows one young woman’s journey through war-torn Italy

1940, Emilia Romagna. Lili and Esti have been best friends since meeting at the University of Ferrara; when Esti’s son Theo is born, they become as close as sisters. There is a war being fought across borders, and in Italy, Mussolini’s Racial Laws have deemed Lili and Esti descendants of an ‘inferior�� Jewish race, but life somehow goes on—until Germany invades northern Italy, and the friends find themselves in occupied territory

Esti, older and fiercely self-assured, convinces Lili to flee first to a villa in the countryside to help hide a group of young war orphans, then to a convent in Florence, where they pose as nuns and forge false identification papers for the Underground. When disaster strikes at the convent, a critically wounded Esti asks Lili to take a much bigger step: To go on the run with Theo. Protect him while Esti can’t.

Terrified to travel on her own, Lili sets out on an epic journey south toward Allied territory, through Nazi-occupied villages and bombed-out cities, doing everything she can to keep Theo safe.

A remarkable tale of friendship, motherhood, and survival,One Good Thing is a tender reminder that love for another person, even amidst darkness and uncertainty, can be reason to keep going.]]> 432 Georgia Hunter 1984880934 sama 0 to-read 4.27 2025
author: Georgia Hunter
name: sama
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 210693153 In the beloved tradition of Howl’s Moving Castle, a whimsical and unforgettable story of fantastic adventure, common sense, and the power of love to overcome the greatest of obstacles . . .

Before Foss Butcher was Snagged, she thought no more of the magic-users than did anyone else in her tiny village. Sometimes gorgeous women in impossible carriages rolled into town and took bits of people’s hearts. Everyone knew hearts fueled their magic. But Foss, plain, clumsy, and practical as a boot, never expected anyone would want hers.

True enough, when the only sorcerer in the kingdom stepped from his glossy carriage, he didn’t intend to hook Foss. Sylvester’s riot of black curls and perfectly etched cheekbones caught her eye a moment too long, that was all. Suddenly, Foss is cursed and finds herself stomping toward the grand City to keep his enchanted House, where her only friend is a talking cat and the walls themselves have moods.

But as Foss learns the ways of magic, she realizes she’s far from its only unwilling captive. Even Sylvester is hemmed in by spells and threats. It’s said this sorcery protects king, country, and order for thousands. If Foss wants to free herself—and, perhaps, Sylvester—she’ll have to confront it all . . . and uncover the blight nestled in the heart of the kingdom itself.]]> 448 Andrea Eames 1645661881 sama 0 to-read 3.63 2025
author: Andrea Eames
name: sama
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 55648820
When Shane and Eva meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly, raising not only their past buried traumas, but the eyebrows of New York's Black literati. What no one knows is that twenty years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love. They may be pretending that everything is fine now, but they can't deny their chemistry - or the fact that they've been secretly writing to each other in their books ever since.

Over the next seven days in the middle of a steamy Brooklyn summer, Eva and Shane reconnect, but Eva's not sure how she can trust the man who broke her heart, and she needs to get him out of New York so that her life can return to normal. But before Shane disappears again, there are a few questions she needs answered...

With its keen observations of Black life and the condition of modern motherhood, as well as the consequences of motherless-ness, Seven Days in June is by turns humorous, warm and deeply sensual.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781538719107.]]> 336 Tia Williams sama 0 to-read 3.98 2021
author: Tia Williams
name: sama
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 157993
Few stories are as widely read and as universally cherished by children and adults alike as The Little Prince, presented here in a stunning new translation with carefully restored artwork. The definitive edition of a worldwide classic, it will capture the hearts of readers of all ages.]]> 96 Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 0152023984 sama 0 to-read 4.32 1943
author: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
name: sama
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1943
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58724923 A wildly inventive spin on the supernatural thriller, about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets.

Mallory Quinn is fresh out of rehab when she takes a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy.

Mallory immediately loves it. She has her own living space, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. And she sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman’s lifeless body.

Then, Teddy’s artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and his stick figures quickly evolve into lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder if these are glimpses of a long-unsolved murder, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force.

Knowing just how crazy it all sounds, Mallory nevertheless sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy before it’s too late.]]> 372 Jason Rekulak 1250819342 sama 0 physical-tbr, to-read 4.12 2022
author: Jason Rekulak
name: sama
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: physical-tbr, to-read
review:

]]> 54613751
Iris has spent most of her teenage years trying to avoid the weirdness that sticks to her like tar. But when her eldest sister, Grey, goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Iris learns just how weird her life can get: horned men start shadowing her, a corpse falls out of her sister’s ceiling, and ugly, impossible memories start to twist their way to the forefront of her mind.

As Iris retraces Grey’s last known footsteps and follows the increasingly bizarre trail of breadcrumbs she left behind, it becomes apparent that the only way to save her sister is to decipher the mystery of what happened to them as children.

The closer Iris gets to the truth, the closer she comes to understanding that the answer is dark and dangerous �� and that Grey has been keeping a terrible secret from her for years.]]> 292 Krystal Sutherland 059311034X sama 0 physical-tbr, to-read 4.03 2021
author: Krystal Sutherland
name: sama
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: physical-tbr, to-read
review:

]]> 59406549 Why save the world when you can have tea?

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.

Calling on some of the city's most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the sinister, glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it.

From the New York Times—bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame comes the first book in a hotly anticipated fantasy duology teeming with romance and revenge, led by an orphan girl willing to do whatever it takes to save her self-made kingdom. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.]]> 338 Hafsah Faizal 0374389403 sama 0 to-read, physical-tbr 3.50 2024
author: Hafsah Faizal
name: sama
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 58410355 The seductive and action-packed follow-up to Alex Aster’s instant #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and internationally bestselling novel, Lightlark

Isla Crown has secured the love of two powerful rulers and broken the curses that plagued the six realms for centuries, but few know the true origins of her powers.

Now, in the wake of a crushing betrayal, Isla finds herself struggling to win respect as the newly crowned leader of two separate realms. Worse, her fellow rulers haven’t ceded victory quietly, and there are others in Isla’s midst who don’t believe her ascent to power was earned.

As certain death races toward Lightlark and secrets from the past begin to unravel, Isla must weigh her responsibility to her people against the whims of the most dangerous traitor of all: her heart.

Alex Aster’s intricate world expands after the riveting culmination of the Centennial games, delving more deeply into Isla’s memories of her past, as her future hurtles toward two possible fates.]]> 432 Alex Aster sama 0 to-read, physical-tbr 4.11 2023
author: Alex Aster
name: sama
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 50202953
There is one other person in the house—a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.]]> 272 Susanna Clarke 163557563X sama 0 to-read, physical-tbr 4.22 2020
author: Susanna Clarke
name: sama
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 18774964
Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.]]> 337 Fredrik Backman 1476738017 sama 0 physical-tbr, to-read 4.35 2012
author: Fredrik Backman
name: sama
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: physical-tbr, to-read
review:

]]> 33413128
People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.

Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.]]> 432 Fredrik Backman sama 0 physical-tbr, to-read 4.27 2016
author: Fredrik Backman
name: sama
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: physical-tbr, to-read
review:

]]> 42201395
Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.]]> 456 Margaret Rogerson 1481497618 sama 0 physical-tbr, to-read 4.03 2019
author: Margaret Rogerson
name: sama
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: physical-tbr, to-read
review:

]]> 28954189 Thou shalt kill.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art�� of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

An alternate cover edition of ISBN: 9781442472426]]> 435 Neal Shusterman sama 0 to-read, physical-tbr 4.32 2016
author: Neal Shusterman
name: sama
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 30319086
As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.]]> 354 M.L. Rio 125009528X sama 0 physical-tbr 4.11 2017
author: M.L. Rio
name: sama
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: physical-tbr
review:

]]> 199026522 In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend—and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.

The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul de sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul de sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?

The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed monsters roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate.

The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present.]]> 367 Riley Sager 0593472373 sama 0 to-read 3.66 2024
author: Riley Sager
name: sama
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 200987323 In this wildly funny and heartwarming office comedy, an admin worker accidentally gains access to her colleagues�� private emails and DMs and decides to use this intel to save her job—a laugh-till-you-cry debut novel you’ll be eager to share with your entire list of contacts, perfect for fans of Anxious People and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.

As far as Jolene is concerned, her interactions with her colleagues should start and end with her official duties as an admin for Supershops, Inc. Unfortunately, her irritating, incompetent coworkers don’t seem to understand the importance of boundaries. Her secret to survival? She vents her grievances in petty email postscripts, then changes the text colour to white so no one can see. That is, until one of her secret messages is exposed. Her punishment: sensitivity training (led by the suspiciously friendly HR guy, Cliff) and rigorous email restrictions.

When an IT mix-up grants her access to her entire department’s private emails and DMs, Jolene knows she should report it, but who could resist reading what their coworkers are really saying? And when she discovers layoffs are coming, she realizes this might just be the key to saving her job. The plan is simple: gain her boss’s favour, convince HR she’s Supershops material and beat out the competition.

But as Jolene is drawn further into her coworker’s private worlds and secrets, her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble—especially around Cliff, who she definitely cannot have feelings for. Soon she will need to decide if she’s ready to leave the comfort of her cubicle, even if it means coming clean to her colleagues.

Crackling with laugh-out-loud dialogue and relatable observations, I Hope This Finds You Well is a fresh and surprisingly tender comedy about loneliness and love beyond our computer screens. This sparkling debut novel will open your heart to the everyday eccentricities of work culture and the undeniable human connection that comes with it.]]> 338 Natalie Sue 0063320363 sama 0 to-read 3.75 2024
author: Natalie Sue
name: sama
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 127305713
Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe �� a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution �� who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch�� is falling in love.]]> 406 Kristen Ciccarelli 1250866901 sama 4 4.16 2024
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: sama
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/17
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves:
review:

]]> 165940202
Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.

Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.]]> 419 Danielle L. Jensen 0593599837 sama 0 to-read 3.91 2024
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: sama
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 213075476 This is an alternative cover edition for ISBN-13: 9781595148049.

Laia is a slave.��Elias is a soldier.��Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.]]> 480 Sabaa Tahir 1595148043 sama 0 to-read 4.18 2015
author: Sabaa Tahir
name: sama
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 204593914 Caraval meets Throne of the Fallen in this spicy dark romantasy where a necromancer needs help from a dangerous phantom to win a deadly competition, only to find their partnership puts her at risk of breaking the game’s most vital rule: don't fall in love.

When Ophelia and her sister discovers their mother brutally murdered, there is no time to grieve: Ophelia has inherited both her powerful death-driven magic and enormous debt on their home. Circumstances go from dire to deadly, however, when Ophelia’s sister decides to pay off the loan by entering Phantasma—a competition where most contestants don’t make it out alive and the winner is granted a single wish.

The only way to save her sister is to compete. But Phantasma is a cursed manor, with twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, and filled with enticing demons and fatal temptations. Ophelia will need to face nine floors of challenges to win... if her fears don’t overtake her first.

When a charming, arrogant stranger claims he can protect and guide Ophelia, she knows she shouldn’t trust him. While Blackwell may not seem dangerous, appearances can be deceptive. But with her sister’s life on the line, Ophelia can’t afford to turn him away. She just needs to ignore the overwhelming, dark attraction drawing them closer and closer together.

Because in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart.]]> 497 Kaylie Smith 1538769255 sama 0 to-read 4.06 2024
author: Kaylie Smith
name: sama
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 24044596
When the man you worshipped as a kid becomes your coach, it’s supposed to be the greatest thing in the world. Keywords: supposed to.

It didn't take a week for 27-year-old Sal Casillas to wonder what she'd seen in the international soccer icon - why she'd ever had his posters on her wall or ever envisioned marrying him and having super-playing soccer babies.

Sal had long ago gotten over the worst non-break-up in the history of imaginary relationships with a man who hadn't known she'd existed. So she isn't prepared for this version of Reiner Kulti who shows up to her team's season: a quiet, reclusive shadow of the explosive, passionate man he'd once been.]]> 570 Mariana Zapata sama 4 3.75 stars.

names the fmc has called the mmc:
the german
(my) german
berlin
german tank
german chocolate cake
german dingle-berry
pretzel face
frankfurter
bratwurst
pumpernickel
sauerkraut
��ü������

guys .. where do we think he’s from?]]> 4.22 2015
author: Mariana Zapata
name: sama
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/14
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves:
review:
⊹˚˖⚽️⁺ ₊�� 3.75 stars.

names the fmc has called the mmc:
the german
(my) german
berlin
german tank
german chocolate cake
german dingle-berry
pretzel face
frankfurter
bratwurst
pumpernickel
sauerkraut
��ü������

guys .. where do we think he’s from?
]]> 222706197 The HOTLY ANTICIPATED adult debut novel by the beloved, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING author of the Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart series

It starts with a class in an old movie theater.

Folklore 517: Local Legends and Urban Myths, taught by a woman called the Professor. Most students believe the Professor’s stories are just fiction, but Holland St. James has always been convinced that magic is real. When she tracks down a local legend named the Watch Man, who can supposedly tell you when you’ll die, the world finally makes sense. Except that the Watch Man tells her she will die at midnight tomorrow unless she finds an ancient object called the Alchemical Heart.

With the clock ticking, Holland is pulled deeper into this magical world in the heart of Los Angeles—and into the path of a magnetic stranger. Everything about him feels like a bad idea, but he promises Holland that her sister sent him to protect her. As they chase clues and stories that take them closer to the Alchemical Heart, Holland realizes everyone in this intoxicating new world is lying to her, even this stranger. And if she can’t figure out whom to trust, not even the Alchemical Heart will save her.]]> 304 Stephanie Garber 125078915X sama 0 to-read 4.71 2025
author: Stephanie Garber
name: sama
average rating: 4.71
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 29367958
But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she's beyond shocked.

For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn't find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He's asking for the unthinkable.

What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?]]> 475 Mariana Zapata sama 0 to-read 4.18 2016
author: Mariana Zapata
name: sama
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 146941869 512 Chloe Walsh 1464215995 sama 5 head-over-heels 4.44 2023
author: Chloe Walsh
name: sama
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/04/01
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: head-over-heels
review:

]]> 60788826
When their RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere with no cell service, they soon realize this is no accident. They have been trapped by someone out there in the dark, someone who clearly wants one of them dead.

With eight hours until dawn, the six friends must escape, or figure out which of them is the target. But is there a liar among them? Buried secrets will be forced to light and tensions inside the RV will reach deadly levels. Not all of them will survive the night...

Eight hours. Six friends. Five survive. A road trip turns deadly in this addictive YA thriller from the bestselling author of the worldwide phenomenon A GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER.]]> 388 Holly Jackson 0593374169 sama 5 head-over-heels ⊹˚�� 3.97 2022
author: Holly Jackson
name: sama
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/24
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: head-over-heels
review:
⊹˚��
]]> 61374793
Now trapped inside Jessica’s body, with access to Jessica’s most private journals and secrets, Jenna soon discovers that being the top student at the elite, highly competitive Havenwood Private Academy isn’t quite what she imagined. Worse, as everyone—including her own parents—start having trouble remembering who Jenna Chen is, or if she ever even existed, Jenna must decide if playing the role of the perfect daughter and student is worth losing her true self forever.]]> 320 Ann Liang 133552312X sama 4 4.09 2025
author: Ann Liang
name: sama
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves:
review:

]]> 41886271 A son struggling to grasp his violent future,
A father blind to the danger that threatens them all.

When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?

High on a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire’s enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name ‘The Sword of Kaigen.��

Born into Kusanagi’s legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: to master his family’s fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigen’s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might not have much time to become the fighter he was bred to be. Worse, the empire he was bred to defend may stand on a foundation of lies.

Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface.]]> 651 M.L. Wang sama 0 to-read 4.46 2019
author: M.L. Wang
name: sama
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 77197
Born on the wrong side of the sheets, Fitz, son of Chivalry Farseer, is a royal bastard, cast out into the world, friendless and lonely. Only his magical link with animals - the old art known as the Wit - gives him solace and companionship. But the Wit, if used too often, is a perilous magic, and one abhorred by the nobility.

So when Fitz is finally adopted into the royal household, he must give up his old ways and embrace a new life of weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly, as he trains to become a royal assassin.]]> 435 Robin Hobb 055357339X sama 0 to-read 4.21 1995
author: Robin Hobb
name: sama
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1995
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 195342176 2024 on ŷ������ should make an interesting and varied catalogue of books to inspire other readers in 2025.

For those of you who don't like to add titles you haven't actually 'read', you can place 2024 on ŷ������ on an 'exclusive' shelf. Exclusive shelves don't have to be listed under 'to read', 'currently reading' or 'read'. To create one, go to 'edit bookshelves' on your 'My Books' page, create a shelf name such as 'review-of-the year' and tick the 'exclusive' box. Your previous and future 'reviews of the year' can be collected together on this dedicated shelf.

Concept created by Fionnuala Lirsdottir.
Description: Fionnuala Lirsdottir
Cover art: Paul Cézanne, The House with the Cracked Walls, 1892-1894
Cover choice and graphics by Jayson]]> Various sama 0 annual-wrap-ups 4.15 2024
author: Various
name: sama
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves: annual-wrap-ups
review:
first year doing this so im sosososo excited, i can already tell this is going to be so fun
]]> 95558609
Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead.

Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.

But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking…]]> 336 Axie Oh sama 0 on-hold, physical-tbr 4.00 2022
author: Axie Oh
name: sama
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: on-hold, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 60178209
When Noah Walker finds Amelia on his front lawn in her broken-down car, he makes it clear he doesn’t have the time or patience for celebrity problems. He’s too busy running the pie shop his grandmother left him and reminding his nosy but lovable neighbors to mind their own damn business. Despite his better judgment, he lets her stay in his guest room—but only until her car is fixed—then she’s on her own.

Then Noah starts to see a different side of Rae Rose—she’s Amelia: kindhearted and goofy, yet lonely from years in the public eye. He can’t help but get close to her. Soon she’ll have to return to her glamorous life on tour, but until then, Noah will show Amelia all the charming small-town experiences she’s been missing, and she’ll help him open his heart to more.

Amelia can’t resist falling for the cozy town and her grumpy tour guide, but even Audrey had to leave Rome eventually.]]> 312 Sarah Adams 0593500792 sama 3 ⊹˚�� 3.99 2022
author: Sarah Adams
name: sama
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/24
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves:
review:
⊹˚��
]]> 60737486 It's difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you're a young lady with only half a soul.

Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment - a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season - but when the strange, handsome and utterly uncouth Lord Sorcier discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into dangerous and peculiar faerie affairs.

If Dora's reputation can survive both her curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world. . . but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul.

Bridgerton meets Howl's Moving Castle in this enchanting historical fantasy, where the only thing more meddlesome than faeries is a marriage-minded mother.

Pick up HALF A SOUL, and be stolen away into Olivia Atwater's charming, magical version of Regency England!]]> 321 Olivia Atwater 0356518752 sama 4 3.96 2020
author: Olivia Atwater
name: sama
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 196219692
She's the quintessential sunshine girl. He's the lovable class clown. But storm clouds are rolling in, and this Tommen boy is about to get serious.

Tommen's cheekiest lad, Gerard 'Gibsie' Gibson, has always been a comedian, but most people don't see what lurks beneath the surface. He is haunted by events of the past and he uses humor to cope, hiding his true self from the world.

Claire Biggs, the epitome of sunshine, has always loved Gibsie, her brother's friend and her favorite neighbor. She has always seen a side to him that no one else seems to notice. She becomes determined to tame her wild-at-heart childhood best friend.

When lines are crossed, it becomes unclear whether Gibsie and Claire's friendship will survive. Will it blossom into something more, or will they lose themselves in the wild?

Following characters that readers have grown to adore, Taming 7 will only expand your love for the Boys of Tommen universe. This book is perfect for readers looking

New adult/YA crossover Irish romanceDual POVsFriends-to-loversAngsty tearjerkersBingeworthy TikTok books]]> 464 Chloe Walsh sama 3 4.29 2024
author: Chloe Walsh
name: sama
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/14
date added: 2024/12/14
shelves:
review:
gibsie and lizzie should work it out on the remix.
]]> 136339410 Alternate cover editions can be found here, here, and here

A gripping novel about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock group and their beautiful lead singer, revealing the mystery behind their infamous break up.

Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the real reason why they split at the absolute height of their popularity…until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go-Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Another band getting noticed is The Six, led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.]]> 416 Taylor Jenkins Reid 1787462145 sama 3 ⊹˚�� 4.18 2019
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: sama
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/23
date added: 2024/10/30
shelves:
review:
⊹˚��
]]> 208430658 Magic has made the city of Tiran an industrial utopia, but magic has a cost—and 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—if 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 sama 0 to-read 4.41 2023
author: M.L. Wang
name: sama
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 55959425 The past never forgets...

Before an ambush by enemy soldiers, Lord Cassia was an engineer's apprentice on a mission entrusted by the king. But when plague sweeps over the land, leaving countless dead and devastating the kingdom, even Cas�� title cannot save him from a rotting prison cell and a merciless sickness.

Three years later, Cas wants only to return to his home in the mountains and forget past horrors. But home is not what he remembers. His castle has become a refuge for the royal court. And they have brought their enemies with them.

When an assassin targets those closest to the queen, Cas is drawn into a search for a killer�� one that leads him to form an unexpected bond with a brilliant young historian named Lena. Cas and Lena soon realize that who is behind the attacks is far less important than why. They must look to the past, following the trail of a terrible secret—one that could threaten the kingdom’s newfound peace and plunge it back into war.]]> 324 Makiia Lucier 0358272092 sama 0 to-read 4.04 2021
author: Makiia Lucier
name: sama
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60556912
Every day I clean the Winchesters�� beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out�� and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of��

An unbelievably twisty read that will have you glued to the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to put this down!]]> 329 Freida McFadden 1803144378 sama 2 off-with-your-head ⊹˚�� 4.31 2022
author: Freida McFadden
name: sama
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/23
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves: off-with-your-head
review:
⊹˚��
]]> 203664018 Welcome, welcome back to the enchanting world of Caraval! Return to the legendary magic and the whimsical wonder with this beautifully illustrated holiday novella.

Snowflakes are falling.
Invitations are arriving.
And holiday magic is swirling in the capital city of the Meridian Empire.

It’s Great Holiday Eve Eve. Scarlett Dragna is planning a spectacular Holiday celebration for the city. Donatella is searching for the perfect gift. Julian is looking ridiculously handsome in green. And Legend . . .

Well, sadly Legend is not fond of the Great Holiday. Tella is hoping her perfect gift will change his mind. Unfortunately, she hasn’t found this perfect gift just yet. But it is Great Holiday Eve Eve . . . surely there’s some holiday magic swirling around.

Welcome, welcome back to the world of Caraval, where even holidays are not as they seem.

Set after Stephanie Garber's #1 New York Times bestselling Caraval series, this delightful novella will take readers on the ultimate holiday adventure full of clockwork boys, poisoned candy, impish snow globes, merriment, and—if Tella gets her way—love.

Gorgeously illustrated by Rosie Fowinkle, Spectacular is the perfect edition for collectors, readers, dreamers, and lovers of holiday magic.]]> 205 Stephanie Garber 1250893445 sama 5 5 stars.

STEPHANIE, JUST TAKE ALL OF MY STARS - IM BEGGING YOU. �� �� �� �� �� ��

�� this review does not include spoilers but just for the record, there aren’t any evajacks cameos you yappers!

this review is going to be shorter than my typical ones since this is a teeny weeny novella, which i do not normally write reviews for. anywho..

this novella seriously gave me such a strong sense of nostalgia, not only for stephanie garbers enthralling writing, but for the characters whom i love so much!! it really reminded me of how much i loved reading about this universe (even though its only been a little bit over a year since i was introduced to it) so i was filled with so much awe and sentiment while reading. the way holiday elements like presents, elves, and familiar christmas candy were weaved into the story made it seem even more enchanting, and i was so immersed into the magical worldbuilding in account of stephanie garber’s hooking writing! not only were these two factors excellent, but they were supported by incredible illustrations by rosie fowinkle that presented valenda and the characters so exceptionally.

the sheer amount of giggles that were giggled while reading this was definitely a sight to behold, probably making me look even more bonkers. as a person whos favorite couple in the series was tellalegend��stop booing me, i know they aren’t the favored couple—i found that i thoroughly enjoyed this. this book zooms in on tella and legends relationship, primarily focusing on tella’s character and an ambitious adventure she embarks on here! i personally loved this a lot, and the chemistry between tella and legend induced much needed feet-kicking, blushing, gasping, and more giggling. although it was brief, the way we see scarlett and julian’s relationship presented here was so wholesome, and it was so touching to see their growth in the relationship.

in conclusion, it lived up to my expectations and beyond. the book was very simple (well duh, its a novella) which was a really good feature, since i haven’t read the caraval series in more than a year. when necessary, footnotes were provided that helped me remember a few relevant characters and aspects of the world! adding onto this, it was really lighthearted and cute in content, being exactly what i needed to fully get out of my recent slump. this was the perfect follow-up to finale, and i already miss all the characters *sniffles*. it was so fun to re-escape into the world of caraval even if it was only for 200 pages, and i would like a thousand more books surrounding it, thanks.]]> 3.53 2024
author: Stephanie Garber
name: sama
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/23
date added: 2024/10/24
shelves:
review:
⊹˚˖❄️⁺ ₊�� 5 stars.

STEPHANIE, JUST TAKE ALL OF MY STARS - IM BEGGING YOU. �� �� �� �� �� ��

�� this review does not include spoilers but just for the record, there aren’t any evajacks cameos you yappers!

this review is going to be shorter than my typical ones since this is a teeny weeny novella, which i do not normally write reviews for. anywho..

this novella seriously gave me such a strong sense of nostalgia, not only for stephanie garbers enthralling writing, but for the characters whom i love so much!! it really reminded me of how much i loved reading about this universe (even though its only been a little bit over a year since i was introduced to it) so i was filled with so much awe and sentiment while reading. the way holiday elements like presents, elves, and familiar christmas candy were weaved into the story made it seem even more enchanting, and i was so immersed into the magical worldbuilding in account of stephanie garber’s hooking writing! not only were these two factors excellent, but they were supported by incredible illustrations by rosie fowinkle that presented valenda and the characters so exceptionally.

the sheer amount of giggles that were giggled while reading this was definitely a sight to behold, probably making me look even more bonkers. as a person whos favorite couple in the series was tellalegend��stop booing me, i know they aren’t the favored couple—i found that i thoroughly enjoyed this. this book zooms in on tella and legends relationship, primarily focusing on tella’s character and an ambitious adventure she embarks on here! i personally loved this a lot, and the chemistry between tella and legend induced much needed feet-kicking, blushing, gasping, and more giggling. although it was brief, the way we see scarlett and julian’s relationship presented here was so wholesome, and it was so touching to see their growth in the relationship.

in conclusion, it lived up to my expectations and beyond. the book was very simple (well duh, its a novella) which was a really good feature, since i haven’t read the caraval series in more than a year. when necessary, footnotes were provided that helped me remember a few relevant characters and aspects of the world! adding onto this, it was really lighthearted and cute in content, being exactly what i needed to fully get out of my recent slump. this was the perfect follow-up to finale, and i already miss all the characters *sniffles*. it was so fun to re-escape into the world of caraval even if it was only for 200 pages, and i would like a thousand more books surrounding it, thanks.
]]> 34051011
Richly told and profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty. From bustling street markets to the halls of Japan's finest universities to the pachinko parlors of the criminal underworld, Lee's complex and passionate characters—strong, stubborn women, devoted sisters and sons, fathers shaken by moral crisis—survive and thrive against the indifferent arc of history.]]> 496 Min Jin Lee sama 0 to-read 4.35 2017
author: Min Jin Lee
name: sama
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220223963 The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder—now a hit Netflix series—returns with her first novel for adults: a twisty thriller about a young woman trying to solve her own murder.

In seven days Jet Mason will be dead.

Jet is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. Twenty-seven years old, she’s still waiting for her life to begin. I’ll do it later, she always says. She has time.

Until Halloween night, when Jet is violently attacked by an unseen intruder.

She suffers a catastrophic head injury. The doctor is certain that within a week, the injury will trigger a deadly aneurysm.

Jet has never thought of herself as having enemies. But now she looks at everyone in a new light: her family, her former best friend turned sister-in-law, her ex-boyfriend.

She has at most seven days, and as her condition deteriorates she has only her childhood friend Billy for help. But nevertheless, she’s absolutely determined to finally finish something:

Jet is going to solve her own murder.]]> 400 Holly Jackson 059397705X sama 0 to-read 4.44 2025
author: Holly Jackson
name: sama
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/12
shelves: to-read
review:
brb gonna go squeal and run 5 laps
]]> 20935171
We are beautiful, privileged and live a life of carefree luxury.

We are cracked and broken.

A story of love and romance.

A tale of tragedy.

Which are lies?

Which is truth?

You decide.]]> 225 E. Lockhart 147140398X sama 2 3.65 2014
author: E. Lockhart
name: sama
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2024/08/04
date added: 2024/10/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 50520939
Enter the latest round of six: Libby Rhodes and Nico de Varona, unwilling halves of an unfathomable whole, who exert uncanny control over every element of physicality. Reina Mori, a naturalist, who can intuit the language of life itself. Parisa Kamali, a telepath who can traverse the depths of the subconscious, navigating worlds inside the human mind. Callum Nova, an empath easily mistaken for a manipulative illusionist, who can influence the intimate workings of a person’s inner self. Finally, there is Tristan Caine, who can see through illusions to a new structure of reality—an ability so rare that neither he nor his peers can fully grasp its implications.

When the candidates are recruited by the mysterious Atlas Blakely, they are told they will have one year to qualify for initiation, during which time they will be permitted preliminary access to the Society’s archives and judged based on their contributions to various subjects of impossibility: time and space, luck and thought, life and death. Five, they are told, will be initiated. One will be eliminated. The six potential initiates will fight to survive the next year of their lives, and if they can prove themselves to be the best among their rivals, most of them will.

Most of them.]]> 376 Olivie Blake sama 3 ⊹˚�� 3.56 2020
author: Olivie Blake
name: sama
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/29
date added: 2024/10/07
shelves:
review:
⊹˚��
]]> 49826643
Ripped from a forgotten homeland as a child, Tisaanah learned how to survive with nothing but a sharp wit and a touch of magic. But the night she tries to buy her freedom, she barely escapes with her life.

Desperate to save the best friend she left behind, Tisaanah journeys to the Orders, the most powerful organizations of magic Wielders in the world. But to join their ranks, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius Farlione, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder who despises the Orders.

The Orders�� intentions are cryptic, and Tisaanah must prove herself under the threat of looming war. But even more dangerous are her growing feelings for Maxantarius. The bloody past he wants to forget may be the key to her future�� or the downfall of them both.

But Tisaanah will stop at nothing to save those she abandoned. Even if it means gambling in the Orders�� deadly games. Even if it means sacrificing her heart.

Even if it means wielding death itself.

Fans of epic romantic fantasy like Sarah J. Maas and Raven Kennedy will devour this tale of dark magic, passionate romance, vengeance, and redemption.]]> 520 Carissa Broadbent sama 0 to-read 4.03 2020
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: sama
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61748924 A glorious empire. A desperate quest. An ancient secret.

The search for allies extends to a new land in the sixth book of the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.

Chaol Westfall and Nesryn Faliq have arrived in the shining city of Antica to forge an alliance with the Khagan of the Southern Continent, whose vast armies are Erilea's last hope. But they have also come to Antica for another purpose: to seek healing at the famed Torre Cesme for the wounds Chaol received in Rifthold.

After enduring unspeakable horrors as a child at the hands of Adarlanian soldiers, Yrene Towers has no desire to help the young lord from Adarlan, let alone heal him. Yet she has sworn an oath to assist those in need, and she will honour it. But Lord Westfall carries his own dark past, and Yrene soon realises that those shadows could engulf them both.

Chaol, Nesryn, and Yrene will have to draw on every scrap of their resilience to overcome the danger that surrounds them. But while they become entangled in the political webs of the khaganate, long-awaited answers slumber deep in the mountains, where warriors soar on legendary ruks. Answers that might offer their world a chance at survival ... or doom them all.

The final battle looms in this sixth book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series.]]> 660 Sarah J. Maas 1526635283 sama 0 on-hold 4.27 2017
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: sama
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: on-hold
review:

]]> 61748951 Only the greatest sacrifice can turn the tide of war.

War is brewing in the fifth book of the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves increasingly at odds with those who don't.

With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, dark forces stand poised to claim her world. The only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may take more from Aelin than she has to give, a quest that forces her to choose what - and who -she's willing to sacrifice for the sake of peace.

Kingdoms collide in this fifth book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series.]]> 693 Sarah J. Maas 1526635267 sama 0 on-hold 4.68 2016
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: sama
average rating: 4.68
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: on-hold
review:

]]> 208963056 FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BETTER THAN THE MOVIES!

Emilie has the worst Valentine’s Day ever—only to relive it over and over again. Perfect riotous romantic YA fiction where 50 First Dates meets Groundhog Day.

After living through a dumpster fire of a Valentine’s Day, Emilie escapes to her grandmother’s house for some comfort and a consolation pint of Ben & Jerry’s. She passes out on the couch, but when she wakes up, she’s back home in her own bed—and it’s Valentine’s Day all over again. And the next day?��Another��nightmare V-Day.

Emilie is stuck in some sort of time loop nightmare that she can’t wake up from as she re-watches her boyfriend, Josh, cheat on her day after day. Not only that but Emilie can’t get away from the enigmatic Nick, who she keeps running into—sometimes literally—in unfortunate ways.

How many days can one girl passively watch her life go up in flames? And when something good starts to come out of these terrible days, what happens when the universe stops doling out do-overs?

Pre-order Nothing Like the Movies,�� the swoony sequel to�� Better than the Movies and don't miss out on Betting on You�� from Lynn Painter!
��]]> 301 Lynn Painter sama 4 <br />⊹˚�� 4.08 2022
author: Lynn Painter
name: sama
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/23
date added: 2024/09/25
shelves:
review:

⊹˚��
]]> 39679076 In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.]]> 403 Erin A. Craig 1984831925 sama 0 to-read 3.89 2019
author: Erin A. Craig
name: sama
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61273146 One of Us is Lying meets A Deadly Education in this fantasy thriller that follows six teenage wizards as they fight to make it home alive after a malfunctioning spell leaves them stranded in the wilderness.

Ren Monroe has spent four years proving she’s one of the best wizards in her generation. But top marks at Balmerick University will mean nothing if she fails to get recruited into one of the major houses. Enter Theo Brood. If being rich were a sin, he’d already be halfway to hell. After a failed and disastrous party trick, fate has the two of them crossing paths at the public waxway portal the day before holidays—Theo’s punishment is to travel home with the scholarship kids. Which doesn’t sit well with any of them.

A fight breaks out. In the chaos, the portal spell malfunctions. All six students are snatched from the safety of the school’s campus and set down in the middle of nowhere. And one of them is dead on arrival.

If anyone can get them through the punishing wilderness with limited magical reserves it’s Ren. She’s been in survival mode her entire life. But no magic could prepare her for the tangled secrets the rest of the group is harboring, or for what’s following them through the dark woods…]]> 368 Scott Reintgen 1665918683 sama 0 to-read 3.83 2023
author: Scott Reintgen
name: sama
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58966216 From highly acclaimed, bestselling author Ava Reid comes a gothic horror retelling of The Juniper Tree, set in another time and place within the world of The Wolf and the Woodsman, where a young witch seeks to discover her identity and escape the domination of her abusive wizard father, perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson and Catherynne M. Valente.

A gruesome curse. A city in upheaval. A monster with unquenchable appetites.

Marlinchen and her two sisters live with their wizard father in a city shifting from magic to industry. As Oblya’s last true witches, she and her sisters are little more than a tourist trap as they treat their clients with archaic remedies and beguile them with nostalgic charm. Marlinchen spends her days divining secrets in exchange for rubles and trying to placate her tyrannical, xenophobic father, who keeps his daughters sequestered from the outside world. But at night, Marlinchen and her sisters sneak out to enjoy the city’s amenities and revel in its thrills, particularly the recently established ballet theater, where Marlinchen meets a dancer who quickly captures her heart.

As Marlinchen’s late-night trysts grow more fervent and frequent, so does the threat of her father’s rage and magic. And while Oblya flourishes with culture and bustles with enterprise, a monster lurks in its midst, borne of intolerance and resentment and suffused with old-world power. Caught between history and progress and blood and desire, Marlinchen must draw upon her own magic to keep her city safe and find her place within it.]]> 368 Ava Reid 0062973169 sama 0 to-read 3.64 2022
author: Ava Reid
name: sama
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 124950295 397 Hannah Bonam-Young 1778027784 sama 0 to-read 4.26 2023
author: Hannah Bonam-Young
name: sama
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61748947 No masters. No limits. No regrets.

Aelin Galathynius takes her place as queen in the fourth book of the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.

Celaena Sardothien has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Everyone Aelin loves has been taken from her. Everything she holds dear is in danger. But she has the heart of a queen - and that heart beats for vengeance.

In this fourth book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, no one will escape the queen's wrath.]]> 656 Sarah J. Maas 1526635259 sama 5 4.69 2015
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: sama
average rating: 4.69
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/08
date added: 2024/09/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 7445 THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette's brilliant and charismatic father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn't want the responsibility of raising a family.

The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.

The Glass Castle is truly astonishing--a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar but loyal family.]]> 288 Jeannette Walls 074324754X sama 0 to-read 4.32 2005
author: Jeannette Walls
name: sama
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 44280973
As they delve deeper into the dead woman’s secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.

But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.]]> 326 June Hur 1250229553 sama 0 to-read 3.82 2021
author: June Hur
name: sama
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/01
shelves: to-read
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]]> 60310757 Welcome to the Centennial.

Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The invitation is a summons—a call to embrace victory and ruin, baubles and blood. The Centennial offers the six rulers one final chance to break the curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. Each ruler has something to hide. Each realm’s curse is uniquely wicked. To destroy the curses, one ruler must die.

Isla Crown is the young ruler of Wildling—a realm of temptresses cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with. They are feared and despised, and are counting on Isla to end their suffering by succeeding at the Centennial.

To survive, Isla must lie, cheat, and betray…even as love complicates everything.]]> 416 Alex Aster 1419760866 sama 4 ⊹˚�� 3.84 2022
author: Alex Aster
name: sama
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/25
date added: 2024/08/31
shelves:
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⊹˚��
]]> 205335957
Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum's windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.

Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil's visions. But when Sybil's fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral's cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she'd rather avoid Rodrick's dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.]]> 400 Rachel Gillig 0356522962 sama 0 to-read 4.61 2025
author: Rachel Gillig
name: sama
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/25
shelves: to-read
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]]> 62583508
They’re opposites in every way. She overthinks everything; he is her twin brother’s wild and unpredictable friend. But over secret walks home and late-night phone calls, they become closer—destined to be one another’s great love story.

Until, one day, tragedy strikes, and their future together is shattered.

But as the years roll on, Will and Rosie can’t help but find their way back to each other. Time and again, they come close to rekindling what might have been.

What do you do when the one person you should forget is the one you just can’t let go?]]> 400 Claire Daverley 0593653483 sama 0 to-read 3.91 2023
author: Claire Daverley
name: sama
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/24
shelves: to-read
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]]> 216364822 Lose yourself in this exhilarating return to the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe, the first book in a new series set ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment.

James Anderson had a plan. Or half of one. All that matters is that he managed to do what his older brother, the famous Aaron Warner Anderson, never did: infiltrate Ark Island, the last refuge of The Reestablishment. In the past decade no outsider has breached the stronghold of the authoritarian regime, but James is in. In a prison cell, sure, but as far as James is concerned, a win is a win.

It’s been ten years since the fall of The Reestablishment. Ten years since the notorious duo �� Juliette Ferrars and Aaron Warner Anderson �� led a worldwide rebellion and established the New Republic of the West. But after a decade of unsettling quiet, The Reestablishment is ready to make a devastating move, and they have the perfect person for the job.

Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. She always has a plan. On Ark Island, where constant surveillance is packaged as security, even emotions must be experienced with caution. A trained assassin, her every movement is monitored by synthetic intelligence—and when she’s given an order to kill, she never hesitates.

Brimming with pulse-pounding action and torturous romance, Watch Me is an explosive journey through a dystopian landscape where enemies-to-lovers has never felt more impossible. Step into a beloved and breathtaking world that demands an answer to a desperate question��

Who are we when no one is watching?]]> 368 Tahereh Mafi 0063419009 sama 0 to-read 4.55 2025
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: sama
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/20
shelves: to-read
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WHAT THE HECKK this actually sounds so good
]]> 30117284 In a galaxy powered by the current, everyone has a gift.

Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power—something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.

Akos is the son of a farmer and an oracle from the frozen nation-planet of Thuvhe. Protected by his unusual currentgift, Akos is generous in spirit, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive—no matter what the cost.

Then Akos is thrust into Cyra's world, and the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. Will they help each other to survive, or will they destroy one another?

Carve the Mark is Veronica Roth's stunning portrayal of the power of friendship—and love—in a galaxy filled with unexpected gifts.]]> 468 Veronica Roth 0062348639 sama 0 to-read 3.78 2017
author: Veronica Roth
name: sama
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/20
shelves: to-read
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]]> 62334530 Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.

A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?]]> 390 Lisa Jewell 1982179007 sama 0 to-read 4.08 2023
author: Lisa Jewell
name: sama
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/08/20
shelves: to-read
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]]> 57660836 570 Mariana Zapata 1953262015 sama 4 4.25 2021
author: Mariana Zapata
name: sama
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/19
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves:
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yk its good when they are literally lorelai and luke from another universe.
]]> 63922274 A sweeping, heart-stopping epic of a young woman's journey to becoming, set against the harsh beauty of mid-century Colorado

On a cool autumn day in 1948, Victoria Nash delivers late-season peaches from her family's farm set amid the wild beauty of Colorado. As she heads into her village, a disheveled stranger stops to ask her the way. How she chooses to answer will unknowingly alter the course of both their young lives.

So begins the mesmerizing story of split-second choices and courageous acts that propel Victoria away from the only home she has ever known and towards a reckoning with loss, hope and her own untapped strength.

Gathering all the pieces of her small and extraordinary existence, spinning through the eddies of desire, heartbreak and betrayal, she will arrive at a single rocky decision that will change her life forever.

Go as a River is a heart-wrenching coming-of-age story and a drama of enthralling power. Combining unforgettable characters and a breathtaking natural setting, it is a sweeping story of survival and becoming, of the deepest mysteries of love, truth and fate.]]> 320 Shelley Read 1954118236 sama 0 to-read 4.20 2023
author: Shelley Read
name: sama
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/17
shelves: to-read
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]]> 63241104 In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America’s finest writers.

In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.]]> 309 Ann Patchett 006332752X sama 0 to-read 3.92 2023
author: Ann Patchett
name: sama
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/08/17
shelves: to-read
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]]> 127280850
2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great aunt she barely remembers. With its tumbling ivy and overgrown garden, the cottage is worlds away from the abusive partner who tormented Kate. But she begins to suspect that her great aunt had a secret. One that lurks in the bones of the cottage, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.

1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer who was stampeded to death by his herd. As a girl, Altha’s mother taught her their magic, a kind not rooted in spell casting but in a deep knowledge of the natural world. But unusual women have always been deemed dangerous, and as the evidence for witchcraft is set out against Altha, she knows it will take all of her powers to maintain her freedom.

1942: As World War II rages, Violet is trapped in her family's grand, crumbling estate. Straitjacketed by societal convention, she longs for the robust education her brother receives––and for her mother, long deceased, who was rumored to have gone mad before her death. The only traces Violet has of her are a locket bearing the initial W and the word weyward scratched into the baseboard of her bedroom.

Weaving together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart's Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.]]> 392 Emilia Hart 1250842727 sama 0 to-read 4.02 2023
author: Emilia Hart
name: sama
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/08/17
shelves: to-read
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]]> 36206545 The story of the heart can never be unwritten.

Macy Sorensen is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new pediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.

But when she runs into Elliot Petropoulos—the first and only love of her life—the careful bubble she’s constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macy’s entire world—growing from her gangly bookish friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her mother...only to break it on the very night he declared his love for her.

Told in alternating timelines between Then and Now, teenage Elliot and Macy grow from friends to much more—spending weekends and lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco devouring books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. Although their memories are obscured by the agony of what happened that night so many years ago, Elliot will come to understand the truth behind Macy’s decade-long silence, and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love.

Love, loss, friendship, and the betrayals of the past all collide in this first fiction novel from New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren (Autoboyography, Dating You / Hating You).]]> 432 Christina Lauren 1501128019 sama 0 to-read 4.28 2018
author: Christina Lauren
name: sama
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/13
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]]> 40097951
Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.]]> 336 Alex Michaelides 1250301696 sama 3 4.18 2019
author: Alex Michaelides
name: sama
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/12
date added: 2024/08/13
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]]> 199798652
When his procrastination lands him in a difficult class with his least favorite professor, Henry Turner knows he’s going to have to work extra hard to survive his junior year of college. And now with his new title of captain for the hockey team—which he didn’t even want—Henry absolutely cannot fail. Enter Halle Jacobs, a fellow junior who finds herself befriended by Henry when he accidentally crashes her book club.

Halle may not have the romantic pursuits of her favorite fictional leads, but she’s an academic superstar, and as soon as she hears about Henry’s problems with his class reading material, she offers to help. Too bad being a private tutor isn’t exactly ideal given her own studies, job, book club, and the novel she’s trying to write. But new experiences are the key to beating her writer’s block, and Henry’s promising to be the one to give them to her.

They just need to stick to their rule book.

Oh, and not fall in love.]]> 433 Hannah Grace 1668026252 sama 0 to-read 3.92 2024
author: Hannah Grace
name: sama
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/10
shelves: to-read
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]]> 49942211 168 Susanna Kaysen 1860497926 sama 0 3.93 1993
author: Susanna Kaysen
name: sama
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1993
rating: 0
read at: 2024/08/10
date added: 2024/08/10
shelves:
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]]> 43587154 JADE CITY is a gripping Godfather-esque saga of intergenerational blood feuds, vicious politics, magic, and kungfu.

The Kaul family is one of two crime syndicates that control the island of Kekon. It's the only place in the world that produces rare magical jade, which grants those with the right training and heritage superhuman abilities.

The Green Bone clans of honorable jade-wearing warriors once protected the island from foreign invasion--but nowadays, in a bustling post-war metropolis full of fast cars and foreign money, Green Bone families like the Kauls are primarily involved in commerce, construction, and the everyday upkeep of the districts under their protection.

When the simmering tension between the Kauls and their greatest rivals erupts into open violence in the streets, the outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all Green Bones and the future of Kekon itself.]]> 540 Fonda Lee 0316440884 sama 0 to-read, physical-tbr 4.06 2017
author: Fonda Lee
name: sama
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/10
shelves: to-read, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 217206738
Ruthless. Meticulous. Arrogant.

Dante Russo thrives on control, both personally and professionally.

The billionaire CEO never planned to marry—until the threat of blackmail forces him into an engagement with a woman he barely knows.

Vivian Lau, jewelry heiress and daughter of his newest enemy.

It doesn’t matter how beautiful or charming she is. He'll do everything in his power to destroy the evidence and their betrothal.

There’s only one problem: Now that he has her...he can't bring himself to let her go.

***

Elegant. Ambitious. Well-mannered.

Vivian Lau is the perfect daughter and her family’s ticket into the highest echelons of high society.

Marrying a blue-blooded Russo means opening doors that would otherwise remain closed to her new-money family.

While the rude, elusive Dante isn't her idea of a dream partner, she agrees to their arranged marriage out of duty.

Craving his touch was never part of the plan.

Neither was the worst thing she could possibly do: fall in love with her future husband.

King of Wrath is a steamy arranged-marriage billionaire romance. It includes explicit content and profanity. Recommended for mature listeners only.]]> 398 Ana Huang sama 4 4.05 2022
author: Ana Huang
name: sama
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/01
date added: 2024/08/09
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]]> 27833670 A mindbending, relentlessly surprising thriller from the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy.

Jason Dessen is walking home through the chilly Chicago streets one night, looking forward to a quiet evening in front of the fireplace with his wife, Daniela, and their son, Charlie—when his reality shatters.

"Are you happy with your life?"

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.

Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.

Before a man Jason's never met smiles down at him and says, "Welcome back, my friend."

In this world he's woken up to, Jason's life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.

Is it this world or the other that's the dream?

And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could've imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.

Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human--a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we'll go to claim the lives we dream of.]]> 342 Blake Crouch 1101904224 sama 0 to-read 4.13 2016
author: Blake Crouch
name: sama
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/09
shelves: to-read
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]]> 61324696
We would not be born out of sweetness, we were born out of rage, we felt it in our bones.

In Falls Landing, Florida—a place built of theme parks, swampy lakes, and scorched bougainvillea flowers—something sinister lurks in the deep. A gang of thirteen-year-old girls obsessively orbit around the local preacher's daughter, Sammy. She is mesmerizing, older, and in love with Eddie. But suddenly, Sammy goes missing. Where is she? Watching from a distance, they edge ever closer to discovering a dark secret about their fame-hungry town and the cruel cost of a ticket out. What they see will continue to haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Through a darkly beautiful and brutally compelling lens, Dizz Tate captures the violence, horrors, and manic joys of girlhood. Brutes is a novel about the seemingly unbreakable bonds in the "we" of young friendship, and the moment it is broken forever.]]> 304 Dizz Tate 1646221672 sama 0 to-read 3.16 2023
author: Dizz Tate
name: sama
average rating: 3.16
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/08
shelves: to-read
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]]> 36236125
Enter Brandy Alexander, Queen Supreme, one operation away from being a real woman, who will teach her that reinventing yourself means erasing your past and making up something better, and that salvation hides in the last place you'll ever want to look.

The narrator must exact revenge upon Evie, her best friend and fellow model; kidnap Manus, her two-timing ex-boyfriend; and hit the road with Brandy in search of a brand-new past, present and future.]]> 304 Chuck Palahniuk 0393355950 sama 0 to-read 4.02 1999
author: Chuck Palahniuk
name: sama
average rating: 4.02
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/08
shelves: to-read
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]]> 45484397
All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he's worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he's all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn't take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn't going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.]]> 360 Elle Kennedy sama 3 4.17 2015
author: Elle Kennedy
name: sama
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/08
date added: 2024/08/08
shelves:
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]]> 199698485 When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.]]> 490 Liz Moore sama 0 to-read 4.16 2024
author: Liz Moore
name: sama
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/08/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 202507554 moons.

They certainly did not expect them to fall.

As a valued Elding Blade of the rebellion group Fíur du Ath, Raeve’s job is to kill. To complete orders and never get caught. When a renowned bounty hunter is employed by The Crown to capture a member of the Ath, Raeve’s world is turned upside down. Blood spills, hearts break, and Raeve finds herself at the mercy of the Guild of Nobles—a group of dual-beaded elementals who intend to turn her into a political statement. Only death will set her free.

Crushed beneath a mourning weight, Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to assuage the never-ebbing ache in his chest, his hunt for a moonshard lures him into the belly of Gore’s notorious prison where he stumbles upon something that rips apart his perception of reality. A shackled miracle with eyes full of rage and blood on her hands.

The echo of the past sings louder than the Creators themselves, and even Raeve can’t ignore the truths blaring at her from a warmer, happier time.
However.
There’s more to this song than meets the eye, and some truths ��
They’re too poisonous to swallow.

When the Moon Hatched is a fast-paced fantasy romance for fans of witty banter and strong, sassy protagonists. Beneath the cover is an immersive, vibrant world with mysterious creatures, a unique magic system, and a love that blazes through the ages. ]]> 718 Sarah A. Parker sama 0 to-read 3.99 2024
author: Sarah A. Parker
name: sama
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: to-read
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]]> 52219386 This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster.��

One of the monsters is me.

Yunjae was born with a brain condition called Alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He does not have friends—the two almond-shaped neurons located deep in his brain have seen to that—but his devoted mother and grandmother aren’t fazed by his condition. Their little home above his mother’s used bookstore is decorated with colorful post-it notes that remind him when to smile, when to say "thank you," and when to laugh. Yunjae grows up content, even happy, with his small family in this quiet, peaceful space.

Then on Christmas Eve—Yunjae’s sixteenth birthday—everything changes. A shocking act of random violence shatters his world, leaving him alone and on his own. Struggling to cope with his loss, Yunjae retreats into silent isolation, until troubled teenager Gon arrives at his school and begins to bully Yunjae.��

Against all odds, tormentor and victim learn they have more in common than they realized. Gon is stumped by Yunjae’s impassive calm, while Yunjae thinks if he gets to know the hotheaded Gon, he might learn how to experience true feelings. Drawn by curiosity, the two strike up a surprising friendship. As Yunjae begins to open his life to new people—including a girl at school—something slowly changes inside him. And when Gon suddenly finds his life in danger, it is Yunjae who will step outside of every comfort zone he has created to perhaps become a most unlikely hero.��

The Emissary meets The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime in this poignant and triumphant story about how love, friendship, and persistence can change a life forever.]]> 272 Sohn Won-Pyung 0062961373 sama 0 to-read 4.16 2017
author: Sohn Won-Pyung
name: sama
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 62949651
When Cassie Hobbes joined the FBI's Naturals program, she had one uncover the truth about her mother's murder. But now, everything Cassie thought she knew about what happened that night has been called into question. Her mother is alive, and the people holding her captive are more powerful -- and dangerous -- than anything the Naturals have faced so far. As Cassie and the team work to uncover the secrets of a group that has been killing in secret for generations, they find themselves racing a ticking clock.
��
When the bodies begin piling up, it soon becomes apparent that this time, the Naturals aren't just hunting serial killers.

They're being hunted.

Don't miss a minute of this fan-favorite series from the #1 bestselling author of The Inheritance Games, perfect for fans of�� One of Us is Lying�� and�� A Good Girl's Guide to Murder .��]]> 509 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 0316540862 sama 0 to-read 4.33 2016
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: sama
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: to-read
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]]> 62949650 Three casinos. Three bodies. Three days.

After a string of brutal murders in Las Vegas, Cassie Hobbes and the Naturals are called in to investigate. But even with the team's unique profiling talents, these murders seem baffling: unlike many serial killers, this one uses different methods every time. All of the victims were killed in public, yet the killer does not show up on any security feed. And each victim has a string of numbers tattooed on their wrist. Hidden in the numbers is a code -- and the closer the Naturals come to unraveling the mystery, the more perilous the case becomes.

Meanwhile, Cassie is dealing with an equally dangerous and much more painful mystery. For the first time in years, there's been a break in her mother's case. As personal issues and tensions between the team mount, Cassie and the Naturals will be faced with impossible odds -- and impossible choices.

With lives and love on the line, the stakes couldn’t be higher in this fast-paced, thrilling novel from the #1 bestselling author of The Inheritance Games, perfect for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and One of Us Is Lying. ��
��]]> 378 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 0316540846 sama 0 to-read 4.33 2015
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: sama
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 62949649 Friendship. Romance. Serial killers. The Naturals are on the case.

Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother's murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance.

But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean's incarcerated father -- a man he'd do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer's psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer's brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?]]> 378 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 0316540722 sama 0 to-read 4.21 2014
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: sama
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 62949648
Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But, it's not a skill that she's ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come they've begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn't realize is that there's more at risk than a few unsolved homicides—especially when she's sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own. Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms close. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.

Jennifer Lynn Barnes's The Naturals is a gripping novel with killer appeal and a to-die-for romance. Don't miss the other books in the Naturals �� Killer Instinct ,�� All In , and�� Bad Blood .����
��]]> 311 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 0316540625 sama 0 to-read 4.19 2013
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: sama
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 56349579
Candace won’t be able to make it on her own forever, though. Enter a group of survivors, led by the power-hungry IT tech Bob. They’re traveling to a place called the Facility, where, Bob promises, they will have everything they need to start society anew. But Candace is carrying a secret she knows Bob will exploit. Should she escape from her rescuers?

A send-up and takedown of the rituals, routines, and missed opportunities of contemporary life, Ling Ma’s Severance is a quirky coming-of-adulthood tale and satire.]]> 304 Ling Ma 1922330647 sama 0 to-read 3.89 2018
author: Ling Ma
name: sama
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 66087062 A woman risks everything to end her family’s centuries-old curse, solve her mother’s disappearance, and find love in this mesmerizing novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Spells for Forgetting.

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.

It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.

After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’s decades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.

With The Unmaking of June Farrow, Adrienne Young delivers a brilliant novel of romance, mystery, and a touch of the impossible—a story you will never forget.]]> 320 Adrienne Young 0593598679 sama 0 to-read, spring-vibes-tbr 4.13 2023
author: Adrienne Young
name: sama
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/03
shelves: to-read, spring-vibes-tbr
review:

]]> 197392670 Get caught up in the puzzles, games, danger, romance, and riches of this lush new chapter in the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games saga—set a year after we last saw Avery and the Hawthornes.

Seven tickets. An island of dreams. The chance of a lifetime.

Welcome to the Grandest Game, an annual competition run by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four infamous Hawthorne brothers, whose family fortune she inherited. Designed to give anyone a shot at fame and fortune, this year’s game requires one of seven golden tickets to enter. With millions on the line, those seven players will do whatever it takes to win.

Some of the players are in it for the money. Some for power. Some for reasons all their own. Every single one of them has secrets. Amidst it all is Grayson Hawthorne, tasked with a vital role in this year’s game. But as tensions rise and the mind-bending challenges push the players to their limits—physically, mentally, and emotionally—it soon becomes clear that not everyone is playing by the rules.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Lynn Barnes delivers a new series in the world of The Inheritance Games, where fan-favorite and new characters collide in a game you’ll never forget.

Do you have what it takes to play?]]> 384 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 0316481017 sama 4 4 stars.

�� this review does not include spoilers.

plot.
‘the grandest game�� follows 7 characters as they compete to win the grandest game—an annual competition in which three guests are exclusively selected by the game master, avery kylie grambs, and four guests are lucky enough to score one of the seven golden tickets hidden around the world, which grants the fortunate individuals invites to the hawthorne island where the games will begin. each player has their reasons for participation; is it to prove themselves? is it for power? or is it simply for the 26 million dollar prize at the end of the tunnel? whatever it is, the players are suddenly launched into a world of puzzles, riddles, and games as they compete to win the grandest game with underlying danger and secrets lurking around the corner.


�� ‘in the games that matter most, the only way to really play is to live.��


thoughts.
if i ever said anything about JLB milking the series, i take it back because i need the next book in my hands asap. this was such a page turner?? im gonna start off by saying that i am a complete sucker for anything set on an island, and the fact that there was a masquerade ball scene in this book makes me love it even more. i knew from the premise that i would love this, and the pacing of this book was so fast, i was hooked right from the get-go. the new characters were so refreshing, and 3 pov’s in this book were a great way to keep the reader engaged. there were times where the chapters ended on mini-cliffhangers, and i just wanted to skip the other pov’s because i was so eager to find things out. the narrative is so compelling, which isn’t something new with this author’s works. JLB is so good at making you YEARN to know what happens next in the story, and there was always something in the book that left me wondering. im not much of a detective, but i just kept trying to figure the riddles and puzzles out (to no avail) along with the many secrets and mysteries of the characters.

BUT, *cue the record scratch* this book is not perfect by any means. despite the great timing of action, gripping narrative, and fast paced plot, i did find a few faults which didnt sit right with me. there were alot of loose strings. the unfolding of lyra’s dad’s mystery was a very important aspect of the book. for something that was being built up since the first few pages, it sure was left in the dark at the end. it would have made so much more sense to wrap her mystery up in this book than potentially carry it out into the next book, since we already see great material to start the next book from. also, this is ostensibly the sort of book where events take place in a 24 hour timeline. however, the book is also pretty heavy in plot and mystery. because of this, the plot and romance felt quite rushed. linking back to the 3 pov’s topic, i would have liked this book to be longer because of the character density and the fact that this is told from multiple perspectives. it was as if she was given a strict limit as to how many pages to write, but i wouldnt have minded more pages at all!! i suppose there was an important plot twist in the book, but it was one that was previously revealed in the brothers hawthorne. but hey, atleast emily didnt come back to haunt the narrative for the 162717th time.


�� �� “the world just loves women who try.�� odette caught gigi’s gaze and held it. “unless and until we try too hard.�� ��


characters & romance.

:: lyra & grayson ::
lyra is a very determined character, and her motivation was very selfless! she treats grayson like hes a piece of gum on the back of her shoe (deservedly) and i love it. i also loved the symbolism of the calla lily in relation to lyra. the fact that she was holding the flower in the same moments that she witnessed such a traumatic event as a child was so fascinating due to the flower’s symbolism to innocence, and the juxtaposition of her holding this symbolic flower as she loses her innocence was so well written. ive seen a couple arguments that grayson ’s character was bland here as opposed to in the inheritance games series, and i agree. i get that he had no reason to be cold towards lyra, since its not like she stole his inheritance or something, but still? where did grayson go? his name shouldve been plainson because thats what he was. plain. lyra described him as ‘sharp�� and whatever many times but its in response to him standing still? like he didnt even do anything in true grayson-fashion. however, their romance was still very cute and im very pleased that jennifer stopped torturing grayson and gave him his happy ending!!

:: rohan & savannah. ::
i dont read this genre, but rohan belongs in a dark romance book. i was lowkey struggling to pronounce his name (rowan? roe-han?) but he has that bad boy energy which i unfortunately love, and he was really smart. savannah is so fearless, i absolutely adore her intelligence and coldness. rohan and savannah were the best couple in this book i fear. its giving partners in crime. i started this book for grayson and lyra and abandoned them just as fast for these two. i mean the tension? i could taste it. however, the nicknames were foul. ‘british�� and ‘savvy��? get out. atleast gigi’s mimosa dude calls her ‘sunshine��, thats a beautiful nickname. but apart from that, they were my favs.

:: gigi. ::
gigi just deserves her own section. l-o-v-e her so much. she was so funny and kind. the quintessential sunshine girl. the fact that she was so determined to win and get a game ticket without intermediaries or advantages in the game was a great show of her dedication. at the end, we see her compare herself to her sister, whom she perceives as smarter than her. THIS BROKE ME. someone needs to tell this woman that she is good enough please. and the ending? im tweaking and need the next book in my hands right now.

conclusion.
for anyone in a slump, i highly recommend this!! despite some minor flaws, this book was really good. the narrative and pacing were nothing short of addictive, and im so excited for the next book which comes out in 2025!!

�� �� “love is a strange and wild beast,�� the old woman said. “it’s a gift and a comfort and a curse. remember that.�� �� ]]> 3.93 2024
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: sama
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/01
date added: 2024/08/02
shelves:
review:
⊹˚˖♟️⁺ ₊�� 4 stars.

�� this review does not include spoilers.

plot.
‘the grandest game�� follows 7 characters as they compete to win the grandest game—an annual competition in which three guests are exclusively selected by the game master, avery kylie grambs, and four guests are lucky enough to score one of the seven golden tickets hidden around the world, which grants the fortunate individuals invites to the hawthorne island where the games will begin. each player has their reasons for participation; is it to prove themselves? is it for power? or is it simply for the 26 million dollar prize at the end of the tunnel? whatever it is, the players are suddenly launched into a world of puzzles, riddles, and games as they compete to win the grandest game with underlying danger and secrets lurking around the corner.


�� ‘in the games that matter most, the only way to really play is to live.��


thoughts.
if i ever said anything about JLB milking the series, i take it back because i need the next book in my hands asap. this was such a page turner?? im gonna start off by saying that i am a complete sucker for anything set on an island, and the fact that there was a masquerade ball scene in this book makes me love it even more. i knew from the premise that i would love this, and the pacing of this book was so fast, i was hooked right from the get-go. the new characters were so refreshing, and 3 pov’s in this book were a great way to keep the reader engaged. there were times where the chapters ended on mini-cliffhangers, and i just wanted to skip the other pov’s because i was so eager to find things out. the narrative is so compelling, which isn’t something new with this author’s works. JLB is so good at making you YEARN to know what happens next in the story, and there was always something in the book that left me wondering. im not much of a detective, but i just kept trying to figure the riddles and puzzles out (to no avail) along with the many secrets and mysteries of the characters.

BUT, *cue the record scratch* this book is not perfect by any means. despite the great timing of action, gripping narrative, and fast paced plot, i did find a few faults which didnt sit right with me. there were alot of loose strings. the unfolding of lyra’s dad’s mystery was a very important aspect of the book. for something that was being built up since the first few pages, it sure was left in the dark at the end. it would have made so much more sense to wrap her mystery up in this book than potentially carry it out into the next book, since we already see great material to start the next book from. also, this is ostensibly the sort of book where events take place in a 24 hour timeline. however, the book is also pretty heavy in plot and mystery. because of this, the plot and romance felt quite rushed. linking back to the 3 pov’s topic, i would have liked this book to be longer because of the character density and the fact that this is told from multiple perspectives. it was as if she was given a strict limit as to how many pages to write, but i wouldnt have minded more pages at all!! i suppose there was an important plot twist in the book, but it was one that was previously revealed in the brothers hawthorne. but hey, atleast emily didnt come back to haunt the narrative for the 162717th time.


�� �� “the world just loves women who try.�� odette caught gigi’s gaze and held it. “unless and until we try too hard.�� ��


characters & romance.

:: lyra & grayson ::
lyra is a very determined character, and her motivation was very selfless! she treats grayson like hes a piece of gum on the back of her shoe (deservedly) and i love it. i also loved the symbolism of the calla lily in relation to lyra. the fact that she was holding the flower in the same moments that she witnessed such a traumatic event as a child was so fascinating due to the flower’s symbolism to innocence, and the juxtaposition of her holding this symbolic flower as she loses her innocence was so well written. ive seen a couple arguments that grayson ’s character was bland here as opposed to in the inheritance games series, and i agree. i get that he had no reason to be cold towards lyra, since its not like she stole his inheritance or something, but still? where did grayson go? his name shouldve been plainson because thats what he was. plain. lyra described him as ‘sharp�� and whatever many times but its in response to him standing still? like he didnt even do anything in true grayson-fashion. however, their romance was still very cute and im very pleased that jennifer stopped torturing grayson and gave him his happy ending!!

:: rohan & savannah. ::
i dont read this genre, but rohan belongs in a dark romance book. i was lowkey struggling to pronounce his name (rowan? roe-han?) but he has that bad boy energy which i unfortunately love, and he was really smart. savannah is so fearless, i absolutely adore her intelligence and coldness. rohan and savannah were the best couple in this book i fear. its giving partners in crime. i started this book for grayson and lyra and abandoned them just as fast for these two. i mean the tension? i could taste it. however, the nicknames were foul. ‘british�� and ‘savvy��? get out. atleast gigi’s mimosa dude calls her ‘sunshine��, thats a beautiful nickname. but apart from that, they were my favs.

:: gigi. ::
gigi just deserves her own section. l-o-v-e her so much. she was so funny and kind. the quintessential sunshine girl. the fact that she was so determined to win and get a game ticket without intermediaries or advantages in the game was a great show of her dedication. at the end, we see her compare herself to her sister, whom she perceives as smarter than her. THIS BROKE ME. someone needs to tell this woman that she is good enough please. and the ending? im tweaking and need the next book in my hands right now.

conclusion.
for anyone in a slump, i highly recommend this!! despite some minor flaws, this book was really good. the narrative and pacing were nothing short of addictive, and im so excited for the next book which comes out in 2025!!

�� �� “love is a strange and wild beast,�� the old woman said. “it’s a gift and a comfort and a curse. remember that.�� ��
]]>