Maryam's bookshelf: all en-US Fri, 04 Apr 2025 08:55:44 -0700 60 Maryam's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3)]]> 208841368 Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm-as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival-now fiancé-the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell's long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare, filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world-how could an unassuming scholar like herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in-Wendell's murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell's magic-and Emily's knowledge of stories-to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.
]]> 368 Heather Fawcett 0356519198 Maryam 0 currently-reading 4.17 2025 Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3)
author: Heather Fawcett
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> The Book of Doors 156480764
In New York City, bookseller Cassie Andrews is living an unassuming life when she is given a gift by a favourite customer. It's a book - an unusual book, full of strange writing and mysterious drawings. And at the very front there is a handwritten message to Cassie, telling her that this is the Book of Doors, and that any door is every door .

What Cassie is about to discover is that the Book of Doors is a special book that bestows an extraordinary powers on whoever possesses it, and soon she and her best friend Izzy are exploring all that the Book of Doors can do, swept away from their quiet lives by the possibilities of travelling to anywhere they want.

But the Book of Doors is not the only magical book in the world. There are other books that can do wondrous and dreadful things when wielded by dangerous and ruthless individuals - individuals who crave what Cassie now possesses.

Suddenly Cassie and Izzy are confronted by violence and danger, and the only person who can help them is, it seems, Drummond Fox. He is a man fleeing his own demons - a man with his own secret library of magical books that he has hidden away in the shadows for safekeeping. Because there is a nameless evil out there that is hunting them all . . .

Because some doors should never be opened.]]> 408 Gareth Brown 1787637247 Maryam 0 currently-reading 4.04 2024 The Book of Doors
author: Gareth Brown
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Blood Over Bright Haven 57915993 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)]]> 527 M.L. Wang Maryam 5 4.45 2023 Blood Over Bright Haven
author: M.L. Wang
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Starcrossed (Magic in Manhattan, #2)]]> 48998310 When everything they’ve built is threatened, only their bond remains�

New York, 1925

Psychometric Rory Brodigan’s life hasn’t been the same since the day he met Arthur Kenzie. Arthur’s continued quest to contain supernatural relics that pose a threat to the world has captured Rory’s imagination—and his heart. But Arthur’s upper-class upbringing still leaves Rory worried that he’ll never measure up, especially when Arthur’s aristocratic ex arrives in New York.

For Arthur, there’s only Rory. But keeping the man he’s fallen for safe is another matter altogether. When a group of ruthless paranormals throw the city into chaos, the two men’s strained relationship leaves Rory vulnerable to a monster from Arthur’s past.

With dark forces determined to tear them apart, Rory and Arthur will have to draw on every last bit of magic up their sleeves. And in the end, it’s the connection they’ve formed without magic that will be tested like never before.]]> 307 Allie Therin 148805519X Maryam 3 4.15 2020 Starcrossed (Magic in Manhattan, #2)
author: Allie Therin
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: audiobook, fantasy, lgtbq, popsugar2023, m-m, guilty-pleasure
review:
Rating : 3.5 - I like the overall light vibe of this series.
]]> <![CDATA[Proper Scoundrels (Roaring Twenties Magic, #1)]]> 57831165 Don’t miss this spin-off from Allie Therin's acclaimed Magic in Manhattan universe!

Their scandalous pasts have left them wounded and unworthy—and hopelessly perfect together.

London, 1925

Sebastian de Leon is adjusting to life after three years spent enthralled by blood magic. The atrocities he committed under its control still weigh heavily on his conscience, but when he’s asked to investigate a series of mysterious murders, it feels like an opportunity to make amends. Until he realizes the killer’s next likely target is a man who witnessed Sebastian at his worst—the Viscount Fine.

Lord Fine—known as Wesley to his friends, if he had any—is haunted by ghosts of his own after serving as a British army captain during the Great War. Jaded and untrusting, he’s tempted to turn Sebastian in, but there’s something undeniably captivating about the reformed paranormal, and after Sebastian risks his own life to save Wesley’s, they find common ground.

Seeking sanctuary together at Wesley’s country estate in Yorkshire, the unlikely pair begins to unravel a mystery steeped in legend and folklore, the close quarters emboldening them to see past the other’s trauma to the person worth loving beneath. But with growing targets on their backs, they’ll have to move quickly if they want to catch a killer—and discover whether two wounded souls can help each other heal.


Magic in Manhattan
Book 1: Spellbound
Book 2: Starcrossed
Book 3: Wonderstruck

Roaring Twenties Magic
Book 1: Proper Scoundrels
Book 2: Once a Rogue

Liar City
Book 1: Liar City]]> 309 Allie Therin 0369704819 Maryam 4 4.17 2021 Proper Scoundrels (Roaring Twenties Magic, #1)
author: Allie Therin
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: audiobook, fantasy, m-m, lgtbq, guilty-pleasure
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Spellbound (Magic in Manhattan, #1)]]> 43620442 To save Manhattan, they’ll have to save each other first�

New York, 1925

Arthur Kenzie’s life’s work is protecting the world from the supernatural relics that could destroy it. When an amulet with the power to control the tides is shipped to New York, he must intercept it before it can be used to devastating effects. This time, in order to succeed, he needs a powerful psychometric…and the only one available has sworn off his abilities altogether.

Rory Brodigan’s gift comes with great risk. To protect himself, he’s become a recluse, redirecting his magic to find counterfeit antiques. But with the city’s fate hanging in the balance, he can’t force himself to say no.

Being with Arthur is dangerous, but Rory’s ever-growing attraction to him begins to make him brave. And as Arthur coaxes him out of seclusion, a magical and emotional bond begins to form. One that proves impossible to break—even when Arthur sacrifices himself to keep Rory safe and Rory must risk everything to save him.]]> 275 Allie Therin 1488055084 Maryam 4 3.5

A solid debut novel sets in US during the Prohibition period, there is magic and romance and the romance is very cute.]]> 3.96 2019 Spellbound (Magic in Manhattan, #1)
author: Allie Therin
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: audiobook, ya, romance, popsugar2023, lgtbq, fantasy, historical-fiction, m-m, guilty-pleasure
review:
3.5

A solid debut novel sets in US during the Prohibition period, there is magic and romance and the romance is very cute.
]]> Playground 205478762 The Overstory at the height of his skills. Twelve-year-old Evie Beaulieu sinks to the bottom of a swimming pool in Montreal strapped to one of the world’s first aqualungs. Ina Aroita grows up on naval bases across the Pacific with art as her only home. Two polar opposites at an elite Chicago high school bond over a three-thousand-year-old board game; Rafi Young will get lost in literature, while Todd Keane’s work will lead to a startling AI breakthrough.

They meet on the history-scarred island of Makatea in French Polynesia, whose deposits of phosphorus once helped to feed the world. Now the tiny atoll has been chosen for humanity’s next adventure: a plan to send floating, autonomous cities out onto the open sea. But first, the island’s residents must vote to greenlight the project or turn the seasteaders away.

Set in the world’s largest ocean, this awe-filled book explores that last wild place we have yet to colonize in a still-unfolding oceanic game, and interweaves beautiful writing, rich characterization, profound themes of technology and the environment, and a deep exploration of our shared humanity in a way only Richard Powers can.]]> 381 Richard Powers 1324086033 Maryam 3 science-fiction 4.17 2024 Playground
author: Richard Powers
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: science-fiction
review:

]]> A House Full of Windsor 56678202
Sarah Percy's career depends on New Yorkers taking her household advice as gospel. "Sarah Says" used to be the most popular segment on the city's top morning show, but ratings are down and it looks like Sarah might not have a tip for everything, after all... especially when her mother gets involved.

Debbie Windsor, Sarah's mother, is a shopaholic and compulsive hoarder, a secret Sarah has worked tirelessly to hide her entire life. Debbie was always fascinated by royalty, but when her real-life love story started to parallel Princess Diana's, she turned to collecting royal souvenirs to fill the void. Leaving her husband's native England and relocating the family to her hometown in Pennsylvania doesn't help the situation, and two decades later the house is a royal mess. Debbie's safety is on the line, but she brushes off any attempts her family makes to help.

When Sarah's brother gets a job on Stuff, a TV show about compulsive hoarding, he nominates their mother for an episode and promises his famous sister's participation. Backed into a corner, Sarah and Debbie agree, but everyone has something at stake whether the episode does or doesn't go off without a hitch. With both family and romantic relationships on the line--including the connection between Sarah and the show's sexy host, and Debbie's budding romance with a local shopkeeper --long-buried secrets and resentment must come to the surface for the family to move on.]]> 292 Kristin Contino 1948018993 Maryam 5 family 3.66 A House Full of Windsor
author: Kristin Contino
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.66
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/10
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: family
review:
I'm somewhere between 4-5 for this book but overall really enjoyed it! It goes back and forth between times and have multiple POVs.
]]> Confess 22609310
For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?]]> 306 Colleen Hoover 1476791457 Maryam 2 4.14 2015 Confess
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at: 2015/11/03
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves:
review:
Actual rating :2.5 . I skipped most of the pages.
]]> <![CDATA[Shades of Grey (Shades of Grey, #1)]]> 2113260
Eddie Russett is an above-average Red who dreams of moving up the ladder. Until he is sent to the Outer Fringes where he meets Jane - a lowly Grey with an uncontrollable temper and a desire to see him killed.

For Eddie, it's love at first sight. But his infatuation will lead him to discover that all is not as it seems in a world where everything that looks black and white is really shades of grey...]]> 400 Jasper Fforde 0670019631 Maryam 5 audiobook, fantasy 4.15 2009 Shades of Grey (Shades of Grey, #1)
author: Jasper Fforde
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: audiobook, fantasy
review:
This book was a surprise! it started kind of slow but soon I was drawn into the story and omg Loved it!!!
]]> Best in Travel 2011 8993471 The best places to go and things to do all around the world right now Drawing on the knowledge, passion and miles travelled by Lonely Planet 's staff, authors and online community, we present a year 's worth of travel inspiration to take you out of the ordinary and into some unforgettable experiences.
Highlights:
Lonely Planet ranks the top 10 countries, regions and cities to visit in 2011.
The best travel experiences for the year ahead, from the opening of New York 's September 11 Memorial to flamenco classes in Andaluc a.
Over 35 events mapped out month by month in the 2011 travel planner.
]]> 208 Lonely Planet 1742200907 Maryam 2 travel-guide 3.87 2012 Best in Travel 2011
author: Lonely Planet
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2012
rating: 2
read at: 2014/08/12
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: travel-guide
review:
Not much help. Google will help more than this book.
]]> The Familiar 133286777 From the New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House, Hell Bent, and creator of the Grishaverse series comes a highly anticipated historical fantasy set during the Spanish Golden Age

In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family's social position.

What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain's king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England's heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king's favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the line between magic, science, and fraud is never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition's wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.]]> 387 Leigh Bardugo 125088425X Maryam 5 fantasy 3.74 2024 The Familiar
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: fantasy
review:
This was so good! one of the best of Leigh Bardugo!
]]> <![CDATA[A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan, #2)]]> 213618143 The brilliant detective Ana Dolabra may have finally met her match in the gripping sequel to The Tainted Cup—from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Before long, Ana’s discovered that they’re not investigating a disappearance, but a murder—and that the killing was just the first chess move by an adversary who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana’s moves as though they can see the future.

Worse still, the killer seems to be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud. Here, the Empire's greatest minds dissect fallen Titans to harness the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the destruction would be terrible indeed—and the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat.]]> 480 Robert Jackson Bennett 0593723821 Maryam 0 currently-reading 4.58 2025 A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan, #2)
author: Robert Jackson Bennett
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Hedge Witch (The Language of Magic, #1.5)]]> 61215109 Sunday Times bestseller Threadneedle.
Rowan is visiting her aunt � Winne the hedge witch � in the Welsh countryside, to get back to nature and hone her skills, as well as taking a break from her annoying sisters and enjoying some peace and quiet. However, Rowan soon comes to realise that hedges are a serious business and this isn’t quite the opportunity to rest and escape she thought it might be.


Not only that, but mysterious events around the town are causing panic in the secret magical community and cowans � non-magical folk � are starting to take notice.


Can Rowan hone her hedge craft, try to make some friends and solve the riddle of the mysterious goings-on, or is magic about to be revealed to the world � or at least Wales?]]> 132 Cari Thomas 0008528934 Maryam 3 3.67 The Hedge Witch (The Language of Magic, #1.5)
author: Cari Thomas
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/04
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves: aty2025, audiobook, fantasy, ya
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Family and Felony Murder (Dead and Breakfast Cozy Mysteries #1)]]> 184420480 Emily Hartley loves her life as the owner of the Sunny Side Inn, a charming bed and breakfast nestled in the heart of Maplewood. But when a bizarre... and possibly hilarious... accident with a waffle iron leaves her with the ability to talk to her cat, Mr. Whiskers, her quiet life takes a turn for the mysterious.

The drama unfolds when a renowned violinist checks into the inn, only to be found dead the next morning, her priceless violin missing. The police rule it as a natural death and a case of theft, but Emily and Mr. Whiskers suspect foul play.

From nosy guests to town gossip, Emily must sift through the clues, all while managing her bossy sister Rebecca, who's taken over the inn in her absence. With a music festival on the horizon and a killer possibly on the loose, Emily must solve the case before the final note is played.

"Family and Felony Murder" is the first book in the "Dead and Breakfast Cozy Mysteries" series. It's a delightful blend of humor, heart, and a dash of the supernatural, making it a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries. Tune in for a tale of music, murder, and one very insightful cat!]]> 223 Sara Bourgeois Maryam 2 3.88 Family and Felony Murder (Dead and Breakfast Cozy Mysteries #1)
author: Sara Bourgeois
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.88
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves:
review:

]]> Invisible Man 16981 Invisible Man is one of those rare novels that have changed the shape of American literature. For not only does Ralph Ellison's nightmare journey across the racial divide tell unparalleled truths about the nature of bigotry and its effects on the minds of both victims and perpetrators, it gives us an entirely new model of what a novel can be.

As he journeys from the Deep South to the streets and basements of Harlem, from a horrifying "battle royal" where black men are reduced to fighting animals, to a Communist rally where they are elevated to the status of trophies, Ralph Ellison's nameless protagonist ushers readers into a parallel universe that throws our own into harsh and even hilarious relief. Suspenseful and sardonic, narrated in a voice that takes in the symphonic range of the American language, black and white, Invisible Man is one of the most audacious and dazzling novels of our century.]]> 581 Ralph Ellison Maryam 5 3.91 1952 Invisible Man
author: Ralph Ellison
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1952
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: popsugar2025, audiobook, aty2025
review:

]]> دختری از ایران 287963 467 Sattareh Farman Farmaian 9649038051 Maryam 4 persian 3.92 1992 دختری از ایران
author: Sattareh Farman Farmaian
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1992
rating: 4
read at: 2002/01/07
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: persian
review:
جزو کتابهایی بود که دوستش داشتم، خیلی وقت پیش خوندمش اما دید منصفانه و خوبی از حوادث اوائل انقلاب داشت و روایتی دلنشین داشت. همراهش زندگی می کردی.�
]]> The Spellshop 217206125 The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst’s romantasy debut–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love.

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.

When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.

In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.

But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.

Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.]]> 377 Sarah Beth Durst 1250333970 Maryam 3
It was cute and a fast and entertaining read!]]> 3.99 2024 The Spellshop
author: Sarah Beth Durst
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: romance, fantasy, popsugar2025
review:
actual rating: 3.5

It was cute and a fast and entertaining read!
]]> Fortune Smiles 23590496
In six masterly stories, Johnson delves deep into love and loss, natural disasters, the influence of technology, and how the political shapes the personal. "George Orwell Was a Friend of Mine" follows a former warden of a Stasi prison in East Germany who vehemently denies his past, even as pieces of it are delivered in packages to his door. "Nirvana," which won the prestigious Sunday Times short story prize, portrays a programmer whose wife has a rare disease finding solace in a digital simulacrum of the president of the United States. In "Hurricanes Anonymous" - first included in the Best American Short Stories anthology - a young man searches for the mother of his son in a Louisiana devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. And in the unforgettable title story, Johnson returns to his signature subject, North Korea, depicting two defectors from Pyongyang who are trying to adapt to their new lives in Seoul, while one cannot forget the woman he left behind.

Unnerving, riveting, and written with a timeless quality, these stories confirm Johnson as one of America's greatest writers and an indispensable guide to our new century.]]> 304 Adam Johnson 0857522973 Maryam 4
This was a hard read! An exceptional collection of stories and a dark one at the same tome.]]> 4.00 2015 Fortune Smiles
author: Adam Johnson
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:
Trigger warnings: Death, Child Sexual Assault

This was a hard read! An exceptional collection of stories and a dark one at the same tome.
]]> To After That (TOAF) 6309687 80 Renee Gladman 1891190318 Maryam 4 print, popsugar2025 4.22 2008 To After That (TOAF)
author: Renee Gladman
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: print, popsugar2025
review:

]]> The Door 497499 262 Magda Szabó 1843431939 Maryam 0 to-read 4.09 1987 The Door
author: Magda Szabó
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1987
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Murder Your Employer (The McMasters Guide to Homicide, #1)]]> 61272658 The McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts - a luxurious, clandestine college dedicated to the fine art of murder where earnest students study how best to "delete" their most deserving victim.


Who hasn’t wondered for a split second what the world would be like if a person who is the object of your affliction ceased to exist? But then you’ve probably never heard of The McMasters Conservatory, dedicated to the consummate execution of the homicidal arts. To gain admission, a student must have an ethical reason for erasing someone who deeply deserves a fate no worse (nor better) than death. The campus of this “Poison Ivy League� college—its location unknown to even those who study there—is where you might find yourself the practice target of a classmate…and where one’s mandatory graduation thesis is getting away with the perfect murder of someone whose death will make the world a much better place to live.

Prepare for an education you’ll never forget. A “fiendishly funny� (Booklist) mix of witty wordplay, breathtaking twists and genuine intrigue, Murder Your Employer will gain you admission into a wholly original world, cocooned within the most entertaining book about well-intentioned would-be murderers you’ll ever read.]]> 400 Rupert Holmes 1451648219 Maryam 5 3.79 2023 Murder Your Employer (The McMasters Guide to Homicide, #1)
author: Rupert Holmes
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves: audiobook, popsugar2025, aty2025
review:
It was so entertaining to read!
]]> <![CDATA[Talk Nerdy to Me (Bookish Boyfriends, #3)]]> 50158249 A strait-laced teen finds herself living an Anne of Green Gables romance in this swoon-worthy tale by the author of The Boy Next Story.



Eliza Gordon-Fergus is an expert rule-follower. She has to be; her scientist parents dictate her day-to-day decisions, and forbid her from dating. Which is why she finds Curtis Cavendish maddening. He's never punished for his class clown antics--and worse, his mischief actually masks brilliance. Like, give-Eliza-a-run-for-valedictorian brilliance.

When Eliza reads Frankenstein for English class, she's left feeling more like an experiment than a daughter. Curtis agrees to trade her Anne of Green Gables under one condition: She has to beat him at the science fair. Eliza knows they're supposed to be competing, but the more time they spend together, the more she realizes she's in over her head. Because one thing's certain about Curtis: He makes Eliza want to break all the rules.

"Fans will be thrilled with this third installment in the Bookish Boyfriends series that focuses on brainy Eliza and her intellectual equal. . . . Sure to leave romantics with an afterglow." --Kirkus Reviews]]> 336 Tiffany Schmidt 1419740105 Maryam 4 4.12 Talk Nerdy to Me (Bookish Boyfriends, #3)
author: Tiffany Schmidt
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.12
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/07
date added: 2025/01/07
shelves: aty2025, popsugar2025, ya, audiobook
review:

]]> The Fox Wife 127278666 Some people think foxes are similar to ghosts because we go around collecting qi, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking . . .

Manchuria, 1908.
In the last years of the dying Qing Empire, a courtesan is found frozen in a doorway. Her death is clouded by rumors of foxes, which are believed to lure people by transforming themselves into beautiful women and handsome men. Bao, a detective with an uncanny ability to sniff out the truth, is hired to uncover the dead woman’s identity. Since childhood, Bao has been intrigued by the fox gods, yet they’ve remained tantalizingly out of reach—until, perhaps, now.

Meanwhile, a family who owns a famous Chinese medicine shop can cure ailments but can’t escape the curse that afflicts them—their eldest sons die before their twenty-fourth birthdays. When a disruptively winsome servant named Snow enters their household, the family’s luck seems to change—or does it?

Snow is a creature of many secrets, but most of all she’s a mother seeking vengeance for her lost child. Hunting a murderer, she will follow the trail from northern China to Japan, while Bao follows doggedly behind. Navigating the myths and misconceptions of fox spirits, both Snow and Bao will encounter old friends and new foes, even as more deaths occur.

New York Times bestselling author Yangsze Choo brilliantly explores a world of mortals and spirits, humans and beasts, and their dazzling intersection. Epic in scope and full of singular, unforgettable characters, The Fox Wife is a stunning novel about old loves and second chances, the depths of maternal love, and ancient folktales that may very well be true.]]> 390 Yangsze Choo 1250266017 Maryam 4
From the vivid descriptions of the setting to the intricate development of the characters, every detail was crafted with care and creativity. The dual POV provided unique insights and added depth to the narrative, allowing readers to connect with the characters on a more personal level. Despite some parts feeling drawn out, the engaging plot and the interplay of humor kept me hooked throughout the entire journey. Overall, "Fox Wife" is a great story that transports readers to a different time and place, making it a memorable and enjoyable read.]]> 3.97 2024 The Fox Wife
author: Yangsze Choo
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/03
date added: 2025/01/03
shelves: popsugar2025, aty2025, historical-fiction, fantasy
review:
"Fox Wife" by Yangsze Choo transported me to another world. The humor sprinkled throughout the story added a wonderful touch, making it highly enjoyable. The two different points of view (POV) were expertly woven together, culminating in a satisfying and coherent conclusion. While the book did feel a bit long at times, once you get into the rhythm of it, you’ll find it hard to put down. The storytelling was truly captivating and immersive.

From the vivid descriptions of the setting to the intricate development of the characters, every detail was crafted with care and creativity. The dual POV provided unique insights and added depth to the narrative, allowing readers to connect with the characters on a more personal level. Despite some parts feeling drawn out, the engaging plot and the interplay of humor kept me hooked throughout the entire journey. Overall, "Fox Wife" is a great story that transports readers to a different time and place, making it a memorable and enjoyable read.
]]> Flux 61774690
Combining elements of neo-noir, speculative fiction, and '80s detective shows, FLUX is a haunting and sometimes shocking exploration of the cyclical nature of grief, of moving past trauma, and of the pervasive nature of whiteness within the development of Asian identity in America.

In FLUX, a brilliant debut in the vein of William Gibson’s Neuromancer and Ling Ma’s Severance, Jinwoo Chong introduces us to three characters —Bo, Brandon and Blue� who are tortured by these questions as their lives spin out of control.

* After 8-year-old Bo loses his mother in a tragic accident, his white father, attempting to hold their lives together, begins to gradually retreat from the family.

* 28-year-old Brandon loses his job at a legacy magazine publisher and is offered a new position. Confused to find himself in an apartment he does not recognize, and an office he sometimes cannot remember leaving, he comes to suspect that something far more sinister is happening behind the walls.

* 48-year-old Blue participates in a television exposé of Flux, a failed bioelectric tech startup whose fraudulent activity eventually claimed the lives of three people and nearly killed him. Blue, who can only speak with the aid of cybernetic implants, stalks his old manager while holding his estranged family at arms-length.

Intertwined with the saga of a once-iconic '80s detective show, Raider, whose star has fallen after decades of concealed abuse, the lives of Bo, Brandon and Blue intersect with each other, to the extent that it becomes clear that their lives are more interconnected and interdependent than the reader could have ever imagined.

Can we ever really change the past, or the future? What truth do we owe our families? What truth do we owe ourselves?]]> 341 Jinwoo Chong 1685890342 Maryam 0 currently-reading 3.33 2023 Flux
author: Jinwoo Chong
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> If Beale Street Could Talk 38463 197 James Baldwin 0307275930 Maryam 4 4.28 1974 If Beale Street Could Talk
author: James Baldwin
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1974
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/01
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: audiobook, bookclub, popsugar2025, aty2025
review:

]]> Heir (Heir Duology, #1) 206780522 An orphan.
An outcast.
A prince.

And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.

Growing up in the Kegari slums, AIZ has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hotheaded mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite.

Banished from her people for an unforgivable crime, SIRSHA is a down-on-her-luck tracker who uses magic to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Martial Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But when a chance encounter leads to an unexpected attraction, Sirsha learns her mission might cost her far more than she's willing to give up.

QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire and nephew of a venerated empress, but he’s loath to take the throne when his aunt steps down. As the son of a reviled emperor, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need.

Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with power, treachery, love, and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed, on a journey that may cost them their lives―and their hearts. Literally.]]> 484 Sabaa Tahir 0593616944 Maryam 4 fantasy, popsugar2025, ya 4.25 2024 Heir (Heir Duology, #1)
author: Sabaa Tahir
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/27
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: fantasy, popsugar2025, ya
review:
It was as good as Amber and Ash series! cannot wait to read the next book!
]]> <![CDATA[Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil]]> 215020997 London, 1837.
Boston, 2019.

Three young women, their bodies planted in the same soil, their stories tangling like roots.

One grows high, and one grows deep, and one grows wild.

And all of them grow teeth.]]> 560 Victoria E. Schwab 1035064642 Maryam 0 to-read 4.38 2025 Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet]]> 55145261 A deeply moving and mind-expanding collection of personal essays in the first ever work of non-fiction from #1 internationally bestselling author John Green

The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his ground-breaking, critically acclaimed podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet - from the QWERTY keyboard and Halley's Comet to Penguins of Madagascar - on a five-star scale.

Complex and rich with detail, the Anthropocene's reviews have been praised as 'observations that double as exercises in memoiristic empathy', with over 10 million lifetime downloads. John Green's gift for storytelling shines throughout this artfully curated collection about the shared human experience; it includes beloved essays along with six all-new pieces exclusive to the book.]]> 304 John Green 0525555218 Maryam 5

“I wish I wasn't so scared all the time; scared of the virus, yes, but there is also some deeper fear, the terror of time passing and me with it.�


I give "The Anthropocene Reviewed" 5 stars!


“We all know how loving ends. But I want to fall in love with the world anyway, to let it crack me open. I want to feel what there is to feel while I am here.�
]]> 4.37 2021 The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet
author: John Green
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2022/02/08
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: non-fiction, audiobook, popsugar2022, 52books2022, favorites
review:
For sure, the best book I have read so far in 2022. Enjoyed every page/moment of it. I already want to listen to it all over again!


“I wish I wasn't so scared all the time; scared of the virus, yes, but there is also some deeper fear, the terror of time passing and me with it.�


I give "The Anthropocene Reviewed" 5 stars!


“We all know how loving ends. But I want to fall in love with the world anyway, to let it crack me open. I want to feel what there is to feel while I am here.�

]]> <![CDATA[The Mirror of Beasts (Silver in the Bone, #2)]]> 57982343
Legend tells of a “Mirror of Beasts,� powerful enough to trap even Lord Death in its accursed glass, but the mirror is not all that it seems. Tamsin must confront her own darkest secrets if she hopes to tap the mirror's strength to defeat her enemies.

Arthurian legend bleeds into contemporary action, and scars of the past are torn open anew by a starcrossed love that refuses to go quietly. This riveting conclusion to the Silver in the Bone duology will hold you in its thrall until the very last page.]]> 576 Alexandra Bracken 1786542161 Maryam 4 4.15 2024 The Mirror of Beasts (Silver in the Bone, #2)
author: Alexandra Bracken
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/24
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves:
review:
Review to come but in general recommended
]]> Faebound (Faebound, #1) 157981739
When a fatal mistake leads to Yeeran’s exile from the Elven lands, they are both forced into the terrifying wilderness beyond their borders. There they encounter the the fae court.

The fae haven’t been seen for a millennium. But now Yeeran and Lettle are thrust into their seductive world � torn between their loyalty to each other, their elven homeland, and their hearts. . .]]> 386 Saara El-Arifi 0593723007 Maryam 2 Dropped at 30% 3.53 2024 Faebound (Faebound, #1)
author: Saara El-Arifi
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/12/19
shelves:
review:
Dropped at 30%
]]> Glorious Exploits 127278133 An utterly original celebration of that which binds humanity across battle lines and history.

On the island of Sicily amid the Peloponnesian War, the Syracusans have figured out what to do with the surviving Athenians who had the gall to invade their city: they’ve herded the sorry prisoners of war into a rock quarry and left them to rot. Looking for a way to pass the time, Lampo and Gelon, two unemployed potters with a soft spot for poetry and drink, head down into the quarry to feed the Athenians if, and only if, they can manage a few choice lines from their great playwright Euripides. Before long, the two mates hatch a plan to direct a full-blown production of Medea. After all, you can hate the people but love their art. But as opening night approaches, what started as a lark quickly sets in motion a series of extraordinary events, and our wayward heroes begin to realize that staging a play can be as dangerous as fighting a war, with all sorts of risks to life, limb, and friendship.

Told in a contemporary Irish voice and as riotously funny as it is deeply moving, Glorious Exploits is an unforgettable ode to the power of art in a time of war, brotherhood in a time of enmity, and human will throughout the ages.]]> 304 Ferdia Lennon 1250893690 Maryam 4 audiobook, historical-fiction 4.15 2024 Glorious Exploits
author: Ferdia Lennon
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/19
date added: 2024/12/19
shelves: audiobook, historical-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 1]]> 58701673
Years later, he awakens in the body of an aggrieved young man who sacrifices his soul so that Wei Wuxian can exact revenge on his behalf. Though granted a second life, Wei Wuxian is not free from his first, nor the mysteries that appear before him now. Yet this time, he'll face it all with the righteous and esteemed Lan Wangji at his side, another powerful cultivator whose unwavering dedication and shared memories of their past will help shine a light on the dark truths that surround them.]]> 395 Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù 1648279198 Maryam 4 4.56 2016 Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 1
author: Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/17
date added: 2024/12/17
shelves: ebooks, graphic-novel-comics-manga
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Apprentice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #2)]]> 203147386
Evie Sage has never been happier to be the assistant to The Villain. Who would have thought that working for an outrageously handsome (shhh, bad for his brand) evil overlord would be so rewarding? Still, the business of being bad is demanding, the forces of good are annoyingly persistent, and said forbidding boss is somewhat…er, out-of-evil-office.

But Rennedawn is in grave trouble, and all signs―Kingsley’s included―point to catastrophe. Something peculiar is happening with the kingdom’s magic, and it’s made The Villain’s manor vulnerable to their enemies...including their nemesis, the king.

Now it’s time for Evie to face her greatest challenge: protecting The Villain’s lair, all of his nefarious works, and maybe (provided no one finds out) the entire kingdom. No pressure, Evie.

It’s time to step out of her comfort zone and learn new skills. Like treason. Dagger work. Conspiring with the enemy. It’s all so…so…delightfully fun.

But what happens when the assistant to The Villain is ready to become his apprentice?]]> 368 Hannah Nicole Maehrer 1649377177 Maryam 3 fantasy, ya 4.07 2024 Apprentice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #2)
author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/08
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves: fantasy, ya
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Wind and Truth (The Stormlight Archive, #5)]]> 203578847 The long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive―the iconic epic fantasy masterpiece that has sold more than 10 million copies, from acclaimed bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.

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

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

At the same time, Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain work to unravel the mystery behind the Unmade Ba-Ado-Mishram and her involvement in the enslavement of the singer race and in the ancient Knights Radiants killing their spren. And Dalinar and Navani seek an edge against Odium’s champion that can be found only in the Spiritual Realm, where memory and possibility combine in chaos. The fate of the entire Cosmere hangs in the balance.]]> 1344 Brandon Sanderson 1250319188 Maryam 0 currently-reading 4.37 2024 Wind and Truth (The Stormlight Archive, #5)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/06
shelves: currently-reading
review:
Already shaking from excitement! The wait is over!
]]> <![CDATA[Dreams of Fire (Gael Song, #0.5)]]> 207572085
Rónnat and Fódla are Descendants of the Tuatha Dé Danann. They live a peaceful life with their aged warrior father in the north of Ireland. The Fomorians � age-old enemies of their kind � are thought to be battle-vanquished, for no conflict has been fought between their immortal races for generations.

But rumours of war and endless shifting allegiances mean that the Descendants' position is not secure in the mortal world. There are powerful voices among the Descendants who want their kind to dwell permanently in strongholds hidden from mortals � threatening Rónnat's love of freedom.

And the Fomorians, though greatly reduced in number, are far from vanquished. Led by their mighty prince, Balorach, the remaining Fomorians, with their gift of fire-magic, seek to destroy the Descendants.

The Descendants have the advantage of their own magical powers, and mighty warriors defend them... but if they cannot be beaten, why do the voices Rónnat hears on the wind speak of death and destruction?]]> 105 Shauna Lawless 103590215X Maryam 5 ebooks, fantasy, favorites 4.51 2024 Dreams of Fire (Gael Song, #0.5)
author: Shauna Lawless
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/06
date added: 2024/12/06
shelves: ebooks, fantasy, favorites
review:
The whole series is one of the beat aI’ve read this year! Only book 2.5 and the finale remains and I cannot wait to read them! Just too many other books I have already in my Reading pile
]]> <![CDATA[Dead Voices (Small Spaces, #2)]]> 43069601 Bestselling author Katherine Arden returns with another creepy, spine-tingling adventure in this follow-up to the critically acclaimed Small Spaces.

Having survived sinister scarecrows and the malevolent smiling man in Small Spaces, newly minted best friends Ollie, Coco, and Brian are ready to spend a relaxing winter break skiing together with their parents at Mount Hemlock Resort. But when a snowstorm sets in, causing the power to flicker out and the cold to creep closer and closer, the three are forced to settle for hot chocolate and board games by the fire.

Ollie, Coco, and Brian are determined to make the best of being snowed in, but odd things keep happening. Coco is convinced she has seen a ghost, and Ollie is having nightmares about frostbitten girls pleading for help. Then Mr. Voland, a mysterious ghost hunter, arrives in the midst of the storm to investigate the hauntings at Hemlock Lodge. Ollie, Coco, and Brian want to trust him, but Ollie's watch, which once saved them from the smiling man, has a new cautionary message: BEWARE.

With Mr. Voland's help, Ollie, Coco, and Brian reach out to the dead voices at Mount Hemlock. Maybe the ghosts need their help–or maybe not all ghosts can or should be trusted.

Dead Voices is a terrifying follow-up to Small Spaces with thrills and chills galore and the captive foreboding of a classic ghost story.]]> 256 Katherine Arden 0593106490 Maryam 4 4.06 2019 Dead Voices (Small Spaces, #2)
author: Katherine Arden
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/05
date added: 2024/12/05
shelves: middlegradefantasy, audiobook, fantasy, horror
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Tales from the Café (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, #2)]]> 54373691 In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a café which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time...

From the author of Before the Coffee Gets Cold comes a story of four new customers each of whom is hoping to take advantage of Cafe Funiculi Funicula's time-travelling offer.

Among some faces that will be familiar to readers of Kawaguchi's previous novel, we will be introduced to:

The man who goes back to see his best friend who died 22 years ago
The son who was unable to attend his own mother’s funeral
The man who travelled to see the girl who he could not marry
The old detective who never gave his wife that gift...

This beautiful, simple tale tells the story of people who must face up to their past, in order to move on with their lives. Kawaguchi once again invites the reader to ask themselves: what would you change if you could travel back in time?]]> 192 Toshikazu Kawaguchi 1529050863 Maryam 3 3.98 2017 Tales from the Café (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, #2)
author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/05
date added: 2024/12/05
shelves: fiction, short-stories, japanese-fiction
review:
Actual rating 3.5 . It was good but I still prefer the first book!
]]> <![CDATA[The Reckoning (Zodiac Academy, #3)]]> 49551172 The answer to your question will be revealed on the Lunar Eclipse. But when finding the truth, don't let the shadows take you.

The week of The Reckoning has begun. And senior students have been tasked with making the freshmen's lives pure hell as they prepare to take their fateful assessment.

With the Lunar Eclipse on the horizon, Tory and Darcy have more to worry about than just passing their exams. A dark plot is unfolding and the shadows are drawing closer...]]> 561 Caroline Peckham Maryam 2 ya, romance, fantasy 4.33 2019 The Reckoning (Zodiac Academy, #3)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/03
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: ya, romance, fantasy
review:
tbh I don't know why I continue to read this series!! the writing is bad, the plot is bad, there are huge red flags on how everyone treats everyone else.... still I continue with the hope it gets better.
]]> <![CDATA[Blood Rites (The Dresden Files, #6)]]> 99383
Harry is doubly frustrated because he got involved with this bizarre mystery only as a favor to Thomas, his flirtatious, self-absorbed vampire acquaintance of dubious integrity. Thomas has a personal stake in the case Harry can't quite figure out, until his investigation leads him straight to Thomas' oversexed vampire family. Harry is about to discover that Thomas' family tree has been hiding a shocking secret; a revelation that will change Harry's life forever.


Cover Art Lee MacLeod]]> 372 Jim Butcher 0451459873 Maryam 4 audiobook, fantasy 4.29 2004 Blood Rites (The Dresden Files, #6)
author: Jim Butcher
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/01
date added: 2024/12/01
shelves: audiobook, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Threadneedle (The Language of Magic, #1)]]> 51867529
Anna’s Aunt has always warned her of the dangers of magic. Its twists. Its knots. Its deadly consequences.

Now Anna counts down the days to the ceremony that will bind her magic forever.

Until she meets Effie and Attis.

They open her eyes to a London she never knew existed. A shop that sells memories. A secret library where the librarian feeds off words. A club where revellers lose themselves in a haze of spells.

But as she is swept deeper into this world, Anna begins to wonder if her Aunt was right all along.

Is her magic a gift � or a curse?]]> 576 Cari Thomas 0008407002 Maryam 4 fantasy, ya Descent YA fantasy novel! 3.92 2021 Threadneedle (The Language of Magic, #1)
author: Cari Thomas
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/29
date added: 2024/11/29
shelves: fantasy, ya
review:
Descent YA fantasy novel!
]]> <![CDATA[The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War]]> 195608683 The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Splendid and the Vile brings to life the pivotal five months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the start of the Civil War—a slow-burning crisis that finally tore a deeply divided nation in two.

On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the fluky victor in a tight race for president. The country was bitterly at odds; Southern extremists were moving ever closer to destroying the Union, with one state after another seceding and Lincoln powerless to stop them. Slavery fueled the conflict, but somehow the passions of North and South came to focus on a lonely federal fortress in Charleston: Fort Sumter.

Master storyteller Erik Larson offers a gripping account of the chaotic months between Lincoln’s election and the Confederacy’s shelling of Sumter—a period marked by tragic errors and miscommunications, enflamed egos and craven ambitions, personal tragedies and betrayals. Lincoln himself wrote that the trials of these five months were “so great that, could I have anticipated them, I would not have believed it possible to survive them.�

At the heart of this suspense-filled narrative are Major Robert Anderson, Sumter’s commander and a former slave owner sympathetic to the South but loyal to the Union; Edmund Ruffin, a vain and bloodthirsty radical who stirs secessionist ardor at every opportunity; and Mary Boykin Chesnut, wife of a prominent planter, conflicted over both marriage and slavery and seeing parallels between both. In the middle of it all is the overwhelmed Lincoln, battling with his duplicitous Secretary of State, William Seward, as he tries desperately to avert a war that he fears is inevitable—one that will eventually kill 750,000 Americans.

Drawing on diaries, secret communiques, slave ledgers, and plantation records, Larson gives us a political horror story that captures the forces that led America to the brink—a dark reminder that we often don’t see a cataclysm coming until it’s too late.]]> 565 Erik Larson 0385348746 Maryam 0 to-read 4.13 2024 The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War
author: Erik Larson
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Leviathan Falls (The Expanse, #9)]]> 28335699
In the dead system of Adro, Elvi Okoye leads a desperate scientific mission to understand what the gate builders were and what destroyed them, even if it means compromising herself and the half-alien children who bear the weight of her investigation. Through the wide-flung systems of humanity, Colonel Aliana Tanaka hunts for Duarte’s missing daughter. . . and the shattered emperor himself. And on the Rocinante, James Holden and his crew struggle to build a future for humanity out of the shards and ruins of all that has come before.

As nearly unimaginable forces prepare to annihilate all human life, Holden and a group of unlikely allies discover a last, desperate chance to unite all of humanity, with the promise of a vast galactic civilization free from wars, factions, lies, and secrets if they win.

But the price of victory may be worse than the cost of defeat.]]> 528 James S.A. Corey 0356510395 Maryam 5 4.48 2021 Leviathan Falls (The Expanse, #9)
author: James S.A. Corey
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/26
date added: 2024/11/26
shelves: science-fiction, schififantasy, audiobook
review:
One of the best ending for a series I have read! omg what a ride! need time to write a meaningful review :)
]]> <![CDATA[We'll Prescribe You a Cat (We'll Prescribe You a Cat, #1)]]> 209891170 A cat a day keeps the doctor away�.

Discover this utterly charming, vibrant celebration of the healing power of cats in the award-winning, bestselling Japanese novel that has become an international sensation.

Tucked away on the fifth floor of an old building at the end of a narrow alley in Kyoto, the Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul can be found only by people who are struggling in their lives and who genuinely need help. The mysterious clinic offers a unique treatment to those who find their way there: it prescribes cats as medication. Patients are often puzzled by this unconventional prescription, but when they “take� their cat for the recommended duration, they witness profound transformations in their lives, guided by the playful, empathetic, and occasionally challenging yet endearing cats.

Throughout these pages, the power of the human-animal bond is revealed as a disheartened businessman finds unexpected joy in physical labor, a middle-aged man struggles to stay relevant at work and home, a young girl navigates the complexities of elementary school cliques, a hardened handbag designer seeks emotional balance, and a geisha learns to move on from the memory of her lost cat. As the clinic’s patients grapple with their inner turmoil and seek resolution, their feline companions lead them toward healing, self-discovery, and newfound hope.]]> 297 Syou Ishida 0593818741 Maryam 4 audiobook, fantasy 3.78 2023 We'll Prescribe You a Cat (We'll Prescribe You a Cat, #1)
author: Syou Ishida
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/26
date added: 2024/11/26
shelves: audiobook, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #2)]]> 199347538 Somewhere Beyond the Sea is the hugely anticipated sequel to TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea, one of the best-loved and best-selling fantasy novels of the past decade. Featuring gorgeous orange sprayed edges!

A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything.

Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one.

He’s the master of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six dangerous and magical children who live there.

Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. He is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department In Charge of Magical Youth. And there’s the island’s sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite, and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children.

But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve.

And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name that Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart.

Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a story of resistance, lovingly told, about the daunting experience of fighting for the life you want to live and doing the work to keep it.]]> 416 T.J. Klune 125088120X Maryam 4 fantasy, lgtbq, family
I just love all Klune's works :)]]> 4.17 2024 Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #2)
author: T.J. Klune
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/21
date added: 2024/11/21
shelves: fantasy, lgtbq, family
review:
actual rating : 4.5 .

I just love all Klune's works :)
]]> <![CDATA[Ruthless Fae (Zodiac Academy, #2)]]> 51966347 They tried to break us.
They almost did.
But we're not going anywhere.


The Celestial Heirs think the stars are on their side. But they don't know what's coming.Fighting them one on one isn't an option so we have to be stealthy. Remaining under the radar won't be easy, but if we pull it off, they'll never suspect our involvement when their lives start falling apart.

Besides, they've already taken us to the brink of hell, what more can they really do?]]> 475 Caroline Peckham Maryam 3 fantasy, ya, audiobook 4.20 2019 Ruthless Fae (Zodiac Academy, #2)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/18
date added: 2024/11/18
shelves: fantasy, ya, audiobook
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Witchblood (Witchblood Issues, #1)]]> 57320237 25 Matthew Erman Maryam 0 to-read 3.94 2021 Witchblood (Witchblood Issues, #1)
author: Matthew Erman
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age]]> 32919530 The life and times of one of the foremost intellects of the twentieth century: Claude Shannon—the neglected architect of the Information Age, whose insights stand behind every computer built, email sent, video streamed, and webpage loaded.

Claude Shannon was a groundbreaking polymath, a brilliant tinkerer, and a digital pioneer. He constructed a fleet of customized unicycles and a flamethrowing trumpet, outfoxed Vegas casinos, and built juggling robots. He also wrote the seminal text of the digital revolution, which has been called “the Magna Carta of the Information Age.� His discoveries would lead contemporaries to compare him to Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton. His work anticipated by decades the world we’d be living in today—and gave mathematicians and engineers the tools to bring that world to pass.

In this elegantly written, exhaustively researched biography, Jimmy Soni and Rob Goodman reveal Claude Shannon’s full story for the first time. It’s the story of a small-town Michigan boy whose career stretched from the era of room-sized computers powered by gears and string to the age of Apple. It’s the story of the origins of our digital world in the tunnels of MIT and the “idea factory� of Bell Labs, in the “scientists� war� with Nazi Germany, and in the work of Shannon’s collaborators and rivals, thinkers like Alan Turing, John von Neumann, Vannevar Bush, and Norbert Wiener.

And it’s the story of Shannon’s life as an often reclusive, always playful genius. With access to Shannon’s family and friends, A Mind at Play brings this singular innovator and creative genius to life.]]> 384 Jimmy Soni 1476766681 Maryam 0 to-read 4.12 2017 A Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age
author: Jimmy Soni
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Awakening (Zodiac Academy, #1)]]> 46261182 This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN B07SV21LFY

You have been selected to attend Zodiac Academy, where your star sign defines your destiny.

If you're one of the Fae, elemental magic is in your blood. And apparently it's in ours. As twins born in the month of Gemini, we're a rare breed even in this academy of supernatural a-holes.

Changelings were outlawed hundreds of years ago but I guess our birth parents didn't get the memo. Which means we're totally unprepared for the ruthless world of Fae.

Air. Fire. Water. Earth.

No one has ever harnessed all four of them, until we arrived. And it hasn't made us any friends so far.

As the rarest Elementals ever known, we're already a threat to the four celestial heirs; the popular, vindictive bullies who happen to be some of the hottest guys we've ever seen. It doesn't help that they're the most dangerous beasts in the Academy. And probably on earth too.

Our fates are intertwined, but they want us gone. They've only got until the lunar eclipse to force us out and they'll stop at nothing to succeed.

We never knew we had a birthright to live up to but now that we do, we intend to claim our throne.

We can't expect any help from the faculty when it comes to defending ourselves. So if the dragon shifters want some target practice, the werewolves want someone to hunt or the vampires fancy a snack then we have to be ready. But we've been looking after each other for a long time and fighting back is in our blood.

Today's horoscope: totally screwed.]]> 436 Caroline Peckham Maryam 3 ya, fantasy, audiobook 2.5 3.81 2019 The Awakening (Zodiac Academy, #1)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/14
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves: ya, fantasy, audiobook
review:
2.5
]]> <![CDATA[Silver in the Bone (Silver in the Bone, #1)]]> 62031346
" Simmering with magic, peril, romance, and heartbreak ." —Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shadow and Bone

Born without a trace of magic, Tamsin Lark is no match for the sorceresses and Hollowers who populate the magical underground of Boston. But when the only parent she’s ever known disappears without so much as a goodbye, she has no choice but to join in their cutthroat pursuit of enchanted relics to keep herself—and her brother, Cabell—alive.

Ten years later, rumors are swirling that her guardian found a powerful ring from Arthurian legend just before he vanished. A run-in with her rival Emrys ignites Tamsin’s hope that the ring could free Cabell from a curse that threatens both of them. But they aren’t the only ones who covet the ring.

As word spreads, greedy Hollowers start circling, and many would kill to have it for themselves. While Emrys is the last person Tamsin would choose to partner with, she needs all the help she can get to edge out her competitorsin the race for the ring. Together, they dive headfirst into a vipers� nest of dark magic, exposing a deadly secret with the power to awaken ghosts of the past and shatter her last hope of saving her brother. . . .]]> 467 Alexandra Bracken 0593481658 Maryam 4 audiobook, fantasy, ya 3.88 2023 Silver in the Bone (Silver in the Bone, #1)
author: Alexandra Bracken
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/12
date added: 2024/11/12
shelves: audiobook, fantasy, ya
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Last Colony (Old Man's War, #3)]]> 88071
That is, until his and Jane's past reaches out to bring them back into the game--as leaders of a new human colony, to be peopled by settlers from all the major human worlds, for a deep political purpose that will put Perry and Sagan back in the thick of interstellar politics, betrayal, and war.]]> 320 John Scalzi 0765316978 Maryam 4 audiobook, science-fiction 4.06 2007 The Last Colony (Old Man's War, #3)
author: John Scalzi
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/11
date added: 2024/11/11
shelves: audiobook, science-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom]]> 203578812 A standalone darkly humorous thriller set in modern America's age of anxiety, by New York Times bestselling author Jason Pargin.

Outside Los Angeles, a driver pulls up to find a young woman sitting on a large black box. She offers him $200,000 cash to transport her and that box across the country, to Washington, DC.

But there are rules:

He cannot look inside the box.
He cannot ask questions.
He cannot tell anyone.
They must leave immediately.
He must leave all trackable devices behind.

As these eccentric misfits hit the road, rumors spread on social media that the box is part of a carefully orchestrated terror attack intended to plunge the USA into civil war.

The truth promises to be even stranger, and may change how you see the world.]]> 400 Jason Pargin 125028595X Maryam 4
The story was really unique and different from other books I've read. Things happened quickly, and there was always something new and exciting going on. I never felt bored while reading.

The characters in the book were really interesting and memorable. Each person had their own special way of talking and acting, which made them feel like real people. I could easily tell them apart and enjoyed getting to know them.

The book had a lot of jokes that were a bit dark or edgy, and there were many crazy and unexpected moments. I really liked this style of humor and found myself laughing often.

When I got to the end of the book, I was surprised by how things turned out. I didn't guess what was going to happen. To be honest, I didn't enjoy the ending as much as the rest of the book, but that didn't stop me from loving the overall story.

I actually listened to this book instead of reading it. The narrator did a great job. Their voice and the way they told the story made it even more enjoyable.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to others who like fast-paced stories with unusual characters and a good mix of humor and surprises.]]> 3.98 2024 I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom
author: Jason Pargin
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/04
date added: 2024/11/04
shelves: thriller, mystery, audiobook, science-fiction
review:
Wow, what an exciting and fun experience this book was! It felt like going on a thrilling adventure that kept me interested from start to finish.

The story was really unique and different from other books I've read. Things happened quickly, and there was always something new and exciting going on. I never felt bored while reading.

The characters in the book were really interesting and memorable. Each person had their own special way of talking and acting, which made them feel like real people. I could easily tell them apart and enjoyed getting to know them.

The book had a lot of jokes that were a bit dark or edgy, and there were many crazy and unexpected moments. I really liked this style of humor and found myself laughing often.

When I got to the end of the book, I was surprised by how things turned out. I didn't guess what was going to happen. To be honest, I didn't enjoy the ending as much as the rest of the book, but that didn't stop me from loving the overall story.

I actually listened to this book instead of reading it. The narrator did a great job. Their voice and the way they told the story made it even more enjoyable.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to others who like fast-paced stories with unusual characters and a good mix of humor and surprises.
]]> Auberon (The Expanse, #7.5) 51209450 A novella set in the universe of James S. A. Corey’s NYT-bestselling Expanse series, Auberon explores a new and alien world and the age-old dangers that humanity has carried with it to the stars. Now a Prime Original series.

Auberon is one of the first and most important colony worlds in humanity’s reach, and the new conquering faction has come to claim it. Governor Rittenaur has come to bring civilization and order to the far outpost and guarantee the wealth and power of the Empire.

But Auberon already has its own history, a complex culture, and a criminal kingpin named Erich with very different plans. In a world of deceit, violence, and corruption, the greatest danger Rittenaur faces is love.]]> 78 James S.A. Corey 1549170090 Maryam 4 novella, science-fiction 4.13 2019 Auberon (The Expanse, #7.5)
author: James S.A. Corey
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/30
date added: 2024/10/30
shelves: novella, science-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Black Prism (Lightbringer, #1)]]> 7165300
When Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the war that put him in power, he must decide how much he's willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear his world apart.]]> 629 Brent Weeks 0316075558 Maryam 5 favorites, fantasy
I might be late to the party with this series, but if you haven’t picked it up yet, don’t wait any longer. Dive in; you won’t regret it]]> 4.23 2010 The Black Prism (Lightbringer, #1)
author: Brent Weeks
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/30
date added: 2024/10/30
shelves: favorites, fantasy
review:
Just finished the first book of this epic fantasy series, and I can already tell it’s going to be incredible! The character development and magic system are crafted beautifully—each detail pulls you deeper into the world.

I might be late to the party with this series, but if you haven’t picked it up yet, don’t wait any longer. Dive in; you won’t regret it
]]> <![CDATA[A Dangerous Collaboration (Veronica Speedwell, #4)]]> 30518319
As spectral figures, ghostly music, and mysterious threats begin to plague the partygoers, Veronica enlists Stoker's help to discover the host's true motivations. And as they investigate, it becomes clear that there are numerous mysteries surrounding the Romilly estate, and every person present has a motive to kill Rosamund...]]> 336 Deanna Raybourn Maryam 4 4.26 2019 A Dangerous Collaboration (Veronica Speedwell, #4)
author: Deanna Raybourn
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/29
date added: 2024/10/29
shelves: historical-fiction, mystery, thriller, audiobook
review:
I love this series so much!! It has become one of my refuge this days, enjoy it a lot.
]]> کافه� زیر دریا 151835 256 Stefano Benni 9647081456 Maryam 4 fiction 3.69 1987 کافه‌ زیر دریا
author: Stefano Benni
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.69
book published: 1987
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/10/28
shelves: fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ruthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment, #2)]]> 127280062 Torn apart by war. Reunited by love?

Two weeks have passed since Iris returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over.

Roman is missing, lost behind enemy lines, with no memory of his past, or Iris. Hoping his memories return, he begins to write again � but this time for the enemy.

When a strange letter arrives through his wardrobe door, he strikes up a correspondence with a penpal who seems at once mysterious� and strangely familiar.

As their connection deepens, the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.]]> 420 Rebecca Ross 1250857457 Maryam 4 Review to come 3.99 2023 Ruthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment, #2)
author: Rebecca Ross
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/25
date added: 2024/10/25
shelves:
review:
Review to come
]]> <![CDATA[The Heart of the World (The Isles of the Gods, #2)]]> 199465196 Magic and sacrifice will collide as lovers and gods, enemies and allies vie for the fate of the world in this heart-pounding sequel to The Isles of the Gods, which Stephanie Garber called deliciously diabolical and full of heart.

When Selly and Leander began their treacherous voyage to the Isles of the Gods, the captain’s daughter and the playboy prince were strangers. But amid talk of war and a deadly attack on their ship, the unthinkable happened.

They fell in love.

Leander’s ritual at the island temple was meant to prevent a war between the gods. Instead, it nearly cost him his life, and drew the goddess Barrica back from exile. Now, as her Messenger, Leander is imbued with her deadly magic, and only Selly’s presence can stop it from consuming him.

But Barrica wasn’t the only immortal roused from sleep. The God of Risk, Macean, was awakened by an enemy all thought dead, and across the sea he’s calling for war.

The fight to save their world will take Selly and Leander from the gilded ballroom of the royal palace to the hallowed halls of an ancient library. Battle lines will be drawn, and bonds will break.

With the wrath of gods and the machinations of power-hungry rulers straining their loyalties, can their love withstand the trials that await them?]]> 406 Amie Kaufman 0593479343 Maryam 3 audiobook 3.89 2024 The Heart of the World (The Isles of the Gods, #2)
author: Amie Kaufman
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/25
date added: 2024/10/25
shelves: audiobook
review:
Review to come but basically very disappointed after a great first book! This was at best an average ya romance fantasy novel.
]]> <![CDATA[Tiamat's Wrath (The Expanse, #8)]]> 28335698
In the dead systems where gates lead to stranger things than alien planets, Elvi Okoye begins a desperate search to discover the nature of a genocide that happened before the first human beings existed, and to find weapons to fight a war against forces at the edge of the imaginable. But the price of that knowledge may be higher than she can pay.

At the heart of the empire, Teresa Duarte prepares to take on the burden of her father's godlike ambition. The sociopathic scientist Paolo Cortázar and the Mephistophelian prisoner James Holden are only two of the dangers in a palace thick with intrigue, but Teresa has a mind of her own and secrets even her father the emperor doesn't guess.

And throughout the wide human empire, the scattered crew of the Rocinante fights a brave rear-guard action against Duarte's authoritarian regime. Memory of the old order falls away, and a future under Laconia's eternal rule -- and with it, a battle that humanity can only lose - seems more and more certain. Because against the terrors that lie between worlds, courage and ambition will not be enough...]]> 534 James S.A. Corey 0316332879 Maryam 5 4.54 2019 Tiamat's Wrath (The Expanse, #8)
author: James S.A. Corey
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/18
date added: 2024/10/18
shelves:
review:
After Nemesis Games this was the best book of the series so far!! The story is coming to an end! will start the last book soon and will write a full review for both hopefully! I'm so behind my reviews lol
]]> <![CDATA[Persepolis Rising (The Expanse, #7)]]> 28335696 The seventh novel in James S. A. Corey's New York Times bestselling Expanse series--now a major television series.
The Expanse Leviathan Wakes, Caliban's War, Abaddon's Gate, Cibola Burn, Nemesis Games, Babylon's Ashes, Persepolis Rising,
The Expanse Short Fiction The Butcher of Anderson Station, Gods of Risk, The Churn, The Vital Abyss, Strange Dogs.]]> 608 James S.A. Corey 0316332828 Maryam 4
This book had much more depth compared to previous ones, and the story was truly excellent. It was full of political complexities, introducing new characters and giving more significance to previous supporting characters. Although I really like James Holden, I'm glad the focus wasn't solely on him this time. Overall, I really enjoyed it.]]> 4.34 2017 Persepolis Rising (The Expanse, #7)
author: James S.A. Corey
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/07
date added: 2024/10/17
shelves: audiobook, science-fiction, popsugar2023
review:
In this book, we enter a new era. Until now, we've had a series of events and incidents, but in this book, the story takes a new direction. Everything is changing since the last book thirty years ago. James Holden and Naomi intend to retire, but as usual, things don't go as our favorite heroes expect. Years ago, a group of Martian soldiers took their ships and, along with their families and followers, migrated to a distant system, and no one has heard from them since. But guess what? These new colonies have managed to discover a new technology using Promolecule and are planning to establish a new empire.

This book had much more depth compared to previous ones, and the story was truly excellent. It was full of political complexities, introducing new characters and giving more significance to previous supporting characters. Although I really like James Holden, I'm glad the focus wasn't solely on him this time. Overall, I really enjoyed it.
]]> <![CDATA[Nemesis Games (The Expanse, #5)]]> 22886612
A thousand worlds have opened, and the greatest land rush in human history has begun. As wave after wave of colonists leave, the power structures of the old solar system begin to buckle.

Ships are disappearing without a trace. Private armies are being secretly formed. The sole remaining protomolecule sample is stolen. Terrorist attacks previously considered impossible bring the inner planets to their knees. The sins of the past are returning to exact a terrible price.

And as a new human order is struggling to be born in blood and fire, James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante must struggle to survive and get back to the only home they have left.]]> 536 James S.A. Corey 031621759X Maryam 5
I read the reviews before reading mine and in agreement with many of them. This is one of the bests until now in the series. There is not much unknown plot this time but it's focused on our main crew, our heroes. We know them better and they are now facing their personal challenges/decisions they made in the past and what are the consequences today or even in the future.

despite the fact that there isn't really any new big unknown in this book, it kept me on edge and didn't let me stop reading. Excellent work as I'm getting bored with books easily these days!]]> 4.44 2015 Nemesis Games (The Expanse, #5)
author: James S.A. Corey
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2020/04/24
date added: 2024/10/17
shelves: audiobook, science-fiction, scififantasy2020
review:
So the fifth book and wow this is so easy getting back to these familiar, lovable characters. So much I had missed them and I didn't even notice.

I read the reviews before reading mine and in agreement with many of them. This is one of the bests until now in the series. There is not much unknown plot this time but it's focused on our main crew, our heroes. We know them better and they are now facing their personal challenges/decisions they made in the past and what are the consequences today or even in the future.

despite the fact that there isn't really any new big unknown in this book, it kept me on edge and didn't let me stop reading. Excellent work as I'm getting bored with books easily these days!
]]> <![CDATA[Small Spaces (Small Spaces, #1)]]> 36959639 New York Times bestselling adult author ofThe Bear and the Nightingale makes her middle grade debut with a creepy, spellbinding ghost story destined to become a classic

After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn't think—she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man," a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.

Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. There she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn't have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie's previously broken digital wristwatch, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.

Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver's warning. As the trio head out into the woods--bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them--the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small."

And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.

]]> 218 Katherine Arden 052551502X Maryam 5 Definitely will continue the rest of the series, although I've far passed middle grade :D]]> 4.00 2018 Small Spaces (Small Spaces, #1)
author: Katherine Arden
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/16
date added: 2024/10/16
shelves: audiobook, fantasy, middlegradefantasy, horror, family
review:
well it's October and time for spooky reads. This one was a solid middle grade horror fantasy book.
Definitely will continue the rest of the series, although I've far passed middle grade :D
]]> <![CDATA[The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)]]> 100915
Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor's mysterious old house. At first her brothers and sister don't believe her when she tells of her visit to the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund, then Peter and Susan step through the wardrobe themselves. In Narnia they find a country buried under the evil enchantment of the White Witch. When they meet the Lion Aslan, they realize they've been called to a great adventure and bravely join the battle to free Narnia from the Witch's sinister spell.]]> 206 C.S. Lewis Maryam 4 4.24 1950 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)
author: C.S. Lewis
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1950
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/15
date added: 2024/10/15
shelves: audiobook, middlegradefantasy, ya, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Words of Kings and Prophets (Gael Song, #2)]]> 62847701
Ireland, 1000 AD. Gormflaith is unhappily married to Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, and although a queen she struggles with her limited position. As an immortal Fomorian with the secret gift of magic, Gormflaith has a burning desire: to find and destroy the hidden fortress of her sworn enemies, the Descendants, who seek to kill her kind at all costs. She begins to use her magical powers, and discovers she is more skilled than she ever realised... but can she control what she will become?

Meanwhile Fódla, the Descendants' healer, mourns her banished sister but clings to life as the guardian of her young nephew. She seeks a place of safety for them both, but he has secrets of his own that could threaten everything � and Fódla must do all in her power to keep him hidden away from those who would use him for evil.

When a mysterious man comes to King Brian's court, his presence could spell disaster or deliverance for both Gormflaith and Fódla � and for Ireland herself. For he is Tomas, an ambitious immortal with few scruples � and he will do anything to see his plans become reality.

Soon, mortals and immortals alike are drawn towards a bitter conflict that could decide the future of Ireland and all her people.]]> 476 Shauna Lawless Maryam 5 4.46 2023 The Words of Kings and Prophets (Gael Song, #2)
author: Shauna Lawless
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/15
date added: 2024/10/15
shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, favorites
review:
review to come but I loved both the first and this book.
]]> Sixth Column 342062 256 Robert A. Heinlein 067157826X Maryam 2
Sometimes we justify these outdated themes by saying, “That’s just how people thought back then.� But that doesn’t absolve the work or its creator from criticism. It’s important to acknowledge that even in those times, there were people and writers who challenged racism and stood against such harmful depictions. The idea that it was universally acceptable is not true. Literature has power, and writers have always had a responsibility to use it thoughtfully, whether in the 1940s or today.

The central plot device in Sixth Column—a miraculous scientific discovery—pushes the boundaries of disbelief, even for science fiction. This discovery can do just about anything: it selectively kills people by race, cures cancer, transmutes elements, and even builds massive temples. The result is a narrative that feels less like science fiction and more like a series of convenient plot shortcuts. It becomes even harder to take seriously when a small group of Americans, with little resistance, manage to topple a vastly more powerful occupying force. The lack of real struggle or consequence makes the story feel implausible and undercuts any tension or depth it could have had.
]]> 3.66 1949 Sixth Column
author: Robert A. Heinlein
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.66
book published: 1949
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/09
date added: 2024/10/09
shelves: audiobook, classics, science-fiction, schififantasy
review:
It’s tempting to excuse the racism in Sixth Column by saying it was "a product of its time," written in the 1940s when such themes were more common in literature. But just because it reflects the attitudes of that era doesn’t make it any less harmful. The normalization of racist stereotypes in fiction—whether it's from decades ago or today—contributes to reinforcing those biases. Heinlein’s depiction of the "Oriental" enemy as an exaggerated and dehumanizing mix of Asian stereotypes might have been more socially accepted then, but it’s no less problematic now.

Sometimes we justify these outdated themes by saying, “That’s just how people thought back then.� But that doesn’t absolve the work or its creator from criticism. It’s important to acknowledge that even in those times, there were people and writers who challenged racism and stood against such harmful depictions. The idea that it was universally acceptable is not true. Literature has power, and writers have always had a responsibility to use it thoughtfully, whether in the 1940s or today.

The central plot device in Sixth Column—a miraculous scientific discovery—pushes the boundaries of disbelief, even for science fiction. This discovery can do just about anything: it selectively kills people by race, cures cancer, transmutes elements, and even builds massive temples. The result is a narrative that feels less like science fiction and more like a series of convenient plot shortcuts. It becomes even harder to take seriously when a small group of Americans, with little resistance, manage to topple a vastly more powerful occupying force. The lack of real struggle or consequence makes the story feel implausible and undercuts any tension or depth it could have had.

]]> Hunting by Stars 56969519 A new story about hope and survival.

Years ago, when plagues and natural disasters killed millions of people, much of the world stopped dreaming. Without dreams, people are haunted, sick, mad, unable to rebuild. The government soon finds that the Indigenous people of North America have retained their dreams, an ability rumored to be housed in the very marrow of their bones. Soon, residential schools pop up—or are re-opened—across the land to bring in the dreamers and harvest their dreams.

Seventeen-year-old French lost his family to these schools and has spent the years since heading north with his new found family: a group of other dreamers, who, like him, are trying to build and thrive as a community. But then French wakes up in a pitch-black room, locked in and alone for the first time in years, and he knows immediately where he is—and what it will take to escape.

Meanwhile, out in the world, his found family searches for him and dodges new dangers—school Recruiters, a blood cult, even the land itself. When their paths finally collide, French must decide how far he is willing to go—and how many loved ones is he willing to betray—in order to survive.]]> 400 Cherie Dimaline 1419753479 Maryam 4
Cherie Dimaline originally didn’t plan to write a sequel to The Marrow Thieves. The first book was already a strong story about French finding a new family in a world where Indigenous people’s bone marrow is stolen to restore non-Indigenous people’s dreams.

This book digs deeper into themes of hope, family, and people's difficult choices when caught in oppressive systems. It’s a powerful, thought-provoking read that expands on the world of The Marrow Thieves, showing how far people will go when their survival—and their very dreams—are on the line.]]> 4.29 2021 Hunting by Stars
author: Cherie Dimaline
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/08
date added: 2024/10/08
shelves: indigenous, fiction, popsugar2024
review:
Hunting by Stars continues French’s story. His family has grown, but now he’s been captured by the Recruiters. At the institution where he’s held, he faces a shocking discovery—his brother Mitch, who saved him as a child, is now working for the same people who want to steal French’s marrow. As French grapples with betrayal and survival, his family tries to rescue him, while also facing their own struggles in this harsh world.

Cherie Dimaline originally didn’t plan to write a sequel to The Marrow Thieves. The first book was already a strong story about French finding a new family in a world where Indigenous people’s bone marrow is stolen to restore non-Indigenous people’s dreams.

This book digs deeper into themes of hope, family, and people's difficult choices when caught in oppressive systems. It’s a powerful, thought-provoking read that expands on the world of The Marrow Thieves, showing how far people will go when their survival—and their very dreams—are on the line.
]]> <![CDATA[A Treacherous Curse (Veronica Speedwell, #3)]]> 26244626 London, 1888. As colorful and unfettered as the butterflies she collects, Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell can’t resist the allure of an exotic mystery—particularly one involving her enigmatic colleague, Stoker.

His former expedition partner has vanished from an archaeological dig with a priceless diadem unearthed from the newly discovered tomb of an Egyptian princess. This disappearance is just the latest in a string of unfortunate events that have plagued the controversial expedition, and rumors abound that the curse of the vengeful princess has been unleashed as the shadowy figure of Anubis himself stalks the streets of London.

But the perils of an ancient curse are not the only challenges Veronica must face as sordid details and malevolent enemies emerge from Stoker’s past.

Caught in a tangle of conspiracies and threats—and thrust into the public eye by an enterprising new foe—Veronica must separate facts from fantasy to unravel a web of duplicity that threatens to cost Stoker everything. . . .]]> 308 Deanna Raybourn 0451476174 Maryam 5 historical-fiction 4.12 2018 A Treacherous Curse (Veronica Speedwell, #3)
author: Deanna Raybourn
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/06
date added: 2024/10/06
shelves: historical-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Devotion of Suspect X (Detective Galileo, #1)]]> 8686068
When Detective Kusanagi of the Tokyo Police tries to piece together the events of that day, he finds himself confronted by the most puzzling, mysterious circumstances he has ever investigated. Nothing quite makes sense, and it will take a genius to understand the genius behind this particular crime...]]> 298 Keigo Higashino 0312375069 Maryam 5 4.16 2005 The Devotion of Suspect X (Detective Galileo, #1)
author: Keigo Higashino
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/06
date added: 2024/10/06
shelves: mystery, popsugar2024, thriller
review:
Enjoyed it to the fullest! Will write a full review soon but for just consider it as highly recommended! It has all the simple charm coming with Japanese literature and also very engaging.
]]> The Life Impossible 198281740
“What looks like magic is simply a part of life we don’t understand yet…�

When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan.

Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the island, Grace searches for answers about her friend’s life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past.

Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.]]> 324 Matt Haig 0593489276 Maryam 2 3.45 2024 The Life Impossible
author: Matt Haig
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/03
date added: 2024/10/03
shelves:
review:
Dropped at 50% as it became a religious gibberish! Two stars for first half of the book!
]]> The House of Hidden Meanings 181109983
A profound introspection of his life, relationships, and identity, The House of Hidden Meanings is a self-portrait of the legendary icon on the road to global fame and changing the way the world thinks about drag. Central to RuPaul’s success has been his chameleonic adaptability. From drag icon to powerhouse producer of one of the world’s largest television franchises, RuPaul’s ever-shifting nature has always been part of his brand as both supermodel and supermogul.

Yet that adaptability has made him enigmatic to the public. In this memoir, his most intimate and detailed book yet, RuPaul makes himself truly known. Stripping away all artifice, RuPaul recounts the story of his life with breathtaking clarity and tenderness, bringing his signature wisdom and wit to his own biography. From his early years growing up as a queer Black kid in San Diego navigating complex relationships with his absent father and temperamental mother, to forging an identity in the punk and drag scenes of Atlanta and New York, to finding enduring love with his husband Georges LeBar and self-acceptance in sobriety, RuPaul excavates his own biography, uncovering new truths and insights in his personal history.

Here in RuPaul’s singular and extraordinary story is a manual for living—a personal philosophy that testifies to the value of chosen family, the importance of harnessing what makes you different, and the transformational power of facing yourself fearlessly. If we’re all born naked and the rest is drag, then this is RuPaul totally out of drag. This is RuPaul stripped bare.]]> 256 RuPaul 0063263904 Maryam 4 3.79 2024 The House of Hidden Meanings
author: RuPaul
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/03
date added: 2024/10/03
shelves: non-fiction, memoir-biography-autobiography, lgtbq, popsugar2024
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Rivers of London (Rivers of London, #1)]]> 9317452 392 Ben Aaronovitch 0575097566 Maryam 3 fantasy ]]> 3.83 2011 Rivers of London (Rivers of London, #1)
author: Ben Aaronovitch
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/02
date added: 2024/10/02
shelves: fantasy
review:
"I found the story to be reasonably enjoyable, but it had a similar feel to some of those classic popular paperback novels or James Bond-esque books. That's not really my preferred style, as I'm not a big fan of the pervasive toxic masculinity themes that are often present in that type of fiction. I'll need to carefully consider whether I want to continue with the rest of the series, given my reservations about the underlying tone and characterizations."

]]> Pet (Pet, #1) 43568395 A thought-provoking and haunting novel about a creature that escapes from an artist's canvas, whose talent is sniffing out monsters in a world that claims they don't exist anymore. Perfect for fans of Akata Witch and Shadowshaper.

There are no monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. Jam and her best friend, Redemption, have grown up with this lesson all their life. But when Jam meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colors and claws, who emerges from one of her mother's paintings and a drop of Jam's blood, she must reconsider what she's been told. Pet has come to hunt a monster--and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption's house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also uncover the truth, and the answer to the question How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist?

In their riveting and timely young adult debut, acclaimed novelist Akwaeke Emezi asks difficult questions about what choices you can make when the society around you is in denial.]]> 208 Akwaeke Emezi 0525647074 Maryam 5 4.14 2019 Pet (Pet, #1)
author: Akwaeke Emezi
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/28
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: audiobook, popsugar2024, middlegradefantasy, children, ya
review:
Such a must read for everyone and most importantly all parents!
]]> One Life 53387955
“Rapinoe's 'signature pose'from the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup is synonymous to the feeling we got when finishing this book:heart full, arms wide and ready to takeup space in this world.”� USA Today

Megan Rapinoe, Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women's World Cup champion, reveals for the first time her life both on and off the field. Guided by her personal journey into social justice, brimming with humor, humanity, and joy, she urges all of us to ask ourselves, What will you do with your one life?

Only four years old when she kicked her first soccer ball, Megan Rapinoe developed a love � and clear talent � for the game at a young age. But it was her parents who taught her that winning was much less important than how she lived her life. From childhood on, Rapinoe always did what she could to stand up for what was right—even if it meant going up against people who disagreed.

In One Life , Megan Rapinoe invites readers on a remarkable journey, looking back on both her victories and her failures, and pulls back the curtain on events we know only from the headlines. After the 2011 World Cup, discouraged by how few athletes were open about their sexuality, Rapinoe decided to come out publicly as gay and use her platform to advocate for marriage equality. Recognizing the power she had to bring attention to critical issues, in 2016 she took a knee during the national anthem in solidarity with former NFL player Colin Kaepernick to protest racial injustice and police brutality—the first high-profile white athlete to do so. The backlash was immediate, but it couldn’t compare to the overwhelming support. Rapinoe became a force of change.

Here for the first time, Rapinoe reflects upon some of the most pivotal moments in her life and career � from her realization in college that she was gay, through the disputes with soccer coaches and officials over her decision to kneel, to the first time she met her now-fiancé WNBA champion Sue Bird, and up through suing the US Soccer Federation over gender discrimination and equal pay. Throughout, Rapinoe makes clear the obligation we all have to speak up, and the impact each of us can have on our communities. Deeply personal and inspiring, One Life reveals that real, concrete change lies within all of us, and asks: If we all have the same resource—this one precious life, made up of the decisions we make every day—what are you going to do?

" One Life makes it clear that Rapinoe’s greatest accomplishments may ultimately come away from the soccer pitch. She’s a new kind of American hero."� San Francisco Chronicle ]]> 224 Megan Rapinoe 1984881167 Maryam 4 4.19 2020 One Life
author: Megan Rapinoe
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/30
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: memoir-biography-autobiography, non-fiction, popsugar2024
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Of Manners and Murder (Dear Miss Hermione Mystery, #1)]]> 60784604
And of course, the first letter Violet receives is full, not of prissy pondering, but of portent. Ivy Armstrong is in need of help and fears for her life. But when Violet visits the village where the letters were posted, she finds that Ivy is already dead.

She'll quickly discover that when you represent the best-loved Agony Aunt in Britain, both marauding husbands and murder are par for the course.]]> 304 Anastasia Hastings 1250848563 Maryam 3 3.63 2023 Of Manners and Murder (Dear Miss Hermione Mystery, #1)
author: Anastasia Hastings
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/30
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves: audiobook, popsugar2024, mystery
review:
Entertaining but I skipped a lot of pages! Had a little bit of Pride and Prejudice vibes too!
]]> Mickey 7 (Mickey7, #1) 62030429 Now experience where the hit movie from Academy Award-winning director Bong Joon-ho, starring Robert Pattinson, started in Mickey7 (the inspiration for the film Mickey 17).

Dying isn’t any fun…but at least it’s a living.

Mickey7 is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim. Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous—even suicidal—the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal…and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it.

On a fairly routine scouting mission, Mickey7 goes missing and is presumed dead. By the time he returns to the colony base, surprisingly helped back by native life, Mickey7’s fate has been sealed. There’s a new clone, Mickey8, reporting for Expendable duties. The idea of duplicate Expendables is universally loathed, and if caught, they will likely be thrown into the recycler for protein.

Mickey7 must keep his double a secret from the rest of the colony. Meanwhile, life on Niflheim is getting worse. The atmosphere is unsuitable for humans, food is in short supply, and terraforming is going poorly. The native species are growing curious about their new neighbors, and that curiosity has Commander Marshall very afraid. Ultimately, the survival of both lifeforms will come down to Mickey7.

That is, if he can just keep from dying for good.]]> 369 Edward Ashton 3641280540 Maryam 4 audiobook 3.72 2022 Mickey 7 (Mickey7, #1)
author: Edward Ashton
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/27
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: audiobook
review:
Easy and entertaining sci-fi story!
]]> Breaking Gravity 22595256 An alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here.

It was just a hoverboard. Nobody was supposed to die.

+++

Dale Adams has worked hard to leave his troubled past behind for a brighter future at Emory University. But when he makes a discovery that will change humanity forever, avoiding the spotlight becomes the least of his concerns.

Small experiments have attracted big attention. And not all who notice want Dale to be successful. Or even alive.

As Dale's world collapses around him, his fate intertwines with that of a girl he hardly knows. Their only hope for survival is to disappear into Atlanta's seedy underbelly, the very place Dale has tried so hard to leave behind. Time is running out, but if they can survive long enough science will be rewritten by the most unlikely of authors.

.]]> 205 Mitty Walters 0692237097 Maryam 3 science-fiction, thriller Actual Rating : 3.5

Well, It's hard to review this book because I almost enjoyed it to the very last chapter which was very short and an early and unexpected ending.

The book is a very good Sci-Fi thriller with lots of action and even some romance. It has minor flaws but for me the major one was a sudden jump to the end of story. It was that sudden I thought my book is not complete and maybe there are more pages that I don't have.

By the way, I liked the way this book is written and look forward to read the writer's future books.]]> 4.05 2014 Breaking Gravity
author: Mitty Walters
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2015/04/29
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: science-fiction, thriller
review:
Actual Rating : 3.5

Well, It's hard to review this book because I almost enjoyed it to the very last chapter which was very short and an early and unexpected ending.

The book is a very good Sci-Fi thriller with lots of action and even some romance. It has minor flaws but for me the major one was a sudden jump to the end of story. It was that sudden I thought my book is not complete and maybe there are more pages that I don't have.

By the way, I liked the way this book is written and look forward to read the writer's future books.
]]> <![CDATA[The Land of the Living and the Dead (Gael Song, #3)]]> 203578961 The old world will die in flames�

Ireland, 1011 AD. Brian Boru is now High King of Ireland. His queen, Gormflaith, instructs their young son in his heritage - but only on his mother's side. For Gormflaith, an immortal Fomorian skilled in fire-magic, intends to finally defeat the Fomorians' hated foes, the Descendants, and establish control over Ireland. And if King Brian stands in her way, so much the worse for him�

Fódla, the Descendants' spy in King Brian's camp, treads a wary path. She must protect her magically powerful young nephew from their leader, Tomas, who will do anything to achieve his aim of the Descendants returning to the mortal world and ruling Ireland. And Fódla is on dangerous ground, for she has broken one of the sacred rules of the she has fallen in love with a mortal.

As the schemes of Gormflaith and Tomas come to fruition, the only possible outcome is war. Ireland has bled red and often� but the coming clash will be a battle for the ages. Strange alliances will form, old defences will fail, and the land will never be the same again.

Reviewers on Shauna Lawless' Gael Song series

'Lawless blends fantasy with historical fiction to great effect.' SFX
'Lawless's writing is absolutely luminous.' Irish Independent
'Swept me along and refused to be put down.' H.M. Long]]> 576 Shauna Lawless 180328272X Maryam 0 to-read 4.52 2024 The Land of the Living and the Dead (Gael Song, #3)
author: Shauna Lawless
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Rasmussen Papers 199721859
This novel's unnamed narrator is so obsessed with the desire to write the biography of her literary hero, the late poet Marianne Rasmussen, that she assumes a false name and talks her way into the house of Rasmussen's former lover, Aubrey Ash. She gets more than a foot in the door—she moves in as a lodger, gaining precious daily contact with frail, crusty, almost-centenarian Aubrey and his handsome, younger (but hardly young) brother Harry.

The would-be biographer tries to ingratiate herself with both the Ash Brothers. She flatters Aubrey and she flirts with Harry, but the harder she tries to get her hands on the coveted prize—access to the Rasmussen papers—the more she gets tangled in a trap that might just be of her own making. Can she resist the temptation to possess, by any means, the letters, photographs and first drafts that could unlock the secret to Marianne Rasmussen's genius?

The Rasmussen Papers is a brilliant reply to Henry James' The Aspern Papers. Connie Gault flips James' story on its head and slides it into contemporary Toronto's Cabbagetown, among the marginalized and dispossessed, people the narrator studies as intently as she studies everyone she meets—until a confrontation on a streetcar makes her reconsider the limits of what you can know of another's story, and how hidden we all are, especially from ourselves.]]> 192 Connie Gault 1771872535 Maryam 3 Actual rating 3.5 3.85 The Rasmussen Papers
author: Connie Gault
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.85
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/24
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: audiobook, fiction, canada, canadian
review:
Actual rating 3.5
]]> <![CDATA[On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous]]> 41880609 On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family's history that began before he was born � a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam � and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity. Asking questions central to our American moment, immersed as we are in addiction, violence, and trauma, but undergirded by compassion and tenderness, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is as much about the power of telling one's own story as it is about the obliterating silence of not being heard.

With stunning urgency and grace, Ocean Vuong writes of people caught between disparate worlds, and asks how we heal and rescue one another without forsaking who we are. The question of how to survive, and how to make of it a kind of joy, powers the most important debut novel of many years.]]> 246 Ocean Vuong 0525562028 Maryam 4 audiobook, poetry, fiction Each sentence is carefully crafted, inviting the reader to savor every word and appreciate the artistry of the flow. The book captures moments of vulnerability, love, and longing in a way that resonates deeply, leaving a lasting impression on the reader's heart.]]> 4.05 2019 On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
author: Ocean Vuong
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/18
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: audiobook, poetry, fiction
review:
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a beautifully written book that feels like a heartfelt love letter or a poetic work. The author's words flow with elegance and grace, painting vivid pictures that evoke deep emotions.
Each sentence is carefully crafted, inviting the reader to savor every word and appreciate the artistry of the flow. The book captures moments of vulnerability, love, and longing in a way that resonates deeply, leaving a lasting impression on the reader's heart.
]]> Wool (Silo, #1) 51852482
After the previous sheriff leaves the silo in a terrifying ritual, Juliette, a mechanic from the down deep, is suddenly and inexplicably promoted to the head of law enforcement. With newfound power and little regard for the customs she is supposed to honor, Juliette uncovers hints of a sinister conspiracy. Tugging this thread may uncover the truth--or it could kill every last human alive.]]> 592 Hugh Howey 0358447844 Maryam 4
Hugh Howey's "Wool" is an intriguing and captivating dystopian novel that takes place in a unique and imaginative world. The story is a thrilling exploration of a society that is both confined and isolated, yet still full of conflict and tension. Although the pacing can be a bit slow at times, the intricacies of the inner workings of the silo are fascinating and keep the reader engaged. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and their struggles to survive and change their world are compelling.

At times, I felt like there were too many details as if this book is written to be adapted on TV (hence the new Apple TV Series). Despite this, "Wool" is a captivating read for anyone who enjoys dystopian fiction.]]> 4.29 2012 Wool (Silo, #1)
author: Hugh Howey
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/04
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: audiobook, science-fiction, popsugar2023
review:
"Wool" by Hugh Howey is a dystopian novel set in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity is confined to a giant underground silo. The story revolves around the characters of Bernard and Juliette, who begins to uncover the secrets of their enclosed society and question the authority of their leaders. As everyone struggles to survive in a harsh and claustrophobic environment, she discovers a plot that threatens the very existence of their world. Howey's writing creates a vivid and fascinating world that draws the reader in, although the pacing can be a bit slow at times.

Hugh Howey's "Wool" is an intriguing and captivating dystopian novel that takes place in a unique and imaginative world. The story is a thrilling exploration of a society that is both confined and isolated, yet still full of conflict and tension. Although the pacing can be a bit slow at times, the intricacies of the inner workings of the silo are fascinating and keep the reader engaged. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and their struggles to survive and change their world are compelling.

At times, I felt like there were too many details as if this book is written to be adapted on TV (hence the new Apple TV Series). Despite this, "Wool" is a captivating read for anyone who enjoys dystopian fiction.
]]> Rememberings 55609892 THE LANDMARK MEMOIR OF A GLOBAL MUSIC ICON

Sinéad O'Connor's voice and trademark shaved head made her famous by the age of twenty-one. Her recording of Prince's Nothing Compares 2 U made her a global icon. She outraged millions when she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on American television.

O'Connor was unapologetic and impossible to ignore, calling out hypocrisy wherever she saw it.
She has remained that way for three decades.

Now, in Rememberings, O'Connor tells her story - the heartache of growing up in a family falling apart; her early forays into the Dublin music scene; her adventures and misadventures in the world of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll; the fulfilment of being a mother; her ongoing spiritual quest - and through it all, her abiding passion for music.

Rememberings is intimate, replete with candid anecdotes and full of hard-won insights. It is a unique and remarkable chronicle by a unique and remarkable artist.]]> 288 Sinéad O'Connor 1844885410 Maryam 3 4.09 2021 Rememberings
author: Sinéad O'Connor
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/20
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: audiobook, memoir-biography-autobiography, non-fiction, popsugar2024
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles (The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti, #2)]]> 78978394 Investigator Mossa and Scholar Pleiti reunite to solve a brand-new mystery in the follow-up to the fan-favorite cozy space opera detective mystery The Mimicking of Known Successes that Hugo Award-winning author Charlie Jane Anders called “an utter triumph.�

Mossa has returned to Valdegeld on a missing person’s case, for which she’ll once again need Pleiti’s insight.

Seventeen students and staff members have disappeared from Valdegeld University—yet no one has noticed. The answers to this case could be found in the outer reaches of the Jovian system—Mossa’s home—and the history of Jupiter’s original settlements. But Pleiti’s faith in her life’s work as scholar of the past has grown precarious, and this new case threatens to further destabilize her dreams for humanity’s future, as well as her own.]]> 208 Malka Ann Older 1250906792 Maryam 4 audiobook, lgtbq 3.86 2024 The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles (The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti, #2)
author: Malka Ann Older
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/20
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: audiobook, lgtbq
review:

]]> A Delhi Obsession 43328764 288 M.G. Vassanji 0385692854 Maryam 3 audiobook, canada, fiction 3.50 A Delhi Obsession
author: M.G. Vassanji
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.50
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/17
date added: 2024/09/17
shelves: audiobook, canada, fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Thousand Names (The Shadow Campaigns, #1)]]> 15810910
Captain Marcus d’Ivoire, commander of one of the Vordanai empire’s colonial garrisons, was resigned to serving out his days in a sleepy, remote outpost. But that was before a rebellion upended his life. And once the powder smoke settled, he was left in charge of a demoralized force clinging tenuously to a small fortress at the edge of the desert.

To flee from her past, Winter Ihernglass masqueraded as a man and enlisted as a ranker in the Vordanai Colonials, hoping only to avoid notice. But when chance sees her promoted to command, she must win the hearts of her men and lead them into battle against impossible odds.

The fates of both these soldiers and all the men they lead depend on the newly arrived Colonel Janus bet Vhalnich, who has been sent by the ailing king to restore order. His military genius seems to know no bounds, and under his command, Marcus and Winter can feel the tide turning. But their allegiance will be tested as they begin to suspect that the enigmatic Janus’s ambitions extend beyond the battlefield and into the realm of the supernatural—a realm with the power to ignite a meteoric rise, reshape the known world, and change the lives of everyone in its path.]]> 513 Django Wexler 0451465105 Maryam 0 to-read 4.03 2013 The Thousand Names (The Shadow Campaigns, #1)
author: Django Wexler
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Lost Bookshop 65137920 The Keeper of Stories meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets.

‘The thing about books,� she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.�

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found�

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder� where nothing is as it seems.]]> 432 Evie Woods 0008609209 Maryam 4 4.04 2023 The Lost Bookshop
author: Evie Woods
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/16
date added: 2024/09/16
shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction, fiction, audiobook, popsugar2024
review:

]]> The Clarion 139015809 208 Nina Dunic 1778430287 Maryam 4 canada, fiction, audiobook review to come 3.58 The Clarion
author: Nina Dunic
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.58
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/10
date added: 2024/09/10
shelves: canada, fiction, audiobook
review:
review to come
]]> Semiosis (Semiosis, #1) 35018907 In this character driven novel of first contact by debut author Sue Burke, human survival hinges on an bizarre alliance.

Only mutual communication can forge an alliance with the planet's sentient species and prove that mammals are more than tools.

Forced to land on a planet they aren't prepared for, human colonists rely on their limited resources to survive. The planet provides a lush but inexplicable landscape--trees offer edible, addictive fruit one day and poison the next, while the ruins of an alien race are found entwined in the roots of a strange plant. Conflicts between generations arise as they struggle to understand one another and grapple with an unknowable alien intellect.]]> 333 Sue Burke 076539135X Maryam 3 audiobook, schififantasy 3.85 2018 Semiosis (Semiosis, #1)
author: Sue Burke
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/09
date added: 2024/09/09
shelves: audiobook, schififantasy
review:

]]> Table for Two 195474144 From the bestselling author of The Lincoln Highway, A Gentleman in Moscow, and Rules of Civility, a richly detailed and sharply drawn collection of stories set in New York and Los Angeles. The millions of readers of Amor Towles are in for a treat as he shares some of his shorter six stories set in New York City and a novella in Los Angeles. The New York stories, most of which are set around the turn of the millennium, take up everything from the death-defying acrobatics of the male ego, to the fateful consequences of brief encounters, and the delicate mechanics of compromise which operate at the heart of modern marriages. In Towles’s novel, Rules of Civility, the indomitable Evelyn Ross leaves New York City in September, 1938, with the intention of returning home to Indiana. But as her train pulls into Chicago, where her parents are waiting, she instead extends her ticket to Los Angeles. Told from seven points of view, “Eve in Hollywood� describes how Eve crafts a new future for herself—and others—in the midst of Hollywood’s golden age. Throughout the stories, two characters often find themselves sitting across a table for two where the direction of their futures may hinge upon what they say to each other next. Written with his signature wit, humor, and sophistication, Table for Two is another glittering addition to Towles’s canon of stylish and transporting historical fiction.]]> 451 Amor Towles 0593296370 Maryam 5 audiobook, short-stories 4.15 2024 Table for Two
author: Amor Towles
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/23
date added: 2024/08/23
shelves: audiobook, short-stories
review:

]]> My Name Is Red 2517 My Name Is Red is a transporting tale set amid the splendor and religious intrigue of sixteenth-century Istanbul, from one of the most prominent contemporary Turkish writers.

The Sultan has commissioned a cadre of the most acclaimed artists in the land to create a great book celebrating the glories of his realm. Their task: to illuminate the work in the European style. But because figurative art can be deemed an affront to Islam, this commission is a dangerous proposition indeed. The ruling elite therefore mustn’t know the full scope or nature of the project, and panic erupts when one of the chosen miniaturists disappears. The only clue to the mystery–or crime? –lies in the half-finished illuminations themselves. Part fantasy and part philosophical puzzle, My Name is Red is a kaleidoscopic journey to the intersection of art, religion, love, sex and power.]]> 417 Orhan Pamuk Maryam 3 3.87 1998 My Name Is Red
author: Orhan Pamuk
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1998
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/22
date added: 2024/08/22
shelves: audiobook, historical-fiction, bookclub, popsugar2024
review:
A full review will follow, but this was a very interesting book, though lengthy. In my opinion, some chapters contained too many unnecessary details, but the last quarter of the book redeemed itself, picking up pace and becoming quite good.
]]> Moon Tiger 130028 208 Penelope Lively 0802135331 Maryam 5
Booker Prize winners can be unpredictable, and Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively is a bit of a strange one. The premise sounds intense - an elderly woman named Claudia is writing a book about the history of the world as she nears the end of her life. But despite the heavy subject matter, the book is actually quite comforting. It's not really a history of the world, but rather a history of Claudia's own life, exploring themes like love, war, relationships, and death.

What set this book aside from other winners I have read so far was its unreliable and unusual narrative. At first, it was hard to follow, but I got used to it. I really loved and enjoyed it. The narrative jumps around between different perspectives, but it's never confusing or hard to follow. There's not a lot of cheesy drama or suspense, but the book is still really compelling. It doesn't make you cry, but instead leaves you with a sense of thoughtfulness. Overall, it's a unique Booker Prize winner that's worth checking out, even if you're wary of the heavy premise.]]> 3.88 1987 Moon Tiger
author: Penelope Lively
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1987
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/14
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: classics, booker-prize, audiobook, popsugar2024
review:
In my pursuit of Booker Prize-winning books, I came across 'Moon Tiger.' The title got my attention first, and I didn't expect the story at all. The book turned out to be a captivating and unexpected read.

Booker Prize winners can be unpredictable, and Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively is a bit of a strange one. The premise sounds intense - an elderly woman named Claudia is writing a book about the history of the world as she nears the end of her life. But despite the heavy subject matter, the book is actually quite comforting. It's not really a history of the world, but rather a history of Claudia's own life, exploring themes like love, war, relationships, and death.

What set this book aside from other winners I have read so far was its unreliable and unusual narrative. At first, it was hard to follow, but I got used to it. I really loved and enjoyed it. The narrative jumps around between different perspectives, but it's never confusing or hard to follow. There's not a lot of cheesy drama or suspense, but the book is still really compelling. It doesn't make you cry, but instead leaves you with a sense of thoughtfulness. Overall, it's a unique Booker Prize winner that's worth checking out, even if you're wary of the heavy premise.
]]> Blindsight (Firefall, #1) 48484 Two months since the stars fell...

Two months since sixty-five thousand alien objects clenched around the Earth like a luminous fist, screaming to the heavens as the atmosphere burned them to ash. Two months since that moment of brief, bright surveillance by agents unknown.

Two months of silence while a world holds its breath.

Now some half-derelict space probe, sparking fitfully past Neptune’s orbit, hears a whisper from the edge of the solar system: a faint signal sweeping the cosmos like a lighthouse beam. Whatever’s out there isn’t talking to us. It’s talking to some distant star, perhaps. Or perhaps to something closer, something en route.

So who do you send to force introductions on an intelligence with motives unknown, maybe unknowable? Who do you send to meet the alien when the alien doesn’t want to meet?

You send a linguist with multiple personalities, her brain surgically partitioned into separate, sentient processing cores. You send a biologist so radically interfaced with machinery that he sees X-rays and tastes ultrasound, so compromised by grafts and splices he no longer feels his own flesh. You send a pacifist warrior in the faint hope she won’t be needed, and a fainter hope she’ll do any good if she is needed. You send a monster to command them all, an extinct hominid predator once called “vampire,� recalled from the grave with the voodoo of recombinant genetics and the blood of sociopaths. And you send a synthesist � an informational topologist with half his mind gone � as an interface between here and there, a conduit through which the Dead Center might hope to understand the Bleeding Edge.

You send them all to the edge of interstellar space, praying you can trust such freaks and retrofits with the fate of a world. You fear they may be more alien than the thing they’ve been sent to find.

But you’d give anything for that to be true, if you only knew what was waiting for them…]]> 384 Peter Watts 0765312182 Maryam 0 to-read 4.01 2006 Blindsight (Firefall, #1)
author: Peter Watts
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[From the Earth to the Moon and 'Round the Moon]]> 376974 340 Jules Verne 1596051310 Maryam 3 children, classics, ya 3.80 1865 From the Earth to the Moon and 'Round the Moon
author: Jules Verne
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.80
book published: 1865
rating: 3
read at: 1990/01/01
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: children, classics, ya
review:

]]> Civilizations 51155778 1492 : Colomb ne découvre pas l’Amérique.
1531 : les Incas envahissent l’Europe.

À quelles conditions ce qui a été aurait-il pu ne pas être ?
Il a manqué trois choses aux Indiens pour résister aux conquistadors. Donnez-leur le cheval, le fer, les anticorps, et toute l’histoire du monde est à refaire.

Civilizations est le roman de cette hypothèse : Atahualpa débarque dans l’Europe de Charles Quint. Pour y trouver quoi ?
L’Inquisition espagnole, la Réforme de Luther, le capitalisme naissant. Le prodige de l’imprimerie, et ses feuilles qui parlent. Des monarchies exténuées par leurs guerres sans fin, sous la menace constante des Turcs. Une mer infestée de pirates. Un continent déchiré par les querelles religieuses et dynastiques.
Mais surtout, des populations brimées, affamées, au bord du soulèvement, juifs de Tolède, maures de Grenade, paysans allemands : des alliés.
De Cuzco à Aix-la-Chapelle, et jusqu’� la bataille de Lépante, voici le récit de la mondialisation renversée, telle qu’au fond, il s’en fallut d’un rien pour qu’elle l’emporte, et devienne réalité.


]]> 384 Laurent Binet 2246813107 Maryam 3
Civiliation by Laurent Binet is a well-researched and thought-provoking work that explores an alternative history where the Vikings reached and armed the Aztec and Inca empires, preventing the European domination of the Americas. While Binet's consistent and detailed exploration of this counter-factual scenario is impressive, the book's message ultimately rests on a single assumption. The extensive third part, written in a chronical style, can become tiresome at times, but the book remains an amusing and refreshing experiment in historical perspective, even if it does not significantly alter our understanding of how history unfolded.]]> 3.68 2019 Civilizations
author: Laurent Binet
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/06
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, audiobook
review:
Actual rating : 3.5

Civiliation by Laurent Binet is a well-researched and thought-provoking work that explores an alternative history where the Vikings reached and armed the Aztec and Inca empires, preventing the European domination of the Americas. While Binet's consistent and detailed exploration of this counter-factual scenario is impressive, the book's message ultimately rests on a single assumption. The extensive third part, written in a chronical style, can become tiresome at times, but the book remains an amusing and refreshing experiment in historical perspective, even if it does not significantly alter our understanding of how history unfolded.
]]> به كودكی كه هرگز زاده نشد 502674 116 Oriana Fallaci Maryam 3 3.74 1975 به كودكی كه هرگز زاده نشد
author: Oriana Fallaci
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.74
book published: 1975
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/07/31
shelves:
review:

]]> The Immortal King Rao 60763412

With climate change raging, Athena has come to believe that saving the planet and its Shareholders will require a radical act of communion—and so she sets out to tell the truth to the world’s Shareholders, in entrancing sensory detail, about King’s childhood on a South Indian coconut plantation; his migration to the U.S. to study engineering in a world transformed by globalization; his marriage to the ambitious artist with whom he changed the world; and, ultimately, his invention, under self-exile, of the most ambitious creation of his life—Athena herself.


The Immortal King Rao, written by a former Wall Street Journal technology reporter, is a resonant debut novel obliterating the boundaries between literary and speculative fiction, the historic and the dystopian, confronting how we arrived at the age of technological capitalism and where our actions might take us next.]]> 378 Vauhini Vara 0393541762 Maryam 0 to-read 3.82 2022 The Immortal King Rao
author: Vauhini Vara
name: Maryam
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Room of One’s Own 18521 A Room of One's Own is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf. First published on the 24th of October, 1929, the essay was based on a series of lectures she delivered at Newnham College and Girton College, two women's colleges at Cambridge University in October 1928. While this extended essay in fact employs a fictional narrator and narrative to explore women both as writers and characters in fiction, the manuscript for the delivery of the series of lectures, titled Women and Fiction, and hence the essay, are considered nonfiction. The essay is seen as a feminist text, and is noted in its argument for both a literal and figural space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by patriarchy.]]> 112 Virginia Woolf Maryam 5
I used to feel intimidated by Woolf's writing whenever I tried to read her books in the past, but I decided to give it another shot. To play it safe, I started with her essays, and that's how I came across this book! Itwas the right choice because I absolutely loved this book!

"A Room of One's Own" has become a really important piece of feminist literary criticism and has had a positive influence. Woolf challenges the traditional belief that women are less creative or capable of producing great literature. She explores the many obstacles that women faced in pursuing their artistic goals, which motivated her to criticize and question these barriers. She argues that women need their own financial independence and a space of their own to freely experiment with their creativity. Woolf encourages women to seek education and professional careers. Woolf's work offers a lasting and significant interpretation of how women are seen in society.]]> 4.21 1929 A Room of One’s Own
author: Virginia Woolf
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1929
rating: 5
read at: 2023/06/02
date added: 2024/07/30
shelves: audiobook, favorites, non-fiction
review:
Virginia Woolf is an important writer from the 20th century who is known for her unique style of writing and for being a pioneer of using stream of consciousness in her stories. Her work has had a big impact on the feminist movement in the 1970s, and her books have been translated into many languages and discussed widely for inspiring feminism.

I used to feel intimidated by Woolf's writing whenever I tried to read her books in the past, but I decided to give it another shot. To play it safe, I started with her essays, and that's how I came across this book! Itwas the right choice because I absolutely loved this book!

"A Room of One's Own" has become a really important piece of feminist literary criticism and has had a positive influence. Woolf challenges the traditional belief that women are less creative or capable of producing great literature. She explores the many obstacles that women faced in pursuing their artistic goals, which motivated her to criticize and question these barriers. She argues that women need their own financial independence and a space of their own to freely experiment with their creativity. Woolf encourages women to seek education and professional careers. Woolf's work offers a lasting and significant interpretation of how women are seen in society.
]]> <![CDATA[The Blood Traitor (The Prison Healer, #3)]]> 50882394 She’d failed them. All of them. And now she was paying the price.

Kiva thought she knew what she wanted—revenge. But feelings change, people change... everything has changed.

After what happened at the palace, Kiva is desperate to know if her friends and family are safe, and whether those she wronged can ever forgive her. But with the kingdoms closer to the brink of war than they’ve ever been, and Kiva far away from the conflict, more is at stake than her own broken heart.

A fresh start will mean a perilous quest, forcing mortal enemies and uneasy allies together in a race against the clock to save not just Evalon, but all of Wenderall. With her loyalties now set, Kiva can no longer just survive—she must fight for what she believes in. For who she believes in. But with danger coming from every side, and the lives of everyone she loves at risk, does she have what it takes to stand, or will she fall?]]> 464 Lynette Noni 0358436370 Maryam 3
2023:
Well Lynette Noni , you redeemed yourself haha! Enjoyed this last book.]]> 4.43 2022 The Blood Traitor (The Prison Healer, #3)
author: Lynette Noni
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/30
date added: 2024/07/30
shelves: ebooks, fantasy, ya, audiobook
review:
Re read 2024: Upon rereading it after a year, I realized it felt too cheesy for me. Apologies, Noni, but you've lost a star.

2023:
Well Lynette Noni , you redeemed yourself haha! Enjoyed this last book.
]]> Remnant Population 96284
With everything she needs to sustain her, and her independent spirit to buoy her, Ofelia actually does start life over–for the first time on her own terms: free of the demands, the judgments, and the petty tyrannies of others. But when a reconnaissance ship returns to her idyllic domain, and its crew is mysteriously slaughtered, Ofelia realizes she is not the sole inhabitant of her paradise after all. And, when the inevitable time of first contact finally arrives, she will find her life changed yet again–in ways she could never have imagined...]]> 326 Elizabeth Moon 034546219X Maryam 4
Contact with aliens (non-humans) has always been an attractive topic for me and when the aliens are some kind of intelligent and curious race it makes it more interesting.

This book is about a colonized planet that is to be evacuated. One of the colony people is an old woman that doesn't desire to leave and when the company asks to overcharge her family to have her in shuttles, she decides to remain behind. Ofelia is a normal old lady, has had ups and downs in her life and now she wants a quiet life and death.

She uses the equipment left behind and one day hears on the radio a new colony that are in the process of landing on another side of the planet. Everything sounds normal until it doesn't and all of them are dead in a horrifying death. She knows that she won't be alone anymore and there are indigenous populations somewhere on the planet who would find her sooner or later.

The part I really liked is the first group of People when they meet with Ofelia, how they behave, how she behaves and how they start to communicate. The book doesn't go much into their social ranks and structure of society until the very end but the whole story becomes way more interesting from this point.

In general, I think Moon has done a great job shaping the characters. It was an enjoyable read and I think it's worth reading.]]> 4.06 1996 Remnant Population
author: Elizabeth Moon
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at: 2020/01/15
date added: 2024/07/26
shelves: ebooks, science-fiction, scififantasy2020
review:
This was a slow book for me but it was well written, the only objection I have is toward lots of details.

Contact with aliens (non-humans) has always been an attractive topic for me and when the aliens are some kind of intelligent and curious race it makes it more interesting.

This book is about a colonized planet that is to be evacuated. One of the colony people is an old woman that doesn't desire to leave and when the company asks to overcharge her family to have her in shuttles, she decides to remain behind. Ofelia is a normal old lady, has had ups and downs in her life and now she wants a quiet life and death.

She uses the equipment left behind and one day hears on the radio a new colony that are in the process of landing on another side of the planet. Everything sounds normal until it doesn't and all of them are dead in a horrifying death. She knows that she won't be alone anymore and there are indigenous populations somewhere on the planet who would find her sooner or later.

The part I really liked is the first group of People when they meet with Ofelia, how they behave, how she behaves and how they start to communicate. The book doesn't go much into their social ranks and structure of society until the very end but the whole story becomes way more interesting from this point.

In general, I think Moon has done a great job shaping the characters. It was an enjoyable read and I think it's worth reading.
]]> Hell Bent (Alex Stern, #2) 34019110 Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. Alex Stern is back and the Ivy League is going straight to hell.

Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy “Alex� Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory―even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale.

Forbidden from attempting a rescue, Alex and Dawes can’t call on the Ninth House for help, so they assemble a team of dubious allies to save the gentleman of Lethe. Together, they will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to uncover the societies� most closely guarded secrets, and break every rule doing it. But when faculty members begin to die off, Alex knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if she is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls.

Thick with history and packed with Bardugo’s signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world full of magic, violence, and all too real monsters.]]> 484 Leigh Bardugo 1250313112 Maryam 5
From the very beginning, the story had me hooked with its fast-paced action and twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. The plot follows Alex and Dawes as they embark on a dangerous mission to rescue Darlington from hell, while faculty members at Yale are being killed off one by one, raising the stakes even higher.

But what really sets Hell Bent apart is the way Bardugo seamlessly weaves together multiple storylines while exploring themes of loyalty and friendship. Each character is unique and fully fleshed out, adding depth to the story and making me care about their fates.

All in all, Hell Bent is a fantastic sequel that delivers on all fronts. It's a perfect blend of action, suspense, and emotional depth, and I highly recommend it to fans of Ninth House and new readers alike. Trust me, you won't regret diving into this dark and magical world!]]> 4.20 2023 Hell Bent (Alex Stern, #2)
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/24
date added: 2024/07/24
shelves: audiobook, horror, fantasy, ya, popsugar2023
review:
As someone who absolutely loved Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House, I was thrilled to finally get my hands on the long-awaited sequel, Hell Bent. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint!

From the very beginning, the story had me hooked with its fast-paced action and twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. The plot follows Alex and Dawes as they embark on a dangerous mission to rescue Darlington from hell, while faculty members at Yale are being killed off one by one, raising the stakes even higher.

But what really sets Hell Bent apart is the way Bardugo seamlessly weaves together multiple storylines while exploring themes of loyalty and friendship. Each character is unique and fully fleshed out, adding depth to the story and making me care about their fates.

All in all, Hell Bent is a fantastic sequel that delivers on all fronts. It's a perfect blend of action, suspense, and emotional depth, and I highly recommend it to fans of Ninth House and new readers alike. Trust me, you won't regret diving into this dark and magical world!
]]> <![CDATA[The Dragon Republic (The Poppy War, #2)]]> 41118857
With no other options, Rin joins forces with the powerful Dragon Warlord, who has a plan to conquer Nikan, unseat the Empress, and create a new Republic. Rin throws herself into his war. After all, making war is all she knows how to do.

But the Empress is a more powerful foe than she appears, and the Dragon Warlord’s motivations are not as democratic as they seem. The more Rin learns, the more she fears her love for Nikan will drive her away from every ally and lead her to rely more and more on the Phoenix’s deadly power. Because there is nothing she won’t sacrifice for her country and her vengeance.

The sequel to R.F. Kuang’s acclaimed debut THE POPPY WAR, THE DRAGON REPUBLIC combines the history of 20th-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters, to devastating effect.]]> 658 R.F. Kuang Maryam 5 4.36 2019 The Dragon Republic (The Poppy War, #2)
author: R.F. Kuang
name: Maryam
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/22
date added: 2024/07/22
shelves: audiobook, fantasy, historical-fiction
review:
Enjoyed it a lot!! Full review to come
]]>